HASALYNX PRESS
Read Romance Ebooks Legally — Anytime, Online, With a Monthly Subscription

Sometimes, loving another person was all about... keeping quiet about it.

Yeah. This may not have been Hollywood’s preferred narrative, but in my case, it was very true...

In life, there were moments when you found yourself caring for someone very deeply, longing for them each second of the day, yet the circumstances prevented you from expressing that love.

All that you could do, would be cherish them from a distance, quietly embracing the affection flickering within you...

In the midst of my twenties, I was trapped in this type of situation, hopelessly in love with a man, and waiting to no end, just to catch glimpses of him...

It wasn’t really him trying to put distances between us, but rather, the reality of his job.

Vilmar held the post of the second officer on a ship, and every voyage kept him away from home for three to four weeks. I was no expert regarding this profession, but from what I understood listening to him, he played a crucial role in navigating the vessel, monitoring weather conditions, and ensuring safety of everyone on board.

Vilmar and I met at the tender age of fifteen. Back then, my mother began dating some divorced man from our village, Uncle Jógvan – who had a seventeen year old son, Vilmar.

I often overheard them speaking about him, sharing tales of his hunger to see the world and somewhat wild ambitions – to become a chief officer on board a vessel…

I didn’t know many such people and as a result, I found myself yearning to meet him; but it wasn’t until the arrival of a rather cool summer that our paths finally crossed, like two ships in the distance.

It was a sweet-scented, yet treacherously cold summer evening, and the aroma of grilled meat wafting through the air as laughter and chatter filled my mother’s ordinary, boxed-in garden. At last, our annual barbecue was in full swing, and the first time that I laid my eyes on him, was amidst the lively crowd. His messy dark hair seemed to dance in the warm breeze, framing his striking blue eyes and a polite smile... He was wearing a sweater from the Faroese wool and charcoal grey chinos, paired with white leather shoes...

Our parents knew it wouldn’t be easy for us to initiate a conversation, and boy, were they right... There was an aura of effortless charm about him that drew me in, I found myself attracted by him in a way that I couldn’t explain, fascinated, I could say.

I felt awkward for other reasons, too. It wasn’t simply to acquire a stepbrother at age fifteen! All my life, I had been the only child. It was just my mother and I, and it was challenging to have someone like Vilmar, become a part of my life...

And so… as we kept eating local delicacies (such as ræst kjøt, fermented mutton) and drinking maltøl (a non-alcoholic malt drink), I couldn’t help but be captivated by everything that he spoke to me...