Timeless love

by Priscila Serrano

  London. 2019

  Right out of the church, there was a limo that, supposedly, was hiding the bride. Stefan was in the sideway across the street, counting up to twenty before facing his family, his niece, and Elsa. Unable to keep waiting because the time was nigh, he crossed the road and approached the limo. Suddenly, the door opened and he could see a feminine leg getting out of the vehicle, planting her high heel on the asphalt. For a second, he had the intention of turning around to head to the door of the church, but then she got out of the car and the world ceased to exist. He couldn’t remember her being as beautiful as she was at that moment.

  Elsa had changed. She was more womanly, more beautiful than ever. He swallowed right at the same time when she fixed her blue eyes in his, dragging him to a storm he didn’t think he could escape.

  What was he going to do now he had seen her? How could he approach her when, the moment they touched, his body would recognize her?

  They couldn’t stop staring at each other, remembering for an instant the way they used to be before.

  Then she smiled and his world came to a halt, same as his heart.

  Chapter 14

  Venice. 2015

  Stefan was still silent, unable to reply at that very moment. What did he feel about her? He was sure he felt more than fondness; otherwise, he wouldn’t have traveled in search of the little girl who had stolen his thoughts and his breath. Yes, of course he knew what he felt, but part of him refused to feel it. He was scared of admitting it. But it was just one part of him, because the other part wanted to scream it, to tell her so he could finally kiss her at will. He was going crazy. Then he looked at her and closed the gap between their bodies. He took her by her hand and led her to the bed, so they could sit down and talk.

  “Stefan, I…”

  He put a finger over her lips.

  “Don’t say anything, Elsa. I want to reply to that question, although the fact I have travelled all the way to here gives you the answer.”

  “I need to know… I need something to make me feel stronger so I can fight for you.”

  He couldn’t believe a girl of her age could say those things. Although she was always too mature for her years, he had to acknowledge she acted like a little girl sometimes.

  “I don’t know where to start, Elsa. I don’t know how to tell you this because I feel bad for feeling it.”

  “I don’t want you to…”

  “I think I’m in love with you,” he interrupted her, wishing to let go of everything he was bottling up.

  Elsa stared at him wide-eyed, showing that perfect color that reminded him of the ocean, so much that he could drown in them. She was speechless. Her tight lips made it difficult to breathe. Stefan took her hands very delicately and kissed them.

  “Yes, Elsa. It seems crazy and, somehow, it is…”

  She didn’t let him finish when she felt his hands covering her own hands, protecting them. She got closer to him, her body flushed to his, and kissed him to show she felt the same. If she had thought her birthday had ended in disaster, now it turned out to be the best one in her whole life.

  Their clandestine caresses showed how much they wanted to be skin to skin. It was too soon for that, for hugging naked, joining their bodies to create just the one.

  In that instant, Stefan thought he could lose his head. Elsa looked at him so adoringly, with love that was stored in the bottom of her heart, that heart that was so broken and he had been able to fix. Now he feared to break it again… because Stefan could be the person who managed to do just that.

  “We need to stop,” he muttered, unable to remove his lips from Elsa’s lips.

  “Yes, true,” she said.

  But they didn’t stop. How could they when their love had surged out with so much force that it hurt?

  “Elsa,” he pulled apart a few millimeters. “This is crazy,” he repeated. “And the worst of all is that I don’t want it to end.”

  She smiled pleased, in love, and locked herself between his arms as if she thought he could escape from her again.

  Minutes started passing by quickly, making them lose track of time. Then, before dawn, she asked him to go for a gondola ride. She wanted to see the sun rise in between his arms. It would be the best birthday present she could ever get, she was sure of that.

  They left the hotel and walked to the place where all the gondolas were. They only found a couple of them, since not all gondoliers were working at that time of the day. They hopped on one of them and the ride started. She was clutching his arms, resting her head on his chest, swearing it was the most magical moment she had lived in her short life.

  Stefan caressed her back, sending shivers all over her body, making her feel loved. He was so caring, he had always been that way… but now it felt different. He was different and she loved him for that.

  “This is beautiful,” she mentioned, looking at the sky.

  However, he could only look at her as if nothing else existed around them. Who would care about watching the rising sun when he had the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms? He couldn’t believe that he could kiss her whenever he felt like it. He couldn’t believe that everything had started after seeing her in her underwear. Although the truth was that he didn’t care about how things started. The feeling had been there for a long time and they only needed a little push to make it bloom.

  “Yes, you are.” Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he kissed her with so much tenderness that could kill her.

  That kiss was proof that everything could go on if they wanted to. That kiss ignited some fire in their insides so they didn’t hesitate to go back to the hotel so they could be alone. On their way to the hotel, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They had to stop for a second at the hotel door so they could calm down and breathe. Right at the moment, Luka had arrived to see her. He needed to know how she was feeling after he kissed her unexpectedly. Obviously, he found her feeling fine; in fact, she was feeling better than expected. The worst part of what he was witnessing was that he had thought there could be something between them, but he was wrong since Elsa was in love with someone else.

  Looking down, he turned around and went back to his residence. He couldn’t look back, since he wouldn’t be able to erase that vision from his mind so easily.

  Elsa and Stefan arrived to his room and, after locking the door, he continued devouring her, feeling his sanity was going to hell the moment he heard her moaning against his lips. He took her in his arms, making her wrap him with her legs around his wrist, making her whimper when she felt his erection.

  Stefan wanted to wait, to let time pass by so their feelings could get stronger. He didn’t want to take advantage of her, since he was older, more experienced, and he was sure that Elsa was still a virgin… although he had to admit he really liked that.

  “I don’t want to lose my head with you, Elsa. I don’t want you to regret whatever it’s going to happen now,” he whispered on her lips, unable to stop fondling her body over her clothes.

  “I won’t regret it. I want it as much as you do,” she replied after pulling apart, staring at his eyes to show him how sure she was.

  He didn’t say anything else and walked her to the bed, where he made her lie down, with extreme tenderness, like he was so strong that he could break her. Somehow, it was like that. He had to be careful and, above all, he had to show her all he felt for her at all times.

  Seconds passed by, minutes even, and clothes were falling on the floor without order or control. They finally were in their underwear. Stefan looked at her and swallowed. His fingers itched for her touch, wanting to caress that pink skin that was driving him crazy and surely felt like velvet. He didn’t hesitate to do it, touching her without further delay. Elsa arched her body, wanting him to possess her at once. But he wouldn’t do that. Stefan only wanted to touch her and make her feel like she was in heaven with just caresses and kisses.

  The feeling of fulfillment he got after checking sh
e felt the same for him and was ready to sacrifice everything for him was so big and incredible that he couldn’t breathe normally. Apart from feeling his chest full, his heart was beating like a drum. Elsa had made him feel all that for a long time, but until that moment he hadn’t realized the whole magnitude of his feelings.

  And of course he wanted to make love to her, to feel his skin against her skin, making their bodies become one. But he wasn’t going to do it at that moment. Waiting was worth the effort if it was with her.

  “Not today, Elsa. We won’t do anything. I just want to be here, like this, with you. I want to hug you and feel you are mine, even if it is complicated. I want to know this moment is ours and nobody else’s. I want to know we don’t need to hide,” he muttered, hugging her, holding her in between his arms, fearing it would be just a mirage that would disappear in a matter of seconds.

  She nodded, feeling moved. His words spoke to her soul and it would be impossible to take them out of there. She would never manage to forget that perfect and beautiful moment they were both living. They wouldn’t make love carnally. There were different ways to make love and, at that moment, they loved each other in a different and eternal way.

  Among sighs, caresses, and some interspersed I love you’s that escaped from the bottom of their souls, they fell asleep, dreaming that nothing would change once they woke up, dreaming that everything they had lived in a few hours would be forever. Dreaming they wouldn’t have to say goodbye at the end of this trip and, once she went back home, they could be together in the same way. They both knew it was just that: a dream, and, although dreams came true sometimes, this wasn’t one of those.

  London. 2019

  Smiling and faking she was happy to see him, to know he was with her again, even though it was just as her plus one for her stepsister’s wedding, it was better than showing that, deep down, she was suffering because she wanted their bodies to get so close as to fit like pieces of a puzzle. Because they were just that, a perfect puzzle that was difficult to pull apart. And now they couldn’t even look at each other’s eyes for more than a few minutes because the people who, unaware of the situation, were keeping them apart surrounded them.

  Elsa walked towards him, leaving space for the bride to get out of the limo. And he swallowed thinking she would approach him and hugged him, even if it were like a family member. She didn’t do it. She couldn’t think clearly because, if she did that, she would remember they were the maid of honor and the best man, and they were supposed to walk arm in arm. That simple touch would kill her inside. Although it wasn’t a bad idea, since in that way the agony of knowing he was so close and couldn’t kiss him would finish. No matter how much time passes by, love would continue being in between them. Even now, it was bigger and stronger.

  Chapter 15

  Venice. 2015

  The phone sounded in the distance. Elsa started to stir in bed, feeling stuffy because of the proximity of Stefan’s body. She opened her eyes as big as they could go and looked at her right with a wide smile. It wasn’t a dream. He was next to her. She had caressed and kissed him until they got exhausted a few hours ago. Besides, he had told her he loved her, and that was more than she had expected.

  Tired of hearing the phone ringing, she got up and went to check who was calling her so insistently. Then she realized that Alicia would be worried after discovering she wasn’t in her bed like every morning. Leaving without telling her hadn’t been a good idea if Elisa didn’t think of going back before her stepsister woke up.

  Now she was facing quite the dilemma: what should she tell her so she wouldn’t grill her. She started to get dressed and an idea crossed her mind. An idea that, after Luka’s kisses, could be a very bad one, but she couldn’t do any other thing.

  “Elsa,” Stefan whispered, opening his eyes when he felt the empty space on the bed.

  She turned around, startled, since she didn’t expect him to wake up. She looked at him, faking her best smile. Their dream was about to end and she didn’t have the strength to get away from him after they have declared everything they felt for each other.

  “It’s the time, right?”

  She nodded, walking towards the bed. She sat down next to him and he pulled at her body to keep her, even if it was for just a couple of more minutes.

  “I must go. Alicia has called me seven times and she must be quite worried. Besides, if she knew that…”

  He interrupted with a finger on her lips. “She won’t know.”

  She nodded while their eyes connected and their lips joined in a desperate kiss, a kiss full of promises he was making and, she was sure, he would fulfill.

  A few minutes later, Elsa left Stefan’s room, looking around in the hallway, fearing to be discovered. After checking nobody could see her, she headed to her room in hurry and, when she got there and closed the door, she leaned on it, feeling out of breath. Suddenly, a bittersweet sensation churned in her stomach, making her taste the bitter flavor of the farewell.

  Unable to move from the door, Alicia saw her. Her stepsister, surprised to see her there, went to her.

  “Elsa, what are you doing? Are you okay?” Elsa looked at her. “Where were you? You have no idea how worried I was. I called you a thousand times.”

  “It was only seven,” she emphasized, heading to the bathroom.

  “Whatever. You got me worried,” she repeated, following her.

  Alicia grabbed her arm. They had a pending conversation and Elsa was great at avoiding topics she wasn’t ready to discuss. Elsa looked at her and she sat on the bed seconds later. She covered her face with both hands. She was trying to find the way to answer without having to lie too much.

  “I was with Luka. I spent the night with him.”

  She thought that excuse would be more believable than telling her she had gone for a walk. First, Alicia raised an eyebrow incredulously and, little by little, her expression changed to one of happiness.

  “No!” she exclaimed, forming an exaggerated O with her mouth in the most comical way.

  She sat next to her and looked at her expectantly, filled with curiosity. Elsa didn’t know how to untangle herself from the mess she was getting into. How was she going to ask Luka to lie for her when she had rejected him after he kissed her the previous night? She was sure the guy would tell her to go to hell. If he agreed, he would be stupid.

  “Tell me everything in great detail.” Elsa shook her head, faking a smile. “Oh no. I won’t take a no. Especially after you ran away after he kissed you.”

  “I didn’t run away,” she retorted nervously.

  She felt bad when she remembered that moment. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Luka, since he was really handsome and he had treated her better than anybody else. But she couldn’t feel anything for him and now she was surer than ever.

  While Elsa was giving her fake details, Stefan left his room to go to the airport. He had to go back to London before someone started to miss him and ask questions. He wasn’t afraid of telling the truth, but he knew some things were better kept in secret. At least until some time passed by and he had a clearer view of where his future would take him. At that moment, the only thing he knew for sure was what he felt for Elsa, and knowing she loved him back complicated things even more.

  He wanted to forget about her and everything her smile made her feel. It was complicated to stop loving a person who gave him so much.

  He left the hotel with both hands deep inside his pockets and, before he could get into the taxi, someone stopped him. Stefan looked up and a boy was looking at him with hatred.

  “Sorry, do I know you?” he asked, removing his arm from his grip.

  “No, you don’t know me.” Stefan shrugged and tried to carry on. “But you know Elsa. Who are you, her boyfriend?”

  That question solved his doubts. Although you didn’t need to be too intelligent to know he was the guy Elsa had met, he wanted to know by himself.

  “I see you know her, too. You are Luka, right
?” The guy nodded. “I’m Stefan, Alicia’s uncle.”

  Luka got silent for a second, considering that answer. Alicia’s uncle was Elsa’s boyfriend? No, that couldn’t be possible. He should find out more about it. Although… why did he care? They were just friends, more like acquaintances, really. He liked Elsa a lot, but that wasn’t enough to pry on her life.

  “Oh, I see,” was all he could say after realizing he had been thinking for too long.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Did you come to see them?” he asked.

  Stefan nodded, faking a smile. “No…” he sighed. “I came on a business trip,” he lied. “The girls don’t know I’m here and I’d rather they didn’t find out. I think they would get angry with me if I don’t go and say hello to them. Besides, they will be back in three days.”

  “Sure, don’t worry. They won’t know it from me.”

  Somehow, that was true. Luka wouldn’t say anything to them, but nobody could vouch for him not telling other people. After all, Elsa did know he was there, and it really pissed him off not being able to yell he had seen them kissing at the hotel door. He was also sure that Alicia had no idea about it.

  After that small conversation, Stefan left. He had to take a plane back home so he could arrive before his sister realized he hadn’t spent the night there. And he couldn’t allow her to know she wasn’t with Chloe either after having had an argument with her. What would she say if she knew? It was clear everything would go to hell the moment he stepped inside her house. He had a hunch.

  They were falling apart again. Stefan was going back home while Elsa was hiding for a long time so she didn’t have to continue lying to her stepsister. She wasn’t good at lying and Alicia was very perceptive, so much that she phoned her “lover” as soon as she was alone to ask him about Luka and Elsa. She could be too nosy, but it was only because she stopped believing her as soon as she started scratching her legs as if she had a rash or something like that. She knew Elsa quite well and knew when she was lying.