Keira's POV
The 11th
The trip off to the beach had me ready to relax. My flight wasn't too long, but long enough allowing me to indulge in a book. It was something I could to take the stress off, to relax. For an entire week. There would be no obligation to see my friends, no puppies to take care. Not that I'd be relieved to be away from my job; I loved it, but there was a point where it could become tiresome. I needed time for myself.
Time away from the business of New York. Away from the noisy city could do my mind some good. I'd only miss one thing, one person, though. This trip meant I would be leaving Steve behind. It meant not writing to him for an entire week. I would have, but I wasn't sure how to send it off from where I was staying. If I'd been brave enough, I would have told him. Told him where I'd be staying. Yes, I mentioned the trip, but I failed to give him the address to the house I rented in Oak Island.
Instead, I have him a specific date to meet. In January; late January to be exact. Stupid. We could have planned this trip out together. But you don't know if that was even possible. Could he have gotten the time off? I thought to myself. Why was I afraid to meet earlier? Perhaps it was because I thought once he got to see the real me, then maybe he wouldn't like me. Perhaps, I was also afraid that he would, and we would fall more in love with each other.
I should have invited Steve to Christmas dinner. I would have enjoyed his company. I could have started more of a deeper connection in our friendship. To bring it to something more. The other person, I could have invited to spend time with me was Natasha. Though, I hadn't seen her since the night of the storm. No matter. I planned to have the best time I could have at the beach. Even if I longed to have Steve's arms wrapped around me as we walked along the shore.
The plane landed and I got off to collect my luggage at baggage claim. I made my way to the rental cars and found the one I had put on hold, getting in and driving down to the house I'd be staying at. It was a three bedroom and two bathrooms. Huge, I know but I figured it didn't really matter. It was right on the beach, a walkway leading down from the house itself. If I wanted to take a walk, it would only take a minute to get down to the sand.
I unpacked my belongings in the drawers and closet, placing a stack of books on the nightstand near the master bed. I brought six books in total. Maybe I should have brought more, I thought, shrugging my shoulders. If I had a need to run out and pick up more, I knew a used bookstore in Southport that I could go to. I proceeded to head down to a nearby grocery store to pick up supplies for the week, hot chocolate and tea top priority as well as food I could cook. When I got back to the house and had unloaded the groceries, I realized the only thing I could do around 8 p.m. was read well into the next morning's light; I wrapped up in blankets and opened the first book of the week, doing just that after eating dinner.
The 13th
Most of the day on the 12th, I spent time reading, getting through two more books from the stack near the bed. Deciding to pace myself, I slipped on a sweater and jeans, paired with a scarf, a heavy, black trench coat, and boots; I went out for a walk on the beach, taking the walkway there. The house had come with a pool, but it was outdoors and closed for the season. Understandable for the middle of December. The trip was going well, I thought. I didn't have a care in the world about other activities. My mind, however, frequently went to Steve and I found myself dreaming about him, only for some unknown reason, I kept seeing him as Captain America.
Not that I had a crush on the Avenger, but Steve's description of himself kind of resembled Captain America a little bit. Wouldn't it be funny if he turned out to be the brave Avenger? Gloria did say he had signed up for the event. It would be my luck that I'd end up with him and didn't even realize it was him.
I smiled to myself, my lips stretching across my face as I imagined it. I stopped to face the ocean. To watch the waves crash, one after another; the water stretching along the coastline. Beautiful chaos, the foam receding back out to where it belonged. The wind blew my hair behind me, a few strands getting into my eyes; I tucked those behind my ears, still observing the beauty of nature before me. I bent down to take off my boots and socks, rolling up the bottom of jeans to mid-calf.
I know this decision wasn't a wise one; a horrible one really, but I wanted to feel the sand between my toes. To have the grittiness and roughness of it against my skin. I needed to submerge my feet in the salty water. I took a few steps in, yelping at the coldness of it, the December temperature opposite of the nice warm summer temperature it usually had. I looked around to see if anyone was giving me weird looks, but the beach was empty; an invitation to be myself, to leave all worries and thoughts behind. I stood still in the ocean, sinking in the sandbar as the water rushed onto the shore, over my feet.
After a few minutes, a sound erupted from my throat. A laugh. One loud, genuine laugh. I'd made a decision for myself for once. I didn't have my parents to tell me not to do something. I didn't have my friends judging my actions. At this moment, I was free. No comments about being antisocial when all I want to do is read. No judgment about my job. No soul to bring me down. No one to make me as if I didn't belong. I closed my eyes, my arms coming up to hug my body. I let out a breath of relaxation, letting the cool ocean breeze pour over me.
For once, I let my mind wander to wherever it pleased. I let go of everything, the tension in my body releasing. I opened my eyes slow and wondered what Steve was doing while I was away, walking back to the comfort of the house.
Steve's POV
Three days had passed. Three days of not having a letter from Keira. She had left on vacation and wouldn't return until the 16th. Seven days without her. Seven days without who I thought could be my soulmate. I was restless. The workload I decided to throw upon myself overtook me and my thoughts of her. I wanted to try and distract myself from the fact that she wasn't in New York. More training sessions, more missions to go on. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to stress myself out this much. Maybe I should have gone on a vacation as well. I worried about her. Not about if she'd meet someone else because I knew her heart only belonged to me.
I worried about her safety. I wondered what she'd be doing on her trip. Would she be thinking of me? Would she be reading? Shopping? Today was another training session and the punching bag I practiced on took a major beating. Each punch would bring about another worry about Keira. More questions plagued my mind. Eventually, I found my mind going where it needn't be going. Daydreaming about the beach and walking along the shore together, hand in hand. Flashes of imagination of her body underneath mine. Punch. Our lips locked in passion; fingers intertwined. Punch. Her sighs, moans; I imagined how soft her skin would be against mine. Punch.
The last punch sent the bag off the chain and it flew across the room, hitting the wall with a loud THUD. I turned to see my fellow teammates had stopped what they were working on to glance at me. Bucky, who had started showing concern on the second day approached me, prompting the others to get back to training.
"Everything alright? You're not overdoing it are you?" he asked, gesturing to the destroyed punching bag lying in the floor. Another one annihilated by my repetitive thoughts. Though, they had never gone too far. Today, they did, and I felt ashamed, but also wondering if it could ever happen.
"I'm fine. I guess, I still have a lot of pent up energy," I said, tugging the bag out of the middle of the walkway.
"You're distracting yourself from her. You've gone on four missions in two days and today you've destroyed a punching bag. I'm worried Steve. Worried because I'm not I've ever seen you like this," he continued.
"On the contrary, my mind couldn't get far enough away from Keira. Only this time instead of worrying if she's safe, my mind went…never mind. I'm fine, I assure you,"
"She'll be back the 16th. Three days from now. It's the 13th. You need to hold it together until the 16th and then write to her. Tell her what's been going on," he told me.
"The 16th. Just need to get to the 16th. I'm restless. That's all. Nothing to worry about," I said.
"Try to relax. Take your mind off her. Not always, but maybe don't think about her too much. She's fine. Trust me," Bucky stated, patting my shoulder.
"Relax. Right. Everyone can end training today. I need another couple of hours," I said.
"Steve…"
"I'm fine. I just need to get all this energy out. I can't write to her. I could, but I don't want to wait too long to hear back from her. Please, Buck," I said, dismissing the others. He sighed and walked out the room, leaving me to work out all the restlessness. I knew I had it bad for Keira. Especially, if my mind had jumped on the opportunity to go passionate lovemaking instead of the usual romantic scenarios I wanted to plan out. I held back from writing another letter to her, one because of the length of time I would have to wait to hear back from her. Two, because the next letter I would write would set a date to meet in January, plus it would be a care package for Christmas that I hoped she would enjoy.
Two hours turned into three and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Natasha descending the steps towards the training room.
"Go shower. We're going out tonight. You, me and Bucky. I'd invite Wanda, but she doesn't know about Keira and I thought you might want to keep that secret a little longer. It might help to talk things out," she said. I opened my mouth to protest, but she shook her head and pointed to the double doors. I sighed and did as she asked, meeting both of my close friends at the entrance of the compound. We went to a bar and let loose everything, both of them listening and offering advice about what to do.
The Return – the 16th
Today was the day Keira would return. She'd be back and I set my plan into motion. I had spilled my guts to Bucky and Nat, who advised me to go ahead and put together the care package to her. It would be filled with goodies for Christmas; hot chocolate, tea, marshmallows, a giant throw, the movie Wizard of Oz. I had even found a Sherlock Holmes book I thought she might like. I planned it out for her to have it before Christmas, so she could take it with her to North Carolina. I hoped it would arrive either on the 19th or the 20th.
I arranged things into place and set out to write her another letter, detailing the items and other thoughts I had. I even slipped in other drawings I had doodled when the restlessness got to be too much for training. Placing it on top of the presents inside the box, I put on the lid, sealing it and writing her address on top of it. I set it to the side, meaning to send it out before the post office closed today, thinking about Keira and what she would be doing when she got back to New York. I thought about what her reaction would be when she received my package.
Keira's POV
Anxious to get back to my apartment, I thought about the remaining days of my trip. A storm had prevented me going out on Saturday and I blazed through the final books, leaving nothing for Sunday. I had taken a final walk on the beach before picking up two more paperbacks to last me through the night after packing for the trip home.
I needed to return home to finish Steve's blanket, the last section needing to be completed. I also wanted to find a book to include in his gift. I'd return to the bookstore I had signed up for the event and pick up the first one that caught my eye. I wouldn't have much time the rest of the week, work would take over and one night I'd have book club.
As the plane landed, I almost bolted to baggage claim in order to acquire my things. I took a cab to my apartment, dropped off my luggage and immediately left to run my errands; groceries, final presents and a box large enough to stuff a blanket inside. Unloading the groceries and other purchases, I sat down on the couch to finish up the blanket, turning on my current T.V. show I was binging. I had gotten pretty far with the blanket during Thanksgiving, working on it for hours during both day and night. I ignored the pain in my hands, trying my best to have it done in time to send it off before going down to see my family for the holidays. I would take breaks, giving my hands time to rest before going back at it.
I worked on it into the early morning, turning in at 3 a.m., knowing I had to get up at 10 to greet my client who would drop off their dog for the rest of the week. I'd be leaving the 23rd to my parents and hoped I could get out another letter to Steve, telling him about the trip and replying to his suggestion of the date we were to meet up.
Present Day
I had sent out my gift to Steve, fit with the book and the blanket, including the letter to him on the 17th. I hoped it would be enough time for him to receive it. Tonight, was book club and I'd be leaving Sasha, a cute black and white Aussie of one year behind for two hours. I took her out to potty before I left the apartment, book and purse in hand.
The club was being hosted at my favorite bookstore; I was thrilled to meet new people outside of my normal social circle. I wanted to get away from the toxic environment created by my three friends. Before I could exit the building, the mailman walked in carrying a large box.
"Keira MacPherson. You've become a regular of mine. I'm glad I caught you in time. Otherwise, I'd have to deliver this tomorrow. Maybe Monday, given that it's Sunday tomorrow. Whoever this Steve guy is, he's sent you a box full of stuff this time. Must be one hell of an admirer," he greeted me. The mailman's name was Sam and we had become friendly whenever I'd come down for the mail.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Thanks, Sam. I'll just run this up before I leave for a few hours. Book club tonight," I said, turning back around to take the box upstairs. I'd open it when I got back, eager to see the contents inside.
Though, I dropped off the package, I still managed to get to the bookstore 15 minutes early. It turned out I wasn't the only one; a red head sat at one of the coffee tables in the café. I didn't go directly over there, deciding to quench my thirst first. I ordered an iced mocha; yes, in the middle of December. What can I say? I love iced beverages, except for ices which set my teeth on edge.
I walked over to the table and sat, prepared to introduce myself.
"Hi. I'm Keira. Are you here for the book club? I…Natasha?" I said, the emerald of her green eyes instantly recognizable.
"Hello Keira. How have you been?" she greeted me; the rasp of her voice familiar.
"You're hosting the club? I'm great. I just didn't expect you to be here," I said.
"I thought it might be fun. I think you're the only one to show up. I do have to be honest with you, though. I really wanted to go out and have drinks with other people. That's why I put this club together," she said.
"Oh. That could potentially be a lot of fun. Do you still want to do that tonight or were we going to discuss the book?" I said.
"We can have coffee here and talk. Maybe discuss the book every now and then. I want to know more about you. I'm sensing we could be very good friends," We began a conversation, discussing the book very little. I opened up a bit more to her, not something I usually did with my friends. There was a vibe to Natasha that made me trust her with secrets.
"You know, I signed up for a pen pal event here at this very bookstore. It sounded interesting and it let me someone new," I said, the words rushing out my mouth before I could stop them. He eyebrows shot up and she leaned in to ask me a question.
"Oh? Did you meet a guy? Or was it not specified who you would get?"
"It was assigned between girls and guys. Kind of old fashioned. I think we all need that every now and then. We hide ourselves online, but on paper I find I can be myself. Or maybe it's the writer in me. I'll tell you what though, most of the girls weren't happy with their names," I answered.
"Why? Anyone special sign up?"
"Apparently Captain America. I don't know his true name though. I got Steve Rogers. He's amazing. I think…no, I know that I'm falling in love with him,"
"Through letters? How long have you two been corresponding?" she asked.
"A few months. I know, I know. You're going to tell me I haven't seen his face, so I don't know if I can really trust him. But something feels…I don't know. It feels right, like I can tell him everything and he'll listen. Or read it with no judgment,"
"You don't think you've got Captain America, do you? Do you know the Avengers? Would you be able to tell who the name belonged to?" she said.
"I know of the Avengers. I don't know them personally. Though, I'd like to. You should have seen these women, Natasha. They were fawning over him. But, when it came down to possibly the Winter Soldier or Stephen Strange signing up, they dismissed them. Something about the Winter Soldier being dangerous. Dismissed Strange because of his car accident. Cruelty at its finest," I stated.
"What do you think of them? Not just those two. Maybe the Avengers themselves. What if you got Captain America? You could be dating an Avenger," I arched an eyebrow at her. Why was she asking all these questions? She doesn't seem judgmental, though. Maybe she's just trying to get my opinions on things, I thought.
"I think they're great. Caught up in wars they didn't choose. Blamed for things others caused. They're brave. The Winter Soldier doesn't bother me. Like I said, I don't know him. He could be sweet and kind and gentle. If I wasn't already infatuated with Steve, I would date Stephen Strange. I love his scars. I think they're beautiful," I said.
"And Captain America? If you got him, would you be excited to be dating an Avenger?" she pressed.
"If I got him…hmm. I'd really want to date the man behind the mask. Get to know that man. Sure, he's an Avenger, but I'm not the type of person who would boast to everyone that I'm dating an Avenger. I'd only be happy to be with him," I told her.
"Interesting. I like you. You're intriguing. You look at things with different perspectives," Natasha said, sitting back in her chair. We continued talking for another hour and traded numbers at the end of the meeting.
"Text me when you want to hang out. Maybe we'll grab a drink or something. You're fun to hang out with," Natasha said, before we parted ways. I returned to the apartment, took Sasha out to use the bathroom and I made dinner for us both. As I ate, the box – which sat on the end of my couch – caught my attention. I was eager to open it, waiting patiently as I ate to not choke on my food. I cleaned up and changed into pajamas, walking back into the living room. I stood in front of the box, hands on my hips, staring at it.
I grabbed it and carried it into the bedroom, commanding Sasha to join me on the bed. I knelt in front of the box for a few seconds, before taking my scissors from my nightstand drawer and unsealing it. Lifting the lid off, I discovered the letter sitting on top of the other items in the box. I opened it first to read it.
Keira,
I'm restless. I've been restless ever since the 11th. I won't be able to hear from you. I wanted to write to you earlier, to send a letter, but you're not here. Most likely, you've got your mail on a temporary hold until you get back. The 16th. I'm writing to you on the 16th. The day you return. I held back. It wasn't easy. A few punching bags got destroyed from my restlessness.
You're on my mind constantly these days. I was worried about you. Would you be safe at the beach? Which beach were you at? You didn't tell me. Not that I expected you too. Why didn't you? I could have met you down there.
I'm afraid. I shouldn't be. But I am, I thought. A small smile tugged my lips at his restlessness. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. I missed him that was for sure. He made my days brighter and warmer. I wanted him to come down to the beach but made the choice not to send him the address. Out of fear. All because I didn't know if he'd really like me.
I went on more assignments to try and distract myself from you. Only it didn't work. It made things worse. Not worse. Damn it, you're making me nervous even when I haven't seen you yet. More scenarios entered my head. I want to plan them out so much. They're romantic. Or they were, until the other day. My mind decided to go where it might have needed to stay away. I'm in love with you. This much is true.
I know it now. My imagination went rogue. It had me imagining what it would be like to make love to you. Flashes of flesh against flesh entered my head. Your body underneath mine, your silky skin pressed against mine. Our hands intertwined; our lips locked in a fiery passion. In bed, silk sheets covering us. Your hair fanned out on the pillows. Each touch a memory we haven't created yet.
Are you sure you don't want to plan to see each other earlier? Start this relationship soon? I know you wrote about maybe the middle of January. I was going to suggest the 18th. It seems so far away and I'm not sure I can wait any longer.
The world stopped at Steve's imagery of us. My breath became shallow as I read and re-read each of those words. A heat and wetness pooled at my center. He turned me on with simple writing. He was making me crave him. Why didn't we plan to meet earlier? We could have already gone on a date, I thought.
I'm not helping myself with these words. I keep going back to those images. They're still in a cabin if you're wondering. I don't understand why they're here already. Maybe it's just the restlessness. I trained harder today, for more than I probably should have. Natasha whisked me away for an outing with Bucky. I talked things out with them, and they gave me some advice.
Which is where this care package came from. Though, I had already planned on sending you something for Christmas anyway. Inside are an array of things.
First, pull out the book. Sherlock Holmes and Phantom of the Opera combined. I figured you already liked classics with your love of Austen. But it's a classic and your love of Phantom mixed together. Something to read either at your parents' or on the way there.
I pulled out the book and read the synopsis, drawn in by his explanation. He knew me already without having to think about it. It would be a great read for the holidays and had me planning to bring not only the book, but the movie as well.
Second, a giant blanket. I didn't know what color to get. The store had so many varieties of colors, but I went with a light blue one. I thought you might like to think of me when it's wrapped around you. While you read your books or knit. Or maybe gaze out on the stars on a winter night. Maybe sit by a fire on Christmas Eve with tea or hot chocolate. Envision my arms around you with it around your body.
Heat flushed my face as I pulled out the throw. It was plush and wide enough to wrap around me twice. Steve had put a lot of thought on what to gift me. No doubt I'd be thinking about him in North Carolina. I pulled off the ribbon and label, unfolding it to take out the cardboard people placed inside to keep it flat. I unfolded it fully and donned it over my shoulders, digging into the box to pull out two separate smaller boxes.
Tea and hot chocolate. There should be marshmallows in there as well. Staples you might need during the holidays. I remembered you liked tea while you read. The hot chocolate is something that everyone loves to have. Maybe spice it up with Kahlua or Bailey's to make it have a little kick. Put some marshmallows in it to drink while you enjoy yourself. If we were to spend the holidays together, I wouldn't mind kissing the chocolate off your lips, tasting it on your tongue.
There I go again. Imagining things that turn me on. Though, everything could arouse you as well. I apologize for that. Unless, you don't mind. I won't go into any more details. I want to save more dirty talk for when we are in the midst of doing such things.
There's nothing else in the box. Merry Christmas. I hope you like your gifts. I hope I got things you're sure to love. I put thought into the gifts. I usually do. Oh, wait, I did include some other doodles. When training didn't help, I let my fingers do the work. I hope you like them. Frame them for me and hang them up. Take photos of them, send them to me. Have a merry Christmas. Write to me soon. If you have a desire to push up our date, let me know.
Trying to be patient,
Steve
I pulled out four sheets of paper from the box. He had drawn a cabin, I suspected one he had in mind for our adventures and coziness. Another one was two dogs in Christmas décor, Santa hats on their heads, tongues hanging out as if in a smile. They resembled labs, a wreath encompassing their bodies. The third was a picture of two people, laying on a bed. Both in sweaters, one with a book in their hand. It took me a second to realize it was supposed to resemble us. It reminded me of the letter in which he had wrote out a story involving us sitting on a couch.
Except that one involved us kissing. This one had us reading together. A sweet drawing. The final drawing was of a man, maybe it was supposed to be him. The supposed drawing of Steve waved back at me, his sweater with an intricate Celtic pattern on it. The words Merry Christmas, my love over his form. My fingers brushed over his cheeks, over the outfit. I was trying to be patient to meet him, but the craving wanted to overwhelm me. I hoped whatever fate had in store for us would occur soon.
Steve's POV
I paced the living room as I waited for the mail to come. I hoped Keira had written to me. I worried that work got to be busy for her and she didn't have time to send anything. When nothing came on the 20th, I started to think it had been true. I almost wondered if I had been too forward with my words and maybe she had changed her mind about me.
"If you continue to pace the floor, the floor might cave in," a voice greeted me. I turned to see Natasha standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Sorry. I'm still waiting for something from Keira. It's almost been two weeks since I heard from her," I said.
"I saw her the other night. I meant to tell you that. I formed a book club to see her once more,"
"Nat, I told you not to look into her anymore. Why would you do that?" I stated, a note of anger in my tone.
"I'm not looking into her anymore. I wanted to get to know her more. Maybe hang out with her. She's interesting. If she wasn't in love with you, she'd be dating Strange. Of all people to date, she chose him. She likes us by the way. You probably know that already,"
"Hang out with her. Wait, she's in love with me. She confirmed it?" I said, realization hitting me in the face.
"Yeah. She said she was in love with you. Infatuated. I don't think you'll have to worry about her boasting to anyone about dating Captain America. Apparently, she wants the man behind the mask," I guess concern crossed my features because she held up a hand. "Don't worry. She doesn't know who I am or that you're Captain America. I didn't tell her anything. I wanted to see Keira's reaction to some of the questions I asked. If you two weren't already in love with each other, you will be," Natasha continued.
I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath until it came whooshing out of me. She didn't know the truth yet, but it didn't matter. She'd choose Steve Rogers over the Avenger. An amazing woman with a different perspective on the world. A knock sounded at the door and I glanced to see the mailman holding a large box. I opened the door and took it from him and thanked him.
"Who's it from? Keira?" Nat asked. I nodded.
"I wonder what she sent you," I set it down and untied the ribbon to lift off the lid. A letter sat on top of a blanket and I pulled it out. I opened the envelope and her words appeared in front of my face.
Steve,
I'm back in town and the first thing I wanted to do was to write to you. I needed to finish your blanket first, but eventually I sat down and formed this letter. The blanket is your Christmas present. I got a little too carried away and well, it ended up being 13ft. With only three colors. Guess I'm overly ambitious.
I suppose you're wondering how the trip was. It was great. No one to bother me and I read seven books. There was no one to tell me otherwise. No person in my ear telling me I'm antisocial. No friends judging me for keeping my nose in a book. I missed you. I missed Natasha, though I haven't seen her in some time. I missed you most of all.
I pulled out the blanket and unfolded, the length to encompass someone three times. She had found a color that matched her eyes and her scent lingered on it. It was soft to the touch and cold from being on the delivery truck. My heart hammered in my chest when she mentioned that she missed me.
"Keira missed me. I didn't think I made that much of an impression on her," Natasha said. She had peered over the letter to read with me and I let out a chuckle.
"She likes you. She wrote that she'd love to be your friend. I think you made a great impression on her," I told her.
I didn't do much at all. I went for a few walks on the beach. I found myself one day out there, wrapped up in warmth and relaxed. I made the decision to stick my feet in the water. It was cold but I didn't care. I made it for myself. I let it wash over me, sinking in the sand. Felt the roughness in between my toes. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts roam free. Most of them went to you. The 18th. I want to meet the 18th of January. Though thinking about it, I wish we could meet earlier.
Maybe you're right. Maybe fate will bring us together earlier. I hope so. It's not that I'm lonely, but I want to see your face, I want to hold your hands. I'm falling harder in love with you. I know it. I feel it. I'm not afraid anymore of falling. I wanted you here. I imagined your arms around me, holding my body to your chest.
I should have invited you to Oak Island. I was afraid to send you the address. I'm afraid you won't like me when you see me. It's silly, I know. You're already in love with my words. Why wouldn't you like me? Why wouldn't you love me? If I had invited you here, I could have had you over for Christmas dinner at my home. I want to start this relationship with you now. I want you. I'm craving you. I want to meet your friends. I'm tired of all the toxicity from mine.
I'm thinking of calling them out on all the judgment. I'm growing in confidence for the first time in my life. I think you've helped with that. I'd like for you to meet my family. I want you to meet Newt. He would love you. Like I do.
She's in love with me. Keira's confessed it now. She's sure. She's told Natasha, I thought. Everything was happening fast, and I couldn't explain how things were fitting together. It was like we were meant to be. Maybe the universe decided to provide us both with someone to love. I may have helped her with her confidence, but I think she was finding it for herself. I was a small part of it. She'd allowed herself to break free.
There was another storm. I sat in the house all day reading, blazing through the remainder of my books. It's amazing how I can be on vacation and read as much as I do. I scare myself with it. I returned and rushed to put this together for you. I found a book you might enjoy. If We Were Villains. It's a kind of murder mystery with Shakespeare involved. It's very good. Kind of draws you in.
I dreamt of you a few times on vacation. They always brought me back to the cabin. Back to us sitting by the fire, cuddled together. I want this to be a reality. Maybe it can be one of our dates. What do you think? I hope you have a Merry Christmas. I will write to you from my parents' home. It's been too long since I wrote you and I missed it too much. If we don't run into each other on New Year's, then I hope you have a good one too.
Patiently waiting for you (though hopefully for not much longer),
Keira
"You really should meet before New Year's. That would be wonderful. Celebrate it together. Too bad you've set a date to meet," Natasha said.
"Maybe we'll run into each other before the set date. It could happen. We almost met at the gala. She was there the whole time and we never saw each other. Maybe it wasn't our time. Maybe our time could happen before the 18th," I stated. In my mind, I wanted it to. We were so close to have it happening. To finally seeing each other for the first time. To begin a new life with each other. I planned to write to her at Christmas time. I'd have her address in North Carolina when she decided to write to me, and I could send something back to her. Maybe a final letter to each other if destiny pulled us towards each other.
All I knew is that I needed her, I wanted Keira. I wanted my future to be with her. I wanted her future to be with us, to be with me. I wanted to bring her to my world. I wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to love her with every fiber of my being.
