This was finished after some inspiration from the wong "Without You," by My Darkest Days.
She said good-bye
The first time I ever laid eyes on that girl, I’ll assure you that I’ll never forget. I was friends with her cousin, unknowingly so until that moment when she arrived. Her ash blonde hair fell past her shoulders in subtle ringlets, like rays of sunlight that cascaded smoothly down her back. Behind the curtain of hair, when she turned, my eyes found themselves tracing the contours of her face. Her features were angular, high cheek bones and soft eyes framed by high-peaking brows.
She caught me staring, but I wondered if maybe I had caught her staring at me. She had the gentlest brown eyes I think I had ever seen, as tranquil as a doe’s. She did not approach me, instead her gaze flickered to the dance floor where the guests were gathering, white dresses and black tuxedo’s making their way to the sound of crisp music in the springtime air. I wanted to follow her, but something told me it was not my place.
Instead, I followed the crowd, subduing the turning emotions that threatened to reach out to her. The music grew louder as I approached and the pairs of elderly, middle-age, and adolescent all blended in with the notes of the piano as they began their steps. I watched with my back against the wall, recognizing the waltz as I watched various feet gliding over the floor. It was simple, kept so for those who did not know how to dance.
My gaze was still sweeping over the various shoes moving across the light gray floor when I saw her feet. I knew they were hers, each step she took so elegant, I wondered if she even touched the ground. I saw another pair of shoes near to hers, matching her steps with a distinct flavor of their own. My eyes traveled upward and I let out a sigh I hadn’t known I was holding. It seemed to be her father, the similarity between my friend’s father and this man very distinct.
A nudge on my shoulder and I turned my neck to see someone to my right. “Lexie,” I said, the corners of my mouth turning up into a smile. The brunette before me ran a hand through her straight brown hair and stared at me teasingly. “Where’s Jared?” I asked and Lexie laughed as she pointed somewhere on the floor. I saw Jared dancing with Lexie’s mother, the two laughing as Jared tripped over his feet.
“She’s attempting to teach him how to dance,” she said lightly and I watched her eyes flicker with something that I longed to have, but of course, not from her.
“Well, care to join me while Jer makes a fool of himself?” I asked as I held my arm out to her. She looked up at me and winked as she took my arm.
Lexie weaved through the flow of bodies, her graceful movements easily allowing her to slip through the accumulating mesh of bodies. Just as we found our own spot on the floor, the tempo of the music changed. I listened to the rhythm for a moment and let the tune wash over me, allowing it to carry my feet over the ground. My hands were placed on Lexie’s hip and shoulder, occasionally left to release her as she whirled away. Always, she would slip her fingers back through mine and we would continue making our way around the room.
When the song fell silent, Jared approached from behind Lexie and I removed my hold on her. Before she slipped into Jared’s embrace, she pulled me into a hug. I held her for a moment and was about to let go when she whispered into my ear. “Go talk to her,” she breathed and I pursed my lips.
“How’d you know?” I asked accusingly.
“Like I didn’t notice you staring at Selene,” she said with a roll of her eyes. Jared reached for Lexie’s hand and I gave him a smile as he pulled her away.
Finding myself without a partner, I headed back toward the sidelines of the dance floor. My clumsiness got the best of me at that moment and I ended up tripping over my own two feet. I stumbled forward and knocked into another body, my face already beginning to burn a light red as I straightened.
My eyes stayed down, refusing to look up at her face once I recognized who she was. She was having none of that, I could tell, because she leaned down and dipped her head below mine. Her startling brown eyes made me smile, my lips mimicking the curve of hers as she chuckled. We both straightened and she tilted her head slightly with the smile tugging at her lips.
“Sorry for bumping into you, Miss.” I said respectfully and she laughed, the sound as sweet as a cardinal’s coo that made my heart stutter for a moment.
“Please, call me Selene,” she said as she held out her hand, her grin turning quirky as she tilted her face down slightly in a teasing manner.
“Jason,” I replied warmly as I shook her hand in mine, my fingers warming to her soft skin. The feeling was gone all too soon as she slipped her hand from mine and she turned to go. I reached out for a moment and she turned, but I put my hand down, an apologetic smile on my face. “Sorry. I mean, did you lose your dance?” I asked. What a stupid way to phrase the question, if I even meant to ask a question.
“Well, my father’s probably around here looking for my mother.” she said with a shrug, her delicate frame shaking slightly with silent laughter. “Would you care to dance, Jason?” she asked as she held out one dainty hand. I slipped my hand into hers with a small smile and led her out to the dance floor again, merging with the swift-moving dancers that moved to the tempo of the music.
They parted around us like we were river stones and they the water, but I barely noticed. My hands flew gently to her hip and to her shoulder, somehow her mimicking touch feeling much different than Lexie’s. Where her small hands fit in mine, I felt them warm. We were off then, her feet moving quickly to match the music, the upbeat dance making both of our senses heighten as we were lost in our own world.
Her eyes captivated mine and I barely needed to think as we continued to dance, but her brows were knitted in concentration. I cocked my head slightly and realized she was humming something that matched the music, but was voiced differently from her throat. She felt my gaze on her and she looked up me with a playful grin on her face, the look resembling a child that was caught doing something she shouldn’t.
We both found ourselves laughing as I twirled her around using my fingertips. The next move, I pulled her in close and she smiled for a moment, the few seconds where she was pulled against my body feeling like an eternity and like nothing at once. She kept back at a safer distance, yet I still wanted to tug gently on her hand and pull her into me. The curve of her lips was depicting bliss and it made my heart warm.
When the song ended, I could tell she did not want to leave, yet she still pulled back. Her eyes portrayed a tinge of sadness as she looked up at me and I felt my smile begin to fall. “No, don’t.” she said, her slender fingers straying to the corners of my lips. I blew out a breath of air from surprise at her touch and she gave me a quirky grin in response, but I could still see that twinge of regret in her eyes, in the slight arch of her brows.
“Then don’t leave,” I murmured, my eyes pleading. “Can I take you somewhere?”I asked and she hesitated for a moment before she twined her fingers in mine and led me out on the springy grass, stepping down gracefully from the dance floor as she did so.
A warm summer breeze caressed our shoulders and her hair blow slightly to the side, revealing more of her face. She led me out to the bank of the lake, the reception residing by the town’s only lake. She stopped at the gentle waves that murmured their own soft song by the shore, the lenient wind giving the typical stagnant water life for a moment.
Her fingers found my cheek again and she turned my head away from the water to look down at her. “Do you feel it, too?” she wondered aloud and I nodded as I brushed a few curls from her eyes, the blonde hair smooth in my hold. She closed her eyes as I brushed my fingers against her cheek, thumb running along her chin, tracing her smooth, lightly tanned skin.
“Where have you been?” I asked and she smiled against my fingertips. My hand slid back to cup her cheek and I pulled her closer, my neck craning down as she waited. I let my lips touch hers lightly and she relaxed in my hold, but she returned the kiss nonetheless. It was like no one else, this girl’s warm kiss enveloping me so wholly, the intimate touch of our mouths sending a glowing heat through my body, making sunlight stream from her and pour into me.
She pulled back with light eyes, yet a trace of sadness and regret still lingered. I knew what, but I did not know why. She blinked sadly and pulled me into a hug. “Why do you have to go?” I wondered as I stroked her neck. She shook her head and placed her hands on my arms. “I know we just met, but can’t I see more of you?” I continued.
“Jace, I-I can’t right now. I want to, trust me,” she said and I grimaced.
“Why can’t you?” I murmured and I saw her eyes become glassy. “I’m sorry,” I said softly and again, she smiled.
“Maybe in the future, but I can’t now,” she said.
“So this is-?” I started, but she cut me off.
“Good-bye,” she said. She released my hand and turned her back on me, but I had already caught that look in her eyes, the look I had seen on another pair of eyes just a few hours ago. My thoughts lingered on those soft eyes, brown with golden flecks scattered in the irises. Beneath the beautiful color, I saw a recent heartbreak, along with a promise she couldn’t keep. I knew there was no seeing this girl again, despite the feelings we had just shared, despite the near promise of the future.
Lexie found me soon after. She found me skipping rocks over the surface of the lake, every bounce sending ripples across the water. I rolled the stones around in my hand, their cold and lifeless feel nothing compared to the warm hand that had been in my hold for mere moments. I didn’t turn when Lexie hesitantly touched my shoulder and I didn’t reply when she asked, adding an apology to the end.
I shrugged and threw another stone out onto the water, but this one didn’t make it as far. There was one pitiful bounce before it sank into the murky depths of the water. “She said good-bye,” I said and Lexie wrapped me in a hug from behind, her kind hold doing nothing to lift my spirits. This girl had marred me; the wound still ached for her touch again, not caring if her presence would only bring pain. Maybe I wouldn’t see her again, but we would still have each other with the memories of the dance we shared, the feelings we had by the lakeshore.
Maybe next time, she wouldn’t say good-bye.
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