in which, selena amorim has never had an easy life, yet when she finds herself crossing paths with an old acquaintance, the first glimpses of hope shine through. as the seasons change, their lives take tumultuous turns and their feelings burn. will...
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My eyelids fluttered as they fought to stay open, it was six in the morning and no sign of Selena appeared on that foggy field. It was deserted at this hour, most Derry residents were sleeping safe and sound between their warm covers while i shivered in the almost-purple haze that lay upon the land.
Then like a phoenix, she rose from the smoke, desolate with alienation plaguing her eyes. An ambiguous anxiety played in her hands as she trembled and fiddled. Her coat wrapped snugly around her arms and waist, her face hidden within the fur that lined it.
Kicking up grass, she came to a stop only a few feet away from me, her chest heaving as she trembled. The smoke escaping past her lips as she dropped the cigarette and put it out, "Reds." I couldn't help but chuckle, fighting back a smile as she turned her head towards the wind.
"I hated every second of it."
"No you didn't."
She sighed, I attempted to bite back my tongue after realizing just how impactful my words had been. Except, I didn't want to, she deserved to know how it felt. The immense pain and the constant fire burning within me was beyond painful.
"You're cornered, Selena, don't you see you've got nowhere to go now? There are no more excuses, let's fix this once and for all. Why's it been so hard for you to love me?"
She silently nodded, allowing me to continue with my repertoire. Within those maroon eyes I saw her giving up her pride, swallowing it swiftly as the soft-mannered girl I knew slowly came back.
It was like watching spring melt the snow of the winter behind us, even if we were in the middle of a cold front, freezing as our breath crystallized with every word. The girl was back, my girl was back.
"You are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me and i've done nothing but treat you terribly!"
She turned her face away from me, gulping heavily, the clock read 5:30 and that meant plentiful time before school started. The clock ticking loudly in my mind, the sun hiding as behind the covers of the horizon as it woke for the day, as it struck me in the eye I remembered that misty night.
"Let me take you somewhere."
***
Ice was beginning to form in the cracks of the cathedral, it was in the same condition it had been all those months ago. Now it seemed less romantic, more mysterious and colder than ever. Bundled up in my layers, I sat in the pew opposite to him, the weight of my actions pinning me down to the seat.
Above us, the sky was painted white as the sun became thoroughly covered in a sea of clouds, the air just below the freezing point. He shivered as he struggled to pull a cig from his coat pocket and pat around his jeans for the lighter.
"No worries,"
Walking over, I slipped the golden box into my palm, flicking it open. The flames enlightening his initials inscribed on the front, my fingers traced them as he lit up.
The orange flame bounced off his face, enlightening the smaller details on his face. My heart raced to my throat, the hair on my body stood all at once as he blessed me with his mere presence. I loved everything about him.
I loved his pale skin.
I loved the way his freckles trailed across and over his nose.
I loved his wide eyes and their amber color.
I loved the way his laughter came deep from within his soul.
The way he managed to find the best in all of us.
The way he managed to find the best in me.
I was never deserving of his love or his tolerance, yet after everything I had done, he still found ways to forgive me. Once again I found a fuzzy, warm feeling creeping up my body. His arms wrapped around me as he let out a huff of smoke, "Why'd you do all those things?"
"For the same reason you did."
I hid my face in shame as he sighed, taking another drag to let his sorrows burn within him. His arm shifted from my upper back to my waist as he lovingly gazed down at me, "I missed this view."
The wind swept the now elongated hair from his red cheeks, tossing it in the air as the subtle breeze became aggressive and taunting. Then for a second, the world stopped, the icy cold would not numb me any longer. A snowflake fell on his eyelash, he leaned into me and connected our lips.
Outside the wind was howling and the first snowfall of the season had just begun to fall upon us. Everything went black, I could hear nothing, see nothing, I was absolutely paralyzed in his love and what a gorgeous thing it was.
