Timeless love

by Priscila Serrano

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, holding onto the iron railing.

  “It sure is,” Luka replied with his eyes fixed in her.

  Elsa noticed he was watching her and blushed out of habit. Although Luka was a handsome and nice guy, she didn’t want to give him her heart, since it already belonged to someone else.

  “Anyways,” he sighed. “Would you like to dance, beautiful lady?”

  Elsa agreed and he smiled pleasantly.

  He grabbed her hand and took her to the dance floor, where Alicia and Gia were hugging tightly, moving at the beat of a song. She didn’t recognize the music and Luka told her the name of the song.

  “It’s Lay Me Down, by Sam Smith. Don’t you know it?” he asked quite puzzled.

  She shook her head with a sheepish smile. She wasn’t good at modern music; she was in love with classical music instead. But she had to admit the song was beautiful.

  For a second, the moment was magical, and she wasn’t ready for that. Luka was staring at her, recording every tiny spot of her perfect face in his eyes. She didn’t waste time and did the same thing, provoking a different kind of connection between them. She got lost in the moment. She let go and, before she could realize what was happening, Luka was kissing her. That was what woke her up from that reverie she had fallen into.

  “Sorry, I can’t,” she muttered, pulling apart with the clear intention of escaping from his embrace.

  “Wait, Elsa!” he called out after her.

  Alicia and Gian, who had witnessed the whole thing, went after them but, by the time they arrived, Elsa was already on the vaporetto to go back to the hotel.

  She didn’t like that the night ended like that, but she couldn’t give false hopes to a guy who she couldn’t contemplate as more than a friend. She wasn’t ready to open her heart to another person, especially because her heart didn’t belong to her. Her heart belonged to Stefan.

  Right at that moment she felt an inevitable urge to call him, to know about him… to see him and hug him. So she pulled her phone out to call him and then she realized she had around seven missed calls from him. She got paralyzed and, without a second thought, hit dial. The phone rang five times and, when she was about to hang up, he answered.

  “Elsa?”

  “Hi, Stefan.”

  They stayed silent, trying to look for the right words. They were unable to tell to each other what they most desired. Why? They had the opportunity to be honest. It was all so complicated…

  “How are you? I called to wish you a happy birthday. I guess you were busy.”

  His words sounded rushed. Her hands were clammy and, for one second, she believed everything could go back to being like before, like when they could look at each other without wishing to kiss frantically.

  “Yes, I was a bit busy. I went to the opera.”

  She was trying to make normal conversation.

  “If you hadn’t gone, you would have regretted it. The opera feels different there. It’s…”

  “Different,” she finished his sentence and they both smiled.

  “Yes,” he muttered. “I would have loved to enjoy that moment with you.”

  He said that without thinking, although it was the truth. Those words made her want to go back, be with him, and tell him how she felt without fear to be rejected. Because it was clear he wouldn’t do it, and Stefan would make her understand the feeling was reciprocated. She sighed three times, trying to calm down, but it was quite impossible when there was so much to say.

  “I miss you,” she said.

  “Me too.”

  “Really?” she asked insecure.

  “Yes, Elsa. I have thought about all of this. I don’t know whether it is a good time to talk about it, but we need to talk or I will go crazy.”

  Elsa felt a sliver of hope, so tiny and huge at the same time that make her see there was a possibility for them to be together. She realized she couldn’t forget him, because he was burrowed so deeply inside her heart that she would find a way to show him they needed to be together without fearing anything or anyone. She had fallen in love and that would never change.

  Little by little, they relaxed and tried to talk about something else since, although the topic was there in the background, it wasn’t the right moment. It was better to talk about their feelings in person, not on the phone.

  “I would love you to be here with me.”

  “I would love that too, but you have already met someone, right, Elsa?”

  “Yes, but it’s nothing, Stefan.”

  Silent fell between them again, leaving them thinking about different things. He was thinking about that guy she had met. She could only think about him.

  “Come, Stefan. Come and stay with me for the rest of my trip.”

  Her request took Stefan by surprise and, although he felt tempted, he couldn’t go. Especially because Alicia and Elsa were sharing a room. What would his niece think about it?

  “That’s impossible, Elsa. You are with my niece and…”

  “If I weren’t with Alicia, would you come?” Silence. “Stefan, tell me. Would you come?”

  “Yes.”

  And that answer was all she needed to continue pushing him, to almost beg him to go, even if it was for just one day. She needed to see him, to be with him, to spend a day together in that wonderful city that made everything look like out of a romantic movie. She wanted to fall in love with him there. She wanted to love him there. She wanted to kiss his lips there.

  After spending ten minutes talking, Stefan excused himself and hung up, since it seemed that someone was going to get into his bedroom and didn’t want them to know he was talking to her. It wasn’t quite a lie because, minutes later, Chloe entered his bedroom and found him lying down on the bed. Stefan was thinking about Elsa and her request, about spending a day with her to then make her understand they shouldn’t be together. He could show her that he wasn’t good for her, since that relationship was going to be a complicated one.

  “Hello, honey. Are you okay? Your sister told me you have spent the whole day in here. What’s the matter?”

  She sat next to him. Stefan sat up and looked at her. Chloe was staring at him too, her eyes filled with worry. Something told her that something was wrong.

  “Tell me about it.”

  “It’s nothing, believe me.”

  Stefan didn’t want to hurt her, but it was clear that would be inevitable. Chloe got closer to him, brushing her body against his. He tensed up. He didn’t want her to touch him.

  “Please, tell me,” she begged warily, fearing he would tell her something that would break her.

  Stefan swallowed and looked for a way to tell her without hurting her that he didn’t love her. How could you do that? How could you avoid hurting a person who has been next to you for years? She was the first woman he made love to, the first one who showed him what love was. Well, she was the first one he thought was teaching him what love is, since Elsa had been the first one to show him that love was something entirely different to what he felt for Chloe. It was strong, eager, and disastrous. Love was she. Love was Elsa.

  “I need time,” he mumbled, looking at her again.

  “What?” she asked, fighting her tears back.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologized, trying to hold her hands. She moved them away. “Chloe, please.”

  She stood up and went to a corner of the room, silently yelling for him to get up and hug her. He didn’t do it and that solved all of her doubts.

  “Why? Is there another person?” she asked him again, trying to know the truth. She deserved it.

  Stefan couldn’t answer because Chloe knew Elsa since she had been a little girl. If she knew he had fallen in love with that girl… She couldn’t know that.

  He stood up at last and hugged her because he feared he was breaking her heart. Chloe, in his arms, sank and cried like never before. She loved Stefan so much she couldn’t think of living her life without him. What would they do about the
wedding now?

  “What’s going to happen now?” she muttered, looking down because she couldn’t meet his eyes.

  “I don’t know… I’m just asking for time to think.”

  “We were going to get married, Stefan. How come you are asking me for time now when you wanted to move the wedding up just one day ago? I don’t understand you.”

  Chloe pulled apart, shaking her head, glaring at him with so much hatred as she never believed she could feel for the man she loved so much. He wasn’t being honest with her. He couldn’t be honest and tell her he didn’t love her any more. The truth was that he had never loved her. How could he tell her that a teenager had taught him about the difference between their caresses? He couldn’t tell her that.

  “Forgive me, Chloe. I assure you I’m not feeling much better than you, and I know I asked you to move the wedding up, but it was because I wanted to fight for our relationship. I’m still trying,” he claimed, doubt in his voice.

  She didn’t believe a single word. She fisted her hands at her sides, trying to be strong, but she was failing. So, just like that, she stormed out of the bedroom with tears in her eyes and her heart about to escape from her chest. She left that house and left behind everything she had ever loved.

  Chapter 13

  London. 2015

  Had he done the right thing? It wasn’t the time to have regrets, though, especially because he had done exactly what he wanted. Breaking up with Chloe hadn’t been a decision he had made lightly. And the truth was that they hadn’t broken up. Not really. He had asked for time. How long would it take him to clear his thoughts? He knew clearly what he wanted, but not what he should do. Everything was chaos.

  He was still in the same position he was when Chloe stormed out. He should have run after her to make her understand she shouldn’t suffer for his sake, to tell her they had to go on. Obviously, those were meaningless words. For as much as he wanted to convince himself they hadn’t broken up, he knew they really had… He wouldn’t go after her. It was already done.

  Then, when he reacted, he realized he had to take the first plane to Venice so he could see Elsa. It was crazy, but he had to do it. He needed to do it. While he was packing a small suitcase, his sister entered without knocking. Stefan looked at her with a raised eyebrow, which is what she did too when she observed what Stefan was doing.

  “Are you going somewhere?” she asked, closing the door behind her.

  “It’s none of your business, Corina,” he replied sharply.

  “Are you still angry with me?” He didn’t reply. “Stefan.” He looked at her this time. “Where are you going?”

  “Corina, stop asking and interfering in my life,” he snorted, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

  His sister fell silent, looking at him packing his things and closing the suitcase after he was done. Done, he put on a clean shirt, put his phone and his car keys in a pocket of his trousers, and started to leave the room that so smothered him. To be honest, it was Corina who had that effect on him.

  “Let me go through,” he asked nicely.

  “Not until you tell me where you are going, Stefan,” she insisted, not moving from the door.

  “I don’t know why the hell you want to know it. Do you think that maybe I’m going to do something crazy?”

  Corina raised an eyebrow, weighing those words as if he had truly revealed his destination. But she couldn’t believe he would be able to do that, to go and look for her… He had assured her that he wouldn’t be with her. Besides, he was going to get married to Chloe soon.

  “I hope you are not thinking about going to see her. God help you if you get on a plane to Venice.”

  Stefan swallowed hard, realizing his sister wasn’t as stupid as he thought.

  “You are not going, right?” He was quiet, his eyes fixed on the floor. “Right?”

  “Why do you want to know? Does it change anything if I tell you that you are correct in thinking I’m going to see her?”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Leave me alone, Corina. I just want to solve this situation so I can carry on with my life before I tie the knot with Chloe.”

  Hearing that made her feel better somehow, since she believed in his words. Yes, his sister was stupid.

  “Please, don’t do anything crazy.” She got closer to give him a hug. “I just want what is best for you and this, believe me, is not. If you continue getting close to Elsa, she is going to suffer and there is no way you two can be together. Please, understand that at once.”

  “I know,” he replied, getting away from her. “Now I want you to understand this. I need to talk to her and I cannot wait until she comes back. I just ask you to keep this in secret if it is true that you love me as much as you say.” She started shaking her head. “Damn, Corina, I have never asked you anything before.”

  “But this is different. We are talking about my husband’s daughter. He is the man who opened the doors of his home for us. If he knew this could ever happen, he wouldn’t have let us enter his life. Please, Stefan, let it be.”

  He stepped around her and, without talking or waiting for her to say anything else, left the bedroom and the house as fast as he could. If he lived there, he could never be with Elsa. Really? It was clear it was crazy. He would have never imagined he could feel like that for Elsa. He felt breathless when he couldn’t see her. He could swear he was becoming obsessive. And he wouldn’t let her get under his skin like that. He wanted to see her so his ideas would get clearer, and he hoped hers too. They needed to put a stop to that feeling that was getting a hold of them.

  While Stefan was traveling, Elsa was alone in her hotel room, looking out of the window, staring blankly at the beautiful landscape in front of her. She was thinking about him, about their conversation, and about everything that Stefan wasn’t realizing just yet.

  She decided to go to bed, since it was late and needed to rest. Besides, she would take advantage of the fact that Alicia hadn’t come back yet to sleep well.

  After tossing and turning for the thousandth time, sleep won and her eyes closed.

  Her phone, vibrating under her head, woke her up. She had put it under her pillow in case Alicia called her. She turned a bit so she could check whether her stepsister was sleeping and, yes, there she was. Frowning, she pulled her phone out and checked who was calling and what time it was. Stefan was calling her at five in the morning. She got nervous and jumped out of bed so she could answer.

  Once she was out in the balcony, she picked up and Stefan’s voice made her react since she had been paralyzed.

  “Elsa, are you there?”

  “Yes… yeah, I’m here. Did anything happen? It’s really late.”

  He was silent for what it felt like an eternity.

  “I’m here, Elsa… I’m in Venice.”

  Elsa’s eyes opened widely and she got nervous. Her hands started sweating and her legs were shaking.

  “Are you serious? Where are you?”

  “At the front desk of your hotel.”

  “Give me five minutes,” she said at once.

  “I’ll be waiting for you in my room, Elsa. Room 303.”

  After that, Elsa hung up and went back into the room to get dressed and go to see him. She couldn’t believe he had gone there on her request. If he continued denying he felt something for her after having done that gesture, she would hit him until he were totally honest. Elsa wasn’t an expert in love matters; in fact, she had never fallen in love, but she knew exactly what they felt for each other and, if that wasn’t love, what would that be?

  Once she got dressed, she looked at Alicia one last time and left the room stealthily, hoping she wouldn’t wake up and start questioning her about leaving the room in the wee hours of the night.

  She walked calmly along the hallway. She reached the elevator and hit the button to go to the third floor right away. She was on the sixth floor, in Room 605. She had a better view of the city from there, and tha
t was why they had chosen a room with a balcony on a higher floor, so they could take a good look at their surroundings.

  Once she got to her destination, she got out of the elevator and started to freak out. Her body was shaking like a leaf. Her heart was pounding wildly, about to explode, and she found hard to breathe. It was clear she had never imagined he would actually go there. Only in her wildest dreams she could have imagined they would be alone in a hotel room at over a thousand kilometers from their home. She stopped right at his door, hoping Stefan would open her without her having to knock, since she couldn’t find the will to make her knuckles hit the door. And it happened. He opened the door. He was waiting for her.

  Their eyes locked immediately, feeling paralyzed for a few seconds but, as soon as the door closed behind them, he fell over her mouth with desperation that would push them to the limit. So many hours of travel and so many fights were being rewarded; he was with her and he couldn’t stop kissing her, hugging her…

  “I can’t believe you are here,” Elsa mentioned when he broke their kiss, coming out for air.

  “I cannot believe I have done this, or that I am here with you. I don’t believe this is happening for real, Elsa. And the worst of all is that I have no intention to stop,” he declared nervously, pressing her against his body.

  That simple touch, together with his words, made her shiver. She looked into his eyes in a special way, like she had never done before, showing him thus what she could also achieve with that. He gave her a lopsided smile, teasing her.

  “What do you feel about me, Stefan?” She asked the question she had considered so many times, even though she already had her answer. She just needed to hear him say it out loud.

  Stefan pulled away from her for a second, trying to look for those damn words that were stuck in his throat. For an instant, she felt petrified at the possibility of not getting the answer she needed so much. Because if he could be honest, she wouldn’t stop fighting to be with him forever, although that meant she had to confront her father. It was clear that her heart was the first priority in her life. Her only fear was that her heart could break in a million pieces if her love were unrequited.