19. Blissful Fall
19
Blissful Fall
L ife had so many unexpected turns. Life, in fact, was full of unexpected turns. Some of them were good, and some bad. Today’s turn of events, however, was the best of all in Alexa’s always messed up life.
The best of the best.
She stole a glance at Tristan’s side profile, illuminated by the highlights of the passing vehicles that cast shadows across his sharp cheekbones. So much like the first day they met and he took her to the carnival.
Though only a few weeks had passed since, it felt like so long ago already. So much had changed since that night. Mainly, her life was no longer messed up, and she didn’t complain about another minute she got to spend on this earth .
Because he was in her life.
If he hadn’t been there to save her that day…
Alexa stopped that train of thought, scolding herself out of it. No. He had saved her, and she was now with him. They were together. That’s all that mattered.
Above all, he had her heart. She hadn’t intended to give it to him, but at some point over the last two weeks, he’d stolen it. And she had no complaints. The more she mulled over it, the more she realized it had always been his to keep, and now to cherish.
Tristan parked his car in front of her house and killed the engine before turning to her. His eyes danced. “I had the best night imaginable.” He slumped into the seat relaxingly. “Thank you for bringing me with you.”
“Well, you’re my boyfriend.” She smiled and shrugged. “There’s no one else I’d rather go with other than you. Frankly, I wouldn’t have gone at all, if I didn’t have you or if you were unavailable .” She gave him a knowing look that he smiled off. “I turned down a dozen proposals.”
“What?”
Oops. “I may have had a lot of boys asking me to go to prom with them when they learned Jude and I broke up.” She gave him a sweet smile. “And I told every single one of them no. ”
His edges softened, and he arched an eyebrow, almost expectantly. “Because?”
Alexa laughed in surrender. “Because there was only one boy I was interested in, even when I was supposedly mad at him at the time.” She tilted her head with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Satisfied?”
“Very much,” he grumbled, but with a smile .
“Aw, is my Tristan jealous?”
He rolled his eyes. “Trust me, angel, I’ve got better things to do than being jealous of the boys you rejected.” His eyes twinkled. “Did you have a good time tonight?”
“I had the perfect night.” And they both knew it.
Tristan dropped his eyes to her smiling lips and she to his. Alexa unbuckled her seat belt. He did the same, not taking his eyes off her lips as he leaned forward and met her halfway.
“You taste like chocolate,” he mumbled against her lips, pulling back just a hair away.
“Daph snuck me three scoops of ice-cream.” She grinned deviously against his mouth. “Of course, you saw that.”
“Yes, and now that I think about it, please don’t catch a cold tomorrow,” he implored, one hand burrowing into her hair.
“What, are you afraid of people with a cold?”
“Only my girlfriend.” His fingers grazed the nape of her neck. “That, if she catches a cold, I’ll be forced to postpone my plans.”
“What plans?” Alexa perked up and leaned back to look full on his face with open curiosity.
Tristan chuckled. “ If you don’t catch a cold tomorrow—”
“I won’t,” she interjected. “I’ll gargle salt water and drink some hot water before bed and I’ll be fine tomorrow morning, you’ll see. Besides, I’m expected to sing at church tomorrow, I simply can’t catch a cold.”
“Then we’ll have to hope that a cold is scared of a siren like you.” His lips twitched. “It’s a surprise,” he said suddenly, before she could ask again. “Before you even think of trying to make me spill it, Alexandra, you’ll only know what it is when I pick you up tomorrow evening.”
Alexa faked a pout despite growing giddy by second. “Can’t you give me a clue?”
Tristan’s eyebrows puckered in a thoughtful manner. “Dinner.”
“That’s an obvious one, seriously?”
He laughed. “That’s all I can give you now, I’m sorry, love.”
She fought a smile. “So, we’re gonna go on an official date?”
“Yes, we are.” Tristan unwound his hand from her hair and cradled the side of her face instead. “Will you go with me, Lexa?”
“Of course.”
The way he looked at her, like one would look at the moon in all its glory in the night sky, was something she had only dreamed about. Reading books and watching movies, she had wondered wistfully—before she developed the ridiculous idea of staying single forever—if she’d find someone who would look at her in that way.
Now that she had that someone, Alexa wondered what it meant. What was the meaning of this profound connection and understanding they shared? No one made her feel the way he did. Were they meant to be, after all? Was he… the one for her?
She dispelled the thoughts away. No, she couldn’t be thinking about this now. They had just begun this beautiful experience.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Tristan kissed her forehead.
“At church?” She held onto his wrist, not wanting him to drop his hand from her face yet .
“Of course, I’ll never miss a chance to hear you sing.” He kissed her forehead again, before opening his door and stepping out. He came around and opened the door for her.
Alexa snuggled right into his arms as she stepped out. He shut the door behind her and held her tight.
“Tonight was magical.”
“And will be every night—and day, too,” he said, his words a promise. “Goodnight, Alexa.”
“Goodnight, Tristan.” She stepped back from him slowly, their gazes lingering on each other with obvious reluctance to let go. When her hand slid from his, she turned toward her house.
Throwing him one last look over her shoulder, she opened the door and stepped inside, her eyes widening slightly as she caught her sister standing in the center of the foyer with folded arms and a knowing, soft smile.
“Cassie?” Was she spying on them? The thought made laughter bubble up to her lips.
“Did you devour the moon or something? You’re literally glowing.” A teasing smile played at Cassie’s lips, but the affection in her eyes was unmistakable. She knew; she had realized what transpired between them.
Alexa moved the curtain aside and looked through the window, and saw Tristan driving away. She turned back to her sister.
“Well?”
“I guess, after all my efforts to stop the feelings I dreaded and all my attempts to steel my heart against it, he has always had a hold of it from the start.” Alexa’s eyes dampened at the admission. She shrugged, averting her eyes. “I just didn’t realize it until tonight. ”
Cassie’s own eyes turned wet. She took a step closer, her eyes studying Alexa’s. “Do you love him?” she asked softly.
Alexa’s tears increased and they slipped her eyes, overwhelmed by a sudden whirlwind of tangled emotions. “I don’t know.” She wrung her hands. “I feel strongly for him, like I’ve never felt toward any boy before. So much so it feels nearly impossible, but I know it’s real too. Could it… could it be love?”
Cassie stroked her hair with one hand. “I wish I could say, but I’m not sure, sweetheart. I think we’ll have to wait and see.”
“How will I know if I love him?” The moment she asked, Alexa regretted it. Cassie was the last person who deserved to hear such an inquiry from her. But before she could apologize, Cassie spoke.
“I don’t know that either, sweetheart.” Her eyes were sad, not the kind of sadness Alexa thought she had caused, but from feeling helpless that she couldn’t give her a proper answer. “But I believe you’ll know it one day, sooner or later.”
Cassie drew her into her arms and Alexa hugged her tightly.
“Do you feel terrified of it?” Cassie murmured a moment later.
“Of falling in love?”
Cassie hummed.
“No,” Alexa said slowly. “Not anymore. He makes my life beautiful, even at the prospect of falling in love with him.”
Saying it aloud made her realize how true it was.
* * *
“We’re going to the city?” Alexa marveled, reading the signboard on their way. She glanced at Tristan for confirmation.
His lips twitched in answer, eyes focused on the road. “Took you time.”
“So, you’re going to show me the panoramic views to fulfill your dream?”
“That would be one of the things I have in mind for our evening, yes.”
She leaned back in her seat with a smile. “You’re so romantic.”
The car glided through the bustling streets of the city. The twilight sky loomed over the vibrant cityscape. Tall buildings adorned with neon lights reached for the sky, casting a kaleidoscope of colors on the streets below. The city’s energy was as infectious as Alexa remembered it. The last time she had been here was with Cassie and their dad, before he fell ill.
Sudden tears burned in the back of her eyes, but she blinked rapidly to stave them off. Her dad wanted her to be happy and she had found that happiness. She wouldn’t cry, as much as his absence still hurt. Wherever he was—Heaven, she believed—he would be happy that she was. The thought brought back her smile.
The car slowed to a stop, and Tristan looked at her. “Ready for a night to remember?”
She flashed him a dimpled smile. “I was ready from the moment you dropped the hint last night. ”
He got out of the car and came for her door, and they stepped out into the vibrant city life together. The air was alive with the mingling scents of street food and distant music. Tristan’s hand reached for hers, and he led her through the streets, weaving through the crowd to each destination he had in mind.
The night turned out to be an unforgettable one, full of life and laughter, and love. Tristan didn’t let go of her hand once, swinging it between them as they walked, and when they reached less crowded areas, he’d twirl her under his hand and bring her to his chest to steal a kiss.
Alexa’s heart threatened to explode from the sheer joy of simply being with him. Every stolen glance at his face showed his unadulterated joy, and now and then, he would lean down and press a spontaneous kiss to her hair.
After a romantic dinner in a luxurious hotel, one she hadn’t thought of visiting even in her dreams, Tristan took her to his last destination, the only one she had been so far aware of.
He pulled her into the shadows and enveloped her in his arms before he teleported them to the quiet seclusion of the open rooftop of the city’s tallest building.
Alexa lifted her head from his chest and her breath caught at the breathtaking panorama. The city that was normally a cacophony of sounds now lay silent beneath the canvas of the night. The skyline stretched out like a majestic work of art—almost like Tristan’s mural—adorned with a thousand glittering lights that mirrored the stars above.
He led her closer to the edge. As she marveled, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her to his chest, a contented sigh escaping him .
Alexa relaxed into him, feeling as though she could stay like this forever. A contented sigh escaped her own lips. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered in reverence. “Even the word beautiful is an understatement.”
“Still, not as beautiful as you are,” Tristan murmured into her hair.
“You flatter me.” She grinned.
“If you call honesty a flattery, do you call dishonesty a compliment, too?” He sighed, but she sensed a smile in his voice.
“That depends.” Her grin widened.
He sighed again. “You’re impossible.”
“Oh, Tristan, Tristan, Tristan.”
Tristan snuggled her close. “Yes, my love?”
Alexa tilted her head ever so slightly so their cheeks touched. “I feel elated that I got to help fulfill your dream.”
“This one?” he asked and continued without her answer. “You fulfill my dream every day, Alexandra, because you’re by my side in every one of them.”
What did she ever do to deserve him?
He was everything she had dreamed about but didn’t dare hope for. Now that she had him, was she allowed to hope for a future she had dreaded with every ounce of her being? Would this beautiful relationship lead them into something big or would it wither away?
Horror gripped her soul.
She didn’t want this— them— to wither away. And the depth of that realization struck her. She wanted him in her life. A life without him was already unimaginable; no purpose, no happiness, no light, no adventures, not even a single smile .
If she lost him somehow, she would go back to how she had been before she met him, or even a worse situation. She would be lifeless without him. It didn’t take her another minute to realize what had happened to her.
She was in love with him.
The Alexa who detested romance in real life was now in love—with the boy who made her feel alive.
She turned around in Tristan’s arms and heard his breath hitch as he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes.
“Sweetheart?” His eyes widened in alarm, the smiles and intensity fading. “What’s wrong? Did I—”
“No,” she cut him off hastily with a shake of her head, and smiled. “It’s just, this is all so beautiful. All of this.” She inclined her head to gesture to their surroundings. “But none of them can hold a candle to who you are or how much you’ve grown to mean to me.”
Tristan’s entire manner gentled. “Alexa…”
“I can’t believe what I’m feeling, Tristan.” Her voice broke slightly. “I feel like you’re… you’re everything in my world, and you mean so much more to me than I thought would be possible.” She swallowed loudly. “And I…”
She couldn’t say it. Not yet. As much as he’d grown on her, to say that she loved him was a bigger step. While all these feelings were surely growing into love, she needed time to further explore them herself before telling him.
Tristan stared at her with wide, expectant eyes. Alexa swallowed her original words and said, “Just kiss me.”
Not wasting a second, he leaned down and kissed her tender and sweet, as if he was trying to show her the tenderness of his passionate love. She kissed him back, clinging to his steady stature as their lips moved in a perfect sync.
“Alexa,” Tristan breathed her name. Before she could pull herself together to hum in response, he continued, pressing his forehead to hers and cradling her face firmly in his both hands. “I want you to say those words when you’re sure about what you feel for me.”
Of course, he realized what had been on the tip of her tongue. Her heart fluttered.
“I know your views on romantic relationships, and I don’t want to push your feelings. I will never push you. However long you may need to realize your feelings, I will wait. Know that I love you. You’re the center of my heart, my life, and my whole world, and I will love you even if you don’t love me back.”
A tear slipped from her eye. She marveled once again what she had done to ever deserve an angel of a boy like him. She felt undeserving, yet she wanted him. More than anything.
She was in love with him, and he was making it too easy to love him too.
He brushed away her lone tear.
“I know.” She nodded, bringing her hands to his beloved face. “I know, Tristan.”
And then she kissed him. Tristan returned the favor, and she felt him moving them backward from the edge of the rooftop. She looped her arms around his neck and pressed closer in her urgency, leaving no space between them. They broke apart to catch breath, just before he captured her lips in another searing kiss .
Suddenly, Tristan froze. Alexa no sooner pulled away from their lip-lock to look at him than she was hurled backwards.
It happened all too soon.
The back of her head slammed against something, and searing pain exploded in her skull. She yelped, and Tristan yelled her name. Her vision swam and blackened over as she turned toward the direction of his voice.
The last thing she saw was the lightning striking him down.