Timeless love

by Priscila Serrano

  He laced his fingers with Elsa’s and looked at her.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  “Right now, I think so.”

  “I can live with that.”

  He pulled at her and walked holding hands. Luka showed her the best places in Venice, forcing her to have fun and stop looking at the watch. He forced her to be herself in a place she didn’t know, many miles away from home.

  About three in the afternoon, she received a phone call from her father she couldn’t ignore, even though Alicia tried to snatch the phone from her hands so she couldn’t answer.

  “Are you crazy? I have to pick up,” she complained.

  “Party pooper.”

  Elsa stuck her tongue at her while hitting the green button on her screen.

  “You finally pick up. Happy birthday, darling!”

  She laughed after hearing her father’s shout.

  “Thank you, dad.”

  “How are you enjoying your birthday? Corina already told me Alicia planned a busy day for you.”

  She frowned while staring at her stepsister, since she didn’t know she had talked to her mother. Had she called her to tell her about her and Stefan? She hoped she hadn’t. She wouldn’t do that. She was getting paranoid.

  “I am enjoying myself. I have no complaints.”

  “That’s good. Wait, Corina wants to talk to you.”

  The line was silent for a few seconds until her father’s wife greeted her.

  “Thank you, Cori.”

  “Honey, I hope these days in Venice are helping you. Leaving your mind blank it’s good sometimes. It helps to understand lots of things.”

  Elsa didn’t understand quite well why Corina was saying that. It was like she knew something. But if that had happened, why wasn’t she more honest, clearer? They had always talked to each other about any topic. Why was it different now?

  Elsa turned around to stare at Alicia, who shrugged, not understanding why she was looking at her so seriously.

  “I want to believe that I will be able to understand some things, Cori. I want to understand that it’s impossible, but I know it is possible,” she replied in a grave tone.

  “Elsa… enjoy your holidays and forget anything else.”

  She was tired of hearing the same stupid sentence. How could she enjoy the holidays when the only reason she had agreed to travel was to escape something that would attract her again once she stepped into her house in a few days? How to do that when all she wanted was to be with the person she avoided in order not to hurt her family? She could do it, she had someone to help her do it, but she didn’t want to. No when her heart was telling her something else.

  “Yeah, right, whatever. Bye, Cori.”

  She hung up without waiting for a reply. Then, after putting her phone inside her pocket, she went to Alicia and grabbed her by the arm to pull her away from the guys so they wouldn’t listen to their conversation.

  “Ouch! What’s wrong with you? You are hurting me.”

  “Did you tell your mother about what happened with Stefan?” she asked hurriedly as soon as they were as far as possible.

  “No, of course not. Why are you asking me that?”

  “Because your mother just gave me the talk in a very neutral way, as if I were stupid or something. Besides, I know you talked to her. Tell me the truth, Ali. Did you tell her?”

  “Fuck, no. Do you really think I would be able to tell her something like that? If I cannot accept it myself, how am I going to talk about it?” she declared with a disgusted grimace.

  Elsa got angry when she understood Alicia would never be the supporting friend she needed. She didn’t accept that she had fallen in love with her uncle and, judging by her face, she thought it was something utterly disgusting.

  “Wow! You just told me what you truly think. I feel disgusted,” Elsa claimed. Alicia shook her head. “You don’t need to continue lying to me, Ali. Your face betrayed you. But you know what? I don’t care what you or your mother think. I’m in love with Stefan and I know he feels the same about me, no matter how much he denies it.

  “You don’t know what you are talking about. You must forget about him and date other guys. Like Luka, for example. He is the guy for you.”

  Elsa shook her head emphatically.

  “I’m sick and tired, Alicia…” She stayed silent. “I know it may sound crazy and even disgusting to others. To me, it’s the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me in my life. If you are unable to understand that, maybe you don’t know me as you thought you did.”

  She had nothing else to say, so she turned around and walked towards Luka.

  “Can you take me to the opera?”

  “What about Alicia?”

  “She is not coming,” she announced in a loud voice.

  Elsa didn’t look at her; she didn’t need to check Alicia was looking at her. Luka took her hand and started to walk through the same streets to go back to the opera theatre. They had to board a gondola to go to the Palazzo Barbarigo, where they would see La Traviata. That was something that really moved her; she loved opera music and it would be the highlight of her trip.

  One hour later, they were waiting for the opera to begin. Elsa had her eyes fixed on the stage, avoiding any visual contact with Luka, who never stopped watching every movement of the brunette. Above all, her eyes drove him crazy, because her irises were as blue as a clear sky. Besides, she was gorgeous, even more when she was focusing on something she felt passionate about, just like she confessed the first day they met. They had talked so much that he felt as if he had known her for years. But of course that wasn’t true, because if he had met her before, he would remember her. She was impossible to forget.

  Chapter 11

  London. 2015

  That day was the same as any other day. He missed the girls, especially knowing it was Elsa’s birthday.

  Stefan wanted to talk to her, at least greet her, but he didn’t dare to do it. Not especially since he remembered the last thing he had told her on the phone. It was better to let her enjoy her birthday in that trip, although he was feeling quite jealous inside. Knowing that she had met a guy made him feel bad and a part of him wished to jump into the first plane leaving for Venice… another different part couldn’t even send her a text message. He was going crazy.

  He was lying on his bed, waiting for the day to end, not wanting to do anything. He hadn’t gone to see Chloe that day. Although his girlfriend had been calling him, he didn’t pick up the phone at any moment. He knew he wasn’t behaving properly and he would make her think something was wrong. How could he appease her doubts? How to make everything feel fine without feeling like escaping all the time? It was impossible.

  Suddenly, someone knocked at the door and he didn’t have time to reply when his sister stormed inside the bedroom.

  “Stefan,” she said. “How much longer are you going to be here in your room? You haven’t come out since last night. What’s the matter with you?” She sat on the bed. He didn’t move a single muscle. He didn’t look at her.

  He snorted angrily when he heard her question, as if she didn’t know what was wrong with him. Sometimes he had difficulties to understand his sister’s actions.

  “Are you really asking?” He sat up. “I have moved up a wedding I don’t want to go to.” Corina took her fingers to her lips. “The worse thing of all is that I’m the groom. Can I be any more pathetic?”

  His sister tried to say something while touching his shoulder, but he got up to avoid any contact with the woman who had raised him when they lost their parents.

  “No, Corina. I don’t even want you to talk to me,” he said, brushing nervously his fingers through his hair. “I’m tired of all this. If I hadn’t entered her bedroom that morning… If I hadn’t seen her…”

  “What are you talking about, Stefan?”

  “It’s none of your business. I’m just saying that… nothing. I’m not saying anything.”

  They
fell silent, staring at each other. Corina was frowning. He was angry with himself, with his sister for forbidding him to do something that wasn’t her business, with his niece for having told him about the guys they had met… and he was angry with the whole world because everything was crap.

  “Stefan, I’m sorry to see you like that. Believe me, I suffer for you.”

  “Don’t do that. I don’t need your suffering, sister,” he mumbled. “You always took care of me with fear instead of letting me live my own life. I’m tired of you feeling you need to do that, but you are not my mother. We are siblings and I am an adult. Is that clear?” he expressed, almost yelling.

  “Exactly! You are an adult, and she is a girl. Don’t you see it? Are you perhaps so blind that you believe you can have a relationship with her? You are crazy! I won’t be an accomplice to this craziness.”

  Stefan started pacing his room, like a caged lion about to launch a deadly attack. Saying he was sick and tired was the understatement of the year. Fuck, they had only kissed a few times. He had never felt so alive and loved before in his fucking life. He was going crazy and that story had just started. What would he do when he couldn’t control his instincts? What would he do if everything went down in flames? He didn’t want to think about it. He just wanted to live it. Was it so difficult to understand?

  “Get out of my room, Corina. I don’t want to continue talking about this, especially when things in my mind are not clear at all.”

  “But…”

  “But nothing. You want me to get married and that’s what I will do. Don’t worry. I don’t want you to think I will elope with Elsa or something like that. I know very clearly what the consequences would be and, believe me, if someone had told me I was going to be in this situation, I wouldn’t have come to live here,” he stated. “Now, get out.”

  His sister got the message and left, leaving him alone, even more confused and angry if that was possible. He sighed around five times, trying to calm down, but he couldn’t do it, so he did what he should have done an hour earlier. At least he would get the pain off his chest. He headed to his bedside table and grabbed his phone to dial her number.

  “I’m just going to tell her happy birthday,” he repeated to himself several times while the phone kept ringing.

  He got her voicemail and, before sending her a text message, he hung up and called her again. He did the same for an hour, calling her tirelessly, not thinking about anything else apart from his wish to talk to Elsa. He needed to listen to her voice, to check she was happy; only then he would feel better. It pained him to know she wasn’t enjoying her trip, especially if he was causing her to feel like she couldn’t enjoy such a beautiful place unless he was next to her.

  He leaned back in his bed, tired to call and, after tossing and turning, he closed his eyes with the intention of falling asleep. He couldn’t rest well at night.

  In the meanwhile, Elsa was at the opera. The show had started some time ago and she had muted her phone so nobody could bother her. Luke and she were having a great time. He made her day more enjoyable, since having an argument with Alicia hadn’t been in her plans, but she wasn’t going to let her get away with something so serious. She was sure her stepsister had told her mother what had happened with Stefan. Now she was scared to go back and check her father knew too. The situation was going to become quite hard and she wasn’t ready to go through that.

  There were moments when Elsa got goosebumps, her eyes got watery, and felt pressure in her chest. The moving intensity of the singing, the voices of the performers, so intimately close, made the ropes in her soul vibrate.

  In conclusion, such a beautiful performance was going to be engraved in her memory for life. Such a present that she would never forget and, every time she remembered it, she would also remember Luka.

  Outside, when the day had started fading, Elsa and Luke got in a gondola again to go back to the place where, supposedly, Alicia and Gian were waiting.

  “I don’t want to go out with her. I’m so angry,” Elsa stated lifting an eyebrow.

  “Oh, come on. She had planned this whole day. You cannot spite her like that. You can go back to having arguments again tomorrow, but at least let’s enjoy tonight.” Luka winked at her. “Please, for me,” he asked softly.

  “Okay, I will do it for you and because you gave me such a spectacular present.” She kissed him in the cheek. “Seriously now, I won’t ever forget it.”

  He smiled and took one of her hands to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. Then he pulled at her so they could go and meet the couple who spent every second devouring each other’s mouths.

  When they arrived to the pub where they had met, Gian and Alicia were drinking beer. Elsa didn’t like to see Alicia drinking again, since she knew she would get drunk and would have to drag her stepsister to bed just like the first day. When she saw her, Alicia stood up and went to her, asking her to go to the toilet. She needed to talk to her alone so they could clarify some things.

  “What do you want, Ali? I don’t think we have nothing to talk about,” she assured her, crossing her arms.

  “Are you still mad at me? Fuck, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she apologized sheepishly.

  “You didn’t want to hurt me, but then you went and told your mother. Very believable, Alicia,” she repeated.

  “I told you that I didn’t tell her anything. I called my mother to ask her why she told you those things, and it seems it was my uncle who told her everything.”

  Elsa got startled. She lowered her arms and started to pace, clearly nervous. That couldn’t be happening, not now that he had stated quite clearly they weren’t going to have a future together. They were nothing to each other, not even family. Alicia approached her and grabbed her hands, trying to calm her down.

  “I’m sorry, Elsa. And I don’t want you to think that it disgusts me seeing you together. It’s not like that.”

  “Then what is it? Because I don’t understand,” she muttered, trying to repress the tears that wanted to flow freely.

  “I don’t want you to suffer and I’m sure that’s what will happen if you go ahead with all this. My uncle is about to get married, Elsa, and I don’t think he will break up with Chloe.” Elsa nodded, a few tears falling. Alicia brushed them with her thumb. “Don’t cry, please. It breaks my heart to see you like this.”

  “I can’t, Ali. I don’t know when it happened, but I fell in love with him and I don’t think I can forget about it.”

  Alicia hugged her and let her cry all the time she needed. She hadn’t cried like that for a long time, basically since her mother had died. And she needed her hugs and kisses so much at that moment in her life.

  Half an hour later, after Elsa managed to cry everything out, they left the toilet and sat with the guys again. Luka got worried when he saw the state Elsa was in, but he didn’t say anything and she thanked him for that.

  “Okay, girls. We still have one more stop today. Do you want to go or do you prefer doing it tomorrow?”

  Elsa and Alicia looked at each other and nodded smiling. They weren’t going to stop going to some place just because she had learnt her life was about to end. She had to take advantage of the time she had before arriving back home and be punished for life by her father, just because she had fallen in love with a guy who was older than her. Nonsense. When there was love, age was a secondary matter. The age difference didn’t matter if they could be happy together. She couldn’t understand that people thought their love was wrong. Elsa could only think of her feelings and what he felt for her. She didn’t need to know anything else.

  London. 2019

  The feelings he had thought were hiding in the bottom of his heart came out as soon as he knew she would be going back home. Although he never stopped remembering every minute of her existence, he didn’t want to focus on that when all he needed was forget about it. Big mistake. He never forgot… just hid them. And now, when he arrived to the airport the same day of the
wedding of his niece, knowing he was the best man and Elsa was the maid of honor… well, everything came back stronger than ever.

  He got his carry on suitcase, the only one he had taken with him since he had the intention of taking the first plane back to Madrid the next day, and went in search of a taxi. He should have arrived one hour ago, but the plane got delayed and everybody was already waiting for him at the church. Everybody. Even the bride.

  What would he feel when he saw her again? What would happen when their eyes met again? Four years were an eternity, especially when Elsa was the woman he had loved the most in his miserable life. How would he act when he realized he had lost all the opportunities of fighting for her? It was clear his life had gone to hell and there was no way to fix it.

  Chapter 12

  Venice. 2015

  The night arrived. It was time for the party they wanted Elsa to attend. As soon as they left the bar, they blindfolded her so she couldn’t see where they were going. They walked slowly towards the dock where they would catch the vaporetto that would take them to the Skyline rooftop bar. It was a magical place. Gian and Luka used to go there from time to time.

  “I’m nervous. It’s this really necessary?” she asked, pointing at the blindfold.

  Luka and Alicia exchanged a glance before smiling.

  “Quite necessary, little sister,” Ali assured her.

  Very carefully, they got on the vaporetto and she could feel the fresh breeze on her face, telling her they were on the water.

  Once they arrived, they helped her to hop off and then headed to the eighth floor of the building. Luka removed her blindfold. Elsa looked around, astonished when she realized how beautiful it was. She approached the railing to enjoy the perfect view of Venice and the Giudecca Channel. She knew it was that channel because Luka whispered it in her ear.