A Solitary Kiss - 1. Story

A Solitary Kiss

by johnathan_colourfield

On top of a rusting cliff a woman stood staring out into the abyss. The dithered tree has more a pleasing sound than what the birds were making that day. The day had come that she never expected, the day someone took her thoughts and completely rearranged them, with one kiss. She stared at one thing and one thing only. Her brother in law. He walked away as nothing happened. Little did he know that he had just affected her in a way that she thought no man ever could.

“It was her you know, out there.” His lips unfurled as he stared into Lucian’s smouldering eyes. Matthew wasn’t quite expecting this and Lucian could tell as Matthew (he liked to be called Matt) did his stereotypical movement of jumping out of his skin. For Lucian had crept up behind him, as he often did, and slipped his hand under Matthew’s shirt and felt his flat, but not completely perfect, stomach. It was in vain that he did this though, because Matthew walked out onto the veranda and stared out into the Australian mid-fall weather and sighed.

“Lucian, I have something to tell you,” said Matthew. A tear began to roll down his cheek and he took a large breath.

“What? It’s not like you’re going to leave me, is it?”

There was a silence. A long, painful silence. Matthew fell to his knees and started crying his eyes out. “Oh Lucian, how could I?”

A tree began to wilt its leaves. “Could what?” Lucian replied to him.

“I did it.” Matthew spoke with deep dread within his voice.

“Did what?”, Lucian began to speak with a sense of the depression that he had not felt for years.

A sudden anger began to take over Matthew, he began to say desperately, “You know full well what I did. I did what you said.”

Lucian said in thought, “You actually went out there, you went to that cliff and saw…”

Matthew interrupted Lucian and said, “You know…. You said… I don’t..”.

Lucian clasped for his soul and responded, “But you kissed her.”

Lucian moved slowly off of the veranda and sat in a chair beside the cabinet which contained pictures of Matthew and himself. “Carpe Diem. Do you even know what I meant?”

Matthew replied, “Seize the Day. I know, and I seized my chance but she, she was beautiful, I had to… I took that day and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Lucian then moved towards Matthew and came face to face with him. “Do you know what you mean to me? Do you?”

The solitary girl began to move her graceful feet towards the one location she knew she had to go if she was ever going to solve what she had suddenly felt. She always had loved someone, whether it was the girl next door or even just the caring young woman who helps the old woman cross the street. The anonymous girl moved down the street in a rush to stop the chaos that would soon ensue.

He grabbed Matthew’s arm and twisted it, making Matthew wince in pain. “You ever see that girl again, I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be pretty”

“Please Lucian. Stop It! You’re hurting me!”

Lucian realised what he was doing; he slowly backed into a corner and slid down the wall and began to cry. “I’m sorry Matthew. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Don’t worry about it, babe. I’m sorry I kissed her, what did you mean anyways?”

“Her. It wasn’t her. She didn’t leave the note for you. I was scared. I thought I would lose you. It was me. I’m so sorry.”

Matthew sat next to Lucian and began to caress his forehead. “Hey, a few bruises here, a few bruises there, never hurt anybody.”

The solitary girl began to tap on the door and entered the room with a great sense of dread for what she was about to face.

“Hello boys.” She slinked into the room as if she were trying to seduce one of the boys although secretly in her heart she knew that she would not be able to love him. He was Lucian’s. And she knew how dangerous Lucian could get. “Are you okay Matthew?”

“Yes… yes… I’m fine… Why don’t you help yourself to a drink?” Matthew responded with a feeling inside that he did not want to feel although he knew he would.

She made her way over to the bar and began to mix herself a martini.

Lucian and Matthew went out to the veranda once again and sat on the hammock together. The solitary girl came out and gave Lucian a kiss on the forehead.

“You alright, hon? You look a little shocked.” The solitary girl asked him.

“Oh, I.. I didn’t know he was going to do that. Sorry Sis.” Lucian responded to her.

“It’s alright. Hey, with a schizophrenic brother and his boyfriend wanting me, no wonder they say I’m crazy.” She suddenly felt the pain of what she said.

All her thoughts joined together and she had a realisation of pure thought. She loved Matthew. But she would need to keep this a secret. If not for her, for Lucian.

“Well, I don’t know why I came here so I’ll just leave you” the solitary girl responded.

“You know I love you right?” Lucian asked her.

“Of course I do, I just need some time alone. You know, to think about what to do next… Mother always taught me to take the days I have and treat each one as my last. I’m sorry I caused this trouble between you.” She slid out the door without a trace.

“What was that?” Lucian asked Matthew.

“Nothing. I’m sure. I Love You Lucian,” Matthew said.

The solitary girl sat needily at the bottom of the bay as she began to weep for her sins and she hoped that she would be forgiven. Her dream of the moments by the bay they had only a few years ago would not happen again. No other love had she, she wanted her brothers happiness, even if it cost her a part of her soul. She looked up and began slowly to walk into the hustle and bustle of the coast, her dreams broken, her thoughts defeated. She stared up to the cliff. Her silence.

“You know what my answer is, Matthew. I’ll always be there for you, like a handprint on your heart. You know I will, even if this illness defeats me. I’ll always love you”.

At that moment, two songbirds began to sing the song of the lovers by the way. The sounds they made were hardly distinctive between love or mourning.

Take it how you want.

© 2009 johnathan_colourfield

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