Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1 by D.G. Torrens Read Free Book Online Page A

sight!”
    Ben nodded in agreement. “Sounds perfect to me, Tristan.”
    The following day, Ben and Tristan spent all day out on the boat fishing, Charlie was in and out of the sea and the weather couldn ’t have been more perfect. The sea was relatively calm and perfect for fishing.
    “ Do you remember when we first came down to Brighton on our own as teenagers, Ben? I will never forget that night we went clubbing and by the end of the night after a beer drinking competition, you were as sick as a dog. The next morning you looked like death, to say the least!”
    Ben shifted his position and smiled at Tristan. “If I recall the night of events accurately, you slipped the odd shot of whisky in my beer, hence winning the bet!”
    Tristan fell about laughing. “I guess that was a bit unfair. That was a fantastic weekend, Ben. We were young and carefree with no fears for the future back then.”
    Ben handed Tristan another bottle of Stella and they both stared out to the open sea as they reminisced old times. “What was that girl’s name, you know the one, Tristan? She followed you around all night until you got lucky with the blonde girl and even then she didn’t get the hint and came over to you as she was leaving and slipped you her number. You always knew how to attract them. When I think of some of the scrapes I’ve had to get you out of over the years. You really were a lady’s man back then, Tristan, I can’t believe how much you’ve changed over the last ten years.”
    Tristan thought back to those years when everything seemed easy and he had the world at his feet. “Life has a way of changing our perspective, Ben, as you well know. I became tired of relationships devoid of depth, I started to question my life more and more as the days passed. I no longer wanted one-night stands and short-term relationships. I guess I grew up, Ben, and wanted something more meaningful.” Ben placed his hand on Tristan’s shoulder and nodded in complete understanding.
    They went down to the promenade for an evening meal after they docked and enjoyed a scrumptious dinner of halibut and sautéed potatoes with a side order of vegetables, polished off with a bottle of wine. When they finished, they took a long walk along the promenade with Charlie before heading back to the apartment. The next couple of days, Ben and Tristan spent most of their time on the beach. Tristan hired out a jet ski a few times while Ben could only watch on with envy as he sped out to sea, bouncing up and down on the waves and shouting with excitement. It would be quite some time before Ben would be able to climb onto a jet ski. As he watched his brother fly off into the distance, he wished he was riding alongside him.
    “Next time we’re here that will be me out there, Charlie.” He looked down and Charlie got up and ran towards the water’s edge when he saw Tristan heading back to shore.
    After a few much-needed days in Brighton, Ben and Tristan headed back to Birmingham on the Saturday morning. Tristan dropped Ben and Charlie off at his apartment and headed off home himself. He was eager to see if Stephanie had taken more than she should have, not to mention locking up the place before she left.
    Ben walked through his apartment, threw down his bag, and poured some water into a bowl for Charlie. He picked up the newspaper off the coffee table and re-read the small ad for the Freedom Gallery of Contemporary Art, which was showcasing the work of Oliver Steen that very evening. He decided to call the gallery to ensure he could arrive without a pre-bought ticket. He dialled the number at the bottom of the advert and waited patiently for someone to answer. “Hello, Freedom Gallery of Contemporary Art, Arianna speaking.”
    Ben liked the sound of the woman ’s voice down the end of the line. “Hello, I saw your advert in the local newspaper and I was wondering if I can just turn up this evening or do I need to have a pre-ordered ticket?” Ben