Thorns with fragrance

16

"I am intensely drawn to sincerity" 

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“How did you find this place, Jane?’ 

“I found it online” She replied as she turned to look at him with a smile but looked away after catching his intense gaze.

It wasn’t a complete lie, she had found it online… but while looking for places to go with Ben, she had been tingly with excitement for them to come here together.

Jane let out a short sigh and shook her head, she was completely over Ben, he hadn’t deserved her. She needed to be with Ken, he was good for her. 

With that thought, Jane plastered a smile on her face and looked back into Ken’s searching gaze.

Ken’s breath hitched as Jane returned his gaze and his heart welled up as he instinctively took a step closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms making a small gasp escape her lips as he leaned down closer to her and rested his forehead against hers. 

Ken closed his eyes as he felt Jane’s warmth against him and his pounding heart pressed against her’s. Taking his time, Ken closed the gap between them and let their breaths mingle as he pressed his lips to Jane’s colored ones. 

Jane’s heart raced and she forgot to breathe and her mind cleared of any thoughts as she passionately returned the kiss and without her realizing her arms had crawled up to the back of Ken’s neck and intertwined into strands of his hair, pulling him impossibly close. 

They pulled away after a moment to take breathe and Jane let out a small chuckle of delight as her mind cleared of any thoughts of Ben and all she could think about was the incredibly perfect man in front of her who returned every fiber of love she had for him.

Ken smiled at the sound of her chuckle and let one out of his own as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

They stay in the comfort of each other’s arms in silence with the sound being the rustling of the dried leaves around them and they had content grins stretched across both of their faces.

After what felt like an eternity, Jane’s voice cut through the silence “Ken! I have something to show you!” she said with excitement laced in her voice, remembering the article she had read about the place.

Ken whined at the thought of moving away from her but at Jane’s playful protests he leaned down and pressed a quick peck at the nape of her neck and reluctantly pulled away, making Jane’s heart jump.

After taking a second to compose herself she held Ken’s hand and intertwined their fingers  and dragged away around to the other side of the large tree.

Jane gasped as she excitedly stared at the row of names neatly carved into the tree, each in a different arrangement of handwork and writing. 

“It’s said to be a tradition among couples to carve their names beside each other and apparently they always stay together! Isn’t that amazing?” Jane gushed with twinkling eyes making Ken smile adoringly as he felt a pang of pride in his chest, he had made her open up to him, she was smiling by his side after everything. 

“Do you want to do it with me?’ Ken asked hesitantly, hoping he wasn’t crossing a line 

Jane sensed the vary in his voice and quickly swung onto her toes as grinned “I thought you’d neer ask! Yes please” she confirmed as Ken let out a breath mak dramatically making Jane chuckle happily.

Ken looked down around him, searching for a sharp rock, and saw one peeking from below a few dried leaves on a boulder. He jogged up to the boulder and kneeled down onto one knee and moved the leaves and picked up the slightly chipped rock which had cleared been used before, most probably for the same reason as them, to carve out their names onto the trunk of a tree that was here to stay and preserve their names, written side by side.

As Jane looked at Ken carve her name onto the trunk of the tree, digging in the sharpened rock into the trunk making brown shaving fall onto the ground, she wraps her arms around herself, smiled, and thought to herself ‘I feel..normal’

Ken stood up straight and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly as he extended his arms out, passing her the rock “Would you want to do the rest..?” 

Jane smiled and nodded “Of course,” she said as she grabbed the rock and leaned towards the tree, and started carving out Kenneth’s name next to hers. Just as she was halfway done, they heard the faint ringtone play from the other side of the tree where Jane’s purse lay on the ground forgotten from when Ken had pulled her in for a kiss.

Jane worked faster and quickly pressed the rock into the tree’s trunk and jogged over to the boulder to place the rock back from where they found it and quickly walked back to her purse alongside Ken.

As soon as she glanced at the name popped up onto the screen of her phone her smile fell.

“Mother - 1 missed call”