Hello my lovely readers! I love you all by the way! See! It's Sunday and I updated!! Whooo!! Anyway I am in love with this chapter! No joke! like I wrote it and I can't stop reading it and loving it so I hope you love it too! It is VERY SAPPY!! but with good reason!!! Thanks to everyone who reads and votes! Please comment and let me know what you think!! dedication to a commenter! :)
-Hannah :)
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Maria’s POV:
“I love you,” Evan said, sounding so confident, like that was the only truth in the world and he had just enlightened me. “I love you, Maria Elizabeth Mancini,” he stated, looking into my eyes and holding me close, using my full name. It made it sound so much more sincere; so much more official.
“How did you know my middle name?” was all I could reply with, smiling up at him. I was shocked; more than shocked actually, I was stunned. Nobody had ever told me they loved me, well my parents of course, but no boyfriend had ever admitted it to me, not even Sean.
Evan looked at me with an amused smile on his lips, probably because out of everything he said to me, the one thing that I commented on was my middle name. “I saw it on a picture in your room,” he admitted, leaning his forehead against mine.
I wiggled my arms up and around his neck and I smiled with slight tears in my eyes as I said, “You little snooper!” I paused, leaning so our noses touched but I was still looking right into his clear blue eyes, “I love you too Evan Thompson.”
His lips smiled even wider and met mine immediately and we kissed with more feeling than we ever had before. I couldn’t get enough of the feeling of having someone admit their love for me. And the fact that I said it back, meaning it so much, made it even better.
Evan brought his hands down to my waist and picked me up mid kiss to twirl me around in the air. I squealed in delight, but was also a little terrified about what was going to happen next. Evan was chuckling as he spun me around and held me so my back was against his chest. He pressed his lips against my ear for a quick kiss before reminding me, “I love you,” and pulling me over to the dry sand.
I sat down and looked up at him expectantly, grabbing his hands and pulling him on top of me. His knees landed on either side of mine and I could feel his body grow closer to mine as he pecked my cheek and leaned forward so I would lie down in the sand. He hovered over me, looking down at me with a heartwarming smile that only caused me to blush in return.
“You, Maria, are everything that I could ever wish to have. I don’t know what I would do without you and saying ‘I Love You’ only solidifies that. I do love and care and cherish you Maria. Please, never forget that,” he said, and there was something about the way he pleaded with me to never forget it that caused a single tear to slide down my cheek, which he kissed away.
“I will never forget it, or you for that matter. You’re too perfect—“
“I’m not perfect,” he interrupted, shaking his head slightly so that his hair brushed back and forth over my forehead.
“Maybe you don’t think so, but you are perfect to me,” I assured him, seeing his expression soften and that undeniably adorable smile appear. “Stop smiling at me and kiss me already,” I told him slightly as a joke, but wanting to feel his lips on mine.
“So demanding,” he mumbled before fulfilling my request and closing the distance between us.
I tangled my fingers in his hair and let my other hand trace over the muscles in his back. He pressed his whole body against mine and I slowly began to sink deeper into the sand, but I didn’t mind. I loved the way he would trace his thumb along my jaw and let his other hand hold my hip in place, not that I was going to try and move away from him. I loved how I could arch my back and press closer to him and he would respond by wrapping an arm under me and holding me impossibly closer.
I loved how he would stop kissing me just to stare at me and smile as we caught our breath. I loved how he never did anything I didn’t want him to do, he never crossed the line in any way, but he did enough to show me he cared and was enjoying himself. I loved how he would whisper my name when I would leave a lingering kiss on his cheek and how he would nip slightly at my neck and suck on a sensitive spot on my collarbone I never knew was there.
But there was so much more about him that I loved besides his physical traits and his actions. I loved how he cared so much about his family and was willing to do whatever it took to make them happy, especially his brothers. I loved how even with the tragedy of his mom passing he was doing alright. I loved how he wasn’t afraid to cry when something upset him. I loved how he was completely honest and he wasn’t afraid to tell me something I may not want to hear. I loved how he would listen to me, about anything, big or small. I loved how I knew I could go to him for anything and he would be there for me, eager to help.
I loved him. That was all there was to it. I loved Evan Thompson and I was in love with the feeling of love. There was just one thing that I hadn’t thought about until now that was burning in the back of my mind. I couldn’t just not ask him. I had to know what he thought.
“Evan?” I asked softly, using my hand to brush his bangs off his forehead and when he turned his head to look at me I almost couldn’t bring myself to ask the question that I was dying to know the answer to.
“Hmm?” he questioned, rolling to lay next to me and pulling me against his side. I laid my arm over his chest and buried my face in his side, avoiding looking at him. I couldn’t do it. Not now. I can’t ruin this perfect moment. “What’s the matter babe?” he asked concerned at my sudden silence and inability to look at him.
I turned on my stomach and looked over at him. He was so happy. I was happy. Why was I about to ruin it?
“What’s going to happen?” I uttered, knowing he probably didn’t hear me.
“What do you mean? Happen to what?” he asked, running his hand through my hair and caressing my cheek sweetly.
“To us?” I asked, feeling scared about the way he was going to respond. “What’s going to happen?” I repeated my question but this time my voice gave away how worried I was. A single tear dropped onto Evan’s palm and suddenly he had swept me up into his arms. I instinctively curled into a ball and hugged him tight, pressing my cheek against his chest and listening to his heartbeat.
“Nothing’s going to happen Maria. I promise. I love you, so much. Don’t worry,” he pleaded rocking us back and forth slightly.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I ruined this moment,” was all I could say as silent tears made their way down my cheeks and onto his shirt.
“Shhh, it’s alright. I don’t know how it will all work out, but we will be together, forever. I promise,” he assured me, pressing a kiss to my temple.
I sniffled and wiped my eyes as I looked up at Evan. He was watching me with concerned, loving eyes and for some unknown reason that look only made me start crying again. This time however I was happy. I was crying with joy because I knew I had someone who I could rely on; someone who would never leave me, someone who would be by my side forever, someone who would stay, stay with me and stay for me, someone who would stay true to me and stay forever in my heart.
I reached up and took Evan’s face in my hands and kissed him deeply. My tears made their way to our lips adding a saltiness that would help me to remember that kiss for years. That kiss represented our relationship in so many ways. It was loving, it was passionate, it was heart-racing, but most of all it was strong. We had a strong relationship that I knew could withstand anything.
“I love you,” I told him, resting my forehead on his and feeling his heartbeat next to mine.
“I love you more,” he replied kissing me shortly and falling back so that I laid on his chest.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” I told him, snuggling close to him as we stared up at the clear night sky.
He just chuckled softly as his fingers drew circles on my bare shoulder. My head lay right next to his necklace, the one saying his heart was taken. I picked it up and I kissed it lightly before bringing mine up and placing the heart in the hole that it fit into. I stared at it in wonder, how perfect could two necklaces be? They fit together like Evan and I did, completely and together we made a whole. We could survive alone but we only truly were whole when we were together.
“Guess what?” Evan asked barely about a whisper, after we laid in silence for a while.
“What? You had the best birthday ever?” I asked hopefully, turning my head to look up at him. He was still looking up at the stars so all I could see was the right side of his face.
“Yes, of course I did, but that wasn’t what I was talking about,” he told me grinning.
“Then what were you talking about smarty?” I joked, poking him in the chest.
“I really want to go swimming, like right now,” he told me and raised his head up to look down at me.
I contemplated his thought before clarifying, “In the ocean or in my pool?”
“Ocean, definitely.”
“Right now?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.
“Yep,” he confirmed and smiled mischievously.
We both stood and I watched as he stripped his shirt off and looked over at me expectantly. “You gonnna take your clothes off?” he asked before laughing at how that sounded.
I laughed with him and joked, “Now I see why you want to go swimming.”
“I swear that was not my intention, although I’m not complaining,” he said as he watched me pull my tank over my head and shimmy out of my shorts, leaving me standing in my yellow triangle bikini that I had had on all day.
“Come here beautiful,” Evan commanded as he pulled me into his side and we waded into the warm surf together. We stayed out in the waves for awhile, me wrapped around his body, enjoying being that close to him and also the water against my skin.
It was a peaceful way to end the night, by the time we came back to shore we gathered our clothes up silently and made our way back to my house without saying a word to each other. Evan had his arm around my waist and I had mine around his and that was how it was supposed to be.
Evan’s friends had all gone back to his place and Ryan and Rach were long gone. We threw some sand on the remains of the fire and headed up to the house.
We sneaked in the back door quietly but my dogs heard us and came running. They wagged their tails excitedly and I couldn’t help but laugh slightly at how they went up to Evan before me.
“Come on, you can stay here tonight,” I whispered as I grabbed Evan’s hand and led him back towards my room.
As I entered my room the clock read 2:31. It was super late, later than I had thought. I threw my clothes in the corner and I turned to see Evan standing awkwardly barely inside the door. “What?” I asked quietly, grabbing some soffee shorts and a cami to change into.
“I don’t have any other clothes…and these are wet,” he said motioning down to his swim trunks.
“Right…I’ll be right back,” I told him after having an idea.
I scurried down the hall to my parent’s room and snuck in, seeing them asleep I hurried over to my dad’s closet and found a pair of athletic shorts for Evan. Right when I was about to close their door I heard my mom call out my name, “Maria? Is that you?”
“Yes mom, it’s me.”
“What’re you doing sweetie?” she asked, sitting up slightly.
“Oh…uh,” should I tell her the truth? That I was getting shorts so that my boyfriend could sleep in my bed? “I’m getting some shorts,” I admitted, hoping she wouldn’t ask any more questions.
“Oh, okay sweetie. Get to bed now, it’s late.”
“Okay, love you mom. Goodnight,” I told her.
“Love you too, night sweetheart.”
Whew, I don’t know if she would have let me leave if she knew who I was getting the shorts for. Knowing her she would have gone into a parental speech about using protection, but I knew that wasn’t going to be an issue. At least I didn’t think it would be, unless we just got carried away…
“Those for me?” Evan asked, pointing at the shorts in my hand and bringing me back to reality.
“Yeah, you can go ahead and use the bathroom first,” I told him, throwing the shorts to him.
He took a quick shower and was out in no time. I did the same and soon we were ready to sleep. I was exhausted and I could tell he was too, it had been a long day. I pulled back the covers and slid on into my queen sized bed. Evan didn’t move from where he was standing.
“Come on, you can sleep next to me,” I assured him, holding up the blanket so he could lay down next to me.
“Are you sure? The floor would be fine,” he said, slowly inching towards the bed.
“I’m not letting you sleep on the floor you idiot, now come on, get in bed with me,” I said before realizing how that sounded. “I mean—“
“I know what you meant,” he assured me, finally sliding under the covers and moving closer to me. I turned off the lamp next to my bed and that left us in complete darkness. I rolled back over and curled up against his side and rested my head on my shoulder. I guess I forgot to get him a shirt, oh well.
“Goodnight Maria. I love you,” Evan told me, kissing my forehead and sighing contently.
“Night, I love you more,” I replied, repeating his words from earlier.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Evan retorted, quoting my response from before. I giggled and snuggled closer to him. His arm held me close and I drifted off to sleep in a state of contentedness I had never felt before.
Evan’s POV:
I laid there with Maria sound asleep by my side for what felt like eternity. I was dead tired, but I couldn’t fall asleep. My mind kept going back to that terrifying question that Maria had asked on the beach.
“What’s going to happen?” Maria asked, barely above a whisper but somehow I was able to hear what she said.
“What do you mean? Happen to what?” I asked, trying to figure out what she meant. She seemed so worried, like the answer she wanted me to give her was something she needed to know and she needed me to say the right answer. I ran my hand through her wavy semi-dry hair and caressed her cheek, trying to comfort her.
“To us?” she asked hesitantly. “What’s going to happen?” She repeated but her voice changed and she was on the brink of tears. No, no no, please don’t cry Maria, please. A single tear dropped onto my palm and I had to hold her closer to me. I scooped her up and held her in my lap. She curled into a ball against my chest. Her body was shaking with silent tears and it broke my heart to see her cry. I could hardly stand it when she cried as she told me about Sean, and I had hardly even known her then. Now, after everything we have done together, seeing her cry was so much worse.
“Nothing’s going to happen Maria. I promise,” I tried to assure her but I was also trying to reassure myself. To be honest I hadn’t even thought about what was going to happen to us. I had only ever thought of the now, of the moment, of the summer. “I love you, so much. Don’t worry,” I pleaded rocking us back and forth slightly, trying to calm her down.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I ruined this moment,” she apologized, as more tears trailed down her cheeks, landing on my thin t-shirt. Each one was hot against my chest, they felt like they were burning holes in me. How could she be apologizing for simply worrying what the future holds? She was too humble for her own good.
“Shhh, it’s alright,” I mumbled, brushing her hair that had fallen forward away from her face, “I don’t know how it will all work out, but we will be together, forever. I promise,” I told her, pressing a kiss to her temple. I had to promise her forever. I had to be that guy that she could see herself with forever. There was nobody else in the world that could ever make me feel this way and I could just knew that Maria and I had a future together, even if we weren’t physically with each other, we would make it work, I knew we could.
Maria seemed to be done crying and when she raised her reddened eyes up to me, all I wanted to do was take all the pain and sadness out of them. She suddenly started crying again but this time she was smiling through it. She was crying with joy and that made me smile so wide because she believed in us. She believed that I loved her and she knew somehow, someway it would be okay.
She held my face in her hands and took my lips in hers and kissed me with so many different emotions I was almost too stunned to return the favor, almost. Her tears added a new taste, a new aspect, to the kiss that just made it all the better. Her lips on mine were strong and loving and forever. They held so much yearning and all I wanted to do was pick her up and runaway with her and live on some island off the coast and never be found.
“I love you,” she gasped, breaking the kiss and resting her forehead on mine, I could feel her heart beating next to mine and it was like we were in sync.
“I love you more,” I replied pecking her lips and falling backwards so she laid on top of my chest and we could look up at the stars.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” she admitted, snuggling close to me and looking with me up at the stars.
I just chuckled, loving her response and not having anything to say in return. Maria picked up my necklace, the one she had a matching one to and kissed it softly before fitting her own necklace in the hole in mine. They fit together perfectly and they almost seemed to look better together. Just like Maria and I, we were okay when we were apart, but together was when we truly became whole.
Laying hear now, with Maria asleep and left to my thoughts, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when summer ends. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her, but I didn’t see any other option. I had to go home and she had to stay here. It was only a year and senior year was kind of an important one. I’m sure we could visit on breaks, but what if they weren’t at the same time?
Originally we had only planned to be down here until August 1st. That means I only had a little over a month left here. Maybe we could stay longer? I don’t know…
I looked over at the clock to see it was nearing 4. I really needed to get to sleep otherwise I would never be able to get up tomorrow morning. I laid a gentle kiss on Maria’s head before closing my eyes and willing my mind so stop thinking for the night.
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