Choices

It was the last night I was to be at Spence and the celebrations had ended a little earlier. The girls were saying their goodbyes before we were to leave the next morning. Ann, Felicity, and I were in our room visiting the realms one last time.

"Its time to go." I said sadly.

"I wish we could stay here forever," replied Ann on the verge of tears.

I walked up to Ann and hugged her. "I know, but I promise we'll be together soon." I said comfortingly. She nodded as she tried to dry her eyes.

Felicity kept quite the entire time. I caught her eye and gave her a loving look, and she smiled back.

We joined hands and walked through the door of light, back to Spence. Felicity went to her own room and Ann and I went to bed. As I pulled back my covers and note in the handwriting I had memorized so well.

Dear Gemma, meet me in the woods at midnight. Kartik.

I got into bed still fully dressed and waiting until midnight.

At five minutes till twelve I could hear Ann's snoring and put on my boots. After creeping my way out the front door I ran to the woods. It had been awhile since I last saw those beautiful dark brown eyes of my mysterious gypsy man. I made to the edge of the wood, listening for anything other than the crunch of leaves under my boots.

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me and a hand grabbed my hand and spun me around into a kiss. I put my hands on the sides of his face and kissed him back. He pulled back and smiled at me.

I smiled back and whispered "Kartik."

His smiled grew bigger at the sound of his name on my lips. And just as fast as the smile appeared it vanished.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice thick with concern.

He opened his mouth to speak then shut it and looked at me for a long moment, as if he were planning to lie to me but thought better of it. " I'm leaving." He said softly.

My heart stopped. "But you'll be back right?" I asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "I'm going home to India."

"Why?"

"I've been here too long and the Rakshana are looking for me. I have to get away for a while till they forget about me," He said, averting my eyes.

My head was spinning for my world was being turned upside down. I was to be separated from my friends, being forced to sit in a house where my grandmother would be ever so cold to me for refusing Simon Middleton, and now the man who I had fallen in love with, the man who I was forbidden to be with, was going far away, across the ocean.

"Take me with you."

"What?" He looked at me as if he had thought I was crazy, and maybe I was.

"Take me with you," I begged again.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," I answered solemnly.

He considered this for a moment before shaking his head, "I can't. You deserve so much better. You should stay in England, marry a nice man who can take care of you, and have a normal life. Gemma you're a proper, young English lady and I'm a Indian without any family or money. Why would you possible want to come with me?"

"Look at me," I said with as much authority as possible. " I don't want a normal life. I don't want to settle down with some English man who I don't truly love. I don't care if your Indian, that's what I like so much of you, your different. You're not trying please everyone and you say exactly how you feel, you're rough and gentle at the same time, and you know what I'm going through. Do know how many people know about my secret? And, " I gulped and tried to find my courage as I finished, "I love you."

His head shot up, shocked. He looked deep into my eyes for a long time before replying, "I love you too." He smiled, "You don't know how long I've wanted to say that?"

I smiled back and of lips meet. When we broke apart he asked me one last time, "Are you sure?" I nodded. "Then pack your things and we'll leave tonight."

"No, I have to tell my family goodbye. I can't leave without them knowing I'm save and happy."

He wasn't sure exactly what to do. I suppose he was thinking that if I told my family they would keep her with them, but in the end he sighed and said, "Alright we'll leave tomorrow night, then."

I smiled, pulled on his shirt, bringing his lips too mine and we kissed for a bit longer before I had to go back to Spence. I was unable to go to sleep that night, thinking of what had happened and the life I was going to have with Kartik.