Shaye

I gasp as Nelos places his weight gently between my thighs. He feels incredible and so warm. My body trembles with need, my heart thudding in my chest. I stare into his eyes as I lie in the backseat of his father's old sedan. Eyes as blue as the heavens never leave me as he pushes my skirt farther up to my waist. His eyes lower and glide back up to me. He's wearing a devilish grin, knowing exactly what he's doing to me.

"You're beautiful, angel," he says as he pushes into me. He kisses my cheeks, my nose, my chin. "You sure about this?"

"It's been two years, Nelos. It's time. And I want you to be my first."

"I adore you." He leans forward and steals a kiss.

As he does that, the pain is slight as he enters deeper, but his strong hands slide under my back and hold me steady and in position. It's his first time too, but he's more confident than I feel.

Slowly, he pushes further, and I barely catch my breath. I grasp onto his arms, fearful to move, fearful not to.

He pauses. "Am I hurting you, babe?"

"Yes. No. Don't stop, please."

His smile comforts me and he continues.

Gradually the pain eases and a desperation replaces the discomfort. It isn't long before we fall into the motion of our bodies sliding together, him pushing deeper and deeper inside me. He goes slowly. He moves in and out of me, and I gasp from the intensity.

"Am I hurting you?" he asks, his gaze drowning in a mix of desire and worry.

"It feels so good." A moan chases after my words, and I break into a laugh.

Nelos groans so loud, his eyes roll up for those few moments. "When you squeeze me like that, I get so close to exploding."

I reach up and hold onto his strong arms. He's incredible. Muscles, sweat beading over his brow, and he's mine. With him, I feel complete, whole, cherished.

He's moving in and out of me faster now. My breaths speed, and the friction between my thighs heats up. It spreads over me, and my legs fall wider for him. Warmth tightens in the pit of my stomach with each passing second, he thrusts into me, faster and faster. I cling onto him and gasp for each breath. Our groans mix with the slapping sound he makes with each pounding.

He groans louder suddenly and jerks his cock out of me. He places it over my stomach and warmth spreads across my skin.

I stare at the pleasure washing across his face, the way he rolls back his head, the quick rise and fall of his chest. He's everything to me. Everything I want. I feel like I'm glowing inside. Like I have crossed over the threshold into becoming a woman. I've wanted my first time to be a memory of love I will always remember. Not of a guy I forget. Nelos will always be there for me.

In slow motion, he reaches for the box of tissues in the back window and cleans me up. I notice the spotting on blood amid the mess, which was all me. My innocence is gone, as Grandma would say. "We should probably hurry before anyone notices us missing." I can just imagine my adopted grandma sending a search party out for me.

"I've got it all fixed." He winks at me, and I know what that means. He used his ability to freeze time for everyone around us. Giving us alone time for a few precious minutes. He's a demi—god, as am I… children of gods, or more like a sliver of a god. Nelos is one fifth related to Xiuhtecuhtli, Aztec god of fire and time. Though my parentage is a mystery. Like whoever god or goddess spawned me couldn't take the time to fill out the paperwork. We have small powers we can use, but we're also outcasts living on Earth because the gods don't want us. Those who are lucky, live with our human—side parents. Others, like me, live with foster and adopted families until we reach eighteen. Mine insists on me calling her 'Grandma', but she's weird and eccentric. However, she looks after me so I can't complain.

Nelos doesn't let me go, but embraces me tight, kissing me. "I love you, angel. I'll love you to eternity."

"Love you to eternity and back," I breathe, forgetting everything else. Only this moment matters.

And he kisses me tenderly, a kiss that I know in this moment will stay with me forever.

***

I lay in bed that night, unable to sleep, unable to stop thinking about Nelos.

My grandma would always say to sin was to disgrace the family. To sleep with a boy out of wedlock is to sin. To swear is a sin. To not finish my meal is a sin. One of the very first things she told me when I first got my periods at the age of eleven was that anything I sat on during menstruation would be unclean. Those few days a month, she kept me closed in my bedroom bringing me food. For a long time, I believed that time of the month made women unclean. Until I started high school and found out the truth from other girls.

I am under no illusion that Grandma will approve of my day with Nelos. But I don't care.

I will never forget today. My lips feel swollen from his kisses, the ache between my thighs is delightful. There is nothing to change about the day.

I grab my pillow, then hug it to my chest. I grin wildly thinking of his mouth on mine, his tender touches, my body against his. I'm only fifteen, him seventeen, but I'm a woman already according to Grandma. And what I have with Nelos is everything. The way he made love to me has me feeling things I can never brush away...I never want to. We will be together for eternity. This I know in my heart.

Nelos

3 Years Later

"I got my acceptance to California University," Shaye says from my bedroom door, waving the letter in her hand. Her smile is incredibly wide, it's spectacular. Glossy lips, white teeth, and I want to kiss her.

But unease hooks into my chest at seeing her cheer. It has nothing to do with jealousy, but a promise I made her three years ago. A promise I plan to keep.

"That's incredible, angel. I'm so proud of you." I greet her halfway across my large bedroom and lift her off her feet, swinging her around in my arms.

She giggles, and it's the most beautiful sound in the world. Lowering her to her feet, she slides down my body, those soft breasts like small balloons brushing over my chest. They're sumptuous, and all I can picture are the rosy tips of her nipples. My dick pushes hard against the zipper of my jeans. She always has this effect on me.

"We need to celebrate," she insists and breaks into giggles.

I stare at her beauty, at her enthusiasm, and all I want is to draw her into me.

"I have something for you," I say and cross the room to shut the door. My parents are in the living room, and this is something between Shaye and me, something that's played on my mind for the past year, something I planned to do next month at the county fair. But I can't wait any longer. She needs to know before we make plans. Inside I feel like bees are sticking my insides.

"Take a seat on the bed." I guide her by the shoulders to sit while I hurry over to my study desk. I pull open the first drawer and as my eyes land on the small black box, my heart starts pounding. Nerves are dancing over my skin. Of course, she'll agree. We've talked about this for years. And I'm ready. We're ready. She's the only one for me. She gets me in ways no one ever has.

I turn toward her with a grin and sweat beads down my back. I shouldn't be nervous, yet I am.

"I fell in love with you from the first moment we met, from the first time I made love to you, from the first night we spent together at camp." I bend down on one knee and flip open the ring box. "Shaye, will you marry me?"

Her eyes widen, her gorgeous mouth drops opens. "My dreams are with you," she begins, her voice shaky, and my stomach does that horrible thing where it tightens when something bad is about to happen. "You know that, but I—I…"

She doesn't finish her sentence.

I can't breathe as I stare at her looking away. What is she so confused about? We are meant to do this, we both agreed.

"What is it?" I remain kneeling before her, holding the box as a tremble crawls up my spine.

"Nelos, you're my everything, you know that. It's just," she lifts her gaze, "I don't think we should rush into this."

"Rush into it? We've been talking about it for years. I'm…" My heart is beating hard, and I'm trying to hold it together, to understand what she's talking about.

"Baby," she says with a mix of patience and sweetness that makes my stomach fall into my feet.

She falls to her knees in front of me, cups my hands in hers, and the lid to the ring box flips shut. The sound shatters my heart. It crumbles and breaks like fucking glass through me. I've wanted nothing else for so long, and now she's pushing me away? She hasn't said she's breaking up with me but might as well be. I know I'm being selfish. But fuck! I feel like she's choosing school over me—over us.

"I want to wait until I finish my degree. It's in California. A full scholarship, Nelos. Top school in the country for education. My dream. Come with me?" The hope in her eyes sparkles, but she knows I can't. I pull my hand free from hers and climb to my feet.

I frown and a fury rushes through my veins. "I can't leave. Cali is on the other side of the states. Might as well be on another planet. I just got into first—string at the college here in Boston. Comes with a bonus if I stay. No one else is going to offer me this." My fingers curl tight around the box. It feels like a knife stabbing right through my hand, tearing at me. Took me an extra year at a junior college to get noticed by the major university in town.

"Why can't you get the same thing in California? Maybe even better?" she asks hopefully, but nothing can help the weight settling in on my chest.

"You know I can't." I shake my head and push the box into my pocket, but still it is there, pressing into my side, reminding me Shaye and I don't want the same thing. Now the ring I saved up for over the past year sits heavily in my pocket and I feel like an idiot. A fool. A fucking sucker. "I've given my word and signed a contract. Why can't you just go to school here? Hell, Shaye, we talked about this. You had applied at colleges in town——how did you get an acceptance from freaking California?"

Her bottom lip sticks out, tempting me. A seductress without even trying. "Because this is one of my dreams. I—I never thought they'd respond. I sent in my application over a month ago and thought they'd denied me when I didn't hear back. But, Nelos, this is the best program in the country."

She takes a step toward me, her hand out for me and I step back, crossing my arms. If I let her touch me, I won't be able to do this. Won't be able to say no to her. We made an agreement to stick together through everything and never be apart…and now she's breaking her promise, breaking my heart.

"And you know how hard I've worked to get my offer too." I swallow against my tightening throat. If I go with her to California, we'll both be sorry. This is our chance for a future. Moving forward with the football contract is a guarantee that we won't have to scrape and save for every little thing, like I've had to do my entire shitty life. Teachers don't earn shit.

Give it all up now? I can't. I won't be like my foster dad, depending on his wife's salary while I guzzle beer and shoot up.

"I can't throw it all away and hope to get something in California. Fuck, Shaye, there's thousands of demi—gods over there with the gods using that place as their vacation spot."

"But you'll be on the other side of the country. Can't you at least do your time mojo and fix this?" she asks, clicking her fingers as if everything is so easily fixed with a bit of magic.

Images flash of her unhappy and resenting me because we got married and she had to drop out of school because of us having kids.

"Doesn't work that way and you know it," I say, already knowing the outcome, I see it crystal clear now, and I want to fucking shout at her, make her see I can't live without her. Distance relationships don't work for a reason. My chest is tearing up.

"Come on, you're not making this easy for us." She gives me a tentative smile, tears build up in her turquoise eyes as she pushes back her dark—blonde hair. "We can get married after we graduate. A—and you can make time speed up faster, right?"

"Only in spurts." I pull the ring box out of my pocket and thrust it back into my drawer. I slam it shut a little too loudly.

"Look, let's just wait. A year or two won't change anyth—"

"Yes, it will." I spin, sorrow and anger threading through my veins. How can she do this? How can she want to be apart for so long? "We won't be the same in a year—in six months even without each other."

"Please, Nelos," she whispers, "don't do this. Don't make me choose."

I straighten, putting on my game face so she doesn't see me breaking on the inside. No way will I stand in her way or witness the look of remorse and animosity etched on her face like my vision.

"The choice has already been made." To soften the blow and maybe hold onto what I know is a lie, so I don't crumble at her feet, I say, "We'll do it your way, Shaye. After we finish college."

She gives me a sad smile and reaches up for me on her tiptoes. Her lips are as sweet as always, but there's a bitter—sweetness I taste now. I know without any glimpses of the future that this is the last time I will see her for what feels like forever. And I hold onto her a second longer than I should, hoping to keep myself together.