Chapter 13 || kisses and love stories
“I was made to keep your body warm. But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms” – Ed Sheeran
Zachary Evans
I WAKE UP to the sweet sound of birds chirping, and the sweet sensation of the sun against my face. A smile was plastered on my face, and my stomach did mini tumble-turns once my mind recalls the events of last night.
I remember holding Hannah’s hand, expressing my feelings and then OH WHAT DO YA KNOW she’s kissing me. Not that I’m complaining.
That experience increased my feelings for her, from just fondness to pure admiration and maybe something more.
I lay in bed, and gaze into the ceiling, imagining that it was instead the swirling beauty of the galaxy just above my head.
I can’t believe that beautiful Hannah Martinez likes me and that my grand romantic gesture had actually won her over. I knew that she despised me when we first met, which were probably a month ago. A month ago, when she slapped me because I fell on her.
I find myself laughing quietly at the thought, and then decide to get up and start this wonderful day. It’s already Tuesday.
I get up from my bed, and grab the walking stick that I only use when I am alone, to accompany myself. Luckily, Drake comes into my room not long after, to escort me to the dining table.
Walking down the stairs is the hardest task for me to accomplish, as it requires for the foot to step on the correct ledge or else fatality would meet you in the eye.
Drake seemed to notice my unusual giddiness and happiness, so he asked, “Love struck, I see?”
I flushed, and just gave him a grin. “Of course,” I don't bother denying it.
Drake laughs. “Well, I got to admit Hannah is pretty hot,”
In which I shoot him a ‘hands off she’s mine look’
“But! You two make the perfect couple.”
I couldn’t help but agree more on this.
-
After a family breakfast, Mother proved to be feeling unwell, and so Dad accompanied her to her bedroom where she was to rest.
We were concerned, at first of course, but Dad assured it was only a slight fever. I decided that I wanted to contact my sweet maybe-possibly girlfriend Hannah, and to meet up with her today.
So I called her. She didn't pick up.
I called again, and still no results. I gave up after 10 calls, and slump down on the bed, my elated mood now deflated.
I tell myself that she’s probably busy, or is doing stuff that requires not answering her maybe boyfriend.
I groan, and decide to spend this boring day listening to audio books. I listen to another romance, teenage book named ‘Eleanor and Park.’ I am well into the book, and well into the romance when my phone decides ‘hey let’s disrupt this blind boy’s fanboying moment’. Releasing a sigh, I pick up my phone and am satisfied and excited and beyond happy when a certain sweet voice answers.
“Hey Z,” Hannah greets, chirpy and happy and what do you know she has her own nickname for me.
“Hey Hanne,” I greet back, a smile creeping onto my face.
“Meet me at the park in 5, and bring a video camera with you!”
She hangs up after that, and I lose myself in the sensation of liking a girl. I quickly collect my items and head out the door with my walking stick, with Drake by my side, of course.
“I’ll be back by 4.30pm!” I announce to my Dad, as I head out the door.
Once Drake and I arrive at the park, Drake helps me to find Hannah, and whistles once I reach her. I roll my eyes and sit besides Hannah.
Instantly, I begin to get nervous. I never used to get nervous around her, in fact I was the one who made her nervous. Now it got switched.
“Hey,” I hear her sweet voice greet again.
Then I feel her fingers slide in between mine, and smile a little. “Hey. So um, not that I don’t enjoy your company but…why’d you bring me here.”
I hear Hannah chuckle, as she fumbles with my fingers.
“Why Zach, my company becoming all too much for you?” she jokes playfully, and I can almost hear the smirk in her words.
I shake my head a smile dancing upon my lips.
“No, in fact, it’s indeed all too little for me. We should spend more time together, you know, in quiet, more intimate places,” I smile, adding a wink as my flirtatious statements arise again.
I know she blushes; I can feel it in the small silence that follows. I lean in and kiss her gently on the cheek, and she slaps my shoulder playfully.
“You know, we aren’t really official yet,” she says, a small laugh rising from her throat.
I raise an eyebrow in question. “Whatever do you mean by that?”
“What I mean, is that you’re not my boyfriend yet. And I am not your girlfriend,” I can feel the smirk in her words.
Deciding to play along, I shrug, slightly turning away. “Well, in that case, that means I can certainly go for the many girls who find me attractive, from my many pictures on Instagram.”
Hannah gasps, and I laugh.
“If you do that Zachary, I will slay your head and hang it on my wall,” she jokes, though her words reveal how deep her feelings truly run for me.
“So, what are you implying here Martinez?” I ask, nudging her shoulder with mine.
“I don’t know Evans, you tell me.”
I grin, running my fingers along her arm gently.
“Hannah Martinez, will you do me the honour in becoming my lawfully wedded girlfriend?” I ask.
“I do, Zachary Evans, in return for your rightful name as my boyfriend.”
I reply by leaning in closer, and giving her a lingering kiss. She cups my cheek, and I feel her sink into the moment, my stomach feeling like a thousand sparkles.
I feel her head against my shoulder, and sighs happily. “I feel so happy, when I‘m with you,” she murmurs quietly, weaving her fingers through mine, as if getting used to the feeling. “Did you know that, Evans?”
I nod, breathing in the scent of her hair. “Of course Hannah. You’re my happiness, too.”
She smiles widely. “Anyway, the original reason I called you here, was to get started on the stupid love assignment”
I smile, and turn to her direction. I wish I could see her. I wish I could feel blown away by how beautiful she would be, and how angelic her presence would feel to be. I know I’m being cheesy, but I guess liking a girl brings out the cheesiness in you.
“Love isn’t stupid, Hannah,” I state.
“The thing is,” she sighs, ignoring my statement, “What should the story be about?”
That really shouldn’t be a question, because the obvious answer is right here.
“Our story,” I whisper into her hair. She smells unique and beautiful and fresh. She perks up suddenly.
“What?” she asks, confused and excited at this new relationship we have.
I kiss the back of her hand gently, and try to find her eyes with my heart.
“Let’s do our love story,” I say again, louder for her to hear clearly.
There are a few moments of silence that ensues between us, but it is the comfortable silence that we love.
“Okay,” she finally says, after forever.
She pulls me up and laughs when I stumble, and we begin to record. We decide to record random stuff we do together, whether it includes getting ice cream, walking through the park or just laying on the grass together. We take a trip to the beach, and video us splashing in the water, and video ourselves listening to the sweet tunes on a cassette tape.
From what seemed like minutes actually transformed into hours, and still that were not enough for me. I wanted an eternity to spend with Hannah, no matter what.
I wanted to have a forever with her.
-
“OMG okay that’s good!” Hannah laughs, as she scrolls down the many videos we took.
It’s 6pm already, and currently watching the sunset atop of the hill.
I was smiling, feeling the sweet sun settle upon my face, warming it up with its pureness.
“This would be so good on the movie,” she admires, until she remembers that it’s actually me that would be producing the movie. I smirk.
“Of course it will be, Hannah, because the one and only producer Zachary Evans will be direction and producing it!” I announce, loudly for the others at the park to hear. Hannah hits me lightly on the shoulder, and laughs.
“Shush, you’re gaining attention,” she hisses into my ear, though her attempt at being angry was betrayed by her laughter.
“I gain attention, everywhere I go,” I murmur. It wasn't intended to offend anyone, just myself. I was stating facts, that I was disabled, that I was noticeable everywhere I went.
“You gain my attention, always,” Hannah says, and then stops. I can almost detect the blush in her words.
I kiss her, and she kisses me back. Her lips are warm and soft and she tastes like strawberries and rainbows.
I cup her cheek tenderly, and I can tell she is nervous and has probably been a long time since she last kissed someone, or was ever in a relationship.
She smiles against my lips, and pulls away. She leans against my body, curling up against me. Instantly I wrap my arms around her, pressing my lips below her ear.
“Zach?” she asks, turning her head to face me.
“Mmm?”
“Why do you even like me…I mean I’m a freak. It took me like, what, 3 weeks to settle into you?”
I chuckle, and nudge my head against her neck.
“That should most definitely not be a question.”
Hannah says, “Just tell me.”
I decide to whisper my favourite song into her ear, one that is quite ironic.
“Well…” I begin. I press my lips to her temple and begin to sing the song quietly.
“You’re just to good to be true…can’t take my eyes off you.” Ironic I know.
“You’re just like heaven to touch. I want to hold you so much.”
“At long last love has arrived. And I thank God I’m alive.
You’re just to good to be true…can’t take my eyes off you.”
She laughs, kissing me passionately whilst smiling against my lips. She pulls away and laughs some more.
“You know Zach, singing a song isn’t answering a question you know. But nevertheless, I guess that romantic gesture is acceptable. Even with it’s irony, and all,” she says, and I can't help but admire her adorableness.
“I like you, Hannah, because you imitate the stars in the sky and whenever I am with you, I feel as if I am standing atop the moon, because you are truly out of this world. Now, how about that for an answer?”
I hear a sharp intake of breath, and I know that I had caught her off guard once again.
“I want to show you my song, now.”
She fidgets a bit next to me, and then inserts an earphone into my ear. I hear the sweet guitar chords of the song begin to play, and raise a brow. This isn’t a song I have heard before.
In the morning, when you wake up I like to believe you are, thinking of me.
“What song is this?” I ask, already liking the sweet mellow voice of Birdy filling my ears.
“Tee Shirt by Birdy. It’s nice,” Hannah says, dreamily. She leans against my shoulder, and slides her hand into mine.
When the sun comes, through your window
I like to believe you’ve been dreaming of me.
I smirk, and take this opportunity to tease Hannah. “So, you dream about me?”
Hannah hits me again, though doesn’t deny it.
Dreaming…Hmmm….
“So…Hannah,” I begin, trailing off just like she does.
“Yah?” she asks.
“Have you finished the essay yet?”
She pauses for a moment. “Not really…but I’ve started it.”
I smile to myself. I stroke her hair, softly, and I feel her tense only slightly.
“Tell me what you’ve got so far.”
I feel her shake her head.
“I’ll tell you when I want to,” she answers, teasing.
I sigh. “Okay, I shall wait.”
We lay like that together, on the grass, as she watched the sun set into the horizon, with sweet love songs playing in our ears.
I know coz I’ve spent half this morning
Thinking about the tee shirt you sleep in
I should know coz I spend
Oh the whole day
Listening to your message I’m keeping
And never deleting
At some point, Hannah may have fallen asleep in my arms, because later I hear her soft, petite though adorable snores.
I couldn’t help but kiss her temple, her nose and her cheek. I wasn't afraid to admit it anymore, to say that three-letter word that many seem to be afraid of.
I brush away her hair, and whisper quietly into her ear.
“I think I'm in love you, Hannah Martinez.”
Maybe she would’ve said it back, when she could, but by then she was already lost in her little world of dreams.
And I do honestly hope, that she is dreaming of me.
-
Hand in hand, we began to walk home together, with her eyes guiding mine. Once we reached my house, Dad was slightly unimpressed at how late we had arrived (it was only 5.30pm) though had allowed it to slide. I brought Hannah up to the tree house, where we lay on the veranda, gazing up towards the evening sky.
She began humming a song – Hopelessly Devoted To You By Olivia Newton I believe it was, and I smile.
“You know what?” Hannah asks, turning to face me.
I raise an eyebrow in question.
“I reckon, that if we were to publish our story, our love would make the major motion pictures.”
I chuckle, and press my lips to her temple. “I could totally be your Rhett Butler. I’d give up my whole wealth for you.” I whisper.
She smiles, I can tell. It is as if I can sense her happiness, which makes me incredibly happy too.
“We could totally be Scarlett and Rhett.” She says.
“Or we could be Patrick and Kat. I’d sing to you all day.” I say.
“Or we could be Allie and Noah,” she says, a playful giggle in her voice. “We could be birds together.”
“I’d rather be your Tobias Eaton,” I say, with a smile.
I feel her curls brush against my neck, as she most likely turns to stare up at me.
“I am yours,” she begins, quoting a line from the book, Insurgent. “And you are mine.”
“And it has been that way all along,” I finish, my voice a quiet whisper.
A few moments of silence erupts between us, until I break the silence.
“Actually no. I’d totally be your Neo. I’ll be the only one for you,” I tell her, and she laughs adorably, pecking my cheek.
“And I’ll be your Trinity,” her voice quiets down to a hush. “I’d die for you.”
I kiss her lips, absorbing her warmth and her beauty. The moment seems endless and wonderful, until she pulls away and smiles against my cheeks.
“No. I want you to be my Zach. And I’ll be your Hannah.”
I smile at her, and we stay curled up together, talking about endless topics about whatever, until she finally had to come home.
It was the best day ever.
-
That night, just as I was going to sleep, I feel that uneasy feeling in my stomach, however this time it is much more noticeable and so much more painful. It suddenly grows, like an evil balloon, engulfing my stomach and causing me to wheeze in pain.
I vomit all over my bed sheets, and that is when my father comes running in.
I stare up at him in horror and realisation.
That is when the tears start coming.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
hey. did you like this chapter? I hope it's not moving too fast. but however, if some of you are confused, Hannah and Zach have somehow always harboured feelings for eachother. It's just that they were too scared to admit it to themselves... so yeah :)
Please comment your thoughts + feelings, and vote!
dreambelieveread xo