Forever

Carson concentrates on spot on the floor as Nate speaks. It was ridiculous how he was trusting these people...how he was telling his own story and listening to one similar. He'd been hired to kill...not make acquaintances. Yet for an unexplainable reason, he wanted to stay.

Distrust in people causes Carson to doubt Nate's logic... He'd fed off the past for so long, he wasn't sure it was possible to escape it. And the mention of God just seemed so...unbelievable. He'd heard people talk about that stuff before, but had never put much stock in it. ...So why did it stir questions within him now? Why was he suddenly feeling as though everything he knew had been turned upside down?

Sighing, he shakes his head, bouncing his leg nervously as he chews his piece of gum. "I don't know, Nate. I haven't ever seen much purpose for my life, and it doesn't seem to be getting any clearer. I just hope I've finally chosen the right side, even if my fate is to die in the process."


Jason's hand feels Katie's, and he doesn't pull away. Instead, he returns the light grasp, saying nothing. The sun sinks lower and lower, seeming to melt into the water as the orange and pink seep across the reflective horizon.

After a few minutes of silence, Jason shifts his gaze from the shimmering water meeting Katie’s eyes again. For a long moment, the only sound is the wind and the waves rolling onto the shore.

A strange ache overtakes Jason’s heart as it yearns to be let free of the chains he has held it in. His logic fights his emotions…an intense battle waged between the two worlds. He had made a decision once…but the walls had fallen. He could no longer deny himself what he longed for.

He stares deeply into Katie’s never-ending gaze that lures him away from reality and into a place where time doesn’t exist. Everything else is forgotten. His veins run cold with an unexplainable chill, and his breath catches in his throat. He knew the look in Katie’s eye…the feel of her hand...he knew she would not refuse him.

He finds himself drawing nearer to her, his hand slowly making its way to her face, caressing her gentle features as each curve is tenderly traced. His rough palm becomes almost soft on her skin, transformed by the power of this instant.

Jason’s heart beats within him, a thousand thoughts and feelings colliding in a single moment. The wind combs Katie’s hair, the picture forever burned in his mind. Just friends was simply no longer good enough.

As if pulled by an invisible force, he leans down and tilts his head ever so slightly. His eyes close, and he feels the warmth of Kate’s face on his. His lips brush lightly against hers, sending his adrenaline racing. He swallows hard as logic tears at him, pulling him away, denying the strength of his heart. But it’s a strength too great.

Like a war silenced by a warrior’s death, the battle within comes to a sudden end. Logic will not win this time. His voice comes as a whisper in her ear. "There's more than sunsets to be held on to forever."

Jason’s hand shifts to cradle the back of Katie’s head, his fingers interlaced in her soft hair. His lips envelope hers in a passionate motion as he pulls her close, wrapping her in a strong hold.

The taste is sweet…the feeling is warm. Desire to end the moment has no existence as the intimate exchange lingers, the disappearing sun their only witness.