By Chance In Oxford

15. Athena

He was such a gentleman to me. Always knowing exactly what to say and saying it at the perfect times. It was beginning to go dark, slowly, the sun began setting into a deep amber, just like yesterday but almost prettier. He stopped the car a few minutes before our destination and asked me, "Do you trust me?" Well I just met you a few days ago but, "uhm, yes, yeah I think I do." He laughed clearly seeing my hesitation and began tieing a blindfold around my head. My hands tensed up around his forearms, there was no way in hell that this was going to end with me being alive. I tried to pull away saying, "What are you doing!? What are you going to kill me? Drag me into the woods!? Lorenzo talk to me, speak!!" His hand gently touched my thigh sending shivers down my entire body as he said, "Relax, Athena the last thing I want to do is hurt you. The blindfold is not because I am going to kill you, its because I want to surprise you and you'll be able to see the surprise far before we even get there. I can assure you that I am not trying anything." He proceeded to finish tieing the blindfold and grabbed my hand gently rubbing his thumb across mine never letting go and whispering calm words of reassurance that helped me know maybe I really would be ok. "Alrighty, were here, I promised you wouldn't get hurt but keep the blindfold on! I just have to text my crew make sure everything is set and then I'll guide you as we walk there. Should just be a few steps." I heard the door shut and waited a few seconds before he placed his hand on my waist and slowly guided me out of the car like I was a motionless baby just waking up from a nap. "Where are you taking me?! I dont think I have ever been so impatient, excited, and worried for my safety in my entire life. Actually forget I said that.", quickly realizing that everyday I had to live with my father was me worrying for my safety. We walked for what only felt like a few minutes before he stopped me and I felt like the ground underneath me was floating. "OK, this is where the blind hike ends. I'll take it off for you and you tell me what you think." He removed the sheet from my eyes and I jumped in fear as a giant black yacht was towering over me right before my eyes. My first instinct was to run to the back of the boat where I assumed the name would be painted in to see if he had taken me to
"Evangeline is watching" and it was. The most glorious boat I had ever seen in my life. Standing tall before me. "Is this what I think it is!? Why are you taking me on this!? This is like your sentimental place, why do I have any right!?" He replied, "Hop on and I'll show you why you have every right to be here." I did as he said and followed him in as I was greeted by a security guard and a couple maids. Laying on the ground was a trail of roses and small tea light candles creating a trail that led to the rooftop of the yacht. I got a tour of the entire place following that trail, a small kitchen, a giant master bedroom, a living room, a small side boat for emergencies, a patio with a table and a breakfast bar, a mini library with bookshelves filled with all the books one could hope for. Waiting for me at the top were a few of the horizon that went on for miles, a giant heart made of roses and candles and Lorenzo waiting at the top, his hands grasped to the railings with his back facing me. A table covered in some gorgeously cooked food and a small box laying next to the roses. He turned towards me and grabbed my hands in his. He walked closer and kissed my forehead, making me paralyzed for a moment. This could not be happening. All at once I felt my pain fade away. I felt loved, I felt beautiful, I felt worshiped, I felt kind, I felt important, I felt heard. Like all the voices in my head that ever doubted me were ignored and now I was just listening to my own. I felt overjoyed, I knew what was going to happen though I didn't want to speculate, and I wasn't complaining because over the course of just a few days I felt like I was in fact falling in love with him. "You have more than every right to be here, Athena I want you to be in every part of my life, I want you to meddle, I want you to come along with me everywhere I go, I want you to see the world with me. You have every right, because I think I love you! And it's true, I never wanted to admit it to myself! I never wanted to say that Lorenzo Colombo could be in love with someone, I never thought I could deserve that! Still dont think I do but I can't help it anymore. Ever since the day I met you at that art gallery and saw you standing there in front of me with every part of your beauty being even more defined than I knew. I tried to think it was just me getting soft, or just me forgetting the importance of my business but for god's sake I think I'm in love. Ever since that night everything about you has been fucking with my head and I cant take it anymore! And so what if you don't feel the same way, at least you know and at least you can walk away knowing that someone truly loved you and that someone wanted nothing but to be with you but I really need you to say that you feel the same way. And if you do, Ms. Carter I would ask you to do me the honor of being my girlfriend, officially, being my person. You know my mother always used to tell me that there are a million other people in this world that might think like you, act like you, or find interest in the same things, have the same morals, or values. But she always said that when you find the person who is the girl version of you, you'll know you have found your person. And trust me I don't want anyone to be me, that would be a life of misery but everything about you screams back at me like it should be mine.", he stared back at me with wide eyes trying to subtly hint to me that he was excitedly waiting for an answer. I replied with tears in my eyes, "Are you finished?" he nodded frantically to which I continued, "That rambling, though I love it gets you nowhere Lorenzo. If you would stop talking you could've kissed me a long time before your 3 hour speech, though I appreciate it, all it did was make me cry, and I hate crying." He laughed, "So is the goddess saying what I think she is saying?" I replied, jamming my face into his neck, kissing it gently, "The goddess is saying more than yes. The goddess is saying thank you, for noticing me. She is questioning how a guy like you actually has feelings for a girl like me. I'm wrecked, I'm bruised, bleeding on the ground, screaming at the top of my lungs for help, and you still want this." He looked into my eyes while wiping a tear that had fallen onto my chest saying, "Well have you ever thought that maybe I'm the help that is answering your call? I want every part of you, the good and the bad, I want it all. I want to embrace all the parts of it, never cover them up." He spinned me around and caught me in a dip like we were ballroom dancing in front of a crowd. His lips sealed to mine and for a moment I had wished they would never come apart. It was ardent and heated. He lifted me back to the ground and grabbed my lower waist to pull me close enough that my chest was against his. Kissing me again and slowly tucking my hair behind my ear I gripped the back of his neck and felt the familiar warmth of his skin. I only wished my mother was here, watching all of this happening, maybe crying because she was so happy that I had finally got a boyfriend, and finally found someone that I think I truly love. After so many years of being in the bitter cold I had finally found a sea of heat, a spout flowing lava out of it. I knew he was it, I knew I had found my person, the "boy version" of myself as he put it. I knew it because he was everything I lacked, he was everything my father wasn't, he was everything my childhood wasn't, he was home, he was safety, he was protection, he was compassion, he was a world without recklessness, a world I could come home to and go to sleep at night feeling happy. He swept me up off the ground bridal style and began laughing at my misery as I yelled with a smile on my face, "Put me down! NOW! PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU! YOU'RE TICKLING ME! PLEASE!" He placed me down on a large catamaran net hanging at the back of the boat and I gasped as sitting just a few inches below me was the clear blue water infested with the most unique sea creatures. He brought towards me a plate with an amazing pasta dish that was actually so good and poured me a glass of rose that tasted like it had taken a lifetime to curate. After we finished eating he rose from the net and came back to me handing me a giant rectangle wrapped in jet black wrapping paper, this thing was bigger than me yet it was light. I gave him a confused glare wondering what the occasion was to receive a gift. But I guess when you are dating a millionaire it comes with the territory. Dating, I can't believe I get to say that, it makes me giddy. I slowly unwrapped the rectangle to find none other than the canvas we met in front of sitting before me. "I wouldn't have bought it if it weren't for meeting you that day, I mean don't get me wrong it is a wonderful painting but it only spoke to me when you did. I want you to have it. It's worth more than England in its entirety but I want you to have it and hang it anywhere you want, and love it and cherish it and have it remind you of me and us whenever you see it.", he was so kind about it like I actually deserved a piece of art worth more than my entire legacy I'd leave behind, entrusting me with it like it was his car he was leaving me with to babysit for the weekend. "Oh Lorenzo, I can't take this! It's worth more than I am! I can't do this, you should keep it, let it remind you of us! It would be too much of a gift. I can't.". He replied laughing, "You can and you will. And trust me nothing is worth more than you, in my eyes, not even the Mona Lisa." He made a growling sound and started to climb over me to reach the bottle of rose. I had noticed the blank wall above the net we were sitting in and had the most perfect idea. "Can I hang it there?", pointing at the wall. "No, why would you do that! It's yours to keep. But your idea is relevant and I am acknowledging it so if that is truly where you desire to put it then I say sure, I will help you hang it up right now." I kissed him and rose from the net as he followed behind. He put a chair in front of the wall I wanted to place the painting on and signaled me to step on it! "If I fall- I", I squealed as he cut me off and grabbed my waist as I stood on the chair! "I've got your love, you're not going to fall." He continued holding my waist as I attempted hanging the painting. "Need some help?", as much as I wanted to be independent and try to manage myself, I really did need help, I was struggling and felt it right to take his assistance. "Do you mind?" He replied, "Not one bit." He carefully grabbed the painting from me and placed it on the ground before lowering me down to the ground and kissing my shoulder as he walked behind me to pick up the painting again. He climbed up and hung it up on the wall. He stood next to it and we watched it, staring at the precious moment we had just gained together. The painting itself was beautiful but the moment surrounding it was even more so. I finally felt the world stop spinning like for a moment I was transported to a second chance. The sun turned off and the sky became black only leaving small sparks left in the sky all staring at the beauty of the whole moon. "Shall we?"I gave him a confused glare as he took me up the spiral steps onto the roof of the yacht, only making me realize how far off shore we had gone, as any light shone into the ocean before me would be sucked up. A modern styled, outdoor couch sat on the edge of the boat filled with blankets, snacks, and a vintage styled projector playing my favorite movie, Breakfast At Tiffany's. "How did you know this was my favorite movie! WHO ARE YOU! HOW!! WHAT", I plead far past the point of out of breath, constantly gasping for air. "Lets just say I did my research, when you want something you learn about it.", he smirked at me clearly knowing what he was doing to me. I jumped into his arms and he spun me a little before dropping me on the coach. He sat next to me and motioned me to lay on his chest. He put his feet on the ottoman in front of him and I put mine stretched out behind me as I lay my head slowly down into his lap. He laughed and began stroking my cheek as I stared into his eyes. "Why? Why do you keep on doing all these nice things for me." He replied, "Love does crazy things to someone. I think if I came back in another life, as a different person, without any memory, even if we were separated by thousands of miles, I would light up my torch and trek through the darkness to find you, chasing after the unknown feeling being blocked by my faded memory. Walking and walking until my eyes finally fell on yours. But maybe I wouldn't call it love, this feeling, rather I would call it completeness." I responded saying, "I guess you never realize how broken, how wounded, how scarred, how cold, how dark you really are, how drained, how depleted you are. How long you have been running from the shadowy demons until someone finally shows up and lets you know that you can finally stop running. Someone who tells you that it's ok to pass out, to let go, to rest, to fall down because they would be the safety net waiting to catch you. I think I'm going to fall now." Lorenzo cleared his throat and spoke up, "So, I'll catch you." The stars themselves seemed to fade as my ears took in the distant sounds of Audrey Hepburn's voice and Lorenzo's heart beat. My eyes slowly sealed shut and I felt like I was going home! Like there would be family and friends waiting for me with posters, love, and tears in their eyes. Ready to hit me with hugs and home cooked meals. Like I had been locked away for so many years and I was finally going to feel home again. But I didn't need the posters, the house, the meals, all of the home, the love, was sitting right in this boy's heart. And he was handing it over to me. Peace, it's a wonderful feeling.