Tania Penn

“Do you think that sometimes, there are those that are meant to be together?" he asked, not breaking his gaze.I thought for a moment. "I don't know, maybe." I shrugged."What if, there are two parts that were once a whole. Not here on earth, but," he looked skyward, then at me again with those searing golden eyes. A slight, nervous smile crept up my right cheek. He continued, "And those two parts weren't what made them whole, but the parts of them did.""You've lost me now," I said, as I loosened my grip on his embrace, shaking my head."I'm talking about soul mates. Split aparts. It's a theory of Plato's. Except, what if the split aparts were never one, but each split apart was a part of one that was once whole?”

“You were created out of love and good.""There is not good in her," he said sharply, lowering his chin, while twisting the steam between his fingers."There has to be somewhere, as there still is in you. I can sense it. You've just buried it.”

“You don't know me. I'm not good enough for you. I'm not what you think."He chuckled. "Isn't that usually what the guy tells the girl?""I guess," I said, sucking in my cheeks and clicking my heels together. "But in this case, it's true.”

“Too soon for dinner with the parents?" I teased. "You really didn't have to feel obligated to stay, but Lil does cook some amazing Indian food."Gabriel just kissed the back of my hand and smiled slyly. "What is it you Westerners say? This isn't my first rodeo, darling!" He mocked tipping a hat."Well that may be true, but this is a very different kind of bull," I retorted, almost jealous. "And how many rodeos exactly have you been to, sir?”

“I tried to smile, but gravity kept tugging at the corners of my mouth.”

“We've only known each other for what, six hours now." I teased. "Surely you have friends?""Well, I just want to get to know you." He smiled a cute lopsided grin."Maybe I really don't like music."He bent forward. "Everyone does.""Maybe I don't like boys." I winked."Ahh, that would be a shame if that were true!" He chuckled. "But I don't think that to be the case.""Maybe I have jealous boyfriend who wouldn't appreciate me sitting here with a handsome Brit right now.”

“Our love transcends time and measure.”

“There goes my heart,Breaking in two.And there was going mine as well.”

“Hi there." British accent. That's all he had to say, internally I think I started melting.”

“There's an old saying, "I know they say that first love is the sweetest but that first cut is the deepest." Whomever came up with that, must have been a sadistic idiot. After the first cut, why would you want to punish yourself with additional cuts? You keep going down that road, eventually you'll get dismembered.”