Bold, Breathless Love

Galena

Needing time to himself, Steven walked through Main Street and took in the lovely sites of Galena. It was a charming little town full of history and parallel walkways, side streets, and beautiful gentle rising hills that took one's breath away.

There were bikers and hikers and birdwatchers along the riverside path in this lovely town that was visited by over a million tourists a year, but Steven saw none of that, his mind was preoccupied with her. She was his main focus, he kept going over and over again in his mind what happened in the hallway on graduation day. It was hard for his mind to comprehend everything that had transpired through the last part of the school year and Steven choked back a sob.

No matter which way he analyzed the situation, he couldn't figure it out. Why would she lie to him, he thought, why would she choose Jeff over him? It was inconceivable to watch Abby in Jeff's arms, let alone being engaged to him.

Something didn't sit well with Steven, how could someone stop loving another just like that? Her lying lips had spoken many promises and he believed them, she seemed sincere. His heart wanted to believe that she was sincere, she did love him. People don't just stop loving someone over night like that, but his mind argued, she never loved you!

He went through every word she had ever said to him a hundred times, she seemed in love with him, he felt her love with everything inside of him. Steven stopped by the river, braced his hands on the freshly, white painted railing and shut his eyes.

The gentle wind danced through his raven hair, and Steven felt it softly, as it caressed his skin. A tear glided down his face, he was in terrible pain, and new not how to stop the flow of it, as it pierced through his heart and broke him.

"You alright son?" A stranger behind him asked.

Steven couldn't speak, he merely nodded in response, his chest felt tight and he held on to the railing as if his life depended on it. For a second the thought of throwing himself over the railing seemed like something he wanted to do to end his torture, but his senses held him back from doing so. He was a broken man, he knew that, and it would be a miracle if he would ever get through this misery, but somehow he knew that he would eventually pull through.

There had to be something inside of Abby, even if it was a little bit that belonged to Steven. She couldn't have been lying the entire time to him, his heart felt her love, his mind argued, she must still feel something for him, it was natural for lingering feelings to still be there, he told himself, she must still have some kind of feelings for him even if it's just a little bit.

Abby didn't look at Jeff like the way she had looked at him in Wisconsin. "She doesn't love him!" Steven said out loud to himself, drawing unwanted attention by his miserable behavior.

Taking a deep breath of inhalation, Steven released his hands from the railing and walked away. His eyes were blurred by tears and his heart was filled with pain and suffering.

It was then that he saw her. She was laughing at something her friend was saying, as they walked across the small street towards the shops and restaurants of this charming little town.

Steven's eyes widened and his heart pounded against his muscled chest, she was here, she came looking for him, he was sure of it. Running to catch up with her, Steven called out her name just as she was about to turn the corner in a voice he didn't recognize as his own.

"Abby!"

In desperation, he reached out his hand and grabbed her by the shoulders and flipped her around to face him. His mind was playing tricks on him and it didn't register right away that this was not his Abby, but some pretty stranger that resembled her.