When Destinies Collide

by Shirl Rickman

  I walk up the porch steps and pour myself a glass of lemonade from the pitcher Mrs. D always leaves on the porch while I work.

  “Are you hungry?” I whip my head to the left with a start.

  She’s sitting in one of the rockers that line the porch, her legs pulled up with her knees to her chest. She looks so peaceful sitting there, and I have a hard time forming a coherent thought. I’m not even sure how much time passes by before I notice her waving her hand in my face. “Hello, Drake? Are you in there?”

  “Oh, uh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. What did you say?” Great, I sound like a fucking idiot.

  Her lips spread into the first genuine smile I’ve seen directed my way. Once again, my brain begins to lose all ability to function. “I asked if you were hungry.” She continues watching me in silence. “Soooo, are you?”

  I can’t take my eyes off her lips. “Am I what?” I lick my own because suddenly my mouth feels dry.

  “For shit’s sake, Drake. What’s wrong with you? Were you in the heat for too long?” A gleam in her eyes. “ARE. YOU. HUNGRY?” she adds sarcastically.

  I want to laugh out loud at the way she is speaking to me. No one has ever spoken to me this way. No one except Selene Chandler, apparently.

  “Starving,” I state plainly, and again my gaze remains on her lips before I quickly dart my eyes up to hers.

  She begins to fidget with her hair, twisting it around her finger as if she is suddenly nervous. “Okay, well, Aunt Violette made some sandwiches and fruit salad. I’ll go get them. You sit down, and I’ll be right back.”

  She steps around me, and I can tell she is very careful not to touch me. I turn and watch her enter the house before I carry my lemonade over to the nearest rocker and sit down.

  Letting out an exaggerated breath, I lean my head back and close my eyes. I begin to drift to sleep before the slam of the screen door wakes me. I look up and watch her walk toward me. As she nears me, Selene holds the plate of food out to me, and I gladly take it.

  “Thank you,” I say before laying the plate in my lap. I reach for the sandwich and take a big bite. It’s so good. I love the way fresh vegetables taste on a sandwich, and I grin with my mouth full, making it hard to chew. I feel so relaxed, something I haven't felt in a very long time. I hear a quiet giggle escape Selene’s lips.

  “What’s so funny?” I say with a mouth full of food.

  She giggles again. The sound is so sweet that I can’t help the toothy expression that makes an attempt to spread across my face with the large amount of food in my mouth.

  “Seriously, how do you fit so much food in your mouth?” She takes a dainty bite of watermelon.

  I can see the juice glistening in the sunlight on her lips, and I nearly choke on my food. I swallow hard.

  “I have a big mouth.” As if to prove my point, I stick what remains of my sandwich in my mouth and smile with full cheeks.

  Selene just shakes her head, and a soft look appears on her face. She seems more relaxed around me. I wonder what happened in the last few hours. Maybe it’s the fact we didn’t knock each other over. She had been sitting so quietly up here on the porch that I hadn’t even noticed her. Had she been watching me the whole time? I almost crack-up at myself for such a self-centered thought.

  We finish the rest of our lunch in silence. It’s not awkward, and I don’t feel the need to fill the lull in our conversation. She seems to feel the same.

  Finally, I stand up and reach out for her plate. “I’ll put these in the kitchen.” She hands it to me without a word, and I turn to enter the kitchen. The pleased feeling when I’m around her returns.

  As I walk back out onto the porch, I decide to ask Selene if she wants to ride with me to dump the junk piled in my truck. “Hey, would you want…” I stop mid-sentence as I realize Selene is gone.

  I suddenly hear the sound of the front screen door slam close and feet running up the stairs inside. I feel my happiness disappear, and it almost hurts.

  I want to follow after her and demand to know why she snuck away from me. Before I make a move, Mrs. D’s words from this morning drift through my mind. And, Drake, be careful with my Selene. She isn’t one to open up and trust quickly. She has suffered many heartaches and has been let down by one person or another for her whole life. I’m not sure what scared her off exactly, but I’m determined to prove she can trust me.

  I don’t know why, but I need her to trust me—to open up to me—because something is telling me I’m going to have to trust her too.

  Selene

  I LEAN BACK AGAINST THE door of my bedroom. I ran from him again. Oh, God. I’m such a coward, but I was losing all sense being around him. I listen carefully at the door, waiting for the sound of his footsteps following behind me. He wouldn’t do that, and although I chose to run, I can’t help the hint of disappointment I’m feeling.

  Walking over to the window, I peer out, trying to see if I can catch a glimpse of Drake leaving. I notice him securing everything he loaded in the truck one last time. It’s as if he didn’t even realize I disappeared, and again this thought bothers me. I had been watching him all day, telling myself I was indifferent to his charm and good looks. He is full of himself for sure. The way he acted this morning, sneaking up behind me and then having the nerve to laugh at me — to my face. He has to be the most frustrating human being I’ve ever met. Yet thinking of his laughter fills me with the urge to giggle. I stop myself. I don’t know him, and from what I know of most guys, I’m not willing to allow myself to be vulnerable.

  He is a jerk. He has to be because—well, he is a guy. Yes. A jerk… who spends his Saturdays helping an elderly woman, whom he isn’t related to in any way, clean out her attic and shed? Yes, an arrogant, inconsiderate, charming, polite, and beautiful jerk. Shit.

  This is precisely why I had to get away from him. He is unintentionally funny and adorable. I actually felt joy and forgot everything for one tiny moment. I forgot I don’t trust people, and worst of all, I forgot Mama. Sitting in that rocker on the porch next to Drake felt good. He is weaseling his way into my mind. Nearly every thought is of him. I’m not ready for that, and even if I were, it wouldn’t mean he is interested in more than harmless flirting. He was flirting…I think. Maybe he wasn’t and I’m reading this all wrong. Ugh.

  The rumbling of his truck starting breaks into my thoughts. I pull the gauzy fabric back again and watch as he looks out his driver’s side window in my direction. He isn’t smiling. He only stares, and I swear, even from this distance, I can see the disappointment in his eyes.

  A few hours later, as I sit on the porch, reading and drinking some sun tea I made that afternoon, Aunt Vi pulls into the driveway. I watch her climb out of the car, smiling as she sees me.

  I close my book as she steps up onto the porch. “Hi, how was your day?” I ask as I lean back and begin rocking the chair.

  “It was nice, and I got a lot of errands done. The only thing is I didn’t make it to the store like I wanted, so I thought we might go out to eat tonight. What do you say?” She takes a seat in the rocker next to me and reaches her hand over to cover mine.

  I stiffen a little before I relax into the comforting touch. I don’t know why I react that way to any sort of contact or affection, especially when it’s from her. I just can’t help it.

  Smiling over at her, I nod my head. “Yes, that sounds good. I’m starved.” I allow a smile to spread across my face.

  “Great, let me go in and freshen up. Then we can be on our way.” She stands and heads for the house.

  I follow behind her, carrying my tea to the kitchen, and then run upstairs to put on some shoes and change my top. I pull the brush through my hair and swipe some pink gloss across my lips before heading back downstairs.

  Aunt Violette emerges from her bedroom as I hop off the bottom steps. “Ready?” she asks in her tender voice.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I really am looking forward to dinner out with Aunt Vi
olette. This is the second time today that I feel like things have a chance to be normal.

  Drake

  I SPENT THE REST OF the day at the dump, unloading my truck, and now I’m making my way to dinner with my parents. I don’t want to go, but I wasn’t exactly given a choice. Of course I wasn’t. I’ve never been given one about anything, so why would they start now?

  I’m a little late, and I know this isn’t going to go over well with Mother and Mayor Thomas at all. I usually refer to my parents in a more formal way when I’m not around them. I’m sure if I were analyzed by a doctor they would say it’s a form of disrespect and that I have anger issues when it comes to my parents. They would be right. Then again, my mother has anger issues too.

  I pull into the parking lot behind the local Italian restaurant, Romeo’s. Lacey always loved this place, and we came here often, although my parents weren’t doing it for that reason. They only cared that it was the nicest restaurant in town.

  As I pull the keys from the ignition, I glance down at the time on my phone. I’m ten minutes late. I lean my head against the steering wheel and take a deep breath. This can go one of two ways: terribly or really terribly. I can only hope she waits until we’re home.

  I get out and lock the doors. Walking with my head down, I don’t even see her standing at the end of the building near the alleyway that leads to the front of the restaurant. It’s dark, and the alleyway is only dimly lit, so I’m startled when she suddenly speaks.

  “You’re late,” I hear her say coldly.

  I flinch, but so slightly no one would notice. I continue walking toward her without saying a word. I learned long ago that saying anything at all only made things worse.

  “How many times do I have to remind you that when I give you a certain time to be somewhere, you’re not to arrive even a second after? You’ve embarrassed us once again.”

  I’m standing directly in front of her and decide now is when I will make my first apology. “I’m sorry, Mother. I didn’t manage my time well while working today, and I still had to shower and change.”

  I hold my breath, waiting for her next action. She is always so unpredictable. Her hand flies out and connects with my cheek before I can even register what’s happening. The sting sends a shiver up my spine, but I hold steady.

  “Don’t let it happen again. Remember, Drake, this is election season.”

  I keep my head down because I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing the dejection I feel in my eyes.

  “Yes, Mother.”

  I watch her as she turns and walks back down the alley to the restaurant. I feel a little sick, and my cheek is still burning. God, I hate her. I hate how she makes me feel helpless and weak. What's more, I hate that I still let all of this get to me.

  Clenching my hand into a fist, I begin to swing it into the brick wall but stop just before I connect with the hard surface. Instead, I slap both hands against it and lean forward. I let my head hang down in between my outstretched arms as I take several breaths. They are long, deep breaths because I can feel the dam is about to break if I don’t get a hold of myself. Sometimes, it’s just too hard. I can’t always hide the pain.

  Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I freeze.

  “Drake?” I hear a sweet, familiar voice whisper.

  I can’t move. What is she doing here? How long has she been here?

  “Drake—Drake, are you alright?” I can hear the uncertainty in her voice.

  She’s quiet, but I hear the tremor in her words. She’s rubbing her hand over my shoulder, and her fingers brush my neck. I shiver involuntarily. I can’t look at her. I’m afraid of what she will see, and I’m sure that my cheek is red from my mother's hand.

  “How long have you been here?” I ask, already knowing the answer. I know because I can hear it in her voice.

  If she heard everything, I can only be thankful that this was one of the less severe displays of punishment. It’s hard enough thinking she witnessed any of it. She doesn’t say anything.

  “Selene, how long have you been standing out here?” I ask her again, with a little more bite than I intend.

  She drops her hand and takes a step back. “The whole time—I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just…”

  I turn and face her. She has her head down, wringing her hands together. I reach out and stop her, taking her hands in mine. I stare at our hands locked together before looking up and meeting her gaze. Selene watches me, her eyes wide, and I can see something in them I never expected—understanding.

  “Selene, I’m sorry I just snapped at you. It’s not you, but—”

  She interrupts me before I can finish. “Drake, don’t explain. I understand more than most that sometimes parents are not what a person expects them to be. I’m just sorry you know it too.”

  My only focus is the words coming out of her mouth. She slowly, and what appears to be almost timidly, reaches her hand up and gently lays it upon my still-tingling cheek.

  “Does it hurt?” She asks in a hushed tone. She takes my breath away.

  “No.” I lie, but only a little. “Don’t worry about me, Selene,” I tell her as I cover her hand with mine. “I just need you to promise you won’t tell anyone what you heard or saw—not even Mrs. Durham.” I notice her eyes widen at the mention of her Aunt. “Please. Please promise me.”

  I can see the reluctance in her eyes. Selene drops her hand and turns. I wait for her to speak.

  When she remains quiet, I beg again. “Please.”

  “I promise,” she finally whispers.

  It’s as if I hear the click of a lock to my heart being opened with those two words. At that moment, I know without a doubt Selene holds the key. I may have thought I’d lost my other half when Lacey died, but in reality I had been waiting to find it.

  I step behind her, our bodies almost touching. I wonder if being this close is having the same effect on her as it is on me. I timidly place my hand on her shoulder.

  “Thank you,” I say, choking a little on the last word.

  The emotions I feel are building, and once again I’m afraid I might break.

  “Drake, why does she do this to you?” I hear the concern behind her words.

  I want to answer her, but I’ve waited long enough, and prolonging joining my parents any longer will only make things worse.

  “Selene, I—I want to tell you, but I really need to go in.”

  She turns and faces me again. Our eyes meet, and I can see the worry has come back. It’s like she realized we have been standing out here for a while, and this is the whole reason for my trouble to begin with.

  I speak before she can say anything. “It will be fine, don’t worry. She didn’t expect me to follow right away.” Changing the subject, I ask, “What were you doing out here alone, anyway?”

  “Aunt Violette and I are having dinner here. It’s a little chilly in there, so I ran out to the car to get my cardigan.”

  She is playing with her hair—twisting it around her finger over and over again. It's something I've noticed she does when she is nervous. I can feel my lips tug at the corners just watching her.

  “Well, then, shall we go in?” I ask as I reach out and take her hand in mine.

  I start to lead her to the front of the restaurant without waiting for a response. She doesn’t seem to mind, but as I look out of the corner of my eye, I can see something in her eyes that looks almost like fear. She is even walking a little stiffly.

  As we come to the front entrance, Selene stops walking. It pulls my arm back a little, so I turn toward her.

  “Drake, I won’t forget we didn’t finish our discussion back there.”

  She pulls her hand from mine and quickly enters Romeo’s, leaving me standing on the sidewalk, staring at her.

  Selene

  I HAVEN'T HEARD A WORD Aunt Vi has said since I came back from getting my cardigan. My mind is consumed by what I witnessed between Drake and his mother. She hurts him. It makes me want
to weep for him, and I barely know him.

  I can see how much sadness and despair he holds inside. I recognize it. I feel it. And, because I know his pain matches my own, I feel an unexplainable need to take it away.

  “Selene…earth to Selene.”

  I snap out of my daydream and turn my attention to Aunt Vi, who is staring at me with questions in her eyes. Questions I know she wants to ask but never will.

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Vi. What were you saying?” I ask her, and I move my food around on my plate.

  “I said you have barely touched your food. Do you not like it?”

  I look down at my spaghetti as if I’m only just now realizing it’s in front of me.

  “Oh, uh…no. It’s good. I’m just not as hungry as I thought,” I lie, although a voice inside me is screaming for me to tell her about Drake.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Did something happen when you went to the car? I saw Drake came in after you. Did he bother you?”

  She saw us. I wonder if his mom saw us, too. I hope I didn’t get him in any more trouble than he was already in.

  Shaking my head, I place a tight smile on my face. “No, ma’am. We only said hello. I think we may be friends after all. It’s just…” I begin to tell her but realize I made a promise, and I never break promises.

  “Yes…it’s just what?”

  I look up to find her watching me with a slight crease between her brows as if she is trying to figure me out. I work harder to appear like everything is fine.

  “It’s nothing. Everything is great. I’m just not hungry.”

  I see the disappointment cross her features, but I keep my smile in place.

  “Okay, if you say so. But, Selene, you know you can always tell me anything.”

  I reach across the table and place my hand on the fragile bones of hers.