Azure (Drowning In You) (34 page)

Authors: Chrystalla Thoma

BOOK: Azure (Drowning In You)

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But how?
She had no money for this.

Her jaw clenched. She’d find a way. She’d get a job and save enough to do this.

As she stared at the wall, she recalled again Kai talking of that painting at the MOMA. She hadn’t even been in the city yet, hadn’t cared about it. Hadn’t checked out the galleries and museums. But suddenly she wanted to see where Kai had often sat and what he’d contemplated before he’d gone back to
Crete
and the sea.

Dawn had barely broken behind the trees outside when she got up and made herself ready. She needed a sign, a connection, and the only thing she could think of was sitting where Kai had sat, seeing what he’d seen.

Magic. She’d started to believe, hadn’t she? If she prodded, maybe something on the other side would answer.

Setting her jaw, she scrubbed her hair back in a ponytail, pulled on her boots and jacket, grabbed her map and headed out.

The bus ride from the campus took an hour, and then almost another hour by subway and she was in downtown
New York
.

God, the size of it!
The buildings, the avenues, the shops, glittering surfaces, glass and chrome spires piercing the pale sky.

Feeling like a child in a country of giants, she strolled through the streets, gawking at everything.

Too big. Too much. She wanted
Crete
with its small streets and shops. With Kai.
Dammit
.

She crossed avenue after avenue, checking her map. Not far now. She rounded a corner and glimpsed the immense glass facade of the museum. It hadn’t opened yet, but there was a long line of people waiting.

She stood with them, her mind on the past, replaying every moment she’d had with Kai.

He wasn’t dead. She’d have felt it. And Panos wouldn’t have said ‘gone’, he’d have said ‘dead’. Panos only wanted her to keep away from his cousin.

Right?

She couldn’t take this anymore. Sick with worry, sick with missing Kai. She had to go back to
Crete
. Even if Kai didn’t want anything to do with her. Just to see he was all right.

For the first time she thought she understood why Justin had needed to talk to her face to face.

Maybe if Kai told her he didn’t care about her, she’d find closure and move on. She had to move on; she’d stayed in the past way too long.

The line moved sluggishly along. The door of the museum had opened. It was an impressive building, though she didn’t think she could care less right now. How could she find the money to go back to
Crete
? Maybe Kirsten could lend her some...

Olivia paid for her ticket, which was damn expensive despite the student discount, and picked up a plan of the museum. What had the name of the painting been?

She approached a guard. “Excuse me. There is painting of a woman in a field, reaching toward a house. I can’t remember who—”

“Andrew Wyeth,” the man said. “Christina’s World.”

She gaped. “You know every single painting here?”

He laughed and rubbed his nose as if embarrassed. “It’s just that there’s this guy. He’s been coming here every day for the past week. I think he camps outside.”

“Excuse me?” What was he talking about?

“He sits in front of the painting all day. Doesn’t even go to the bathroom or to eat. Here, I’ll take you there.” He grinned. “You’ll see what I mean.”

She followed him through huge halls with modernistic exhibits, past gathering crowds of visitors, until she thought he was just as lost as she was.

He stopped at a huge door and poked his head inside. His grin widened. “He’s in here. Poor guy. He says he’s waiting for someone. For Olivia, in fact. I don’t suppose your name is Olivia?”

Her mouth fell open. She stumbled inside and froze.

Because there was a painting depicting a girl lying in a field, reaching toward a distant house. And sitting in front of it was a familiar figure, a young man, his dark hair tousled. He was hunched over, looking defeated. He was fingering something at his throat and her hand flew to her own chest where her chain hung, her pendant gone, returned to the sea.

She stepped closer, her heart booming. “Kai?”

He gasped and shot to his feet, whirling toward her. “Liv!”

Oh god, it was him, his dark eyes lighting up, his mouth curling into a smile. He laughed and launched himself at her, caught her in his arms and lifted her. He spun her around, and she saw tears in his eyes.

When he put her down, she hugged him close, hiding her face against his strong shoulder.

“I called the hotel last night,” she whispered. “Panos said you were gone. I had no idea what he meant. I was going to go back to find you.”

“You were?” His voice was choked. “Liv, I wanted to talk to you, see if you were okay, but I didn’t know how to find you.”

“You didn’t get my note?”

“What note?”

She shook her head, not willing to let go of him for one second. It didn’t matter. “I thought I’d never see you again. You vanished and I couldn’t find you to explain, I looked and looked...” Her vision was going blurry. Oh god, she wasn’t going to start bawling now, was she?

“Panos told me what you said. That you’d broken up with your boyfriend before meeting me. Panos didn’t believe you, but I remembered the ring you threw into the sea, and the story you told me. I believe you.”

She willed her tears not to fall. “You came here every day,” she breathed.

“I was hoping you’d remember.” He pulled back to look at her face, his eyes uncertain. “I didn’t know how else to find you. You’re not listed in the online phone directory and googling your name didn’t bring up anything useful, either.”

“I know.” She’d come looking for a sign and she’d found him waiting. She just couldn’t believe it. “It’s so good to see you. I’m happy.” There weren’t words to describe how she felt, in fact. Awed. Dazed. Dizzy with joy. “So happy.”

He smiled that faint smile of his. His shoulders relaxed. “I thought I might scare you by doing this, coming here... I don’t seem like a stalker, do I? I realize we barely know each other.”

“I know you,” she whispered. She wasn’t scared at all, which was scary all by itself, and wasn’t that ironic? “And you know me better than anyone else.”
Body and soul.

“I had to talk to you,” he said. “See if you hadn’t changed your mind.”

A translucent gem glittered at his throat, caught on a silver chain. A mermaid scale. She lifted a hand to it, her mind a whirlwind. “About?”

He swallowed hard, his eyes closing when she touched the pendant. “Us.”

“Does that mean you’re staying?” Hope made her throat tight.

He nodded. “I’ve applied at a college here. It looks like they’ll accept me. My uncle’s friends may have pulled some strings.”

She lowered her hand and clutched his arms, not knowing what to say. “That’s amazing, god, I...” She shook her head, her lips trembling. “Please tell me this isn’t a dream.”

“Not a dream,” he said, gazing at her under lowered lashes. “No, this is real.”

“And the sea?”

“The sea...” He caressed her face and the blue streak in his eyes lit up. “There’s sea everywhere. But you’re here, only here, and I want to be with you.”

THE END

Greek words used in the text

Kaltsouni
(see recipe at the back): traditional Cretan sweet, a small pastry filled with fresh cheese, sugar and cinnamon

Frappe
(see recipe at the back): a cold drink made by mixing instant coffee and water (also milk and/or sugar as desired)

Raki
: a strong, clear tasteless alcohol favored by Cretans, similar to the Italian Grappa (not to be confused with Turkish Raki which is flavored with anis)

Opa
: an exclamation of surprise

Gorgona
: mermaid

Navagio
: wreck

Vrykolakes
: vampires

Taverna
: traditional, informal Greek family restaurant

German words and expressions used in the text

War nicht schlecht
: it wasn’t bad

Mistkerl
: bastard (swearword)

Alles
okay?
: everything okay?

Ach Du Scheisse
: damn

Tut mir leid: I’m sorry

Ich wusste es nicht: I didn’t know