Ch. 28 (Somewhere In Time)
-As Luke held Lyn in his arms, she tried to explore his body with her hands.
-He managed to resist her advances again, which left her baffled. This has never happened before.
-As she drifted off to sleep, she entered another state of consciousness that took her back to
her past life as Emma.
-Jesse, the man she still loves despite being a married woman, played her a haunting song called "Somewhere In Time".
-She found herself making love to Jesse on the piano.
-She had two children: a young girl named Abigail and a toddler named John.
-When her husband William came home, Emma found herself thinking about Jesse.
-Lyn woke up screaming Jesse's name, which woke Luke up.
-He tried to calm her down, but she was clearly upset.
*Sexual references*
Location: Hangman's Tree National Historic Landmark
Date: Sunday, 10/30/11
Time: 11:10 a.m.
"Pull over right here." My eyes land on the dirt path that leads to the giant oak tree. I have never been to this park before, but this was the image that appeared on my mind when I opened my eyes this morning. Visit Hangman's Tree. Visit Hangman's Tree. As much as I wanted to stay in bed next to Lyn and trace the curve of her waist with my pointer finger, I had this urge to look for a picnic basket in one of the bottom kitchen cabinets, next to the fridge. Sure enough, I found one. It looked like it hasn't been used in years.
"Where are we?" She asks as she sets the parking brake after the rumble of the engine dies down.
"Hangman's Tree." Even though we're still a good walk away from the giant oak tree, it feels like it's standing over me, within a few feet away. Its massive size seems to challenge me to come forward, as if it's been waiting for me this whole time. I can feel my heart beating just a little faster at the thought of stepping out of the truck. For a moment, I feel paralyzed, dreading having to walk on this soil. My hands clench into a tight fist. I try to focus on the pebbles on the road as I try to catch my breath.
"Luke...are you okay?" Her fingers cover my trembling hand as she tries to search my eyes, but I look down at my lap instead.
"I don't know...I just feel weird." I close my eyes as I focus on the warmth of her hand, allowing it to bring me back to a relaxed state. Despite the tingles on my spine telling me not to go anywhere near that barren tree, I find myself opening the door.
As I climb up the stairs, my pulse begins to race with each step. I suddenly forget how to breathe. The further I am from the ground, the harder it becomes for me to look down. At one point, I close my eyes and grip the metal railings, but the sound of Lyn's voice forces me to keep going until we finally reach the top of the lookout point. As soon as the cool breeze brushes against my face, my eyes take in this magnificent panoramic view of the town. I can see the houses nestled among trees bursting with yellow, orange and red leaves, as well as the lake hugging every curve of the mountain. It is so silent that I can hear my own pulse slow down as I inhale this pure, magical air.
"Have you been here before?" She asks as she holds on to the wooden banister, her eyes never wavering from the view.
"No."
"So how did you..."
"I don't know...I just...saw this place in my head."
"Wow, how did you---" She looks at me in awe as she examines the hot dogs, cheeseburgers and apple nectar in the picnic basket.
"I made them while you were sleeping." I shrug, flashing her a smile.
"Awww, that's so sweet of you. But...how did you find stuff in the kitchen?"
"I just knew where everything was. Don't ask me why." When she scoots closer, her knee bumps into mine, causing my skin to jump. Our eyes immediately meet. I become painfully aware of how close she is next to me. Familiarly close, as if we've done this before, in this same spot. Instead of looking away, I bury myself even deeper in her liquid brown eyes. The way the sunlight hits her iris at the perfect angle, I feel like I'm drowning in an ocean of caramel. Rich, thick, luscious...just melting my inhibitions away. They whisper to me. They tell me to follow. I simply surrender, letting her eyes take me to the a place that only we know exists.
The next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground, surrounded by a sea of white and pink flowers. I can feel the cool, dewy grass and wildflowers under my hand as my eyes take in the endless clusters of stars crowding the night sky. There's a faint hum of crickets competing against the faint rustling of trees nearby. When the air stands still again, I become aware of a woman's soft, warm body on me. This startles me, but there's something about her delicate scent that puts me at ease. The mere whiff of her hair sends a thousands messages of desperate need to pull her even closer.
"Please, my love...please give me more time." Her hot breath soaks into my skin as she caresses my chest.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take. Just the thought of you going home to him...and making love to him...it drives me mad!" My mind feels like it's going to explode from all of the jealousy and frustration building deep inside. I don't know who this woman is, nor have I ever seen her before, but I love her. I feel her. I can taste all of her hopes and dreams, as well as her disappointments.
"Nothing goes as planned
Everything will break
People say goodbye
In their own special way
All that you rely on
And all that you could fake
Will leave you in the morning
Come find you in the day"
The minute our eyes connect, I am overcome by this intense longing for this woman. I am at the mercy of her pale green eyes. They have this power over me, pulling me in, consuming my every thought. Nothing else seems to matter or exist. Even the concept of time has no bearing on the only thing that I am certain of at this very moment: being with her. No rhyme, no reason. I just need to be with her.
"Even if I am in his presence, it's you on my mind. It's you in my heart. It's always been you, Jesse." She cups my jaw with her hand as her eyes fill with anguish. I turn my face to kiss the palm of her hand, but the vulnerability in her eyes just breaks my heart into a thousand pieces.
"Don't say such things."
"I'm simply telling you what's in my heart."
"No. Not when I have to go home without you. Not when I cannot hold you in my arms at night. Not when it feels like slow death until I see you again."
"Please, don't make this more difficult than---"
"Shhh..." I whisper as my lips brush against hers. My hunger for her outweighs any attempt at reason right now. "Forgive me."
I pull her even closer to me until there's no space between our breaths, our bodies and our lips. Despite all of the negative voices ringing inside my head, the sweetness of her tongue quenches my thirst for this goddess in front of me. She's married with children. She couldn't wait for me. She may never leave her husband. I should just move on with my life and find my own wife. But I see her in every face of a woman that I meet. I hear her voice. I see her smile. I cannot escape her. Even when I go to sleep at night, she haunts me in my dreams with eyes that hold the promise to eternity.
"Luke?" A soft, familiar voice calls me as I slowly leave this enchanting place where the barren oak tree lies.
It's daylight again, with the sun shining down directly at us. Gone are the endless array of flowers, hum of crickets singing and diamonds sparkling in the night sky. There's a part of me that desperately wants to be with that woman in the gold-colored gown again, but at the same time, Lyn's presence is strangely comforting. Each second that passes while she's next to me is a reminder that my imagination must have been on overdrive a few minutes ago. That's the only explanation for what I just saw and what I felt.
"It's like slow death..." I mumble under my breath as her eyes meet mine again. Why does it feel like I'm repeating myself in the same place, with the same person? I start to wonder if Lyn was there too, even as an observer, or someone that witnessed the whole thing. I can't quite put my finger on it but her energy feels very...familiar.
"Luke, are you okay? You've been acting strange since we got here. What's going on?"
"That tree. Something about that dead oak tree makes me nervous. And then I started getting these flashbacks of this couple under the tree."
"A couple? What do they look like?"
"I don't remember that much but..."
"You feel like you've been here before?"
"Yeah! How did you know?"
"Just a hunch."
Location: 1012 Pomona Promenade
Time: 12:22 a.m.
Later that night, I find myself standing in front of Lyn's bedroom. I tried to go to sleep, but it was nearly impossible, knowing she's only a few steps away. Is she asleep? Or is she lying in bed, thinking about me? I've managed to exhibit self-control in the two days that I've been here. She asked me to make love to her with such fierce need in her eyes but I still found the strength to say no. I even turned down her advances when she tried to touch me while we were cuddling on her bed. But now...after those strange flashbacks at the park, my longing for her is beyond explanation or reason. Just the thought of sleeping alone tonight, without her in my arms, is like slow torture.
As my knuckles get ready to make contact with the door, my heart stops. What am I doing? If she lets me in, that's it. We can kiss our friendship goodbye. I take a long, deep breath. I remind myself that I'll be making a huge mistake if I knock. I need to step away. I need to go back to my room. Morning will be here in a few more hours.
As soon as I turn around to head back to my room, I can hear the doorknob twist. My breath gets caught in my throat. She's standing there in her nightgown, frozen. What is she doing up? And why did she open the door right before I was going to knock? Time seems to be at a standstill as our eyes lock in an infinite dance. There are no words that can possibly describe what our mind sees...or what our hearts feel...or what our bodies want. I'm afraid to say anything. I'm even more afraid to move another inch. Maybe it's because there's no turning back once we cross that line.
Before we know it, our bodies are tangled up in a deep embrace. I pull her towards me so tight, that she seems to be melting into me, until I can't tell the difference between my skin and hers. Her scent, the warmth of her body, the softness of her breasts, the satiny fabric of her nightgown...intoxicates me. Shivers wash over my whole body as I fight the overwhelming desire to cup her breasts...and taste her lips...and run my hands up her thighs...and squeeze her ass until I hear those sweet whimpers again.
"Oh, you’re in my veins
And I cannot get you out
Oh, you’re all I taste
At night inside of my mouth
Oh, you run away
Cause I am not what you found
Oh, you’re in my veins
And I cannot get you out"
Without even thinking, I pick her up in my arms. She buries her face in my neck as I carry her towards the bed. The way she clings to me, with her arms wrapped around my heck, has such searing vulnerability. This is nothing like carrying people out of burning buildings. This is much more dangerous territory. At least with a fire, I have some type of protection: my helmet, turnout gear, boots and fire extinguisher. At least I have some type of chance to survive a disaster. I can even call for backup. But with Lyn, there is nothing to protect me. I am completely exposed. If she burns my heart, I don't know if I can handle it this time around.
As I watch her lying helplessly on the bed, with her supple breasts rising and falling, the reasons to wait are slowly escaping my head. The need to touch her, to taste her and to feel her is so consuming that it will make me explode in agony. Without a sound, my hand lightly grazes her whole leg, from her upper thigh to the curve of her foot. A soft moan escapes her mouth as she drops her head back and closes her eyes. Now my hands are moving up her thighs, slightly raising the fabric of her nightgown up to her hips, giving me a small peek of her black panties. Just the sight of it sends a surge of warm tingles towards my crotch.
Slowly, I plant light, feathery kisses on her inner thigh, causing her to gasp in surprise. When my lips are only inches away from her panties, I inhale her sweet essence, which remind me of ripe mangoes and the ocean. I can feel every chemical in my body wake up to this scent, jumping around, just aching for a taste. Mmm...I wanna taste her...so bad. I lick my lips, looking deep into her liquid brown eyes, fighting the urge to peel her panties off and wrap her thighs around my neck. I want to hear her moaning and breathing hard as I lick and slurp her with my tongue until she comes over and over again, all over my face, until she begs me to stop.
"Do you want me to hold you tonight?" I whisper as I meet her gaze, secretly thankful that my mind still managed to remember what I came here for.
"Y-yes...I'd like that." She flashes me a warm smile as she moves towards the pillows.
"Goodnight, Luke." She murmurs softly, sinking into me, her pulse matching mine.
"Goodnight, Lyn." I kiss her forehead as I wrap my arms around her.
A few hours later, I wake up with the image of that blonde haired woman calling out to me by the dead oak tree, on a foggy night. I don't know what she wants, but everytime I see her, I think about Lyn. I think about how much I want to be with her, how much I need her and how much I want to make love to her. But with each day that passes, it becomes even more difficult. I almost gave in to my desires last night...almost. If I don't leave now, we're going to have sex..whether we're ready or not. I made a promise that I will be here for her as a friend, and I will look out for her best interest.
I am so tempted to get back in bed and hold her in my arms, but I also know that the longer I stay, the harder it will be for me to leave. Being with Lyn and her beloved animals, in her house, has been the closest thing to heaven I've ever known. I get to wake up next to her and I get to hold her in my arms at night. To be able to see her beautiful face everyday, to spend time with her and hear her voice...is like a home I've never known. But it's home.
I can't stay. At this point in her life, she doesn't need any more complications. She needs to live her life, to figure out what she wants and what she wants to do. After all that she has been through, she deserves at least that much.
I take one last look at her lying in bed, sleeping so peacefully. I can't even kiss her on the cheek. It's too tempting. And if I wake her up, she might try to convince me to stay.
As I pull away from the house, I'm already overcome with a sense of emptiness. I miss them already. It takes every ounce of strength that I have left not to turn the truck around. I remind myself that my life is in Bridgeport. That's my reality, not here. Lyn and I aren't even dating, we're just friends.
For all I know, she could meet some guy here. Or worse...get back with Brad. Where does that leave me? This is the right decision. This is the right thing to do.
So why do I feel like crap?
*Copyright 2012 Lyn C.S.*
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"In My Veins" by Andrew Belle
Video by: theassassin43
As I watch her lying helplessly on the bed, with her supple breasts rising and falling, the reasons to wait are slowly escaping my head. The need to touch her, to taste her and to feel her is so consuming that it will make me explode in agony. Without a sound, my hand lightly grazes her whole leg, from her upper thigh to the curve of her foot. A soft moan escapes her mouth as she drops her head back and closes her eyes. Now my hands are moving up her thighs, slightly raising the fabric of her nightgown up to her hips, giving me a small peek of her black panties. Just the sight of it sends a surge of warm tingles towards my crotch.
Slowly, I plant light, feathery kisses on her inner thigh, causing her to gasp in surprise. When my lips are only inches away from her panties, I inhale her sweet essence, which remind me of ripe mangoes and the ocean. I can feel every chemical in my body wake up to this scent, jumping around, just aching for a taste. Mmm...I wanna taste her...so bad. I lick my lips, looking deep into her liquid brown eyes, fighting the urge to peel her panties off and wrap her thighs around my neck. I want to hear her moaning and breathing hard as I lick and slurp her with my tongue until she comes over and over again, all over my face, until she begs me to stop.
"Do you want me to hold you tonight?" I whisper as I meet her gaze, secretly thankful that my mind still managed to remember what I came here for.
"Y-yes...I'd like that." She flashes me a warm smile as she moves towards the pillows.
"Goodnight, Luke." She murmurs softly, sinking into me, her pulse matching mine.
"Goodnight, Lyn." I kiss her forehead as I wrap my arms around her.
A few hours later, I wake up with the image of that blonde haired woman calling out to me by the dead oak tree, on a foggy night. I don't know what she wants, but everytime I see her, I think about Lyn. I think about how much I want to be with her, how much I need her and how much I want to make love to her. But with each day that passes, it becomes even more difficult. I almost gave in to my desires last night...almost. If I don't leave now, we're going to have sex..whether we're ready or not. I made a promise that I will be here for her as a friend, and I will look out for her best interest.
I am so tempted to get back in bed and hold her in my arms, but I also know that the longer I stay, the harder it will be for me to leave. Being with Lyn and her beloved animals, in her house, has been the closest thing to heaven I've ever known. I get to wake up next to her and I get to hold her in my arms at night. To be able to see her beautiful face everyday, to spend time with her and hear her voice...is like a home I've never known. But it's home.
I can't stay. At this point in her life, she doesn't need any more complications. She needs to live her life, to figure out what she wants and what she wants to do. After all that she has been through, she deserves at least that much.
I take one last look at her lying in bed, sleeping so peacefully. I can't even kiss her on the cheek. It's too tempting. And if I wake her up, she might try to convince me to stay.
As I pull away from the house, I'm already overcome with a sense of emptiness. I miss them already. It takes every ounce of strength that I have left not to turn the truck around. I remind myself that my life is in Bridgeport. That's my reality, not here. Lyn and I aren't even dating, we're just friends.
For all I know, she could meet some guy here. Or worse...get back with Brad. Where does that leave me? This is the right decision. This is the right thing to do.
So why do I feel like crap?
*Copyright 2012 Lyn C.S.*
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"In My Veins" by Andrew Belle
Video by: theassassin43
