You Changed My Story

Chapter 20

"I dreamt of you last night–as if I was playing the piano and you were turning the pages for me."

—Vladimir Nabokov

OLIVET

The window was covered in frost and the air smelt too good for such a cold day. My grandmother's garden had fallen into deep sleep. Drooping leaves and withered bodies of what was to come after winter weighed heavily in the snow. I looked around my old room, she kept my stuffed animals and my favorite toys.

The little heart I drew on the wall next to the bookshelf was still there but almost fading. I was a snotty little kid at the time, a dreamer of bright things yet they were dark.

My father never cared for me or asked how I enjoyed my time at school. I remember he got drunk one summer night, raging with alcohol. He threw my grandmother's wooden chair at me and I got lucky since his aim was bad.

He has no right to tell me who to be with! I rubbed the angry tears from my eyes and looked in the mirror. Since the day I left Stormme's place, I became restless. My shoulders and neck ache from the twisting and turning. I decided that I wanted him to sort out his issues but I miss him so much. There was a gaping hole in my chest, it was letting all the blistering cold in and it wouldn't close no matter how hard I tried.

"Olivet, breakfast is ready." My grandmother chimed, she lived in a secluded area way up in the hills, surrounded by trees and large mountains. The reception was terrible but I was thankful to be away from the distractions of the social world. Sometimes the fog came in thick, carrying with it a blizzard like clouds. They were thick ice monsters, spreading across the sky at sundry times.

"I'll take a bath first." I tugged the wool sweater over my head, it's slightly itchy. The subdued lighting overhead offered some comfort. The mirror before me was wide and showed all the curves that I hid and kept covered.

Unhooking the bra, the cups fell away from my rosy-tipped breasts. They were ripe and lush and eager. I placed my hands over my twin warm spheres, dreaming of those large rough palms cupping them and teasing the now hard flesh. My nipples took on a richer shade at the thought of his lovely mouth bringing my hidden pleasures to life.

Barely able to stand, I rolled my silk panties over my flaring hips. The double sensation of liberation rushed through me. It was good but it hurt because the man I agreed to date wasn't present. I left him to sort out shit I should have helped him work through.

"Okay! Bath time."

**

Rolling myself in a big flannel, I hugged the floppy pillow to my chest. When I first met him, I had no idea I was gonna get this attached. Seeing his smile changed my whole day. I clamped my lips tightly, struggling not to cry. His hands were gentle, so gentle, they were two pairs of rare treasure pieces, dying species in this world.

The afternoon sun was sinking in the sky, its rays catching the jeweled handle of the French decorative cups around Nana's mantelpiece.

They cast shimmering rainbow patterns on the blue-and-green walls. The light illuminated my shabby area, making my heart ache. The air had become chilly so I pulled the flannel over my head. The bond that he and I shared was forged with heavenly fire and even though we were far apart, that tug pulled on my soul. It wanted to be joined to where the link was severed.

"Olivet, let's watch a movie." my cousin whispered through the hole in the wooden door. Vallis was a year older than me, she's blonde and voracious, quite charming. I've seen men practically drool over her. I'm the opposite of that.

"I have popcorn," she added.

With reluctance, I rolled out of bed and landed on all fours. She opened the door and burst into a fit of laughter.