NEXT LIFETIME || BOOK ONE

June 18th 1921

Location; Chicago IL

"My father would have his men kill you!" Nara speaks between kisses while Santiago guides her towards the gold trimmed railing that led to the second level of her father's illegal yet extravagant bar. "That's what makes it all more exciting, darling. I'd die a thousand times just to be with you." His hands begin to roam along the delicate fabric of her blush pink flapper dress that soon hikes up. "Wait Santiago," Nara places her glove covered hand upon his chest and looks into his dark brown eyes, her own amber ones filling with tears.

"A thousand?" Despite the two of them being forbidden in seeing each other she admired how he always found a way when there was none.

Risking his life time and time again just to caress her soft cheeks and kiss her lips that called to him like a symphony, one he could never go without ignoring, no matter how hard he tried.... He always found himself with her.

"Oh darling, make it two thousand!" His lips crash into hers leaving her to grip onto the railing as both their bodies lean against it, trying to deepen their kiss as much as they could without having to remove any article of clothing.

"I love you Nara," he breaks their kiss and stares into her eyes that were the color of honey and if you ask him, just as sweet as it too.

"I love you too Santiago but you know I'm due to wed Allen Jenkins' son this fall." Her lipstick covered lips form into a pout as tears threaten to reveal themselves, removing the makeup that took her an hour to perfect. "I'd marry you in a heartbeat if I could but I can't, baby." The pair sigh as Nara takes Santiago's large hands into her small ones.

She was already spoken for by a man she despised with every fiber within her soma yet, it was a business move that would allow her father to further his money into different organizations since Allen Jenkins had the final say in every business within the city meaning that without his authorization no one, not even his own children could run a business.

It was a selfish move on his part but it kept his pockets full, family fed and feared by many.

He was a man with great power that often abused it just for laughs.

"What do you expect me to do, call the wedding off!?"

"Yes!" He squeezes her hands and looks around to make sure that no one heard him. He then licks his lips and stares into her eyes, the very ones he fell in love with on a random winter night at the movie theater. 

Little did he know, she'd be the reason behind his heart growing three times in size.

"The moment our eyes met.. oh baby I just had to have you. You called to me and I came running without a care in the world." Nara's cheeks soon flush as that very day plays within her mind. She couldn't help but to smile when Santiago looked her way and as much as she fought against her feelings they overpowered her.

She found herself going against every rule her father put before her, finding loopholes through every single one until he threatened Santiago's life. Which in return left her to distance herself from him but still, he came.. time and time again.

There was no way that she could turn him away so as always, she welcomed him with open arms.

"But you can't have me." Her tears soon resurface as the gleam within Santiago's eyes dim. "Not all of me at least and that's so wrong. You deserve all of me!"

"Then give me all of you! Marry me!" He gets down on one knee and takes her hand into his only for her to pull it from his grasp. The tears she tried to fight now run down her cheeks, smearing her eyeliner and mascara. "I can't do that, my-"

"We're adults! Able to make our own decisions so decide, Nara." She looks down into his pleading eyes until her faculty of sight is cut short from more tears. "Maybe in another lifetime but not this one." Santiago sighs and lets his head fall to his chest.

Defeated once again by the woman he yearned for most.

"Each one?" He asks with a sniffle, tears now rolling down his light brown freckled cheeks.

"Each and every one of them, a thousand times, right?" A faint laugh falls from her lips.

"Two thousand, I promise." He now stands and pulls her close, inhaling her rose scented perfume.

"I will say," He pulls away and places his hands on her shoulders. "Fall is six months away at least allow me to still see you until the night before." Nara covers her mouth and tries to hide her smile as she nods. The two had already sworn their relationship to secrecy so continuing on was nothing new to them.

"Oh I'm so selfish!" Her arms fling around his neck as he picks her up. "And I love it! Continue to be selfish." Santiago pecks her lips once more than looks into her eyes, finding his forever home within them.

"In another life, I'm the perfect husband to you."

"And I'm the perfect wife." She sniffles realizing that within six months her life would change and not for the better. One key information that she  left out is that after the wedding She'd be forced to relocate to London where Allen Jenkins' son would be attending university and as a wife, she was set to follow her husband wherever he went.

"I promise we'll be together in the next lifetime and I'll be able to love you loud and proud."

"Maybe we'll be fish in our next life oh no! Better yet butterflies. Able to go wherever the wind takes us. bound to nothing but connected to everything."

"I- so you still go against my wishes." Santiago quickly places Nara down when her father and two of his men approach them. "Daddy No he was jus-

"Quiet Nara!' he scolds her, releasing a puff from his cigar. He snaps his fingers leaving his two men to step to Santiago. They both grab him by the arm and press his back against the railing of the balcony that separated the two floors.

"I warned you about going after my daughter." Nara's father states punching Santiago in the stomach. He tries to fight back but his two men hold him in place letting him send two more vicious punches to his abdomen. Santiago hunches over and coughs, trying to catch his breath as he looks up at him.

"She's able to make her own decisions.' He coughs, a trail of saliva falling from his full lips.  Her father then uppercuts him, causing his body to collide with the railing. Nara screams and tries to aid him only to be pulled away by her father who waves his hand at him men, a gesture that meant to throw him over the balcony.

"Okay wait wait wait!" Santiago pleads, kicking his legs. He frees one of his arms which allows him to punch one of his men who in return punch him back. Mouth now full of blood he laughs and spits it in his face, a wrong move.

Then men now dangling him over the balcony completely. "Stop stop!" Nara hits one of them on the back with her gloved covered fists until her father pulls her way. "Santiago!" She yells, trying to  get to her lover only to be shoved to the ground.

"Daddy please don't hurt him!" She covers her ears with her shaking hands when she seems silver and the sound of it clicking. Her father approaches Santiago and grabs him by his dress shirt, pulling him back over the railing. "You speak to my daughter again, I'll kill you!"

Santiago laughs, seeing two of him..from all the blood rushing to his head. He swallows the blood that had built up in his mouth and looks at Nara.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, darling!" He chuckles and drops his head only for it to be lifted by her father who places the barrel in between his bushy eyebrows.

Nara screams and takes cover when she hears a gunshot go off then the sound of Santiago's body hitting the first floor.

"Nooo!" She hurries to her feet and runs down the stairs, tumbling down a few of them in the process until she makes it to the first floor where everyone stood silently in shock. The only sounds that could be heard were her wails.

"Santiago!" She lays her head on his chest and begins to sob uncontrollably until a woman tries to pull her off of his lifeless body.

"Don't touch me!" She hits the woman and grabs Santiago's pale face,"You better meet me next lifetime, we promised!" She tries fighting the arms that reach for her only to be overpowered, now being pulled away from his corpse.

"Do you hear me Santiago Kennedy! I'll be waiting for you in our next life. I promise!" She continues to sob, now being pulled toward her father who wore an evil grin.

"There's not going to be another next life for either of you."

•••

New story that I won't be working on fully until June this year.

How was it so far? 👀

Y'all liking the prelude? 🤭

~ soulsexual 🦋