You Changed My Story

Chapter 26

STORMME 

We often wear a mask to balance the fractures within ourselves. Our troubles often come from our mistakes and our inability to learn from them.

Even stars die, so we must lose to gain. In the end, we are all just broken pieces trying to find our place in this uncaring world. I often ask myself what it's like to really be human. We thirst for love, peace, happiness, and even a little piece of darkness, yet a world without light can be terrifying.

Angels are powerful beings without flesh and corruption. It would be nice to be one. That was an error in my thinking. The thought vanished. Yes, they are far above us, but to be flesh is gain. As one who bleeds and cries, there's nothing more amazing than the simple drink of cold water from a bottle on a hot day.

The moment when you finally get to sink your face in that new pillow after hours of work and long-standing should not be taken for granted, when your friend tells a good joke and you laugh to tears, should not be taken for granted. We get to experience the world in such a visceral manner, every leaf, every grain of sand, the crashing of waves on the distant shore, and watching a tiny bird break from its shell for the very first time, affects you deeply.

When a loved one dies, hearing that death rattle when they fight for their last, and they pass from their troubles, that memory stays, even after many years, is not easily forgotten. Creating bonds and nurturing them leaves you with something precious. Something that withstands the test of time.

There's beauty in being human.

Olivet lost the bakery, but she had not faltered for a moment. Her eyes had borne sorrow for a day, and they were now glowing lamps of hope. A co-worker had left the oven on which resulted in the fire. The police department is still investigating.

She's wearing one of my T-shirts, and her long hair is tousled in a way that prompts reflexive thoughts of the previous night. She blew dust from the surface and stared at the italic words written in gold across the brittle spine.

"Sun meets moon."

Hearing her say the words almost made me tear up. My nanny often read that story to me as a child. It was my favorite picture novel and still retains a special place in my heart. I scooted over on the couch. She sits, eyes glued to the cover. The scent of weathered leather filled the cozy space. It's the aroma you sense when long-awaited rain approaches. Her expression took hold of my breath. It was as if she was reliving a fond memory. An ivory finger traced the outer edge, and her silky lips tilted into a half smile. God, that smile, barely a smile even, caught my full attention and was utterly captivating.

She smells warm and perfumed and deeply sexy. I inhaled the scent from the back of her hair, briefly losing my train of thought. I was dark and thunderous around her, growing wild with need.

"You're a distraction." she shyly lowered her eyes.

I pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing my fingertips to brush her cheek. My world was charcoal grey orbited by a cold blue sun. The clouds parted, and my sun melted by her vibrant presence.

"Good kind of distraction, aren't I?" My head leans in, and she comes halfway, waiting. It was the kind of submission that brought a man to his knees. Her eyes are impossibly green, looking at me from a kissing distance. And when it happened, the warm contact felt like an eclipse, the kind that comes every century.

Her breathing slows and stops. She is emotional. I feel this through the way our lips caress and move. I find stillness. For a moment, it seems time itself stops, with a crackle like ice.

To break a virtuous man, give him a burden too heavy to bear. A lesser man would drop it, but a good man will carry it until it crushes him. Let my shoulders break, and my knees shatter, I will carry any burden.