by Iris Blobel
Concentrating hard on his words and not the sound of his voice, she wiped away more tears.
“Katie?”
“I’m still here.”
“Let me come up and explain.”
“I thought it was a lie. What would there be to explain?” she asked, her voice as fragile as her heart.
She had to strain to hear him, he spoke so quietly. “I wanna hold you in my arms and wipe those tears away.”
The words hit her like fists, slicing into her soul, and taking something important along with it. He’d had her in his arms, and he had wiped away her tears. Then he threw her away.
“Please, Ty. This was never going to work anyway. Not only do I live in another state, I’m not sure whether I’m made to compete with the likes of Anita, or newspaper articles. You’ve met me during a time I’ve been most fragile because of something that happened to me recently. I need to get back on my feet first before starting something that seems so complex.”
Even though she knew it was selfish on her behalf, Katie hung up without giving him the chance to reply. She was tired and didn’t want to think rationally about the situation. Her heart didn’t want to hear his voice, She didn’t want to be bruised again. Her head was overflowing with too many emotions and too little information. Her body was fighting a flu that didn’t want to leave.
Was she right or wrong?
Should she have given him a chance?
Exhausted, she slid down the wall to the floor. For several minutes, she sat there in silence with her head between her knees, staring at the carpet pattern beneath her. The image of Tyson kept crawling back into her every thought. Had she done him wrong? Had she thrown away something really good?
Another flood of tears shook her body.
Chapter Five
Katie hanging up on Tyson had hurt him more than the concussion after Toby McGuire had knocked him out during a game. He stared at the phone for a long moment, hoping it was just a bad connection, and he’d hear her voice again.
But it hadn’t been a bad connection, and he didn’t hear her voice.
Slouching back into his grandma’s couch, he inhaled a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. It was as if he’d hoped for some divine intervention that didn’t come. As he listened to the outside noises and Hazel in the kitchen, his mind went into overdrive. His mother had left half an hour earlier, and the silence gave him time to think. There had to be a way to get this sorted out. He wouldn’t give up without a fight. A part of him tried not to be disappointed that Katie didn’t trust him more, but he understood she was not only coping with a nasty cold, but newspaper articles could make people believe what might not be true. The thought of her sitting in her small apartment, confused and angry, tore at him. The helplessness of it all was crushing him.
He stood and walked into the kitchen.
“Grandma, I need Grandpa’s car keys.”
“And where are you off to?” she asked without looking at him.
“To get this mess under control,” he replied as he stepped towards the cupboard and helped himself to the keys.
Hazel turned. “You’re not doing anything stupid, are you?”
He gave her a kiss on her cheek. “Would I do that?”
She didn’t get a chance to reply as he rushed out the back door towards the garage.
Half an hour later, he stood in front of Anita, who was wrapped in only a towel. He knew straight away he was in trouble. Not the kind of trouble his buddy below would get him into, but the trouble she would cause him on her mission to make his life miserable.
“About time,” she drawled.
“Drop the American accent. It sounds like you skipped most of your acting lessons.”
She moved towards him and reached for his hand, slipping her small and still moist one into his. At her touch, he jerked, but didn’t pull away. He should have done this over the phone and kept reminding himself not to look into her eyes.
Her sun-kissed skin was still damp, and her hair swept up in a towel. Against his better judgement, Ty looked into those hazel brown eyes. She stared back at him, and slowly her gaze turned from sweet and innocent to full of determination. History had taught him that expression was like diving into a pool full of sharks.
“What the fuck are you doing, Anita?”
Eyes wide, her voice was still as sweet as sugar. “Would you like to come in and check out the wedding arrangements I’ve made?”
He removed his hand from hers and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know as well as me, there won’t be a wedding. At least not between you and me.”
Tilting her head to one side, she gave him a smile. “That’s not a nice thing to say. After all, you did ask me to marry you.”
“And you ran off trying to sell your useless talent in Tinseltown.”
Her hands went to the top of the towel, and he wasn’t sure whether she’d moved it up or down a bit.
Damn that girl.
Anita’s red lips turned into a seductive pout as she moved closer and kissed him softly on his lips.
“You’ve always liked to play hard to get,” she whispered against his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He stepped back, only fractionally, but enough to put space between them. He noticed her towel had slid down and was now in folds on top of her feet. Gazing up and down her naked body until he met her eyes, he urged himself to leave. Leave now. Instead, he grabbed her hand, walked past her, and pulled her into her apartment.
“Put something on, for fuck’s sake.”
Anita stepped closer, sliding her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and along his throat, her face close to his. So close, he could feel her breath on his cheek. For just one heartbeat, he considered giving in to her seduction. Except his reason for being at Anita’s came back in a flash when he thought about Katie.
He stepped away to put a big gap between them. “You’d better get this crap out of the paper or else.”
“Or else what?” she asked, her eyebrow tilted up provocatively.
“There’ll be no wedding. You know that as well as I do.”
Still naked, she came closer again and stood on the tips of her toes, brushing his lips with hers. The familiar taste stirred everything inside him. The memories of their time together. She moved her arms up and around his neck. He groaned as their kiss heated, and their tongues danced together. The scent of her body lotion teased his nose.
Until his sanity returned, and he stepped away from her. As he let out a litany of curses, he raked a hand through his hair. It seemed like he couldn’t think when she was that close. He grabbed her wrists and moved them away from him.
“Listen to me, Anita. There’s going to be no wedding.”
She didn’t say anything, but her eyes turned cold and hard.
“Save your efforts. I don’t love you. I never have,” Tyson said through gritted teeth.
With a violent shove, she pushed him away. “You asked me to marry you.” Her voice was now full of contempt.
He turned and walked over to the door to pick up the towel. As he threw it at her, he replied, “It was great sex. I was stupid and immature enough to confuse it with love.”
“Bullshit.” The expression on her face changed as she slowly wrapped the towel around herself. The initial anger seemed to fade and instead he thought he detected some pain in her eyes. A pang of guilt rushed over him, and he placed his finger under her chin.
“Anita—”
Moving away from him, she snapped, “Don’t you dare touch me! Who wants to marry you anyway? You’re about the lousiest lover ever.”
The guilt he felt only a minute earlier disappeared as quickly as it had come. “Get the wedding story out of the paper, d’you hear?”
***
The week had been a blur for Katie. She’d stayed home for a couple of days to cure her cold and mend her broken heart. Yet, nothing helped. The ever growing tissue mountain in her apartment was the result of her failed effort to get bot
h under control. The few walks along the beach, enjoying the breeze, and the warmth of the sun, had helped clear the nose but reminded her too much of the picnic she’d had with Ty. She was sure, she looked like a week old prune, dehydrated to the last drop.
When she finally returned to work, she was grateful it kept her mind occupied. Playing netball the previous night had been exhausting and had resulted in a long and deep sleep. Something she hadn’t had in days.
Katie was still in bed when the doorbell rang. A string of profanities escaped her lips as she turned to check the time. The crimson numbers on her alarm clock told her it was just after nine o’clock. Her mind was blank as to who would want to see her that early on a Saturday morning. Her mother would’ve called first, and Teagan was probably still in bed just like her, although with a hangover, if not a nice guy for company. Pulling the duvet over her head, she ignored the visitor.
Three knocks, each louder than the previous one. Everyone in the building was going to complain. Cursing, she dragged herself out of bed. When she opened the door with the security chain still in place, her heart nearly dropped to her toes.
It was Tyson.
Standing there in all his glory, he didn’t show the slightest hint of a cold or heartache. Damn this guy. He must’ve left Melbourne early to be at her place at this time of the day, and she couldn’t believe he didn’t look exhausted. No, he just looked gorgeous, and her heartache flared up again.
“What do you want?” she whispered.
“Well, first of all, I’d like you to open the door.”
“Why?”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Because I need to talk to you.”
“I don’t wanna talk.”
Closing the small distance between them, he said, “Tough luck. I stay here until you open up. And unless you’d like everyone in this building to know about what I think of your stubbornness, I suggest you open up now.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and she reluctantly let him in. Suddenly, she wished she had checked in the mirror and cleaned herself up a little. She wore some old boxers and a skimpy white tank top, which was still covered in paint stains from renovating Paige’s new house. But then again, why should she bother?
Silently, she walked into the kitchen and prepared herself breakfast as well as a cup of tea. She heard Tyson following her and sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs.
“Katie, you need to listen to me. There’s not going to be a wedding.”
Shrugging, she replied, “I honestly don’t care.”
Still with her back to him, she heard the screeching of the chair and his steps. She flinched at his touch, her heart pounding against her chest like mad. He planted his hands on the bench on either side of her, practically trapping her. His face was next to her head, and his warm breath tickled her ear, giving her an odd shiver and changing her breathing.
He kissed the sensitive skin behind her ear, working his way down her throat, when she suddenly turned and pushed him away.
“No way can you just come here, seduce me, and get me into bed, thinking all’s forgotten.”
His gaze was dead on. “That was not my intention. You know that.”
Poking him in his chest, she replied, “Once bitten twice shy. If you could move, please, so I can eat my breakfast?”
“Nope.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Come again?”
“I said no. I’m not moving until you’ve listened to me.”
Frustration crept up in her, and she took a bite of her toast. “I’ve got no choice it seems.”
Ty tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’m not going to marry Anita. It was utter crap she fed the newspaper.”
With her mouth still full, ignoring any good manners, she retorted, “Why did she?”
The expression on his face changed from strength to frustration. His posture slumped a little, as though resolve was being drained from him. The sudden change surprised her, and her irritation diminished. She reminded herself she needed to protect her heart.
***
He stepped back and walked over to the window to watch the world go by. During his first visit to this coastal town, he’d fallen in love with the scenery. The harbour with its activities in cafés, little shops, and on the streets. Beyond it was the beach which looked breathtaking on a sunny day or even a cloudy one like today.
He loved Melbourne. Growing up in the metropolitan city gave him opportunities he wouldn’t have had in other smaller towns. But this place? He loved it and could imagine a life here. A life with Katie. That was why he had to get this right.
“Anita and I met a few years back. She’s a friend of a friend.” He let out a bitter chuckle. “She wanted fame, I was halfway there. It was all a fake. Then one day she told me she was going to the U.S. to make it big over there. I panicked and asked her to marry me. She showed me the cold shoulder and left anyway.”
He turned and met her gaze. “That was over a year ago. Obviously, the Americans didn’t quite embrace her useless talent as she’d hoped. She came back two weeks ago, needed to be in the headlines, and came up with this.”
Katie didn’t say anything, but finished her toast. Watching her taking a sip of her tea, he felt annoyed as he moved back to her side. “I had no idea about the newspaper article, and I’m not going to marry her.” When he stood in front of her, he placed his finger under her chin to tilt it up toward his face, and he stared into her eyes. “The weekend with you was the best time I’ve had in a long time.”
In slow motion, she took his hand and moved it away. He saw her struggle to hold her composure. Stepping away from him, she said, “You’ve said your bit and I’ve listened. It’s only fair you leave now.”
He raked his hand through his hair. “Not until we’ve talked about it.”
She turned and shot him a look. “Please, Ty. Please understand you’ve come into my life at the wrong time. I haven’t got the emotional strength to fight for something I don’t even whether it’s worth fighting for.”
“Why won’t you tell me what you’re afraid of?”
“I’m not afraid, I’m tired.”
“Katie?” he whispered.
“Go. Please, Ty.”
Seeing the tears on her cheek, he stepped back, the intense ache in his chest surprising him. He ached for her. All he wanted to do was to take her into his arms and make everything go away. Instead, he grabbed his bag and left. Slowly he went down the steps, hoping she’d change her mind and call him. Call out his name and ask him to come back up. But she didn’t.
With a mix of anger and irritation, he threw his bag in his car and sat behind the steering wheel. This hadn’t gone the way he had imagined at all. Ty hit the steering wheel with open palms and felt his frustration mount. Sighing, he dropped his forehead against the wheel. Just when he thought he’d have everything under control, he’d lost it again. Why was she so stubborn? Why didn’t she believe him and give him another chance?
Lifting his head, his gaze went to Katie’s window where he had stood only minutes earlier. Katie! He shut his eyes and remembered the sweet scent of her hair and the softness of her skin. Her face was so vivid in his mind’s eye that it hurt like hell knowing she didn’t want to see him again.
***
Katie did what she had done most of the previous week. She went in search of a tissue box and wiped the never-ending stream of tears away. All she wanted was to run into his arms and tell him it didn’t really matter what had happened, but she knew that wasn’t true. She was in two minds. It bugged her that he wasn’t the one at fault, but her heart was just too scared to let him in again. Too scared to be hurt again.
Closing her eyes, she remembered his kisses and his touch on her skin, then instantly dismissed the images. There were too many reasons this relationship wasn’t a good idea. They lived eight hours away from each other for one. She doubted he would move, considering his football career was in Melbourne, and Katie didn
’t think she could leave her parents behind. Or Teagan. It was best to enjoy the memories of their weekend together and move on.
After a hot shower, she grabbed her bag as well as her keys, and went to her parents’ place, via the cemetery. She hadn’t been to see Paige the whole week. Katie cleaned up her sister’s resting place, pulled some weeds, and placed a fresh flower arrangement on the grave. As she wiped the granite headstone and lit a candle, she told her all about Tyson. It felt good to talk about it.
Sitting back, she stared at the small grave amongst all the others, decorated with plants and a little teddy bear in the corner. Paige had her whole life in front of her, and it was cut short. Katie’s mother had started to reason with her about God, faith, and how things were meant to be, but Katie’s beliefs weren’t as strong as her parents’, and she still struggled.
She kept talking about Ty and could almost envision her beautiful sister sitting there, with a solemn expression on her face as she listened to her. Paige would probably be shaking her head at Katie’s doubts about this hunk of a football player from Melbourne.
Yet, talking into the void wasn’t as effective as she would have liked it to be, simply because nobody talked back to her.
An hour later, she arrived at her parents’ house. When her mother opened the door, she was greeted with a big hug.
“Sweetie, you still look run down. Come in and say hello to Dad. I’ll make some tea and bring you some cake I’ve made.”
Katie went into the lounge room and placed a kiss on her father’s cheek. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hello, Katie. How are you?”
“Still having the sniffles, but feeling a bit better. I’ve been to see Paige.”
Her father’s facial expression momentarily saddened. “Did you leave her some flowers?”
She merely nodded. They both sat in silence for a moment, and Katie assumed he imagined his older daughter coming through the door any minute to give him a hard time about his Saturday afternoon television habits.