by Iris Blobel
Groaning, he got up and walked to the bedroom door. “Yes, I’m here.”
“Why didn’t you open the door?”
He shrugged. “Wanted to be alone.”
Hazel walked up to him and took his face in her hand to give him a kiss. “It’ll get better and normally I wouldn’t—”
“How did you get in?” he asked, every word as heavy and difficult to say as if he hadn’t slept for days.
“I took your mum’s key.” Then she rummaged in her bag to retrieve a small letter. “This arrived yesterday at my place. Addressed to you.”
Tyson took it and looked at it as if it would tell him the answers to all his sorrow. “For me?”
“I haven’t opened it, but it has a New South Wales address.”
He stared at her and after only a brief moment, he understood and ripped it open.
“It’s from Katie,” he said in almost a whisper. When he looked up, he saw Hazel smile. Something stirred inside him, so intense like an awareness how much he’d missed her. Trying to focus on the words in front of him, he moved back to his bed to sit down. He rubbed his eyes before he read it again and again.
“What does she say?” she asked.
He read it aloud. “Dear Ty, I heard of your father’s passing and wanted to send my heartfelt condolences. So sad to hear about it, you must miss him terribly. Although it doesn’t help you, may I say I know how you feel? If you deeply believe, he’ll always be with you. My prayers also for your mum, little Cailyn, and the rest of your family. Love, Katie. PS. Sending this to your Grandma, Teagan reckons it’d get lost with all the fan mail at your address.”
He met his grandmother’s eyes and saw she was struggling with her emotions. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her like that.
“You’ll need to call her,” she said as she took the card and read it herself.
“Grandma, you know she was the one who didn’t want any contact.”
She nodded. “You will call her and say thanks. They’re beautiful words. She needs to know you’ve received this card, and you appreciate it. Talking to her might help as well.”
He blew out a breath and went down the stairs into the kitchen. “Coffee?”
Hazel was right behind him. “I need to go back and pick up Cailyn. She’ll be with me for the rest of the day.” She stepped closer and rubbed the back of his shoulders. “We’re having dinner tomorrow at my place. Will you be there?”
He nodded.
“Bring Markus and Oliver.”
Surprised, he looked at her. “You’ve neglected them a bit,” she clarified. “It’d be nice for you guys to have a little boys’ time and a beer.”
He choked back a chuckle. “I just lost my dad.”
“I know,” she interrupted. “But you haven’t lost your own life. A bit of a laugh is good and doesn’t mean you miss him any less.”
Another nod.
“And call Katie!”
He heaved a big sigh. “Yes, Grandma.” And then she was gone. With the card in one hand and his coffee in the other Ty went upstairs to find his phone. Trying to make himself comfortable on the bed, he wondered what he’d say. The words jumbled in his head, and he couldn’t figure out a straightforward sentence, so he just dialled.
Once connected, his heart raced when he heard it ringing. Once. Twice. Was she ignoring him? Three times.
“Hello?”
Her soft voice turned his legs to jelly, and he was glad he was sitting down.
“Hi, Katie.”
There was a brief silence, and he hoped to God she wouldn’t hang up on him.
“How are you?” she asked after what seemed like hours.
“I’m okay,” he replied, trying to remember her face. It’d been too long. “Thanks for the card.”
“Oh. Good.”
Silence.
“I’m glad you got it. I wasn’t sure—”
“Good thinking.”
“It was Teagan’s idea,” she admitted.
“I miss you, Katie,” he suddenly said. “Please let me come visit you.”
“Ty—”
“Please.”
“Ty, please don’t go there. Nothing will change, but we’ll simply add fuel to the same fire we’ve burnt our hands on before. It’s better this way, trust me.”
He let out a long sigh and ignored her comment. “I miss you.”
“You’re hurt by your father’s death. Emotions are mixed up. I’ve been there. I know.”
Although he wanted to disagree with her, he didn’t have the strength to argue. He listened to her voice, taking in the sound of each word. His heart had broken into pieces again.
“I’ve got to go,” she said apologetically.
He hung up and a different kind of grief spread through his body.
Another aching.
Another loss.
Ty threw himself back onto his bed as the heaviness of it all centred on his chest.
***
“For fuckin’ sake, Katie, what were you thinking?”
Katie was taken aback by Teagan’s outburst after she’d told her about Ty’s phone call. “Could you hold back on the swearing?”
They were on their way to a party, and her friend was less than happy. Despite the fact they were about to spend the evening with their friends, including Teagan’s new boyfriend.
No, Teagan was furious. “Holding back? You’re kidding’ me, right.” Shaking her head violently. “The guy just lost his dad. Misses you. Wants to come and see you. Geez, put one and one together, Katie. He’s obviously not looked for anybody else, but is still hung up on you.”
Katie drew in her lips and was about to say something when her friend continued. “You know how it is to lose someone dear. You know how lonely it feels. And might I remind you, that it was Tyson who brought a smile back to your lips. Not to forget the amazing sex you had with him.”
She shot around and glared at Teagan.
“Your words,” her friends said matter-of-factly.
“That doesn’t mean you can use them!”
Teagan laughed. “Sweetie, in all seriousness. He might need a friend. Nothing might eventuate out of this, but you’ll have given him a shoulder to cry on.”
“What about his two good friends. I mean, I’m sure he knows other people,” Katie replied.
Her friend snorted. “Mr. Sexy and Mr. Über-sexy?”
“Shut up!”
“You have one very selfish attitude, Missy. For once, don’t think about what you two had, but what he needs. You needed someone to look after you when you had this nasty cold. He came. You needed a car to drive to Melbourne. He organised. You needed—”
“Okay,” Katie nearly screamed. “I get the gist.”
Teagan parked, and turned to her friend. Just meeting her gaze made Katie shiver, and she knew Teagan was all business.
“Call him!” she demanded.
“I will. I promise,” Katie said with one hand on the door handle ready to get out. Yet, she didn’t expect Teagan to be so adamant about the whole thing and startled when she was held back.
“Now!”
“Geez, Teagan. What’s in it for you?”
Her friend let go of her and leaned back into her seat. She glanced out the front window and stared towards the horizon. Inhaling a deep breath, she finally said, her words hardly audible, “The day you told me Paige had died—” She shook her head and turned to Katie. “You looked like a ghost. You spoke like someone completely foreign to me. Your eyes were withdrawn and all life had left you. I cried myself to sleep sometimes.” Teagan choked a laugh. “Out of all people. Me! I was so worried about you. Every time I saw you, I sent thanks to the guy up above that you’re still with us.”
Katie placed a hand on her friend’s arm. “I didn’t know,” she whispered.
A smile tugged at Teagan’s lips. “No, you didn’t. You weren’t supposed to know. You were supposed to look after yourself and come back to this life.” She too
k her friend’s hand into hers. “And then this guy from Melbourne comes along and within such a short time he made it all happen. He made you smile. Made you want to look good. Made you feel wanted. I was so grateful.” Heaving a big sigh, she continued. “That’s why I want you to call him right now to make sure he’s okay.”
Katie nodded. There were no further words needed. She understood.
As she wiped away a tear, she grabbed her phone out of her bag. “Damn you for making me cry when I’m supposed to make a call like that.”
Teagan laughed and gave her a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you in a few. You won’t need me.” She left and walked towards the pub.
With shaking hands, Katie pushed the shortcut for Ty’s number. Willing herself to calm down, she concentrated on her breathing and waited. Not surprisingly, it took only a few seconds for him to reply.
“I’m so sorry,” was all she said. He didn’t reply, so she went on saying, “I’ve been selfish. And scared. And hurt. And I don’t know what else. I’d be happy to come to see you, if you still like me to.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you, Katie. I never would.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“I’d love to see you.”
She closed her eyes, trying to not cry. The last thing he needed was to listen to her sobbing on the other side of the line.
“I will ask Teagan for her car and I should be there late Saturday.”
“I can book you a flight.”
Looking up into the sky, she remembered the small planes coming and going from the local airport. It scared her even more. “I’d rather come by car.”
“I’ll organise you a car.”
“I don’t—”
“I’ll get you a car.”
“Okay. A small one, though, please.”
“Katie?”
“Hmm?”
“Thanks.”
She hung up and her heart raced. An excitement rushed through her body, a feeling of anticipation that left her confused. Katie bit her lip, feeling an essence of guilt that she’d been so selfish and all wrapped up in her own misery.
She followed Teagan to the pub for the party, but her mind was somewhere else for the rest of the evening.
With Tyson.
Mixed emotions stirred in her. She hoped she’d say the right things to help him ease his grief, but at the same time, she was scared she was doing the wrong thing by visiting. As much as she believed there was no future for them, she knew his touch could make her forget all her worries. She looked over to Teagan, blissfully happy in Declan’s arms. A rush of warmth washed over her, for the first time fully appreciating Teagan’s friendship that in the last hour had become so much deeper.
***
Saturday afternoon didn’t come quick enough for Ty. Drawn between grief and excitement, he ignored his friends’ phone calls and watched television most of the day. He had rung Katie a couple of times, but she had just replied I’m driving!!! which he interpreted as I can’t answer the phone so bugger off. She did let him know where she was while having a break. He was grateful for that and just let her be. Knowing the drive was long and tiring, he didn’t want to distract her with his impatience.
Oliver came around after lunch. As much as Tyson hinted he needed to be alone, his friend had none of it. Oliver simply wouldn’t leave, even when Tyson asked him to.
“You’re going crazy, man. This is ridiculous. Get the surf board and let’s go.”
Ty shook his head. “Not today.”
“Yes, today,” Oliver insisted.
He blew out a long breath and said, “Katie’s on her way.”
Oliver’s eyes shot wide open. “Say what?”
Ty didn’t have to repeat. Seeing the grin plastered all over his friend’s face told him everything.
“The sexy one from up north?” Oliver asked.
Turning, Ty walked into the kitchen to grab his sandwich.
“Mate, you’re kidding me, right?”
Ty shook his head. “Nope.”
“The one that squeezed your heart and then left you hanging dry?”
“Bugger off, Oliver. She didn’t leave me. You saw the article in the paper.”
“Did you show her your bank account? That should’ve convinced her.”
Ty glared at his friend. “You’re such an ass at times. Honestly. She couldn’t give a fuck about my money.” Sighing, he walked right past his friend and into the lounge room.
The sound of the fridge door opening told him Oliver was helping himself to a drink and was going to hang around for a while.
“Sorry, mate. This seems really serious,” Oliver said when he joined Ty on the couch.
Ty shrugged. “She lost her sister last year. When I got her card I called.”
Arching an eyebrow Oliver took a sip of his drink and then said, “Sex is not the answer to cope with your grief.”
Ty snorted and shook his head. “Where the hell did you pick up that line?”
“Losing your dad is serious stuff, mate. Distracting yourself with Katie is a bandaid solution, but not—”
Shaking his head again, Ty interrupted, “Where does all that come from?”
Oliver stood. “For fuck’s sake. I’m not as superficial as everyone thinks.” He stopped as he walked over to the window. “The reason Mum’s in a wheelchair is my fault. My fuckin’ fault. I drove the car. I know a thing or two about distracting yourself with girls.”
The words surprised Tyson. The honesty of it. Oliver had always been the one with a girl on his arm or waiting for him. The word commitment was foreign to him and he had always talked about it as if it was a disease. But as for the reason.
“I’m sorry mate. I didn’t know.”
Oliver shrugged and joined Ty on the couch again. “Not many know. It’s not something I want people to know.”
They both sat in silence as Oliver took the remote and surfed through the channels.
Tyson said, “It’s not the sex. I…I just want to talk to someone.”
“You like her?”
“She’d be the one, Oliver. She’s just gorgeous, funny, clever, witty and none of the high maintenance crap like Anita.” As he took his last bite of the sandwich, he placed the plate on the small table before slouching back into the couch. “Dad liked her, too. Son, he said, she’s a keeper.”
They laughed at Ty’s lousy attempt to copy James’ deep voice. Ty raked his hand through his hair. “He was right, you know.”
“I get it.” Oliver checked the time. “When do you expect her?”
Tyson looked over to the wall clock. “She was in Lakes about an hour ago.”
“I’d better be going then.” With a pad on Ty’s shoulder, he said, “Mate, if you need to talk, you know where to go, okay? Markus isn’t bad, either, with the emotional stuff. I think he’d have been a great shrink if he weren’t playing soccer.”
Ty stood and followed his friend to the door. “Thanks, mate! I appreciate it.”
He watched his friend drive off and pondered about the words that had been said. Oliver had always been a great friend, and he’d always been able to rely on him whenever he had trouble, but he was surprised by the new revelations of his mum’s reason for being in a wheelchair.
A wave of gratitude rushed through him.
Chapter Nine
It was shortly after three o’clock when Katie finally arrived. Her eyes burned, and she pressed both hands over them. Her brain was fuzzy from exhaustion, not only from the drive, but from the tug-of-war of her emotions as well. When she got out of the car, Ty was already waiting at the front door. One look at him, her nerves throbbed and tingled with every beat of her pulse. Inhaling a long, deep breath, she opened the car and stepped out. Taken aback by what she saw, she hesitated before finally walking towards him. Tyson looked pale, appearing tired and haggard.
He placed a kiss on her cheek and stepped aside to let her into the house. She had suspiciously looked around for somebody with a
camera in their hand, but couldn’t see anybody. It was a slight relief, but it angered her that she’d even thought of it.
“How are you?” she asked once they were inside.
“Going okay.”
She smiled. She tried to encourage him with a small smile. Knowing that grief could consume a person with sorrow and anger, providing an expression of happiness could convey more than a thousand words. She was in Melbourne to make him feel better. The way he had made her feel for the few hours they had been together. Dealing with grief was one of life’s hardest lessons. Katie had learnt that after Paige had died. The memories were fading and inside grew an emotional fear of losing them as well.
“Want to go for a walk?” she asked quietly.
“There’s no beach around here.” He attempted to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Want to get out of this house?”
He nodded and grabbed the keys off the sideboard. “What about your stuff? Would you like to bring that in first?”
Katie thought about that for a moment, but decided it was safe to leave it in the car.
They walked along the waterfront towards the stadium.
“Have you ever played in here?”
As he nodded, he took her hand. “A couple of times.”
“What’s it like?”
He stopped walking and took in the stadium as if he’d never seen it before. “It’s like the most amazing feeling ever. The crowd. The atmosphere. The roar after a goal. Or the crowd wave. You have to come and watch a game one day.”
They kept on strolling along and when they came to a café, they sat down for a drink. After an initial silence Tyson started talking about his father’s funeral, and their last trip fishing.
“He liked you.”
Katie felt her cheeks blushing as she recalled the day she had met his dad. She’d liked him, too. Very much.
Ty continued talking, and she assumed this was the first time he had actually spoken about his dad. She let him go down that path, adding a few questions, but mainly listened. A few hours later, they were back at his apartment where she unpacked her bag.