A Stellar Year

by Krystle Rose

“You.”

  A doctor called out for the parents of Canaan Phillips and Nomi sprang to her feet. She practically ran through the small space to join them as they stood to address the physician. Owen slowly joined as the man explained the situation.

  Canaan was bruised and scratched up but had only suffered a sprained wrist and fractured tibia. Luckily, it wasn’t bad enough to require surgery, he would just be casted up for a few months, then he’d have a boot brace for a couple more after that. He didn’t have a concussion or any internal bleeding, so as soon as they had him in a cast, Canaan would be free to go.

  Her folks thanked the man and he jetted back through the double doors leading to the treatment areas. Her father hugged her mother and they breathed a sigh of relief at the news. Nomi turned to face Owen and he, too, appeared relieved.

  “Outside. Now,” she said, shouldering past him toward the exit.

  She heard her parents plead with her as she stomped away, but Nomi ignored them and kept going. Owen promised them it was fine and that they’d return momentarily, then jogged to catch up.

  Once outside, in the warm midday sun, Nomi found a corner where they wouldn’t be seen or bothered and waited for him there. Owen approached cautiously, with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face.

  “You were arguing about me?”

  He nodded slowly.

  “Why?”

  “Canaan thinks I’m going to break your heart. That this is casual, meaningless, that I don’t have real feelings for you, and it’s just not true.”

  “So, you prove him wrong by showing him, not disputing with him!”

  “I was defending myself! And you!”

  “Me? How were you defending me?”

  “He treats you like a kid. He still sees you as a little girl,” he said, shaking his head. “He doesn’t think you’re ready to make adult decisions on your own.”

  “He’s my brother, he’s just being protective.”

  “Okay,” he replied, putting his hands up in defense. Backing away inch by inch, he told Nomi, “I don’t want to fight with you, too.”

  She raised a brow at him and crossed her arms.

  “You think it’s more than that?”

  “I said I don’t want to argue.”

  “Answer me!”

  “Argh!” Owen snarled, throwing his arms out to the sides. “Your brother has a low opinion of both of us when it comes to relationships, alright?”

  “Meaning?”

  “According to him, you’re too fragile and I’m too oblivious. I argued for both our sakes, but you know how hard-headed he is.”

  “I know how stubborn both of you are, yes,” she responded, rolling her eyes. “But I don’t need you to defend me to him.”

  “I just want him to understand that this is different.”

  “Then you show him by doing. Actions speak louder than words, remember?”

  “I’ve been too busy trying to show you.”

  “And it’s working.”

  "Thank goodness," Owen said with relief, reaching for her.

  "Stay on the subject," she reminded him, shooing away his hands.

  “Nomi, I need your brother to support us. He’s my best friend and you’re my--” he cut himself short.

  Nomi stepped forward, closer to where he stood. Tilting her head to one side, she queried, “Your what?”

  Owen’s breath slowly left his lungs. He reached for her tentatively and when she didn’t resist this time, he pulled Nomi into his arms. It felt good to be in his embrace again however, the events of the day so had her head spinning.

  “Well, I was hoping…” Owen started, looking down at her, “that you’d be my girlfriend.”

  Nomi rested her hands on his chest and softly smiled.

  “After you threw my brother off a cliff? No way.”

  Then she harrumphed and pushed on his shoulders. Owen went tumbling back in shock. Nomi snickered and sashayed away, leaving him reeling in the background.

  Nomi rejoined her parents and, an hour later, Canaan was being wheeled out with a hot pink cast on his left leg and a butterfly bandage holding together his right eyebrow. He grimaced when his family started fawning over him and swatted them away. Then he looked up at Owen, gave him a blank expression, and instructed the nurse to keep going. She pushed him to the door while their father ran to retrieve the car.

  Then the nurse helped him into the front seat and he bid farewell to Nomi and his mother, who both waved courteously and watched as the car drove away. Ignoring her other companion, Nomi said goodnight to her mom, then headed for her vehicle.

  “Nomi, wait,” Owen called after her.

  She didn’t stop or even slow down, she just kept walking, but Owen caught up.

  “You don’t seriously think I pushed Canaan, do you?”

  “No,” she admitted while retrieving her keys. "Of course not.”

  “But you’re still mad at me?”

  “That I am.”

  “Why?”

  Nomi unlocked and opened her vehicle door, then stepped up and looked over the frame at Owen. He looked like a schoolboy, gaping up at her with those big puppy dog eyes and a somber expression on his face.

  “I’m mad at both of you. For being stupid, reckless, stubborn boys. Thanks to the idiocy on both your parts, my brother is in a cast and you’re in guiltsville. Now I have to fix this.”

  “Wait, what?”

  Nomi closed the door and buckled in. Owen knocked on the window and called her name.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Meet me at the house tomorrow morning, nine o’clock.”

  “Why? Nomi? Nomi!” he shouted as she pulled out of the parking space and drove away.

  Month 12

  Nomi did not expect to spend the first day of the last month of her year standing in the living room of her parent's house, having a stern conversation with her brother and his best friend.

  She had planned to spend the day reflecting on what she had accomplished in that time, go over her lists and check off the things she had managed to do, and take a hard look at what hadn’t been marked off. A lot had happened over the course of these twelve months and Nomi looked forward to sitting down with her thoughts, but unfortunately, the year wasn’t over yet and she had a few things that still needed clearing up. Like the mess surrounding Nomi and Owen’s relationship.

  Canaan was slouching in a recliner with his hands gripping the arms of the chair and his crutches close at hand. Owen was leaning against the wall, staring at the window longingly. Nomi came to stand before them and they both turned their heads to look at her.

  “Let’s get this over with,” she told them.

  They were alone in the house, her parents both at work and agreeing to stay out of whatever was going on between their kids and Owen. Nomi was thankful for that and had stayed the night on the couch in order to have this discussion today.

  Owen moved away from the window and came closer. Canaan didn’t even glance in his direction. Nomi huffed with disappointment, then cleared her throat.

  Here goes nothing, she thought.

  “A year ago, I had just ended a rotten relationship and decided to take a break. I've used my time to figure out what went wrong in all of my past relationships and what needed to change going forward. I looked myself in the mirror and saw someone I didn’t recognize anymore, so I worked hard to change what I was looking at.”

  Both men stared at her, speechless. Nomi wrung her hands together and continued.

  “I changed myself and figured out what needed to change in the men I was dating. I learned to love myself and prepared to be loved. I was determined not to put myself out there again, though, until my year was up. I made a commitment and I planned to stick to it. But life had other plans.”

  “Nomi--”

  “You can speak when I’m finished,” she snapped at her brother.

  Owen’s eyes went wide, but he didn’t speak a word. Canaan snuggled dee
per into the cushions of the chair and pouted. Nomi nodded curtly and began again.

  “Never in a million years did I think that Owen would develop feelings for me. Never would I have thought that he would sacrifice so much to make those feelings his priority and prove himself worthy of me. Never did I think we would end up exploring those feelings and discovering plenty more in the process. But that happened. Whether you like it or not, Canaan, it happened and I don’t regret it.”

  “He could have had any girl!” he yelped. “But he chose to go after you, the one person who was off-limits to him.”

  “Because you said so,” she argued. “You made us off-limits to one another, but we’re adults now and we make our own decisions.”

  “Listen, we both know how you feel about this,” Owen chimed in. “We don’t agree with your opinion, but you still have a right to it. That doesn’t mean it’s going to stop us.”

  “And you,” Nomi directed at Owen, in turn. “You are not my brother or my parent. Stop trying to protect me. I can handle myself.”

  Canaan snorted and covered a chuckle with his hand. Amused, he watched Owen shrink about four inches. Nomi sent her sibling a look of murder and his smile faded. Returning her attention to Owen, she continued.

  “I don’t want to come in between you two. Your relationship is more important.”

  “You’re important,” Owen disputed.

  “I can’t sit back and feel okay with causing a feud between you guys. That would be selfish and wrong.”

  “No, it’s not,” he said, coming to his feet. “I’m the one who has been selfish. I wanted you, no matter the cost, and that was at the expense of my best friend. I wish that wasn’t the case, but I don’t regret it, either. I’d sacrifice anything to be with you.”

  “Seriously?” Canaan questioned, shocked.

  Owen looked over at his friend and sadly shrugged.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m in love with her.”

  “Owen…” Nomi breathed.

  Facing her once more, he stepped closer. Taken aback, Nomi stayed cemented in place.

  “I didn’t want you to hear it like this,” he said in way of apology, “but it’s true. I love you, Nomi.”

  “Shit,” Canaan hissed, rubbing his forehead.

  “You should go,” she told him

  “Excuse me?” Owen asked, caught off guard.

  “I need to speak with my brother alone.”

  “But, I--”

  “We’ll talk later,” she guaranteed him.

  Owen looked at her unsurely, then simply bobbed his head and walked out of the room, leaving the siblings alone together. When she heard the front door close, Nomi went to sit down across from her brother, who was now bouncing his unbroken leg and chewing the inside of his cheek.

  Still recovering from what had just occurred, Nomi took a few deep breaths and urged her body to relax a little, which was nearly impossible given the fact that Owen had just told her that he was in love with her. Like she had said, never would she have expected that to happen and, now that it had, she wasn’t even sure how to react to it. She did know one thing, though, and that was that she needed to make things okay with her brother, so that’s what she set out to do.

  “I don’t want to fight with you about this anymore,” she said, finally. “If you truly don’t want us together, then I’ll walk away.”

  “And turn your back on love?”

  “Probably the only real love I’ve ever had.”

  “I love you,” he squabbled.

  “Besides from family,” she clarified.

  “I know,” Canaan groaned. Scrubbing the overgrown scruff on his jaw with the backs of his knuckles, he relented. “I don’t want you to do that.”

  “Really?”

  “I would never want to take that away from you.”

  Nomi smiled weakly and Canaan joked, “Besides, I think you two will work out.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yeah. Because if he ever breaks your heart, I’ll murder him.”

  She giggled and reached across to hold her brother’s hand. He squeezed it lovingly and encouraged her, “I just don’t want to see you hurt. But you’re right. You’re a grown woman now and you can decide for yourself. You’re smart and I trust you to make the right choice.”

  “Thank you,” she said, gripping his fingers again.

  “Just give me some time to get used to it.”

  “That sounds fair,” Nomi conceded. “So, are we good?”

  “Sure,” he agreed with a sigh. “Just one more thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You didn’t say it back.”

  “Say what?”

  “That you loved him,” Canaan replied plainly. Then, spearing her with his eyes, he asked, “So, do you?”

  Her eyes swelled and all she could do was nod. Then Canaan tugged on her hand until she stood and hugged him tightly. They stayed like that for minutes on end, just holding one another while she cried with joy.

  ∞∞∞

  Back at home, a few days later, Nomi stared down at her notebook.

  Learn to love herself? Check

  Decide what truly matters to her in a partner? Check

  Don’t settle for less? Check

  Move out? Check

  Save up money? Check

  Yep, she had accomplished most everything on her list. Nomi had grown -- not just up, but as a person -- and she was proud of her progress, even though there were a few items on her agenda that hadn’t been accomplished. Such as getting her food truck and starting her business. However, she felt confident that those things would come with time. Just a little more time.

  Her pickle jar was nearly full and soon she would start the hunt for her future restaurant on wheels. For now, though, Nomi was content with where her life was at and how much had changed in the last year. What had started as a half-hearted joke had turned out to be one of the best ideas she’d ever had. It led not only to her finding herself but also to finding out what all she could do if she truly tried.

  And it led her to Owen.

  Sure, he had been there all along, but not in the way that he was, now. For that, Nomi would be eternally grateful. And today, she was going to tell him that.

  After leaving the house that day, following her conversation with Canaan, Nomi had gone home. She texted Owen that night after hours of contemplation and asked him to come to her apartment that weekend so that they could finish their discussion. He agreed and they hadn’t spoken since. That felt strange, but it was for the best. Nomi didn’t want to tell him anything over the phone that should be said in person. So, even though she missed their nightly chats, she knew it was for the best.

  At ten a.m. sharp, there was a knock at her door. Nomi had asked that Owen be there early because she certainly didn't want to spend all day anxiously waiting for their chat. Waiting those last few days had been hard enough and she had gotten the weekend off, so Nomi was available whenever. It seemed Owen had a pretty open schedule as well because he didn't bawk at her request. That or he simply made it happen. Regardless, he was there and her head was dizzy with anticipation.

  Nomi opened the door to greet him. He was looking good in denim pants, a graphic tee, sneakers, and a backward snapback. His face was clean-shaven and he smelled fresh out of the shower, like bergamot soap and tea tree shampoo. The scent of him filled her senses and made Nomi even more lightheaded than before.

  She waved her arm and stepped out of the way, allowing Owen inside. He casually entered and stood nervously in the middle of the room. Nomi closed and locked the door, then approached him.

  "I know there's a lot to talk about, but I want to start by telling you that everything will be okay with Canaan."

  "Good," he nodded. "That's good."

  "Yeah," Nomi agreed. "But there's something else that needs to be said, too."

  He said nothing, but nodded and looked down at the floor nervously. She moved in closer, smiled tenderly, and
beckoned him shyly.

  "Owen?"

  "Yeah?" He answered with reservation.

  Nomi stood on tip-toes, leaned into him, and pressed her lips to his. She kissed him with softness, but also with urgency and passion. At first, Owen was taut, surprised by her action, but soon his hands were encircling her waist and his mouth slanted to open beneath hers.

  Both of them had been missing this, missing the connection, missing each other. They selfishly indulged in the taste and feel of one another until they were breathless and wanting.

  Breaking their kiss, Nomi gazed into his eyes and confessed, "I love you, too."

  "Ah, Nomi," Owen moaned before fusing their mouths together once more.

  He walked her back until her spine met the wall and she was pinned between it and Owen. The grinding of the stucco against her body was disregarded as his fingers found Nomi's shirt bottom and slid underneath. As tongues tasted, teased, tickled, sounds of satisfaction and happiness floated around them.

  "I've been dying to know," he told her.

  "I'm sorry I made you wait."

  "Don't make me wait any longer," Owen begged. "Say it again."

  "I love you, Owen Blankfield."

  His lips covered hers and sucked as if he could draw the words from her mouth, into his own body, and bury them deep inside. Nomi whimpered when his palms pulled her closer and Owen sought to capture that sound, too. Against her lips, he said to her, "God, I love you, Nomi. So much it hurts. I'm sorry I ever made you doubt what I feel for you is anything but that."

  "I don't want to talk about the past. I want to talk about now."

  "Now I'm never letting you go, just as promised."

  Nomi gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck. As she kissed him, she sent her hands into his hair, knocking Owen's hat to the floor in the process. He didn't pay it any mind. He was too busy grappling with her tank top, trying to touch every bit of bare skin his fingers could find.

  "Take it off," she encouraged him.

  "You're sure?"

  "Mm-hmm."

  With that, Owen pulled the shirt over her head and dropped it next to his hat. Then his eyes scoured her torso, taking in the sight of her skin and breasts and belly button. No freckle or curve went untouched by his eyes.