Chapter One

Infatuations and Intuitions

The evening light broke through the dense canopy above, filtering the deep orange light down upon the underbrush of the forest floor. The orange hue mingled with the profound jade ambiance dazzling the still air of the forest causing a spectacular array of light and color to dance along the thick tree trunks and willowy leaves. I breathed in deeply. The smells and aromas permeating the air around me were a heavenly mixture. Natural scents of the towering cedars and pines were strong compared to the delicate aroma of the beautiful girl sitting next to me on the soft, damp grass.

Her name was Emma Riley. She was my age but much more mature and intelligent. She was-there was just no other word to describe her-beautiful, in every way. Her eyes were soft and wide, the teal blue shade deep and continuous. Looking into her eyes was like gazing into her soul. The gentle fragrance, mingling with the strong scents of the forest, was permeating off of her long, lustrous red hair that waved effortlessly down her back. The red and auburn highlights and undertones were shining radiantly in the glow of the oncoming sunset.

She looked up at me shyly. I gazed back with an intensity that I, myself, had never encountered before. Despite the immeasurable love I knew she felt for me, she blushed fantastically under my touch. I stroked her cheek gently as I watched her skin darken into a deep scarlet. I smiled reassuringly, lowering my arm to rest back down at my side.

She sighed quietly. If it was a sigh of impatience or happiness, I did not know which. I watched as she let her head fall slightly, and her gaze move to her lap. Her lips slanted downward infinitesimally at the corners. If I wasn't watching her with rapt and focused attention, I would not have been able to catch the small, inconspicuous frown.

"What's wrong, love?" I asked her softly, raising my finger and touching the corner of her lip lightly. Her lips pulled up slightly at my touch. She took my hand into hers and lowered them both to the ground, still intertwined. Her eyes were burning into my own with an emotion I didn't quite understand. And then one small, significant tear rolled down her cheek and fell to the earth below.

"Emma, what's wrong?" I pleaded gently, pressing my palm to her warm cheek. She broke her gaze and looked down at her lap, blushing furiously under my hand. Her eyelashes cast profound shadows down her crimson cheeks. I stroked her cheek with the very tips of my fingers.

"Emma?" My voice was earnest as I tilted my head closer to her, looking at her sad eyes under her long lashes. Her lips were trembling softly. "Love?"

She inhaled sharply, stifling what sounded like a quiet sob, and said in a quavering voice, "I've been getting these feelings that I can't explain. They have really been hurting me. I-I don't know what to make of them."

I gazed at her curiously, but with greater worry held in my hazel eyes. "If you tell me what these feelings are like, maybe I can tell you what they mean." My own voice quavered a bit.

Emma bit her lip and shook her head quickly, shutting her eyes. I stared at her openmouthed. I was used to her telling me everything. There were no secrets between Emma and I. This was very unusual behavior. I was instantly anxious.

"Please tell me, Emma." I begged, my eyes wincing of their own accord at the hurt profound in my shaky voice. "Please?"

She opened her eyes. I noticed the uncertainty held in the unfathomable blue. I was too stunned to react; so therefore, my lips stayed slightly parted and my breath stayed calm and controlled as she gave into my wish.

"This is going to hurt you, but…," She took a deep breath, the sound of it harsh in her throat. "I have been getting this intuition that I will be losing you soon." Her voice was steadier than expected, but that only made the raw pain in my chest even worse as her words sank in.

I didn't even think. I didn't want to grasp the meaning of her startling words. Before my mind caught up with me, I leaned in and kissed Emma softly on the lips. She wasn't expecting it. She was motionless under my gentle lips for a few seconds. And then her mind caught up with her.

Her lips crushed into mine with force that left me breathless. I kissed back enthusiastically, obliterating the meaning of her words in that moment. She seemed to understand that her words were silly by my movements and emotions. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I wrapped mine around her waist. We were in a perfect bliss.

Emma pulled away after a few minutes but only slightly. I could still feel her warm breath on my lips as she exhaled unsteadily. Her eyes were piercing as she gazed into mine, strong emotions focused in the blue.

"Emma," I breathed, pulling my lips up infinitesimally at the corners. "I would never leave you, love. I'm too crazy in love with you."

She smiled back, her eyes lighting up drastically. She stroked the back of my neck absentmindedly, her eyes still burning into mine. Her smile was simply radiant. It was infectious. My grin widened but hers was still dazzling.

"I know," she sighed, laying her head upon my chest. "And I would never leave you. I'm madly in love with you, too." She laughed lightly. "This feeling means nothing. Maybe I just need rest."

I chuckled, kissing the top of her head affectionately. "Maybe, because the idea of losing you is…well, there are no words for it. The idea is just ludicrous."

She motioned her arms around my torso and embraced me tightly. "I never want to lose you," she sobbed.

I hugged her back furiously. "That's never going to happen. Stop stressing yourself. I'm here, and I'll always be here, with you."

She cried quietly into my shirt. "I know."

The forest around us had gotten dark in the passing time. The trees were no longer vibrant with astonishing colors. The air itself was darkened and nearly opaque. The trees overhead were dark and eerie, the leaves rustling together ominously by the calm wind. But the smells still lingered. And the sounds stayed the same. The only thing that had changed was the light. Everything in the forest had stayed the same. Including the way I felt about Emma.

That something would never change. The love I felt towards her was irreversible and immeasurable. And definitely and without a doubt, unbreakable.

"Emma?" I whispered in a hushed tone, gazing at Emma seriously. "I want to talk about earlier."

She looked at me sadly with her beautiful teal blue eyes. "I should not have said anything," she murmured, stroking my cheek. "Its just a weird feeling. Its nothing to worry about."

We were in my room, and it was the middle of the night. We had snuck into my house through my bedroom window as silently as we were able to be. Thankfully, we were undetected by my sleeping parents. That was a stroke of luck that left me stunned. Nothing passed my mom's sharp eyes and ears.

I was laying sprawled out next to Emma on my moderately sized bed. My head was propped up on my arm, and I was looking down at Emma solemnly. She had her head propped up also. Her eyes were troubled and worried.

"I'm not worried," I reassured. "I'm just curious. Why do you think you're getting this feeling?"

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, glancing down at the pillow beneath her elbow. "I don't understand it. Its like, I feel empty whenever I think about it. Like my body is lifeless. Its very uncomfortable and unsettling." Her eyes twinkled in the dimness of the night. "Please don't ever leave me."

"I would never, ever leave you," I promised, wrapping my arms around her. "I understand how you're feeling though. It's the feeling I get whenever I think about you leaving me."

Her eyes winced at these words. "Don't even think about that," she ordered sternly, stroking my cheek. "It will never happen."

I grabbed a hold of her hand gently and pulled it up to my lips. I kissed the back of her hand softly. "I know."

"Then why would you-"

I put my finger to her lips, causing her to silence. "Only in the beginning did I think of that. But I see how silly it is now. Like I said before, please don't stress yourself. I can't stand seeing you hurt."

"And you think I like seeing you hurt?" she asked rhetorically. "And even worse, myself causing the pain?"

"I'm not worried," I repeated. "Just curious is all. But now I understand. Just trust me. I'm not leaving you. I will never leave you. I love you with all my heart and soul. I would take a bullet for you. I would throw myself in a raging fire if it would save you. I love you more than myself; more than my wellbeing. You're my life. You're my sun. And seeing you in pain hurts me more than you can ever imagine."

"I think I can imagine," she whispered in reverence. "Because you just described how I feel about you."

I smiled. "I think we're at an impasse," I stated quietly. "How about this? Lets never leave each other, and lets never think about leaving each other. Lets always promise to be together and love each other forever."

She grinned back. "I think that sounds reasonable."

"Good," I said in a velvet tone, wiping away my smile. "Now lets seal the deal…"

I bent in and kissed her on the lips desperately while her lips moved in synchronization to mine. This was not the same passion from only an hour ago. This was a fervor crazed with infatuation. Every cell in her body screamed for me as did mine for her. This was why we would swear to stay with each other until the ends of the earth. We were meant for each other. Simple as that.

The night continued on, unbroken by any sounds or fears. It was peaceful. It was tranquil. And above all, it was right.