Emerald finally arrived at a bit of a clearing. It had really low grass surrounded by very beautiful variegated species of flowers, peaches and fig trees. She made a mental note to come gather some pink and white roses and hydrangeas later for the bouquet as her eyes finally stopped at the prominent figure of the man seated on the low grass.
Walking up to him, she sat by his side, folding her legs over each other as she looked at him before staring off at the view displayed before them. None of them spoke for a while until Emerald had had enough of the uncomfortable silence.
“It’s a really beautiful view, isn’t it?” She asked, her eyes following the orange patterned butterfly which flew from flower to flower, sucking nectars.
“Mhmm, it is,” he concurred.
She sighed. “I’m really sorry about my Mom. She didn’t know about. . .” she gulped, “. . . your mom.”
In surprise, Jordan looked at her, wondering how she knew about his mother. “You know?”
“Carol mentioned something about her during our sessions,” she answered, gauging his reaction.
“Oh,” he looked away from her, letting the silence howl between them.
Emerald looked at his tensed figure and rigid jawline. He looked guarded and defensive and she couldn’t help but wonder what might have really happened to his mother to make his frigid and parlous aura surround him again.
She wanted to say something to ease the tension in the atmosphere. She wanted to relieve him of his problems like he had done to her with his simple touch on the night of his arrival.
She wanted to help him, but could someone as broken and damaged as her do much? He was probably more put together than she was. What could her useless self possibly do?
She was a therapist for crying out loud, it was her job to help people, to listen to their problems and try to proffer solutions to them, to counsel them and direct them towards the path of recovery and reclamation.
But here she was, unable to read his expressions, unable to see past the cold and dark wall he had put up around himself. Here she was, being useless again like she always was.
His situation was affecting her more than it really should. It was like she was feeling his pain, like she was living his agony, yet she couldn’t explain why it was so.
Wanting to do something – anything to help him, she tentatively placed her right hand over his left one which was lying still on the green grass. She closed her eyes and breathed in the cold breeze of the late morning, hoping that her little and meaningless gesture would at least make him realise that she was here for him.
In shock, Jordan stiffly turned his neck away from the complete sunrise to face the woman beside him. He had been immersed in his thoughts, drowning out the world as he allowed himself to be punished by letting the painful memories of his past replay repeatedly across his eyes.
When he hadn’t heard her speak another word, he had concluded that maybe, just like everyone else, she had grown tired of him and had left him alone again. He hadn’t had the courage to look to his side and confirm his theory for fear of being truly lonely.
For the first time, Jordan didn’t want to be left alone. He wanted someone to be there for him, someone he could rely on. He just wanted someone to sit by him, someone he could pour out his problems to.
But, everyone he knew eventually left him to himself after being pushed away and shut out. Even his own sister had grown tired of always trying to push him to speak, to voice it all out.
He had thought Emerald would be just the same, but the moment her hand had covered his, he had been pulled out of the darkness of his painful memories and towards the light that was her divine beauty.
He stared at her, letting his eyes soak in every teensy detail she had to offer him. Her beguiling orbs were hidden behind her closed lids, her thin pink lips were slightly apart, giving way to her sweet breath, her chest rose and fell rhythmically as she inhaled and exhaled. Every single thing about her was bewitching, even the littlest things about her drove him crazy.
Jordan wasn’t familiar with these strange feelings but he was more than willing to explore their wonders, so admittedly, he wrapped his hand around hers in return, both of them shedding their warmth to each other.
Emerald opened her eyes and turned to face Jordan when she felt his hand encircle hers. With dazed eyes, she looked up at him to see he had moved closer to her. Unconsciously, she also moved closer and the action continued on both their ends until finally, they could feel each other’s breaths fanning their faces.
Uncertainty flickered in Emerald’s eyes but it soon disappeared when Jordan gave her a small reassuring smile to which she also gave one of hers. She watched him lean in slowly, his dark eyes on her lips were the last things she gazed upon before shutting her eyes in anticipation of what was to come.
After what felt like hours of wait, their lips finally collided – mouth flesh against mouth flesh. Emerald gasped in surprise at the new and unprecedented feeling that spread across her body from the tips of her hair strands to the sole of her feet.
They remained still, breathing each other in and having the feel of each other’s lips without moving against one another. Emerald felt her stomach roil with a novel yet oddly comfortable feeling. She had never felt anything like it before just as she had never felt the tingles that were currently running frenetically across her skin, yet she loved the feeling.
When the law of nature began to kick in and they had to pull away for air, Emerald couldn’t help but mumble, “Woah,” as her pixilated eyes gazed at him.
Jordan chuckled at her reaction, totally agreeing with the one-worded description she had given the euphoric sentiment they had both felt. “Yeah, woah,” he murmured, staring at her flushed face.
His eyes dropped to her lips once again and he raised his hand to her face more confidently this time before running his thumb across the pink, soft and thin flesh. He raised his eyes to meet hers. “You’re so fucking beautiful. You know that, right?”
Emerald blushed at his words before raising her hands hesitantly to brush his broad clothed chest, causing Jordan to shiver mindlessly. He loved the feeling, so he held both her hands to his chest again, pulling her even closer.
“I want to kiss you again. For real this time,” he sought her permission and Emerald could see the desire and plea in his eyes. She wanted the exact same thing, so how could she say no.
She nodded and almost immediately, Jordan joined his lips to hers again, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss.
And underneath the fully risen sun, seated on the green grass surrounded by varieties of colourful flowers, the lips of the two persons merged and became one, moving in all synchronous harmony, completely drowning out the darkness embedded in the deepest parts of their souls.