Evelyn & Henry

Suddenly, I felt warm arms around me pushing me to the grassy side of the pathway. Our body’s twisted halfway down so that I landed on top of him, my face in his chest.

“Hey, what’s your problem?!” I yelled. I had to get away from my attacker so I grounded my palms down on either side of his waste to lift myself up.

He held me tighter and rolled over so that I was now trapped under him. I was struggling to break free of him. “What do you think you are doing?!” He yelled angrily.

I looked up at him then, our eyes met. Our faces were inches apart. It was him, the gorgeous man I saw yesterday. Only today he looked angry, his eyes were darkest blue. But there was something else, another emotion in his eyes. I couldn’t figure out what.

It was hard to find my voice. “I was running.” I managed to say indignantly.

“That much was obvious. But you can’t go around running like that.”

What was he talking about, was I running in my underwear and didn’t realize it? I tried to remember what I put on this morning, but I was sure I put on sweat pants and a muscle shirt, and that’s hardly inappropriate. “What are you talking about?” I was confused.

He looked into my eyes looking for something. What? I have no idea, but what ever it was he concluded “You don’t know what you were doing, do you?”

“What do you mean? I was running.” I was still very confused. What was I doing wrong?

He closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. When he opened them again he just stared into my eyes with a look of…longing? It wasn’t uncomfortable looking back into his eyes, maybe I felt the same? I liked looking into his eyes, they were ocean blue again. I found I also liked being here in his arms.

We stared for a long moment before he said “You really have no clue as to what is going on.” He shook his head again.

What was that suppose to mean? Did he know something I didn’t? I wanted to know what he was really thinking. I wanted to pry into his mind. Maybe he had the answers I needed, but I didn’t want to ask them aloud. Maybe he would think I was crazy. I wanted to try something…

Does this have anything to do with how I’m changing?

He nodded once, getting off of me then. He sat on the grass next to me.

My hand flew to my mouth. Oh my God! You can hear me?

“Yes.” He had a worried expression on his face.

I closed my eyes. I didn’t know what to think or ask. I couldn’t remember how to breathe. What is this?

He sighed. Then said “I’m a little disappointed no one informed you. I never met anyone who had to change on their own.”

I sat up to look at him then. I studied his face for a moment. “I could have been informed?” A little annoyance slipped into my tone. Someone knew what I would go through and they didn’t tell me!

“Yes. You are becoming…immortal. Either your mother or your father should have told you about this on your 21st birthday, or perhaps before.” His brows were furrowed together. He seemed bewildered.

The word ‘immortal’ should have brought out a million questions then but all I could do was close my eyes. I didn’t have either parent. Tears started streaming down my face. I hung my head down, embarrassed to cry so easily. I opened my eyes and I saw one tear fall and it sparkled like a crystal in the sunlight. My eyes widened.

He reached his hand out to lift my face up to look at him. He gently brushed the tears away from my face. “Why are you crying?” He asked in a soft worried whisper.

“I don’t have either parent. My mother left my father and me when I was eight. And my father passed away a year ago.” My voice cracked with tears.

Naturally, as if it were something he always did to comfort me, he picked me up and sat me in his lap; resting my head on his chest. It was calming and comfortable here, the feel of his strong arms wrapping around me, molding me into his body, and the sound of his heart beating in his chest. As I listened to his heart, it suddenly sounded familiar. It was the same heart I heard yesterday, the one I thought might need to see a doctor.

I pulled myself away from him a little to look into his eyes. And with a little hesitation, I asked “Henry?”

He tried to hold back a smile and failed. “Yes?”

My mouth fell open. How could I have guessed right? Or known somehow, or whatever?

He rubbed his thumb in between my eyebrows smoothing the crease there. He chuckled a little and, murmured “You wanted to know what my name was yesterday at the café and while I was in the park, so I told you. Don’t you remember?”

“Yes….but” I trailed off. I didn’t know what to say.

He caressed my cheek and grinned. “You know, you’re hardly being far?”

“What am I not being far about?” I tilted my head to the side confused.

“You know my name but I have yet to learn yours.”

I felt a little sheepish “My name? Oh, it’s…Evelyn. Evelyn Benson.”

“What a lovely name,” he said with a smile on his face. By the way it's Henry Knight.

I smiled. I didn’t know what to say, so I laid my head back on his chest. He started rubbing my back, again, as if this was something he did often for me. How is it I’m so comfortable with him. As if I’ve known him all my life. But what did it matter, he was gorgeous and perfect in every way and I felt like this is where I belonged.

He laughed then. I stiffened at the thought that he might have heard that. Then he said “It does seem that way doesn’t it. Being with you comes so easily, so naturally. I don’t know how to stop myself. You must tell me if you want me to stop, or if this is too much for you.”

“Oh no, you heard all of that didn’t you?” My cheeks were hot, with a bright red blush.

He stroked my hot cheek, and with a little chuckle, nodded. Then added “Don’t worry we’ll figure out how your power works exactly and you’ll learn how to control it better.”

After a few moments he asked “I would like to explain everything to you. And since it’s late for breakfast would you like to have lunch with me?”

“Sure” was all I could say. He chuckled