THE TEMPTRESS

||Real||

•KADEN•

I trailed her through the quiet cemetery, the crunch of gravel beneath my shoes masking my presence.

There was an uncanny familiarity about her; her blonde hair and dark shades hinted at a connection I couldn't quite place.

She shot a glance over her shoulder, and I felt a spark of recognition.

As I quickened my pace to catch up, I realized she was walking faster, as if intentionally distancing herself.

Confusion gnawed at me, urging me to uncover the mystery. I could understand her apprehension-being followed by a stranger-but my gut told me there was more to this.

We reached the main gates just as a crowd from a funeral procession entered. Panic set in as I lost sight of her amidst the mourners.

I craned my neck, pushing through the somber assembly, desperate to catch a glimpse. A fleeting image of her slipping through the gates lingered in my mind.

Finally breaking free from the crowd, I sprinted towards the road, scanning anxiously from side to side.

She was gone. Vanished into thin air.

The weight of disappointment settled in my chest, a missed connection slipping through my fingers.

The enigma of the woman with the blond hair and shades remained unsolved, leaving me with a lingering sense of loss and the unanswered question of who she might be.

I turned around slowly, and my breath caught as my eyes locked onto a familiar pair of light brown eyes a couple of feet behind me.

It took a few good seconds for recognition to set in-

Stephanie

The blonde hair threw me off, but then it hit me; she was the same woman I'd been following minutes ago. The confusion melted away, replaced by the realization that this wasn't a hallucination. Stephanie, standing there, staring back at me, was undeniably real.

Making complete eye contact now felt surreal, given the times I thought I saw her around me, which turned out to be mere illusions.

As I slowly approached her, attempting to swallow the tightness in my throat, the thunderclap echoed nearby, and the sky started to darken, dimming our surroundings.

Ignoring it all, I reached out, my fingers gently touching her face. A sigh of relief escaped as I felt the warmth of her skin under my touch, affirming her reality.

Cupping her face with both hands, I lifted them to each side, our eyes locked with emotions mirroring one another.

In that moment, the thunder and the darkening sky faded away, leaving only the tangible connection between us-
the realization that she was here, and she was real.

As I stood there, disbelief etched on my face.

"It's really you." I managed to utter. My voice trembled with emotion, teary and overwhelmed.

Stephanie's hands gently found mine, cupping her face, and she smiled.

"It is me." She reassuringly whispered.

A grin broke across my face, and I threw my arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Closing my eyes, relief washed over me as her familiar warmth and scent enveloped me.

Amidst another thunderclap, raindrops began to fall, eventually turning into a downpour. Yet, the pouring rain couldn't dampen our moment of reunion. I released her, still smiling.

"You kept your promise." I remarked. Her expression suddenly wavered.

"Not exactly." She admitted. "It wasn't the right time yet for me to come back, but..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down.

Lifting her face gently, I met her eyes.

"It's okay." I reassured her. "I don't need to know. I'm just so happy to see you again; I've been going crazy these last couple of months."

I reached for her hands, holding them. In the pouring rain, we were both drenched to the core.

"Please stay. Don't ever leave me again. I can't do this without you. Please?"

Worry etched my features as Stephanie remained silent, but then she slowly start to smile.

"I know, and I'm gonna stay. I love you, Kaden. I mean it." Her words resonated deeply within me, fulfilling a longing I had carried for so long.

I pushed her damp hair out of her face and kissed her there, in the middle of the road, in the pouring rain.

Promising to myself that I'm never letting her go or leave her for anything. I'll always remain by her side, no matter what.

In that moment, with raindrops cascading around us, everything felt perfect and I have never been so glad to be at a fucking cemetery today.