Runaway

The trees seemed to move past behind us, pushing us closer to where the starless sky meets the sea. Her eyes were closed, but she was smiling. Her hair was caught up in the wind, sending the intoxicating scent to me. I inhaled deeply, half dreaming, half contented. I shifted gear to third and the world outside moved faster. I looked at you from the corner of my eyes, your head leaning on your folded arms on the door frame. The windows were down, the midnight air crisp and cold, but I was warm. Mountains appeared on either side of the tranquil road as the sky turned purple with streaks of fire. I turned off the radio. I can hear you breathe. I can hear my heartbeat. You lift your head up and inhaled. You turned to look at me, “I can smell the sea!”

I smiled to myself, thinking this was the right thing to do.

I could almost hear the waves crashing.

You climbed out before I stopped the engine, running out to the seawall. I watched you remove your high heeled shoes, your shoulders dipping one after the other. Then you ran down the steps to the sand, stopping only once just to turn around and smile up at me, “Are you coming or not?”

As if I could stand still when your hair’s a mess, your dress strikingly out of place. It was made for your wedding.

The memory of that afternoon came back. I went down the seawall and ran to you. If I was even a second too late, I could’ve lost you forever.

I held your face in both my hands, lifting your eyes to mine. “I’ll take you back to him. I can wait for you.” I could feel the emptiness spread through my chest as I said the words, wanting to believe myself. Waiting - hoping - to hear her say...

“No,” your hand travelled to my neck, clutching my hair. “I’m staying with you.”

The waves invited us, reaching our feet and ruined your wedding dress.

The night ended

He blocked her, moving towards her without looking away. She felt the cold wall behind her as she stepped back returning his gaze. What led them to this place, she can't quite remember. Her heart beat came like gasps. She was angry but she felt different with his face close to hers for perhaps the first time. She looked over his shoulder for a second, when she looked back at him, his eyes were closed. He put one hand beside her head on the wall, narrowing her choices of escape. But when he rested his forehead on hers, she didn’t want to go away just yet. Maybe a second longer and then she would really leave like she supposed to a long time ago.

His jaw worked. She could feel his eyebrows furrowing against her forehead. When he slowly lifted his hand to her waist, she pushed him away.

The anger crept up her. Distance did her good. “"Do you love me?"

He looked at her now. He stifled a laugh but he was clearly not amused.

She smiled too, bitter and nostalgic. She kept her eyes down, her voice a whisper. Why was she even asking when she knew the answer.

“Why do you have to make it so hard? Every time I tried to walk away, you held my hand, you touched my hair, you looked at me – you pulled me in and I gave in every time.” She looked at him then, “Every. Time.”

Her throat closed up. She held back her tears. Then, nothing. You lift me off the ground then leave me hanging.

He watched her. “I'm sorry". He looked down, shaking his head. He couldn’t meet her eyes.

She wondered briefly if that was pain in his eyes but she brushed the thought away. Hope was killing her softly.

“Is it really that hard for you to just love me?” She forced a little smile even though it might break what’s left of her heart and wiped away a stray tear. She moved past him. She didn’t want to look back, to see if he would follow her. She shook her head furiously keeping those hopes away forever.

“I can't stay away from you.” Her legs weakened at the sound of his voice, she had to stop to keep herself from falling. “But that's not enough, isn't it?”

She tilted her head back, suddenly her tears were running down her cheeks, forcing them back again. She turned around, just to see his face long enough to remember every curve. "No."

He tried to move, closer to her, but she stopped him short. "Don't. Let me go." She looked at his eyes one last time before walking away.

She thought of the long days she would try to forget him, of the empty nights she would long for him. She turned to look back and saw him walk away the opposite direction.

That night seemed endless.. but it did.

Prologue

Time, they make past lovers to strangers.

The ballroom was filled, voices floating trying to be heard over the other but all Georgiana Aberdeen could hear were mere whispers, her own thoughts drowned everything else. Her heart leaped when she thought she heard his name. She stood still, refusing to follow the turn of the heads to the opposite direction in acknowledgement to the gentleman who just came in. She began to lift her foot in an attempt to walk away but failed. He was but a step, a heartbeat away. His countenance soon change into familiarity, of reserved affection, but the warmth of his smile showed nothing more, then a straight line of his lips came when he realized it was not the right emotion in seeing her thus. She turned around...

A day

The morning light spilled across the floor, reaching the tips of his eyelashes. I watched the rise and fall of his chest, his face still resembling a smile. I longed to touch his hair, it was just hours ago that I ran my fingers through them, a memory that warmed my heart and lit a smile on my face. I hurried from where I sat watching him near the window to his side, tracing his body with mine. My hand rested on his bare chest, and he turned to pull me in. His arms tightened around me sending shivers up my spine. He kissed the top of my head, his lips unmoving. I closed my eyes, hearing his every heartbeat answer to my own.

The words floated in the air, unspoken yet understood. Stay. Forget everything, just for today.

The world fell away beyond the white covers. We were high above tucked away in a cloud. Maybe sometime we’ll remember to go back, but this moment is ours.