Page 18 of A Vicious Rumor

Even though so much of him had changed, those brown eyes of his still held the same sadness and longing they had the first day I'd seen them. Had it really been five years since I'd met Tyson?

Some people come into your life for such a short period of time, but the impact they have on you causes radical change. That was what Tyson had done for me. Before I met him, I always thought the "rich" kids lived a better life. It certainly seemed like they did. But, up close, it was clear that they had their own sets of issues.

And Tyson the most.

He started walking towards me, and I didn't look away from him. I loved sitting out by the water, watching the people go about their lives, taking it all in. But, I never focused on anyone in particular. A few seconds to understand who they were and where they were going, and then I'd shift my gaze to someone else.

But, as Tyson walked towards me, I didn't want to look away from him. I was afraid if I blinked that he might disappear.

A chance meeting.

Five years later.

What were the odds?

Tyson stood first, and he offered me his hand. From this angle, he seemed larger than life. I smiled at him. I felt excited about the afternoon. I wasn't sure why, and it was a weird sensation for me. My life had become very predictable lately.

I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me up easily. I tumbled into him, as my arms wrapped around his solid body.

"Easy there," he said with a low chuckle.

I stepped back quickly and pretended to brush myself off. "I think you knew exactly what you were doing," I replied.

"Come on," he said, grabbing my hand once more and pulling me away from the water. "I want to hear all about what you've been up to. I don't even know you," he confessed.

I thought on it for a moment as we began to walk. His energy had completely changed from the time I'd first seen him to now. When he walked down that hill, he seemed confused, lost, and upset. I still thought he was confused and lost, but his anger had somewhat dissipated.

He didn't let go of my hand the entire walk back, and I didn't try and pull away. I let him lead me to wherever it was we were going.

"Do you ever feel like you've known someone your entire life, even when you haven't?" he asked me.

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, I know the feeling."

"What do you think it is?" he asked me, and I could tell his interest was genuine.

"Do you believe in souls, Tyson?" I asked him.

We were halfway through the highway underpass, and he stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

The cars above us continued to zoom by, creating thunder on a perfectly clear day.

"I mean, do you believe that a person's soul might act independent of their body?" I clarified.

He turned to me, and I met his gaze. His eyes seemed to always show three emotions. Two constant, one that changed. "I'm not sure."

"Well," I replied. "I do. I believe that sometimes when two people meet, their souls connect without their physical selves knowing. It's the type of connection that doesn't need physical touch to grow." I started to blush, but said the words anyways. "I think that's what happened between you and me. Something deep down in you spoke to something deep down in me."

Suddenly, I couldn't see his eyes any longer.

Because, his lips were on my lips.

His strong hand wrapped behind my neck, and he pulled me into him. I didn't even have the time to process what had happened before he was already pulling away.

He smiled at me, and the smile almost reached his eyes.

"Yeah," he said. "That must be it." His hand was still wrapped around mine. "Come on," he said, as he pulled me out from underneath the overpass.

I touched my fingers to my lips and allowed myself to smile. My first kiss was under an overpass, and it made me feel just as turned upside down.

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