Chosen Fate

Chapter 7 - The waterfall

*From Hera's perspective*

Taking my hand, Rome leads me out of the restaurant. His hand fits perfectly into mine, like a mould, covered in calluses, clearly working hands. Yet, surprisingly soft. Leading me to the car, I watch as his eyes take me all in, hungry like a starved wolf, as if he didn’t just eat. My heart thumps in my chest, and blood rushes to my face, I know he can see, and it doesn’t stop me from feeling embarrassed. I’m not used to people looking at me, not just looking at me, but actually seeing me, for more than just my size but as a human. Placing my hands in-front of my stomach, I smile at him, feeling more self conscious than ever. But, there is something reassuring about the way he glanced at my hands, carefully moving them. Leaning forward, he whispers in my ear, barely audible, “You look beautiful, baby girl.”

Baby girl. He just called me baby girl. No one, and I mean no one has ever said anything of the sorts to me, and I don’t quite know how to react. I blush, walking round him to the passenger seat of the car.

“Want to walk off our dinner?” He glances at me, waiting for a reply. Looking down at my dress, I giggle.

“Uh, don’t you think we are a little overdressed for a walk?”

“Baby, I planned.” His eyes dart to the backseat. Behind us are two piles of clothes, and some walking shoes. Rome had seriously thought this through. I grin, overjoyed to go for a walk. I love walking.

The car starts, pulling away from the curb. I know I should have been more worried. A guy I had only met yesterday, taking me in a car to a restaurant an hour away, and is now taking me to an undisclosed location for a walk. But something about him, being close to him, like I am right now, makes me feel safe. We sit in comfortable silence, listening to the radio.

After about 20 minutes, we arrived at a car park, just outside some woods. I love the woods, but as a sufferer of hayfever, I tend to stay away. Thankfully, because it’s September, I should be fine.

“Hera,” He turns to face me, “do you want to get changed first, in the car? I promise I won’t look.” I giggle, unsure if he was joking or not. Rome turns round, grabbing a pile of clothes and shoes, and gets out of the car, “If you press this button,” pointing at the dashboard, “ the privacy screens will drop.”

Cautiously, I lean over, dreading accidentally breaking something. I don’t know much about cars, but I do know this one is expensive. As the privacy screens drop, I hop over to the back seats. My heart beats hard enough, I can feel it move my chest, scared that he may see me change. Picking up the clothes he brought for me, I glanced at the size label, unsure if it would fit. I pull the hoodie over my dress, knowing I will be glad of the extra layer later. I tuck my dress into the grey sweatpants, knowing it will look funny; thankfully the hoodie is big enough to cover the bulge the dress leaves. Surprisingly, the shoes are my exact size, and fit like a glove. How the hell Rome knew my foot size was well beyond me. Climbing awkwardly out of the car, I see Rome already dressed. My mouth waters.

How does this man seem to pull off whatever he is wearing? It’s not fair. We are wearing the same thing, but he looks like a god, and I look like an unbaked potato. Pushing those thoughts down, I walk up to him nervously. He smiles at me while jogging to the car, carrying his suit in a neat pile.

Reaching down, he grabs my hand gently like it’s made of china, watching my reaction. I squeeze his hand, confirming my consent. We start walking, Rome leading the way. It’s a beautiful evening, the sun setting to the west, painting the sky in gold. I get a strange sense of déjà vu, like I have been here before, but I just can’t place it. We walk in silence, hand in hand, enjoying each other's company. I have never felt like this before, the sparks that run through me, every time we touch, the intoxicated feeling that runs though my heart every time he looks at me.

We stop at the bottom of a waterfall, the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I didn’t realise Cornwall could be this pretty. Rome places down a blanket that I didn’t even know he was carrying, and we both sit down and watch.

It's peaceful, watching as the water glides over the rocks, falling. It looks so refreshing. Stunning green plants cling on to the rocks like their life depends on it. It's amazing how life can thrive, under the harshest conditions. Water falling at great speed, all the time upon these plants, yet they continue to thrive. Thousands of years, a constant stream of water, and rock is carved, creating a surreal spot. Birds play, flying through the falling water, the light glistening on their wet feathers revealing millions of colours. The sound of froggs talking fills the air.

Slowly but surely, the sun sinks further, reflecting gracefully on the water at the bottom of the fall. Rainbows start to appear in the falling water. It starts to get colder, and I thank my earlier self for keeping my dress on. I look over at Rome, casually leaning back against a tree, watching the water. He looks so peaceful. And warm. Impulsively, I decide to lean against him, something I would never have dared to do, 24 hours earlier.

We sit like this for some time, just watching. After a while, my eyes feel heavy and I fall asleep, in his arms.