Page 12 (1/2)

"Close your eyes," Steven whispered, walking up to me with his hands behind his back I did as he said "Name this flower," he said The smell hit my nose and I smiled

"Hyacinth"

I smiled wider when I felt his lips kiss mine "Hyacinth," he echoed My eyes opened He placed the flower behinda few by the pond in the backyard"

"It’s irl," he replied

I blinked, and I was back, hbor’s house, whose laas even worse off than mine The house wasaround each side Their grass was ten tinome that was shattered into pieces A plastic yellow kid’s baseball bat was hidden in the ever-growing strands of grass, along with a toy dinosaur

A s Stacks of ere leaning up against the shed, and I wondered if anyone actually lived in the house at all

It seemed more abandoned than ever, and I couldn’t help but wonder about the hbor

Behind all the houses on our block was the beginning of Meadows Creek’s forest The area was surrounded with trees I knew deep within those trees there was a narrow river hidden in the darkened woods that ran for miles and miles Most people didn’t know it actually existed, but when I was in college, I’d discovered it with Steven In the narrow river was a tiny rock On the tiny rock were the initials ST and EB Those initials had been carved into the tiny rock resting in the narrow river in the darkened woods when Steven had askedinto the woods and before long I sat within the trees, staring down at my reflection in the water

One breath

The san to ripple after a big splash was heard I turned my head to my left to see what the co in the river wearing no shirt and a pair of running shorts He bent down to the water and began washing his face, scrubbing his fingers against his rough, wild beard My eyes danced across his tanned chest, which was covered with hair, and he began tossing water against his body, cleaning himself Tattoos covered his left ars on his body, unable to look away There were more than I could count, yet my eyes tried to take in each one I know those tattoos Each a different masterpiece from classic children novels Aslan fros Are The boxcar from The Boxcar Children Across his chest were the words ‘We’re all mad here’ from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

My insides exploded fro than a man who not only knew the most classic stories of all time, but also found a way to make his body his own personal bookshelf

Water from his wet hair dripped down his forehead and fell to his chest All of a sudden I was frozen in place I wondered if he kne handsohts very azed at his body ‘Mister Owl, how long can I stare at this man before it becomes socially inappropriate?’ ‘I don’t know, Liz Let’s find out One…Two…Three…’

He hadn’t taken notice of e as I stepped away fro to not be seen

Zeus was tied up to a tree, and when he sawmy way

Shoot!