Finding Our Course: Collision Course Duet

by Ahren Sanders

  “Seems so, and we’re going to sleep a few more after I take care of whoever’s at the door.”

  The pounding starts up again as he pulls on a pair of athletic shorts.

  “Who the hell visits this early?”

  “No idea, but I’ll be back.” He kisses my forehead and walks out, leaving the door cracked.

  I lean back into his pillow, but my eyes pop open when he yells, “What the hell?”

  I scramble to his bathroom to get the pajamas I left on the counter last night. Once I have them on and my hair is in a ponytail, I rush toward the living room.

  Nate is in his doorway, and he puts one finger to his lips. I join him and strain to hear what’s happening.

  “This is going to be really good,” Nate whispers.

  “Who’s here?”

  Before he can answer, Holli’s annoying voice fills the other room.

  “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

  “Fuck no. Now, I’ll ask you again. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t let you leave without talking to you.”

  “About what?”

  “Please let me in,” she tries again.

  “What don’t you understand about fuck no? I thought it was made perfectly clear when I saw you at the bar last month that you fucking needed to get over whatever bullshit you had in your head about us. You ambushed my girlfriend at MY apartment pool, while she was alone, to spout your delusional shit about us.”

  Bryce’s angry vibes fill the whole apartment. I try to go to him, but Nate grips my wrist.

  “Let him do this, Dev. It’s a long time coming. He’s been angry since she pulled her stunt with you years ago. He needs to get it out. You know he won’t hurt her, but he’s finally going to leave no room for misinterpretation.”

  I nod and then inch forward to peek around the corner. It’s obvious she put some work into her visit. She’s dressed to the nines, and her three-inch wedge sandals showcase her long, slender legs. Her hair is straightened, hanging long, and her face is completely made up.

  No one looks that good this early in the morning unless they have an agenda.

  “Holli, for Christ’s sake, what the fuck are you doing banging on my door this early?”

  “I saw Nate out last night and over heard him say y’all were moving and heading to Rhode Island. I couldn’t let you leave without clearing the air between us. We were in love once. We were going to have a baby. Can we start over? Maybe I can visit wherever you’re stationed after OCS?”

  I whip my head to see Nate’s eyes grow wide and then a smile break out across his face. “Just wait,” he mouths.

  I turn back to watch as Bryce crosses his arms across his naked chest and looks at the ceiling, blowing out a loud breath. His eyes slice to the side, and he gives me a small chin jerk in acknowledgement. She remains oblivious to my presence.

  “Holli, I’m pretty sure you saw the ring on Devon’s hand at my graduation and know I proposed. If you didn’t, let me go ahead and officially announce, I’m engaged.”

  She shakes her head back and forth in disbelief. “I saw it but couldn’t believe you’d ever link yourself to a girl. That’s what she is, Bryce—a girl. Isn’t she still in her teens? There’s no way she can give you what you need. How did this even happen?”

  A growl escapes his throat, and when he speaks, the tone of his voice makes the hair on my arms stand. “Let me get this straight. You hear I’m back in town to pack up and move, and you get a wild hair. Then you fancy yourself up, bang on my door at eight in the morning, and haul my ass out of bed—with my fiancée—so you can ‘clear the air’ ?”

  Her eyes widen and do a quick scan of the room at the mention of me. She opens her mouth, but Bryce cuts her off.

  “I’m going to answer your questions, and then I’m closing this door. Thought I made that clear before, but I was too nice. No more nice.

  “I’ve been in love with Devon Harris since the day I laid eyes on her. She’s the most beautiful thing in my world, probably always has been. You call her a girl, and that’s fine because she’s my girl. But she’s also all woman, and I am lucky to be linked to her. If there’s anything I need, it will come from her because she’s my everything.”

  He takes another deep breath, and her lips start to quiver.

  “As for how this happened? She graciously gave me another chance after I begged. The stunt you pulled the night of her high school graduation will always be imbedded in her brain, no matter how many times I try to erase it. Making her think you were my fiancée was low. You knew our relationship wasn’t serious. I never loved you.” His voice grows soft with kindness, but he continues to speak.

  “That may seem cruel, but you know it’s true. You manipulated me with threats and then heartache. If fate was different and we’d had a child, I’d be the best damn dad ever, but I’d be doing it with her by my side. I thought I wasn’t good enough for her after you got pregnant, but she still consumed my mind.”

  A tear falls down her cheek, and she puts her hand to her mouth. After all this time and the endless conversations Bryce had with her, she finally realizes he was never hers. His kindness after the miscarriage gave her a hope she’s been clinging to. Even with me in the picture, she thought she had a chance to win him back.

  “Looks like you may understand now. The only reason I’m standing here at all is because I’m waiting to hear that you want to apologize to Devon for your classless behavior the last time you saw her.”

  Tears flow freely down her face, and a small piece of me feels sympathy. Then she straightens her shoulders, and anger flashes across her face. “Is that what she told you? She is a liar—”

  “Holli, stop. At this point, you’re embarrassing yourself. I’ll be out of this city in a few days, and I can only hope our paths don’t cross again. But if they do, don’t fuck with us, or you’ll regret it.”

  He steps back, shuts the door, and turns to the room. I run to him, jumping into his arms.

  “If that girl doesn’t get the hint after that, she needs help,” I say softly.

  He grunts into my neck.

  “With that being said, I think my fiancé needs to know how much of a turn on that was.”

  Bryce leans back and gives me a smug smirk. Both of us turn our heads when Nate grumbles. He’s changed into shorts and has his running shoes on.

  “I’m going for a run. Be back in an hour.” He emphasizes the hour and walks out the door.

  I giggle, and Bryce kisses me quickly. “You have an hour, babe. I’m all yours.”

  “You bet you are.”

  Chapter 4

  Bryce’s parents have a bungalow on the back of their property, only having used it as an office for Sheila in the past. They offered for the guys to store their stuff indefinitely. We all know it could be a long time before they actually get another place of their own, so this saves them from having to pay for a storage unit for years.

  When the last box is unloaded from the U-Haul, I fall onto the sofa and moan. My eyes sting from exhaustion. Quinn falls next to me and exhales dramatically.

  “This moving shit is tough.”

  “I don’t even want to hear it from you. You’ve only been around for three hours. Imagine three days.”

  Dean drove up from Atlanta to see Quinn for the weekend, and they agreed to help us unload. When this is all over, I’m going to owe her huge. While I’ve been away the last few days, she has taken care of everything for our upcoming trip.

  The program requires we all fly into Rio as a group. Our international flight leaves out of Miami, so we were responsible for getting to the Miami airport with adequate time to meet with Professor Grant two hours before departure.

  She worked with the university travel coordinator for the both of us. After reviewing the flights and knowing the importance of being there, we decided to fly in a day early and stay at an airport motel. This disappointed Bryce, but he didn’t say too much.

&n
bsp; Quinn also got us a flight into Charlottesville for a short trip to pack what we need and meet with Roxy, the girl watching our apartment and my car while we are gone. She’s a friend who cheers with us and actually needed a place to stay for a few weeks to attend a summer workshop. It worked out well, and we agreed. If we weren’t accepted to the Summer Expo, our plan B was to come back to UVA for second summer semester, but things fell into place once we heard about the program.

  So while I’ve been away the last few days, my best friend has organized our lives effortlessly. Yep, I owe her huge.

  “Why are you so tired? Was there some wild excitement you haven’t told me about yet?” She raises her eyebrows and pinches my side lightly.

  “No other excitement. We packed all day and then went out with some of their friends last night. Somehow, our low-key night turned into me going to bed at four a.m. Bryce didn’t crawl in until six. Then we were up at ten to load the truck. Even though I didn’t have to, I scoured the apartment the best I could to make sure they got their security deposit back.

  “I didn’t sleep on the drive because we stopped halfway to switch drivers, and I rode with Nate the rest of the way home.”

  “How’s he feeling about everything coming up?”

  “He says he’s pretty open to being stationed anywhere, and I believe him. Bryce and I truly thought he wanted San Diego, but now, he’s talking more about Norfolk. I’m thrilled because I’d hate for him to be across the country.”

  “You know it’s going to happen someday, right?”

  “I know,” I say softly. “I’m in denial, especially with their skill sets. They’re likely to be in high demand.”

  “We’ll take it one day at a time, like always. And in the end, no matter where everybody is stationed, we’ll have a wedding to plan.” She squeezes my hand.

  I smile as both our phones ding with incoming emails.

  Students:

  We received some incredible news today that I could not refrain from sharing. As I mentioned on our last call, the leadership team has been working intensely to gain access to the athletes in the vicinity that are on the road to the 2016 Olympics. These are men and women from all over the world, who have traveled to work with trainers and coaches, and get a feel for the area. They are contenders for their categories, working hard toward their dreams.

  It has been confirmed that we will be allowed to interview and photograph the aspiring competitors during our expo. I am working on the assignments now, but you will each be in groups of four, led by one of our professional leaders. I will not be leading, but instead will be floating around, joining you all at different times.

  You all have different talents, and I assure you, I will build teams that carry equal weight in photography, journalism, world knowledge, and social awareness. This trip is quickly becoming the envy of all other summer programs.

  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me directly. I will however tell you, there are no requests for teams. These will be carefully worked through by me.

  I look forward to seeing you all in a week.

  Sincerely,

  Professor Henry Grant

  “Oh my God! This is unreal!” Quinn jumps up and dances around as I squeal, kicking my feet in the air.

  Nate, Bryce, Dean, and Dave go quiet and stare at us with amusement.

  “We have permission to interview the contending Olympians!” I practically scream. Bryce looks at me, stunned, then smiles widely, stalking over to me.

  He tugs me off the couch and kisses my forehead lightly; before he can ask, I launch into the email.

  “That’s incredible news,” he says when I’m done.

  “Girls, what happens with all these photos and stories when you get back to school?” Dave questions us.

  “Basically, we had to sign our rights away. Any of the work by the students that gets used, in any type of publications, will guarantee we get name recognition, but the school gets most of the credit, which is fine. In the end, though, IF one of our pieces is picked up for national exposure on the networks our leadership teams represent, we will be named as well. We will get no monetary payments, but we are allowed to use and note it on our resumes, internship applications, and grad school submissions. Also we’ll get recommendations from the national journalists. This is highly unlikely since the real journalistic work starts closer to when the final athletes are named,” I explain.

  Quinn never quits dancing in her little circle until she throws herself at Dean. “No matter what the outcome, this type of opportunity basically guarantees a spot in the MFA program,” she sings.

  When I lock eyes with Bryce, my breath disappears. His are shining bright with pure pride.

  “This is going to be a lifetime experience. I wish I could share it with you.”

  “Oh, buddy, don’t you worry. You’ll know every detail of the trip as if you were standing beside me. Did you forget? I’m the photographer?”

  “I’m counting on it, babe, because you’re going to blow this out of the water.”

  His confidence in me adds to the ever-growing list of things I cherish about him. Another moment to add to memory.

  Quinn rolls her eyes when Bryce flashes his military ID and asks for a buddy pass to walk us through the airport to our gate. She’s been lenient on him since we got home from Florida, not busting his ass too much. But I can see that’s about to change.

  “You know, Bryce, I think you may want to check and see about what housing assignment they’ve given you in Rhode Island. Pretty sure you’ve turned into a total girl.”

  And I was right.

  He keeps his mouth shut but narrows his eyes at her. She cracks up and walks ahead of us.

  “Are you kidding me? This line is ridiculous.” She turns back to me and transfers her carry-on to Bryce. “I need to use the restroom and can’t wait to get through this madhouse of people. Can you carry my bag, and I’ll meet you at the gate?” Without waiting for an answer, she side steps me and disappears around the corner.

  We show our documents to the TSA agent, and I get a glimpse of Bryce’s buddy pass. It is exactly like my ticket. He catches my eye and winks then leads me to the express lane.

  “Bryce—”

  He places one finger on my lips to quiet me then lowers his head to my ear. “Get through security, and I’ll explain. But you’ve probably figured out by now that I’m not dropping you off at the gate.”

  I lean back and nod. “Is it totally improper for me to kiss you right now?”

  “The kind of kiss I want would probably land us in jail, so I’ll settle for something softer.” He runs his lips across mine and then steps back, taking my bag from my hands.

  Once through security, we find a restaurant near our gate. He causally orders us breakfast as I stare at him, waiting for an explanation. He finally chuckles, shaking his head.

  “Did you really think I’d let you go to Virginia alone?”

  “It’s for one night!” I protest.

  “That was one night I wasn’t willing to give up. Not to mention, I’m going to miss your birthday next month, so I worked with Quinn to surprise you. Today and tomorrow, we’ll pack up what you need, get your apartment ready, and take care of your business. But tonight, you’re all mine, and I have a celebration planned.”

  “What about Quinn?” I look for her at the gate.

  “Well, I had to make her a deal. I’m responsible for gathering her items and getting them home. She gave me a detailed list and said you’d help.” He gives me a look of terror before reaching in his pocket and handing over a folded piece of paper.

  I read through and giggle at the ridiculous things she listed for him. “This is a total joke, honey.”

  His face visibly relaxes. “Thank God because look at items under section H.”

  The waitress delivers our drinks, and I scan to Section H. It was a mistake to take a sip of water because it comes straight back up, spraying out of my mouth.

&
nbsp; Section H:

  Pink Cosmo Bunny (found in my nightstand drawer)

  Sweet Success Bullet (also in pink)

  Extra batteries located in my bathroom cabinets

  My laugh turns into snorting as I try desperately to catch my breath. His lip twitches, fighting a smile.

  “She’s good. The look on your face was priceless. I’m not sure if she does own these items, but they will not be traveling to South America with us.”

  “Good to know. I was emotionally scarred, thinking about locating her sex toys. But she made me promise before she’d help me set up this surprise.

  “Do you have luggage?”

  He points to the bag Quinn shoved at him earlier. “That’s actually mine. Quinn’s probably in my car on her way home now. I really wanted this to be special. It’s our last night alone for months.”

  My eyes start to prickle, but I smile when our food is delivered. Bryce situates his chair around the table, as close to mine as possible. He gently cups my chin then cradles my head in his neck, kissing along my forehead.

  “I love you, Devon, and unfortunately, we’re going to have a lot of separation in our lives. The career I chose is going to take me away from you for long periods of time, but it’s my job to let you know that you are my world. So for the next two days, our last time alone for months, I plan to do that.”

  Once again, his words bring out the deep emotions threatening to surface, and I swallow hard, gripping his wrist. “Let’s make a deal. You don’t say incredibly sweet and sentimental things that make me want to wail. Hide your sensitive side until at least the night before I leave. There’s only so much I can take.”

  He grins into my neck and speaks softly, “Okay, babe, no more gushy shit. Now, let’s eat. You’re going to need your energy tonight.”

  Chapter 5

  Bryce’s hands snake up my stomach, and his fingers link with mine as I squirm under him. His tongue circles my clit slowly before he slides it into me, sucking hard. I moan in pleasure when he positions our hands over my aching nipples and squeezes.