The Forest
The Forest is a magical place. Is it real magic? Another dimension? Virtual reality? Some kind of combination? No one is certain, but what everyone does know for certain is that all it takes to get there is a bright blue crystal and concentration.
Chapter 1
Iris had been working overtime for two years to save up for this moment. She held the crystal tight and stared at the beauty of it.
“I’ll finally be able to enter The Forest!” She concentrated hard and pictured lush green grass and tall, full trees. She imagined the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves and the sweet woodsy smell. Nothing happened. Nothing at all. “Argh! Why isn’t it working?!” She flopped on the bed in frustration. She focused hard but she was still in the same four bluish gray walls of her bedroom. Why won’t it work? Why can’t she get in? Since it was discovered its been all Iris could think about. She longed to experience The Forest for herself. It was said to be a beautiful, magical, sometimes frightening place. The interesting thing about the forest is that it is slightly different for everyone. Its believed that your thoughts guide what you see. Positive thoughts and feelings create a lovely forest, negative thoughts and feelings create a dark, dangerous forest. There’s even a theory that your thoughts and emotions can change the type of creatures that you see in The Forest.
Its an experience that everyone has been talking about nonstop. You can interact with others that are in The Forest as well. Its supposed to be a huge sensation. You can be whoever you want to be inside The Forest with no consequences in your normal life. How exciting! If she could only figure it out, just imagine the adventures she could have! She rolled over and grabbed her phone. Hopefully Ava could help her figure out what she did wrong.
“Did you love it?!”
“I’m sure I will if I ever figure out how to do it. Can you come over?”
“Be there in ten.” She hung up. Iris knew she would do her best to help because Ava knows how much she wants this. An escape from the boring, lonely life she leads. She hadn’t spoken to her parents in nearly three years. Since she told them she didn’t want to go to college and they told her to move out. The only real friend she had was Ava and with their work schedules they didn’t get to spend much time together. In The Forest she would meet lots of new people and see new things and have plenty to explore. She would never have to be bored and lonely. No one would know her as poor or disowned by her family. She could have a fresh start and a separate, maybe better, life.
Ava knocked on the door exactly 9 minutes later. Iris let her in with a smile. Her best friend was wearing pajamas. “Of course she didn’t bother getting dressed,” Iris thought with a smile. Ava was a natural beauty, with curly red hair and soulful brown eyes. She never seemed to put too much effort into her appearance but always looked gorgeous, even in her lavender pajamas with the adorable hippo print. Ava plopped down on the couch and Iris joined her with the crystal. Iris was wearing a sundress with her long blonde hair in a braid. She still didn’t feel nearly as pretty as Ava was, simply in her night clothes.
“Ok, gimmie.” Ava held out her hand to inspect the crystal. “It looks genuine. Must not be trying hard enough. I don’t have any trouble with mine.” Ava had gone into The Forest several times in the past few months and always told such great stories about it. Ava offered to share her crystal, but Iris wanted to wait to get one of her own. As Iris watched, Ava relaxed against the cushions and soon seemed to have fallen asleep. Then she suddenly sat back up.
“Well, it works. I just popped in and out easily. You’ll have to keep trying. Clear everything else out of your mind and picture it clearly. Really concentrate. Focus on picturing details, the texture of the leaves and bark, the sounds, the smells, the sun shining through the leaves, the soft feeling of grass under your feet.” She handed the crystal back.
Iris tried again. She looked at the small crystal in her palm and took a deep breath. She cleared her mind, pushing all thoughts aside except for The Forest. Once again she pictured it in her mind’s eye. Slowly focusing on each detail, the feel of grass beneath her feet, the bright green blades swaying in the breeze, small yellow flowers here and there, the trees, all different kinds with branches reaching up to the sun shining through the canopy of leaves, the glimpses of bright blue sky, the scent of trees, grass and earth. She could see it so clearly in her mind, the image of The Forest she so badly wanted to visit. Why wasn’t she there? Was there something wrong with her? She knew the crystal worked fine for Ava.
“Don’t stress about it, Iris. You’ll get there. Have some faith in yourself. Maybe you just want it too bad, you know? Maybe you need to relax and not force it. Just let The Forest open to you. Its getting late and we both have work tomorrow, but I’ll try to stop by if I have time. Don’t stay up too late with that crystal. Love you.”
Iris stood and walked Ava to the door. “I love you too. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m trying too hard. I’ll take a shower and go to bed. I can try again tomorrow. The real world won’t wait.” Iris showered and put on a baggy t-shirt and climbed into bed. She held the crystal and thought. “Of course after all the extra work I did and all the saving to buy this stupid thing I can’t get it to work. Isn’t that just typical. Nothing ever works out the way I want it to.” She drifted off to sleep wishing things would be different. She wanted so much to go to The Forest and start a new adventure.
Chapter 2
Iris woke up realizing she was no longer in her bed. She sat up and looked around. “Either I managed to go to the forest in my sleep, or I’m dreaming.” She was laying on the grass surrounded by trees. It was dark, just enough moonlight to make out shapes and shadows. She rose to her feet and realized she wasn’t wearing her old t-shirt anymore, but was now wearing a short skirt and tank top. Her feet were still bare. “Probably dreaming,” she decided. Iris wasn’t typically a short skirt person. She slowly started walking, careful not to trip. She heard footsteps up ahead and walked toward them, curious to see who her subconscious chose to join this adventure. She imagined it would be Ava since she’d just seen her before bed. The creepiness of The Forest in her dream was probably due to her frustration at not being able to enter the real one, she decided. A cold wind made her shiver. It was not nearly warm enough for the outfit she was in. She finally saw an outline of a person. She was getting close.
“Hey! Who are you?” That was definitely not Ava’s voice. Apprehension washed over her. Who was this? She could feel her heart racing as another gust of wind chilled her bones. What if it wasn’t a dream? It felt real. Maybe she really was in The Forest. “Helllo? Are you deaf or stupid?”
“Excuse me? What is your problem?” Iris was losing her temper. How dare some stranger call her stupid. He couldn’t even really see her.
“I said, who the hell are you? What are you doing in The Dark Forest in the middle of the night?” Ok, Mr. Grumpy voice was getting on her nerves.
“I’m Iris, and I’ve already had more than enough of your company, so fuck off.” To her surprise, the stranger laughed.
“I’m Gage. I’m just surprised you ended up here. You don’t seem like a Dark Forest type.” What was that supposed to mean? Did she seem too wimpy? Or was it a bad thing she ended up here? Was it dangerous?
“Why shouldn’t I be here? What do you mean I’m not the type?” She still couldn’t get a good look at him.
“Let’s go where we can see each other. Come with me and we can talk more.” Great, now what should she do? She was curious about this shadow with the deep voice and about this place she ended up in. But how did she know if she could trust him or not? What if he raped her or killed her? Well, if was going to do that he could do it right here. He didn’t need to take her anywhere else. There was no sign of anyone else here. She’d have just as much of a chance running away from where he led her to as she would from here.
“Alright. I’m curious enough to go with you. Lead the way, tall, dark, and shadowy.”
Iris followed for a short distance until she noticed the flickering glow of a fire. As they got closer she noticed they were entering a small clearing with a large fire pit built in the center. As Gage stepped out of the shadows she finally got a good look at her mysterious escort. He had dark hair, broad shoulders, toned arms, and if it wasn’t for the scowl he would’ve been attractive. “Gonna gawk all night or come where I can see you?” So cocky. She stepped right up to him.
“There. See?” He didn’t seem impressed.
“Yeah, I see. Now back to the original question. Why are you in The Dark Forest?”
“I fell asleep with my crystal in my hand and woke up here.”
“A nightmare brought you here?”
“The only nightmare I’ve got to deal with is you.” Her heart skipped a beat when his face broke into a crooked grin. Woo, down girl.
“Do you typically end up here or The Forest? Are you depressed? Psycho? Anger management issues?”
“This is the first time I made the crystal work at all. I couldn’t do it when I was awake, no matter how much I focused and pictured it. I thought there must be something wrong with me that prevented me from coming here.” Iris could feel herself blushing. He thought she was a psycho? Hey, wait a minute! “Why are you here? What’s wrong with you?” That crooked grin again!
“Must’ve fallen asleep with negative feelings and thoughts or had a nightmare. You don’t seem like a dark person. As for me, maybe I am just a Dark Forest kinda guy.”
“Ok… So how do I leave and get to The Forest? Not that I’m excited to leave your pleasant company or anything.” Gotta be something wrong with this guy. Yes, he’s hot when he grins. But why is he here? What kind of dark feelings and thoughts brought him to The Dark Forest, and why does he seem so comfortable here? Is this where the crystal always takes him? What if he’s a murderer?
“You didn’t think about that before you tried the crystal? You really are stupid. You have to go back where you started from, think happy thoughts and try again. You don’t want to come back here, especially not in the middle of the night again. Not every Dark Forest person is as tolerant as I am. Remember, there’s no ‘real world’ consequence for our actions here.”
Creeper. Like I was thrilled to be here. If I rolled my eyes any harder I’d see my spine. “So how do I get back where I started from since I can’t get the crystal to work when I’m awake?”
“Figure it out. Keep trying. Focus harder and clear other thoughts and emotions from your mind.” Right. Easier said than done. Especially now that he so kindly made her more fearful of her current circumstances.
Iris closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind but felt more afraid and vulnerable not seeing what was around her. How did she know he wouldn’t attack her himself while she wasn’t looking? He wasn’t exactly the friendly teddy bear type. “This is not going to work. How do I clear my head now? You could be plotting my murder. You could have a gang of nutjobs waiting to snatch me. You could bonk me on the head and sell me to a troll under a bridge.”
He snickered. “As tempting as those ideas are, especially the troll; I’m trying to get rid of you before anything bad happens to you. You’re obviously not meant to be here. There are people here who are worse than whatever nightmare brought you here. I’m willing to watch your back for a minute, just out of the kindness my heart. So get on with it.”
“Very comforting. My hero.”
“Fine. Good luck smart ass.” He shrugged and turned to walk away. Sigh. Nice view, but she suddenly panicked at the thought of being here alone. At least his lovely personality would probably make the creepers wanna murder him, which would give her a chance to run.
“Gage, wait.” That came out a little needy sounding. Iris cleared her throat. “Oddly enough, I think I’d feel better knowing you’re watching my back; just don’t stab me in it.” Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her right leg. “Aaah!” She practically climbed Gage like a tree. “Something bit me!” Gage wrapped his warm, strong arms around her. Iris felt his chest shaking and realized he was laughing at her. She pulled away to look down at the demon who chomped her. It was a small black ball of fluff. Its little red eyes glowed up at her.
“Don’t worry, he’s too small to eat much. His name is Terror.”
“Of course you have a viscous pet named Terror. Is it a dog? It doesn’t really look like one.”
“Its a monster of course. This is The Dark Forest. Not sure what they’re actually called, but I just call them dark puppies. There’s a few around here, but Terror sticks with me. They all like to bite, but don’t do much harm.” She wanted to smack that sexy grin off his face. Why didn’t he warn her that he had an evil pet monster that liked to bite? Jerk. But she had to admit, his arms around her wasn’t exactly an unpleasant experience.
“Lovely.” She slowly stepped away from the beastie. “Keep that thing off me so I can get out of here.” She closed her eyes, but found herself opening one to peek and make sure Terror kept its distance. With another sigh she told herself to focus. That’s the only way out of here. She squeezed the crystal and began taking slow, deep breaths. She felt Gage’s body heat on her back.
“Its ok, just concentrate.” His deep voice actually sounded soothing. “Picture your bedroom. The color of the walls, the texture of the paint or wallpaper. Any details or patterns on them. Picture each wall, one at a time. Is there a window? A closet door? What does the floor look like? Hardwood, carpet, tile? What does it feel like when you stand there in your bare feet? Picture yourself standing in your room.” Iris felt his chest rest against her back as she listened to his voice. She felt herself relax against his body. “Look at your bed. How big is it? What colors do you see? What kind of fabric is your sheet and pillowcase made of? What kind of blanket? Picture yourself slowly walking to stand at the edge of the bed. Run your fingers over the sheet. Notice how it feels. Smooth and cool.” She felt his hands rest on her hips and couldn’t make herself care. His deep voice was both soothing and sexy. She felt so sleepy and just wanted to crawl in her bed and let this stranger hold her while she slept.
As soon as the thought entered her mind she felt a shifting sensation. When she opened her eyes she was back in her room. It worked! She did it! She totally owed that creep. Woah. It finally sunk in that she could still feel him. “Why are you here? Did you follow me? Are you gonna rob me or something?” Instead of scared or angry she just sounded tired.
“I just got caught up trying to help you. I didn’t intend to come with you.” He let his head drop on her shoulder. She didn’t know why she wasn’t pushing him away or screaming at him. She knew she should, but at the moment she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Maybe you’re right after all. Maybe I am stupid, because right now all I want is to move to the bed and fall asleep in your arms.” Iris whispered so softly she could barely hear herself.
“Sounds good to me.” He slowly reached down and scooped her up. She let him lay her on the bed and cuddle up with her. As her eyes drifted shut she whispered again.
“This doesn’t mean I like you or trust you, tall, dark and shadowy. Just too tired to care.” She could hear and feel his laugh as she fell asleep.
Chapter 3
Iris
I woke up sweating. What was so hot on my back? I shoved the hot thing away and heard it groan. Gage! I almost forgot I let him stay! How stupid could I be? Let’s let a total stranger spend the night to do whatever evil things he could think of while you sleep, you idiot!
“Good morning, you didn’t murder me in my sleep I see.” Like Mr. ‘Dark Forest person’ had anything to worry about.
“Good to see you didn’t murder me either. Now leave.”
“Well that’s very rude for someone who was all over me last night. ‘Let me sleep in your arms you sexy hunk of man meat!’ Ring a bell?”
“Yeah right. Get out. I told you I was too tired to care last night. Now I’m not. I need to take a shower and wash your stink off me and go to work. Bye.” I got up and went to the closet. Although I’d never admit it, I missed the feel of him pressed against me as soon as I got up. Must be time to start dating again, I thought. Just not some random creeper you met in a place that is literally full of random creepers. I froze as I felt his arms around my waist.
“Want me to join you? Might be fun.” I was tempted. The warm, muscular male behind me was hot when he wasn’t scowling. However I didn’t know anything about him, except that he’s got a dark enough mind to be comfortable visiting The Dark Forest. Probably shouldn’t trust someone like that. Even though he’s sexy, and that voice could melt a rock, he could be seriously dangerous.
“What if I said no? Would you rape me?” My voice shook a little at the thought. He could easily over power me.
“I know you don’t know me, but I’d never do that. No means no. If you want me to leave, I’ll go.” He bent his head and placed a kiss on my shoulder. “Its your call.” I was at a loss. I was attracted to Gage, but we just met. Why did I feel so intoxicated by him? I knew I had to say no, but the idea of this sexy, mysterious stranger disappearing from my life made me extremely sad. I wanted to see him again. I wanted to get to know him. To learn more about the guy hiding behind the asshole mask.
“I’m scared.” It came out in a whisper.
“Of me? Do you still think I’d hurt you? I had every possible opportunity to do that if I wanted, but I didn’t. I’m not going to hurt you. I just like you. You’re pretty, sassy, and didn’t let me intimidate you even though I was a potentially dangerous stranger in a dark, dangerous place. I’m intrigued by you. I want to get to know you. I’d also enjoy some sexy time in the shower, not gonna lie.” I could hear the grin in his voice and couldn’t help smiling back. He did have a point. He hadn’t done anything to me so far, except help me get home and let me sleep in his arms like I wanted him to. I turned in his arms to face him and look up into his blue-gray eyes. I knew I was doing something crazy, but couldn’t resist.
“I want to get to know you, too. There’s just something about you. I hate the thought of letting you go, even though I don’t know you. I wanna call in sick to work and spend the day with you.” Suddenly feeling shy I hid my face in his shoulder, holding my breath as the sudden fear of rejection, although illogical, tightened my chest.
“Sounds like a date to me. I’ll call in too. Where are we, by the way? What country, even?” I smiled up at him as I told him exactly where we were. Small world, he only lives a few minutes drive away.
“Ok, go home and shower and call in to work. I’ll do the same while you’re gone. Then we can decide what to do today.” He leaned down and kissed the side of my neck. I melted at the touch of his lips on my skin.
“Don’t run off before I get back.” He grinned at me then walked away. I could feel my heart racing as I grabbed my phone and called in to work. Then I dialed Ava’s number and put it on speaker as I searched through my clothes for something sexy to wear.
“Iris, you ok? Did you get the crystal to work?”
“Well… Kinda.” I explained everything that had happened as I chose a silky navy blue tank and hip hugging denim shorts. Then began rummaging through my underwear drawer for something hot, just in case.
“Wow. Are you gonna hook up with him? This is like a movie! You gotta give me every detail about how it goes today! You’re so lucky! Why didn’t I get a sexy Forest guy?!” Ava giggled.
“You better get to work, and I gotta shower before he gets back. I’ll call as soon as he leaves. Love you!”
“Love you too! Have fun!” I ended the call and quickly showered and dressed. Then I put on a little make up and swept my hair into a messy bun. I decided I had achieved the fine balance of looking put together but not like I tried too hard. I was on my way downstairs to wait when I heard a knock. He’s back! My heart immediately sped up as I ran for the door and swung it open. Easy there. Want him to think you’re desperate?
“Miss me already?” His eyes lit up with his smile.
“Nah, just hungry and hoping you brought food.” I tried to play it cool, but knew my blush gave me away.
“Lucky for you I did. I also brought coffee.” He held up a bag in one hand and cup holder with two coffees in the other.
“My hero!” I teased as I grabbed the bag and took it to the table. While we ate I kept catching him staring at me. He looked like he thought I should be on the menu.
“What would you like to do today? Anything particular? Or maybe just spending the day in bed?” That was starting to sound a little too tempting.
“What about trying to go to The Forest? We could spend the day exploring, and maybe if you’re lucky, we might find a good make out spot.”
“That sounds good to me. I always end up in the Dark Forest though. You brought me here with you last night, so maybe if we hold on to each other and focus, we could go together today. The Dark Forest isn’t quite as dangerous during the day. You should be ok as long as you stay close to me. I won’t let anyone bother you.” He seemed a little sad. It must be frustrating to be stuck with the Dark Forest and never getting to experience the nicer, prettier, safer version. I still didn’t know why he could only go there, but I was willing to go with him, get to know him, and hopefully eventually find out why.
“Well, let’s go.” I held out my hand to him as I pulled my crystal out of my pocket with my other hand. He smiled as he took my hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. My cheeks burned.
“Suddenly decided to trust me?”
“Like you said, you had plenty of chances to do whatever evil thing you could think of, but didn’t. So I decided to give you a chance. Now let’s go before I change my mind. After all, you are kind of a big, rude, creeper, who called me stupid when we met…” He wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m ready, let’s go. Now relax and picture the fire pit I took you to last night. The brownish grass, the gray stones piled up to make the pit, the warm glow of the fire.” I let my body relax against his. I was having trouble getting focused on the destination, however. Instead I was noticing the way his hard thighs pressed to mine, my nipples hardening as they brushed his chest with each breath, the warmth of his arms around me, his breath on the bare skin of my shoulder. I instinctively pressed closer to him and let out a small sound as I came into contact with the significant bulge in his jeans. “Keep that up and the only place you’re going is the bed after all.” His voice came out a rough whisper. He rolled his hips, grinding against me. I gasped.
“Why are you making this so difficult? You’re clearly better at focusing than I am. Take us there, please. Before I lose control of what little sanity I have left.” My traitorous hormones had me moving my hips and seeking more than my muddled brain was ready for. He groaned as he kissed me. When he pulled away he grinned at me.
“I knew you couldn’t resist me.” I took a deep breath and tried to rein in my sex drive a bit. I finally looked up at him and realized we made it to the fire pit while I was distracted. I stepped away from him.
“Don’t take it too personally. Its just been a while for me. I’m sure my body would respond to any guy the same way right now. Just hormones.” I knew he’d probably see through the lie.
“Suuuure. Whatever you need to tell yourself. Let’s go.” He took my hand and started walking through the trees, not following any path that I could see. I decided that letting him lead the way was the best choice. It gave me time to calm myself and he was definitely more familiar with the area than I was. We didn’t get far before I felt tiny teeth sink into my ankle. I jumped against Gage.
“Hey, Terror! How’re you today?” He bent down and ran his fingers through the black fluff on its head. I had to admit, there was something endearing about a guy who was kind to small critters. Even though this critter was evil.
“Tell it to stop biting me. Why doesn’t it bite you?” He laughed.
“He used to, but we’re friends now.” He took my hand again and continued walking. It seemed like he had a destination in mind.
“Where are you leading us?”
“You’ll see. Just trust me.” I was starting to.
“Ok. I’ll try.” A few minutes later I felt a rough hand grip my wrist. I whipped around to see a man with a scar across his left cheek and a creepy leer on his face. “What the fuck is your problem?” I struggled against the fingers biting into my arm.
“Get your hands off her.” Gage growled in a voice that sent a chill down my spine. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, holding tight. “Don’t make me have to rip your arm off. I might get your disgusting blood on my clothes.”
The creeper grinned. “Is this slut yours? Maybe I’ll tie you up and rape her in front of you. Then I can slit her throat and wear her blood like war paint.” I felt Gage’s body tense as I realized I was shaking from the horrible image of what the creeper had planned for me. I noticed the knife in his other hand. What should we do? He’s bigger than Gage. Maybe we should run? Would he catch us? Gage was right about the dangerous people here.
“You’re gonna regret that little fantasy of yours. My girlfriend didn’t like it. Did you, Baby?”
“No, I didn’t. In fact I think I’ll just rip your balls off and stuff them down your throat.” As the creeper focused on me, Gage reached out and struck his arm, making him lose his grip on me, then in one fluid motion Gage swept me behind him as he punched the creeper square on the jaw. The creep stumbled back and I saw Terror run up and bite him, but instead of the nips he gives me he actually took a chunk out of the creep’s leg. Maybe the critter wasn’t so bad after all. Gage tackled Mr. Creeper to the ground. My heart raced and my whole body shook as they exchanged blows, but Gage soon had the upper hand. He grabbed the creep by the throat and slammed his head against the ground. I took advantage of the moment and stepped forward to stomp on his junk and grind in my heel. He let out a hiss of pain before Gage slammed his head again and knocked him out. I took a step back and my knees collapsed. I crumpled to the ground. Gage immediately dropped to his knees beside me.
“Are you ok? Did he hurt you?” I could see the worry in his eyes as he looked me over for injuries. He picked up my hand to gently inspect my wrist. I felt his fingers tremble as he saw that I was already starting to bruise.
“Gage! He could’ve killed you! I was so afraid. Are you ok? Your cheek is swelling!” I gently kissed it. I could feel myself falling apart as the adrenaline wore off. My lips trembled as I held back tears. He could’ve died protecting me. The creepy bastard could’ve killed him. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have come here. I didn’t want to cause trouble for you.” The tears broke free and trailed down my cheeks as I hugged him.
“Hey, its ok. It wasn’t your fault. Don’t cry. I’m fine, I promise. I know the kind of people around here, and deal with them often. Its the price you pay for coming here. I’m sorry I can’t take you to The Forest. I shouldn’t have brought you into a dangerous place.”
“I wanted to come here with you. It wasn’t fair of me to agree to let you protect me. I didn’t think we’d actually run into anyone.”
“Let’s just agree we both should’ve been more careful and not let this ruin our day. I still have something I want to show you, if you’re still up to it. If not, I understand. Its your call.” I looked at his swollen, bruised cheek. My heart ached at the sight.
“We can go, but you have to promise if anything else happens we leave. If we even see another hostile person, we leave. I don’t want you to keep getting hurt because of me. Please.”
“Ok, I promise. I knew you wanted me. Look at you all worried about my gorgeous face.” His teasing made me smile.
“Just don’t want you to get any uglier than you are now. Might make people’s hair turn white when they see you.” He got to his feet and pulled me up with him. He laced his fingers through mine as we started walking again. As we got farther away my mind drifted back to when he said I was his girlfriend. I know he didn’t mean it, but it definitely sounded good. I found myself picturing us together. Eating at restaurants and going to movies. I almost laughed at myself. What was I thinking, daydreaming in a place like this.
“Almost there. You sure you’re ok, Iris?” I nodded as I heard rushing water.
“I’m not hurt, you are.” He squeezed my hand.
“I’m fine. I’ve had much worse. Look!” He pointed to a spot just ahead of us. There was a small waterfall!
“Its beautiful!” The water was an usual shade of dark blue. He kept walking, pulling me closer to the water. Then he led me around the pool and right up to the fall. He showed me a ledge that led behind it. We climbed on and stood in a small cave behind the rushing water. I turned to look at him. “This is absolutely amazing! I have never been anywhere like this before! Thank you for bringing me here.” I beamed up at him. He hugged me.
“I knew you’d like it. Its the only really good thing in this place.”
“That’s not true. I found you here.” I pulled him closer and kissed his lips. “I know we don’t really know each other yet, but I already know that I want you in my life. Even if you are cocky and grouchy.”
“I feel the same. Even if you are sassy.” He grinned and kissed me. What started out as a playful kiss quickly intensified. I kissed him back with all the tangled emotions that the morning had stirred inside me. I felt his hands squeeze my hips as I slide mine up the back of his shirt. I knew I was playing with fire but couldn’t make myself fear the burn. As my hands slid farther up his back I felt the hard ridges of scars. I pulled back to look in his eyes as I felt him tense.
“What happened to you? Does it still hurt?”
“I’m fine. It was a long time ago.” He took a step back and let his arms fall to his sides. “If it ruins things, I understand. Its pretty gross.” I felt a tightness in my chest. This cocky, sexy man was feeling vulnerable, and the sadness in his eyes made me ache.
“Its not gross, its nothing to be ashamed of. I feel sad for the pain you must’ve been through.” I stepped closer and hugged him.
“You’ll change your mind once you get a look.” He pulled back again and slid his shirt off and turned so I could see. His back was covered with scars. It looked like he had been beaten with a whip. I couldn’t stop a gasp from escaping my lips. I saw his head drop, seeming defeated. I felt tears start to flow as I reached out my hand and gently touched his scars, following each touch with a light kiss.
“My heart is breaking for you. The only thing gross about this is whoever did this to you.” I let my forehead rest against his shoulder as I tried to stop the tears. I don’t know how long we stood like that until he finally turned back to me.
“Don’t cry. It was a long time ago.” He held me close as I pulled myself together. “I understand if you don’t want to be with damaged goods. You don’t have to pity me.” I looked up into his eyes and saw that he meant it. Maybe the cocky attitude was fake? To hide how he really feels. I kissed him, slowly, gently. Trying to make him feel my emotions through my lips.
“I don’t pity you. You are gorgeous. The scars don’t make you damaged goods. They show that you’re strong to have survived that. It doesn’t change anything about how I feel about you, except I respect you even more now.” I let my hands drift down his chest and abs as I waited for his reaction. Did I get through to him? I don’t want him to think this has turned into pity sex.
“You surprise me. Most women are revolted by the scars. Too disgusted to touch them. Like they’ll somehow rub off on their own skin. You really still just see me.” He kissed more passionately than before. I felt his hands explore my body as stroked my fingers across his back then trailed one hand down to his ass. I yanked him against me and moaned when I felt him rub himself against my core. I knew there was turning back at that point. I was going to have sex with an almost stranger in a cave behind a waterfall. My head dropped back as his fingers pinched my nipple and he trailed hot kisses down my neck.
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