::: warning ⚠️ Trigger Warning :::

This chapter contains descriptions of physical violence and crime.

With my eyes fixed on the glittering sky, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for being able to share that moment with him.

The way he caressed my skin, the softness of his voice as he whispered sweet nothings in my ear, and the warmth of his lips on mine all seemed like fragments of a perfect dream. Our dream. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring us together in that very moment, and nothing else mattered. Time stood still as we were lost in the beauty of the starry night, lost in our own world of love and bliss.

As he wrapped his arms around me, I felt his body heat radiating and his heartbeat drumming against my chest. In that moment, I knew that I was exactly where I was meant to be, safe and loved in his embrace.

The surrounding sights and sounds began to fade away as we lost ourselves in each other's company. It felt like time had stopped and we were in our own little universe, where nothing else mattered except the warmth and comfort we shared. I wished that moment could last forever.

But even though the world around us was beautiful, I couldn't shake the feeling of danger. Something was off, something didn't fit. I began to think about the strange sense of fear that had piled up inside my brain, and even though Jasper was able to stop it for a while, it came back even stronger.

As I lay there holding him, I couldn't help but feel pura, absolute, overwhelming love. I gazed down at his peaceful face, his eyelashes resting softly on his cheeks, and couldn't help but worry that he might disappear, like a dream that fades away upon waking.

But then, as if sensing my unease, he stirred and opened his eyes.

I held him close, his arms wrapped around my body. I felt the steady rise and fall of his chest with each breath. The warmth of his embrace filled me with a calmness once again, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for this moment of peace I so much needed. I cherished every second we spent together, specially since that intense feeling kept making me doubt when we would be able to be like that again.

Despair washed over me like an ice-cold waterfall. I couldn't hold back a small cry, even though I tried my best to keep it together. The thought of letting go was unbearable, and I held him as tight as I could, with all the strength in my body and then some more. It was as if the world had come crashing down on me, and I was left with nothing but my pain and heartache. Something was going to happen, our perfect bubble was going to shatter.

I wished I could hold onto him forever.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft and warm. "What's going on?"

But we both knew exactly what was happening.

"I just wish we could stay like this for a little longer, that's all."

I didn't have to explain to him that I felt a sense of urgency, that we couldn't afford to waste any more time. As I spoke, a sharp pain began to grow in my chest, intensifying with every passing moment.

He slowly sat up, his movements a bit lethargic as if he was still recovering from the physical exertion we had just shared. I followed suit, my eyes taking in the sight of him. And smiled once again. I felt comfort and intimacy in that moment, something that had been missing from my past relationships.

It was refreshing to be with someone who didn't make me feel the need to cover myself up after such an intimate moment. In the past, I had been with people who made me feel ashamed of my body, but with him, I felt confident and beautiful. It was a small victory, but meant the whole world to me. Looking back on a past life that it now seemed so distant and unimportant compared to the present moment. And him.

Jasper listened as I talked about my fears and what that impending danger meant for us. Together, we tried to discover the mystery that had been haunting us for so long. There was something that didn't add up, something that was wrong. But we didn't know what it was.

Though I knew the "when", it seemed like time was slipping away from us with every passing minute. The weight of the moment hung heavy on my shoulders, and I couldn't help but think of all that was at stake.

What would happen if we weren't able to figure it out?

The mere thought sent shivers down my spine.

"It's about that fucking bus," I whispered. "Number 12, something's going on there."

"Let's try starting small, ok?" He said, trying to contain my worries with his voice. I had no idea how he did it, but he managed to keep me sane.

He was calm and spoke gently, which made me feel better when I was nervous. I was so thankful he was there for me. Even if things were crazy and I didn't know what would happen next, he helped me feel like things would be okay.

So I tried again.

"There is a loud sound," I closed my eyes, trying to remember. "That song, the one we were listening to before. I think it's coming from someone's headphones."

Little by little, the blurry scene in front of me started to take shape, slowly revealing its details. The colors, the shapes, the sounds all became more defined, as if I was reliving the moment right then and there. Like life had stopped in order to give me time to be aware of my surroundings. It was terrifying.

I saw myself sitting on the bus, way too focused in my phone, unaware of my surroundings and lost in my own thoughts. It was then that I noticed a commotion in the front row of the bus, where a passenger had stood up and was talking with the driver.

I tried to listen, but the conversation was inaudible to me. I only stole a few glances before going back to my phone, so uninterested. And then, it happened.

That man was not okay. He started shouting orders at everyone in the bus, repeating again and again we had to do as he said. My heart started racing as I watched him walk down the aisle, frantically searching for something to take.

It was just like in the movies and my brain didn't react quickly enough

I tried to hide my phone, but my brain was not reacting. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest as I watched him come closer and closer, wondering what he would do next. It was too late.

He stopped right in front of me, his eyes piercing mine as he started to demand it. In that moment, I knew that I should have simply given it to him and called it a day. But my mind was clouded with a million thoughts, all centered around the fact that my whole life was in that one small object.

I just couldn't bring myself to give it away, even though every fiber of my being was screaming at me to do so. My hands froze in place, and I realized that I had stopped breathing without even noticing.

As soon as his hand closed around my wrist, I knew something was wrong.

The grip was so tight, it felt like the bones were grinding together. I tried to pull away, but he only squeezed harder, and then he hit me in the face with his other hand. The pain was sharp and sudden, and I felt my head snap back. As he lunged towards my phone, I felt a stab of fear.

And then something else, a loud sound. Piercing pain on my side.

The more I remembered, my nerves began take control of my and my anxiety peaked. My heart rate quickened and I started hyperventilating, feeling as though I couldn't catch my breath.

The sensation of suffocation was overwhelming, and I tried so hard to regain my composure.

Jasper hugged me delicately and little by little I came to. He had listened the recall of the events, trying his best to not make any expressions. But I saw the pain in his eyes, the fear.

"And this is happening Saturday, right?" He asked and I nodded, forcing myself to remember the date and the time in my phone screen right when everything happened. "Where?"

That was a more complicated question. I had to dig deep into my memory bank to try and recall something that could at least give me a hint. I closed my eyes and felt a couple of tears streaming down my face.

The more I tried to recollect the details, the more excruciating the pain became, a sharp and stabbing sensation that felt like a dagger piercing through my heart.

It was a pain that I had not felt in a long time, yet it was still so real, so raw.

I felt like I was suspended in a state of limbo, trapped between the realms of life and death. I was not asleep, but I was not fully conscious either. All I could think about was that one second, the moment that had changed everything.

I tried to relive it in my mind, to go back to that moment and somehow make things right. But the more I tried, the further away it seemed to slip from my grasp.

What if I had missed my chance? What if it was already too late?

"There's traffic lights," I say faintly. "Parkview and... Main? I think."

The green sign was a blur, the letters were scrambled in my memories. But I was almost sure it was there.

"Saturday. Six forty two. Parkview and Main Street," he repeated the words again and again. I guessed it was his way to make sure he wasn't going to forget. "Trust me, Chiara," Jasper said, his hand on my cheek. "I'll do everything I can."

I couldn't help but feel a knot in my stomach. It was difficult to shake the feeling that I was putting too much pressure on him. I felt terrible.

Was it even worth it? What if I had gotten one of the details wrong? What if he didn't make it on time to help me?

His words comforted me, enveloping me like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. It was a moment that I knew I would always remember, and yet, at the same time, it seemed tinged with some sense of finality, as if it could be the last time I would ever see him. It was very probable and the idea was too much to bear, to painful to even start considering it.

The weight of this settled heavily on my chest as I tried to memorize every detail of the moment, from the sound of his voice to the look in his eyes, so that I could carry it with me always. Wishing I was just exaggerating.

Paranoia was growing stronger every second within me. The memory of what had happened, the pain in my sound, the loud noise. Whatever the cause may have been, I couldn't shake the sense that things were about to change irrevocably between us. For better or worse, what would I have preferred?

Waking up and realizing there was nothing to be done? Being trapped in this infernal limbo without knowing if he was ever going to be able to reach me again?

We both got dressed in complete silence, taking our time to process the whole situation. The weight of everything was too much to bear, and it felt incredibly unfair. We had met under such unfortunate circumstances, and the odds were stacked against us from the start. It was as if fate had played a cruel joke on us.

I couldn't help but feel like everything was closing in on me. Even thought we were surrounded by that beautiful garden, I felt for a second like I was inside a room and the walls seemed to be getting smaller, and the air was getting thicker. I felt like a prisoner in my own body, trapped with all of these emotions that I couldn't express.

Why had we gotten to even meet each other in this way when all chances said we weren't going to make it?

Jasper leaned down and gently planted a sweet and tender kiss on my forehead, a gesture that filled me with a bit more comfort, despite the whole situation. As he did so, his warm hand reached out to me, offering support and helping me stand up from the bed.

We then began to make our way across the never-ending meadow, that vast and beautiful space. That perfect place that we had made our own, forever.

Each blade of grass tickling the soles of my feet and the sweet scent of nature filling my nostrils. I wished for the last time we were able to stay there forever and ever, but I knew deep down that it wasn't only stupid, but also selfish.

The stars were shining bright, casting a warm and inviting glow over the entire landscape. We walked in silence, enjoying each other's company and the beauty of the world around us.

Until we reached the end, the last bus stop in the middle of nowhere. All black, just like our clothings, looking like a sore thumb in the middle of the pinks hues. Just like us. I tried to be strong, to not cry. I tried to tell myself that it wasn't going to be a big deal, that we were soon going to see each other. For real, this time.

I heard a bus approaching and my heart sank.

It came slowly, it was completely white but not even that made it seem less menacing. The insides were completely empty, just like the bus that Jasper had conjured to go straight to his dreams. That was it, the possible end of my short lived perfect fantasy.

As Jasper was about to depart, he turned to me with a heartfelt expression on his face.

"Chiara," he said, his voice full of concern, "Stay safe. I promise I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you. You have my word on that." His words were like a soothing balm to my worried mind, and I felt a sense of comfort wash over me as he made his way in the door.

One last perfect kiss that made me fill whole. I felt complete as I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. I took a mental snapshot of every detail, from the way his hair felt between my fingers to the gentle rise and fall of his chest as we breathed together. Although I knew it wouldn't last forever, I wanted to savor every second of the moment and etch it into my memory forever.

And with those words, he disappeared behind the bus doors, leaving me alone in that dream world, unsure of what would happen next.

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