I will lower the moon for you

by Becca Randall

  Chapter 20

  Moment of Truth

  Jake

  I took a deep breath and sat right next to her, calling all the courage I had, silently wishing this doesn't end badly.

  "Brett is one of my security personnel. He works as my bodyguard".

  "And how did he find me? What was he doing here? How does he know me?" She asked, confused.

  "Yes, he knows about you. He was here ensuring your safety and was keeping an eye on you from a distance."

  "Why will he do that? I don't even know who he is! Did you? Oh my god! You asked him to, didn't you?" It took only seconds for her to figure it out. I was speechless, as here came the hard part. This was the moment—the one where I accept the truth.

  After a bit of reluctance, I replied, "Yes, I asked him to follow you since you were acting all brave and decided to come to this isolated island all by yourself."

  "Wow! I just cannot believe you. Jake? Do you think I am a baby who could not do without a babysitter? And you have been keeping an eye on me? Who gave you that right in the first place? This is crazy." She was shocked, as I expected.

  Her eyes were moving frantically as if all this information was too overwhelming for her to process. After a moment, she calmed herself a bit.

  "So, you knew all along about my plans to visit Lofoten? Why did you do that, Jake? I just cannot wrap my head around it."

  "Ok calm down. Let me explain myself, please. I have been keeping an eye on your whereabouts almost immediately after we came to Norway. I had no bad intentions, just to make sure that you are safe." She was shooting daggers at me, but still didn't object, and allowed me to continue, "when I got to know about your weekend plans, Brett was instructed to follow you but also to stay clear from you; he was just ensuring your safety from a distance. It wouldn't have been trouble at all if you hadn't decided to go on a trek out of nowhere. See, it did help at the end. He saved you. You could have died Emma!" I tried to maintain my cool, and made a meek attempt to sound reasonable.

  She listened to every word carefully, and replied after a pause, "I am thankful to Brett and you for saving my life. I am so glad I did not die up that mountain, and I got back safe. I will be forever grateful for that." She sighed, "but that still doesn't give you the right to have me followed or invade my privacy, Jake. This is so wrong."

  "I agree. I shouldn't have. But I ended up helping you, Emma. I think you should just focus on the good side of it. I missed my flight back to NYC, I was supposed to head back today morning, but the weather is not favorable for air travel until the storm calms. You will most likely be missing your flight too. I know you were heading back tonight." I said in one breathe, I wanted to dodge the apparent insinuation, and I knew I was failing at it, miserably.

  Man, could I be any more of a stalker? Just hear yourself, Jacob. You sound ridiculous.

  If someone told me a year ago that I would be going to such lengths for a girl, I would have laughed at the offensive joke. But here I was, and well here she was. Emma. She was truly special.1

  "Woah! Good job, Sherlock. So, you did stalk me after all? And not only did you stalk, but you have been keeping tabs on me? What right did you have? And what about your girlfriend? I am sure she won't be pleased to know that her boyfriend had other interests too. Does she know you are here with me?" Her nostrils were flaring in anger as she was closing in on me with her sharp words and sharper eyes.

  "Girlfriend?"

  "Yes, Erica! Does she know that you are a stalker? That you had me followed? And also, that you kissed me, without my permission?" She hissed in a jealous tone.

  I was taken aback by her words, something strong was building inside me. "Oh, so now we are back to taking permissions from each other before initiating a kiss?"

  "What?"

  I know she understood what I meant because it was, she who kissed me off-guard when we met in Corsica.1

  "That... was... That was... umm... that was different. You! And I... I was upset and... and hey, you kissed me back, so you can't complain now." She stuttered with difficulty in finding the right words.

  She was now flushed, was it anger? Or embarrassment? Or both? Nevertheless, she looked adorable.

  "You kissed me back too, baby. Minutes ago, right in that room." A small smirk lifted my lips. She was quiet, looking down at the table. I could see a small blush forming on her already flushed cheeks. I made a score, Jacob one Emma zero.

  After a while, I decided to tell her. "And by the way, Erica isn't my girlfriend. She is just a friend I have been hanging out with". I had a victorious grin plastered on my face.

  "Ya, tell that to her. She looked way more than a friend."

  "Really? Are you feeling jealous, Emma?" My heart warmed to see her affected by my closeness to another girl. It made me happy, very happy.

  "Why would I be jealous? Don't think so highly of yourself. She was on your arm all through the week. Anyone would have felt it. Don't you dare deny it and act all innocent. Tell me, are you not sleeping with her?"

  I was short of words for a second; I did not want to lie to her. "Well, I did sleep with her. Once though, quite a while back. But I still maintain she isn't my girlfriend. I don't do relationships."1

  Her expressions changed as if she was controlling not to explode in front of me. She took a deep breathe attempting to control her emotions.

  "Listen, I am sorry. I have no right to form opinions about your personal life. Please ignore whatever I said about Erica. All I want to say is, it wasn't appropriate for you to have me followed."

  "Yes, I agree. I am sorry. Trust me, you are the first girl that made me do it. I don't know why, but I do care a lot for you, Emma." My words were sincere. I inched a bit closer to her, and tugged a lose strand of hair behind her ear. Her sharp eyes were now looking at me softly. My fingers feathered her cheeks, before I whispered, "every time I decide to stay away from you, you end up in trouble Emm. It's not my fault that you are a magnet to problems, calling this upon yourself wherever you go". I smiled at her tenderly. I could feel her breathing got uneven. She was looking down at the table and fiddling her fingers again. I loved the way her body reacted whenever I got close. "You left me no choice Emma, I was worried about you, knowing you were out hiking the mountains in the middle of a storm. I was scared."

  After a short pause, she cleared her throat and accepted, "thanks, Jake. But you don't need to be on a lookout for me. I am grateful for all your help, but I will take responsibility from here on. I already have caused you enough trouble. Please, promise me you won't do any such thing again."

  "Ok, I promise, whatever makes you happy." I raised both my hands in submission.

  She smiled and nodded. I saw she was looking around for something, "I think I need to make a couple of calls back home. I cannot seem to find my phone."

  "Well, when Brett got you here, there was no phone on you. You might have lost it when the storm hit.

  You can use my phone if you want."

  "Thanks a lot. I want to call my dad and maybe Niki too".

  "Niki? Oh, I recall. Is she the same best friend from Corsica?"

  "Yes. You remember?" She was a bit surprised at my memory.

  "I remember everything about you from Corsica, Emm. I never could forget it, even if I tried hard." I stated honestly, staring straight in her eyes again.

  Her eyes lit up, and even though she smiled, she avoided my sharp gaze. Whatever I said was entirely true. I couldn't mislead her or myself anymore. I had to own my feelings, even though they confused me, but there was no denying that my heart beat faster, and my breathing hitched when Emma was around. I longed for her. I craved for her touch. I wanted to grab her and kiss her beautiful lips whenever I saw her. I could not fight these feelings anymore. I was mesmerized by her beauty, and I wished to get to know her better.

  I handed her my phone after unlocking it. I stood up and walked back to my room, giving her some space. It was still raining heavily outside. We would have to s
tay here for a day more at least; hopefully, it would get better tomorrow. I had important meetings to attend back home.

  I will have to make a few critical business calls later in the day as well. Usually, my schedule was very well planned, but my sudden detour would lead to some adjustments. In ideal circumstances, I would have felt worried about the delays and possible repercussions this trip could cause my business, but somehow, I was unfazed. I liked having everything under control. However, it was different when it came to her. I was with Emma, and her presence around me alone made me feel contented. She was safe and by my side, seemed like a perfect weekend getaway, anyway.

  I went straight for a hot shower and was changing in my room when I heard a small knock at the door.

  I was just wearing my shorts when I asked her to come in.

  Her eyes were scanning me from behind. I could feel them piercing my back. I turned to find Emma immediately averting her gaze, that was fixed on me seconds ago. She was checking me out. I chuckled.

  "Umm I got your phone, thank you." She slowly entered the room and kept the phone on the side table beside my bed. She turned around to walk away when I called her from behind.

  "Emma. You don't have to thank me for every single thing. If you need anything, you know where to find me".

  She nodded and quickly left without looking back.

  Chapter 21

  Aurora Borealis

  Emma

  I was now in my room and was attempting to relax my popping nerves. At first, there were so many revelations that my little heart would take time to digest, and on top of it, I just saw Jake shirtless.

  I was lusting over his strong muscles and toned torso, that was partly wet with droplets, probably from the shower he took.

  On top of it, his masculine cologne smelled so good. I could get used to sniffing his smell every single day for the rest of my life.

  Clearly, what we had was way more than an average professional relationship. He looked out for me and was genuinely concerned about my safety. He followed me here even after knowing that he might get stuck on this island. He didn't care about anything else and still came; I felt touched by his gesture. Even though his idea of stalking me gave me the creeps initially, but the sincerity in his eyes showed his good intentions.

  I would be lying if I say I wasn't happy after Jake stated that he is not dating Erica. However, I felt a stabbing pain, the moment he revealed that he had slept with her before and especially when he said he didn't believe in relationships. I was in conflict with myself, my heart and mind in complete opposition of each other.

  He most definitely is not your type. My mind reprimanded my awestruck heart.

  But why does he look so desirable? My heart protested.

  You will never fit in his world. You strive for stability and commitment, while he is the stark opposite.

  But still, I feel sincerity in his touch and genuinely in his eyes? My heart countered.

  If you are sane enough, you will stop this madness from turning into something more. You won't be able to survive another heartbreak. My mind warned.

  I just shut my eyes and ears hard, attempting to stop the crazy conflict from dwelling inside me. I opened my room's window for some fresh air. It was still raining, but the mesmerizing view from our cottage made me forget everything. I was in love with this place. After spending some time in my room, I decided to step out and cook dinner. It was still five pm, but it was completely dark outside. The days were really short here.

  I cooked us some tuna sandwiches, completely making do with whatever ingredients we had available. I could hear Jake had been on back to back calls in his room. After some time, he entered the living room, still on the phone. The moment he saw me in the kitchen, he decided to hang up his phone.

  "Mark, stay on top of this project until I return, be my proxy for our meetings tomorrow. I will call you later." He stated before disconnecting the call.

  "Hey, I made us dinner, go sit, and I will be out in a minute." I neatly placed the sandwiches on a clean plate. Jake led us out, and we were now comfortably eating.

  "Was that Mark on the phone? I think I should have informed him about my absence to work tomorrow." I stated genuinely. I worked in his team; he should know if I take a leave.

  "You don't need to inform anything to anyone at work unless you are here with me". Jake's cold retort came as a surprise.

  I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, figuring what was with this sudden authority? I scanned his face to read his expressions, but found nothing. I decided to let it pass and nodded silently.

  "You seem to be close to Mark. I saw you in his company all week." He whispered, while slowly swallowing his food.

  "Yes, he is a nice guy and is extremely helpful. I am glad he makes me feel comfortable."

  "Too comfortable." Jake stated.

  I was curious again. Jake sounded different.

  Oh, God! Was he jealous of Mark?

  I decided to play along and tease him a bit.

  "Yes, indeed. I really enjoy myself with him. He seems to be a decent guy. I wouldn't mind knowing him outside work". I got up from my chair and was about to take my finished plate to the kitchen sink.

  Instantly, I felt Jake pull my hand from behind, jerking me closer to his chest with his face now inches apart.

  "This isn't funny, Emma. Take it back." His tone was somber and his blue orbs agitated.

  I was trying so hard to stop myself from laughing. I still acted along. "What isn't funny? I don't understand?"

  He closed his eyes, took a deep breathe, and continued, "Your closeness with Mark, it's completely not okay with me. Take back your words, now."

  "Oh? Is it? Why is that? Are you jealous, Jake?" I whispered, giving out a small giggle. I just couldn't control it anymore. He was giving me a deadly stare.

  "Yes. I am jealous, and I don't like this feeling, so stop messing with me, please."

  "I don't like to see any other guy around you. I like it when you are here, close to me." He held both my hands and pulled me closer.

  My heart skipped a beat at his honest confession. His sense of jealousy and possessive earned a blush on my face. Suddenly, we were interrupted by his phone. "It's work. Kind of important" He sighed, losing his grip on me.

  I nodded and blinked my eyes, indicating him to go ahead while I clean up. He took his phone and was again busy over long conference calls. I even volunteered to help him with some of his office work as there was nothing else to do in this cottage, given it was still raining outside, not that heavily, but pouring nevertheless.

  We spent a couple of hours working together. Jake still had back to back calls; it was already close to nine pm, so I decided to excuse myself and let him work without any disturbance.

  I went to my room and was now laying on the bed.

  My heart was warm and full of emotions, the guy who caused me sleepless nights felt something for me in return too.

  What would have happened if his phone didn't ring?

  Even if my mind warned me that I was playing with fire and may get hurt in the end, I couldn't ignore the fact that I haven't felt this alive and happy in months. With all these thoughts in my mind, I did not realise when and how, I slowly drifted to slumber.

  ***

  "Can I come in Emma?" Jake asked while still holding the doorknob. I was rubbing my eyes, flickering them open.

  A couple of hours in sleep, I was woken up by a sudden knock on my door. I looked at the time; it was one am.

  "Yes, Jake, what happened? Is everything okay?" He rushed to my side, and took my hand, "follow me, Emma. I want to show you something".

  He literally dragged me with him in a rush.

  The moment we stepped out of the cottage, I realised it wasn't raining anymore, but it was freezing cold.

  I felt chills. Clearly, the clothes on me were not warm enough. He held my hand, and we walked a bit further towards the edge of the big terrain right outside the cottage.


  I was spellbound after what I saw next. I froze when I saw the green glow of the sky for the first time.

  The light was literally dancing, moving across the sky, changing shapes, fading and appearing again.

  In this moment, I felt like a speck in this whole wide universe. The sky was changing colors presenting its own little show; aurora borealis was indeed something else.

  It…was...just...spectacular.

  As I was admiring the beauty in front of me, minutes later, I felt Jake put a big warm jacket over my shoulders and hugged me from behind.

  His arms were wrapped around my waist, and his chin was resting on my shoulders. He was holding me tightly against his chest.

  "I have lost the strength to stay away from you, Emma." He slowly whispered in my ears from behind.

  I rested my head back on his chest, leaning my weight on him. I closed my eyes reminiscing his touch and soft words; this moment was surreal.

  "Then don't.... don’t stay away". I whispered back.

  "You are precious, Emma, I lost, and found you once. I do not wish to let you go again" He tightened his grip around my waist.

  I listened to his heartfelt words silently, feeling warm in his embrace. I was melting in his arms.

  "I want to give us a chance, Emma. Do you?" He gave me a series of soft pecks on my left cheek from behind. His kisses were laced with desire, I was never touched this way before.

  I turned around to him, cupped his face in my hands, and locked my lips with his. I don't think I could hear or say anything further.

  Unknowingly and unwantedly, we found our ways to each other. We randomly meet so many people, what were the odds to ever cross path with a stranger again? Yet, here I was witnessing one of the most exquisite marvels of mother nature in Jake's arms. This moment would be carved in my heart and memories forever.

  "I would very much like to give us a chance Jake, I have thought about you, dreamt about you, longed to meet you more than my words could ever explain." We broke our kiss, and my uneven breath was falling on his panting lips. This cold night with the magical aurora marked the beginning of our relationship.