IAN's POV :
It took everything in me to watch her leave and do nothing.
If I had forced her to stay, maybe she would have. But then again, she'd resent me for it. My hands fell to my sides and I kept looking at the door, just in case maybe she'd turn around.
But she never did.
I sat down on the couch and replayed the past few hours in my head again. It was Friday like any other Friday, nothing out of the ordinary. I woke up, made coffee, went to school and taught a class, and then I went to the exhibition after lunch. I always checked the guest list every morning, just in case I'd see a familiar name. Nothing today, but that was okay. I was still gonna go there anyway. Sometimes I'd meet fellow artists or fans, and we'd get a good talk.
Today was kind of a slow day, not too many people came. It was a few minutes before 4 PM and since the last two people that came in just left, I decided to lock up the place. I must've missed it, but a girl slipped past the door right before I was about to close it.
She didn't see me either. Her attention was focused on the paintings on the wall. She was standing with her back to me in these high heels and pencil skirt, and that attire made her look older than her age. I cocked my head to the side and studied her figure. The way she stands, the way she walks, I knew those moves like the back of my hand.
I just kept watching her as she glided down the room. I caught a small smile forming on her face as she studied the painting in front of her. I was glad she found it amusing.
My heart was beating so fast when I finally saw her face and her eyes found mine. It was a moment straight out of a movie. Time stood still for a while, and everything else faded away.
I remembered all the words that we exchanged. I thought about what I should have said instead and maybe she would have stayed. I was in no place to be hopeful, she did mention she was already with someone else, but deep down in my heart, I knew that she still loves me. No matter how she tried to hide it, we both knew.
We couldn't lie to ourselves. Our souls were the same.
Getting up to my feet, I decided that waiting around in this room wasn't gonna do me any good. For a split second, I thought about picking up a bottle, but then I changed my mind. Suddenly, I had a better idea.
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It was a warm day in mid May. Spring was in the air. I wore a light jacket and made my way through the sea of people. I stopped my tracks when I reached the lobby of the Grand Central Station. My eyes darted to the big clock in the middle and the time showed that it was almost 9 PM. Then I went and checked the arrivals board, looking for trains coming from Philadelphia. There were four more trains coming tonight before the service stops at around midnight.
"And so the waiting game begins," I thought to myself.
Walking around, I found a strategic spot where I could see everyone that just arrived. It looked like a spot as good as any, so I stood there and waited. And waited. And waited.
And waited.
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The third train had arrived and there were still no signs of her. It was highly optimistic of me to think that she'd come right back here tonight. In my fantasy, she would be breaking things off with that guy and on her way over to me. Sadly, my fantasy and reality had a huge gap in between.
"Still one more train for the night, though," I said to myself, as if it was gonna change anything.
A part of me knew that she wasn't gonna come, but waiting for her here or in the comfort of my studio wasn't that much different. So here I was. Still standing at the same spot for hours, and maybe an hour more.
My eyes were scanning the room aimlessly when I suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Ian?"
My heart rate quickened. I turned around, and there she was. Emma. Standing tall and beautiful, taking the air right out of my lungs.
"Hi," my lips twitched into a smile. My eyes were blinking rapidly, making sure she wasn't a figment of my imagination.
"How'd you know that I'd be here?" she asked as she stepped closer.
"I don't. I've just been waiting here," I replied.
"For how long?"
"Probably almost three hours?"
"But that's around the time I left?" she narrowed her eyes.
I just shrugged.
"What if I didn't come back tonight?" she asked again.
"Then I'd be waiting a whole lot longer,"
It was an honest answer. I was prepared to wait here until the last train, and tomorrow morning I might be back here again. Who knows what a dumb guy in love might do?
She didn't say anything for a while, and she looked at me with a look I couldn't decipher. Maybe it was happiness, or maybe it was fear. Or maybe it was both.
"How are you so certain that I was gonna come and see the exhibition?" she asked finally.
"I don't. But I'll just be there anyway, every day," I paused for a moment and took another step towards her, saying, "I know the words 'I'm sorry' or 'I love you' isn't gonna cut it anymore. That's why I never even said anything to you all this time. But that's also why I made all those art pieces. They did the talking for me when my words can't,"
She didn't step back or move away, so I took my chance and stepped even closer.
"Was that the first exhibition you did for me?" she asked when I was an arm's length away.
"No, I think it's around the fourth?"
"You did four other shows, for me?" she gaped. "Why? What's your grand plan?"
"There's no grand plan, Emma," I shook my head, "I don't care even if I do a thousand shows and you never come to one. Even if you never get to see them, that's okay. They will all still be there, seen or unseen. Standing through the test of time, it'll always be there for you,"
That was the truth. That was the whole plan. That was it. No grand schemes, no nothing.
"So, it's true? You really don't want anything from me?" her voice trembled a little as she spoke.
"You deserve the very best, someone who will back you up without limits, let you grow without borders, and love you without end. So, I'm not gonna ask you for anything. I'm just gonna stand here and try to be that guy for you, and I'll let you decide,"
I said it calmly, like it was an easy thing to say. But in my head, I was screaming at her, 'Pick me! Don't go back to him! You know damn well we belong together!'
She was quiet again and her lips formed a straight line. I got anxious, waiting for her to speak, hanging on her every move.
"Are you gonna say anything?" I asked finally.
"What do you want me to say?" she asked back.
"I don't know..." I started stammering like fücking moron. '"Like... do you, like maybe wanna be with me?"
I looked at her with pleading eyes. My throat was dry and I couldn't stop gritting my teeth. Suddenly, and without warning, her hand reached into the cleavage of her blouse and she pulled out a familiar gold heart locket. Her dainty finger held onto the chain and the little thing sparkled under the light.
I didn't miss the glimmer in her eyes as she said, "Why do you think I'm here?"
For the first time that night, I was at loss for words. I could only stare at her with my mouth gaped open.
"I must admit, I didn't expect to see you today or that I'll find an art exhibition dedicated to me. But, I just spent three hours on a train back and forth the city, and I was thinking to myself and I realized... you're right. Timing is everything, isn't it?" she smiled meaningfully, and I just kept staring at her, waiting for her to continue talking.
"I know I'm only twenty-two, but I don't think I'll ever find a love like this again, ever. Because there's only one you in the world, and that's who I want. You helped me learn things about myself that I didn't even know. You made see things I couldn't see before. You've taught me everything I know,"
Her hands reached for my face and at that moment, I swear my heart had stopped beating.
"I may be the muse, but you're the teacher. There's nowhere else and no else I'd rather be with,"
Everything in me was trembling at her words. I didn't dare blink because I was afraid this would all disappear. With shaky hands, I grabbed onto her hand on my face and asked, "Come with me?"
She cocked her head to the side as if the answer was obvious. And it was.
"With you, anywhere,"
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We weren't wasting time. We've wasted enough time. We were running down the streets of New York City, our hands were clasped together, and the sound of her wild laughter filled the air. I had never felt so free, so infinite before this.
Making our way up the stairs to my studio, she was stumbling with her feet, her high heels were getting in the way. She stopped to take them off and let out the biggest sigh of her life.
I couldn't help myself. When I saw her bending over to take off her heels, I was checking out her cute ass. Guilty, as charged.
"What?" she looked up at me, catching in me in the act.
"Woman, why do you have to be so goddamn cute?" I said, and without waiting for an answer, I crashed my lips onto hers and pushed her back until her body hit the wall behind her.
When our lips crashed, it was like a dam had broke. I was tasting her mouth, every inch and every corner, I wanted to savor it all. I had missed this taste so much, it felt so damn good and I got so fücking hard just by kissing her.
She smiled and giggled, and she kissed me back, deep and passionate. We knew we still had to get up the stairs, so we continued kissing as our bodies bounced from wall to wall, slowly making our way up there.
"Why does it have to be three flights up?" she whined through the kiss. She thrust her hips up and grinded against my groin, causing me to groan.
"Always so impatient, you,"
"Can you blame me?" she teased.
Ah, fück.
She let out a yelp as I picked her up in my arms and threw her body over my shoulder with ease. I should've done this a long time ago.
"Ian!" she half protested, half laughed.
We made it up to my studio in no time and I brought her to the bed, letting her down gently as her body hit the mattress. Our eyes met for a split second and a wave of emotions rushed through the air. A part of me wanted to bury my face and cry into her chest, and the other part was gripping onto her tight, afraid that this was just a dream.
As if she knew what was going on in my head, her hands linked around my neck and she pulled me down to her. She claimed my lips, slow and sensually, as if to calm me down, telling me she was gonna stay.
It didn't take long for me to lose myself in her sensation. I took off all her clothes, allowing my eyes and hands to roam her perfectly sculpted body. Leaning down, I kissed and licked slowly around her nipple, making sure to adorn every inch of skin with my lips.
I kissed her everywhere. Her neck, her chest, her stomach, and her core. I kissed her like I never kissed anyone before. I lost track of time, I lost all my senses. I probably spent an hour just kissing her down there, making love to her perfect pearl with my tongue. She came into my mouth several times and I licked her clean, savoring all her sweet juices.
When I felt my throbbing length couldn't hold out much longer, I released myself from my pants and positioned it between her legs. Meanwhile, my finger never left her clit, rubbing it in a circular motion. She was writhing and squirming, moaning into her hand, waiting in anticipation.
My mind was blank when I let my tip enter her. Just the tip, and it felt so fücking intense already. I had to hold my breath to stop myself from coming right then and there.
She felt so fücking good.
"Ah!" she screamed when I eased further into her.
"Are you okay?" I leaned my head down and caught her lips with mine.
"Yeah, I just need a second. I forgot how big you are,"
That just made me even harder, if that was even possible!
I was trying to take it slow, but it was almost impossible. Her pussy felt like heaven, wrapping me completely in a warm embrace. Soft moans of pleasure coming out of her lips began filling the air. I loved hearing it, and I loved seeing her like this, how her body flinched and flexed, all hot and bothered, wanting me.
I kept going, thrusting slow into her with long, powerful strokes, feeling her shudder and tremble against my chest. Her hands trailed the skin on my back and her legs locked around my waist, as if to say that she wanted more.
"Tell me if you want more,"
"Ian..." she responded by moaning my name aloud and I lost it.
Hearing my name on her lips was everything to me. I caught her moans with my lips and deepened the kiss. At the same time, I picked up the pace and started pounding hard into her. Her nails cut into my back. A little scream escaped her mouth. And suddenly, the muscles of her walls pulsed around my shaft, causing me to grunt in pleasure.
Fück, that felt amazing.
She came unraveling around me, her hot juices spurted out and covered my length. I wanted to make this last but I knew I was a goner then. I pushed myself hard and deep for the final time, so far deep that I could feel my tip hitting her cervix. That was it. I felt a huge release coming as my length pulsed and throbbed. I let out a string of curses while my load spilled deep into her. She cried my name out loud and her walls clenched around me, milking every drop. It was the best release I've had in years. Or maybe the best one ever. I came so damn hard and so damn much, white liquid was leaking out of her when I pulled out.
I was absolutely spent, and my body fell right next to hers on the bed. She was still panting, trying to catch her breath. I pulled her body closer to me and wrapped myself around her until we both steadied our breathing.
Both her hands were on her chest now, her fingers were playing with the heart locket. I clung onto her the entire night, with my fingers running circles up and down her soft, porcelain-like skin.
Our bodies were pressed tightly against each other, her back was to my chest. After all that load I'd spill earlier, I didn't think I was gonna get hard again this fast, but I was. Slowly, I moved against her slits dipped myself into her. I was wrapped in her warm, soft walls again, and I knew she was my home.
"...Ian, she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"This is it, okay? This is the last time we've broken up and made up,"
That was a loaded sentence, but I knew what she meant. I nodded into her neck and murmured, "Yeah baby girl, this is it,"
There was a bit more silence in the air, and suddenly she whispered again, "Ian..."
"Yes, baby girl?"
"You're still in me,"
"I know,"
"Are you gonna stay in me all night?"
"Until forever,"
"Is that a promise?" she tilted her head to the side to face me. Her eyes glimmered, and it was hypnotizing me.
I didn't answer her in words, I leaned closer and kissed her lips instead. She couldn't stop the smile forming on her face as we kissed. Once I pulled away from the kiss, we shared a knowing smile and we didn't say another word for the rest of the night. We didn't have to. Because whatever our souls were made of, hers and mine were the same.
"Thank you for being my muse, baby girl,"
"Thank you for being my teacher, Mr. Hayes,"
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- - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -