A Week In Rome | AWI series |✔

» saturday

Max watched in amusement as I gathered the sand in one pile, my tongue peeking out of the corner of my mouth in concentration.

"What are you—" 

"Just watch," I interrupted him. He peered over my shoulder as I crafted the sand with my hands, the shape now resembling a mountain. I leaned back, satisfied with my poor artistry. 

"Am I supposed to guess what this is?" Max laughed, rubbing his chin in thought.

"It's the Great Pyramid of Giza! One wonder down, six to go!" I held my hands out, pointing at the pile of sand. Max looked at me. Then back at the sand. And at me. Laughter bubbled out of his mouth as he shook his head.

"If you say so," he mused. Then, the top of the "pyramid" cracked, the sand rolling down the side, destroying my sculpture. Both of us shared a look and fell back into laughter, as we played in the sand, trying to sculpt the remaining wonders of the world.

"You've messed up my philosophy, Amora." 

My gaze flitted from where it was focused on the sand underneath my hands to Max's eyes, galaxies of emeralds and gold.

I furrowed my eyebrows, biting my lip in thought.

"How so?"

Max sighed. "Do you remember how I told you that I live every day like it's my second to last? So that when I fall asleep, I have something to look forward to?"

I nodded, the memory clear as day in my mind. It was difficult to ever forget his words.

He laced his fingers with mine, the warmth of his hand ironically sending chills down my spine. 

He licked his lips before speaking. "Every night, when I fall asleep, I look forward to you."

Words evaded my mind as I listened to his musical ones.

"It's like I'm stuck on repeat. And I will never, ever stop looking forward to you." His voice was laced with passion, and I realized that we were leaning closer and closer to each other. It was underneath the bewitching skies that our souls became entangled with one another. My heart burned with a fire so strong and deceiving that I yearned for its pain.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, my lips finally met his. And underneath the very skies that witnessed our passion, we shared a kiss unknown to anyone else. They were to keep our secret, because it was a sorrowful one. 

When Max backed away, his eyes shined more than I'd ever seen before, and my heart raced as I tried to study his expression. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping in my veins, or the way that we were lost in each other's worlds, but I found myself telling him the truths I'd kept to myself.

"I want to stay," I blurted, biting my lip in anticipation of his response. Max's smile dropped and something in his demeanor shifted. He was no longer radiating. His eyes were overcome with concern and he sat up, entangling his hands in his hair in what seemed to be frustration.

"You..." he shook his head as he spoke, "You can't. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It was selfish of me." 

He seemed upset with himself as he sat on the sand, playing with the watch on his hand. I sat up, my mind racing with a million questions. 

"Max, I want to. We can travel, and we can try everything you've ever wanted to try—"

My words were childish, dripping with hope. Max took my hands into his and sighed heavily.

"Amora," he began, his eyes meeting mine, home to disappointment, "I can't give you what you deserve."

My stomach churned, a dull pain lodged in my throat. His grip around my hands tightened as he continued.

"Five percent," he said, his voice quiet. His eyes refused to meet mine, but I could see his chest rise and fall at a faster pace.

"Those are the chances that..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. The night that was so exquisite before was now dire.

"Yes. The chances that I'll survive past three months. And I can't let you waste your time with me. You have a life to get back to..." he trailed off as his eyes were fixated on the ocean, his voice wavering the slightest bit.

I blinked away unwelcome tears, ignoring the pain that was surging through my body. 

"I like this life more." I was being stupid and childish, there was no denying it. But the thought of leaving was unbearable.

Max brought his hands up and placed them on my cheeks lovingly.

"This isn't your life."

His eyes swirled with a type of sadness I'd never seen in anyone, held up by dark bags I'd never noticed before. They twinkled with tears, the corners of his lips turned upwards into a solemn smile. I found myself nodding and find a place for my head to rest against his chest.

His heartbeat was louder than ever, and I longed to be beside it for the rest of time. But it would be our last night together, and nothing was permanent. Especially not something as magnificent as what I had with Max. We remained in each other's embrace for what could have been hours, until finally the sky was overcome with clouds that never failed to appear. 

I found myself drifting in and out of sleep, my eyelids feeling heavy. And when the first few drops of rain fell onto my body, I breathed deeply, leaning into Max as much as I could. I wanted to drink up all of his presence, before it was too late.

"I love the rain," Max said softly, remaining still as to not disturb me. His hand remained on the back of my head, running up and down my hair, as his other one held me close to his chest.

Somewhere in between reality and the slumber I was soon to slip into, I found myself murmuring the words, "I love the rain, too."

The stars, the moon, the ocean, skies, and our hearts knew that it wasn't the rain that we loved; it was each other. But those were words that had gone unsaid, for they were words that would hurt both of us more than we could tolerate. We were dancing on the brink of something sad, dark, and twisted, and those words would be the ones to render us in fragments of our intertwined souls.

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photo credit: https://www.homeaway.co.uk/p8382611