First Love

Elias kept his eyes on the road ahead. ‘Well, she was particularly beautiful.’ Callie’s lips twitched, her tone laced with feigned indifference. ‘Of course, she must have been.’ Elias’s eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘And smart. Very smart.’ Callie raised an eyebrow, her playful façade cracking slightly. ‘Naturally. What else?’ ‘Considerate. She had a big heart.’ Callie huffed softly, crossing her arms. ‘Sounds like quite the catch.’ Elias’s grin widened. ‘You could say that.’ Callie’s curiosity gave way to a touch of irritation. She uncrossed her arms and looked at Elias pointedly. ‘Are you being honest with me?’ Elias nodded. ‘Of course. I wouldn’t lie to you.’ Callie let out a small sigh, her emotions swirling within her. She pouted slightly, her eyes narrowing. ‘Well, isn’t that just great? Your first love sounds like she was perfect.’ Elias nodded again. ‘She was. Still is.’ Callie said grumpily, ‘You could have lied a little.’ ‘You deserve the truth.’ Callie looked away, unsure if she should feel flattered or irked by his honesty. ‘She might be your first love,’ she muttered under her breath. ‘But I’m your wife now.’ Elias watched her, a smile playing on his lips. He could read the storm of emotions within her, the vulnerability she tried to hide. He hadn’t lied about his feelings, but neither had he told her the whole truth. His first love was, in fact, Callie. It was a secret held close to his chest, a secret that connected them in ways she couldn’t fathom. As Elias drove on cautiously, his mind drifted back three years, to that rainy night when fate had woven their destinies together. The memory was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Callie’s courageous act to save a little girl from the path of an oncoming car had saved more than just that innocent life. It had saved Elias’s career, redirecting the course of his mission. He had been pursuing a cunning foreign spy, his focus razor-sharp as he closed in on the elusive target. The rain-soaked streets had added a layer of danger to the chase, and just when he thought he had the spy within his grasp, fate intervened. The spy’s car skidded, threatening to collide with a little girl who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was Callie who had acted without hesitation, pushing the child to safety even as the car’s bumper clipped her. Elias had watched in stunned silence as her selfless act unfolded, her body flying through the air and landing on the ground with a wet thud. The spy’s car careened off the road and slammed into a railing, rendering him unconscious. Elias had no time to celebrate the victory. He rushed to Callie’s side and assessed her condition. She was bleeding profusely and soon passed out. Elias was torn between securing the spy and ensuring Callie received medical attention. The Rosedale Hospital was less than 100 metres away, a fortunate coincidence that allowed swift intervention. Elias recalled the chaotic scene as he jogged alongside the stretcher, his heart heavy with worry. He had thrust a wad of money into the hands of a doctor and asked the man to please take good care of the unconscious girl. Then, duty had called him away, dragging him back to the spy who could threaten national security. Throughout the years that followed, Elias had never forgotten Callie’s face. Her image had remained etched in his mind, a reminder of that night’s heroism and the unexplainable pull he felt towards her. When their paths crossed once more, it had been a whirlwind of emotions. The snap decision to marry her hadn’t been impulsive to him; it had been a culmination of years spent falling in love with her from a distance. As Callie’s playful jealousy flared, Elias’s heart warmed with affection. He relished in her reaction, enjoying the way her lips pouted in sulky silence as she drew a matchstick figure on the window with her fingers. He didn’t need to be a genius to figure out the identity of the matchstick figure, which had an arrow speared through its heart. The rain, having let up somewhat, splattered against the windshield like a symphony of nature’s percussion, creating a cosy cocoon inside the jeep. Elias cleared his throat. ‘About the girl.’ ‘What girl?’ Callie refused to look at him. ‘My first love. I haven’t told you everything. She’s actually—’ Callie’s hands flew to her ears. ‘No, Elias, don’t you dare tell me more about your first love!’ Elias chuckled. ‘All right, Bunny, I promise I won’t say a word about it.’ The jeep’s engine rumbled softly as Elias brought it to a stop. He leaned closer to Callie, the space between them shrinking, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her response was immediate—she pulled back slightly, still sulking. Elias’s brows quirked. ‘Still mad at me?’ Callie shook her head. ‘I’m not mad, Elias. Why would I be mad?’ Elias smirked. ‘Because of what I said about my first love?’ Callie’s expression remained stubborn, though her cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment. ‘I don’t want to hear about it, and I’m not mad.’ A spark of mischief danced in Elias’s eyes, and he leaned in once more. ‘Prove it to me then.’ Callie’s eyes locked onto his. In a swift act of retribution, she surged forward, capturing his lips in a fiery kiss. Her lips met his with an intensity that made his scalp tingle, and as the seconds stretched on, the world outside the jeep seemed to fade away. Elias’s hands found their way beneath the fabric of her dress, his fingers tracing patterns against her skin. Callie’s soft moan of pleasure filled the air, but she soon put a halt to their escalating passion, her breath uneven as she reminded him, ‘We’re in a car.’ A playful grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, his eyes gleaming with desire. ‘No one can see us in the rain. Plus, we’ve never done it in a car before.’ Callie’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, a mixture of arousal and exasperation evident on her face. ‘This is not my idea of a honeymoon. If all you wanted is… we could’ve done it back in the dorm.’