The second time Adriel saw Zaylie she seemed even prettier. The light around her seemed to be even brighter so he needed even more energy to restrict it.
Zaylie: Hi.
Adriel: Hi.
As she was crossing the street, although the light was less bright, it seemed like everything around him just vanished.
Zaylie: You hungry? 'Cuz I'd love to eat something.
Adriel: I'm starving, let's go.
And again, the day just seemed to pass in a flash. Talking about college, her friends, her family... everything about her seemed interesting and worth knowing. The food at the chain restaurant she picked didn't even taste good, but he couldn't care less.
Zaylie: And what about you?
Adriel: What about me?
Zaylie: Well, I told you pretty much everything interesting that happened last week. What about you?
Adriel: My life isn't as interesting as yours. I just work and go home every day.
Zaylie: Oh wow. That sounds pretty bad, what about friends or family?
Adriel: I moved from my parents. They weren't exactly good parents so I left all my friends behind too. We still talk, but nothing besides that.
And to think my lying skills were for nothing.
Zaylie: I'm sorry to hear that.
Her expression changed and it seemed like she was empathetic - like something like that happened to her, but from everything he's heard it didn't.
"Well, that only means we can spend more time together," she said and smiled.
He laughed, "Yeah. At least time is what I've got."
You don't even know how much, he thought.
The day ended too soon again and by 8 pm she had to go home. They were standing in front of the restaurant and Adriel was thinking what did this all lead to?
Zaylie: 'See you again tomorrow when I finish?
Adriel: I'll be waiting. Text me when you get home.
She smiled widely, "I will. Bye."
And with that, her back was turned to him and she disappeared into the darkness. The feeling of happiness faded away as quickly as he was losing her from his sight. But tomorrow he'll see her again and the tiny knot that twisted somewhere inside him every time he saw her will return.
The third day, the fourth one, the seventh one... he stopped counting at some point. Every day he saw her seemed shorter. They would spend a few hours together, but it seemed like only a few minutes had passed.
A lot of things seemed pointless for Adriel. When you have an eternity to live, everything seems to become unimportant. One of those things was love - it seemed insignificant when you had to change your address every 30 or so years when people would start noticing you're not aging anymore, but spending time with Zaylie did something he thought would never happen. The repressed memories of his human life resurfaced. They were drowned deep inside him and now they came back suddenly and forcefully.
The old days - his last life when he was only a teenager and had his first and only girlfriend. "High school is sweethearts what you two are" was what his mother would tell him. Nicole, his girlfriend, was the most beautiful person he ever laid his eyes on - also funny, smart, and kind. The memories of their time together were priceless and he was sure - if he could cry, he would. That night was tough but at least he didn't need sleep, although he got used to it by now. It wasn't sleep that he was doing, but a clearing of mind, of thoughts in general. At first, it felt unnatural and tedious, but he got used to it by now.
The next day he was determined he would ask Zaylie out. On a real date. Just like he did to Nicole once. Before she went home again, he took a deep breath, just like he did the last time, "Zaylie, I was wondering if you'd like to go out. On a real date tomorrow."
With a smile on her face, she simply said yes, and that moment felt real. For the first time in a long time, something, someone seemed real. Important and worth his time.
The following evening he was waiting for her in the restaurant dressed in black pants and a plain white shirt - it was the only thing he could find on such short notice. She was wearing wide dark blue pants with a tucked-in puffy red shirt. The silver jewelry highlighted her face and silvery hair.
Adriel: You look absolutely stunning.
Zaylie: So do you.
After a long night of talking and laughing, she let him walk her home. The house was in a quiet neighborhood but not that far from the center of the town.
Zaylie: Thanks for the beautiful dinner. I had a lot of fun.
Adriel: Me too. To be honest, I can't wait to meet up again.
Zaylie: Yeah, me too.
As he was looking at her lovely face expecting it to turn around soon, he suddenly realized she leaned forward and kissed him. He returned the kiss and placed his hand on her lower back pulling her closer. He could see the white light behind his closed eyelids and realized that his restriction probably faded, but for the first time in his long life, he didn't care.
