Fairytale Green

The rest of the day went by in boring classes and never-ending note taking. What had me distracted was the thought of Lana’s mom’s cooking. I was really looking forward to not cooking for myself.

In the past, I had always been eager to go to the Armstrong’s because it meant that I would not be alone. That thought had not crossed my mind in the present because I had not felt lonely the past few days.

That was due to my overgrown overnight guest.

We took two cars to Lana’s house. Brennan and Lana in one car. Stone and I in the other. I was unsure if they had realised that I was no longer taking Kermit to school but instead arriving with Stone. Maybe they did know and just wanted to leave us to it.

The three of us waited behind while Lana opened her front door. We followed her inside as she let her mom know we were there.

Not long after, Mrs Armstrong sauntered into the room, and she looked happy to see us. She kissed her daughter’s cheek and then went to hug me. She then stood in front of the two boys with a warming smile.

Brennan began charming her ‘Thank you for having us again, Mrs Armstrong.’

‘You are always welcome here.’ She waved him off and focused on the other male who was not that inclined to talk ‘You too, Stone dear.’

That earned her a small nod from the giant. It was something anyway. It was enough for Mrs Armstrong to not be disheartened by the small greeting.

‘Ella, a small visitor has been waiting for your arrival. He is very excited to see you.’ Lana’s mother told me before calling the little boy’s name ‘Charlie!’

The five-year-old came racing through from the other room. As soon as he seen us standing at the door, a grin appeared on his small face, and it showed off his two missing front teeth.

I bent down automatically and got ready to embrace him. I was mortified when I realised that he had grown and was about half the size of me.

His little arms coddled me as he shouted excitedly ‘I have missed you, Drizzy.’

Drizzy was his nickname for me. I absolutely hated the shortened name of Drizella that he decided to start calling me at the age of two. I never corrected him or tried enforcing a different name because his little face lit up when he said the nickname. He was too cute for his own good.

‘I have missed you too, Cutie.’ I said back and matched his grin.

Charlie moved his hand from my back to my cheek and scolded ‘You need to babysit me again. We have not played together since forever.’

‘Later.’ I promised him.

Lana interrupted by pretending to cry ‘How about some love for your actual cousin?’

‘Sorry, Lan Lan.’ Charlie pouted while moving over to her and giving her a hug ‘I did see you yesterday. I have not seen Drizzy in a million years.’

Brennan laughed and waved at the boy ‘Hey little dude, I am Brennan. Lana’s boyfriend.’

Just noticing the two new faces, Charlie rushed back to my side and hid his face in my stomach. I patted the top of his head and encouraged him not to be shy.

‘Hi.’ Charlie waved at Brennan.

The small boy then turned and tilted his head upward to see the other guy in the room.

Stone towered me so it was understandable for Charlie to see him as a beanstalk.

‘Wow. He is a giant.’ The infant said as he laughed in my arms.

Everyone started laughing and even Stone let out a chuckle.

The boy attached to my side broke away and pointed towards Stone ‘Big Giant Man, you can’t be Drizzy’s boyfriend.’

Brennan laughed and asked him ‘Why not?’

‘Because I am her boyfriend.’ Charlie pouted ‘She likes me better.’

I watched as the young troublemaker skipped out of the room and into the kitchen. I kept my head in that direction, so I did not meet the eye of Stone.

His response however I could not help but tune in to.

It was a deep grumble that sounded a lot like ‘Lucky bastard.’

‘He is five.’ Brennan lowly said as if he was trying to contain his laughter.

Mrs Armstrong ushered us through the house and into the garden. The sun set was clear from the low levelled fence and turned the grass a golden colour. Mr Armstrong was flipping burgers on the barbecue and putting the ready food on the table as we stepped outside.

We all hovered at the back door when Stone turns to me with a taunting expression.

‘Why does the boy get to call you a nickname without the verbal abuse?’ He asked.

‘He is cute.’ I answered and then added ‘You are not.’

His smirk was summoned as he retorted ‘No, you just find me hot.’

I was about to lie my pants off but I bit my tongue when realising that he was quoting me from earlier. I tried to rack my brain for a life-shattering insult, but I could not seem to find any.

A mini hand grabbed mine and saved me from stuttering out a reply to him.

The small saviour dragged me away to go and play with his action figures. I happily gave in and sat down next to him on the large patch of grass.

Charlie handed me a superhero figurine while asking causally ‘Do you like that big boy, Drizzy?’

‘What?’

‘I know that you are not really my girlfriend.’ Charlie said before explaining ‘I just told him that to protect you, but I can see that he likes you.’

‘What?’ I said again ‘Why do you think that?’

His attention was on the superman figure when he replied, ‘He watches you and I think he finds you pretty.’

I wondered what my life had come to. I was sitting listening to a pre-schooler’s thoughts on my relationship.

‘Thank you, my little knight for protecting me.’ I kissed his forehead and then whispered, ‘Do you want to know something top secret?’

‘Yes, yes, yes.’ The little boy cheered.

‘Promise not to tell anyone?’ I voiced while peering over at Stone who was standing at the other side of the garden, watching the both of us.

Charlie held out his little and I stuck mine out too as he pinky promised me.

That is when I moved in closer to share with him ‘I really like him.’

‘Do you really, really, really like him?’ He asked, beaming.

‘Yes. I really, really, really, really like him’ I replied honestly before reminding him ‘Don’t tell anyone. Especially the giant.’

‘Is he your Prince Charming?’ The little boy asked with a grin of delight.

‘No,’ I answered as I let my gaze float back to the largely built man ‘He is more like my big scary dragon.’

After three rounds of superhero smash with Charlie, Mrs Armstrong called Lana and I to go inside and help her carry the food out. She got Lana to put out chips into a bowl and me to butter the rolls in the kitchen while the boys helped Mr Armstrong with the barbecue.

While I was spreading the bread, I was bombarded with questions. All about him.

‘What is happening with you and Stone?’ Mrs Armstrong questioned before informing ‘You need to make your move. Get your man.’

I was so not ready for the conversation. It was too daunting to think about. I was comfortable with just continuing to act oblivious to everything.

I let out a laugh and shook my head at her words of wisdom ‘He is not my man.’

My whole face grew red, and my mouth twitched upwards as I looked down at the ground.

I found myself always wanting to discuss Stone and I with Lana. I needed someone to share it all with, but I did not want to hurt her. She was going through a lot with Brennan, and I still did not want to bombard her with stuff that she did not need to be worrying about.

Lana hummed in agreement with her mother ‘You should see them at school. The sexual tension is out of this world.’

My response to her comment was to stick my finger in the butter and smear it on her nose. That resulted in her squealing before wiping it away.

“Mrs Armstrong, you know what I’m like with guys. I have horrible taste.” I blurted out before realising what I had said “No offense.”

The woman waved me off “I know what my son is like.”

My relationship or my not-so-existence relationship since he moved to Australia with his band with the elder Armstrong sibling was a taboo subject.

We carried the plates and the cold food to the wooden table outside where the boys sat.

Brennan seemed to be making small talk with Lana’s dad and surprisingly Stone was listening intently to Charlie talking about his explanation of Superman’s powers.

Stone then startled talking back to him which earned a laugh from the little boy. I watched them in awe as they conversed, and I was also in awe that the infamous silent giant had spoken to him.

Both the large male and the small troublemaker lowered their voice as I reached the table and placed the buttered rolls in the middle of the table.

There was not even a single thought behind my action. It was all instinctual of me to automatically go and it myself down in the seat by Stone.

The dark eyes turned to me as soon as I sat down. I smiled at him as he put a hand on my leg under the table.

It never failed to make me laugh how he was a little too big for everything. Stone looked too big for the seat with his wide shoulders. His knees had hit the bottom of the wooden table also.

Charlie walked over me with two of his action figures in hand and jumped on my lap. He swivelled his legs so he could sit and face me with a smile

‘Stone is a friendly giant, Drizzy.’ The young chaos causer announced loudly while patting my head ‘No wonder you really, really, really, really like him.’

‘I’m never telling you anything again.’ I whispered down to the little traitor ‘And you can forget about me taking you for ice cream when I babysit you next.’

Charlie looked up and pouted but there was nothing apologetic about the action.

The rest of the table laughed at the scene, from what I could see. I could not bring myself to look at Stone’s face although I could hear his husky chuckle.

Brennan put the thumbs up at the boy on my lap in praise and then asked, ‘What else did she say?’

Before Charlie could answer, I planted my hand on his mouth to stop him from speaking.

It was not like I told him anything else that could humiliate me, but I was not prepared to risk it. I reached over and took a burger from the pile and replaced my hand on his face with it.

Thankfully he chewed happily away and did not answer Brennan.

I quickly glanced at Stone who was watching me like a hawk.

Once he saw that I was paying attention to him, he leaned to the side and closer to my seat as he spoke ‘How does the kid get a confession out of you, and I do not?’

‘You know that I like you.’ I admitted again as my gaze fell to the ground ‘I have already told you that.’

He smirked and he built up his teasing tone when he added a really to his sentence ‘You never told me that you really, really, really really, really liked me.’

‘I only said really four times. Not five.’ I corrected him before I crossed my arms over my chest ‘At this moment in time, I do not like you at all Lurch.’

He shook his head with triumph etched all over his handsomely striking features

Just when I thought I had escaped being humiliated any further, Mr Armstrong took the opportunity to prove me wrong as he voiced ‘I had been wondering where I had heard Lurch before.’

‘What?’ I said as I pretended not to know what he was talking about.

Lana’s father asked, ‘Was Lurch not the guy in that movie that you had a crush on when you were little?’

‘I-I have no idea what you are talking about.’ I countered back with.

Mr Armstrong being oblivious to my hand signals telling him to shut up continued to talk ‘You were about twelve at the time. You came around here all the time and watched The Addams Family almost every day. You would say every time Lurch came on the screen that he was your favourite character.’

Lana, my now ex-best friend, added to her father’s statement ‘Oh my god. You are right.’

I glared at her.

‘Ella always said that Lurch was pretty cool because he looked scary but was actually nice and that his silence was pretty mysterious and sexy.’ She spoke to everyone.

My eyes widened and I quickly stuttered out a fib ‘I don’t remember that. You both are just making this up.’

The whole table looked amused. That included Stone who had a small smile of satisfaction on his lip.

His husky deep voice danced along my earlobe as he lowly said, ‘You better like me better.’

‘No. I do not.’ I deadpanned as I removed a piece of fallen hair from my face.

There was no way of getting out of this. I could no longer convince anyone, even myself, that I did not want Stone.

I could no longer deny that a part of me had always wanted him since our very first encounter. A large part of me wanted him.

I changed tactics and pointed to the other side of the wooden table ‘Why are we not talking about how Lana’s first crush was Lightening McQueen? That is way worse than mine.’

Brennan cocked his head to Lana with a risen eyebrow ‘Lightening McQueen? As in the car?’

She answered him with a blush covering her cheeks ‘I was like five.’

‘That is cute.’ He replied, ‘I am just upset you did not give me a nickname that secretly meant you had the hots for me like Little Ella over there did with Stone.’

When I saw that Mr and Mrs Armstrong were having a conversation on their own and not tuning in to ours, I ripped a bit of bread from my hamburger and threw it at Brennan.

Mrs Armstrong started to take us down memory lane as she started to tell the two boys about us. That left me and Lana embarrassed and wanting to run away from the table.

Lana then decided to join in ‘Do you remember that time in middle school when I was changing for gym and the fire alarm went off?’

I mouthed to her as I knew exactly what she was going to say, ‘Shut up.’

‘What happened?’ Brennan asked with a laugh.

‘I could not find my jeans, so I had to leave the building in only my underwear. I was so humiliated, and I was crying hysterically.’ She explained while laughing back at the story ‘So guess what Ella did?’

I pleaded ‘Please do not tell them. It was so embarrassing.’

The blonde traitor continued with her story ‘Ella stripped off her jeans and walked down the corridor in her underwear with me so we could share the humiliation. She did not want me to be alone,”

Everyone let out a laugh and I hid my face behind Charlie’s back.

‘I knew then that Ella was going to be my best friend forever.’ Lana added.

I smiled and told her honestly ‘I would do it again.’

My words made Stone narrow his eyes at the side of my head and deeply grumble ‘No. You will not.’

Charlie started to fidget on my lap as faced away from his food and asked ‘Drizzy, can you take me to the toilet?’

‘I thought you could go yourself now.’ I whispered back, hoping that he just meant that I had to walk him to the toilet.

‘It is a number two.’ He informed me while flapping two little fingers in my face.

I let out a small sigh and fought the urge to start crying ‘Why do you hate me? What have I ever done to you? Why do you not ask your favourite cousin Lan Lan to do it.’

He jumped off my lap and whined ‘I want you to do it, Drizzy.’

‘Fine. Let’s get this over with.’ I groaned as I took his hand and lead him inside to the bathroom.

After five minutes, I was starting to feel claustrophobic. The Armstrong’s downstairs bathroom was a converted closet under the stairs and the space was not enough for two people. Even two small people.

Charlie was not in a rush to finish the job at hand. He was swinging his legs and singing while sitting on the toilet.

I was about to tell him to hurry up, but I got distracted by the sounds of heavy footsteps out in the hall.

The voice was instantly recognisable. Deep and husky. An undeniable authority to it.

Stone seemed to be on the phone with someone. He answered and replied one-word answers as the other person on the phone seemed in a hurry to explain something to him.

I pressed my ear closer to the bathroom door, but I could not hear that much. Just some deep grumbling and curses from the giant.

A small voice called from the toilet ‘My mommy says it is rude to eavesdrop.’

‘Well, my mom used to say that I should know how to wipe my bottom by five years old but you do not see me complaining or telling you off.’ I replied to him while sticking my tongue out before I instructed ‘Concentrate on what you are doing.’

From the other side of the door, I heard the gravelly voice curse ‘Fuck. Next Friday? We pushed it back to midnight.’

Silence followed and I could only assume that Stone had hung up.

Then more footsteps approached the hall, and I heard Brennan ask, ‘Is everything alright?’

‘That was Reed.’ Stone replied.

Brennan waited for a few seconds before asking ‘What did he want?’

‘They are on to us.’

The words spoken by Stone was the last I heard as the hallway went back to noiseless.

A horrible water noise filled the small space as Charlie sang ‘I am finished.’

I distracted myself by wondering what the two males were talking about as I tackled the smelly situation.

My hands were thoroughly scrubbed with layers of soap when I left the toilet of terror with Charlie. He ran off ahead as I followed behind with my mind occupied with thoughts about what Stone’s conversation on the phone meant.

Lana laughed while asking Charlie who was now sitting on her lap ‘Did you and Ella have fun?’

Sending her a glare, I made my way back to my seat. Mrs Armstrong tapped my arm when I passed her seat. It was a silent thank you for dealing with Charlie and saving her from doing it.

Noticing that the little traitor had ditched and discarded me for Lana’s lap, I stuck my tongue out at him again. He stuck his out back and giggled at my funny face.

Stone and Brennan were also back at the table, acting like nothing had happened. Like there was not a serious phone call about five minutes ago.

A large hand made its way onto my leg as soon as I sat down. I looked down at the tattooed skull before I met the obsidian eyes.

‘You were not lying you when you said you love kids.’ Stone chuckled.

‘Not when I have to take them to the bathroom, I don’t.’ I joked before then answering seriously ‘I do love kids. They are small non-judgemental humans with big imaginations that have fun all day. What is there not to like?’

‘So, you were also telling the truth when you said you wanted a load of kids?’

‘A small army of them.’ I confirmed before explaining ‘Enough of them to help me steal all the books out of a library in one go.’

He let out a deep laugh and shook his head at me.

I joined in with his laugher even though I was serious. Children had tiny arms and probably could not carry a lot of books so I would have to pop out a good few.

‘I have no idea why you are laughing.’ I jested ‘When I do have kids then I will be dropping them off at their Uncle Lurch’s.’

As soon as I said the words, a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach built up and I instantly regretted saying what I did.

It hurt to think of him being something so insignificant in my future life.

Stone’s eyes darkened and one of his hands clenched. It was a look of determination like a dictatorial leader ruling with an iron fist. It was like he was about to proclaim something that was determined and inevitable.

‘I am not going to be their uncle, Medusa.’ He bit out.

‘You are right.’ I agreed before trying to land a blow to his ego ‘You are just not cool enough to step up and be the cool uncle for my kids.’

He growled lowly so only the two of us could hear ‘I can’t be.’

I indulged him ‘Why not?’

‘I am going to be their dad.’ He stated, his rough tone pronouncing every syllable of his sentence.

My eyes grew in size. I could feel the shock of his statement on my face. My brown irises were already larger than normal, so I imagined them looking like two large chocolate buttons as I gawked at him.

I laughed his remark off ‘I would not bet on it.’

Stone grumbled determinedly ‘I would bet on it.’

His hand remained on my thigh as I swivelled around in my chair to face him. I decided to play along with him, so I tried to muster up some confidence to argue against him.

‘Okay.’ I spoke aloud ‘Lets bet on it because I can guarantee I will never have your babies.’

The reply he gave seemed random and completely irrelevant as he uttered ‘Who slayed Medusa the gorgon in myth?’

I tilted my head in confusion and answered, ‘I think it was the hero called Perseus.’

My AP class in Greek Mythology last year was finally of some use to me.

‘Perseus.’ He repeated with an arrogant smirk ‘That is the bet. In the future, when we get married. Not if but when. You must call our firstborn Perseus. The name of the hero that destroyed Medusa. A reminder that you do not know everything, and you were wrong about us.’

‘What do I get if I win?’ I asked as I leaned in closer ‘Except not carrying your devil spawns.’

With a shake of his head, he replied with a dark chuckle ‘You will not win.’

‘I will.’ I tried to seem confident, but my voice came out slightly weak ‘What do I get?’

Stone met me in the middle of the space between our chairs as the warm breath from his mouth tickled my lips ‘You can call your firstborn whatever your heart desires.’

What was funny was that I liked the name Perseus.

I could always start a tradition of unusual first names in my future generation.

The giant had to be joking around. That or he had completely lost his mind. I had always known Stone was calculating and a little mad but to what extent I still had no idea.

I had never backed down from a challenge from him before so that is why I agreed ‘You are on.’

On the opposite side of the table, the situation was completely different. Lana and Brennan were eating in silence and there was no sign of playful teasing. It was enough to make myself inwardly cringe at the scene in front of me.

Mrs Armstrong, picking up on the awkwardness starts a conversation asked ‘It is Saturday tomorrow. Does anyone have any plans?’

Lana finished eating and then answered her ‘I was planning to go shopping for a dress for the Fall Ball.’

The atmosphere changed drastically.

Brennan smiled at her sheepishly as he admitted ‘I need to tell you something.’

She frowned ‘What is it?’

‘I can’t take you to the Fall Ball next Friday. Something has come up.’ Brennan tried to let her down gently but failed miserably as he blurted out the news.

‘You promised, Brennan.’ She said to him with a glare before she started her interrogation ‘What is so important that you have to bail on our plans?’

He glanced at her parents uncomfortably before he turned back to Lana and answered “I want to take you. I really do. It is just—’

Lana cut him off as she bit out ‘Save it.’

She looked so disheartened. She could not even look at her boyfriend. The dance was important to her so whatever Brennan had to do must have been important.

I knew it had to do with Stone’s conversation on the phone. I just did not know what.

‘We both are going shopping tomorrow.’ I attempted to cheer her up ‘It looks like I will need something to wear if I am going to this stupid dance.’

Her face lit up as she asked, ‘You are going to come with me?’

I nodded and bit my cheek to stop myself from letting out a groan at the thought.

Lana smiled gratefully before she said, ‘You will be a much better date than Brennan anyway.’

‘Hey!’ Brennan said, pretending to be insulted.

‘No problem, Barbie.’ I replied to her before I said to the ditcher ‘I’m sorry, Lover Boy. It is true. I am a much better date. Plus, I am way sexier in a dress than you.’

Stone watched me curiously, his dark eyes following my every move.

I looked up at him ‘Can I help you?’

‘What happened to the big rant about you hating school dances?’

‘My love for Lana is much stronger than my hatred for school functions and I like to think of myself as a semi-decent friend.’ I explained.

Lana clapped her hands at my statement, excitedly ‘This is going to be so fun. Do I get to pick you a dress?’

I shook my head in horror ‘I don’t love you that much.’

She pretended to act upset as she asked, ‘What is wrong with my style?’

‘Nothing.’ I told her ‘I just do not want something too sparkly or too in your face.’

Brennan tried to speak to Lana again but fails as she continues to ignore him. Instead, she talks to her parents and Charlie.

When everyone was busy, Stone spoke lowly against my ear as his hand moved an inch higher on my lap ‘If I was not busy then I would have taken you.’

My heart hammered in my chest and my stomach felt like it was floating. The goosebumps arose on my skin because of the large hand.

I could not see him at a school dance. I could not even see myself at a dance. However, I did see the two of us watching films together and reading while I pretended to hate his touch.

Spiked punch and dancing to overrated pop songs with people who I was forced already to spend school hours with was not my idea of a good time. My definition of a perfect Friday night was in bed with a good book and maybe even a large guest with me too.

‘I will probably buy a black dress and you will not have anything to wear to match.’ I joked because all he ever wore was black.

After eating all the Armstrong’s food, I decided to call it a night. Lana and Brennan needed time to talk.

Well, that is what I told Stone so he would leave with me. Although, there was not much arguing on his part as we both said our goodbyes and left the house.

We were both making our way down the path from the front door when Charlie came chasing after us.

‘Drizzy!’ Charlie shouted while he hugged my leg ‘Promise you will come and see me soon.’

I hugged him and promised him. That made him light up with glee before he ran back to the front door.

Just as Charlie was about to close the door, he turned back and shouted, ‘Bye Big Giant Man. Remember what I told you.’

Once Charlie had disappeared from sight, I raised a brow wondering what the boy meant ‘What was that all about?’

‘Nothing.’ Stone disclosed.

I shrugged it off and climbed into Stone’s truck.

‘Does your parents not wonder where you are?’ I asked as I put my belt on ‘I do not want Mrs Lewis to think that I am stealing you away.’

‘Are you not?’ He replied while smirking at me ‘Kelly works night shift a lot at the hospital. She knows where I am anyway.’

‘Did you tell her?’

He shook his head once with a small smile.

Taking a last look at the Armstrong house and thinking back to Lana and Brennan’s last conversation, I asked Stone ‘Do you think they will be okay?’

‘I don’t know.’ He replied, obviously knowing who I was talking about.

Tapping my fingers on the door of his truck, I tried to swallow down my other questions.

That failed miserably because once he pulled out onto the road, I ended up telling him ‘I heard you on the phone when I was with Charlie in the bathroom.’

He stole a quick look at me while turning off the street and questioning in a slightly demanding tone ‘What did you hear?’

‘Not much.’ I truthfully answered, ‘But you sounded pissed off.’

‘People say that I am always pissed off.’

‘I don’t think that.’ I disagreed before I added ‘What I think is that you don’t care what people think.’

Stone kept his eyes on the road, but he smiled “No. I do not. I only care about what you think.’

My head rested on the leather seat of the car as I tilted my head to see him better.

‘Why?’ I asked.

He glanced at me, and it was breath-taking how intense a second long look from him could make me feel.

His husky voice rang out through the truck ‘You know why.’

A grin wandered onto my face. I could not fight the feeling of happiness overwhelming me. It was like we were in our own little bubble of delirium, and I never wanted it to burst. I never wanted it to end.

I could not help but think that the juxtaposition of us was beautiful. The contrast of us was flawless. My green to his black. His large figure to my short. The Medusa to his Lurch. Him and I.

‘Stone.’ I called softly before looking out to the window at the ocean passing by ‘You know how you said that when you were younger, you got angry. Do you still get mad, now?’

His reply was short and not so sweet ‘Yes.’

I reached for the hand that was resting on the stick shift and intertwined it with mine ‘What makes you angry?’

‘Everything and sometimes nothing at all.’ He said before elaborating ‘At times I can lash out at the smallest of things.’

My voice was merely a whisper when I questioned ‘Have you ever wanted to lash out at me?’

His head jolted to the side like he was double taking on what I had said. His eyes widened like he could not believe that I was even asking such a thing.

The confined space filled with silence as he swerved the car off the road. His hands gripped the wheel as he pulled up at a grass clearing that overlooked the beach.

The sun was dying and melting into the ocean below so that the night could conquer the sky. It was like something from a painting.

Stone switched off the engine and faced me with a bothered expression.

‘No. Fuck no.’ He spoke like my question was in an ancient language and he did not understand the concept of what I was trying to insinuate ‘Ella, I could never be angry at you.’

‘Even when I am being annoying?’ I teased.

His shoulders became less tensed as he let out a strained laugh ‘You are always annoying.’

I faked a gasp before I pretended to glare at him.

He looked out at the blue waves and said the next sentence to himself ‘Fuck. I can’t believe you thought that I would hurt you. I could not. Not ever. I—’

A rush of adrenaline took over my body and I found myself talking off my seatbelt and climbing over the console that separated us. I lifted my leg over him, so I was straddling his lap.

Nothing about his expression was smug or teasing when he saw my need to be near him. He watched me intently as he put a stray hair on my face behind my ear.

I almost let out a tiny whimper at the small gesture but then I remembered his last sentence.

‘I don’t think you would ever hurt me, Stone. I never thought that once.’ I told him the truth before I explained ‘I just want to know what sets you off. I want to know if there are specific things that trigger your anger. Even if it is something that I do.’

He kept his head hung low as he listened to me.

I moved closer and cupped his rugged jaw so that he would look at me. The bone ticked under my touch, and I had the urge to kiss it.

‘I just want to know everything about you.’ I admitted quietly.

His eyes lightened to a soft black while his finger trailed my cheek.

I thought that even though his eyes were void of colour they were my favourite pair to gaze into because they were his.

I did not think that was ever going to change.

‘Nothing you could do could anger me.’ He rasped out as he left a soft kiss on my mouth ‘I am enamoured by everything you do.’

‘Enamoured?’ I repeated with a hint of smugness ‘Aren’t you a wordsmith?’

He growled playfully before bringing my face to his. The kiss started slowly at first. It was slow and passionate, and it said everything that I was too scared to say.

Then I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and kissed him as my life depended on it. He brought me closer and explored every single meaning in the kiss. He made me feel as if I was flying yet I was grounded all at the same time.

He kissed me like I was his only source of life.

I could kiss him forever. I could do it on loop and never get sick of it. I could never get sick of him. I could never get enough of him. I could write thousands of poems about one millisecond of time with him.

I wished that I could split apart time and live in the moment with him.

We broke apart for air. I let my head fall to his chest as he wrapped an arm around my waist and kept me glued to his well-built body.

Three things were heard in the air. Our unsteady heartbeats and the waves crashing against the shore. Both were merciless and wild.

The image of our first kiss swam into my thoughts. I reminisced what he told me about what his mother used to say about the ocean.

I had concluded that she was right. That strong emotion being like the bottom of the sea. The feeling that overtook your senses that could not be seen or touched. Only felt.

I felt Stone everywhere.