Sunbaked Love
Isabelle Wellman
Brightly shining, eloping us within its captive radiation, the sun dazed us in a wild manifestation we were both surprisingly unaware of. It was a surprise, considering that our keen sense of one another and the thousand of unsaid messages that passed between us were all understood without question- except for now. Time stood frozen, inevitably unraveling the phantom of realization that neither one of them wished to comprehend; yet, time had granted them one last precious moment of bliss.
She referred to this as her “situation”, which unknowingly started on the New Years Eve of 2014, and traveled into that upcoming, longing month of March. Though numerous of things had happened between those new, treacherous months, she hadn’t given it a second thought. To her, undefined love never died unless one let it, and that is where the journey began. It was the unexpected trans that was opposed upon her where she unintentionally had found herself in someone else. Nerving and uncertain, this attractively confident male figure had always been a conversational friend. Though from the next town over, as well as a year older, the two teenagers were enticingly similar. Being outgoing, appreciative of Mother natures worldly gifts, and the continuous thirst for adventure, had brought these two together; or so they thought. It was the ramble of drunken texts that alarmed the girl on New Years Eve, for she never thought he had an interest in her, and unconsciously knew it was dangerous grounds. Dangerous not only in the sense that he could be misleading, but for the fact he was also moving to Florida three days later.
As the two lay on the soft cotton, sand ridden towels, beautifully glowing of sun-kissed skin with head’s tilt back in awe of one another’s energy- she was swiftly lifted. Immediately broken from her toxic trans, she felt the roughness of his dark hands around her toned waist, pulling her skin-crawlingly close. It was a closeness she endlessly adored, where home had never felt more realistic, yet so far away all at once. This brought a painful throbbing of hesitance in her mind as her conscious probed her- for she knew the agonizing distance that had been set between them had unwoven their surreal abilities of understanding one another. Hastily brushing the intangible reality from her sensitive mind, she brought her eager attention back to his captivating brown eyes- the type of deep brown that looks as if there are sunbeams bursting wildly behind them. In this moment, his defined muscle had managed to swing her effortlessly onto his back, as he simultaneously darted them towards the luxurious warm, salt consumed water like a raging meteor passing through a million galaxies. Throwing her towards the soulful sun and interrupting the ocean’s relentless waves, the two gleefully broke the water’s warm surface, in which they were submerged in passionate love, one last time. Regaining breath, she emerged directly to his beautiful front side- brilliant blue and brown eye’s enthrallingly connecting. With Sun-lightened brown, curly tousled hair dripping salt tears down her lightly freckled face; he stole an ever-so-distracting kiss, and swiftly, but gently, lifted her over his stocky shoulder. Joyfully pulling her from the ocean’s whimsical touch, contagiously laughing as he reached the sand filled towels; he smoothly laid her on her small framed back, while kneeling over her, and observantly brushed her thick hair over her sunned shoulders. Dropping down to his side, while radiantly staring at her as if he had jut solved all of the world’s problems, astonished, he pronounced,
“You look surreal, like a commercial” as he paused, looking shaken,
“God does the sun looks good on you.”
And it was in that moment that she had unconsciously understood the past three months of endless nights, moments of unbearable silence, and the unofficial misery her heart had already taken to bay.
Agreeing to adventure some unseen, frozen waterfalls in Munising, Michigan, she had quickly gotten ready and met him to embark on this journey. Previously, she had only spent brief periods of time with him, but never the extent of a full night. As they drove into the dusk, she intriguingly learned more than she would have imagined. Half an hour into their snow-fallen trek, they came upon the first ‘ice-fall’, and quickly after a second one. Suddenly realizing how quickly dusk was slyly creeping upon, they hurried to the last frozen waterfall. Basking in the beauty of how they could still see the water freely flowing under the crystal like ice, she gasped,
“I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life, I’m in awe of this. It’s a frozen paradise”,
Feeling his intimidating stare as she obsessively observed the hammock of trees, bearing tall and proud, like Jack when he came upon the giant bean stock; there he was before her. Being only slightly taller than her, his dancing eyes devoured her whole.
“It’s you. It has always been you, and I cannot leave without knowing you.”
Blushing, she opened her quivering mouth to find herself speechless. Omniscient that he had momentarily paralyzed her ability to comprehend the situation; he continued to shock her with the pull of a passionate kiss. Bewildered by his spontaneous action, her heart was racing as if she were taking first place in NASCARS Daytona 400. What subtle seconds were transformed into what seemed hours, he stepped back to gaze at her with precaution.
“I don’t leave for Florida for another 3 weeks. I want my last hours here exploring you; learning who we are.”
It was then that she underestimated everything that would take place until he departed- but she didn’t’ mind.
There they were- three long, yearning months later. Intertwined head to toe in one another like they never experienced; two pure, alluring, divided souls. She promised herself that from that instant, she had never know what it was like to be felt, to feel, as deeply as she had for him. From the first of their many passionate kisses, to what soon would be their unknowing last- she gave herself to him one last, heart throbbing time. It was him- the sexily intimidating, casually confident guy, with sunburst eyes that danced at adventure, that lead her to who she was to this day. Though she cursed the day he left her repeatedly through her unconvincing mind- he was never meant to stay. Whether fate had brought her a life long companion that was to evaporate like hot water into gas for the next five years, or merely a life mentor- she prayed to God of how thankful she was. Without the occurrence of unraveling so whole-heartedly to another being, she wouldn’t understand the importance of chasing your dreams- literally. Even though she had flown to Florida in order to get her last fill of him- she understood perfectly, the time and place was disastrous, and slowly accepted that. The thoughts that cross her eager mind daily wonder if the two star-crossed lovers will ever meet again; and if so, will the addictive connection flare up, and scorch this blessed earth, or did the fiery desire die with them?
Needless to say- the tragic love story she committed her every waking hour to, steadily impelled her to a life worth living; where learning to love a hazard would be what set her soul free.