Falling Stars by Marc962 (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📖
- Author: Marc962
Book online «Falling Stars by Marc962 (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📖». Author Marc962
Chapter 4: Nothing can last forever
The rest of the semester was a blur compared to that night. Slowly everyone treated him better, even the faculty. Shelly had even given him a necklace, a blue crystal shard, identical to the twin blue crystal shard necklace she wore, a memento to commemorate their bond. Ever since Alex never took it off, the blue crystal lying alongside his golden locket. Later on in the semester, Shelly, or rather Saya, had moved into Alex’s dorm. The ceiling was decorated with an illustration of the night sky. Every once in a while they would share a brief kiss on the campus when they passed each other, drawing large clusters of staring eyes. But neither Alex nor Shelly cared about their whispers or rumors, they were happy. They were in love. Alex would always refer to her as Shelly in public, but Saya otherwise. Soon they decided to take their little ‘relationship’ slower, though the only reason was because their beds couldn’t take the stress. But Alex was still happy. Every once in a while he and Shelly lay on their beds, they would embrace each other once more tenderly and share simple heartfelt words, or simply sit in silence sharing sweet brief kisses in the dark. The once strange intensity Shelly had from before had disappeared. For once in his miserable life, Alex understood the phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’. Understood what it meant to be truly happy. Soon they were deep in the winter season, early December, the entire college preparing for the Christmas break party inside the gym. Shelly and Alex had signed up to help decorate. For Alex, things just kept getting better and better, at first. He first noticed it before the first snowfall of December. Alex would hear the light tapping of footsteps behind him, but would find no one there when he glanced over his shoulder. Or he would feel someone’s eyes boring into his back when no one else was around. A small part of him knew what was going on. Someone was watching him, spying on him. But Alex dismissed these thoughts as paranoia. Soon it was Shelly's and Alex’s day to help set up the Christmas break party in the gym, only a few days away. The sky was a dark shade of blue, signaling it as night time. As Shelly made her way to the door, she stopped and turned toward Alex. Alex was on the floor, looking for the box of Christmas ornaments. He slowly rose and walked up to Shelly, easily noticing her worried face. Soon Alex was in front of Shelly, only a few inches from her. He set his hand on her shoulder, an act of reassurance, his eyes sayingit will be alright
. Shelly's expression of concern relaxed a fraction. Shelly spoke in a protesting, concerned tone, her thin snow-white winter jacket flapping back and forth. "Come on Alex, they don't need the ornaments that badly, even if we had the only box." Shelly oozed concern. The corners of Alex's mouth twitched upward, flashing a faint smile. Alex looked into Shelly's eyes and spoke in a calm tone with a hint of firmness to it, resembling how a father speaks to his complaining teenage daughter. "Shelly...” Shelly's expression changed to one of worrying and pain. This time she spoke more quietly, as though she were pleading. "Alex, please come on. What if something happens to you? Please just come, please." her voice cracked and failed her as she continued. Alex slowly shook his head, his smile withering until it became a deep frown, and leaned toward Saya, and gently kissed her forehead as a sort of blessing, then put his hands around her waist and pulled her into him, her head lying on the arch between his neck and shoulder. Shelly gladly accepted the hug, burying her face into his chest, her arms wrapping themselves tightly around him until it hurt a little to breathe. Alex could feel her silently shaking against him with overwhelming worry of what might be. Alex could feel her warm tears seep through his shirt, brushing against the skin of his chest. Alex's heart ached in his chest to see Shelly this way. More than anything, Alex wanted to make Shelly happy, to see her be her usual playful, caring and hopeful self that he oh so loved. To see her happily smile her perfect smile, and giggle that cute sweet giggle again, to stop her pain. Alex closed his eyes and spoke in a tone of understanding and comfort. "Please don't cry anymore, Saya. It hurts me so much to see you so sad, to see you cry." he said sincerely. He continued. "One of the endless things I love about you is your angelic smile, your heartwarming laughter. It brings me endless happiness to know that you are happy, Shelly. So please, stop crying." Shelly slowly stopped shaking and sat still in Alex's arms, listening intently to his every word. "And if me being around, simply keeping you company, makes you happy, than I promise I will never leave you all alone no matter what happens. I will always do what I can to keep you safe." he said without hesitation. Shelly loosened her grip slightly, still listening. Alex opened his eyes and looked down at her, willing her to meet his eyes. "And do you know why, Saya?" he asked her with a small smile on his face. Slowly, Saya loosened her grip a bit more, and looked up at Alex, her eyes meeting his. Tears welled in her shimmering green eyes, now slightly red and puffy from the tears. Slowly, a small smile of gratitude and playfulness formed on her face. Shelly met his eyes and gazed into them, as he did hers, and spoke. "Why?" she said, her voice slightly raspy from her crying. "Because, I love you, Saya, more than anything else in the world, and because I could never leave you alone, or do anything to make you sad in anyway without hurting myself." Alex said sincerely. Shelly loosened her grip, a look of overwhelming gratitude on her face. Shelly stood on her tiptoes and slowly closed her eyes. Alex bent his head down, pulled Shelly against him and pressed his lips against hers. They kissed in silence for a moment, neither of them daring to move, lest they would awaken them from their trance. Alex knew full well what was causing her so much pain. After the first two weeks of being followed by someone or something, Alex told Shelly, thinking she might know something. He had tried to tell her without scaring her or making her worry. It didn't work. Ever since Alex had told her, Shelly had taken 'precautions'. Alex tried to tell her that it wasn't that big a deal, that maybe it was just some jealous guy at school, envying his relationship with her or something small like that a few times, hoping she would calm down. In the next week of Alex's confession to Shelly, she had begun installing extra and stronger locks on their dorm's windows and doors. Alex tried a few more times to convince Shelly that it wasn't a big deal, but soon stopped and cooperated with her. The two would use every moment of free time together to install the locks after they finished homework or studying until the sun went down and the moon came up. One day, while the two sat resting on the beds after installing three bolt type locks on the windows, Alex asked who would want to hurt them, let alone spy on them, and why? Shelly fell silent for several minutes too long for Alex's comfort. Alex turned to face Shelly, not sure if she would answer at all. Finally Shelly turned and looked at him with a blank expression on her face and spoke in a casual tone. "I don't know, Alex. But I'm scared Alex.” Alex knew that Shelly knew who was following him, or at least had an idea. But Alex didn't push the subject, not wanting to push Shelly to the brink of tears. So Alex didn't ask questions and helped her when she needed it and stayed silent. Alex hoped Saya would be able to calm down and relax when they finished. It didn't work. As Alex pushed Shelly's hair back behind her ear and wiped away the tears on her cheek, the worry and stress tightening her face loosening, her green eyes and small smile on her face whispered a silent thank you. Alex pulled Shelly against him, Shelly already closing her eyes. The two leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a sweet heartfelt kiss, the tension between them melting. Alex could feel the weight on his heart lifting as Shelly's stress and worry faded away. The two sat in silence as they embraced one other, lost in their own private world. Slowly the two pulled away from each other just enough to see each other, their eyes lost in one another's, an understanding passing between them. Instinctively, Alex reached up and gently brushed Shelly's cheek with the back of his hand. Shelly walked up to the door and opened it, pausing for a moment, turning to face Alex, her lips still but her emerald green eyes saying plenty. After a moment Alex sighed, he could never deny Shelly anything. He walked up to closet and threw on his black and purple winter coat and
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