Crossing Paths

chapter 6

He drove Jessabelle’s car to his place because she was in no shape to drive. His sparse apartment wasn’t much. Normally, he would think twice about bringing her there, but after the day they’d had, he just needed her to be with him. From the adoring gaze she was giving him, he was guessing that she felt the same. She did put up a minor fuss, but he insisted on carrying her inside. He needed to feel Jessabelle in his arms to know that she was safe and protected. Besides, having her soft, warm body cradled against his was heavenly. He had carried plenty of bodies for his job, but none have ever felt like this.

Once they got inside, Samuel reluctantly sat her down. She twirled in a circle, looking around his small place and seeming at a loss for what to do. His mouth is parched, but he finally forced some words out. “We’re both filthy. How about if you take the shower first? I’ll find some clean clothes for you to put on and order us some food.” She was quietly staring at him. He added, “There isn’t much to eat here, since I’m never home. What toppings do you like on your pizza?”

“I’m not hungry,” she tried.

Samuel wouldn’t allow her to shut down on him. He said in a commanding voice, “You’re eating. What would you like me to order?” His authoritative tone did the trick because she answered, “Anything but anchovies.”

“Got it,” he answered as he led her toward the bathroom.

Samuel ushered Jessabelle inside his small but functional bathroom, then retrieved his thickest, most plush towel from the cabinet. Once it was laid out for her, he turned to leave, brushing by her on his way out. “I won’t be long,” she promised.

“Take your time,” he said sincerely. He was used to being covered in soot and grime, but it was probably an all-new, completely unpleasant experience for her. Once he ordered the pizza, Samuel retrieved a soft cotton T-shirt and pair of gray sweats from his dresser. They would be big on her, but at least they were clean and comfortable. He tapped on the door and cracked it open. Not wanting his entrance to alarm her, I said, “I’m just delivering some clean clothes for you to put on when you get out.”

“Okay, thanks,” she answered. The aroma of his shampoo and body wash combo was wafting over the shower wall. It smelled much more tantalizing on her than it ever had on him. After placing the clothes on the sink ledge, he turned to leave. She was so quiet, he was not positive if he truly heard it when she said his name, “Samuel?” he cleared his throat, trying his best not to think about her being wet and naked just on the other side of the shower’s threshold. The last thing she needed was for him to come at her all hot and horny, after the tragedy she had just endured. Attempting to keep his tone normal, he answered, “Yes?” Her voice was barely above a whisper when she said, “You can join me in here if you’d like.” His blood immediately rushed to his crotch. There was nothing he’d like more than to climb into a hot, steamy shower with her. The mental image of shoving her against the tile wall and ramming up into her wet heat invades his mind, but he knew that was not what she needed from him right now. She was vulnerable and needed to be comforted. Suddenly, he realized that her marvelous offer had been hanging in the sultry air between them without a response from him. She couldn’t read his mind and know that he was desperate to take her up on it. Samuel tried to keep his voice casual as I said, “I would love to join you in there, if, you’re sure.”

“Yes.” The simple word was the most wonderful thing he had ever heard.

He peeled off his clothes and took a deep breath before slowly sliding back the curtain. Jessabelle’s nude body was even more gorgeous than he imagined as the hot spray slid down her smooth skin in tiny rivulets. He ached to follow each of their paths with his tongue as he got drunk at the magnificent sight of her. Her eyes traveled up and down his body, pausing for a long moment to take in his straining manhood. As if it had a mind of its own, his c**k twitched to keep her attention trained on it. Her lips curved upward as the two of them share a private moment.

When Jessabelle moved to the side to make room for him, he gingerly stepped inside the tub. As much as he wanted to make love with Jessabelle, he knew that she needed something else from him right now. Forcing his eyes to look away from her, he grabbed his bottle of man goop. She reached out to delicately take it from him as she said, “I’m already clean, but I want to wash you. You’re a hero, and you deserve to have someone pamper you.” Words completely failed him, so he merely nodded his head as Jessabelle guided him under the hot water spray.

Once he was wet, she reached up to scrub his hair. He turned and tipped his head back to give her easier access. Her fingernails dug lightly into his scalp, sending a surprising tingle zipping along his spine. A groan emerged from deep in his throat when he felt her full, wet t**s pressing into his back. He was surprised by the sound of it. Not wanting things to become too intense, he said, “You are fantastic.”

Her delighted chuckle was immediate, and he found himself wanting to hear that glorious sound every day for the rest of his life. He couldn’t imagine ever getting enough of it. Once she had his hair rinsed, he turned around to face her. It was all he could do to keep his hands off her, but she seemed to want to explore him, and he was more than willing to let her have her way with his body. He was all hers if she wanted him. Their fronts brushed together as she leaned around him to grab the mesh sponge from its hook. He hissed in a breath, uncertain if one can die from horniness. He might find out if this exquisite torture didn’t end soon. She scrubbed his entire body clean in long, sweeping motions that had his nerve endings tingling with aching desire. His chest heaved as he panted with the need for her. No one had ever given him this kind of tender, loving care before. His body quivered under her touch, and he didn’t ever want it to end.

Once he was cleaned to her satisfaction, she reached around him to replace the sponge on its hook. When her impossibly sexy body brushed against Samuel’s, he clenched his teeth together and forced his hands to remain at his sides, despite how much they longed to reach out to her. His skin was alive and buzzing with need as every cell inside him screamed with the urgency to make her his. Holding back from plowing into her against the shower wall was taking every bit of restraint he could muster, but she was too fragile and important for a hot, passionate bang. If he touched Jessabelle tonight, it would be loving and tender, not frantic and rough.

He turned them to the side, to let hot water spray down on both of them. She put her arms around him. Their fronts pressed together as she rested her head on his chest, obviously trusting him completely. Samuel’s hands rubbed up and down along both sides of Jessabelle’s spine from her neck to the top of her ass. He didn’t travel any further south before going back up because he didn’t want to work himself into any more of a frenzy than he already was.

She turned to press her lips along his pecks and up toward his neck. Her sweet, tender kisses sent electrifying jolts tingling with fire through his veins. Her lips were almost to his. As he bent his head down to kiss her full lips, they hovered close together, savoring the delightful anticipation of their first kiss. Just as they began to move to press his lips down to hers, the doorbell rang. He froze, squeezing his eyes shut and cursing that rotten timing. He had been happy to ignore the intrusion, pay the fee for a missed delivery, and stay in this shower with Jessabelle until the hot water ran out, but she needed to eat. “That must be the pizza,” he said, just before he reluctantly stepped out of the hottest, most sensational shower of his life.

He grabbed a towel from the cabinet and left the good one for her. After a quick dry-off, he wrapped the towel around his waist and headed toward the door, yelling, “Be right there.”

Samuel was finally home where he belonged––with Jessabelle. They were insatiable for each other as they giggled, talked, snuggled, and made love. She couldn’t get enough of him, and he seemed to feel the same way about her. He showed her with his body how much she meant to him. She was happy to trust him with her body, heart, mind, and soul. All of their free time was spent naked and entwined. They only came up for air when they needed food. But soon, they would both need to return to work. She was excited to share her new venture with him and hoped that he was as excited about it as she was.

After a particularly voracious lovemaking session on his kitchen counter, they were still breathing heavily when she said, “I want to tell you what I accomplished while you were gone.” He lifted her from the counter, carried her to his bed, curled his body around her, and said, “You have my full attention.”

“The fire at Squared changed my entire worldview. It inspired me and made me realize that I want to do anything I can to help people when they are facing that type of life-altering, devastating situation.”

His finger traced down her spine, creating a tingle in its wake as he said, “That’s wonderful.”

“I’ve set up a meeting with a woman that used to be a regular customer at the donut shop, who recently started a senior dog rescue.”

“Charlotte?” he asked.

“You know her?” She was surprised by this common connection.

He chuckled before saying. “Everyone knows Charlotte, the dog ninja. You have to watch your back around her, or you’ll end up with a dog you didn’t know you needed. She brought an aging, overweight Dalmatian, named Dottie, to the fire station and the crew immediately fell in love. We didn’t think we wanted the joint responsibility of caring for a dog, but Dottie is the best station mascot we could have asked for.” She smiled at his obvious pride and love for the animal before continuing her explanation. “Well, she started that charity all on her own, and it is booming. I’m meeting with her later this week to get her advice for starting a charity to help fire victims. I visualize it as a free store where people can go immediately after a devastating fire to get clothing and enough supplies to help them make it through those first days of shock before any funds from the insurance company kick in.”

“That’s a genius, much-needed idea.” His voice was filled with sincerity and enthusiasm.

Her heart swelled with pride that he so wholeheartedly approved of her idea. “We can provide a caring ear and a comforting hug, along with necessities and perhaps a few small luxuries to help see them through one of the most challenging times of their lives.” He was nodding his agreement. She revealed the piece she was most nervous about sharing. “I’m even thinking about taking some college courses in counseling psychology to help me know the best things to say and do to help. I may eventually work toward earning a degree.”

She held her breath as she waited to see if he would think she was jumping in too deep, too fast. The air expelled from her lungs when he said, “Terrific. You can do anything you set your mind to, and this will help so many people when they need it most. This is exactly the kind of thing my family needed right after the fire at our house. It would have made a huge difference for us.” His validation of her idea gave her heart wings. They shared more ideas about how to bring her charity to life as they got ready for the party to celebrate his return from California. It was going to be a relaxed get-together with several members of his crew from the fire station and some of her new friends from the self-defense class she had been taking at the dojo Samuel’s friend, Adam, runs.

Samuel grinned at her reflection in the steamy bathroom mirror as he said, “How about if we move our party tonight to Evie’s Bar & Grill? We have more room and can invite all of our friends?” She was surprised that he wanted to make it such a big event, but she was happy to go along with whatever he wanted. She said, “Sounds good to me.”

“Great! Let’s make it an official engagement party.” When she turned to face him, he was down on one knee, presenting a small, velvet ring box to Jessabelle. Her palm went up to cover her mouth as happy tears streamed down her cheeks. They were both damp from their shower and wearing only towels wrapped to cover their nakedness, but she couldn’t imagine a scenario that would be more perfect. “Will you make me the happiest man alive by agreeing to become my wife?” His intent gaze was unflinching as he awaited my answer.

Jessabelle didn’t hesitate a bit before answering, “Yes!”

They hugged and let their towels fall away as they celebrated their promised union with their bodies.

She finished the last of her sandwich as she stared down at the text. Her hands were so numb she could barely move her thumb across the screen. Where was she? Where was she, Samuel?

Right back where she started from.

Or close to it anyway. And not to be dramatic, but she was pretty sure she was going to be here. Here on the cold bench in that almost empty parking lot. She was going to die wearing yesterday’s clothing with six percent battery left and one bar of signal. She swiped the message away. Her stiff fingers protested the movement and tried calling Joey again. The time on her phone told her it was ten p.m. local time, which meant she was supposed to be back an hour ago, which meant her brother was going to kill her.

It all started with a fire. She and Samuel shortly started dating after the fire incident. After a very long time, she felt complete. It was a rainy day, when she was told, “Look now it’s enough. Mom and Dad know your matter for having no children. Better try to bring down contact with her. It would be good for both”.

This single dialogue has the complete story in it. When she heard this, she was not in a position to respond. She did not understand what was happening. She was dumbstruck. Her mind was blacked out. She needed her best friend to cry. But Joey was far away from her. She was left with no option but to land in her friend, Yousseff’s house. The very moment she entered his house, looking at her depressed face, he asked her, “What happened?”

She was in no state of receiving his question. Her senses lost their power to perceive. He could understand her feeling and stopped touching her more on that issue. She just went out of the room with Yousseff accompanying her. He just put his hand on her shoulder, and said, “Okay dude, stay calm”.

This concerning dialogue said by him, kicked the tear-can in her eyes, and water started flooding her eyes. The World was looking blurred from her naked eyes. Nothing was clear, neither her eyes nor her mind nor the situation”.

She did nothing but “Cried”. She cried and cried. She had no words to express her agony. The next moment she messaged Joey, but he did not respond for some time. She was also in a state of shock. Jessabelle always wondered, how could a highly “possessive”, highly “sensitive” man like Samuel, would do all those atrocities. Her voice did not rise to talk to her. She was sure; she would have shed tears, more than Jessabelle did. And then a series of serious talks continued for hours and hours.

Samuel and his family were very close associates of Jessabelle’s and were always given high respect and vice-versa. Now only because of their so-called “Love” relationship, they did not want to cut down the beautiful relationship between the two families. Understanding the consequences, which they would have to face, in case they continued the same relationship, they finally decided to “Split”. They decided to “break up”. But not to cut the bond. They were from a family where they never knew what really “disobeying” meant. They never tried to overrule the decisions of their parents. Keeping this in mind, for the sake of the two families, who never had any kind of intention of getting into a relationship, they were compelled to “split”.

Every phase of life has “love” in it. It is said that Love in youth is never forgettable. It may be a success or failure. This written work of mine is all about a “sincere Love”, which finally had to “Break-Up”. The most difficult phase of love is “Break-Up”, the word, which is always on the lips of youth, like Jessabelle. This is the age, where we exactly don’t know what love is and what is what. ‘It is difficult to explain love. It is difficult to tell the extreme happiness and pleasure of love. It is a feeling that has been expressed by many—by legends, by scribes, by pious, by philosophers, by artists, and also by intellectuals—in many forms. In words, in music, in art, and in every other medium possible.

Words always eulogize Love. Music adds happiness to it; Art adorns it further. Yet words are not enough. Music seems less in defining love, and art and other forms seem less in expressing this lofty emotion. How love can be expressed entirely? Well, it can be comprehended only by feeling it.

But what would you do when you don’t have anyone to love or anyone to love you back?

The depths of despair left her in a mindless state and everything that once seemed crystal clear paled into the murky waters of sadness, and the voices that heralded life slowly nudged themselves into an abyss of eerie silence! The darkness of the night made it worse for Jessabelle as she struggled to come to terms with what had transpired between her and fate. Five years seemed to stretch like five hundred years as the once chirpy woman held herself together with immense difficulty through the once-sweet memories of laughter that helped tether together her life in hope and peace.

She was checking her phone again and again but there was no message. It was 1 PM but still, there was no call or message from him. He usually texted her in the morning. A thought kept on coming into her mind why did he not message her till now?

While thinking about him, she saw a flashback of how it all started. How he entered her life, how she had tried to limit her presence but could not stop him. With every passing day, he was becoming more and more important to her. He was one such beautiful thing in her life that she tried to hide from everyone. He was her secret lover, and she was her secret admirer. He made her feel happy, her heart sink when he left, and she waited to hear from him every day.

Once again, she picked up her phone and checked but there was no message. Her heart started sinking. They talked on weekdays while working in their offices. Monday to Friday. 9 to 7 means a lot for both of them because these were the times when they got time to talk and know each other more. Time was passing, it was already 3:30 but there was no message from Yousseff. She was convincing herself by saying that ‘he might be busy or stuck somewhere that is why he did not contact me.’ It was hard for her to let the day go. It was Friday and they did not talk on weekends and the thought of managing without talking to him for more than three days was scaring her. That’s how close they had gotten since she started living in the orphanage. No one knew about her secret feelings, not even Yousseff.

She never wanted this weekend to come. It was painful for her to wait for Monday so that she could hear from him. Again, she waited for his message on Monday. Hours passed but there was no message from him. She thought of calling him, but she knew I cannot. Jessabelle was in a great dilemma, feeling helpless. She just wanted to hear from him once and know what was going on. Why was not he talking to her?

A week had passed like this. There was no contact. She was depressed. She decided to call him today just to confirm Yousseff’s whereabouts. But…she waited. And then she texted him.

“Hi!”

She was waiting for the blue tick. Yes, she read it and she could see that he was typing. A smile came on her face, and she was eagerly waiting for his reply.

“Hello!”

Came from the other end.

She started throwing questions at him. Grilling him about where was he and then he replied. “I am fine. I was occupied with office work. On Thursday I had to go to Berlin on an urgent basis where my number lost network. I was so busy that I could not manage to take time out. I am sorry.”

She felt relaxed but at the same time, she also realized how important Yousseff had become for her. Initially, she was not letting him enter her life, but she was not letting him go either. She never felt the intensity of their relationship before. She had grown fonder of him by then.

Suddenly, she realized that he was married, They both had their own set of responsibilities toward their families and work. This was what he was doing. Jessabelle was nowhere in his life in the previous week.

Jessabelle wondered if she was on the right track or not. Should she continue to love him like this or stop herself? She again felt helpless and confused about this new chapter in her life.