In the Beginning

The Past

Once I was able to speak to Danielle again I was going to see if she was biological mom, but for now I needed to know exactly how everyone was going to react to me. "Hayes, where are we going to first?" We pulled into a random parking lot downtown. He turned off the car and I was confused. "Hayes, where are we?" He took a deep breath and held my hands again, as he turned his body to face me. I turned my body as well. He began to speak, "Stephanie, I know that we have had this bond, but have never spoken about it. I want you to know that I care about you so much. I like you and I want to date you. Instead of seeing everyone from last night, would you want to have a date? And since you don't have a place to stay, would you want to stay with me?" This caught me off guard, but in a good way. This is exactly what I wanted and needed to hear from him. I think I was starting to love into love with Hayes. "That's sounds wonderful. I want to date you too." He grinned while squeezing my hands. He looked into my eyes, "And you care for me and like me too?" I giggled, "And I like you too and care for you too." He raised my hands to his mouth and kissed them. This was everything I had been hoping for.

We decided that we were going to walk around the garden downtown and then get some food. Luckily, it looked like no one I was dreading to see was anywhere to be seen. Hayes parked his car behind his club/ apartment and we got out and began to walk towards the garden. Although I had seen the garden a few days earlier, it still managed to shock me. The colors were beautiful, there were flowers of all shades of blue, pink, yellow, orange, etc. Multiple bushes and a marvelous brick walkway that guided you to a large pond that had tiny fish swimming and ducks walking around it. I was smiling because I have always loved all things gardening and for a second I forgot all about Hayes and this town because I was reminded of my life back home in Boston. "You like gardening?" Hayes asked me. And like that I was brought back to reality. "Yes, I had quite the green thumb back home. I also care for this planet... I'm an environmental and sustainability major." "I forgot you were in college, Boston University, right?" I giggled. "Yes, but honestly I had forgotten that I was in college too. This town has been so overwhelming that I forgotten how drama-free my life actually is back in Boston." I sighed. "I also feel so young compared to everyone here. It's odd, you guys all look like my age, but already have adult jobs." Hayes grabbed my hand and we walked to a bench that over looked the garden. "Let's forget everyone here and everything that happened last night. For one day. Tell me everything. About your life. Your dreams, your past, what you hope to accomplish." It was refreshing to hear a man who didn't want to talk about himself the whole time, yet with Hayes I knew if I only talked about myself, we would never talk about him. "Okay, I will do that, but you have to tell me about yourself as well." Hayes responded, "Fine."

"Where to start first, well, my name is Stephanie Carter, , but I know for a fact you knew that." Hayes smiled. "I was adopted my mom, who passed away, may she rest in peace, when I was one year old. I've always lived in Boston and you know what school I go and what I'm studying. I graduate next year which is nerve racking because I have no clue what I want to do, but I do know I want help the planet heal from climate change. I love the spring time, but I think that's because I'm a spring time baby, and I love to garden and read. As for my dreams, I've always felt lost, like no one truly understands me and that's why I've always yearned for a group of friends or a significant other who truly sees me and doesn't judge me. I've always tried so hard to understand others, but nobody has ever tried to actually get to know me except for my mom." "And well, I guess you, now." I looked into Hayes's eyes, and we were communicating through eye contact.

I wrapped my fingers around his neck and started working my way through his hair. I leaned into his ear and whispered, "Can I kiss you?" He gulped down and nodded. Our lips touched slowly and passionately. He cupped my face while my hands were back onto his neck. God. He was such a good fucking kisser. I didn't want to stop. I wanted to straddle him and keep kissing him, but we were in public. Our mouths let go from each other's and he pulled my hair back which led to my head being pulled back as well. My eyes were looking up at the sky and my neck was exposed. He gently licked me from my collarbone all the way up to my ear. He started switching between kissing my neck and nibbling my ear lobe. It felt so good. I moaned in pleasure.

He stopped and let go of my hair. I brought my head back down and I took a deep breath. It felt like he had brought me from heaven back to earth. I remembered what we had been talking about and now it was my turn to ask the questions. "You're good. I almost forgot that I wanted to find out more information on you." He laughed, "Damn it, I thought that would make you forget." I laughed too and gently punched his arm. "So Hayes, tell me about yourself, I feel like I don't know anything. Only that Zach and Damon are your brothers and you own a club." He took a deep breath. "I want to tell you everything, but I can't" He ruined the moment. I started to be vulnerable and all he had to do was tell me something that I didn't already know about him. "I can't believe you Hayes." I stood up from the bench. "Stephanie! Wait! I can't tell you because I don't remember." I sat down again. This had to be related to how Valentina and Helen couldn't remember either. "What do you mean?" He sighed and looked down. "I didn't want to tell you about all this because this was our first official date, but I can't tell you. This town has never had anyone new come into it, so there was nobody asking questions about the past like you have. But about four months ago, I was in Zach's office while he was in a meeting. I was waiting for him, and he was running late so I was started to look through his bookshelf. Don't ask me why because I don't know. I just did. Anyways, I came across this book-" I interrupted him, "In the Beginning?" "Yes, it was In the Beginning, and I took it home with me. I started reading it and everything felt familiar. Zach acted like Zeus, and his wife Helen and Hera, Damon and Poseidon, me and Hades, and so on and so forth. I began to think about my past and I couldn't remember it. I only knew I owned a club and lived in New Mount. I don't how I got here or anything. But then I did some digging. I looked up baby girls who would have shown up around us twenty years ago. And I found you. I knew it was you. I had this gut feeling. So I looked up your social media and I saw that you posted with your adoptive mom before she died at Olympia's Used Books. Fortunately the owner was about to close the book store, but I bought it from her for with a hefty check. I gave you a copy of In the Beginning and here we are."