by Marien Dore
When my back hit the ground, my head and shoulders were off the edge a little, my vision aimed up at the water falling towards me. My feet were pressed against the stone, and I felt Casey grasp my leg, obviously a little nervous at what I was doing.
A foot away or so from where my head rested was the water in a fast motion falling. Carefully pointing the lens straight up where my vision was pointed, I pushed the button and snapped the picture.
“How do you think of this?” he said, seeing the recently shot picture.
I turned the camera off, saving the battery. “I don’t know. I just look around, but I imagine I have a different point of view. It’s different for everyone, though. Everyone has their own way.”
When Casey laid soft and sweet kisses along my cheek and then neck, making us chuckle, I couldn’t help my words. “You are too good to me.”
I felt the vibration against my skin of his small laughter. “No, I’m not,” he mumbled.
“Yes, you are. You are too sweet to me, too nice, too beautiful.” I brought his mouth back up to mine.
“No,” he said, his smile breaking into a laugh with mine. His hands slid up and down my sides before resting his fingers on my hips.
“Then what are you to me then, Mr. Rush?” I smirked.
“I’m me. I’m naturally perfect around you, and it takes no effort.” He smiled and pecked my lips lightly once more before he shifted me off him. “And today, you’re naturally perfect at photography.” He got to his feet after grabbing the camera.
“Just today I’m perfect at photography?” I asked, smirking.
“You know what I mean.”
I slid the camera off from where it hung around my neck, handing the camera to him. Smiling, I said, “I want to see you try it. All day, you watched me snap so many pictures. I want to see you do it now.”
“Sure,” he answered. He slid the camera into the bag, zipping it tightly closed. Looking at him with confusion, he went on saying, “Just follow me. I just put it in there because I need to keep it safe like we did before.”
Despite my confusion, I nodded and accepted that. Taking my hand, he led me to the trunk of a massive tree.
“We are climbing the tree?” I asked.
“Problem with that? When it’s dark, we’ll go back and cook our dinner.”
“Nope, that’s fine with me,” I said smiling as I grabbed onto the low branches, making it easier to boost myself up. I wasn’t sure what we were doing, but Casey seemed to.
We leaned back against the main branch of the huge tree, our hands supporting us as we looked out over the creek and foliage below us. As we gazed at the creamy clouds and the sun as it descended lower every minute.
Both my hands were occupied, holding onto a branch on each of my side of, keeping me upright and my feet dangling as I leaned up against a branch. Casey, across me, was sitting on a branch as well. Only he used one hand and his back where he leaned to stay balanced. He held the camera with his free hand. A smile caressing his features naturally, he leaned forward until he was closer to, not only me but the perfect shot.
He rested the camera lens on the branch as he held on. The shot consisted of a pretty clear sky with branches and leaves as the border. After snapping the photo, it came out perfectly I could tell by the look on his face when he checked it. He then pointed the lens down, ready and anxious to take another picture. Through the screen, I saw the braids of leaves falling down and skimming over the water. The leaves looked to be dancing over the pink moving water. After taking that picture, he showed me, and I smiled, impressed.
“You enjoying this?” I asked.
He nodded as he lifted the camera up, pointing it towards me, “I am. Not as much as dancing but I really understand your appreciation for it now. It’s amazing. The word amazing seems like such a boring word when thinking about you or photography. It’s better than amazing.”
I chuckled. “You’re the English teacher. I’m sure you can find a better word that would qualify.”
He smiled as he looked up to my eyes. His finger moving over the button, he spoke softly. “Smile then, gorgeous. Warm, irresistible, magnificent, alluring, endearing, intelligent….” When he paused and trailed off, he snapped the picture.
“Yeah? Are you sure that’s photography you’re describing?” I asked.
He smiled brightly, his teeth shining through to me. He shifted forward for a second, his hand reaching up around my ear and straightening the purple flower he slid there earlier. “Maybe not photography. Maybe I’m describing a very special girl.” He snapped another picture of me as my hair blew over my skin, a slight breeze picking up. He continued to snap a few, each different as my hair moved differently every time. He also tilted the camera differently each time too. Snapping away, he continued with the list of words. “Winsome, stunning, vivid, considerate, unbelievable.”
“Unbelievable?” I asked, smiling. “How is this special girl unbelievable?” I asked, watching him as he finally shut the camera off to save the battery. He put the camera back into the bag around him considering it was close to dark.
“Yeah, unbelievable. She is so far beyond any other girl I have ever known, beyond understanding how understanding she is. She is so unreal. She is different in how she thinks of others. She is strong and wise and unexpected for a girl her age.”
I let his words sink in. I knew for a while that he thought that way of me. Yet, even now, he left me breathless. It was hard to look into his eyes, always so much love there for me. “Wow. She sounds…”
“Perfect,” he finished for me. Though my eyes burned to not meet his, his lips managed their way to carefully find me. He pressed his hands into the branch I was leaning against, keeping him up as he was only leaning forward a little. His hands propped up on either side of me, his lips ran over mine.
I gripped the branches, keeping me still as well as I kissed him back. He leaned back a moment later, his lips still close to mine as he locked his powerful gaze on mine.
“She sounds great,” I said.
“Yeah, she is.” A playful glint shined in his eyes. “I can’t wait until you meet her, Janice. You will like her. She’s everything—”
I cut him off with a light push and my laughter interrupting the cooling air around us. So sweet... then he knew how to make me laugh a moment later. “That was mean, Casey Rush!” I yelled playfully at him and saw he was also chuckling.
“Well, I’m a very mean guy. A very hungry dude too,” he said as he carefully got to his feet among the branches, balancing and holding the higher branches. He gave me his hand and helped me carefully up. When he saw that I was steady, he started descending the tree, one branch at a time. We moved along and wound further down as the sun raced us.
Then, something unexpected happened and scared the shit out of me. Nearing the ground, I felt my foot slip out from under me, and a small scream escaped me. I fell, losing my balance. And god, it was scary. That one second, that one small second was enough to nearly give me a heart attack. I was going towards the ground, head first! It happened so fast, it was hard to know what to do in that one small second. I don’t even know if I did anything, but I felt it.
My knees hit a branch, and my hands flew up, grabbing a branch and holding on as my feet dropped. My weight dropping yanked hard, making my arms hurt at the pull. Legs dangling, breathing hard, I held onto the branch as I became conscious of Casey’s panicked voice.
“Oh fuck! Shit! Janice?!” I felt him rushing down the branches above me. That meant I fell past him and was just saved by a branch near the ground before I could break my neck. Saved by somehow, without even thinking, grabbing a branch. I swear, my mother is still watching over me.
“Oh shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” I heard him mumble as he hurried down the tree. I heard his warm voice nearing. He continued towards the bottom, moving past me as he jumped down the little distance, rushing below my dangling feet somewhere.
I looked down and saw I was stil
l a fair ways away from the ground. Casey stared up at me. “Are you okay?” I heard the relief in his voice.
With a little grunt, I answered, “Yeah. Well, that was close wouldn’t you say?”
He sighed, “Yeah. Christ, you scared me. Okay, let go. I’m here.”
He held his hands out before him, showing me he was there to catch me. I let go after a breath, hoping the distance between us wasn’t too far and that he would be able to support my weight. When my hands left the branch, a moment later strong arms folded around my thighs and against my back. At the relief, I smiled when he caught me, holding me in his arms.
Casey’s eyes ran over me, checking me and whether I was fine or not. “I am fine,” I said again after he didn’t say anything. I leaned down, lightly pressing my lips to his before pulling back, looking into his eyes. “See? I can be flexible too,” I joked and smirked, trying to show him I was fine, really fine, and that he doesn’t need to worry. Though I will say it was pure luck, I didn’t get hurt.
He smiled in relief. Holding me tightly in his arms, he kissed my forehead and stroked my hair. He pressed my head against him, a chuckle escaping him as well. “You sure know how to scare me,” he breathed as he set me on my feet.
I laughed and hugged him tightly to me, knowing that it did scare him for that second. He told me that he wouldn’t know what to do without me, wouldn’t keep his sanity. He loved me so much, and it became so apparent through those eyes. Yet, I wasn’t sure if I actually knew how much he loved me. Sometimes, it seemed to go so deep.
“I’m right here. I’m not leaving you. And I’m not hurt. Well, I am a little sore, but that was worth the hurt,” I smirked, referring to last night.
He chuckled in my ear as he held me to him, “Good. Because I need you as a dance partner and for the good sex.” He pulled back, and I laughed at his words.
At the chill nipping at our arms and legs, we walked back to the shelter. It didn’t take us long to get comfortable. I laid next to him under our shelter, both of us facing the fire as it warmed our faces. His arm was draped over me as he spooned me, my back pressing into his chest. We silently observed the dancing fire climbing up to the sky.
After we had gotten back, I made the fire and Casey got the fish that he left anchored in the lake. He let me hold the fish between the twigs this time before we set the fish over the fire; it was harder than it looked. After we had eaten our fish, we brushed our teeth and now, as the moon moved from behind the clouds, we settled onto the cot of clothes and laid before the fire.
My head rested on my arm, my back feeling the beat of his heart. His breath brushed softly, soothingly, in my ear. The only sound between us, other than the even breathing, was the crackle of the fire, and it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. In fact, it was really nice.
I began to shift, turning myself over and facing him instead of the fire, his eyes warmer than the fire. I settled in my new position, just looking at him as he stared back at me. His arm around me now rested on my back, his fingers pushing through the fabric to hold me closer to him. Lips tilting up slowly, the firelight pranced over his face. It lit up his eyes, making them penetrate through mine deeper. It pushed me to take in everything I could of him.
Casey’s hair, brown with a tint of moving orange, curled around his ears and muffled where his head rested against his arm. Cheeks and chin slightly prickly with the presence of small black hairs scattered, his eyes were locked on mine. They were his best feature and acted as an always open door. His lips closed were smiling and loving, directed toward me.
After staring at each other for a long while, I saw his smile fade slightly. The fire and intensity remained in his eyes. The pure love and happiness were there as well. When he lifted his head up, he freed his arm only to bring it forward. His fingers began to brush my neck, his palm on my cheek as he lightly stroked my skin. He moved closer to me, watching, and observing me.
I took in a deep breath, welcoming his warm scent mixed with the freedom of the night. I ran my hand up to the side of his face and by his ear. With the tips of my fingers, I brushed his silky while greasy hair back behind his ear more. I continued to stroke the brown locks that ran down to his neck.
When his voice finally reached the air and my ears, it didn’t disrupt anything. It added to it with the beauty of his voice. “I told you about why I wanted to be a teacher. I didn’t tell you though why I loved English as a subject,” he said slowly, a thoughtful expression crossing him.
“It wouldn’t be because you like to read, would it?” I asked, smirking. In all honesty, though, his words were intriguing. They produced that wonder in my mind of what made him actually passionate about the subject.
He shook his head with a sweet grin and a teasing eye roll. “It’s more than that,” he paused, eyes fully focused on me and everything involving me. Yet, his words reflected an insightful part of his past. “It sounds cheesy and all but… I have always had a deep appreciation for language and the power you can manifest in words.”
“Really?” I asked, my smile growing at hearing that. My interest peaked, that was for sure. I knew too well about appreciating things that many people don’t see the beauty in.
“Oh yes,” he said, stressing that. “The concept that each word had a meaning was important to me. And how wonderful it was that these meanings in words could all connect to create an ever bigger meaning. Ironically, these connections made to make a sentence can be an effort for external connections with other people. That was beautiful to me.”
Listening intently, Casey jumped into fine detail about his love of words in such a way. It made sense too once I thought about his words. People really don’t see the beauty behind words. It is the base of communication, and yet, it can take on so many beautiful forms.
He said it perfectly too as he continued to explain. “I dove into the different forms of communication with words. Emotion in language was a huge draw for me. I absolutely loved how many ways people can use words to express an emotion or describe something. Words gave limitless access to describing anything. Or so I thought.”
I smiled, raising my eyebrows at him. “Someone really does have a beautiful appreciation for words. What do you mean you could describe anything with words or so you thought?”
Instinctively shifting closer to me, he spoke in a simple tone, like what he was saying was obvious. “Yes. Because I learned that there were a few things that you couldn’t express or describe with words. There are no words that can bring justice to you… or my love for you.”
I felt the love flowing in what he had just said, his voice light and dark at the same time. A shiver ran over me, and every part of me froze as I stared at him. Trying not to let his words paralyze me, it was hard with his next words. “Sounds just as cheesy but my angel, I am not trying to flatter you. I’m seriously saying that I cannot find words for you. Find words for the way I feel about you. You are so wonderful and beautiful. And it’s so frustrating when you are so much more, and no words can do you justice or the way I feel about you.”
I saw the pain in what he said, and it made my heart race at an unhealthy pace. It’s a good thing that was all he said because I didn’t know how much more sweetness he could deliver without me having a heart attack! I searched his eyes as he searched mine, his hand once again back to stroking my cheek, sending goosebumps up my skin.
He told me countless times before my effect of him, but I grew shocked at how he could feel so much. Being shocked though didn’t mean I didn’t understand.
Love was such a pathetic word to use when talking about our feelings for each other so I could understand where he was coming from. It was pathetic because it was so weak, so common, so overused. This was much more powerful than love, and he was right. But to hear he had no words that could do me as a person justice… it was such a loving and beautiful thing for him to say.
I didn’t know what to say, what to do to express just how wonderful his words made me feel. Staring at him int
ently, my lips eventually moved into a bright smile for him. My heart and breath moved unevenly, and I welcomed it. I shook my head and moved closer to him, hugging him tightly to me. My arms moving around his back, I held him tightly to me, and he did the same.
What I did manage to say… it ironically couldn’t do any justice to what he said. “I love you,” I whispered unevenly against him, breathless. “I love you so much.”
The moment on the beach that he confessed he loved me, I thought that was too perfect. That moment didn’t come until now. Before, at the start of our relationship, that was love. It felt stronger now. We had more mounted on the foundation of our relationship. It came to a realization. I knew that Casey Rush was the man that I would want to spend the rest of my life with.
Chapter 54
Something was waking me up. I felt Casey’s hand gliding smoothly over me, playing with my knee while his fingers brushed slightly over the side of my neck. I closed my eyes tighter, not wanting to wake though I knew Casey was waiting for me to open my eyes. I moaned, feeling his slow even breath close to my ear where my head rested, his hand resting on my hip. From his breath and my position, I knew he was next to me, facing me as he sleeps. I felt myself begin to sink back under into sleep, the blackness comforting.
Yet I couldn’t go back to sleep. There was something off about Casey’s hands twirling over my skin. I wasn’t sure what about it kept me awake. As I lied there, though, the more conscious I became. The more conscious I became, the more I became aware of my surroundings.
Something was waking me, and it wasn’t Casey.
A cold rush flooded me. I tensed up, staying silent as I continued to feel the unknown movement on my leg and the one brushing on my neck. The movements were not Casey’s hands acting on my skin. It couldn’t be.
I felt his hand resting still on my hip, but there were two other movements and if I remember correctly, Casey didn’t have three hands. Plus, with me on my back, I knew that Casey couldn’t reach me and naturally stroke my knee with one hand and brush my neck since he was on the other side from where I felt the movement. From where he was slowly breathing next to me, it seemed impossible.