Flowers before Eve (on hold)

Narcissus - In the eyes of the beholder

He didn't reply straight away, nor allow for her curvy form to slip from his grip, but waited patiently until her nervous eyes had settled on his once more before filling the silence between them with his own equally soft tones, going out of his way to match her pace. His tone of voice was gentle but a lot further down on the scale than Eve's soft squeak had been. His voice was more of a dark, yet quiet rumble in comparison.

"There's no apology required for this instance, is there? More importantly, how are you? Your ankle?"

The soft-spoken inquiry was followed by the beginnings of a small smile as the dark-haired stranger released Eve from his grip only to crouch down at her feet.

Startled and wide eyed at the sudden turn of events, Eve had to physically force herself to remain still as the man leaned forward and began to inspect her ankle right away without voicing his intentions. The tips of his fingers were firm against her skin as he prodded her for any signs of soreness or the start of any sort of swelling.

"Tell me... Does this hurt?"

A slight shake of her head as her eyes drowned in the dark blue pools that peered up at her from beneath a fan of obsidian lashes was all that Eve could manage. Her throat felt awfully parched all of a sudden, and her face like it had absorbed all the heat from the sun.

"What about this?"

The tips of his fingers ran slightly lower, grazing the leather of her high heeled shoes as he instinctively broadened his search for injuries that she might have acquired in the sudden stumble she'd had.

Eve shook her head, not being able to voice out loud that she felt fine. A bit unbalanced perhaps, but physically she was just fine.

The man at her feet unfolded from his crouch, making his eyes level with her own eyes once more. If Eve hadn't worn her heels today then he would have towered a bit above her, but not by much. It wasn't that he was short. No, Eve was just tall. Tall and a bit plump. Or as her mother had referred to her once, a bit soft around the edges.

"That's good."

The genuine smile that pulled on the man's lips as he spoke became adorned with a pair of dimples, one on each cheek. The tiny dents became more pronounced as his grin widened even more.

"I'm Aaron by the way..."

Eve's gaze flickered between his grinning face and the expectant hand Aaron held out in greeting for a few painful heartbeats before she finally allowed his slightly larger hand to swallow up her own sweaty palm, feeling overly conscious of the fact that she was soaking his otherwise dry hand with her moist skin. It was one of those not so rare moments that she wished that a hole would suddenly appear in the ground and swallow her whole. Mortified was most assuredly a feeling that blended in with a bunch of other emotions that made her tummy twist into giant knots. Some might refer to them as butterflies, but Eve didn't want to associate something so graceful with a feeling this abhorrent, she didn't want to taint them. But it wasn't as if she could refuse the offered hand without appearing rude either, so Eve did what she didn't want to do, again.

"Umm... E..Eve."

Eve didn't know it back then, as she stumbled over her own name in order to introduce herself to Aaron, but she had just ran into the man that would three years, eight months, and eleven days later become the father of their one and only son, Michael Aaron Metzger; the deadly offspring of a highly functional narcissist and the woman he bumped into on the street and decided to not only save but keep, Eve.

And so our tale of unforeseen twists and too uncomfortable turns begins...

<3
Well... ummm... hello. *waves*

This wasn't actually a planned event (except for the chapter picture, that was created looong ago...), posting this chapter today, I mean. I had actually planned to finish editing the other book, My Killer, before truly starting on this book... but yeah... I've been procrastinating that particular objective like I was getting paid to do so... besides, a few lines sort of got stuck in my head whilst in the shower this morning and I guess I just couldn't help myself. I sat down and scribbled this ummm... rather short introductionary chapter?

So... yeah... it's not a long piece, but it's a start... I guess?

Anyways, 2021 is nearly over and a new year filled to the brim with untold possibilities is upon us. Usually I tend to think of the new year as a time to start something (and I still do), but the start of a new year is not only a beginning of something but it also embodies the end of what once was. What will you lay to rest to create room for the new to come? Old resentments? Some fears? Certain habits? Or perhaps patterns of behavior that does not serve you? And with what you decide to lay to rest in mind, what will you erect in its place? What do you aspire to set into motion in the coming year? Whatever you decide, remember this, be kind to yourself, always. <3 So should your endeavors prove cumbersome and you end up face planting in the worst kind of way, get up, discover the lesson in it, and move on with your head held high. We tend to learn more from our failures than the alternative. Not that I'm saying that you should strive for failure, rather aim high and true to your own values, and don't be afraid to miss your mark from time to time. Truly, you do gain something either way. Either your objective or the alternative... Sure, hard won lessons might be what you gain, but they are still yours to own. Because we all fall down, you're not alone in that awesome feat. Besides, wouldn't you rather fall down in an uncut path of your own making than in following someone else's trail? Okay, okay, this is turning into a stroll... (..and longer than the actual chapter itself... figures... *facepalms*)

What's left to say but turn 2022 into a year of your own making. It will be what you yourself attempt to make of it, so don't be afraid to create a mess... you know, 'cause in that chaotic mess you create is where true beauty actually lies hidden. Create those beautiful wrinkles in time with your presence, be you. ;)

(Oh... and as a last note... Updates are, as usual, not on any sort of regular schedule with this book. They might end up coming back to back or months apart. You have officially been warned.)

Anyways... Happy New Year, may it be filled with lessons learned, encouraging discoveries, laughter, joy, a bit of fear ('cause we have to face those eventually...) and of course some craziness, and last but not least, an unknown path set before you where you find fulfillment in each new step you take, a trail of your own making.

..and if you do happen to stumble and fall right off the bat, I guess you joined me on the ground. Apparently, I'm a rather frequent visitor. (They should give out punchcards for shit like this... seven punches and you get to claim a prize or something... pffft...) Anyways... Let's strive to get up on our feet, eh? Perhaps together? The more the merrier, you know... or some shit like that... ;)

(And as an actual last note... I sorta can't help but find it funny that I actually ended up updating this shit, unplanned, on New Year's Eve, you know... 'cause of the title of the book... Flowers Before Eve... pffft... heh... nevermind... I just love weird coincidences and occurrences... like looking at the clock at exactly 04:04, 18:18 or 11:11 and such... XD heh... So yeah... *awkward shrug*)

Godt Nytt År!

Ann <3