this.”
“It is pretty cool,” I agreed. Claire gasped and I glanced at her. She was staring at me with astonishment.
“‘Pretty cool? This is amazing!” she exclaimed. “I have to know who the artist is.”
I was about to stop her, but then realized it couldn’t hurt anything. Her finger scrolled through the words until she found the sentence she was looking for. Then, after reading it, she laughed .
“That’s funny,” she giggled. “It says that ‘Michael Herring painted this’.”
She looked at me, a silly expression on her face. I was serious as she started to read again.
“He works as a fire fighter at Engine 38,” she paused. “Wait, that’s...”
“Me,” I finished for her. Her eyes found mine again and I shrugged. “I painted this in my free time. That’s why I was invited to the grand opening.”
“You paint?” she asked. I nodded sheepishly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“The topic never came up,” I reminded her. She grimaced and looked down at her hands, tracing over the tattoo on her wrist. “And I only paint murals like this. I don’t like small things like you do.”
“ Oh,” she muttered and sighed.
“What?” I wondered. She didn’t meet my eyes as she wrung her wrists.
“It’s nothing,” she uttered under her breath.
“Tell me,” I urged and hooked a finger under her chin, making her look at me. Her grey eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed.
“It’s just that I have always wanted to meet someone that knew and loved art as much as me. I have never found anyone like that until now. You know so much about it and you even painted that,” she pointed to the mural. “But, I can’t be with you. I just can’t....I guess stress has just been setting in and I haven’t realized int until now. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
She looked so vulnerable right then.
Against all better judgment, I cupped her cheek with my hand and she froze. She stared into my eyes, making me forget everything about myself. Before I could decide against it, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. She gasped before melting into me. I snaked my arms around her waist and she hooked hers around my neck.
The kiss was better than I thought it could ever be. Her lips were soft and they fit against mine perfectly, like a puzzle piece. She shuddered violently and it took me a moment to figure out she was crying.
I tasted the salty tear on my tongue and pulled back. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I frowned.
“Are you okay?” I whispered, not wanting to break the bubble around us. She nodded and mumbled something under her breath. “What did you say?”
“Just hold me,” she muttered again and pressed her face to my chest. Sobs racked at her chest and she wrapped her arms tightly around me. I looped my arms around her and stood silently as she cried, wondering if I did something wrong.
Chapter 16-September 5, 2001 (Claire)
“.....I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I finished and looked into his green eyes. Fire burnt passionately in them and he cupped my cheek with his hand. I froze and swallowed loudly.
He wouldn’t, I thought right before he pressed his lips to mine. Startled, I let out a gasp. Then, without thinking, I melted against him, my body fitting against his perfectly. I looped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his around my waist. I kissed him back with abandon and freedom.
I loved the way his lips moved against mine; they was firm but soft. A tear slipped down my cheek and before I could stop them, they were flowing down my face. I shuddered and he froze, tasting the salt water on his tongue. He pulled back; I could feel him studying me .
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern masking his voice. I nodded and murmured my reply. “What did you say?”
“Just hold me,” I said a little louder and tried to muffle a sob. I pressed my face into his
“It is pretty cool,” I agreed. Claire gasped and I glanced at her. She was staring at me with astonishment.
“‘Pretty cool? This is amazing!” she exclaimed. “I have to know who the artist is.”
I was about to stop her, but then realized it couldn’t hurt anything. Her finger scrolled through the words until she found the sentence she was looking for. Then, after reading it, she laughed .
“That’s funny,” she giggled. “It says that ‘Michael Herring painted this’.”
She looked at me, a silly expression on her face. I was serious as she started to read again.
“He works as a fire fighter at Engine 38,” she paused. “Wait, that’s...”
“Me,” I finished for her. Her eyes found mine again and I shrugged. “I painted this in my free time. That’s why I was invited to the grand opening.”
“You paint?” she asked. I nodded sheepishly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“The topic never came up,” I reminded her. She grimaced and looked down at her hands, tracing over the tattoo on her wrist. “And I only paint murals like this. I don’t like small things like you do.”
“ Oh,” she muttered and sighed.
“What?” I wondered. She didn’t meet my eyes as she wrung her wrists.
“It’s nothing,” she uttered under her breath.
“Tell me,” I urged and hooked a finger under her chin, making her look at me. Her grey eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed.
“It’s just that I have always wanted to meet someone that knew and loved art as much as me. I have never found anyone like that until now. You know so much about it and you even painted that,” she pointed to the mural. “But, I can’t be with you. I just can’t....I guess stress has just been setting in and I haven’t realized int until now. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
She looked so vulnerable right then.
Against all better judgment, I cupped her cheek with my hand and she froze. She stared into my eyes, making me forget everything about myself. Before I could decide against it, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. She gasped before melting into me. I snaked my arms around her waist and she hooked hers around my neck.
The kiss was better than I thought it could ever be. Her lips were soft and they fit against mine perfectly, like a puzzle piece. She shuddered violently and it took me a moment to figure out she was crying.
I tasted the salty tear on my tongue and pulled back. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I frowned.
“Are you okay?” I whispered, not wanting to break the bubble around us. She nodded and mumbled something under her breath. “What did you say?”
“Just hold me,” she muttered again and pressed her face to my chest. Sobs racked at her chest and she wrapped her arms tightly around me. I looped my arms around her and stood silently as she cried, wondering if I did something wrong.
Chapter 16-September 5, 2001 (Claire)
“.....I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I finished and looked into his green eyes. Fire burnt passionately in them and he cupped my cheek with his hand. I froze and swallowed loudly.
He wouldn’t, I thought right before he pressed his lips to mine. Startled, I let out a gasp. Then, without thinking, I melted against him, my body fitting against his perfectly. I looped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his around my waist. I kissed him back with abandon and freedom.
I loved the way his lips moved against mine; they was firm but soft. A tear slipped down my cheek and before I could stop them, they were flowing down my face. I shuddered and he froze, tasting the salt water on his tongue. He pulled back; I could feel him studying me .
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern masking his voice. I nodded and murmured my reply. “What did you say?”
“Just hold me,” I said a little louder and tried to muffle a sob. I pressed my face into his
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