Ethan

The surgery itself wasn't what worried me, it was the outcome that had me tied in knots. Not for me, but for her. For Skye. Hope could be a cruel thing, especially when faced with one disappointment after another. That was my whirlpool, I was used to carry the weight of my failed surgeries alone. But now, someone important to me was being hopeful for me.

I've been preparing myself for days of sheer boredom and excessive over thinking during my pre-surgery days. It never happened. Skye gave that no chance to happen. She didn't give me any space to dwell over anything except her and our time together. She was there every single day and she had me doing things I've never thought I would ever do.

Every day she would 'kidnap' me -as she liked to call it- from my house and we would hit the road. Never once did she tell me where we were going. It was always a 'surprise'.

Some of those surprises were relaxing and calming like when we spent the day at the beach, just floating on the cold water, burying me in the sand, walking hand in hand and having a good time.

Or when we went to a concert to one of my favorite bands and we danced the whole evening. I got a singed shirt.

Or that time she signed us up for a pottery class. Skye created a vase which was described by our tutor as 'beautiful' and 'good work'. Meanwhile, I proved once again that I did not own a nickel's worth of artistry in me. I was trying to make a mug for Skye, but somehow ended up making a bowl with a handle instead. The sweet ring of Skye's laugh when she saw it had me grinning. She kept it anyway. I have to admit there was something soothing about shaping clay.

On the other hand, I was astounded by the other half of things we did.

We went rock wall climbing, which for a blind person wasn't that easy. Skye instructed the placing of my hands and feet all the way to the top. The afterwards muscle ache was a pleasant change. It was the stress release that I craved for.

Another day, we went parasailing, despite the cold weather. We glided in air wearing an open parachute while a motorboat sliced the waves on high speed dipping our toes in water every once and a while. The water was fine once gotten used to, at least it was for me. Skye on the other hand was shivering in my arms for a long time before she was warm again.

And the madness carries on.

The craziest thing she had us doing was bungee jumping.

Where the hell did she find that?

I honestly have no clue. And to think that I would object. Disagree. Refuse. Draw the line.

Nope! Never happened!

However, my optimistic, angelic girlfriend did apologize -ever so sweetly- if we plummeted to our deaths. She had a tight grip around me when they tied us together, secured our helmets and checked our harnesses. Skye's screams were only muffled by my shoulder were she hid when we stepped over the edge. Soon both of us were laughing as we dangled upside down by cords. What a rush!

Skye kept me busy. Every day that she had 'kidnapped' me- my mind would be in jitters over what she had planned for us. Would it be an easy going day or was it an adrenaline pumped up day.

The day before the surgery we had an early dinner at Skye's house. It ran lively with Sophie, Hank and Matt. I tried to force myself to join the conversation, but I had a lot of things going on my mind. My thoughts insisted on returning to what tomorrow held, and then they overflowed with the girl beside me.

I felt the softness of Skye's hand as she covered mine. She has always been able to sense my struggles. I turned my head to where she sat next to me at the dinner table and smiled. She squeezed my hand and it felt like a caress straight to my nerves. My thoughts quieted down except of one, a very specific thought that has been devouring me savagely for a long time.

After dinner I suggested that we'd go for a walk, I wanted to talk to her. We strolled slowly hand in hand slightly swinging with every step. I breathed in the scent of the night, the cold air scented with the saltiness smell of the sea and the sweet perfume of the piece of my heart that was walking beside me.

I couldn't hear many people around us, only a few cars passed by and a couple of dog barking from a distance. Other than that, the night was silent. The moment was perfect.

"I never got to say thank you." I said interrupting the silence.

"For what?"

"For the past days." I grinned and she laughed. "Even when you were scared, cold or tiered you never backed down."

"I had you with me."

Her hands hugged mine between them and her voice smiled at me. I felt my heart flutter.

We continued sauntering in silence for a while. Or at least I hoped it was in silence because I could hear the loud, out of rhythm thuds -which were supposed to be in my chest- right in my ears. Anxiety started to pull on my nerves mercilessly like wires out of sockets. I swallowed hard and then cleared my throat.

I don't believe I've never felt this nervous in my life, not even when I played football and had a big game. Hell! Not even during the season finals! I swallowed again.

Inhale... exhale.

"I want to tell you something." I broke the silence again.

"Hmm."

Here it goes!

Inhale... exhale.

"I know it might be selfish saying this just a day before the surgery..."I stopped walking and turned to face her and placed her hand on my chest suddenly needing to feel her close, my thumb gently stroking her wrist.

"I wanted to tell you this many times before but I couldn't bring myself to." I scoffed at myself knowing now that there was no way I could've escaped this, "I thought by holding back I was saving myself the heartache in case you walked away. Or if you didn't feel the same way about me, but even though, even if you didn't have the same feelings as I do, it's fine... it's just that I can no longer hold back anymore..."

I pressed her hand over my heart for a moment before lifting it to my lips for a moment longer savoring and saving everything from these precious minutes. My heart violently shook in my chest as I felt the meaning of every word like I've ever did before just as they left my lips, "What I've been wanting to say is that, I love you, Skye."

I finally said the words and god if I didn't want to say themover and over again. The number of times that I wanted to tell her were countless. I tried to tell her at her house, my house, school, even when we went out on a date, but I couldn't. Those words have always been on the tip of my tongue, but they didn't make out any further.

I brushed her knuckles with my lips and started to turn to finish our walk. I barely moved a step when she spoke.

"I love you too" Skye's voice was as soft as a whisper.

My whole existence was frozen into a striking halt that left me motionless. Despite being on tenterhooks and despite the longing that was carved on the walls of my heart, I've made my peace with the possibility of not hearing her saying those words back.

My brain was doubting my ears. My voice came out harsh, "Say it again!" The pounding in my chest increased to near explosion.

She stepped closer driving everything that was I wild, "I love you too, Ethan." the smile was heard clearly in her words. No hesitation. No regret. Only confidence and certainty.

Closing the gap between us I locked my arms around her pressing my body against hers as I picked her up. Waiting impatiently for her lips to find mine, I started kissing her shoulder, then that sweet spot on her neck that made her giggle, then under her jaw. I traced a line with my lips until I found what I was searching for. Fireworks exploded in my brain.

I've always been careful when we kissed. Always fighting the urge of rushing to close the distance between us so I won't crash into her or hurt her. I mentally prepared guide lines and rules for when we kissed or touched. Tonight... well tonight every rule and self-control flew out the window the moment she said those words.

Our kisses started hungrily and ended leaving me greedy, starving and yearning for more. And when Skye bit my lower lip a chaotic shiver burned through my body almost brought me to knees. I had to place her back on the ground while I caught my breath.

My hands caged her close by the dip of her waist. I was panting like I've just ran a marathon. My whole body was threatening to give up on me and collapse. Resting my forehead against hers. Her scent calming me and driving me mad at the same time and I was in one heap of astonishing mess.

"I can't wait to see you." My voice came out gruff.

Skye pressed her lips long on my forehead, "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

Her voice was gentle and a little out of breath like mine. For some reason, that made me happy.

Was I worried about tomorrow? The question hung there for a moment.

After the last few minutes there was nothing that could ever break me.

I grinned widely, "Well, I have something else to think about," and I waggled my eyebrows at her.

Skye slapped my arm and I laughed.

My sweet, shy, lovely Skye.

Skye

He said he loves me.

I rolled on bed facing the other side. There was no way I was falling asleep tonight. The image of Ethan when he lowered his head doing that thing that made me think he was looking at me and then saying he loved me was running on an endless loop in my head.

And my god what happened next! A sweet shiver ran down my spine and I covered my burning face with my cold fingers. I beamed like I never did in my life. It felt like there was a song in my heart.

I propped up suddenly and snatched my phone from the charger and typed, "Stop thinking and go to sleep."

Shortly after I hit send my phone started ringing.

Startled by the quick response I nearly dropped my phone. I did a half acrobatic -half ninja move to catch it midair.

I knew he would still be awake.

"Hey" I breathed. The thumps in my chest were getting louder.

"Hey you. So, you couldn't sleep either?"

"Nope."

"Good."

I could imagine him grinning right now. I smiled.

"Would you..." there was hesitation in his voice, "...read for me."

"You mean our book?" I had him on speaker on my bed while I jumped to my feet to fetch the book from my desk. I felt incredibly light on my feet I barely felt the floor under me.

"I love it when you call it our book..."

I spun around looking at my phone and smiled, imagining his face as he spoke. How his lashes would fall over his eyes in that dreamy intense look. The way his lips smiled deepening those dimples that I loved. How his brow pinch ever so lightly, a barely noticeable movement when he spoke?

"And I love the sound of your voice when you read to me..." his voice was becoming thicker as he spoke.

I hugged the book tightly to my heart, blushing a deep shade of red as I slowly walked back to bed.

"And I love how your hand fits in mine..."

How come he was all the way over there at his house yet still makes me lose my breath?

"And I love how soft your skin feels against mine..."

God, losing my breath was the least of it. He was causing my thoughts to tangle, my heart to race, my knees to weaken and butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

"Now that I've finally said I love you, I don't think I can ever stop." His voice filled my room and it felt like a warm caress.

"Then maybe you shouldn't stop. Because I don't think I could either." I quipped.

The sigh of rapture that I heard from Ethan felt like it was coming out of my chest.