Fallen (Fallen 1)

I rose up and looked at him.

“Oh, crap! I must look awful.”

“No, just sad. I’ll be right back.” He said picking me up and sitting me back down on the bench like I weighed nothing.

He came back with the end of his shirt wet. No doubt from the fountain. I sat up straight. He knelt down in front of me. Jonathon held his shirt up to my face. I couldn’t help but look at his naked chest. His stomach was chiseled to perfection. I wanted to run my hand over his chiseled chest. But I kept myself composed. I studied his tattoo. It was so strange. I wanted to trace it with my finger, maybe even try to draw its complicated lines.

“I think that’s all of it.” He said sitting back down beside me.

“Thank you.” I said gazing into his silver moon colored eyes.

“You’re so beautiful.” He said suddenly putting his hands on both sides of my face. Impossibly fast his mouth was on mine. We were exchanging the most heated and passionate kiss in the history of all mankind. My lips warm, his cold. It felt like fireworks were going off. I even felt a little shock to my lips but chalked it up to static electricity.

Our mouths seemed to fit together like two puzzle pieces. A haze seemed to fog my mind. I could only focus on Jonathon and the moment. I felt like something was drawing me closer to him. Pulling us together.

We came apart from the kiss gasping for air.

“Wow.” We said in unison.

So, I had

n’t been the only one to feel the spark?

Jonathon grabbed my hands. He was grinning from ear to ear. He appeared to be breathing heavier as was I.

“Kylie Lyons,” he said looking directly into my eyes. His eyes seemed to bore down into my soul. “The heart never lies Kylie and right now mine is saying I love you.”

“I love you too.” I said in shock of hearing those three words. They sounded so amazing coming from Jonathon’s perfect lips. I knew as soon as I said it that it was true. I love Jonathon and nothing is going to change my mind. We are meant to be together. Forever.

“I want to be with you forever. I want you for all eternity. Please, say that you feel that way too. Please say you want to be my girlfriend as much as I want to be your boyfriend. He seemed nervous, like he was asking me to marry him. I guess the question seemed so insignificant compared to ‘I love you.’

“Yes.” I said smiling.

He wrapped me up in his arms. I felt at home.

He kissed my forehead and I felt loved for the first time in years. Not the kind of infatuation middle schoolers go through or the false love that high schoolers go through. But the real thing. The kind of love many adults never find.

Jonathon turned to look at me.

“Kylie, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Chapter Eight: Love Bites

I straightened up to look at him. What could he have to tell me? He just fooled me and he really doesn’t like me? He killed someone? I mean, come on, what could be so bad as to have caused the pained look on his face?

Please, don’t be anything too bad. I silently prayed.

“What is it Jonathon?” I said tenderly stroking the side of his face. I wanted to calm him as much as myself. My heart was racing. I felt a trace of fear run through me. I was out here alone with him and nobody knew where we were. This was the stuff of horror movies. Hot guy goes after girl, they have a romantic encounter in an ancient garden, guy murders girl, her body is never found.

I resisted the urge to start begging for my life. Nothing about him had struck me as violent since I met him. The only thing to raise eyebrows was his behavior on my first and so far only day of school.

He was looking down at the ground, rubbing his hands together. Finally after what seemed like an eternity he turned and looked me in the eyes.

Jonathon put his hands on my arms. I resisted the urge to pull away. I was scared and the look in his eyes scared me even more. But I would be strong. I had to conserve my energy if it came to a fight. A fight that I knew I would never win but I would have to try.

The sky around us had turned to sunset. The most beautiful pinks, oranges, and reds. So, much prettier compared to what you see back in the states. Even though, I worried about coming to Italy, it’s turned out to be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me even if it might have led me to my death. I had needed Italy to begin rediscovering myself. I worried about so many things. Things that seem so silly now when I might be facing my death.

Jonathon let out a deep breath.