EVE: A Short Unforgettable Love Story

Chapter Nine

Kellan Porter POV

The Summer ends like a sweet, blissful beginning. That Summer changed everything. Isabella and I became more inseparable. We became more in love. Despite the gap of our age? Despite the opinions of others about us? It doesn’t stop us from choosing each other. School started- it’s my last year in High School; she’s in her ninth grade. We spent every single day together. We’d walk together in class. I introduced her formally to my best friend, Liam. He said it doesn’t shock him, because he knew that she got me after that library incident. They got close instantly. From that day, it became the three of us. We hang-out at school. We eat lunch in the cafeteria. We do homework together. We read at the library. Friday at Liams’ playing video games but this time with Isabella. I taught her how to play chess; she taught me how to paint. We listen to music through her headphone. I brought her flower every chance I had- sometimes it was just a picked flowers on the side aisles or street, but it already gave her joy. She appreciates every little thing that I do for her, that’s why I fell in love with her even more. I waited for her outside the campus so we could walk home together, and sometimes she waited for me. In some days we’d spent the afternoon at the old drive-in movie theater, sharing a bucket of pop corns. Sometimes dinner at the local diner. Sometimes a quiet, slow stroll at the bay. And sometimes a cooking session at home with my mom. She loved everything that I cooked for her; I fell in love with cooking even more. In Some nights we just sit on the boardwalk lighthouse and watch the sunset and the stars in the night sky as we talked about stuff in life.

One afternoon, as we were at the lighthouse watching the golden hour, I asked her about her dream, she said she didn’t know yet. It confuses me that a talented, smart girl like her is uncertain about what she wants to be in life, when in fact she can do everything. But when I looked in her eyes, I know there is something. I still asked her what it is, she told me she felt embarrassed. I chuckled. I didn’t ask her again; I didn’t insist. Instead, I waited for her to open it up for me. She cleared her throat, “I just want to paint. But if you’ll ask me in a deeper sense, I want to be a mother. “I was staggered by her response. She’s indeed bold and so direct, never a hint of lies when she speaks. She impressed me even more. She really is different. She didn’t dream like others; she dreams what others are afraid to be. It turns out she knew herself more than any other girls, even in just a young age. Her authenticity makes me fell in love with her even more.

On Saturdays she helped me at the Mechanic Shop or sometimes she just watched me as she writes on her diary. We hang-out at Mr. Gibson’s house, and he often baked us his favorite apple pie. On Sundays we go on nature dates, just the two of us, exploring and enjoying every moment that we had. It became our routine for a whole school year. And even though it’s been a year, I still looked forward on seeing her smile. And her laugh became my most favorite sound. It became my constant reminder that sometimes you just have to laugh at life, because sometime life doesn’t have to be serious all the time.

Yet on days when she feels sad, it became my ultimate goal to make her laugh-I deliberately threw silly jokes, surprised her with flowers, or just quietly stayed on her side as she cries. It just takes a moment, when she started giggling with laughter again. We’ve witnessed each other’s achievements, when we aced each other’s exams, and even moments of our failures. We celebrate special events together- Christmas, birthdays, Graduation and our first Anniversary. And clearly and surely, I fell for her always. I fell for her in every little moment. I fell for her in every slipping time. We became the happiest we have ever been. Until now, I still couldn’t believe that I was tempted by love. But being tempted by love was the best plot twist that occurred to me. Isabella was the best plot twist that happened in my entire life. I thought plot twist only happened in movies and books, but I have proved the best ones happen in real life. She walked into my life, when I least expected it. I never asked; I even resisted. But she became the best surprise my life ever gave me. She made me feel how beautiful life is. She made me want to keep looking forward for life. She wrote a single page in my life, but she changed the entire outlines of my story so much better than I could have ever dreamed. And, I would want to keep writing chapters of my life with her, for years, for decades, forever.

…

One Sunday summer night, I went home from our date when I heard my mother crying inside the house. I instantly ran inside and saw dad standing while my mom is lying on the floor with a spot of blood on her lips. The moment I realized what happened, I instantly felt this excruciating rage inside me. My hands curled in a fist, and trembles from rage. He was about to hurt mom, when I marched forward and punched him hard-and it was the very first time I did that. At that moment I could no longer control it, he surpassed his limit and I defended my mom. He can extort us with money, bribed us, but he could never hurt my mom.

“I told you, the moment your hand touched mom even in just a second, don’t ever expect I’ll still respect you.” I fulminated with deep rage. Mom tried to stop me, but my heart already turned ragged. “You son of a b***h!” dad stormed the moment he loosened up. He punched me back on my left eye. Hard. My bones melted and I instantly fell on the floor. He’s strong, much stronger than an eighteen-year-old me. I saw Mom’s sad eyes turned enraged, without other thought she pushed my dad as she recklessly shielded herself on mine. "Stop. Don’t you dare lay your hand on my son again!"

It was the very first time I saw her stood for herself and for me. She didn’t beg; she didn’t become sympathetic. And it was the very first time that I saw hatred and resentment on her eyes as she gazed hard at dad. Dad was completely shaken. Maybe it got him, that a mother would do anything for her child-she becomes reckless yet brave to protect her son. “Leave. Now! and don’t you ever come back. If you did, I will show no mercy again. I will report you to the police and I will send you to jail. Mark my words. Daniel.” She burst out. Dad gazed hard at mom, then looked at me, as he slowly walked out. But before he could slide out the door, he gazed back at me.” I know your little girl friend, Kellan. I heard she’s quite rich. Extort five thousand bucks from her. Make sure you’ll give me that money next week. I’ll come back to see you.” He paused for a long second. “Don’t make me hurt that precious little girl of yours.” He said- a subtle, direct threat. Mom wrapped me in her arms as I was still lying on the floor. My entire system couldn’t move. I’m scared. It was the very first time I felt an intense fear. I knew dad, he never hurt mom like he did today. So, it makes me more frighten to think what worse he can do to other people, especially to my Isabella.

This is all my fault.