Nina
After dinner, Enzo said that he had somewhere else he wanted to go. We wound up walking along a path by the ocean, where the city’s lights twinkled on the water’s surface.
“How did you know about this place?” I found myself asking as we walked hand-in-hand.
Enzo shrugged. “Tim mentioned it,” he explained.
“Said it’s a nice place to visit.”
We were silent for a little while, and my mind kept floating back to my conversation with Lori and Jessica earlier. I loved Mountainview, but the city had its perks, too. Part of me almost wondered, for the briefest of moments, if moving here to the city would protect us from the supernatural.
But I couldn’t just abandon Mountainview like that. There was too much holding us there, and besides, how could we live in a place where there were no werewolves?
“Do you think there are any other werewolves here?” I blurted out without even really meaning to.
Enzo shot me a surprised look. “Huh?” he asked. ”
What makes you ask that?”
Now, I was the one who shrugged. “I don’t know,” I replied, stopping for a moment to take in the view of the city. “Surely there aren’t just werewolves in Mountainview, you know?”
Enzo paused beside me for a moment. His eyes scanned the city lights, reflecting the neon and the bright colors, before he finally nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he finally said. “Although, if I’m being honest, Mountainview is really my only experience with the human world-in a long-term sort of way, anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
He paused and ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, I’ve visited places like this on occasion, but I’ve never spent more than a few days anywhere except for Mountainview in the human realm.”
His words gave me pause. All this time, I hadn’t really considered the fact that Enzo’s scope of the human world was far more limited than mine. Some paragraphs are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Jobnib.com. Visit Jobnib.com to read the complete chapters for free.My mom and brother and I had lived in various places, from cities to the suburbs, but Enzo had only ever really lived in Mountainview.
Maybe that was why, now that he was spending more time in the city, he was feeling unfulfilled. The city had a way of doing that to people; making them feel like all their lives, they hadn’t been living until they set foot here.
“Well,” I finally said, “maybe it’s time to broaden your scope.”
Enzo shot me a sideways glance as we continued walking. “How so?”
“Maybe you can find other werewolves here,” I said. “Especially if you’re going to be living here for an extended period of time. And maybe it’ll be good for you to have an experience outside of Mountainview.”
He paused, considering my words, then nodded. ”
Yeah, maybe you’re right. As much as I love Mountainview, it would be nice to experience some other things that the human world has to offer. But …” He stopped again, turning to face me, and placed his hand on my belly. “You and the baby come first.
I hope you know that.”
I bit my lip and nodded as a slight blush crept into my cheeks. “Of course.”
Enzo was silent for a few moments, and so was I.
The sounds of the city, of music and voices, filled the space between us, and for a moment, I just took him in. He looked handsome in the neon lights, his sharp jawline accentuated by the shadows and his brown eyes gleaming in the vibrance.
“You think we’ll make this work?” I found myself asking, but not out of a place of nerves or unfulfillment.
He stopped for a moment, then nodded as he lifted his hand to brush a strand of hair out of my face and tuck it behind my ear. “I think so. We’ll travel back and forth. And when the baby comes…”
“When the baby comes, it’ll get to experience the whole world,” I murmured, a smirk playing acrossmy lips.
Enzo said nothing, but he didn’t need to; his smile spoke volumes. He took my hand again and we continued walking in companionable silence.
As we walked, we stumbled upon a summer festival in a small park. Colorful streamers fluttered in the wind, and lanterns adorned the stalls and trees, creating a magical atmosphere. The air was filled with the sound of laughter and music, a lively contrast to the serenity of the ocean nearby.
“Wow,” I breathed, my eyes taking in the vibrant scene. “This is beautiful.”
Enzo smiled, his hand finding mine. “It’s not every day you get to stumble upon something like this.” We meandered through the festival, soaking in the sights and sounds. There were stalls selling everything from handmade jewelry to local street foods. The smell of food wafted through the air, mixing with the salty ocean breeze.
“Look, they’re selling lanterns,” Enzo pointed to a stall where people were gathering. “Want to set one off?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “That would be lovely.”
We approached the stall, and Enzo picked out a lantern. It was simple yet beautiful, adorned with delicate patterns that would glow once lit. The vendor handed us a small candle to place inside.
Enzo carefully lit the candle, and we watched as the lantern slowly filled with air, growing brighter. ”
Ready?” he asked.
“Ready,” I replied, feeling a sense of excitement.
Together, we released the lantern, watching as it rose into the night sky, its light joining the others already floating up high. It was a breathtaking sight, the lanterns like stars against the dark canvas of the night.
I turned to Enzo, about to comment on the beauty of it all, but the words died on my lips. He was looking at me, his eyes reflecting the lantern’s light, filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.
“What?” I asked, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. ” I just… I love you, Nina. I’m sorry for making you feel like I’m unhappy.”
My heart fluttered at his words. “Enzo…”
“I mean it,” he continued. “You’re everything to me. I might be worried about how fast everything is happening, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. About us. And about our baby.” I felt a lump form in my throat, touched by his words. “I love you too, Enzo. More than anything.”
He leaned in, and our lips met in a kiss that felt like it sealed away all the doubts and fears. It sent a tingle down my spine, as though a piece of his soul had just collided with mine. I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his neck, and the rest of the world faded away. Suddenly, it was just the two of us, our lips, and our lantern floating up into the sky.
When we finally pulled away, I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. “This was a perfect evening,” I murmured.
“Hey, it’s not over yet,” he said, a hint of mischief in his voice. “There’s still so much of the festival to see.”
Hand in hand, we continued to explore the festival.
We tried some of the street food, our fingers and lips becoming sticky with powdered sugar. I got a bit on my cheek, and Enzo kissed it away, although his sticky lips just made it worse. We laughed as we watched a street performer do magic tricks, and paused to listen to someone playing the guitar on a bench.
As we wandered, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. Despite the uncertainties that lay ahead, moments like these were a reminder of the joy and beauty in our lives.
“We should do things like this more often,” I said, looking up at Enzo.
“We will,” he promised. “Once everything settles down, we’ll make more time for moments like these.”
I nodded, feeling hopeful about the future. No matter what it held, I knew that as long as we were together, we could face anything.