"But there is a risk." She touched my cheek, turning me to look into her green eyes. They were magically vibrant, with shades of emerald, green apple, and evergreen. "Playing with time changes everything. Everything you now have will be gone. Choices unmade for better and for worse. You even hazard being written out of time completely."
"But I could get Tony back?" I asked stubbornly. She gave a solemn nod. "Then, yes. Whatever I have to do, I say yes."
"Are you sure? You risk all," she said. She waved her hand over the water in the basin. Images appeared in the water of my paintings, my apartment, my friends. They all faded into mist and then back to clear water. "You risk all that you are and all that you have by choosing this."
I looked at her, meeting her eyes. "Yes. I would risk everything and more to save Tony."
"You must also know that things may not turn out as you wish. It is a risk to change time." Her eyes searched mine, delving into my soul.
"I understand." I looked away from her gaze. I knew that I wanted this, that I would agree to this without hesitation. "I would rather live in a world where he existed, even if it wasn't with me, than in a world where he is gone."
"Then you shall go back." Diana stood, her silver dress pooling like water at her feet. "But know this. You must get him to go with you. If he sets foot in the place he died, he will not be able to escape his fate. Even if he knows it is coming. He must completely change his future in order for him to survive."
"I understand," I said, nodding. I had to get him to run away with me then. "I want to go back to the day he left me. I have to tell him not to go."
Diana frowned slightly, but nodded gravely. "As you wish."
I stood up and faced the slim woman in silver as the mist surrounded us, obscuring everything. Diana's bright green eyes were the last thing I saw as the mist turned to darkness and I felt myself fall into it.
Chapter 9
June 9,1990
For the second time
I opened my eyes and noticed that the ceiling was different. I frowned for a moment before realizing where I was. My aunt's condo in Florida. With someone sleeping next to me.
I turned my head slowly, heart in my throat. There was Tony. He was still asleep, his chest rising and falling in an easy cadence. The pre-dawn light from the window highlighted his perfect features and made him look like an angel.
I propped myself up on an elbow and reached out a hesitant hand to touch him. I needed to know he was really there. His chest was warm and solid under my fingers, and I could feel his every breath. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes. My heart pounded in my chest and threatened to explode with happiness. He was here. He hadn't died. He was alive.
I kept my hand on him, watching him sleep. I didn't want to wake him and break the spell. Just seeing him alive and strong was giving me chills. I didn't want this moment to end. The love of my life was here in front of me. My heart ached with love. I had missed him so much.
The love of my life...
He stirred. "Whatcha looking at, Ladybug?" Tony asked, his voice still full of sleep. He cracked open one eye and looked at me.
"Just something wonderful," I whispered, surprised that my voice worked at all. I felt like I could laugh and cry at the same time. He was real. "You look so peaceful when you sleep."
His dark eyes opened and he sat up to look at me better. His eyes were exactly as I remembered them. Warm and brown and they completely absorbed me. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice still rough from just waking.
I pushed myself to sitting, touching his cheek. There was a light stubble under my fingers, but he was warm to the touch. My dreams always ended here, and yet my dream hadn't ended yet. I didn't dare pinch myself because I didn't want this to end.
"I am now," I whispered softly, knowing it was true. And then I kissed him.
Our lips met, soft and sweet. I wanted to cry with joy. He wrapped his muscular arms around my body, his taste sweet on my tongue. I remembered him being muscular, but everything about him was so solid. I could have kissed him for hours. Every nerve in my body was aflame with desire and love.
I felt his desire as he touched me, something I hadn't felt for a long time. He wanted me, despite my wrinkles, my weight, my...
I pushed him away for a moment and touched my own body. I hadn't even realized I had woke up naked, but as my fingers ran down my body, I knew why. My skin was smooth, my br**sts were perky. I even felt like I had lost weight.
"Is everything okay?" Tony asked.
I laughed, sounding almost hysterical for a moment. I couldn't believe that I used to think that I weighed too much. I was hot, and I had a hot piece of meat in bed with me. I looked at the man who wanted me. "Everything's fine," I said, barely getting the words out before I began to kiss him again, this time with renewed vigor. I could feel him smile as our lips met, and I couldn't help but grin. I didn't think the smile would ever leave my face.
Tony rolled over on top of me, his hands roaming over every inch of my body. I wrapped my arms around him, my hands gripping at his strong back. His skin was warm against mine, and my breath caught in my throat as his hard pecs rubbed against my ni**les. He backed away for a moment, seeming to admire my face, then dove in and began to suck on my neck.
I laughed. "Stop it! You're going to give me a hickey!" I beat on his back a little bit, enjoying how strong he felt.
He moved his lips from my neck to my ear. "Maybe that's what I want. Maybe I want everyone to know that you're mine."
Every word sent a tingle in my ear, as if the very hairs inside were turned on by his breath. I arched my back and he kissed down my neck, softer this time. His lips grazed my shoulder, touched my collar bone, and worked their way to my breast. As his tongue flicked against one nipple and then the other, I realized that no man had given me quite this amount of attention in years. This was heaven and I never wanted it to end.
His hungry attention to my br**sts ended in a magnificent way as he began to kiss down my belly. I knew where he was going and I couldn't wait. My whole body tensed as he moved further and further south.
When he got to my legs, they were still pressed together slightly. As his hands began to gently pry my legs apart, I yielded quickly to his touch. In a moment, his mouth was against my sex, eagerly tasting me. I gasped in surprise. Had I always been this sensitive? I thought to myself. Whatever he was doing down there, no man had done that to me in a long time. I bucked my h*ps and squeezed my legs around his head, trying hard not to choke him.