Centuries Worth

The smell of coffee is the only comfort I have encountered this morning.

Taking my usual seat at the table in the back of the coffee shop, I pull out my laptop to send an email to the financial aid office. I cannot afford to take out any more loans and my parents will not cover my tuition unless I major in pre-med. Begging for any source of financial assistance is what I have to resort to.

Emily, one of the baristas at the campus coffee shop, brings me my regular drink—vanilla iced latte.

“How’re you doing today?” Emily asks once she takes in my appearance. My shoulders are tense, eyebrows pinched together, and I am scrolling and typing on my laptop like a manic.

“You know, the usual. My parents won’t help me, and I have to pay my bill for this semester, or I won’t be able to return for the next one.”

She lets out a sigh and squeezes my shoulder in reassurance. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.” Someone calls her name from behind the counter. “I have to go. Don’t stress over it too much. Oh, and happy birthday by the way!”

“Thanks,” I mutter under my breath. I thought I would enjoy my twenty-first birthday with my first glass of wine while binging some show on Netflix.

Plans have changed. I need to figure out how I’m going to pay my tuition before the week is up.

Releasing a deep breath, I take a sip of my latte before typing the last few words of my email. Hopefully, I don’t sound too desperate. Maybe they can extend my balance until next semester and I can pay it then.

Pressing send, I lean back in my seat and slam my laptop shut. If luck is on my side, they’ll respond within forty-eight hours giving me some form of relief.

I grab my drink, letting a chill run through my body in the process. My eyes dance around, taking in the students who litter the coffee shop. The carefree expressions on some of their faces spark feelings of envy in me. I wish I knew the feelings of just being a college student. My only worry would be passing an exam.

I rub a hand over my face then blow a stray strand of hair out my eye.

Happy birthday to me.

With a slight scoff, I stuff my laptop in my bag and gather my belongings. Maybe a walk will take my mind off my situation.

I push through the sea of students who are trying to get their source of caffeine for the day. After twisting and turning to reach the exit, I breathe in the fresh autumn air once I reach the outdoors—my safe place.

I’ve always had a connection with nature. I prefer long walks through the greenery and lounging on a bench whilst the sun is setting. The natural scents of Mother Nature triumph the stale smell of A/C.

I start down the sidewalk as the wind dances with my hair. I choose not to walk to a specific destination and let my feet guide me. The rest of my day is clear, so I can get lost for as long as I please.

Twenty minutes later, I find myself at the campus lake. Warm colors of leaves blanket the lake at this time of the year. I sit on one of the few benches that enclose around the water. Only a couple of students are here now, which grants the silence I long for.

I let my eyes flutter close as nature surrounds me.

“Are you okay?” A deep husky voice interrupts my peace. With a slight grunt, my eyes snap open and take in the tall beast of a man hovering over me. “I’m sorry,” he begins. “I thought something was wrong.”

“I’m fine,” I manage to mutter out as a slight smile tugs at his lips. “I’m just trying to forget about life at the moment. I owe a hefty amount for my tuition and it looks like I’m going to have no way of paying it,” I breathe out. “Twenty thousand dollars a semester,” I scoff. “Should’ve gone to a cheaper school.”

He chuckles, taking the seat beside me. “That doesn’t sound like a person who is fine. You want to talk about it?”

I don’t answer immediately. I take in the man beside me. His dark curly hair lays right above his soulful brown eyes. Freckles splay across his nose and cheeks as a small dimple makes an appearance on his left cheek.

Tilting my head slightly, I realize something about this man seems familiar. Feels familiar.

I clear my throat and sit up. “I’m sorry. Have we met before?”

“You could say that,” he answers cryptically. A slight twinkle in his eye tells me he’s keeping a secret. But why? “I’m Liam.” He extends a handout which I shake instantly as if a magnet connected us.

“Arielle,” I manage to say through my shock. “Are you a student here?”

“Not quite. I live locally.”

I nod my head silently as I figure out why this man is talking to me. I’m what my peers would call a loner. I sit in the back of the class and keep my head low. I’m not here to make friends. I just want to graduate and move as far away as possible.

“You’re an environmental science major?” He asks after a few beats of silence.

“How’d you know?” That’s such a specific and accurate guess.

He smiles cheekily. “What can I say? I’m good at reading people.”

Now, this is getting a little creepy.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Liam. But I have to go,” I lie as I sling my bag over my shoulder and scurry onto my feet.

I manage to put a few feet between us before his voice breaks through the air.

“Happy birthday.”

My feet come to an immediate halt. My shoulders tense as I pivot to face Liam. A lazy smile is sitting on his face as if we’re long-time friends. I squint my eyes as I take him in once more.

Why do I feel like I know this man?

“How’d you know it’s my birthday?” My feet gravitate towards him. His eyes sparkle once I’m about a foot away from him.

“There are many things I know about you, Arielle,” he answers breathlessly.

“What do you mean? Are y-you stalking me?” I manage to get out. Despite his beautiful features, how does he know anything about me? I don’t have any social media accounts and my only friend is Emily, but barely her. We only speak when I grab a coffee.

He smiles once more. “Are you willing to trust me?”

“What kind of question is that?” I ask incredulously. “I just met you and you’re claiming you know many things about me. This is creepy.”

“Arielle, think again,” He whispers out as he closes the space between us. He takes my hand in his. “You can trust me.”

A strange feeling tugs at my heart. There is something so familiar about him, but I know I’ve never met this man before.

“I can’t say I trust you, but I’m willing to listen.” I slip my hand out of his and occupy it by gripping my bag strap.

I’m willing to give him a chance. Heck, this is the most interesting thing I’ll probably ever encounter. I’ll take the risk.

“I’ll take it. But I kind of have to show you it rather than explaining it.” I begin to shake my head, but he interrupts. “You won’t regret this. Please.”

The pleading in his voice and sincerity in his eyes has me placing my hand in his as he guides me down a path surrounded by trees. I stare at his back as I silently follow him to this unknown place.

After thirty minutes of walking, we finally reach a beautiful two-story home.

“You live here?” He nods wordlessly as he opens the door. The warm colors take over my senses first. The rustic interior mixed with splashes of modern appeal gives his home a cozy feel.

“What I want to show you is just up the stairs. You can leave your bag by the door if you want.”

I let my bag fall to the floor as I follow behind him anxiously. He pauses in front of the biggest door on the floor. He turns and faces me. Taking in my features before he speaks.

“Don’t be freaked out Arielle. I’ll explain everything.”

“What are you—” My voice catches in my throat as he pushes open the door. The first thing in my line of vision is a gigantic painting of a woman that looks just like me. I stumble into the room and my eyes dart around the room frantically. There are more paintings and pictures of me dating back centuries.

My eyes find Liam, but he is watching me as if I’m going to break down at any moment. I manage to keep my composure as I approach a bookcase that reaches the ceiling. Each shelf is lined with little black books.

“What are all of these?” I run my fingers over the bent spines. All the books look like they have been read multiple times.

“They’re our stories. You write down our stories during each life.” My head whips in his direction.

Our story?

He stalks towards me cautiously. His hands are raised slightly to indicate he doesn’t mean any harm. “My real name is Thomas. Your real name is Isabella. We’ve been around for a long time. Close to the beginning of time. When we first met, our love was so strong, a woman practicing witchcraft granted us love immunity. The immunity resurrects us both after we die. When I turn eighteen, I get all my memories back about you—about us. She told me I can’t approach you until you turn twenty-one. Every life, we find each other, and our love grows as each life passes. You’re the love of my life, Isabella. And I yours.”

A lone tear trickles down my cheek as he cups my cheek in his hand.

“Liam—I mean Thomas. This sounds ridiculous,” I manage to get out as my brain disagrees with the words I’ve muttered.

He smiles softly as both hands now caress my face. “Do you want to remember, Isabella?”

Despite the fear, I nod my head as more tears run down my cheek on their own. His grip on my face tightens, but not enough to hurt me. A warm feeling spreads through me and he places a chaste kiss on my forehead.

Suddenly, everything comes rushing back to me in a second. All the centuries of our love overwhelm me. Every struggle we encountered. Every child we had. Even all our deaths.

I remember.

“Thomas,” I whisper. My voice is coated with exhaustion and love. “I remember.”

“Bella.” He pulls me into a hug and buries his nose into my hair. “Welcome back, my love.”

I chuckle into his chest as I hug him back. The tears are flowing to the point of a sob.

“Wait!” I lean back to get a better look at him. “What about my tuition? I still want to pursue my degree.”

He lets out a small chuckle before grabbing a small-sized duffel bag from beside the bookcase. He opens it and I let out a gasp as I take in all my money in the bag.

“Twenty thousand dollars, right? Here you are. You’ve been running into this issue for the past five lives so, I’m always ready. Pay your tuition, my love.”

A smile breaks across my face as I rush into his arms.

I’m back with the love of my life.