“Hello?” Easton called out from downstairs.
“Looks like it’s that time!” I said to my mom. “Are you sure you can drive home?”
“Oh yeah. I’ve only had one glass!” Mom walked beside me as I went down the stairs, supporting my elbow even though I was barefoot and arguably more stable than she was.
Easton clasped his heart at first sight of me in my sundress.
“I’m honored. What did I do to deserve you?” Easton muttered as his eyes took in the length of me.
“Oh, I have to take a picture!” Mom waved her hands wildly and pranced over to her purse to retrieve her phone. I rolled my eyes. Though I completely understood and wanted a picture myself, I still hated to stand for the barrage of photos. It took away from the magic of the moment.
Easton wrapped his warm arms around my waist, and my mom snapped several photos as he kissed my temple and beamed with pride. I ignored my mom for a moment and reached up to his face and pulled him in for a kiss. All time stopped, and the camera faded away.
That was, until she said, “Wait, I didn’t get that. One more time?”
I threw my head back and groaned.
“One more time!” Easton agreed.
I laughed, and he devoured my face, making ridiculous animalistic sounds, and the camera snapped over and over again.
“OK, Mom, we’ve got to go before it starts raining!”
We said goodbye to my mom and promised to see her that night for dinner. Only I knew it was something more than that. I’d overheard her and Easton talking about it. She was planning some sort of reception for us. I had to make the internal decision not to fight it. I would have to act surprised too. That was something I wasn’t good at, but I hoped I could pull it off.
I slipped on some flats—I wasn’t going to walk through the field in heels—and my mom handed me a jacket. I scowled when I realized it would clash, but I took it anyway. Easton and I both sighed in relief as the car doors shut and we were finally to ourselves.
“You look absolutely stunning, and if we didn’t have to beat this storm, I would have taken you upstairs to ravish you,” Easton said.
I giggled. “After my mom left.”
“Yes! After!” Easton’s eyes widened with his smile.
Though it was now the seventh of May, the wet weather of April had lingered. Perhaps it was the last storm of the season. The sky that was once on the cusp of turning warm earlier in the week was now grey and chilly. The condensation lingered in the air like a low-hanging cloud. We drove over the New River Bridge, my gaze glued to the very spot we met. I turned my focus to Easton.
“Why were you going to jump that day?” I was confident now that after everything I knew, he would finally tell me the truth.
Easton grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips for a warm kiss.
“When you’ve lived as much as I have, it’s easy to become picky. I no longer live past my twenties. I choose not to. Being old is hard work. Your mind starts to slip, which can be difficult for someone, such as me. I have a lot of memories; it can be messy when reality turns into a spectrum. Plus, your vision starts to go, your body begins to ache. Things that used to be fun, just aren’t anymore. That’s why I prefer to live my lives basking in the glow of youth. Then, I choose to start over. Go back.”
“That's so sad!”
“Yeah, it is. But I can’t continue into my thirties. That’s when families start. It’s just not my place.”
“You’ve never had a family?”
“No. Not until now.” Easton looked over at me with a warm smile.
We pulled into the same spot we did the time we were almost eaten by bears. Our campsite was now unrecognizable with new growth. We got out of the car, and I slid my arms into my jacket. A part of me wondered why I even bothered with a dress in the first place. I was chilled from head to toe.
Hand in hand, Easton and I waded through the tall wet grass. And all the while, his winged dragonfly remained by his side.
“Oh my God! I think that’s the same one as last time!”
“It is,” Easton said.
I could tell there was more to the story, judging by his calm demeanor.
“And? Are you going to tell me? Or leave me guessing?”
Easton laughed. “It’s a loved one. From time to time, they visit after they've passed on. Sometimes it’s a dragonfly; sometimes it’s a sunset painted just for me; And sometimes it’s as simple as a draft in stale air.”
“You're telling me your ex-girlfriend is coming to our wedding?”
Easton laughed louder. “No! It’s not my ex-girlfriend.”
I giggled, stepping over a fallen tree. My dress soaking up the dew and becoming wet against my legs.
“Have you ever gotten chills? Goosebumps out of nowhere, and you knew it was something. Or someone?”
I nodded. “I’ve felt it. It’s like that thing you can’t explain?”
“Yeah! That’s it! That’s the bond you’ve shared with someone that still exists when they don’t.”
I thought about all the times I felt the presence of someone that wasn’t there. The times I was so captivated by a bird in flight or the beauty of a sunset. I wondered how I would show myself to Easton in the years to come.
We approached the clearing where Easton confessed his life’s secret to me. The dead tree was lit with twinkling lights that glowed through the thick grey fog like fireflies. White roses covered a stand-alone trellis, and music played softly into the air. Not a soul in sight. My heart skipped as I cupped my hands around my open mouth.
“What’s this?” Tears pricked the corners of my eyes.
“Beck, you have a lot of people that love you.”
Easton tucked my hair behind my shoulder and leaned down for a kiss full of magic and wonder. I’d never felt so loved in my entire life. The chills from my wet dress melted away with the beauty of our spot. It was majestic and spellbinding, like a fairy tale made for me. The dead tree was brought back to life with the love of my family and friends.
I picked up a rose from the arched trellis and breathed it in as I looked out to the Truly River. It was invisible due to the cloud cover, but that didn’t make it any less beautiful. I was nearly convinced I could step off the cliffside, and the low hanging clouds would carry my weight. I wondered what it would be like to nestle into the plushness of a cool cloud and fall asleep. I turned to Easton as he was setting up a tripod and a video camera.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I ran the thornless rose through my hands.
“It was at the request of your parents. The only way they were willing to accept our privacy for today was to capture it on film. They wanted to have a movie made of it,” Easton said.
“So, I have to wait to consumate our marriage. Is that what you're telling me?”
Easton laughed. “Well, I’m sure there’s an off button around here somewhere!” he said with a blush.
He pushed record and joined me under the trellis. His hair, weighted down by the moisture, fell to the sides of his eyes, making them look more vivid in contrast. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft playing music. “Surrender” by Natalie Taylor. The words—“My love will find you”—floated around us. Easton began to rock us into a slow dance. Our feet never left the ground.
“Easton, you found me. And for that, I’m so thankful. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out, why now?” I dug my chin into his chest and gazed up into his eyes.
“I’ve been looking for you, for a very, very long time.” His fingers twisted in the back of my hair as he spoke. “I can’t tell you why now. All I know is, we were meant for each other. And I wouldn't have it any other way, no matter how short our time.”
“Same.”
“Visit me? If you can,” Easton asked.
“You mean like a dragonfly?”
“In your own way. Whatever you choose. I’ll know it's you,” he said.<
br />
“I promise.” My voice came out horse, the tone splintered.
Easton squeezed me tightly, and his chin began to quiver. I buried my face against him wanting to crawl inside and live there forever. Maybe I would. Live inside his heart. Perhaps that would be the only place I existed after this.
With a heavy heart, Easton pulled me away and lowered onto one knee. I took a step back as he opened a small box between us. A single oval diamond sparkled against the blue felt of the box. The light danced inside the diamond as Easton’s hands trembled.
“I can’t tell you I know what the future holds. I don’t know. But if I know one thing, it’s that I will never stop loving you. If you let me, I’ll carry a piece of you with me, wherever I go.”
I dabbed the tears in the corners of my eyes with shaky hands.
“Yes! Absolutely! Take as much of me as you can fit. Take it all! I want to stay with you forever,” I said to Easton, and anyone else who was listening that may grant such a wish.
Easton took the ring and threw the box over his shoulder. We both chuckled as he slid the diamond ring onto my ring finger. It was a perfect fit.
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you, Beck.” Easton wiped away a tear with the sleeve of his jacket. Then, with one quick sweep, he lifted me into his arms and swung me around, dipping me backward towards the camera.
“She’s mine! All mine! Mrs. Green!” Easton shouted to the video recorder. I giggled like a schoolgirl. Of course, we weren’t legally married, nor was I legally changing my name. It was so much more than that. Something documentation could never touch.
Easton spun me around until I couldn’t take anymore, and I begged him to stop. By the time my feet touched the ground, my head had continued to swim. My vision was just becoming sharp when I saw Easton shaking a bottle of champagne.
“No!”
He popped the cork, and champagne exploded into the air and rained down upon us. I screamed and took off, running behind the old dead tree. Easton chased me, spraying every last drop he could. The taste of almond champagne dripped from my hair and down onto my lips.
We ran around the tree like kids in love. The bottom half of my dress tinged with the color of earth and bark embedded into the lace. By the time Easton caught me, I was begging to be captured. I made myself clumsy just enough to fall to the ground in a bed of tall grass. Of course, he would never let me fall alone. I laid my curled hair onto the ground and searched his eyes as he realized that the fall was merely a ploy. I bit my bottom lip and his head whipped around to examine the camera’s position.
“Are we out of sight?” I asked.
“Uh-huh.” Easton said, breathing harder now than when he was chasing me.
Excitement sparked in his eyes as his lips crashed into mine, our love manifesting in its own celebration. One that would leave me too much of a mess for my surprise reception. Perhaps, I should have thought of that before I enticed Easton to make love to me on the forest floor underneath a tower of roses and fairy lights. Although, I assured myself it wouldn’t have changed anything.
I lay, basking in the afterglow, on his outreached arm. My legs were itchy from the grass, and I watched the misty grey clouds dance through the sky. We talked about life until the first drops of rain crashed down on us.
“We should go,” Easton said, looking at me.
I sighed and turned to look back at him. Our noses were nearly touching and grass was peaking up all around us.
“I guess it’s time,” I said. I didn’t want to leave.
Easton helped me up, and I made it to my feet. My balance off for a minute or two. He collected the small speaker and camera and turned them off.
“They’ll never know,” Easton said as he placed the camera in his jacket pocket.
“Do we leave all this here?” I asked. The raindrops coming more frequently.
“Yeah! They’ll come to clean it up tomorrow. Come on, let’s go. We still have to hike out!”
By the time we reached the car, it didn’t matter that my dress was soaked in champagne and I had grass stains riding up the back. We were drenching wet. Same as the night I met Easton.
“Déjà vu!” I said after slamming the car door closed.
Easton laughed, “Who would have thought on that stormy evening that we would be married by May.”
“Me,” I said.
“Oh! Come on! You didn’t know what you thought of me!” Easton laughed.
I echoed his laughter.
“That’s not true! I thought you were deranged! And most likely homeless . . .”
I giggled, knowing that Easton was appalled by my honesty. I bet he never saw that one coming. I pulled down the sun visor and checked myself in the mirror. I looked like a drowned rat.
“Good Lord! I can’t go to my parent's house like this!”
Easton tried to be supportive. He tried to hold in his amusement, but my white dress was green with lover’s passion. He burst into laughter.
“We’ll make a pit stop. Two, actually. I should change too! I’ll just text your mom that we're going to run a little late.”
“OK, good call. Hopefully we’re not too late though. I would feel bad.”
I turned the heat on and kicked off my wet shoes. Huddling into a ball for warmth near the vent.
“Think you will move some of your stuff in?” I asked.
“I’ve been sneaking some things over slowly. It feels weird to be at my place now. It doesn’t even feel like home!”
“And my place does?”
“You feel like home. And your place is covered in your things. It’s comforting,” Easton said.
Thunder cracked, and the sky lit up in a brilliant blue seconds later. I watched the electricity dance outside my window like a show made only for my eyes. Nature had never been so beautiful to me as it was in the last couple of weeks. The colors of the earth had never been so brilliant.
We continued our drive talking about what he would move over and what he would do with his place now that it would be vacant. I tried to coax him into telling me what my mom had planned for the surprise reception, but he was a stubborn one and wouldn’t budge.
“Next week, if you’re up for it, let’s take a trip.”
“Where to?” I asked.
“The beach. I want to get you on that horse, and we can gallop through the water! Do you still want to do that?” he asked.
“I forgot about that!” I looked into the sky, waiting for the next light show. “Hey, do you still have that menu?” I asked.
“Yeah, it should be in the glove box.” Easton motioned to the compartment before me.
I opened it, and the to-go menu of Hunters fell to the floor. I marveled at the markings: only my bucket list items, none of his. Now I knew why. He’d done everything that he ever wanted to do, and then some. Getting married was probably one of the first “firsts” he’d had in a long time.
“Oh! The northern lights sound pretty good too!” I said, even more interested than the day I mentioned it. I picked up a pen and scratched off “get married.”
“Which one did you mark off?” Easton asked.
“Get married. Oh! And dance at my wedding. You wrote that?” I asked as I drove a line through it.
“I barely remember saying it,” I confessed.
I coughed, struggling to clear my throat. It wasn’t until I pulled my hand away that I saw the bright red blood and tasted the copper in my mouth. I froze, not quite understanding why my hand was painted red. Easton’s eyes flickered over to me and I hid my hand in my lap, ashamed. Streaks of blood now on my white dress. I felt Easton’s concern, but I didn’t look. Not until I heard it.
A horn sounded, long and loud, until the screeching of the tires became deafening. I lifted my head just in time to see the semi plow into the front passenger's side of our car. The headlights blinding the rain-soaked windows. The impact jarring as it sent us through the guard rails of the New River Bridge.
A
nd just for a moment, time seemed to still. The free fall in slow motion as Easton’s car plummeted to the river below. All I remained concerned with was hiding my blood-stained hand. The realization that my life was ending there and now had not yet registered.
The force of the crash knocked me half unconscious. I was barely aware that Easton was trying everything he could to free me from my seat belt. But the doors were totaled and fused shut. My seatbelt was jammed. And the same blood on my hand that I’d been desperately trying to hide, now spilled from my head as well.
Ice cold water was rushing in as Easton panicked around me. My consciousness slipping. My fate had found me. It wasn’t until the water trickled up to my nose, did I regain full awareness—my adrenaline making one last lap. I struggled to free myself, but couldn’t. I tried to hold my breath as the water swallowed me whole.
And there he was. Easton, by my side. His seatbelt free, and his window kicked through. He stayed. I didn’t want that for him. And watching his life end was far worse than leaving my body behind. But in these last fleeting moments, I admittedly was comforted by his presence.
As I stared into Easton’s eyes through the cold river water on my last breath, hundreds of images flooded my mind. My brother, giving me his last hug. My parents, handing me flowers after my dance recital when I was seven. Easton’s shoes hanging off the guardrail of the New River Bridge. The smell of puppy breath and the taste of almond champagne kisses. All as real as if they were happening in the present moment.
I saw the reception at my parent's house. I watched as my mom fell to the floor when the cops told her the news. My reception turning into an impromptu funeral. I wondered if the camera would ever be found, and what picture they would choose to blow up at my service. I hoped it would be the one of Easton kissing me while I laughed wholeheartedly. I bet that was a good one.
My body protested the lack of oxygen. I gasped for air, and ice water rushed into my lungs. I watched the little bubbles escape Easton’s nose until I could no longer feel the cold in my extremities. Easton faded away into a sea of darkness, and my mind was finally at rest. I used to think dying was the worst thing that could happen to a person. As it turns out, it’s not . . .
The Tethered Soul of Easton Green: The Tethered Soul Series Book 1 Page 18
