Forbidden Love

Once we got to my cabin it was starting to get a little difficult to see. We stayed away from the cabin so no one would see us. I looked up at O’Reilly waiting for him to say something.

“Bella, you know that sketch I gave you. The one of you and me,” he said finally.

“Yes. What about it?”

“Before you go inside, will you let me hold you like that?”

I smiled, “Of course you can.”

He smiled back and held out his hand. I took his hand and he turned me around so that my back was to him. He wrapped his arms around me, tightly. “Tilt your head back, Bella,” he said, sweetly, into my ear. I did as I was told and tilted my head back. A second later O’Reilly was kissing and nuzzling my neck. My legs went weak and I did exactly what the sketch had shown. I fell back into his arms.

He whispered in my ear, “I’ll miss you.”

“I will too,” I replied.

“Promise to always write me?” he asked.

I laughed, “Promise to always love me?”

He tightened his arms, “Always.” He turned me to face him and kissed me deeply. I kissed him back and I could feel tears fill my eyes.

“Please don’t cry while you can still see me, Bella. Wait until you see me no more.”

I nodded and tried to hold them back.

He held up my chin, “I love you, Bella”

I smiled and kissed his cheek. “And I love you, O’Reilly”

“You need to go,” he looked over at my cabin. The lights were on and I could see shadows roaming.

I touched my left hand to his cheek, “Remember our promise.”

He took that hand in his, looked down at the ring and back to me, “Forever.”

We kissed one long, last kiss and then he sent me on my way.

When I got to the door I looked over in the direction that O’Reilly was in and I could see his shadow. I blew him a kiss and waved. I could barely see that he waved back and then…he was gone.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

A week later, after my family and I came back to our cabin from lunch I quickly ran into my room and looked under my pillow. My heart nearly flew out of my chest when I found O’Reilly’s latest letter.

I wanted to read them right there but I was afraid that my mother or father would come in a see them. So I hurried out of my room, told my mother I was going to take an afternoon nap then nearly ran back into my room.

I grabbed the first letter. It said:

My Dearest Bella,
It’s been a week since I have last held you or even seen you. I can’t help but count the days until I have you back in my arms once more.
I have been thinking about the future for us. I think we should have a wedding in our soon to be home country. I imagine you in a dress that can’t even compare with your beauty. The smile on your face will lift my spirit just has it has done since the very moment I laid eyes on you.
I must say that I love your idea of writing letters to each other even though we are still on the same ship. But I feel like I need to always be writing to you or painting you. Which reminds me, I have started painting the painting of you on the couch that I sketched earlier today.
I hope you have kept that sketch of us together. I can’t explain how wonderful it felt to hold you in my arms like that. You are a lovely, beautiful, kind person.

I felt hot tears begin to run down my cheeks. I knew this was hard for him just like it was hard for me. I continued reading:

I have to admit whenever I try and sleep I still always I see your lovely face, when I close my eyes. I still remember the first time I tried to sleep and when I closed my eyes I saw your face but it wasn’t your lovely smiled I saw but I was your heartbroken tears. Please don’t cry. It makes it harder if I think of you crying and I know it makes it harder for you too.
So as I conclude this letter to you I once again say just as I have in every one of my letters. I love you. You are always in my heart, dreams, and hopefully will remain in my future.

Yours Forever,
O’Reilly

I held the letter in one of my hands and traced O’Reilly’s beautiful handwriting with the other.

I wiped the tears off my cheeks and held the letter to my chest. I wanted to see him so bad.

He was right though, every night when I went to sleep I cried.

I grabbed a utensil and some paper and began to write:

My Dearest O’Reilly,
I am happy to have found your letter. It brings me so much joy to know that you still care and you’re still thinking of me. I am also happy to hear that you have started painting that sketch you drew. You have a beautiful talent.
Yes, I do still have the sketch you drew of us. I keep it with me at all times, just like you asked me to. I have to agree with you that I too thought it was wonderful when you held me like that.
I have been thinking about our future together, too. The things you imagine me wearing at our wedding makes me smile and I know it makes you smile too.
I must confess that yes I do cry, a lot, still. And yes I have cried each night as I try to fall asleep. I promise I will try my hardest to not cry, but it won’t be so easy.
I love you, O’Reilly, and I wait for your next letter.
Your Love,
Bella

I folded the letter neatly, kissed it and slipped it under my pillow. Suddenly, again I felt tears starting to fill my eyes. “No, you promised him that you wouldn’t cry,” I told myself aloud.

I brushed them away with my knuckles. I scratched myself with O’Reilly’s beautiful engagement ring that was currently on the ring finger, right hand. I gazed down at the lovely jewel. I took off the ring and slipped it onto my left hand and imagined myself with O’Reilly.

There was a knock on my door and I quickly put O’Reilly’s letters into the drawer next to my bed. I almost forgot to put he ring back on the other hand.

“Come in,” I called over to the door.

My mother stuck her head in the room. “I thought you were going to take a nap, Darling.”

“Oh, I was. I just…um…had to do something real quick.”

She walked over to the bed and sat down by me. She took my right hand and looked at

O’Reilly’s ring. “Who gave you this lovely ring?” she asked, curiosity written all over her face.

I tried to pull my hand back but she tightened her grip. Now her face looked curious but with a little anger, now. “Um…I bought it.”

“Really?” she cocked her head to the side. “Bella, you’ve never lied to me before. If something’s going on you’d tell me, right?”

I hesitated, and then nodded, I couldn’t tell her about O’Reilly and me. If I did that then, for sure, I would never see him again.

“Ok,” She kissed the top of my head and left the room. I fell back on my bed. my head was spinning out of control. I hated lying to my parents; especially my mother. I wished I could tell O’Reilly but that wouldn’t be the best ides. He was already worried about me enough. My eyelids got heavy as I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up my father was sitting by my head.

He said, “Its time for you to get up. We’ve got to go eat supper.”

I sat up on the bed. “How long was I asleep?” I asked as I rubbed my sleep eyes.

He thought, “Just a few hours. I thought you’d like something to ear.”

“Yes, thank you for waking me up.”

“You’re welcome. Now go ahead and change out of those wrinkled clothes then come outside. We’ll wait there for you.”

“Ok, I’ll be out there in a minute.”

He left the room and I got out of bed. I changed into a new clean skirt and a new top. I brushed my tangled hair and brushed my teeth.

When I walked out of the cabin my mother, father, and sister were waiting for me just as he had said they would be.