2014

The crowd surges again, and I'm so caught up in old memories that I end up tripping over a large root, and fly into some random girl who roughly shakes me off of her. I'm tousled back and forth for a bit until I'm finally able to get my footing. When I finally feel steady, I start using my elbows, aggressively plowing my way through the mob, and fighting against the current of bodies, trying to get out of this mess.

I spot Derrick a few feet away tackling some rival basketball player from Jefferson. He's got the poor guy in a headlock and is repeatedly punching him. I duck around two girls clawing at each other and push some sophomores I recognize out of my way. All I can think about is getting to him, but just as I'm getting close, someone rams into my back.

I go careening forward, landing on my hands and knees in the flattened grass. Stunned, I flip around to find Nina standing in the middle of the bedlam, looking down at me with her hands on her hips and a satisfied sneer on her face.

I drag myself up, preparing to charge, but one of her friends grabs her by the wrist and yanks her away. She disappears into a crowd of girls, and I glare after her, forgetting the madness around me, and focusing on nothing but the contempt I feel.

I'm knocked out of my thoughts by a bunch of guys, who are so all-consumed with their own brawl that they don't even notice when they plow into me. I go staggering to the side, and throw my back up against a tree, craning my head, looking for Derrick again.

When I spot him still fighting with the kid from Jefferson, I don't even hesitate. I take a deep breath and dive back into the herd. Determined this time, I ram my way through the sea of people until I get to him. He's just about to strike another blow, and I grab onto his arm right as he pulls back.

His elbow connects with my face, and everything goes hazy. I see stars, and stagger back, but a pair of strong hands miraculously grab onto me. I don't hit the ground, but warm liquid oozes into my mouth and I cringe at the metallic taste when I recognize it. Blood.

Somewhere, far away I hear Caroline's voice on a microphone. She's reassuring everyone that everything's okay, and encouraging them to go back to having fun, or the cops are going to show up.

I raise my hands to my throbbing face, and when I blink open my eyes Tyler, Mr. Craig's son, is holding onto me. He takes me by the arm and ushers me through the crowd, repeatedly asking me if I'm okay. The music starts back up again and through the haze of the fire pits I make out the last of the skirmishes being pulled a part.

Everyone moves out of our way; a few people even stop and stare. That's when I know I must look pretty bad.

Tyler sits me down on a bench and squats down in front of me, moving my head back for a better look. "You sure you're okay?"

I nod, holding my cupped hands under my face, attempting to catch the blood dripping off my chin before it ruins more of my jacket.

Tyler asks some people nearby if they have anything to stop the bleeding. Some guy offers his T-shirt, but thankfully Tyler declines.

At that moment, Derrick smashes through the surrounding crowd, looking frenzied. "Jesus Christ, Ellie! You're bleeding!" He skids onto his knees in front of me, pushing Tyler aside, and grasping onto the back of my calves. "Are you okay? I didn't see you standing there! I'm so sorry!" The guilt wells up in his eyes as he apologizes, but Tyler elbows him out of the way.

"What the hell were you thinking? You're lucky she's not hurt worse!"

Derrick looks taken aback by Tyler's tone, and frankly so am I. I mean, I know they've never really gotten along, and I know I'm bleeding, but nothing's broken. Tyler could stand to relax a little.

Someone in the group of onlookers holds out a blue bandana, and I take it, still focused on my friends, but eager to stop the blood. I don't pay attention to who's handing it to me, but when my hand brushes against some very warm fingers something familiar sparks to life inside me.

The rest of the world slips away, and all I hear is the rapid beating of my heart. For a moment, time stands and all my worries and doubts disappear as I soak it all in.

It's him. I know it. I feel it in every fiber of my being. Holding my breath, I slowly lift my gaze.

Familiar gray eyes blink back at me, and my mouth pops open in genuine surprise. He looks so much like he did before with that same strong jawline and thick, black hair. It's almost as if Levi is standing before me, like he's come back to life.

My pulse takes off as I stare up into the same face that has appeared a million times in my dreams. This has never happened before. They've never looked so much alike. There have always been similarities in each lifetime, traits and features that I saw in each of them, but this... the way he looks... This is uncanny.

He maneuvers himself in front of me and cautiously places his hand on mine. "You've got to put some pressure on that thing," he tells me, guiding the bandana up to my lip while I sit there, gazing up at him in fascination.

"Yeah, just like that." His thick brows knit together as he concentrates on my injury, but I'm too shocked to do anything. And after more than two hundred years shocking me isn't an easy thing to achieve.

But I didn't expect him to look so much like Levi. It completely throws me off my game, and I'm not sure what to do.

"Oh my God! Ellie!"

Caroline thrusts her way towards me, and the guy releases my hand. Before I even have the chance to say anything, she steps in front of him, running her hands over my head, and checking for any more injuries.

"What happened? You're bleeding! Are you okay? Who did this?"

Her questions come in rapid succession, but I ignore every one of them, too consumed by the panic whirling around inside me. I peek around her, trying to see where the guy has wandered off to, but I can't seem to locate him anywhere. My fingers curl into a fist around the bandana and I start to feel dizzy again.

"What the hell were you thinking picking a fight like that?" Caroline turns her wrath on Derrick. "Look what you did!" She points at my face, and Derrick doesn't even try to defend himself. He just continues to apologize.

Caroline ignores him. "Tyler," she snaps, taking charge of things. "Can you get some ice?"

He nods dutifully and trots off to one of the kegs.

Caroline turns back to me, and rubs my leg. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."

But it isn't. Nothing's going to be okay. Every moment I sit here is another minute that he's getting further away, and now that this has all started again, I don't have the time to waste.

My eyes pick through the crowd, looking for his familiar face, and my breathing hitches when I finally spot him. He's lingering by one of the fire pits, talking with a small group of guys. My gut twists. It really is him: everything from the way he holds himself to how he talks with his hands, emphasizing every point he's making.

It's been seventeen years since I last saw him, but it's also as if no time has passed, especially with him looking so much like Levi. My eyes blur with tears, and Caroline somehow seems to sense my urgency because she follows my gaze into the crowd, and then whips her head back with an amazed grin.

"Is that him?" she asks.

I nod, confident this time that it is.

She glances back over at him, smiling with approval, but her face drops when she looks back at me and notices the mud caked onto the knees of my jeans. "You've got to be kidding me," she mumbles. "Really, Ellie? Do I have to watch you all night?" With an exasperated sigh, she does her best to try to clean me off, but I shoo her hands away and attempt to stand.

She stops me. "You've waited for seventeen years. You can wait five more seconds."

I shoot her a look, but it doesn't discourage her.

"At least wait for the ice," she pleads.

My lip already feels swollen, and I'm pretty certain I'll be sporting half of Kylie Jenner's mouth by morning. This isn't exactly how I pictured meeting Levi again, and I must've dreamt about this moment hundreds of times over the last seventeen years.

Lucky for Caroline, Tyler chooses that exact moment to return with the ice. She takes the cup and quickly thanks him as she scoops out a piece.

"Let me just get the blood off." She gently dabs at my skin, numbing my face as she works.

My eyes stay glued to Levi, or whoever he is now, watching as he separates from his friends and begins to head towards the falls. Fear floods my system.

"Enough?" I question, jerking my head back.

"Just one more second." Caroline rubs the ice near my lip and I flinch. "Sorry," she apologizes.

With the corner of the bandana, she dries off my skin, and then drops the ice cube on the ground. "Okay." She nods, patting my arm. "You're good."

She moves out of my way, but before I can get up, Derrick steps in her place.

"I am so fucking sorry, Ellie. I didn't see you standing there. Had I known—"

I touch his arm, stopping him.

"It's fine, Derrick. It was an accident. I'm okay."

He shakes his head, unwilling to accept my forgiveness. "No. It was my fault. It was stupid—"

"It sure was stupid!" Caroline exclaims. "What were you thinking, getting in a fight like that? Ellie may forgive you, but I sure as hell don't! You almost ruined this whole night!" She grabs her brother by the shirt and pulls him away with her. "You and I need to have a talk."

Silently, I thank my best friend as I'm finally allowed to stand up, but before I can even take a step, Tyler tugs on my sleeve. Trying not to let my exasperation show, I turn around.

"You sure you're okay?" he confirms.

I nod. "Thanks for everything, Tyler."

I start to walk away, but he stops me again.

"Here." Taking the blue bandana from me, he fills it with the leftover ice, and then twists the fabric a few times and hands it back. "Keep the ice on your lip. It'll help with the swelling."

I squeeze his arm in appreciation and he shrugs with modesty. "Okay, go! Start enjoying your birthday." He waves me off, and I smile at him with my eyes before turning around and heading through the crowd.

My heart is a bundle of wired anxiousness and I try to get it under control, but it's hard when I already know what awaits me. No matter how much I dread starting this entire process all over again, this right here is going to make it all worth it. Meeting him again for the first time, falling in love... It never gets old.