It had been weeks since Adrian's request, but he was nowhere to be found and Lissette had all but given up hope for his return. Even though her heart was breaking, she rose and pressed on. She'd enrolled in a few classes at the nearest school and was now reading non-stop. She rarely slept, opting to spend time with Shakespeare, Poe, and Dickens, three of her favorite men.
Again, Sister Marion interrupted her daydreaming by announcing lunch. Lissette reluctantly sauntered into the poorly lit refectory, wishing to return to her books all the while. She walked into the room, her feet shuffling. Lissette sat in her designated seat, never noticing that she was unaccompanied. The sun had come up only half an hour before, but she never put it together. Then she heard it.
"Lissette," someone said, so softly she could've sworn it was the wind. The voice repeated her name, this time a little louder. She could feel the tiny hairs on her neck stand as the sound of her name sent shivers through her entire being.
"Adrian?" she asked, her voice a barely audible murmur. Her confirmation came with the feeling of a heavy hand on her shoulder, then the touch she'd longed for since their meeting. A rough hand traveled slowly from her shoulder to her cheek, caressing her soft skin lightly. The small hairs were still alert and it took most of her strength to keep from attacking him. Rather, she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as she parted her lips to take a delicate breath. She placed her hand on top of his, and then stood to face him.
"Where have you been?" she asked, barely believing that he was standing before her. She ran her hands up and down his arms, eliciting an excited shiver. He took a small step back, taking in the sight of the young girl before him who had grown so old in such a short time. He felt empathy, sadness, desire and adoration for the woman. She searched his eyes for an answer, losing herself in the dark brown depths, which seemed to lead to his very soul.
"Nessun domande," he said softly. Lissette had never heard spoken Italian, but suspected that he was speaking in his native tongue, considering how thick his accent seemed all of the sudden. "No questions," he repeated, leaning down to her. His large hand held her face firmly, but with a gentle touch, unmistakably reserved for those who mattered most.
As Adrian pressed his lips gently to hers, she felt as if she could fly. None of the boys she'd kissed before had ever made her feel this way before, but Adrian was different; He was a man. Lissette's hands stayed at her sides through the tender ordeal as she resisted the temptation to make things a little more intense. Remembering that they were in a holy place, Adrian gradually pried their lips apart, savoring every moment of the sweet kiss.
"You haven't left my mind," he thought, grasping her hand, silently urging her to go with him. She started to speak, but was quieted by a long, brown finger on her pink lips. He smiled and guided her outside, stopping only to open the door of his car.
----
"Adrian," she said, her voice quavering as tears threatened to splash from her eyes, "Where were you?"
"Don't worry, Lissette," he told her softly, stroking her cheek gently, "It's over now, I won't leave again."
"Do you swear?" she asked, suddenly feeling like a small girl.
"On everything I am."
Again, Sister Marion interrupted her daydreaming by announcing lunch. Lissette reluctantly sauntered into the poorly lit refectory, wishing to return to her books all the while. She walked into the room, her feet shuffling. Lissette sat in her designated seat, never noticing that she was unaccompanied. The sun had come up only half an hour before, but she never put it together. Then she heard it.
"Lissette," someone said, so softly she could've sworn it was the wind. The voice repeated her name, this time a little louder. She could feel the tiny hairs on her neck stand as the sound of her name sent shivers through her entire being.
"Adrian?" she asked, her voice a barely audible murmur. Her confirmation came with the feeling of a heavy hand on her shoulder, then the touch she'd longed for since their meeting. A rough hand traveled slowly from her shoulder to her cheek, caressing her soft skin lightly. The small hairs were still alert and it took most of her strength to keep from attacking him. Rather, she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as she parted her lips to take a delicate breath. She placed her hand on top of his, and then stood to face him.
"Where have you been?" she asked, barely believing that he was standing before her. She ran her hands up and down his arms, eliciting an excited shiver. He took a small step back, taking in the sight of the young girl before him who had grown so old in such a short time. He felt empathy, sadness, desire and adoration for the woman. She searched his eyes for an answer, losing herself in the dark brown depths, which seemed to lead to his very soul.
"Nessun domande," he said softly. Lissette had never heard spoken Italian, but suspected that he was speaking in his native tongue, considering how thick his accent seemed all of the sudden. "No questions," he repeated, leaning down to her. His large hand held her face firmly, but with a gentle touch, unmistakably reserved for those who mattered most.
As Adrian pressed his lips gently to hers, she felt as if she could fly. None of the boys she'd kissed before had ever made her feel this way before, but Adrian was different; He was a man. Lissette's hands stayed at her sides through the tender ordeal as she resisted the temptation to make things a little more intense. Remembering that they were in a holy place, Adrian gradually pried their lips apart, savoring every moment of the sweet kiss.
"You haven't left my mind," he thought, grasping her hand, silently urging her to go with him. She started to speak, but was quieted by a long, brown finger on her pink lips. He smiled and guided her outside, stopping only to open the door of his car.
----
"Adrian," she said, her voice quavering as tears threatened to splash from her eyes, "Where were you?"
"Don't worry, Lissette," he told her softly, stroking her cheek gently, "It's over now, I won't leave again."
"Do you swear?" she asked, suddenly feeling like a small girl.
"On everything I am."