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Authors: Kathryn Vance-Perez

Tags: #General Fiction

Love and Truth (8 page)

BOOK: Love and Truth
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“Listen, it’s just a cup of coffee. Plus it’s my way of saying sorry for being an ass yesterday.” He stared into me with those deep pools of green that suffocated all of my resolve. “Okay, but this is
not
a date, I just want that to be clear.”

He raised his eyebrows and the corner of his mouth turned up in a seductive way. He took our coffees and I followed him, trying to keep my eyes off of his toned legs and butt. He wore a pair of white cargo shorts and a black, fitted tank top that showed off his well-maintained body.

“How long did it take to get the tattoos?” I asked. “I bet it took forever and was painful.”

He rubbed his tan hand up and down his tattooed arm, looking down at it. He looked back into my eyes. “Every inch of this sleeve is significant to me in one way or another. I had this done over a long period of time and during several different sittings. It was painful but bearable, and I’ve never regretted it.”

He seemed stoic as he looked back down and rubbed his fingers across the art, seeming lost in thought.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to–”

“It’s cool, just thinking, that’s all. No reason to apologize.” He smiled and he was back to himself again. “So, you know my story. What’s your story, balcony girl?”

“It’s not much of a story,” I said. “I’m from a small town in Texas. I’m an only child and I was born here on Okinawa.” I knew that would throw him for a loop.

“You were born here, on the island?” he asked, obviously surprised.

“Yes, it’s true, though I was only here till I was six months old. My Dad worked here as a contractor. We moved shortly after I was born, but I always wanted to come back. My friend, Annie, doesn’t get it and my parents don’t either because I was just a baby. But I want to learn about Okinawa and the culture first-hand, so I decided to come here against their advice.” I didn’t mention the dancing. I’ve always been known for my dancing and for once I wanted someone to know me for something other than dance.

“I think that’s very brave. I admire you for coming here and taking your life into your own hands. There’s a lot to be said for self-discovery. Not until we’re lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”

I looked up at him. “Thoreau, Jonathan?”

“Yes, Thoreau.” he said, looking impressed.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you? Listening to Jeff Buckley. Quoting Thoreau. Did someone give you a Nicole playbook or something?” I said, laughing. He looked at me seriously and took a sip of coffee.

“No, I don’t need a playbook for you, Nicole.” We sat in awkward silence and I glanced up into his deep green eyes. Finally, I snapped out of the trance he had me in.

“I was just poking fun, that’s all. I’m impressed and surprised though.” He quietly glided his hand across the table and traced the edges of my fingers with his index finger. I opened my mouth to respond, but his voice cut through the silence.

“Don’t say anything, Nicole. Get out of your head for a minute. Stop being so guarded. Get lost a little.”

He continued softly running his fingers along the edges of mine. My heart was pounding so hard that I wondered if he could hear it. My pulse raced and I tried to inhale slowly. He took my hand and turned it over, tracing his finger over my palm.

“When someone begins to be honest and open, it’s said that they open their palms to the other person.” He turned his hand over, opening it to me. I looked up into those eyes that were slowly beginning to tattoo themselves onto my soul and gently placed my hand in his. I looked down at our intertwined hands and knew at that moment that my travel abroad had taken on an entirely new meaning.

Jonathan convinced me to spend the day with him, exploring the island. I was trying to get out of my head and enjoy this experience. Annie would be so proud of me. We drove down to the boardwalk and he bought me shaved ice. As we strolled along the seaside, the shores roaring in the distance, it felt natural to walk and talk with him. I realized he was funny and that I hadn’t laughed this much in a long time. I had never spent this much time one on one with a guy, but it somehow felt normal with Jonathan.

“So what’s your favorite playlist?” he asked. “You know way more about me than I know about you.”

That was a tough question. I liked all of my playlists. “My musical style is all over the map. You already know I love Mumford & Sons, but I really enjoy The Black Keys too. Then there’s classical music, which I also appreciate but when I listen to classical it’s something I listen to only if I’m in a certain mood. It’s usually Chopin’s
Prelude Number 4
or Gabriel Faure’s
Pavane
. Those two pieces really move me.”

“Wow, classical huh? I’m no Chopin or Faure, but maybe I could play for you sometime.”

“Wait, you play?” I was astonished.

“Yes, I do.” He grinned. “ I‘ve been playing since I was five. I can play a little acoustic guitar too, but that I taught myself. My Mom put me in classical piano lessons when I was younger and I grew to love it. Piano is one thing that I do that I love.”

Wow, he was too good to be true. I listened to him talk; he told me that he lives with his mom, grandparents, and two cousins, but has a place on the far end of the island near Okuma. He said that the beaches there were far better than where we were.

“We should go out there tomorrow. We can go out on a glass-bottom boat ride if you want. You’ll love it.”

He grinned widely and I knew I was stuck. Did I want to spend tomorrow with him too? Yes, I did, but whether or not I should was a different story.

“There you go again, all tied up in your head again. Are you still scared of me, Nicole? Aren’t you enjoying yourself?”

He knew he was affecting me, and I hated him for it. I had to play it cool.

“No, I’m not scared of you and yes, I’m enjoying myself. I just don’t know if spending another day with you is a good idea. I don’t want to offend my host family by running off every day with someone else.”

“The Nakamuras are at work all day and Emiko is in school. Are you worried about offending Nobuko san?”

He made a good point; I didn’t want to sit around all day for the rest of the week. “Okay,” I said. I felt like one of the girls from my high school. I knew this couldn’t end well. “Why don’t you have a girlfriend, Jonathan?” I asked randomly and have no idea why.

“I did have one.” He didn’t elaborate. We were walking again and an awkward silence fell over us. “She left. Her family was stationed here and they left. I asked her to marry me and stay here, but she turned me down, saying she could never live here for the rest of her life. We broke up that day and I haven’t heard from her since. That was a year ago. I haven’t had a girlfriend since Leah.”

He looked off in the distance. He suddenly turned to me, grabbing onto both of my hands while looking at me intensely. “I’ve been closed up for the past year, trying to get over the pain of losing her, trying to accept that what I saw as love wasn’t really love at all. I’ve spent a year trying to forgive her, trying to break away from the shadow of pain and rejection. I’ve spent all of my time working hard, playing hard, and avoiding thoughts of what love really is and really should be. I felt like a fool, like failure, and I never want to feel that way again. So I closed myself off, but standing in the street that night...looking up at you...” He paused as if he was searching for the right words, “I felt a surge of emotion that was indescribable. It was the first time in a year that I felt my heart beat again. It freed my heart from the bars that it has been imprisoned in for twelve months.”

I started to speak and he stopped me. “Don’t, Nicole. Get out of that head of yours.” He slowly placed both hands on my face and kissed me with a fierce intensity that sent currents through me. He traced the seam of my lips with his tongue and I opened my mouth to him, feeling like I just opened my soul. His tongue hunted through my mouth as if he was searching for evidence that his heart was safe with me; one hand glided down to the lowest point of my back, pulling me in tighter as the kiss intensified. Fear crept into my mind and I realized I had to stop now. I pushed him away and I brought my hand to my lips.

“Jonathan, that was–”

“Don’t. Please don’t say anything. I know you felt something and I’m not going to let you say differently.”

It was the most erotic moment of my life and I was ready to slam myself against his hard body if he kept talking. He couldn’t know I was probably the only eighteen year old girl that had never been kissed. I looked down to avoid eye contact.

“Jonathan, please let me speak. I’m not going to devalue what just happened. It was…like nothing I’ve experienced in my life, but this is all new for me. It terrifies me and I don’t know what do. I’m sorry for pushing you away, but I can’t let this go any further.”

I sighed and looked up with pleading eyes.

He smiled and rubbed his thumb across my lower lip. He leaned in and kissed my shoulder softly. “Nicole Harrison, I can do whatever you need me to do. Just don’t run. Don’t walk away from whatever this is, from what this could be.”

I knew he could see how nervous I was. Maybe if I just blurted out the fact that I had never had a boyfriend, he would just walk away. This was too much work already. I could still feel his hands on my face and his body against mine.

I don’t believe in true love and I certainly don’t believe in love at first sight. Insta-love isn’t something that happens in real life. It happens in the books I read, but not in the world I live. Though here stands this beautiful, sexy, funny, sweet and amazing guy who has done everything short of professing love at first sight to me and I’m still standing here like a pair of lungs suffocating, needing him in order to breathe. I’m not running, I’m here, submerged in all of my vulnerability, taking the biggest chance I ever have with my heart and soul. I hope I’m choosing wisely. I stared at the ground and felt his eyes on the top of my head.

“You want to go down closer to the water?” he asked.

“Sure.”

I looked up at him and smiled. He gripped my hand and gently guided me down to the sandy beach. He stopped me as we reached the last step.

“Here. Sit down and let me take off your shoes. You don’t want to get them all sandy.”

I sat down, enamored by his thoughtfulness. He bent down momentarily, looking at me with a flirty gleam in his eyes before slowly unbuckling my sandals one at a time. Somehow, it seemed extremely sexual and it sent a shiver through me. My sandals hung from the tip of his finger as he extended his free hand to me.

“Come on, beautiful.”

I made myself smile. I had to stay in control but it was hard. My skin was still tingling with the sensation of his lips on mine. I stood up, curling my toes in the warm sand.

“Everything is so beautiful here,” I said. “I can’t imagine growing up in such a beautiful place.”

He squeezed my hand. “Yeah, it’s a great place to grow up. I don’t think I can imagine growing up anywhere else. I know that if my dad had survived I would’ve had a different life, but growing up here has been great. It’s my mom’s home and that makes it mine.”

I was growing to love the way he talked about his mom. It was sweet.

“That’s admirable. I hope to meet her maybe one day.”

His face lit up. “Yeah, definitely. She would love that and so would I.”

The cool ocean breeze felt amazing. My hair blew slightly and my dress was pressed against my legs. It seemed so perfect, walking hand-in-hand with him.

“You want to sit down for a while and watch the waves come in? Unless you’re worried about getting that pretty dress sandy.” He looked me up and down seductively and I looked away. It was too much to have him looking at me like that.

“Sure, we can sit. My dress will be fine.”

The beach was flooded with people swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying family time. We sat on the soft sand and I dug my toes into the sand. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in closer.

BOOK: Love and Truth
7.09Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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