and kissing each other as he guided them safely back down to
the catwalk. As their feet touched down, the light inside the lighthouse
switched on and projected the shadows of their embracing
figures out onto the choppy waves of the ocean.
?I can?t lose you,? Lucas said, pulling his mouth away from hers.
?That?s why I didn?t tell you the whole truth. I thought if you knew
how bad it was you?d send me away. I didn?t want you to give up
hope. I can?t do this if you give up on us.?
?I don?t want to give up,? Helen cried. ?But there can never be an
us, Lucas. You should have told me that.?
?Don?t say never,? he said. He brushed his face against her neck,
no longer kissing her, but unable to let her go completely. ?Nothing
is forever, and there are no absolutes. We?ll find a way.?
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?Lucas,? Helen said, frowning and pushing against his chest until
he let her go. She sat down on the catwalk and pulled him down
next to her so they could talk. ?We would hate ourselves. And eventually,
we?d hate each other.?
?I know that!? he said, his voice rising desperately. ?I?m not talking
about running off and doing whatever we want!?
?Then, what?? Helen asked softly, calming him down. ?What are
we supposed to do??
?I don?t know yet,? he admitted. He leaned back against the glass
wall of the lighthouse and pulled Helen against his chest. ?But I
will not go through another week like this last one.?
?Me neither,? she said. She rested against him, fully relaxing for
the first time in days. ?I don?t care how hard being together is,
nothing is worse than being apart.?
?What was it you told me? Decide what you can?t do and then do
the opposite?? he asked with an amused smile, pressing his lips