The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven

by Jessica Miller

  I waited for him to take the first step. His eyes bore down on mine before he flashed me his cocky smile and took the lead. I followed in step trying to keep a safe distance between us. The further apart I moved, the closer he would inch his way back in. We waltzed in small circles trying to avoid a collision with the nearby tables. “Tell me something, Ella. Why'd you really agree to come on a date with me?”

  “Honestly? Curiosity, I guess.” This wasn’t far from the truth.

  “Didn't you ever hear the expression curiosity killed the cat?” He said with a slight edge to his voice.

  “Are you gonna tell me next that you're some double O agent and my life is in danger?”

  “The only thing you're in danger of is loving me.” His face softened. I felt something change in his mood when he said it. It was almost as if he truly believed what he just said.

  “No worries, that is one charity I don't plan on donating to,” I said, hoping to lighten his mood.

  He chuckled lightly before spinning me away from him. He pulled me back so fast I whipped around and slammed right up against him. I felt like the air was sucked right out of me. Tristan grazed the side of my cheek and stared deeply into my eyes. “Promise me one thing Ella,” he whispered. “Promise me you won't fall in love with me.”

  “I think that is one promise I can keep.”

  He smiled but his eyes said something completely different. The waiter cleared his throat indicating his presence. I pulled away abruptly and hurried back over to my seat. The air was so much clearer over there. I didn't want Tristan to know I lied to him. One of the things I picked up on was that he had a sixth sense about people's true feelings. I couldn't risk him discovering that I felt something when I wasn't even sure myself.

  He paid the check and returned to the table. “Are you ready?” he asked. I nodded, suddenly not wanting the date to be over. “No worries. I'm not finished with you yet,” he smirked sensing my dissatisfaction. Perplexed at his once again accuracy of reading my feelings, I allowed him to pull me along to whatever destination he had in mind.

  We walked two blocks down to an ice cream shop. He held the door open for me as I sauntered through. “I thought you didn't want dessert?” I asked.

  “Not there. This place has the best cakes and ice cream and I didn't want you to miss out,” he smiled. He chose a small table in the center with heart shaped chairs. I sat down and trusted his judgment to pick something that I would like. But who were we kidding here. It's cake and ice cream. I have yet to find any flavor I did not like.

  He returned with one bowl and two spoons. “I thought we'd share,” he said, offering me a spoon. “It can be a little rich sometimes so it's hard to finish one on your own,” he explained. I dug in right away without a second thought. He smiled softly at my eagerness.

  “This is really good,” I said, wiping away the small bit that dribbled down my chin.

  “I love coming here and watching the scenery,” he said, never taking his eyes off of me.

  “That's kind of hard to do if you're not actually looking around,” I said, feeling a slight chill.

  He reached across the table grasping my hand in his. He brushed his thumb across the top in gentle circles. “I don't need to look when I have the best view right in front of me.”

  I stifled an eye roll. “Could you be any more pathetic?”

  “You really don't know how to take a compliment do you?” he sighed, pulling back leaving me with a slight emptiness where his hand had lingered.

  “Maybe it's because with your flattery comes ulterior motives.”

  I played with my spoon in the ice cream as he watched me, contemplating his next move. “It's no secret I've had my fair share of women, but that doesn't make me a bad person. I'm not going to pretend to be someone I'm not.”

  I paused at his sudden turnaround in the conversation. I collected my thoughts and answered as honestly as I could. “I would never ask you to be anyone other than who you are. But see that's the difference between you and me. We come from two different worlds.”

  “Don't you think it's time you ventured outside your bubble?” He challenged. I stared at him not sure where he was going. Tristan had so many random thoughts it was hard to process what he was talking about half the time. In retrospect, if you thought hard enough, you could find the underlining meaning. But sometimes it was better to not even bother with the headache.

  He stood up reaching for my hand. “We're not going to dance again are we?” I asked with reluctance.

  “No,” he laughed, “I have one more place I want to take you.” I turned back to the half melted ice cream and silently took his hand. Once we were outside, I got hit with a cold chill. I rubbed my hands vigorously up and down my arms trying to warm them. “You cold?” he asked.

  “Yes. All that ice cream probably didn't help,” I admitted.

  “Hold on a sec,” he gestured. He jogged down the two blocks to his truck and retrieved something from the backseat. He returned with a jacket that he placed over my shoulders like a gentleman. “Better?”

  “Yes, thank you.” He took my hand and led me to a back alley. I stopped, jerking his arm back. “Where are we going?” I asked suddenly not liking the situation.

  “Relax,” he said, pulling me along. “If I wanted to kill ya, I would have picked a less populated area,” he winked.

  I glared at him not amused. “That's comforting,” I said, sarcastically.

  “C'mon,” he tugged. I reluctantly followed and he ventured down the alley until we fell upon a fire escape. Tristan jumped, more like floated, into the air to pull down the ladder. Once he felt it was secure he turned to me. “Ladies first.”

  “Uh-ah, I'm not going up there first so you can look up my dress,” I replied, giving him the evil eye.

  He rolled his eyes at me. “Fine,” he said, stepping onto the first rung. I followed him shortly after. Once he got to the top of the first landing, he turned around to offer me a hand.

  We climbed all the way to the top of the building. “Now what?” I asked, trying not to look down. I was hoping I didn't suddenly develop a fear of heights. I never had a problem before, but I'd also never been that high off the ground either. I set my fears aside and pressed my back tightly up against the wall to help myself feel more secure.

  Tristan smiled playfully at me then turned his attention to the window behind us. “Tristan, what are you doing?” I asked as he jimmied the window open. “Are you breaking in?” I looked around nervously.

  “Relax, it's abandoned.” He pushed the window aside with ease, and then lifted his one leg over the sill while holding onto the frame for leverage. Once he was safely inside, he waved for me to join him. I looked around once more to make sure no one was watching. I swung one leg through the open window then the other trying to make sure he couldn't see up my dress, which wasn't easy. Tristan helped me down from the edge and gently onto the floor.

  He took my hand and guided me through the pitch black room to a door that led to a hallway. I kept close not able to see no more than two feet in front of me. I was unaware if it was the cool chill in the air, the rush of doing something we're not supposed to, or his close proximity. Regardless of the cause, my body felt a rush unlike no other.

  We ended up at another door, with another pair of stairs. I somehow managed to make out the writing on the door from the dim light of the outside street lamps. “Roof access… we're going to the roof?”

  “Trust me, you'll love it,” he promised. I figured I've come this far I might as well follow through.

  After we exited onto the roof, Tristan wedged a brick in between the door so it wouldn't lock us out up there. He directed me towards the center of the roof and had a seat. I mimicked him while carefully adjusting my dress as I sat with my legs crossed out in front of me. When he found I was situated, he lied back offering I follow suit. So I did.

  I was amazed at the brilliant sight before me. “Wow, look how bright they are.”
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  “This is one of the few places you can come and really see all the stars,” he told me. “In the city there are too many lights.”

  “It's beautiful.”

  “I've seen better.” I knew his comment was directed at me from the warm breath I felt on my cheek. Feeling a sudden rush of heat, I made myself answer keeping with our normal commentary.

  “If that was an attempt at a pickup line, I would have to say you're slipping.”

  He regarded me closely before responding with what he hoped was a better line. “Il mio cane ha mangiato I miei compiti.”

  The way he said it made my heart sputter. “What does that mean?” I asked breathlessly.

  “My dog ate my homework.” I looked at him wondering if he was kidding. The slight twinkle in his eye told me he wasn't pulling my leg.

  I laughed so hard I almost snorted. “Charming.”

  “Well, I knew you were too good to fall for any lines.”

  “Right,” I said, hoping he hadn't noticed I almost had. “Tell me more.”

  “You don't want to hear them.”

  “Yes I do, please,” I begged.

  “I've never seen a star twinkle as bright as your eyes.”

  “Wow,” I said, trying to contain my laughter. “Give me another one.” He sighed and thought for a moment. “Is that all you got?”

  “No, it's just...I usually play to the situation.”

  “How so?”

  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before giving me his answer. “Okay, so say it's raining outside. I'll walk up to a girl and ask, 'Do you know why it's raining out?' When she says no, I'll turn her to face me and say, 'the Heavens are crying because they're missing an Angel.”

  I laughed even harder this time. “And this works?”

  “Hasn't failed me yet.”

  “Where do you find these girls?” I had a hard time believing that any girl would fall for such a cheesy line. He just shrugged, not caring to elaborate. “How come you never tried any of these on me?”

  “Because you are more worthy than any cheesy come-on or cheap move.”

  “And you want me to believe that wasn't a line?” I said, turning to face him. His head was lolled to the side, making our lips only an inch apart. I subconsciously licked my lips, biting the inside of my cheek. We both knew he never needed to use a line to get me. Just a look and a simple touch was all it took for me to melt.

  He gently grazed his thumb along my jaw line. He wet his lips while his eyes trailed the soft curve of my bottom lip. My breath hitched at his touch and I braced myself for the sudden impact I would feel from his kiss. Only our lips never made connection. I was startled by a loud noise coming from behind us. “What was that?” I asked, sitting up abruptly. I turned my head in every direction looking for an explanation to the noise.

  Tristan sighed and brought himself into a sitting position. I knew from the look on his face he was frustrated from the interruption. He hadn't responded to my earlier question making me feel at a loss for what to say. My emotions were in a whirlwind. I felt trapped in the middle of a cyclone with no way out. Tristan's finger danced dangerously close to mine. Our skin made contact and I laced my fingers through his feeling a rush of heat.

  He relaxed at the embrace of the tender touch. “Look up there,” he pointed to the sky.

  “What am I looking for?”

  “In about one minute...there,” he said.

  “Was that...oh my God, it's a meteor shower.” I gazed in awe. “I've never seen one before. It's so...”

  “Magical.”

  I shifted towards him, and then quickly looked away feeling the power of his draw. “Yeah, it's pretty neat.” We both sat there silently.

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked once the moment was gone. I wanted to keep the conversation light.

  “No,” he said as if there was a void inside his heart from being an only child. “You?”

  “Two older brothers.”

  “I bet they feel lucky to have a sister like you.”

  “Hardly,” I scoffed. “They torment me all the time.”

  “I'm sure it's all out of love.”

  “You sound like my dad.” He gave me a wry look making me laugh. “Tell me about yourself.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  I thought it over for a moment and decided to ask what has been in the back of mind since the first day we met. “Have you ever had a serious relationship?”

  “Define serious.”

  “I'll take that as a no. What's your major?”

  “Sorry, one question at a time, it's my turn now.”

  “Okay, ask away,” I said, preparing myself for whatever he was going to throw at me.

  “What about you, any serious relationships?”

  That was one question I wasn't ready for.

  I thought a moment, deliberating how much I wanted to share with him. “One,” was all I said.

  “What happened? Did he break your heart?” he asked with a playful smirk.

  “No, he um, died.”

  He clenched my hand tighter feeling my sorrow at the mention of my ex. “I'm sorry.”

  “You didn't know, it's fine.”

  He hesitated a moment before he asked, “How did it happen?”

  I played around with the hem of my dress before I answered. “Car accident,” I replied not wanting to divulge any more information. I could see that he suddenly regretted asking so I quickly changed the subject. “My turn now and I get to ask three because apparently you can't follow your own rules of one question at a time.”

  “That's fair,” he replied. I could tell he was still stuck on the fact that I just told him the only serious relationship I had ended in death, but I didn't want to dwell on it. I was finally feeling okay with it and I knew if I drudged up bad memories I would be stuck in the past and I worked so hard to move forward. So I moved on with the questions.

  “If you could pick any place in the world to go where would it be?”

  “Ireland,” he said without a second thought. I noticed he relaxed a little with the change of subject.

  “Why Ireland?” I asked wanting to know his reasoning because if I had to choose, I would have said Ireland also.

  “That's where I'm from.”

  “You don't have an accent.”

  “Don't I?” He said attempting a try at an Irish accent. I smiled. It was hard not to blush. His interpretation was pretty accurate.

  “What happened?”

  “I moved to the states when I was five. I guess you can say I left my accent back in Ireland.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  “The accent?”

  “Yes the accent,” I rolled my eyes. “No Ireland.”

  “All the time. I still have family there so I try to go back every chance I get.”

  “I’ve never been and always wanted to go,” I replied with a twinge of jealousy. Being Irish you would think my parents would make frequent trips to Ireland, but it's quite the opposite. For some reason they've constantly found excuses for us not to go. I never pushed the issue.

  “Well maybe someday we can go together,” he smiled.

  “That would be nice,” I said before I realized those words actually came out of my mouth. He smiled sweetly at me making me feel all warm inside.

  “Ella, can I tell you something?” He spoke as if what he had to say might make me run.

  “You can tell me anything,” I encouraged. “You never held back before so why start now?” I teased, bumping his shoulder.

  He looked into my eyes and I saw something different in his tonight. A longing, a desire so intense I thought he might burst. “I like you,” he said. “I mean I really like you. I'm crazy about you,” he confessed, making my heart pound.

  “I will agree you're crazy,” I said laughing, hoping to calm the erratic beating of my heart. He smiled and shifted himself so he was facing me. His hand still held mine. He tentatively reached over and caressed
my cheek. I closed my eyes and welcomed his soft touch. His fingers burned my skin, but in a good way. I could feel how badly Tristan wanted to kiss me, but was afraid I might reject his efforts.

  I tilted my head slightly, giving him the okay. He brought my face closer to his, leaned in slightly, and softly pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was sweet, not forced or rushed. He pulled back all too soon. I wanted more and knew he did too. He resisted the urge and I knew it was killing him inside. With a gracious smile, he brushed a piece a hair away and tucked it behind my ear. He traced my jawline with his finger, making my skin tingle.

  Just when I thought he was about to kiss me again, I felt a drop on my cheek. I pulled back and looked up. “Is it raining?” It was like the sky had opened up. Buckets of rain poured down on us. I yelped jumping to my feet. Tristan and I ran to the door only to find it was now closed. That's what the noise was I realized. Somehow the brick had slid out allowing the door to close and lock us out.

  “What are we going to do now?” I asked, not knowing another way down. We were completely drenched having no shelter from the rain. The heavy drops felt like ice making me shiver uncontrollably. Tristan held up his finger indicating he'd be right back. He jogged over to the side of the building and looked over the edge. After a few seconds of deliberation he returned to me pushing back his soaking wet hair.

  I looked at him worried. “We're going to jump.”

  “Are you nuts? There's no way I'm jumping off the roof,” I said panicked. I paced back and forth biting my nails. “There has to be another way,” I tried to convince myself.

  “Ella,” Tristan said, interrupting my incessant rambling. “It's the only other way down. You will be fine.”

  My frightened expression told him I needed a push. He gripped my waist, tugging me along over to the edge. I peered over the side quickly backing up. “There's no way I'm jumping.” It was at least an eight foot drop from the roof to the fire escape.