I decided not to say anything about what I saw, mainly because there was no one to tell.

There was no feast that night, so Jaida had left my dinner in the dining room of my tent. Zachan had not appeared by the end of my meal either. It didn't surprise me, as his change of behavior the night before seemed off.

Instead I battled my mind in what to do. But I settled with hoping that Chief Kono would appear again tomorrow. And if not...

The guilt was already finding its way to wash all over me.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-

A month had passed and the heat had slowly decreased as the leaves began to wither and brown. The farm was still producing food and the variety of new vegetables and fruits I had not tasted before had me excited for meals.

Another reason I looked forward to meals was to make sure Chief Kono was there. The day after I had seen him in the forest he had reappeared at the feast. My heart did not feel like it was constricted anymore from the relief I felt. Yet I still kept quiet, and every feast we had I made sure Zachan's father was there.

Zachan... we remained what I could consider friends. Yet it felt like a strained friendship, as if we did not cross a line that could bring us closer. We talked and ate together, but it was simple talk. Nothing of what we had talked about before, like his interest in stars.

But my hopes to rekindle the talks I enjoyed having with him soon arrived with the boats at the end of the month. As promised by Mr. Larkin, I was now carrying my gifts through the forest, down the rocky mountain side to the small cave Zachan had shown me once. Thankfully I didn't loose my footing or get lost.

After a tricky descent I arrived at the entrance. I knew Zachan was there as the torch mounted on the side of the wall was missing. For me, that meant a dark journey through the tunnel leading to the cave.

Walking slowly with careful footing light was finally appearing. Firelight was illuminating the stone space of the cave, creating flickering shadows that seemed almost alive.

My eyes then look to Zachan, who is currently on a ladder that rests against the wall. His arm is upstretched to the ceiling, his fingers coated in white clay swipe across the stone, joining stars.

He was creating his own constellations.

For a moment my heart hurt from the powerful pressure that was suddenly placed upon it.

Zachan noticed me; he did a little double take before our gazes locked for longer then felt natural.

"Hello..." I break eye contact, my eyes looking to the fire. " I..." I was nervous all of a sudden, it clamped down on me like a vice. "I finished your father's portrait... finally." I add an unsure laugh at the end.

Zachan was already descending from the ladder. He bends with his back, reaches out his hand to the ground where two clay bowls sit. One has white clay, the other water which he dunks his clay-coated fingers in to rinse. He stands up straight and uses a cloth tucked into the slip of fabric between his legs to dry them off as he approaches me.

Once stood face to face he eyes me up and down for a few long seconds. " Where is it?"

My mind distracted for a minute I furrow my eyebrows at him." Oh..." I realize, unfolding the frame from my chest. I offer it to him to take.

He looks confused when he takes the wooden and glass object. Turning it over he sees his father's face incased in it. His features soften.

"It's called a frame." I explain to him. "It's made of wood and glass."

Zachan uses his knuckle to knock on the glass, his curiosity of the foreign material taking his interest. When his taps become stronger I take a step forward, using my hand to still his.

"Glass can be quite fragile, easy to break. Be careful with it." I nervously smile and release a breath when his knocking stops." The frame will make sure the parchment doesn't ware as quickly, it will last longer."

He nods, still looking intently at the portrait of his father. I was surprised it turned out as good as it did. From only really drawing in bad lighting and going off memory the likeness was better then expected. Looking at his face it also made me think of the secret I had been keeping to myself for the past month. Or maybe Zachan already knew of his father's wandering in the forest, maybe I was worrying for nothing.

"Thank you..." I was dragged out of my thoughts by the voice of Zachan." It is... Thank you Aleenia."

I smile in response, flattered by his loss of words." I'm glad you like it, you can also, um..." I nervously reach out to take it back from him. I walk over to his desk, and I see drawings of connected stars spread across the surface. Finding a cleared part of the desk I pop open the tab at the back of the frame stand it up on his desk.

"You can have it sit here or..." I gesture to the frame before picking it up again, walking over to the cave walls. I hold the frame against it." Or you could hang it up..."

I look over my shoulder to see him watching me. His arms were crossed, and my mood was deflating as he was looking less and less interested by the second. I resorted to placing the frame back on his desk, and grabbing the book that was tucked under my arm.

" I also got you this..." taking a step towards him and offer my the other gift, the navy bound leather of the book dark to the contrast of the silver embossed lettering on the front. Book of Stars.

I knew from the time Zachan had read my letters to my sisters that he understood my language. Yet when his eyes go over the cover he shows only a little recognition or thanks, his reaction was not what I was hoping for. My deflating good mood was now wilting into nothing.

"But I suppose you don't need it now..." I say softly in a sigh, my eyes casting up to the beginnings of the constellations above, ones I could not match in the book my husband is holding.

Zachan forces an awkward smile that goes quicker then it came. "No... but Thank you."

His dismissive tone as me starting to make my way to the exit. Even though I was tired and disappointed at his lack of interest, I couldn't hold back any longer.

Zachan was already half way back up the ladder when I approached him once again.

"Did I say something Zachan?"

He stops, his eyes becoming harshly focused on the wall.

"Did I do something?"

"No..." Zachan sighs, nostrils flaring.

From the fact he gets the meaning of my questions my annoyance flares. I march to the ladder against the wall, grabbing it's side." Really, then why all off a sudden do I seem to think I have done something wrong?"

My neck cranes to look up at him closely. I wait for his answer. It doesn't come.

My grip tightens on the ladder.

"You are the most confusing man I have ever met Zachan." I boldly state." You are as open as a book to me one day, the next your lips could be sewn shut but you would be happy about it because it would be an excuse not to talk to me."

I didn't care if he didn't understand my meaning, or if he took it too literally. It was the truth in my eyes.

"You are just as confusing as well." Zachan says shortly, eyes finely finding mine, but flaring with heat.

It was not something I wanted to hear from him, but it was something. " How?" I ask begrudgingly.

His lack of response has my exhaling heavily through my nose." How?"

" If I were a fisherman, you would be the fish swirling around my hook. I would never know if you nibbling would mean you would bite."

From what I think the phrase is intending I flush uncontrollably. Was I doing that? Did I pull away when things got out my comfort? Was I somehow calling the kettle fat?

Frustrated, embarrassed and now feeling slight humiliation I make my move to leave. To run. But the dark hallway looming ahead of me for my getaway makes me stop for a minute.

"No..." I say aloud, shaking my head as I move to go back into the cave. " I'm not leaving until we figure this out."

I look up to Zachan still up on his ladder. His eyes remain neutral.

"Every time..." I say," things get too hard we have a tendency to walk away. Not this time..."

Without further thinking I quickly plant myself crossed legged on the floor, my bottom colliding with a loose rock that has me wincing. I fold my arms as well ,staring into the fire in the center of the room.

I knew what I was doing was childish. I felt like my young sister Natalie when she refused to walk upstairs to go to bed in her early years. Yet I didn't know what else to do.

Time passes slowly even if it was only a couple minutes or hours. But my heart was beating fast, and it felt like it was going to beat out of my chest when I heard the audible creak of the ladder. I feared that Zachan would use the opportunity to walk away. Leaving me here looking like a fool.

Yet a shadow casts itsself above. A forest green floor cushion falls and lands in front of me. Moments later Zachan moves to sit down on it, crossing his legs. I purse my lips in a scowl, as I had forgotten the stack of floor cushions to my left. Clever as always was Zachan...

I can't find the courage to look up to him just yet, and we sit as if mirrored images in silence.

I pretend to find something very interesting to my right on the ground. However my focus snaps back when I feel something brush up against my left knee.

Zachans's hand has extended out and his clay-crusted fingers study the purple bruise on my exposed knee from the high slit of my dress. All of a sudden my interest zones onto him touching me.

"How?" he asks, his fingers running under my kneecap, his thumb remaining to draw circles around the tender flesh.

I huff out a laugh. " Honestly I don't remember, I always bruised as easily as a peach."

I get a huff of a chuckle in return." Peach..."

But as if he realizes what he is doing, Zachan withdrawals his hand. The moment ends quikley. The heaviness of what was admitted before weighs on us again. I adjust my dress to cover my left knee.

"What do you see when you look at me Aleenia?"

My head raises to Zachan's, my eyebrows furrowing. It was an unexpected question.

"I don't understand..." I whisper back, confused.

He sighs, eyes casting down in frustration. " What I said before, you draw close only to pull away... I want to know why."

He was vulnerable... I felt just as vulnerable. It was a position we had never let ourselves get to before, we had never let our walls fall like this.

And I find myself short for words. " I..."

From seeing Zachan something seems to crumple within him. " I know I was not what you envisioned for your future-"

It clicked then what he had thought. What he was thinking. That specific question he asked made more sense...

"Wait!" I cut him off. My cheeks burning bright red, hot and uncomfortable. " You think that..."

His eyes shift from mine to the wall to my right, jaw tight.

I whack him on his knee, hard. Yet he barely flinches." You think me shallow!" I cuss." I pull away from you because you do the same thing, I never know where I stand with you..."

Silence follows as I look back to the fire." God Zachan..." I let out in a frustrated harsh breath." You're beautiful..."

It slipped out in a way I wasn't expecting. It had me wanting to bury my face in my hands in embarrassment. My private thoughts had managed to unleash themselves... and it wasn't helping that reaction from the person of said thought was not saying anything in return.

But maybe it was supposed to slip out. Maybe it was finally time I admitted to myself and to Zachan I was looking at him differently then a man I was forced to marry. More then an acquaintance...

The cave all of a sudden was closing in on me. I said I was not going to walk away but I saw no other option as Zachan remained silent. I felt more humiliation start to crash onto me like waves... Maybe the time he kissed me had changed his mind, maybe he never felt anything for me at all.

I get up on shaky legs, turn but don't get far. My waist gets hooked by Zachans arm, and I spin to be chest to chest with him. His other arm moves to mimic the other, his face nestling into my neck. My arms slack at my sides move on there own and I was hugging back my husband, my ear pressed to his chest hearing his heart beat. A beat that was fast in pace.

I find myself not wanting to leave this position. I can't remember the last time I was hugging someone... I can't remember the last time someone had hugged me.

"You Aleenia..." Zachan whispers, his breathe tickling my neck." Are a beautiful woman."

The emotion in his words had me shaking. This moment felt so strange yet so surreal at the same time.

He pulls back, his temple softly resting on mine. My eyes close on their own accord, taking in the moment. His lips were so close to my cheek. My hands slide down the backs of his upper arms, his muscles coiled tight.

I make a choice at that moment to move my head while standing up on my toes. My lips brush his, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up from the feeling. He doesn't pull away, so I move in closer.

I kissed my husband under the stars.

I am back! And I am very sorry for the wait.

Firstly I went on holiday to Hawaii for nearly two weeks.

Queue photo evidence:

I loved it so much, beaches and snorkeling where amazing. I saw a sea turtle and whales, two of my fav animals! Also learnt a lot about Hawaiian culture, their history and Gods and mythology. It was really inspiring and so interesting, especially for this story.

Also recently I was asked by @HappyBrookers to be interviewed about my writing. If you would like to go and read it that would be great, it is under the 'Interviews' book in there works section on their profile, Chapter name @GeorgetteT. @HappyBrookers is about creating a community on wattpad to help wattpad writers, doing reviews , graphics and interviews. Go check it out and follow if you like.

So I hope you liked this long chapter, and what went down in it. Please Comment and Vote, I love it when you do.

Next update I will have to see. I just went back to Uni and I am still figuring things out there.

Hope to update soon though,

Love U all.