The Poet
Did he cause her pain? Did she regret marrying him? What was the reason for the sadness in her smile when they first met? All these things were in his mind, but he kept from mentioning ‘the other guy.’
He didn’t want to ruin his last two days with her. He’ll take what he can get. Whatever she’s having with another person is irrelevant to what she’s having with him. He refused to acknowledge it. She was his and his alone on that cruise.
He wouldn’t let go of her hands. His arms looped around her every second she was near. At the deck, by the pool. His lips on her cheek, her temple, her forehead, he was madly in love with her, ignoring all the gazing eyes from the crews who knew who he was and probably wondered what he was doing with one of their VIP guests.
“I’m yours … don’t give myself back to me,” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from underneath the dim light at the upper deck.
“What?” she was amused.
“Rumi … the poet … have you ever heard of him?” he pressed the side of his face on her temple; the night wind blew against their hair, and he inhaled her scent deep into his lungs.
“Hmm … the Persian poet, I’m familiar with his poetry, but I never heard that one before,” she leaned her head on his chest; he felt more and more like a lover to her as the hours passed.
“He’s my favorite; everything he said touched me to my core … it’s amazing how someone has so much wisdom that many can relate to … I will be waiting here … for your silence to break, for your soul to shake, for your love to wake.”
His voice soothed her ear, and his words made the hairs on her arms stand up.
She smiled, “Is that another quote of his?”
“Yeah, do you want to hear some more? I’ve memorized so many of them.”
“Are you trying to seduce me with poetry?” she laughed lightly.
He chuckled, “I’m romanticizing you because you deserve to hear beautiful things, and Rumi has taken all the right words out of me … I think I’m a few hundred years too late to be a poet.”
It made her laugh.
“Gamble everything for love if you’re a true human being,” he quoted.
“He didn’t say that?”
“He did … reason is powerless in the expression of love,” he continued.
She was still grinning; his arms were tighter around her keeping her warm from the chill.
“These pains you feel are messengers … listen to them.”
Her smile started to fade. Roman wasn’t just quoting them randomly; she felt those words were meant for her.
“Love comes with a knife, not some shy question, and not with fears of its reputation.”
“A thousand half-loves must be forsaken to take one whole heart home.”
She was utterly silent.
“Do you believe in soulmates?” he asked.
She found herself immobile; her throat had a lump, and her eye glands were full. She pressed her lips together.
“I do … and I believe you are my soulmate, deep down in my heart, I know … my search ends with you.”
She covered her face; tears ran down despite trying hard to hold them. This can’t be real. This guy tries to seduce her with words, and she falls for it. No one could fall in love like that in a matter of days. But she did; she felt it too; she was just too confused to admit it.
He felt her pain. When he saw her crying, he knew she felt the same way. It gave him comfort and relief that he didn’t imagine it. He turned her around, took her hands away, and looked into her eyes. They were telling him what she couldn’t put into words. He pulled her in and kissed the top of her head.
What do you do when you find the right person but she is with another love? You pry her heart open and look for yourself there. If you find it, you know the fight isn’t over yet. It’s the unfairest thing in the world, but love is worth every drop that bleeds from you to get it.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
That was what he tried to do. He did well. He found himself in her tears; she opened the gates for him to follow through. So he waited for the next chance to get closer; he knew he couldn’t rush it, although time was wearing thin.
Later that night, he kissed her and laid her on the bed. No more talking. Just two souls reuniting in new bodies. He believed it. From the very first love story he ever heard, he was looking for her, and now he found her. The universe had conspired to bring them both on that ship, and their fate had unfolded. There was no turning back for him.