“You know that person… The one that gets underneath your skin and no matter what you do, you can’t destroy the camp they built there? This is that story. This is our story. We met when I was sixteen…”
That first look is something you never forget. That lingering feeling stays with you.
The first time I saw him he had his back to me, but it didn’t matter, he was it. It was as if the fog created by the hot springs dissolved everyone else around us as my feet sank deeper into the warm waters. Every step I took was taking me closer to him.
The friend beside me disappeared and I could no longer hear her voice as my being was drawn to his.
The light cascaded over his skin betraying a large tattoo that shrank into the water at his back. Nothing could have kept me away from him. It was magnetic. I had to know his name.
As we drew closer, the contrast between light and dark danced between him and his friend. Then, they both turned as we sat on the steps of the adjacent pool.
His eyes were dark, enchanting, and his smile lit up the night around him.
“Hi, I’m Gabe,” he spoke with a southern drawl slipping from his lips.
“Evangeline,” my voice did not betray the anxiousness within me. I smiled as I watched the pair step into the night air and scrunch at the tingle of the warm water over their cold skin.
Gabe sat next to me as our friends settled in next to each other. The words of new people getting to know one another whispered through the cool mountain air. When a feeling of comfort settled in between us like a cozy blanket, I asked about his tattoo. Gabe turned so that I could see it as he explained the scene at his back.
He said it hurt like hell. The outline was complete, but he hadn’t had the time to fill in all the details. The artwork covered nearly the entire expanse of his back, ending at the base of his spine, wrapping around his shoulder blades, and dancing playfully up his neck.
My eyes roamed over every detail as I followed the path of an angel and demon trapped in an embrace neither one of them could disentangle themselves from.
The art was unfinished, just like him. Just like me.
Gabe turned back to face me and we both smiled and laughed. We spoke as long as the night would let us.
This feeling was new to me, but I didn’t dare ask him… Was his heart racing like mine?
Read the rest of the story…
Evangeline and Gabriel: Introduction
Evangeline and Gabriel: Dedication
Evangeline and Gabriel: At 1st Sight
Evangeline and Gabriel: Sitting by the Campfire