Afflicted

by Sophie Monroe

  “This is really good.” She said with her mouth full. “Is it from the new deli on Main?”

  I ignored the last part since I made it using my Nana’s recipe, but I didn’t like throwing that kind of information out there since some girls got the wrong impression of a guy in the kitchen, especially one like me. “I’m glad you like it.” I winked.

  We sat in peaceful tranquility for about forty minutes before deciding it was time to head back since Aubrey would be back by now. Gunning it we made it back in no time. The Range Rover was still missing, so I told her to come back to my place and wait. I told her she could go shower, but she insisted on waiting until Aubrey got back. I on the other hand, didn’t feel like walking around in a mud mask, so I excused myself and headed into my bathroom leaving her sitting on my beanbag chair.

  I was rinsing the shampoo out of my hair when I felt her slide in behind me. Gasping from feeling her pushed against me in the tight space. I turned to see her naked and covered in mud smiling shyly.

  “Sorry, Cole just called, and he’s pissed that I didn’t come home since he suddenly has to go somewhere. I seriously need to go, but he’ll be even more pissed if I come home looking like this. It’s not like we’ve never been naked in front of each other.” She laughed.

  “No, it’s okay. I was just getting out anyway.” Reaching for the towel, I quickly wrapped it around my waist hoping she didn’t notice an extremely excited bam-bam.

  After drying off I slipped on a pair of boxers and black, gym shorts. She came back out a couple minutes later wrapped in a towel with her hair piled high on the top of her head, so it didn’t get wet. She still had mud caked right above her eyebrow. I took my towel off the desk and went to wipe it off.

  “Hey I told you to put the visor down. Next time maybe you’ll listen.” I joked, knowing there probably wouldn’t be a next time.

  Dressing quickly she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek letting her lips linger for a moment. “Thanks for a great afternoon, Blake. I needed it more than you’ll ever know.”

  Nodding, I watched her walk down the stairs deciding that I needed to go watch some porn and wondering why some of her best days were my worse.

  ~~~

  Three days. That’s how long it had been since I saw Piper. I hadn't summed up the courage to call or text her to find out what happened when she got home. What was I supposed to say? “Hey creepy stalker here, wanting to know what’s going on with you and your boyfriend.” I didn’t see that going over well, so I decided not to say anything at all.

  Throwing myself into my work with my guitar in hand and pencil behind my ear I started writing down chords that went to our new song ‘Enough.’ The notes were coming easily when my phone started vibrating across the end table. I reached over and answered it hoping it was Piper, but instead it was Aubrey.

  “Hey, Aubs.”

  “Hey Blake, are you going to be around today?” She asked apprehensively.

  “Yeah, I was planning on trying to get some writing done today. What’s up?”

  “I just got off the phone with Piper a little while ago. She thinks she has the flu.” This was news to me. “I just finished making her some soup, but with the babies I don’t want to risk going over there and getting sick bringing it to her. Would you mind?”

  Jumping at the opportunity to see her sick or not I agreed. “No, I’ll be over in a few.”

  I tossed my phone on the bed and jumped in the shower. Picking out a pair of low hanging, dark gray, sweatpants that were comfy as hell and a white t-shirt I finished getting ready. Grabbing my keys and sliding my sneakers on, I headed over to the main house. Aubrey handed me the soup and thanked me, calling me a lifesaver. I stopped at the drug store on my way and picked up some tissues and flu medicine in case she didn’t have any.

  Pulling into her driveway I noticed that her car was gone, so either she went out or Cole took off again. My guess was the latter. I grabbed the bags from the passenger seat and headed to the door. After knocking for a minute with no answer, I peeked in the window and noticed she was asleep on the couch. I walked back over to the door and turned the knob, it was open. I let myself in. I started unpacking the stuff and put the soup in the fridge.

  “Cole.” She rasped, coughing.

  “No, it’s me.”

  “Blake?”

  “Yeah, sorry to startle you. Aubrey sent soup over, and the door was open. I was just getting ready to leave. I brought you some tissues and stuff, they’re on the counter.”

  She struggled to sit up. She looked terrible. Her face was flushed, and she clearly had a fever. Instinctively, I walked over and put my hand to her forehead. Sure enough she was burning up. Heading back to the kitchen I grabbed a dish rag and ran it under some cold water before bringing it back and placing it on her forehead, hoping to cool her down a little. I was thoroughly pissed off at Cole right now for leaving her like this.

  I sat down next to her and ran my fingers through her hair since she liked that. Sometimes I swore she’d purr like a cat when I did it. I moved so she could lay her head in my lap. There was no way I could leave her here alone like this when she needed someone to take care of her. Within a couple minutes, she was back asleep.

  I turned on the TV and started surfing through the channels, but of course nothing was on.

  A little before dinnertime she woke up again. I got her some of the medicine to take and heated up the soup, feeding her until she swore she had enough. The phrase my mom always used, “starve a fever, feed a cold” came to mind, but she also needed to eat to keep her strength up. Even sick she was still stunning. I was getting ready to go home when she mumbled, “stay.” I couldn’t deny her, so I laid my head back on the couch and drifted off.

  I woke up to the sound of things crashing. I shot up almost knocking Piper off the couch in the process. Cole was back and tossing shit all over the place. I got to my feet and walked over to where he was standing.

  “What the fuck, man?” I yelled.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” He said, getting in my face.

  “If you would take better care of your girl I wouldn’t be, you fucking asshole!”

  “Fuck you, dickwad. You know nothing about me or Piper, so just fuck off.”

  “I know that she deserves better than you. You better open your fucking eyes before it’s too late. There’s only so much more she’s going to take before she leaves your sorry ass. I know you have a lot of shit going on in that ugly head of yours, but that’s no excuse.”

  I walked over to Piper and kissed her on the head telling her to call me if she needed anything before checking my shoulder into Cole on the way out. After I slammed my car door shut, I punched my steering wheel in frustration. I’ll never understand why she lets him treat her the way he does and still sticks around.

  I burned rubber out of her driveway and started speeding back toward the house when I decided to stop off and get a beer since I was way too pent up to go home yet. I nearly crashed when I looked down at a text from Piper.

  Sorry about Cole, he gets jealous sometimes. Thanks again for taking care of me. xo <3

  Was she kidding me? Jealous? That was full blown fucking rage, not jealousy. He needed some serious help because whatever he was doing to self medicate clearly wasn’t working. I pulled into the bar parking lot and was already in the door when I realized I was wearing my sweats. Oh well.

  I took a seat at the bar and started talking to Misty, the bartender.

  “Why the long face, handsome?”

  “I don’t really feel like getting into it.” I said brusquely.

  “Lady trouble? Though looking like you do, I highly doubt that’s a problem.”

  I didn’t feel like getting into it with her, or anyone for that matter, but I figured maybe an outsider could offer some insight. I started all the way at the beginning and by the time I was done I felt emotionally spent.

  “I’m sorry you’re going through something like this dollfac
e, but maybe it’s just not meant to be. Sometimes we want things that we just can’t have. They obviously have history and that’s not something that’s just going to go away, so if I were you I’d focus on getting yourself a single girl with less baggage.”

  As I let what she said sink in I started running different scenarios through my head, all of which involved Piper in one way or another.

  What was it about her that made her so fucking special?

  I spent the last three years moving from girl to girl without blinking an eye and never once getting emotionally attached, then Piper comes along, and I’m in fucking knots. I finished my beer and got up to go home. All this thinking about Piper had me needing to go home and take a cold shower.

  Piper

  “What was he doing here? Did you ask him to come?” Cole yelled, making my already throbbing head worse.

  “No, Aubrey made soup, and he brought it over. He felt sorry that I was here all by myself, so he stayed for a little while.”

  “Did you fuck him again?” He spat angrily.

  Blowing my nose hoping to get some of the congestion out I rolled my eyes. “Have you looked at me?”

  “You look healthy enough to me. Do you need anything?” I shook my head no. “Alright, I’ll be back in a bit then.”

  I groaned and put my head back on the lumpy pillow. I secretly wished that it were Blake’s legs again before mentally slapping myself since I had a boyfriend, a shitty one, but a boyfriend nonetheless.

  I closed my eyes and started dreaming.

  I stood in front of the full-length mirror wearing my pale yellow, prom dress. My chocolate brown hair was curled and in a side ponytail secured at the base of my neck. My eyes were sparkling with the natural eye shadow that had been professionally applied.

  I felt feminine and somewhat grown up. I was anxiously waiting for the doorbell to ring so I could see Cole since I hadn’t talked to him all day. We had huge plans for tonight. It was cliché to do it on prom night, but we were planning on having sex for the first time tonight. We had been friends since we were kids, and dating for two years. With graduation looming around the corner, the time felt right.

  Finally, I heard the chime and walked down the stairs. He was standing at the bottom, looking up at me adoringly in his tuxedo. He looked breathtaking. I loved him more than anything and we already talked about getting married right after graduation. He said that he had something to talk to me about tonight, and I was wondering what it could be. He slid the corsage on my wrist, and I pinned the boutonniere on his lapel before we stood around while our parents repeatedly took photo after photo.

  I knew he was probably feeling sad that his mom wasn’t here since she took off when he was a kid, but his dad tried his best to make it up to him, including loaning him his prized 53’ Chevy. When they were finished, we got in the car and took off toward the school gym.

  After he pulled into the parking lot and turned the car off he looked intently at me clearing his throat. He fidgeted with his hands for several minutes looking nervous.

  “Piper, you know I love you. I want to marry you one day, but in order to give us both a future I made a decision. I signed my enlistment papers for the Marines earlier today. It will give us the opportunity to stock some money away, so we won’t have to worry as much. After I serve my time, I promise I’ll come back for you. Everything’s going to be perfect.”

  I remembered how much I trusted him. If he said it was going to be perfect, it would be since he never gave me any reason to believe that it would be anything but. We had a spectacular night, and our first time was incredible. It was everything I thought it would be, and more. I was glad that it was him since we were forever.

  In my fevered state, I was getting flashes of memories. Boot camp graduation. The phone call that he was being deployed. The phone call that their unit had been struck by a roadside bomb, and they weren’t sure if he was going to make it or not. The phone call that he was alive and coming back stateside.

  He never told me what happened, but his dad filled me in on what he knew and that his best friend, Johnny died in the explosion.

  I sat up in a cold sweat and checked my temperature to see if my fever broke, realizing that I wasn’t alone. Cole stood at the kitchen sink running his hand under the water. I managed to get to my feet and pad my way into the kitchen. I stood next to him as I looked down at his hand. Blood was swirling down the drain and my world stopped spinning.

  “What did you do?” I croaked.

  “I did what needed to be done.” He said flatly showing no emotion whatsoever. “He had it coming, with the way that he’s always hanging around you. Always trying to act like the savior just so he can fuck you again.”

  He turned to look at me, and that’s when I saw his face. His eye was already starting to bruise and swell shut. His elbow was ripped open, and his knuckles were broken open and bleeding. So he left me here sick just so he could go pick a fight with Blake.

  “Get out!” My voice cracked as I tried to yell.

  “I’m not going anywhere. You need to go lay back down.” He said moving past me.

  Having zero strength, I didn’t have it in me to have another argument with him. I went back to the couch and unlocked my phone to text Blake, but there was already one from him.

  Piper, I care about you and you’re my friend but Cole came and found me starting a completely unprovoked fight. I’m not going to be the cause of any more issues for you. If you need me just say the word, and I’ll be there no matter what, but I can’t stand by and watch anymore. I think we should put some distance between us. Sorry I busted up his face. I think he thought that just because he was a soldier that he could kick my ass, unfortunately for him, bar fights trump... Take care of yourself.

  I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I clicked the message closed. I felt guilty for getting him involved in my drama, and even guiltier for having feelings for him.

  I tossed my phone on the table without replying.

  “Why are you crying?” Cole spat.

  I didn’t realize he was still standing there. “Cause you kill me a little more each day.”

  Hugging a pillow to my chest I turned and closed my eyes.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Seize The Day

  Blake

  Aubrey called and informed me that they were having family dinner tonight and that the guys and I were expected to be there. Since Kevin left for LA this morning to go visit his girlfriend it was just me and Derek. I changed my shirt and waited for Derek to get out of the bathroom before heading across to the main house.

  The kitchen smelled like garlic and sausage. I walked over to the pot to test the sauce when I saw Piper sitting at the dining room table talking to Granny Jean and Caroline. She looked spectacular, as always. I haven’t heard from her since I sent her the text message after I got into the fight with Cole in the bar parking lot.

  Quickly looking away, I took a small spoon full of sauce and tasted it. It definitely needed some basil and a little more garlic. I got to work on fixing her sauce, trying to look inconspicuous. By the time, everyone sat down the only seat left was next to Piper. I had a feeling that we were set up, but I wasn’t about to call anyone out on it. After all, we were friends and could certainly stand to sit next to each other for a meal. We bumped elbows as I picked up my fork since she was a lefty. She smiled shyly at me as Granny watched us intently from across the table.

  “Will you two quit eye fucking each other and just get it on already? You both look miserable.” She said tossing her napkin on the table.

  Tim shot wine out his nose, Caroline gasped and Jake started choking on his meatball.

  “Granny.” Aubrey scolded.

  “What? They have so much sexual tension going on that it’s making me horny for crying out loud.”

  We ate in silence for the rest of dinner, except for the occasional asking to pass the bread. The twins were the center of attention tossing spaghetti all over the dinin
g room making everyone go gaga. After we were finished, I helped Aubrey load the dishwasher and quickly made my escape back to the guesthouse. Things were already awkward, and I didn’t feel the need to make them any worse than they already were. I wanted her, and she knew it, besides she still had Cole.

  I thought I made it out unscathed until Aubrey called asking if I could bring Piper home. Being a glutton for punishment, I agreed and grabbed my keys heading back downstairs. She climbed into the car and apologized for needing a ride, but Cole took off with her car again. Apparently they were fighting again, and she wasn’t sure she was going to take him back this time. I didn’t know what to tell her, the guy was an asshole, yet she still held a torch for him.

  After the fight, I did a little research into PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and it absolutely fit what Cole had. I kept my mouth shut focused on getting her home. Pulling into the driveway her car was there, so Cole must have decided to come back. I wanted to walk her inside, but she refused like always. She was so damn stubborn. I watched as she made it inside closing the door behind her.

  Piper

  “Where have you been?” Cole asked as I walked past him to the kitchen to get a bottle of water without even acknowledging him. I was still pissed off at him for taking off again. “Just walk away Piper, walk away!” He yelled after me.

  “Just like you always do?” I screamed back, grabbing a picture frame off the counter and throwing it at him, barely missing his head.

  He lunged at me grabbing my biceps and squeezing tightly. I struggled to get away from him as he pushed me into the table making it break from the force. The living room was about to become a boxing ring. He never turned violent toward me before, but his temper was growing increasingly harder to gauge.