I head outside to the backyard. There are different colored
flowers arranged throughout the backyard. I make my way down the steps and into
what looks like a garden. Walking down the rows of flowers, I can't help but
run my fingers along the tops of each flower. I can only imagine how much time
she has put into this garden. I round the corner and run smack into something
solid. I stumbled backward and hit the ground.
"Are
you alright," shouts a male voice. I open my eyes to try to focus on the
figure in front of me. "That was a hard fall, I'm sorry," he says
again.
Before
I can say or do anything, he offers me his hand as my vision stops swimming.
When our fingers touch, an electric spark shocks me making me pull back.
"Ouch...
I say out of surprise.
"Static
electricity," he mumbles.
I
take his hand again as he pulls me off the ground. I feel the world tilt a
little as arms wrap around me to sturdy me.
"I'm
sorry; I must have fallen harder than I thought. I will be alright; just give
me a moment," I say.
When
my vision clears, I take in the guy that has me in his arms. He has long, sandy
blond hair that hangs past his ears with hazel eyes that are staring down at
me.
"Hi,
I'm Chris," he says, taking the silent moment away.
"Oh...I'm
Kristen," I reply. I step out of his arms and straighten my shirt.
"I've
never seen you around here," he says in a cool tone.
"I'm
staying with my aunt for a little while," I reply as I try to regain my
composure.
"So,
how long are you staying?" he asks.
Who
is this guy, and why is he so interested in me? I can't tell him the truth
behind the reason why I was here. I had to come up with a story and fast.
"I'm
not sure how long I will be staying here. I know it will be for a little
while," I tell him in hopes that would be enough information for him to
stop all the questions.
"I
think I know your cousin. I do believe her name is Hannah; she usually stays
here during the summer," he says.
"Yeah,
that's Hannah," I reply.
"Out
of curiosity, what happened to your face?" he asks as he goes to touch my
cheek.
"Oh,
it's nothing," I say as I step backward out of his reach. That didn't last
long; he was all curious again.
"Sorry,
I didn't mean to be nosy. It just looks like it hurts," he says as his
eyes soften. Now I felt bad for being so snappy that I wanted to tell him how
my uncle wronged me, how he turned on me and did this to me. I couldn't let
myself slip up.
"Yeah,
it was an accident; that's why I'm here," I tell him.
"I'm
sorry," he says as he steps closer to me. My heart almost stops at the
closeness of him. I could smell his scent as some strange pull to him made me
uneasy.
"No
need to be sorry, it's fine," I tell him as I step back a few steps in
hopes he didn't notice.
"So,
what brings you here?" I ask.
"I
do work for Marie from time to time. I was coming by to fix her porch in the back,"
he says. "If you don't mind, I would love for you to keep me company while
I work on them," he says with a grin. I turn to head toward the back of
the house before he can see me turn red.
I
watch Chris head out to a building that I didn't even notice was there before.
He steps in and then comes out with a thing of tools. He walks over to the
porch, setting the tools down on the steps. He starts pulling and tugging at
the steps, testing them, I guess. Some wiggle loose, and others don't.
He stands up,
pulling his shirt off, draping it over the railing of the porch. My mouth drops
as I take in his fine-cut abs, his broad shoulders, and smooth chest. I feel so
guilty for looking at him. I turn my gaze toward the garden before he caught me
staring at him.
None
of the other guys ever had this effect on me, not like him. We just met, and I
wanted to get to know him, even though I was supposed to be in hiding. There
was something about Chris that had me drawn to him.
"Kristen,"
he calls out.
"Oh,
yeah," I finally say as I keep turned toward the garden.
"Can
you hand me that hammer," he says.
I
turn around, walk over to the tools, and hand him the hammer, taking in his
beautiful body. Crap, I know I'm blushing, and I know he just saw it too; his
grin told me so. I turn my back to him once again, trying to take my mind off
him.
"All
done with the stairs," he says.
"Marie
will appreciate that," I mummer.
"So,
tell me more about yourself," he says.
"Not
much to tell, really," I say.
"How
long have you known Marie?" I ask.
"Two
years, I met her when I moved here. I have met Hannah, but this is the first
time I have met you," he says.
"My
parents wouldn't let me travel, the car accident left them hurt, so they
thought it would be easier for me to recover down here," I tell him.
"Boyfriend?"
he asks.
"You’re
a little nosy, aren't you?" I say.
"Sorry,
I was just curious. I meant no harm," he says with a horrified look on his
face.
I felt
guilty as soon as it came out of my mouth; it was too late. I had already stuck
my foot in my mouth. I had to do damage control before I ran him off.
"No,
it's me that should be sorry. I've been under so much stress lately that it's
got me on edge. No, I don't have a boyfriend," I tell him.
"Really,"
he says with a pleased look.
"Since
you are so full of questions, what's your story?" I ask.
His eyes grow wide, making me regret my question. Maybe it was something he
didn't want me to know.
His
face softens, "well, let's see, I have lived here for about two years now.
My dad and I move around a lot, with my dad being in the military. He's been stationed
here for a couple of years, and then I'm not sure where he will go. It's a good
possibility he will stay here; he seems to like it. My mom passed away about
ten years ago from cancer.
That was it; he
didn't want to talk about his parents. I knew how painful that could be. I lost
mine before I could even remember who they were. School is your average boring school. Of
course, I'm in my last year, so I might want to think about going to
college," he tells me. "Your turn, he says.
Crap!
What can I tell him that won't run him off? Maybe the bad stuff I will leave
out? I can do this.
"Well,
I'm staying with my aunt for a little while. I was in a car accident a week
ago, leaving my mom in a coma, and my dad has been by her side since then. My
dad decided it would be better for me to heal here. I'm in my last year too,
but they said school could wait. They will let me catch up when I get back
home," I tell him.
I kept
it short. That shouldn't raise any suspicions, and it explains why I'm not
going to school and my poor face. I know even with all this makeup, he can
still see the bruises.
"Want
some tea?" I ask, trying to change the mood.
"That
would be nice," he says as he finishes nailing the last step.
I
head inside the house, almost slump against the counter as my emotions seem all
over the place. I was taken by him but confused being around him. One minute I
was sticking my foot in my mouth, and the next, I wanted to know more. I knew I
should keep my distance from him, but I couldn't keep my eyes off him. I found
myself drawn to him, a feeling I have never experienced with anyone else. I
wasn't sure why, since I had just met him today, I wanted to be near him.
I shake my
feelings, finally walking over to the fridge to get the tea. When I stand and
turn around, Chris is leaning on the counter of the sink. I drop the pitcher,
tea, and glass shatter at my feet.
"I'm
sorry," he says as he runs over, scooping me up into his arms to lift me
from the broken glass on the floor.
I'm
face to face with him only a moment before he sets me on the counter. He lets
go of me takes a few steps backward. His facial expression is confusing.
"You
ok?" he asks.
"I think so. I'm so clumsy sometimes," I say to apologize for my
accident.
"It's
my fault. I scared you," he says as he reaches down, examining my feet to
make sure there are no cuts.
"Well,
what's the prognosis, doc?" I say with a chuckle.
"You're ok," he says as he stands. "You stay put. I'll clean
this up," he says.
I
go to protest; he puts his hand up to silence me. He grins as he grabs the
broom and dustpan from the kitchen closet. He has it cleaned up in a few
minutes while I watch him clean up all the broken glass. He dumps the glass in
the trash and then wipes up the tea from the floor.
"See
all done," he says with a grin.
"Is
there anything you can't do? I ask with a laugh.
"I
don't know, maybe," he says as he comes to stand in front of me, making my
heart stop.
He
moves toward me, and I stop breathing as he gets face to face with me. He
reaches over to the side of my face, where he tucks a piece of hair behind my
ear. I catch my breath as he slides his finger from my ear down my jaw.
He
moves closer as he pulls my chin up to meet his lips that come down on mine. I
gasp as he wraps his arms around me, pulling my body to his. His lips move
slowly on mine, taking me hostage. I run my hands into his hair; as I go to
deepen the kiss, he pulls back with his forehead to mine.
"Sorry,"
he says as he still holds me.
"Why?"
I ask. "I shouldn't have done that, I got to go," he says as he pulls
away from me.
"What?"
I ask out of confusion.
"Tell
Marie I will be back sometime this week to finish up," he says without
looking at me.
He's
out the door and down the steps before I can get out the door. I didn't want
him to leave, but before I can make it around the corner of the house, I hear
his car pull out of the driveway. He's out of sight before I can get to the
street. What just happened? I'm an idiot; I just ran him away with what. What
did I do?
I
try replaying everything in my head, and I come up with no answers at all. It
was him that initiated the kiss, and then it was like someone dumped a cold
bucket of water on him. He wouldn't even look at me. I felt crushed as I head
back around the house to put up the tools that were still laying out, his shirt
catches my eye, he left without his shirt, how strange.
I
reach over, pulling it from the banister, looking down at it as if I had a
piece of Chris still here. I can't help it; I lift it, breathing in his scent,
which takes me almost to my knees. He smells so good, why was he acting so
strangely? I shove the thoughts aside, put his shirt in my room, then return
downstairs to put up the tools before Marie got back home. I put the tools back
in the building and go back inside to wait on Marie to get home.
I
hear a car pull up in the driveway signaling Marie has come home. I head downstairs as she unlocks the door and
puts some bags on the table.
"I
have more bags to bring in if you don't mind will you put some of it
away," she calls as she heads back out the door.
I
do as she asked, and my mind drifts to all the articles I read and what the guy's
name, Chris said today. This would be too weird for it to be connected to me in
any way. I'm miles away from my home, and for there to be some sort of
similarities seemed too weird to happen. I finish and sit down at the table as
Marie sits down across from me.
"So,
how was your day?" she asks.
"It
was fine; you have a beautiful garden. It looks like you put a lot of work into
it," I say.
"Well,
when you live alone like me, you tend to find things to do to pass the
time," she says.
"Oh,
and a guy named Chris stopped by to do some work on the porch, he said he would
come back later this week to finish it up," I tell her.
"I
wasn't expecting him till later this week. Chris is a sweet young man,"
she says.
"How
much do you know about him?" I ask.
"He
a nice boy, helps a lot around here with the things I can't do. I met him a few
years back when I was out doing some shopping. I broke down one day, and he
helped me out. Ever since then, he's come around to help me with things that
need fixing. I cook for him, and we sit around sometimes chatting," she
tells me.
"What
about his dad, have you ever met him?" I ask. "Well, come to think
about it, no, I haven't he's a military guy that travels a lot, so Chris takes
care of himself pretty much. He seems fine with it, much more grown-up than the
other boys his age," she says with a smile. "I'm going to turn in for
the night if you need anything, let me know," she says as she heads up the
steps.
I
clean up in the kitchen then head up to my bedroom. I get ready for bed, and my
mind won't shut down. I look over at Chris's shirt that's lying on the bottom
of my bed. There was something strange about him. There was a pull to him that
I couldn't understand, and for some strange reason, I was missing him. I barely
knew him, and it was as if I had been around him all my life, something
familiar.
I
flop back on the bed, pulling his shirt to my face as I breathe him in, a
soothing feeling washing over me. What made him so different from any other guy
I had dated in the past? You're attracted to him, your idiot, I scold myself.
That was no surprise. There still was something else to him that made him so
different. Pulling the covers up around me, I settle in for a night, hopefully
with no more nightmares.
My
nightmares have returned, and I am once more submerged into this world that
haunts me every night. Darkness surrounds me, and I cannot see anything but the
shadows that dance around me. The sounds deafen me with the piercing pitch that
it takes me to my knees. I press my hands to my ears in desperation to mute the
sounds, the screams.
The
scream rocks me from my knees, and I find myself once again in the middle of
the shadows that taunt me. I'm looking around, trying to find an escape. They
have me surrounded. The shadows close in, and all that remains are pools of
blood. I'm in the middle of it, and it covers me. "Whose blood is this?" I scream as
I try to wipe it, it only makes it smear more.
"Leave
me alone," I scream.
I
jolt up in the bed with my heart pounding, and my skin is covered in sweat. I
try to ease my heart and get my bearings. My screams must have woken me up.
Marie comes busting through the door again with a haunted look on her face.
"You
alright? she asks breathlessly.
"Yes,
just another nightmare. I fear that I'm going too pulled into them every night
till my mind eases," I say out of apology.
"It's
alright, dear, I will get used to them," she says as she closes the door.
I
head to the bathroom and splash some water on my face to wake me up a little.
The nightmares were starting to take their toll on me night after night. I've
tried to figure out why I was having all these nightmares. Maybe it was
something from my past. Was there a missing piece to my past that was trying to
surface. I settle back into bed and fear I will be dragged once more into one
of these crazy nightmares. I look over at the clock, and it's three o'clock in
the morning, and I'm exhausted. I settle in and try to fall back to sleep.
When I wake, it's
morning, and I wiggle out of my covers that are wrapped around me like a vine.
Heading into the bathroom, I hit the shower to get ready for the day that I
have no plans for. The shower is very refreshing as I step out and head to the
sink to try to get myself cleaned up. My face is getting a little better. I
still look very colorful. The dark bruises were fading to ugly yellows and
browns. I put the cover makeup on, and it covers a little better this time. I
finish by fixing my hair to hang around my face to hide it a little better.
"Not bad, Kristen, "I say to myself.
I
found myself hoping that Chris would come by sometime today. I had my doubts
about how he left yesterday. I could still hope. The morning drug by with an
agonizingly slow pace. I was getting bored out of my mind with nothing to do.
Half the day passed, and I was just about ready to give up when I hear a car
pull up in the driveway.
I
run to the window and see Chris getting out of the car, an amazing car for a
teenager. He must do a lot of odd jobs, or his dad spoils him, either way, he
was here, and I couldn't wait to talk to him. I run through the house and stop
by the mirror in the hallway to make sure my hair and makeup looks ok. My face
was getting a little better each day, without the makeup, I would look hideous.
I
hear a knock at the door, moments later, Marie answers it. "Hello Chris,
glad to see you again, come in," she says.
"Thanks,"
he replies as he looks at me standing in the hall.
He
breaks eye contact when Marie offers him a seat at the kitchen table. I want to
go in there, but I'm scared of his reaction to what happened yesterday, was he
rejecting me. My heart sinks, and I go into almost a full-blown panic attack.
"Kristen,
come join us," Chris calls out. Maybe not, I had to get myself under
control and fast. I take a deep breath and head in where Chris is talking
carefree with Marie. I set down and watch them talk, Chris looks over at me
several times with a smile that makes my heart jump.
"Well,
if that's all, I've got stuff to do, you guys have fun," she says, leaving
me alone with Chris, who looks over at me.
"Sorry
about yesterday," he says.
"What
was that all about?" I ask.
"I thought I stepped over the line with you, and I felt bad about
it," he says.
"Really,
it was just a kiss, you went running and even left without your shirt, who does
that?" I say.
He
smirks at me and lets out a small laugh. "Apparently me, Kristen, I see
how you saw it, it's a little bit more complicated than that with me. I haven't
had any serious relationships, and well, you got under my skin a little, I just
didn't want to make you mad," he says.
My
mouth does a head dive, and I'm stunned. "You have never had any serious
relationships before, you're a senior and no serious relationship, I don't know
if I should be happy or scared about that," I tell him.
He
laughs again, and it's distracting. "Why are you laughing? I'm really
confused?" I ask.
"With
everything that happened with my dad dying and my mom moving around so much, I
never had time for any serious relationships. I never did the whole date thing
either," he says.
"You're
pulling my leg," I say with a laugh.
His
face gets serious, letting me know he was telling the truth. He's so intense
that I get overwhelmed, leaving me to panic again. I have no idea why, I stand
up quickly, dart out the door into the backyard, letting myself cry.
"Why
are you crying?" he asks as he turns me around to face him.
I
can't bear to look at him after what he confessed to me. I felt like an idiot.
He puts his hand under my chin to raise my face up to his.
"Why
are you crying?" he asks in a soft voice. I meet his hazel eyes that
regard me with worry.
"I
was upset about how things went yesterday, you had me really confused, and now
you tell me all this, which makes me feel so foolish," I tell him.
"You
were upset?" he asks.
"I
thought you were rejecting me after we kissed," I confess to him.
"No,
just the opposite," he says. "Please stop crying," he says as he
leans down, kissing both my cheeks. I gasp as I look up and see Chris grinning
at me.
"I'm
so confused?" I say.
"I
know, it's ok, I understand, I just want to get to know you," he says.
He
takes me by my hand with that electric pull like before, leading me over to the
porch. He pulls me toward the steps to set with him.
"Tell
me about your parents and your childhood," he says.
"My
childhood?" I ask.
"Yeah,
I want to know everything about you, that's a good start," he says.
"Well,
I grew up as an only child, and my parents are normal parents," I tell
him.
"So,
what kind of accident were you in that left you so hurt?" he asks.
"I
thought I hid it well; it was a car accident that left me bruised up and my mom
in a comma. My dad is staying with her until she wakes up. He sent me here so
my aunt could look after me better than he could for now. He didn't want me to
stress out over the whole situation. He said he would call if anything changed.
He calls on a regular basis to give me updates. So far, nothing has changed.
They keep me updated on a regular basis, it's until she gets better," I
tell him.
"So,
when she gets better, you will go back?" he asks.
"Yeah," I reply.
"Where do you live?" he asks.
I didn't want him to know. I wasn't planning on going
back there anyway, so I didn't see any point in lying to him about it.
"Kentucky,"
I tell him.
He
seems in deep thought until I give him a shove. "Sorry, I was just thinking,"
he says.
"About
what?" I ask.
"I've
never traveled with my dad there before, but all around it," he says as he
snaps his attention back to me. "I have a question, would you consider
dating me, I know you will go back home when your mom gets better, I would
really like to go out with you," he says.
"You
want to date me?" I ask with a shocked tone.
"Yeah,
I've never met a girl like you before. I would really like to go out with
you," he says.
"Ok,"
I reply.
That
was totally out of nowhere, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever
thought a guy
like Chris would want to go out with an ordinary girl like me.
He
leans over, placing a small kiss on my lips, making me gasp. "Want to help
me with this porch, then we can go out for a bite," he asks.
"Sure,"
I say with a giggle.
We
make quick work on the porch, fixing the steps and railing in record time.
"Nice
job, you two," Marie calls out as she brings us out some tea.
I
sit back on my butt as Chris finishes putting all the tools back into the
toolbox. Marie hands me a glass, then Chris.
"So,
what are you kids up to for the rest of the evening?" she asks.
"I
think we are going to get a bite to eat in a little bit if that's ok," I
tell her.
"Yeah,
that's fine," she says as she sips on her tea.
Chris
grins at me as he heads to put the tools up. How did I manage to meet a guy
like him, my mind couldn't wrap around the idea that he was interested in me?
He could see through my bruises and broken soul. He didn't judge me. He
accepted who I was, and that made him special.
"I'm
going home to get cleaned up, and then I'll be back to pick you up in say an
hour and a half," he says.
"OK,
sounds good to me," I reply.
Chris
grabs me into his arms, placing a kiss on my lips. It's a quick kiss, still a
very effective one. He heads down the driveway, gets in his car, and he's off.
I dart back into the house to my bathroom to get freshened up. I reapply my
makeup, straighten my hair, then change clothes before Chris can get back. I
head downstairs to wait for him in the kitchen. Marie is sitting at the table
reading of her books.
She
looks up with a smile, So you and Chris are hitting it off nice. I must say I'm
stunned at how well he has taken up to you. Hannah has tried for the past two
years to get him to go out with her, he was not interested at all," she
says.
"Are
you serious, Hannah failed to mention it to me," I say in shock.
"I
figured that much, she's too proud to admit that a guy turned her down, but he
did. He's really not her type anyway, I wouldn't mention it to her," she
says with a giggle.
"Oh,
trust me, not a word from me," I say with a serious tone.
"Do
me one favor, try to keep a low profile, you are still in hiding," Marie
says.
"Ok,
I will," I say as a knock sounds on the door.
Getting
up from the table, I walk over to the door looking out the little window. I'm
greeted by a smile by Chris. I open the door, and he strolls in, carrying a
basket and a blanket draped across his arm. I can't help the grin that spreads
across my face.
"I
figured instead of going out, that a picnic would be nice. Shall we," he
asks as he reaches for my hand.
I
take his hand, and there's that electric feeling again. He leads me outside to
Marie's garden and picks a perfect place. He sets the basket down and spreads
the blanket out, motioning for me to sit. He sits down next to me, pulling the
basket toward him. He pulls out some glasses with a bottle of coke. I can't
help the giggle that escapes my lips.
"What's
so funny," he asks with amusement.
"Well,
most would have wine, but you have coke instead." I giggle.
"Yes,
that's right, but we are underage, remember. I'm not breaking any rules,"
he says almost too seriously.
My
face falls, and now I feel like I have just insulted him. "I'm
sorry."
"I'm
just kidding; it was funny," he says as his laugh rings out. It's
infectious because I find myself laughing right along with him.
He
places some fruit and sandwiches out on some plates. "Dig in," He
takes a strawberry and pops it in his mouth.
"Did
you do all this by yourself?" I ask as I place a grape in my mouth.
"Yes,
is that not normal for you?" he asks.
"No,
I just think it's a very sweet gesture that most guys I have ever known would
never know how to do," I say before I think about what I just said. I bet
I look mortified, but his face doesn't show it.
"I'm
not like most guys, Kristen," he says.
"I'm
figuring that out," I reply.
We
eat and laugh at each other as we talk, it feels like we have known each other
for a long time. He's carefree and sexy as hell with his smile and those hazel
eyes. The time passed quickly, and it was getting dark outside. "I better
go," he says as he stands up, offering me his hand. I take it, and we are
face to face. His hand brushes my cheek, and I can feel myself blush. Leaning
forward, he places a kiss on my lips.
"I
had a wonderful time," he says as he steps back and proceeds to pick
everything up.
"Can
I see you tomorrow?" he asks.
"I
would like that," I reply.
"Good,
I shall see you tomorrow after school," he says.
He
heads down the driveway placing everything in his car. He backs out, and his
headlights disappear out of sight. I head inside with my head spinning.
Days
follow, then turns to weeks as my injuries have healed on the outside, I'm
still torn apart on the inside. I still have nightmares every night, which I
have come used to. They are always the same, and the result is never changing.
Chris comes up all the time to spend time with me. We spend the days at Marie's
on her porch, drinking tea, and hanging out. It was so nice to feel like life
was returning to a little bit of a normal pace. Marie joins Chris and me with
her tea.
"So
now that you have got better, what would you think about going to school here
to finish up the year so you don't get too far behind," she asks. The idea
is a shock a little, and Chris is grinning.
"You
could enroll in my classes. I promise I won't let you cheat from me," he
says as he winks at me.
"I
think that would be really nice, but are you sure it's ok?" I ask.
"I'll
get it all set up tomorrow for you," she says, leaving Chris and me out on
the porch.
"I
can't believe she's going to let me go to school here. I guess my parents are
willing for me to finish here," I tell him, hoping I sound convincing.
He
puts his arm around me and pulls me into him. "Yep, now I can show my gal
off to everyone," he says in a conceded tone.
"Show
me off, I bet that you have all kinds of girls that swarm you at school,"
I say in a picking tone.
"I'm
offended, Miss Kristen, that you would think I would have any other girl but
you. You better take that back," he teases as he starts tickling me.
"I
take it back," I squall out.
My
first day was like any other new school day. I was nervous, and the other
student's stairs made me uneasy. Chris helped me to each class, walking me down
the halls with his arm around me, carrying my books. And just like he promised,
we had just about every class together, which made it easy. Weeks go by, and I
have made a few friends, which was so nice. I found Marie letting me go out
with Chris and some of the girls.
My life was getting better, but the nightmares still haunted me every night, which I could not shake. I couldn't figure out why I was having them now that my life was better. I wasn't scared anymore now that I had Chris and Marie in my life. Chris. I could only wish my deep wounds would heal soon before it drove me mad. Marie even moved her room downstairs so she couldn't hear my screams. I didn't want her to suffer like me.
