by Alicia Rae
“Oh, Lily, what should I do to you?” His voice was husky. He chuckled and pulled a strand of my hair off my forehead. “First, even though you look sexy as hell in this classic white T-shirt and panties, I must say that I want you naked beneath me right now.”
His erotic voice sent shivers down my spine.
The doorbell rang once…and then twice, pulling us out of our moment.
“Damn door,” I muttered.
I stood from the bed and quickly made myself decent. Heading to the door, I remembered that Luke was supposed to stop by for breakfast. Oh shit.
After I opened the door, Luke stepped inside in full-blown rant mode. I only caught certain parts.
“My fucking father! He just can’t let me be happy…fucking family business…no part of it! What about my dream? He should have had more children!”
I motioned him to the couch, knowing that he had endured one of his father’s morning you’re-a-failure calls. Poor Luke. I could not imagine my parents not understanding or supporting my dreams…or worse, even telling me their feelings of hating something I was passionate about.
Sitting down next to him, I put my hand on his shoulder and rubbed a small circle in a supportive gesture. “Luke,” I said softly, “it’s okay to follow your own dream.”
It hurt to see Luke in so much anguish over his parents’ lack of support. I wished I could find a way to help him, but his parents were relentless. They always made him unhappy and made him doubt himself.
Luke’s body suddenly turned to stone. I rotated to see Kyle standing in the archway.
“What is he doing here?” Luke asked.
I opened my mouth to explain, but Luke sighed, shaking his head. “Never mind.” He glanced over at me. “I shouldn’t have come here.” He rose to his feet.
I gently tugged on his hand to stop him. “No, Luke.” I gave a sad, reassuring smile. “You are welcome here. You are my friend.”
Luke winced before quickly recovering with a forced smile. “You’ll always be my friend, Lily.”
Perched up against the wall, Kyle was standing with his hands in his pockets, quietly watching our exchange.
Luke’s gaze turned to Kyle. “But he isn’t going to let you be mine, so it’s best if I go.”
When Luke took another step in the direction of the door, I quickly jumped in his path. “No, you can stay. You’re my friend, and I want you here,” I said kindly. I turned to Kyle with my do-not-mess-with-me stare. “Kyle, Luke needs a friend right now. Would you mind making us all some breakfast?”
Both of their eyes widened at my request.
A muscle briefly flexed in Kyle’s jaw before he relaxed and nodded. “Sure. Eggs and bacon good?”
I nodded and gave him a smile. I was happy that he was trying. “Yes, thank you,” I replied as he turned to walk into the kitchen.
Luke and I stood face-to-face, both trying to read each other’s thoughts. My eyes pleaded for friendship and understanding. I did not want to lose Luke right now. So many things were changing, and I didn’t want one of the two constant people I’d had in my life for the past three years to leave. Luke’s eyes showed so many emotions, and I could not read many of them. One second, it seemed like he was hurt by my decision, and the next, it looked as if he was okay with it.
“Okay.” I took a deep breath. So far, the disaster had seemed to be avoided. “Sit.”
We both sat on the couch. I could hear Kyle moving about in the kitchen. I just needed to break the ice, get Luke to talk, and then we would be alright.
“So,” I started, “your dad is up your ass again?” I was trying to lighten the mood.
“When did he come out?” Luke actually laughed.
I rolled my eyes as a small laugh escaped my lips. “Very true. So, what happened?”
“This time, it was an actual death-screaming match between us. My poor mom was in the background, trying to calm my dad down.” Luke leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “I don’t think that man will ever understand me and accept me for being me. I am asking to go to medical school for crying out loud, not to go be a druggie or a deadbeat.” He shook his head in frustration. “I just don’t get it.”
I sighed, feeling exasperated for him. To aspire in life and have self-confidence, everyone needed support from their family, especially their parents. For me, it was part of the parents’ job in raising their children.
I had no experience in what Luke was going through. My parents had always supported my sister and me, no matter how crazy our dreams were. My parents had taught us how to believe in ourselves, to have goals in life, and to chase our dreams and make them real. My heart broke at the thought of Luke never having that. His parents had missed the memo about unconditional love.
“Luke, you are graduating with a bachelor’s degree soon, and you’re applying to many medical schools. You have already accomplished so much. You are driven, and I have no doubt that you will succeed in your goal. Just keep doing what you are doing and block out all the negative. I think your parents will come around the corner someday.” I sighed at my own disappointment in his parents. “They are just taking forever.”
“You could say that again. My father just keeps trying to tempt me to come home. He’s throwing money in my face, threatening to take me out of the will, and other stupid shit like that. Not that I care about the money, but who says that to their son who only wants to get an education and a good job? Is that so wrong and selfish of me?”
I shook my head. “No, Luke. It is not wrong. They are wrong. You are going after your dreams and making a life for yourself.”
Kyle walked into the living room. “Breakfast is ready.”
Breakfast was awkward and nearly silent, but we all survived it. If Luke was going to remain my friend, he had to accept Kyle in my life. Kyle began the dishes as I walked Luke to the door. I stepped outside onto the porch with him.
Luke broke the silence first. “Thank you, Lil, for listening to me whine about my problems. You were a great friend today.”
“You’re welcome. I was glad to help.”
Our friendship was having one of those awkward in-limbo moments, so I decided to clear the air. “Luke, I can see you are hurting, and if you need space, then I will give you space. You are my friend, and I don’t want to lose you. You said we could still be friends, and I think if you gave Kyle a chance, you would really like him, too.”
Luke shook his head. “I don’t think I could like the guy who took away the girl I love.” He looked up at me. “He’s going to break your heart, Lily. He is the rough, don’t-fuck-with-me jock. They don’t do the white picket fence, get married, and have kids. They break hearts and move on to the next girl.” He sighed and shook his head. “But I love you, Lily. I will be here to help you pick up the pieces when he breaks your heart. I’m not strong enough to walk away. You’re all I have.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I let him walk off into the hazy Florida morning. Maybe it would have been better to not clear the air.
My shitty post-bedroom morning quickly turned into an even shittier day. My writer’s block decided now was a good time to make an appearance. Awesome.
Kyle brought me a second cup of coffee that I had requested, and it went down the front of my shirt. Yep. Definitely awesome.
And to top it off, Kyle was giving me monosyllable grunts instead of answers. Freaking. Awesome. Day. NOT!
I decided to work late. Correction—I decided to stare at my laptop late since Kyle was ignoring me anyway. I wanted to approach him and work this out, but I wasn’t quite sure how to broach the subject. I didn’t want to start an argument, but I was pretty sure it was unavoidable.
My head was also pounding with a massive headache, so I went to raid the cabinet for medicine. I walked into the living room to see Kyle sitting on the couch, typing away on his laptop on his lap. I wanted to remove his laptop, so I could snuggle in his lap and feel his warm body against mine.
The doorb
ell rang, and I turned to walk toward it. I was halfway there when I heard a loud bang and glass shattered, hitting the tile, clattering loudly. My heart raced as my body was frozen in place. Glass. Glass shattering. It sounded so familiar. It reminded me of how my Grand Cherokee window had shattered in the accident. Something hard hit my chest, but my thoughts were elsewhere.
Kyle had made his way over to me, but I hadn’t noticed until his hands grabbed my face. “Are you alright?” he asked quickly. He moved his hands over my arms and chest as his eyes frantically searched me from head to toe for injuries.
I nodded, too in shock to speak.
“I’ll be back. Stay here and call the police!” He ran out the door to pursue the attacker.
My hand rubbed my chest as my eyes dropped to the floor. Shards of glass were all over the place. A big rock was right in front of my feet. I jumped, removing my hand from my chest, as a piece of glass cut into my palm. I winced at the sharp pain.
Stepping around the side window that had been shattered, I walked out the front door onto the porch. An envelope was lying directly in front of the door. A shiver ran up my spine, giving me vicious goose bumps.
Off to the right, I heard a voice apologizing profusely as a massive shadow dragged a much smaller one.
“Oh my gosh!” I cried, stunned as they approached the deck. “He’s just a kid!”
Kyle shoved the teenage boy into a chair on the deck. “Start talking,” he threatened, his voice cold and hard.
“I-I don’t know a-a-anything!” the boy stuttered.
Kyle lightly smacked him upside the back of the head. “Try the truth this time.”
I glared at him. “He’s just a kid for heaven’s sake, Kyle!”
“According to my old man, if he is old enough to break the law, he is old enough for an ass-kicking.”
“O-okay! Okay! D-don’t hurt me.” The boy sighed shakily. “A g-guy in town earlier offered me t-two hundred bucks if I-I would leave that envelope by the door and b-break a window.”
My heart was in serious risk of exploding. Who would want to break a window in my house? I glanced at Kyle nervously.
He turned to the boy, clenching his fist. “What the hell is wrong with you? You hurt her and scared her. You’re lucky I don’t put you in the hospital myself!” Kyle growled.
The boy turned to face me. “I-I’m so sorry.” His eyes dropped to the floor. “I-I don’t know what I was th-thinking. I guess t-two hundred dollars made me…very s-stupid.”
My heart constricted at the boy’s honesty.
“You can’t be more than sixteen or seventeen.” Kyle shook his head. “You don’t just go around breaking people’s windows. That is a criminal offense. Are you looking to see the inside of a jail cell?”
The boy’s eyes widened in fear. “N-no, sir.”
“Good,” Kyle said as a police car pulled up into the driveway. “If I ever catch you in her yard again, I will kick your ass without a second thought, kid or not. You got me?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
Officer West arrived, and he questioned the boy after speaking with Kyle and me. Luckily, Officer West knew the boy personally and called his mom. It turned out that the boy was going through a rough patch in life. His parents were getting a divorce, and his mom was bouncing around between low-end jobs, so two hundred dollars was between a rough spot and a rock. I hoped he’d learned a lesson. No matter how tempting, breaking the law was always the wrong choice.
I decided not to press charges. I believed everyone deserved a second chance. Deep down, past his rage and fear, I think Kyle agreed with my decision.
My bigger concern was the letter.
My hands shook as I stared at the letter. Figured WHAT out? What am I missing here? I don’t know an Aaron. Should I?
Kyle reached for the letter, but my hands were unable to move, so he gently took it from my hands and read it.
“Fuck! I’ll fucking kill him!” Kyle yelled, radiating hostility.
Officer West stepped forward. “Now, Mr. Madison, you can’t go around talking like that. We are doing everything we can to catch this guy.”
Kyle cut him a lethal glare. He was not even glaring at me, and it struck fear into every nerve ending of my body.
“Don’t even start that bullshit with me. I’m not a civilian. I know how this works.” His voice was hard and serious.
“I understand you want to protect this young woman, but be careful, young man. Don’t go looking for trouble.” Officer West was about fifteen years Kyle’s senior, and he was emphasizing his statements by pointing his finger at Kyle.
“I’ll do my best.” Kyle nodded. “But understand this—I will do anything I can to protect her. Her safety is my main concern.”
Officer West looked at Kyle, measuring him up for a moment, before nodding. “I understand. Love will do that to anyone. Still, you need to obey the law.”
I gasped. Just then, Kyle’s eyes found mine. He continued to look directly into my eyes as Officer West carried on, oblivious to our private moment.
“We will notify all the officers in the area of the situation. Also, once a day, an officer will drive by your house and check on things.”
That caught Kyle’s attention, and his gaze moved from me to the officer. “What the fuck is a once-a-day drive-by going to do?” he asked, trying to maintain control.
“Not much.” Officer West sighed. “But it’s all I have right now. We are short-staffed with two officers on unexpected leave and others on vacation. I know those aren’t good reasons, but it’s all I have.”
Kyle rubbed his fingers over his temples. It had been a long day for both of us, that was for sure.
“Keep me updated.” Kyle turned to look at me and then back at Officer West. “It’s time for me to take her in. She is stressed, scared, and dead on her feet.” He walked to my side and pulled me into his chest for a hug. “Let’s get you inside.” He kissed my forehead.
I nodded in agreement.
“Have a good night,” Officer West said. “And, Lily, call if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Officer West,” I replied.
Kyle took my hand in his, and we made our way inside. Closing the door behind him, Kyle insisted on tending to my cut. After he treated my injury to his satisfaction, he cleaned up all the broken glass and boarded the window.
Lost in my own thoughts, I headed straight to my bedroom with Kyle following close behind me. I stopped in the middle of the room and closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath. I was so tired, too tired to think or move. He turned me to face him and wrapped me in his embrace, hugging me tightly. After a moment, he bent forward and swooped me into his arms.
“It’s going to be alright,” he whispered against my cheek before he kissed it. “Come on, beautiful, it’s time for bed.”
Lying in bed together, Kyle held me close while I fell asleep to the rhythm of his heart. Completely overwhelmed by the whole day, I was out in what must have been seconds.
I reached for her hand, but a sharp intense pain radiated up my shoulder and side as I moved. I tried to ignore it. I needed to get to Annie.
“Annie!”
She wasn’t moving. Her hand was dangling over the side of the stretcher as people mumbled around us. Why is everyone muttering?
“Help her!” I screamed. I attempted to get up, but hands were holding me down.
“Lily!” someone yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“No! I need to help Annie! Let me go!” I cried. Just help Annie. Please. Please. Help Annie.
“Lily, it’s okay,” he said, his tone soft. “You are here with me. Come back to me.” Kyle’s voice was soothing and helped bring me back to the present.
I hate this. Why do these dreams have to haunt me? How am I supposed to move on when these dreams have a constricting hold on me? I turned my head and opened my eyes. Oh, Annie. I inhaled sharply at the pain stabbing my chest, right in the center of my heart.
Kyle’s
hold on me tightened as he ran soothing strokes up and down my back. It was just us, alone in the darkness, but I was so thankful that Kyle was next to me. It felt very comforting to have him by my side. He waited until I settled down before speaking.
“Do you mostly dream of Annie?” Kyle asked tenderly.
“Yes, and the accident…but mostly of her.”
“What happens with Annie?” he whispered. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
I blinked and looked out toward the window. The sun was starting to rise, giving the room a soft glow. I debated on how much I really wanted to share. Maybe telling him would help.
“Most of the ones with Annie are all in the ambulance. She is on a stretcher next to me. She doesn’t move when I call her name or reach for her. She just lies there, perfectly still, with her hand dangling off the stretcher.” Tears began streaming down my face. “Somehow, I know…that she’s already gone, but I don’t want to believe it. And then darkness pulls me back under.”
“Christ,” Kyle breathed, hugging me closer. “Tell me what to do, Lily. How can I help you? The pain in your eyes is too much for me.”
I turned my head to look up into his eyes. “You are already helping me, Kyle…so much.” I gave him a soft smile. “I have you to thank for so many changes already. You gave me the push I needed to speak with Jeanine. You held my hand during my session, and you stayed when you should have left for work. You have already helped me with so much. I would not have been able to accomplish any of this so quickly without you. Thank you for believing in me,” I said sincerely.
Kyle rubbed his thumb down my cheek. “You could have done all of that without me, Lily. You are so strong. You just need to realize it yourself.”
I nodded, hoping that I was growing stronger. I wanted to be stronger…but my emotions and fears sometimes got the best of me. “I know,” I said, my voice quiet. “You made it easier though. I’m glad you are here to help me through it.”