Chapter Three
"Where were you last night Simon?" asked his sister-in-law Calista, as the family at breakfast the next morning. All eyes turned to stare at him.
"Yes Simon, where were you?" his mother demanded. "I talked to Nathaniel Agastis this morning and he said his daughter was out late last night too."
James turned to his brother and grinned. "Did you score last night?" "James," his mother scolded.
"We just talked," Simon confessed. "Really?" his mother suddenly looked very interested. "Is she nice?" "She's hot!" James exclaimed loudly. "Shut up!" Simon snapped, punching his brother in the arm. "Oh, defensive are we?! Is someone sweet on the girl next door?" James shoveled food in his mouth and chewed noisily. "James, shut your mouth and keep it shut! And please don't chew like a cow!" "Listen, as much as I love this family bonding, I promised Jake I'd help unload some crates at the docks. See you guys later." Simon quickly checked his reflection in the hallway mirror, and then left without another word.
Leah sat on a wooden bench, on the dock beside her father's boat. She tried to get involved in the book she was reading, but something else was on her mind. Well, actually, someone else. Leah couldn't help but think about Simon Zealotes. She loved everything about him. She loved how his bleached blond hair, even though he put lots of gel in it, still felt soft when she played with it. She loved the way when he smiled, his eyes lit up. She loved the way he made her laugh, the way he managed to take the pain of her life away when she was with him. Leah hated though, the way Simon made her feel. Her heart pounded every time he touched her, and every time he smiled, she wanted to kiss him. It made her feel ashamed; it seemed so improper for her to feel this way, when she barely knew him.
"Hey, Leah," a familiar voice said behind her, causing her to jump about five feet in the air. She turned to see the smiling face of Simon Zealotes.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" he asked. She nodded and stood up. Simon's breathe caught in his throat. Today, Leah's blond hair was in a ponytail and her lips glistened with some sort of lip-gloss. She was wearing a red bikini and a knee-length denim skirt. Does she always have to look this fantastic? Simon thought to himself.
"Just a bit," she admitted. She set her book down and smiled at Simon. He smiled back, and Leah felt the urge to kiss him.
"Did your father get angry at you last night?" Simon asked her, pushing a strand of blond silk away from her face. Leah took a deep breath and hesitated.
"Um, no, he fell back asleep," she answered. "So, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I promised I'd help my friend do some work, but I was hoping to see you down here. I'll be about a half an hour, how about I come get you, and the two of us go for a walk?"
Leah grinned. "I'll see you soon."
"So, I've been wondering, since I barely know you, what makes Leah Agastis tick?" Simon and Leah walked down the dirt path, towards the place they went to the previous night. Leah was really enjoying herself. Simon was funny, polite, and witty. She had never met a guy like him before.
Leah laughed. "What makes me tick?" Simon smiled. "Yeah, what turns you on?" "Well, I love to paint and I love music." Leah and Simon sat down underneath the willow tree. Leah leaned against the thick trunk of the enormous tree.
"Really, do you play an instrument?" Simon asked her. "Yeah, I play the violin. I've been playing since before my mother died. She always told me I had amazing talent. It takes me away, when I'm playing. I feel like I'm escaping from my problems. I play whenever I want to feel like that. Playing music and painting make me feel happy"
"And how often do you feel like that?" Simon asked her, feeling sad for her.
"Not often," she admitted. "But right now I do." Simon looked up and gazed into Leah's eyes. He swallowed nervously and reached out to grab the chain around Leah's neck.
"I should've guessed you liked music," he told her. He studied the silver pendant on the necklace she wore. It was small music note.
Leah smiled gently. "My mother gave that to me." Tears welled in her eyes and she looked away from Simon. Simon put his fingers underneath her chin and lifted up her face, causing her to look into his eyes.
"What else turns you on?" he asked. "You do," Leah answered, simply. There was a moment of silence before Simon leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Leah's. She didn't respond for a few moments, but then her hands came up to his neck and her fingers ran through his soft hair. Simon's arms went around her waist and he pulled her underneath him, onto the grass.
Everything became blurry to Leah. Simon invaded all five of her senses. She inhaled his scent, which was a combination of his cologne, shampoo and soap. He kissed her softly at first, but the longer they lay there, their kisses became more passionate. Simon felt addicted to Leah's kisses. Her lips tasted like her strawberry lip-gloss and her sweet perfume invaded his nostrils. He needed to breath, but at the same time he needed to touch her.
Leah pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. "I can't breathe," she gasped.
"Me neither," Simon said, and they both laughed.
"That was incredible, Simon. My heart's pounding." Simon's hand went to Leah's chest and he felt her heart thumping.
"I barely know you, and I'm already falling in love with you," Simon told her. Leah couldn't believe what she was hearing. A part of her wanted to pull Simon close and kiss him again, but another part wanted to push him away and run. She was afraid of letting him get too close. She didn't want him to hurt her. Everyday, her father beat her, hurt her physically, and she couldn't bear to have her heart be broken.
"What's wrong?" Simon asked her, concern in his eyes. Leah shook her head.
"Nothing, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed."
"I-I'm sorry," Simon sputtered. "I shouldn't have come on so strong."
"No, it's not you, it's me. Listen, Simon, I wish I could explain to you what's going on, but I can't. I just need to figure things out before I let someone get close to me."
Simon looked confused. "I don't understand. Two seconds ago you were kissing me, and now you're telling me you don't want to let anyone get close to you?"
"Simon, I'm sorry. I really am. I want so badly to tell you what's happening to me, but I'm too afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Simon demanded, grabbing her by the shoulders. Leah turned away and began to sob. Simon walked up behind her and pulled her against him, his strong arms gently rocking her like a child.
"I have to go, I'll see you later." Leah pushed away from Simon and began to run down the path, into the woods, and out of Simon's sight, leaving him standing there alone.
"Where were you last night Simon?" asked his sister-in-law Calista, as the family at breakfast the next morning. All eyes turned to stare at him.
"Yes Simon, where were you?" his mother demanded. "I talked to Nathaniel Agastis this morning and he said his daughter was out late last night too."
James turned to his brother and grinned. "Did you score last night?" "James," his mother scolded.
"We just talked," Simon confessed. "Really?" his mother suddenly looked very interested. "Is she nice?" "She's hot!" James exclaimed loudly. "Shut up!" Simon snapped, punching his brother in the arm. "Oh, defensive are we?! Is someone sweet on the girl next door?" James shoveled food in his mouth and chewed noisily. "James, shut your mouth and keep it shut! And please don't chew like a cow!" "Listen, as much as I love this family bonding, I promised Jake I'd help unload some crates at the docks. See you guys later." Simon quickly checked his reflection in the hallway mirror, and then left without another word.
Leah sat on a wooden bench, on the dock beside her father's boat. She tried to get involved in the book she was reading, but something else was on her mind. Well, actually, someone else. Leah couldn't help but think about Simon Zealotes. She loved everything about him. She loved how his bleached blond hair, even though he put lots of gel in it, still felt soft when she played with it. She loved the way when he smiled, his eyes lit up. She loved the way he made her laugh, the way he managed to take the pain of her life away when she was with him. Leah hated though, the way Simon made her feel. Her heart pounded every time he touched her, and every time he smiled, she wanted to kiss him. It made her feel ashamed; it seemed so improper for her to feel this way, when she barely knew him.
"Hey, Leah," a familiar voice said behind her, causing her to jump about five feet in the air. She turned to see the smiling face of Simon Zealotes.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" he asked. She nodded and stood up. Simon's breathe caught in his throat. Today, Leah's blond hair was in a ponytail and her lips glistened with some sort of lip-gloss. She was wearing a red bikini and a knee-length denim skirt. Does she always have to look this fantastic? Simon thought to himself.
"Just a bit," she admitted. She set her book down and smiled at Simon. He smiled back, and Leah felt the urge to kiss him.
"Did your father get angry at you last night?" Simon asked her, pushing a strand of blond silk away from her face. Leah took a deep breath and hesitated.
"Um, no, he fell back asleep," she answered. "So, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I promised I'd help my friend do some work, but I was hoping to see you down here. I'll be about a half an hour, how about I come get you, and the two of us go for a walk?"
Leah grinned. "I'll see you soon."
"So, I've been wondering, since I barely know you, what makes Leah Agastis tick?" Simon and Leah walked down the dirt path, towards the place they went to the previous night. Leah was really enjoying herself. Simon was funny, polite, and witty. She had never met a guy like him before.
Leah laughed. "What makes me tick?" Simon smiled. "Yeah, what turns you on?" "Well, I love to paint and I love music." Leah and Simon sat down underneath the willow tree. Leah leaned against the thick trunk of the enormous tree.
"Really, do you play an instrument?" Simon asked her. "Yeah, I play the violin. I've been playing since before my mother died. She always told me I had amazing talent. It takes me away, when I'm playing. I feel like I'm escaping from my problems. I play whenever I want to feel like that. Playing music and painting make me feel happy"
"And how often do you feel like that?" Simon asked her, feeling sad for her.
"Not often," she admitted. "But right now I do." Simon looked up and gazed into Leah's eyes. He swallowed nervously and reached out to grab the chain around Leah's neck.
"I should've guessed you liked music," he told her. He studied the silver pendant on the necklace she wore. It was small music note.
Leah smiled gently. "My mother gave that to me." Tears welled in her eyes and she looked away from Simon. Simon put his fingers underneath her chin and lifted up her face, causing her to look into his eyes.
"What else turns you on?" he asked. "You do," Leah answered, simply. There was a moment of silence before Simon leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Leah's. She didn't respond for a few moments, but then her hands came up to his neck and her fingers ran through his soft hair. Simon's arms went around her waist and he pulled her underneath him, onto the grass.
Everything became blurry to Leah. Simon invaded all five of her senses. She inhaled his scent, which was a combination of his cologne, shampoo and soap. He kissed her softly at first, but the longer they lay there, their kisses became more passionate. Simon felt addicted to Leah's kisses. Her lips tasted like her strawberry lip-gloss and her sweet perfume invaded his nostrils. He needed to breath, but at the same time he needed to touch her.
Leah pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. "I can't breathe," she gasped.
"Me neither," Simon said, and they both laughed.
"That was incredible, Simon. My heart's pounding." Simon's hand went to Leah's chest and he felt her heart thumping.
"I barely know you, and I'm already falling in love with you," Simon told her. Leah couldn't believe what she was hearing. A part of her wanted to pull Simon close and kiss him again, but another part wanted to push him away and run. She was afraid of letting him get too close. She didn't want him to hurt her. Everyday, her father beat her, hurt her physically, and she couldn't bear to have her heart be broken.
"What's wrong?" Simon asked her, concern in his eyes. Leah shook her head.
"Nothing, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed."
"I-I'm sorry," Simon sputtered. "I shouldn't have come on so strong."
"No, it's not you, it's me. Listen, Simon, I wish I could explain to you what's going on, but I can't. I just need to figure things out before I let someone get close to me."
Simon looked confused. "I don't understand. Two seconds ago you were kissing me, and now you're telling me you don't want to let anyone get close to you?"
"Simon, I'm sorry. I really am. I want so badly to tell you what's happening to me, but I'm too afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Simon demanded, grabbing her by the shoulders. Leah turned away and began to sob. Simon walked up behind her and pulled her against him, his strong arms gently rocking her like a child.
"I have to go, I'll see you later." Leah pushed away from Simon and began to run down the path, into the woods, and out of Simon's sight, leaving him standing there alone.