When Darkness Falls

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “Definitely pitying me. I pity me.” The words left a sour taste in her mouth. How in the heck had she gotten into such a mess?

  “So, does Garrett know you’re going out with his brother?”

  “No.”

  Darbie scratched her head. “Okay. I’m not trying to butt into your business, but it sounds like you’re playing with fire here.”

  She fought the urge to laugh in Darbie’s face! Darbie was always butting into her business. Even though the rational part of her argued that she didn’t owe Darbie an explanation, the words tumbled out all the same. “I’ve tried over and over to tell Garrett that it’s over, but he won’t listen. He’s so bullheaded about it!”

  “No, he just keeps buying you expensive earrings … stuff like that.”

  “I never asked him to buy me all of those things,” Chloe snapped. Angry tears welled in her eyes. “He treats me like I’m his property rather than a person. He won’t leave me alone. I’m starting to get worried.”

  Darbie placed her laptop on the sofa and leaned forward, a look of concern on her face. “Exactly what is he doing? Is he making you feel threatened?”

  She spread her hands as she attempted to gather her thoughts so that they would make sense. “No, not in a stalker sort of a way. He’s very controlling, which I don’t like. And he has this dark edge to him I’m never quite sure what to think about him. He says all of the right things, but it’s all surface. I don’t feel like I know the real Garrett, and he really doesn’t want to get to know me. It’s like I’m some prize to be won.”

  “Well, you need to tell him flat out that it’s over!”

  Chloe fought the urge to scream. “I’ve tried that! He refuses to take no for an answer.”

  “Is that why you’re going out with his brother—so he’ll get the answer loud and clear?”

  “No, that’s not why I’m going out with Hank. I’m going out with Hank because I care about him!” And because for the first time since Dan died, I feel like I have a second chance at life! She didn’t say that part out loud. It was too personal. There was something else too—ever since she’d been preoccupied with Hank, she’d not had a single dream about Dan. She was holding her breath, hoping with all of her heart, that the trauma was finally behind her.

  A thoughtful look came over Darbie’s face. “Wow, you do really like him. Is he as handsome as Garrett?”

  “Well, he’s not as pretty as Garrett, if that’s what you’re asking. But he’s handsome—very handsome in a manly way.”

  Darbie lifted her arm, forming her bicep into a muscle. “A manly man, huh? I’ve got to see this.”

  Chloe smirked. “I mean he’s ruggedly handsome. And if you ask me, that’s much better than being a pretty boy.”

  The doorbell rang. Chloe jumped up. “He’s here,” she said unnecessarily.

  Darbie laughed. “Calm down. No hyperventilating.” She gave her a sly look. “You know, you could play a little hard to get.”

  “Oh, shut up,” Chloe countered as a ghost of a smile stole over her lips.

  Before Chloe could answer the door, Darbie stood.

  Chloe smoothed down her hair and adjusted her shirt. “I’ll get it.”

  “Oh, no you won’t. I’ve gotta see this guy for myself.” She flung open the door. “Hi.”

  Hank cleared his throat. “Hi, is Chloe here?”

  Darbie stepped back and motioned. “Yes, she is,” she said in a voice that was way too cheerful and an octave too loud for the given situation. Then she looked down and saw that he was holding a bouquet of tangerine-colored calla lilies. “Are those for me?” She put a hand to her chest, batting her eyelashes. “You shouldn’t have.”

  A trace of amusement touched Hank’s features as he stepped inside. “Don’t worry, I didn’t.” He flashed a disarming smile. “Not this time anyway.”

  Darbie looked surprised and then laughed. “Good one.” She held up a finger.

  Chloe chuckled inwardly. It had taken all of two seconds for Hank to have Darbie eating out of the palm of his hand. She was quickly learning that Garrett didn’t hold the monopoly on the family charm after all.

  When Hank spotted Chloe, he gave her that crooked smile she was coming to love as he stepped up to her. “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  He held out the flowers. “These are for you.”

  She took them and brought them to her nose. “Thank you!”

  He winked at Darbie. “Maybe you could put them out somewhere where your roommate can appreciate them too.”

  “The name’s Darbie.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Darbie.”

  Darbie looked him up and down. “Likewise.” Then she took the flowers out of Chloe’s hands. “I’ll put these in water for you.” A devilish light danced in her eyes. “And I’ll be sure to put them someplace where Chloe and I can both enjoy them.”

  Hank laughed. “Sounds good.”

  Chloe assumed that Darbie would leave at that point, but she just kept standing there, gawking at Hank like he was some sort of specimen on display.

  “So, where are you two headed?” Darbie said.

  Chloe shot Darbie a warning look that said, Stop making an idiot of yourself. Just get out of here and leave us alone. Of course, Darbie ignored it. Chloe wanted to strangle her! She gave Hank an apologetic look but then realized that he wasn’t the least bit put out by Darbie’s nosiness. On the contrary, he seemed amused by her antics.

  “I’m taking Chloe to one of my favorite spots in American Fork Canyon.”

  “I love the canyon this time of the year!” Darbie gushed, envy coating her voice.

  Chloe knew she had to do something immediately before Darbie invited herself to come along. She took Hank’s arm. “Well, we’d better get going. Don’t wait up.”

  “I never do.” Darbie turned her attention to Hank. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “Nice meeting you too.”

  Darbie looked at Chloe. “Very manly. Much better than the pretty boy. You chose wisely.”

  Heat scorched Chloe’s face. Of all of the low-down, ridiculous things to say! It was like Darbie got her jollies out of tormenting her! Hank gave her a questioning look, to which she only shook her head.

  Darbie chuckled and breezed past them. “You two have fun,” she said sweetly. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  * * *

  “So, what do you think?”

  “I think it’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen,” Chloe said breathlessly as her gaze took in the expanse of the majestic scene below. They’d driven up high in the canyon and walked a short distance to an overlook where they could get a bird’s eye view of Tibble Fork Reservoir below. From this vantage point, it looked like a sparkling oval of cut glass that was one of the most vivid blues she’d ever seen. The aspen trees were ablaze with a crisp yellow that popped against the rich green of the giant evergreens that were dotted uniformly across the landscape like a company of rigid soldiers, standing at attention. A jagged mountain range stood in the distance, decorated with silvery-white threads of snow. Never had she imagined that the canyon would look like this. There was something so profound about the larger-than-life scene that it caused a sense of awe to come over her. “It’s perfect,” she whispered, feeling as though a heavenly artist had created a pristine painting that was untouched by the ugliness that marred the rest of the world.

  Hank reached for her hand and linked his fingers through hers. “It’s one of my favorite places,” he said, also keeping his voice soft. It was like there was such a sense of peace about the scene that he didn’t want to ruin it by speaking too loudly.

  “I can see why.” She suddenly forgot about the scenery and became more aware of Hank and how he was standing so close and holding her hand. It felt comfortable being here with him—comfortable and exhilarating at the same time.

  He pointed. “The mountain in the distance is Mount Timpanogos or Timp as most people call it. It�
��s the second highest mountain in the Wasatch Range.”

  “What’s the highest?”

  “Technically, Mount Nebo is the highest but not nearly as prominent as Mount Temp. Do you know how Mount Nebo got its name?”

  Before she could answer, he continued.

  “From the biblical Mount Nebo, overlooking Israel. It’s thought to be the place of Moses’s death …”

  His voice took on the tone of a teacher as he continued the history lesson. A smile curved her lips as she watched how engrossed he was in the conversation. He went on for another five or so minutes and then gave her a contrite smile. “I’m boring you stiff, aren’t I?”

  She laughed. “Not exactly, but you did start to lose me at the part where you were listing the peaks and their exact elevations.”

  He grimaced. “Sorry.”

  The look of embarrassment that came over his face was endearing, and she felt like she’d caught a glimpse of how he looked might’ve looked when he was a teenager and less sure of himself.

  He let go of her hand and rubbed his neck. “Yeah, that’s the geek in me coming out, I’m afraid.”

  “You’re just so darn smart, you can’t help yourself.”

  A look of surprise flittered over his face, and then he chuckled. “I guess I deserved that.”

  “I think it’s cute.”

  He turned and looked at her. “Do you now?” A playful smile touched the corners of his lips.

  Her breath caught as she looked up into his eyes, trying to decide if they were more blue or green. She never thought she could feel this way again, and yet here she was with this gorgeous guy that was captivating her thoughts and driving her to distraction. He stepped up close to her and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “I got so caught up in one beauty that I’m neglecting the real beauty that’s standing before me.”

  A dart of warmth shot through her as he leaned in. Delicious anticipation danced down her spine as she closed her eyes, but nothing happened. When she opened her eyes a second later, he was staring down at her, a conflicted expression on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” she implored.

  He shook his head and looked away. She caught hold of his arm, confused by the sudden turn of events.

  “I can’t do this,” he said, raking his hands through his hair. “I thought I could, but I can’t.”

  She went cold. “You can’t do what?” The words came out flat and dead.

  “I can’t kiss the same girl who’s been kissing my brother.”

  He might as well have carved out her heart and rolled it down the canyon. A burning humiliation covered her, and she felt like a tramp. For a split second, she went dizzy and felt like she was detached from the situation, watching it from a distance. Then anger took hold, snuffing out all the rest. “You initiated this date!” Tears formed in her eyes. “You brought me here! Shared things with me! Made me care about you.” She hated how desperate those last words sounded. She hated herself for letting her guard down and thinking she could love again. And what she really hated most at that moment was Hank Singleton!

  “I’m sorry, Chloe. I never meant to lead you on.”

  She let out an incredulous laugh. “Really? What in the heck did you think you were doing?”

  “I don’t know. I thought I could deal with the Garrett thing, but just before we kissed, an image of him flashed through my mind, and I felt sick to my stomach. He’s my brother, after all, and he cares about you. I can’t double cross him that way. Garrett is my responsibility.”

  Her fingers were itching to wrap themselves around his treacherous neck and squeeze until his head popped off! She balled her hands into fists. “Garrett!” she spat. “It’s always about Garrett!” Her voice was near yelling, but she didn’t care. Her blood was pumping so furiously that her head felt like it would split in two. “For your information, I don’t give a hoot about your selfish brother! I’m sick and tired of him trying to force me to date him! Garrett is a moron! And if you don’t have enough sense to realize that it’s you I care about then you’re a bigger moron than he is! And furthermore—” A wave of dizziness assaulted her as stars began exploding around her. She stumbled back. Hank caught her arm to steady her. Panic rose thick in her throat. “What’s happening to me?” She pressed the tips of her fingers into the bridge of her nose. “I feel like I’m going to pass out.”

  “You’re not used to the altitude, and when you got so upset, it intensified everything.”

  “It’s my head.” A blinding pain was shooting across her forehead, making it hard to think about anything else.

  “Try to relax. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.”

  She sputtered, gulping for air. “I can’t get a good breath.”

  “Calm down,” Hank ordered.

  “I can’t calm down!” she protested, tears gathering in her eyes.

  He grabbed both of her arms. “Look at me,” he ordered.

  She shook her head.

  “Look at me!”

  “Fine! I’m looking.”

  “You’re going to be okay. Try and regulate your breathing. Deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. In two … out two … in two … out two …”

  A couple of minutes later, when she was finally able to draw a good breath, the panic subsided a little. Her head was still throbbing, but it had turned into a dull headache rather than a splitting one.

  Hank took her hand. “Come on. I’ve got some ibuprofen in the car. Let’s get you to lower ground.”

  * * *

  Chloe stretched out her hands toward the crackling fire, appreciative of the warmth it provided. Now that the ibuprofen was kicking in, she was starting to feel more normal. She and Hank had hardly spoken since the near kiss incident. All things considered, she’d expected him to take her straight home and was surprised when he pulled over at a picnic spot, located in a lower section of the canyon.

  “What’re we doing?” Chloe wanted to know.

  He winked at her. “You’ll see.” Twenty minutes later, they were sitting cozily around a roaring fire. Hank had brought items to make s’mores, but Chloe wasn’t the least bit hungry. Her stomach still felt queasy, and more than anything, she just wanted to go home and forget that this disastrous evening had ever taken place.

  Hank went to work roasting marshmallows. Then he made a couple of s’mores and downed them. “No sense in letting all of this stuff go to waste,” he explained.

  Chloe waved a hand. “I’m glad someone’s able to enjoy it,” she said sourly. Hank’s eyebrow shot up. When she saw the look of amusement that came over his face, her eyes narrowed. “What?” she flung out, tired of playing these silly games.

  “Nothing,” he said lightly. “Don’t mind me, I’m just eating s’mores. Minding my own business.”

  She scowled and turned her attention to the fire. Hank had made it perfectly clear that there was no hope for them romantically. Why he felt the need to drag out this ridiculous charade was beyond her. She was more than a little surprised and very irritated when he pulled his chair so close to hers that they were touching. She expected him to at least say something, when he remained quiet, she turned to him. “What’re you doing?”

  His eyes met hers in a challenge, and then he shrugged. “Same as you. Sitting here, staring into the fire. Trying to determine what it is that you find so fascinating about it. Your eyes have been glued to it since we got here.”

  She hugged her arms tightly. “Moron,” she muttered under her breath.

  He laughed softly.

  She spun at him, her eyes blazing. “I’m glad you find this so amusing! You made it perfectly clear that there can never be anything between us, so why don’t you just cut the crap and take me home?”

  “What would be the fun in that?” he murmured, rubbing her arm.

  She jerked her arm away like she’d been burned. “What’re you doing? Is this some sort of sick game to you?”

  “Chl
oe, we need to talk about what happened earlier.”

  “Save it!” she barked. “You’ve already said enough!” She moved to stand. “I’m tired. Can you please just take me home?” Her voice cracked with emotion, and she swallowed it down. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her break down.

  He caught her arm. “We need to talk.” His eyes locked with hers. “Please.”

  She blew out a breath and sat back down. “Fine! Talk!”

  “I had no idea that you’ve been trying to break things off with Garrett, and I certainly had no idea how you felt about me.”

  “Garrett and I did go out a few times, but we were never really a couple. And yes, I’ve been trying every way I can think of to end things with him, but he won’t listen!”

  “I just assumed—”

  “Well, you assumed wrong,” she cut in.

  “Yeah, I can see that. I’m sorry. I guess I was being a moron.”

  His apology caught her off guard, and then she saw the sincerity in his expression. Her defenses crumbled slightly, and she felt herself soften.

  “I’m afraid that where my brother is concerned, I have a skewed perception of things.”

  She stared into the fire, watching sparks shoot up from the pit and then disappear into the night. “From the minute I met Garrett, he came on strong.”

  “Sounds like him,” Hank said dryly.

  “He immediately started giving me extravagant gifts and taking me on elaborate dates. At first, I was impressed. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I was new in town—all alone—and this handsome, charming guy was showering me with attention.” She glanced over and saw that Hank’s jaw went hard as he nodded.

  “Garrett is quite the Casanova, that’s for sure.”

  “He is,” Chloe agreed.

  He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I guess a date to the canyon to make s’mores kind of pales in comparison, huh?”

  “No, actually, it doesn’t. Tonight’s the most fun I’ve had in a very long time …” she wrinkled her nose “… well, at least it was until you lambasted me.”

  He winced at the accusation. “I said I was sorry.”

  “I know, and I appreciate it …”