In order for something to be a good thing, it can't be real. --

-(Anna's POV)

I don't know what it is I think I deserve. I use to believe that happiness was a gift. And love was always real and serene.

So why can't I accept the love right before me?

Jacob's perfect for me.

His feelings anchor me when I have sunken. He is my calm in a brewing storm.

When Jacob kissed me, he whisked my soul away to childhood simplicities. You know that time when things were simple, and monsters could be fought with imagination before they became men. That time in our life where we believed that good could abolish our dementors, and things had to be fair to be right.

My body shivered under the cool clutch of his lips, as Jacob whispered sweet persuasions. Like a message in a bottle, I wanted to be opened. His hand respectively caressed my back, as he felt the smooth texture of my bare skin. My body tingled and I couldn't hold back the butterflies in my stomach.

Jacob's breath was like a cool peppermint, a pleasant and unexpected intrusion as he leaned into me to kiss me deeper.

How deep is our love?

I wish I could have described to you perfectly what a kiss felt like from someone you've always wanted. My body exploded under the feverish pressure of his desire and passion. Everywhere tingled I felt light, and buoyant. I wanted badly to laugh because I was so happy.

Jacob's eyes turned to dusk before me, and I traced the shadows of night as it set between the starry gaze in his drunken eyes. When he leaned in to kiss me again, I saw a small boat rocking in the middle of a vast ocean, catching the rhythm of the waves, while it bobbed and drifted to the shores.

I'm seasick off of him, and his damn rugged lips.

But I'm too afraid to let him know.

"I think we should go" I whispered pulling away, watching our invisible connection sever.

Jacob opened his eyes and smiled. A man is never truly content until his heart is satisfied.

"Ok," he said calmly, standing up.

I got up and dusted my feet off, the dry bronze sand painted our frayed skin, and the swollen moon illuminated our darkest thoughts above. Tonight was our night; an analogy of dreams and an emblem of love in the summer.

Jacob's checked me over, his fingers skimmed across my ribs which left my body reeling with hot shivers.

"I'm fine" I promised gently removing his hands before his electric touch drives me to the edge.

Jacob kissed my forehead, his deep raspy voice is caught in the threads of my hair as he mumbles, "well that makes one of us. My heart can't handle you Anna" he winked.

I laughed rolling my eyes.He was smooth. Still, my face hurt from smiling.

We walked in silence, away from the junkyard. I smirked to myself. Isn't it funny how beautiful things arise in the dark and dirtiest of places?

Sometimes, we don't understand how life can be so relentless and cruel.We think we have nothing, our life is full of junk and negative shit but even after the destruction of a storm; lilies will grows.

I yawned, amazed that the twinkling stars in the sky never seemed to dim or damper despite the chaos below. They never got tired, and even in the midday light, they would shine, even when our eyes couldn't detect them. They were unapologetically bright.

"So what do you want to do now?" Jacob asked, studying me warmly, "We're still on an adventure" he reminded me.

"It's weird to hear you not stuttering" I confessed changing the subject.

Jacob shrugged, "I think I said this before, but I do have moments when I don't stutter" he explained.

I raised an eyebrow, "yeah?" I asked.

Jacob tried his best to explain it to me but I didn't get it.

"I have bad episodes, sometimes it lasts all day and sometimes it's little spurs between sentences or thoughts. My stuttering is triggered by overwhelming emotions, it's like a form of anxiety. Imagine a time, when you were so excited or emotional that you couldn't get your words out. It's the same thing but for me, it's ten times worse," he said speaking quickly.

"So how come you can speak clearly now?" I asked as he took my hand in his.

"I usually have these clear moments, when I feel nothing" Jacob crumbled looking at me with concern, "sadly they don't last. The longest I've been able to go without stuttering was a twenty-minute conversation" he sighed.

My heart plummeted, I had to admit that I didn't hear much of what he was saying because all I could rack around my brain was that fact that he said, "he felt nothing".

We just shared this amazing kiss, To me it was more than a physical touch. I was quivering for Love, strung out on vulnerability, and high for another hit. Yet to Jacob it was nothing...

This is why I never let anyone in. I'm afraid they might break me, and find out my heart is more fragile than glass.

My body stiffened, trying to protect me from how much I truly cared.

"Anna what's wrong?" he asked suddenly worried.

"Nothing!" I lied.

"I would like to take a shower" I announced, "can we go back to your place please?" I asked.

Jacob stood still for a moment unsure of how to approach me. The owls hooted somewhere high above in the great oak trees, and the crickets below sang their night symphonies.

"Yes," he finally said.

"Great!" I said coldly, feeling like an over-emotional ass.

Why was it so hard to communicate? To just shout out at the top of my lungs, "HEY IDIOT I LIKE YOU AND IM SCARED OF HOW I FEEL!"

Jacob shoved his hands in his pocket, and I could feel the spaces between us as we walked down the cobbled streets. A gentle breeze hovered over of tiny town.

The people were gone now.

The boardwalk and all its awe and attraction had settled down, like the last rotation of our favorite rides. The lively bars hummed with a sleepy ambiance, drifting peacefully into tomorrow, nestled between the ivory stars and the ebony blankets of the celestial sphere.

The lights glimmered in the distance, reminding us that home was never far.

Jacob and I, walked briskly, our thoughts miles away, rippling in the waves of time.

"Mom!" Jacob called out, as we stood on his doorstep, waiting for someone to open the door.

The door creaked open, it's warmth and welcoming presence was bubbly and contagious.

"Thank God you guys are back! It's past midnight" his mom lectured hugging us both.

Jacob blushed, as another friendly head popped out to greet us, "Hi, I'm Howard Jacob's dad, you're always welcome here" he said shaking my hand, "I'm the cool one" he said proudly.

I tried my best not to laugh as Jacob looked at both his parents in horror.

Surprisingly, his family was still at his house. Several of his guests were staying the night because they were too drunk to realize they weren't welcomed.

Jacob pulled me into his arms, to whisper something, "second room on the right upstairs, is the shower. If you go now, we can avoid all the unnecessary questions" he said tacitly.

"Oh you mean like did we use protection? Or is this your girlfriend?" I teased.

Jacob rolled his eyes, "Anna!" he groaned, completely stressed.

"So have you used this new app?, it's called My6?" his dad asked, making casual conversation, "so it basically tells everyone your location, and you can share your spot, and keep it trending. So if you discover a new fantastic coffee shop, you can invite friends and locals to come hang out with you" he explained smugly.

I smiled keeping my composure, "So it's a tracking device, for parents?" I asked smartly.

I had never seen Jacob so red before as he hid his face, but his dad just smiled, "Hey son I like her" he said pointing at me with big brown eyes.

"Let's be realistic, the boy has nothing to offer a lovely young lady like her "one of his Aunt's blurted out from across the living room.

Suddenly the mood change. His dad frowned and his mom looked close to tears as Jacob stood frozen in the middle of what was about to be a family dispute.

"The boy can barely talk much less provide for a woman" someone else chimed in.

"I-I-I- cc-ccc-aa-aa-aa-n" Jacob protested angrily. I could see how upset this conversation was making him.

His mom quickly ran to his side, to give him a sympathetic pat, "it's okay Cub, please don't be upset. We don't want to trigger you, in front of your friend"she said in a baby voice.

I felt the stinging tears of  humiliation even before Jacob looked away. I was pissed as hell, everyone was treating him like an imbecile just because he stuttered.

"It's his birthday! Why are you babying him Ruby?" his dad said coming to his defense, "If you would allow him to be a man then maybe he could act like one" he blurted out.

Jacob's aunt started crying. Pity tears ran down her droopy face. She sniffled, "is it genetic?"she asked dramatically, "oh his poor children!" She fussed.

"He's not retarded or lost Uncle Ben!" another relative screamed jumping into the already spewing argument.

Like the first sounds of wars, the room erupted into a screaming and yelling match. Jacob's aunt was wailing and his stupid lazy uncle bellowed as he held a cigar in his mouth, "I'M NOT SAYING YOUR BOY IS RETARDED, BUT BE FUCKING REALISTIC, NO ONE WILL HIRE HIM BECAUSE HE CAN'T COMMUNICATE, NO WOMAN WILL STAY WITH HIM AND RISK BEING RIDICULED WHEN THEY CAN HAVE BETTER" he reasoned harshly.

My heart broke at this moment. I truly saw Jacob. I saw his pain and difficulty, and now I understood why he wanted to get away today.

His family was full of inconsiderate shit-heads. They didn't see Jacob for more than someone to feel sorry about.

I looked across the kitchen and saw his pale face crumble in sheer sadness. I felt the crushing of his spirit like snapping bones, as Jacobs face flushed back real tears.

His fist clenched in frustration and I could see the anger burning in his cold stallion eyes. He was fed up and ready to erupt.

I quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him away from all the suffocating noise of people and their no good opinions.

"I-I-I J-J-UUUU-UUUST" he stuttered uncontrollably as I followed him to his room.

"Jacob" I cried as he kicked over his desk. Now his temper was flaring and in full blown effect.

I tried to soothe his anger, but like a violent mad man, he was steaming. His eyes looked past me, into the void of his rage and they burned with a frightening fire.

"AAHHHHHHH!" he snarled punching a wall.

I sniffled letting the tears fall from my eyes, weeping for the man before me, who just wasn't allowed to be...

I held his shaking hand until he took deep and steady breaths, "I'm sorry you had to see that Anna" he sobbed.

I shook my head, "no I'm sorry for you! I'm sorry that your family is shit! I'm sorry that they can't see the strong, brave, and sexy man before me"

I cupped his chin, pulling his face towards my mine, letting the tears fall down his nose bride, "you're amazing" I told him angrily, "and if they can't see that, they're the fucking idiots" I cursed.

Jacob's chest fell slowly into a peaceful tempo as he focused on me, the veins on his forehead disappeared as he squeezed me, "thanks" he laughed through watery eyes.

I hugged him back, "You're everything to me. Forgive them or let them go" I whispered.

Jacob stood back eyeing me, a sweet charm on his happy face, "you think I'm sexy?" he teased.

I shrugged, feeling a little bit flirty, "maybe" I said cautiously.

He gently wiped a smudge of dirt off my cheek, "I'll grab you a towel" he murmured.

"Do you have any shampoo? I asked politely.

Jacob busied himself looking through his cabinets for clean towels, "yea" he replied handing them to me.

I bit my lips as his fingers touched mine. Suddenly the cool air was whizzing with a feverish and playful vibe. My fingers lightly traced against his lips, as he looked at me with mild euphoria. He gently grabbed my hand as they brushed against his neck, raising his pores.

"Thank you..."I whispered seductively.

Jacob froze, his lips blistering as he looked at me like he was looking directly at the yellow sun. The heat of our awakening bodies burning at the core. I could feel my heart pulsing in my throat as I perspired under his lustful glare.

We stood still, our blood coursing at we looked at each other with nothing but wanting. Wanting to feel close, wanting to feel skin, wanting this little thing called love.

Every neuron and cell was screaming for sweet devilish relief that only his rock hard body could confess.

I couldn't take the anticipation any longer.

"Jacob, I know it's your birthday but kiss me again!" I demanded.

Authors Note: Love is about to get a little steamy lol! I hope you're still enjoying this story:) ❤️❤️