Once More

   The old train rattled along the tracks in a rather unnerving way. Jayden's dark gaze flicked along the English countryside, over the fields speckled with several different kinds of wildflowers on a sea of green. He adjusted his position in his fake leather seat and drummed his fingertips atop his thigh.
    Was he doing the right thing? Would Juli want him? It had been so long since he had seen her..
   Juliana. His Juliana.
  In his mind, he could still recall the flecks of gold in her hair, those almost green eyes that gleamed when she laughed, the dimples at the corner of her mouth as she teased him, the familiar feel of her hand in his, her thumb caressing the back of his hand..
  He bit his lip.
   But what if she didn't want him? Every day they had been apart seemed like a lifetime. His mind kept going over the memories..
   Jayden had saved up for so long to get to this one trip. She didn't know that he was coming, what would she think?  He knew he had to see her though, at least just one final time.

~~

  The young woman sat in a floral patterned chair, overstuffed to the point that it was more firm than comfortable. Her legs crossed, her frail hands on her lap, she carefully curled her fingers around the stiff fabric of her dress. Her mother sat staring at her disapprovingly, like she had been doing for days. Juliana had always been the good daughter, but after the Academy, everything changed.
  She began thinking for herself, making her own decisions. She often spoke of traveling back to America, meeting some demon boy her parents wouldn't approve of..
    But Jayden was so much more than that.
When Juliana closed her eyes, she could remember it, as clearly as if it were yesterday. She recalled the way he would look at her, as if she were the only person in the world. Juli recalled the way he had told her she was beautiful, every chance he could. She could remember the touch of his hands, careful and delicate, the way he would look at her when he thought she wasn't looking..
  Oh, she missed him so much. Julia just wanted to go back, back to when they had first met, to relive it over again.
  Things had ended so badly.. When she told him that she would have to return to England, everything went wrong. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and she could still remember the expression on his face.
  One of longing, and of love, and some sort of sorrow that couldn't be described with words..

   " Juliana, you must stop thinking of that boy. We can find you a noble suitor here. Someone raised in the right circumstances.. " Her mother's crisp voice sliced through the air and through Juli's heart.
  Juli abruptly stood up and murmured, " I'm going out. " She quickly slid on her cardigan and walked through the glass door, out into the bitter air.

~~

  Jayden stepped off the train just as it had begun to drizzle. The overcast sky was a sort of murky gray, making everything else in the world appear washed out. Tugging his jacket's hood over his head, he took out his map.
  His fingertip ran along the road that would lead through the small city and then onto the way to Juli's house. Scanning his eyes over the paper, he walked over to the curb.
  The rain had already began to increase, soaking through his jacket more than he would've liked. He wished he had prepared for this. He wanted to look his best when he saw Juli.
  A sleek black cab car, very unlike the yellow ones at home, pulled up next to him. Sliding into the back, Jayden exclaimed the address to a rather round old man who resembled a less jolly version of Santa Clause.
  Leaning his head back against the head rest behind him, Jayden closed his eyes.
His heart beat wildly in his chest.
   He was finally going to see Julia again.

~~

  Juliana hoisted the clear umbrella she had grabbed open and raised it over her head. The faint splat of rain hit against the top, pooling together and then sliding down. Her feet carried her away from her regal manor house, towards the old dirt road that ran along it. She tucked her hand beneath the arm that was holding the umbrella and looked about, admiring the large forest that surrounded her house.
  The forest had trees that seemed to never stop growing, even when they reached the heavens. They made her think of the Academy, of the woods that surrounded the lake.
  Her heart ached, she wanted to go back so badly, but her mother had demanded that she had to come back, to claim her rightful place as all women in her family did.
  Juliana let out a long sigh, letting her mind wander away from thoughts of the injustice of her situation, to a much pleasanter thought. One of Jayden, and how she hoped that one day, she would see him again..
  She tried not to let the doubt into her mind. The doubt about how he might've found someone else, how he might've had a change of heart..
  It hurt too much to think of such things.

~~

  The old cab driver drove through the long streets with an expert-like skill. While they weaved through hordes of pedestrians, Jayden kept his mind on Juli. He wondered what she would be like now, what she would like.
  It had been nearly two years since they had last spoken, and they were grown now. He, himself, had grown taller. Some stubble had begin to appear on his chin, his cheeks and jaw had become for defined, and his hair slightly longer.
  He bet she would be as beautiful as ever.

  Once they had finally managed to get out of the city, they started down a long paved road, cracking with age. The taxi bounced along it and the road soon turned to a dirt road, slick with mud.
  Jayden drummed his fingertips on his thigh nervously.
  They were almost there. God, he was so close to seeing her.
~~
  As Juliana wandered along the old path, one muddy ballet flat in front of the other, a soft smile touched her pale pink lips.
She'd see him again, she knew she would. She didn't know when, or how, but she knew she would. She needed to.

  Suddenly, as out of nowhere, a black taxi came wielding down the road. Eyes wide, Juliana jumped out of the way and into the slick grass. Losing her balance, she fell into the muddy hillside.
  She quickly stood up and found her dress covered in mud. Flicking her gaze up to the vehicle, she was surprised to see that it had stopped and someone was opening a door.

~~

  As they got further down the road, Jayden could see a manor house in the distance. It had to be her house.
Oh god, oh god.. His heart beat wildly in his chest and he could hardly breathe.
Just as they got closer, he saw a young women walking along the side of the road, and the taxi was getting terribly close. As they neared the young women, she looked up with wide eyes.
  Oh god, It was Juliana!
Her face was wide with shock, but she was so beautiful. Amazingly enough, she was somehow more beautiful than before. With high cheek bones, and her nose dotted with those freckles he loved so much.  She was grown now, a woman. Her hair was still a collection of assorted waves in different golden shades, and her eyes.. Those beautiful eyes seemed almost practically green, as always.
  Jayden hurriedly exclaimed to the cabdriver, " Don't run her over! Move to the other side of the road and stop! "
    With a disgruntled expression, the old man swerved out of the way, and Jayden leaned out the window to see Juliana stepping out of the grass.

  Oh god.. She was there.
  As the car came to a stop, Jayden opened his door and hurriedly stepped out of the vehicle. His gaze found hers' and he couldn't breathe.


  This was it.

~~

As Juliana collected herself, she slowly picked up her umbrella and stepped onto the muddy road once more, seeing who it was.
  Out of the vehicle came a tall young man, with tanned skin. She couldn't see his face, but there was something about his shoulders. She recognized them.. And then, her gaze slid to his face, slowly lingering on familiar lips, along defined cheekbones and to his eyes. She would know those eyes anywhere. She couldn't breathe, she could hardly move.

  From her hand dropped the umbrella, it suddenly seemed meaningless. All she knew was that she was running towards him, and nothing else in the world mattered more than him, in front of her, with her.

  Jayden.

~~
   Jayden felt her eyes on him, observing him, as if trying to identify him. Her gaze slid from his shoulders, lingering on his face until she met his eyes..
And then he could tell, something about her eyes changed. The moment she met his gaze, he knew she knew it was him.
  His heart melted in his chest and the next thing he knew, he was running towards her. Unaware of the cab driver, of the rain, of anything but this moment. This girl.

His Juli.

~~

  Juliana felt tears sting at her eyes as she got closer, and closer. She never let her gaze leave his as they ran towards each other, and then, it happened.
    It was as if they had been two puzzle pieces, stuck at opposite ends of the table for so long, just waiting to be together. Jayden's arms wrapped around her tightly and lifted her off the ground, not letting anything come between them. Juliana's arms wrapped around his neck and she clung to him with all she had. Hot tears slid down her face and she felt him pressing kisses hurriedly all over her. Her head, her forehead, her cheek, her nose, her neck, briefly on her lips, anywhere and everywhere. She buried her head against his chest, her hands now running along him, as if to make sure he was real. As she tilted her head up to look at him, she could see tears collect along the rims of his eyes as well, and she exclaimed, something she wanted to say for such a long time,
  " I love you so much. " She hurriedly wiped tears from her eyes.
He held her closer and buried his face in her hair, the familiar scent he knew so well still there, as if nothing had changed,
  " I love you so much as well. "