Tethered Souls

by Beth Flynn

  He was already out the door, and spun around to face me. "You're gonna be sorry, Mimi." His voice was low and threatening.

  "I'm already sorry I wasted my time on you," I scoffed. "Goodbye, Lucas."

  I shut the door in his face, plopped down on my bed and sent Christian a text. “Lucas. It's done. All good.”

  There was no way I would go into detail with Christian about Lucas's reaction. In addition to cheating, Lucas had violated another one of my deal breakers. I could never be with a man who verbally abused me. I'd heard every imaginable form of profanity come out of Grizz's mouth, but not once, not once was it ever directed at my mother. And they'd had their share of heated arguments and disagreements. He’d never called her a bitch or any other names. He never told her to fuck off or go fuck herself. He never disrespected her verbally. Not once. And last, but in no way least, I would never be with a man who raised a hand to me. If I'd shared the things Lucas had said, and the threat that followed, I had no doubt I'd be causing Christian to violate his parole, and get hauled back to prison. Besides, I wasn't afraid of Lucas. I saw him as nothing more than a mean girl with a penis.

  I mechanically unpacked my bag, and stopped short when I caught sight of what was at the bottom. Carefully removing my Bible, I sat down on the bed, clutching it to my chest. "I'm so sorry, Father," I said out loud.

  In a quiet voice, I poured out my heart.

  "You answered a prayer that had been buried in my heart for years. You brought true love back into my life, and allowed me to unburden my soul with secrets that have been weighing on me forever. And my way of thanking You was to deny my vow of celibacy that night at the rental house without a second thought. It was Christian, who probably hasn't stepped foot in a church since he was a kid, who respected You that night, by insisting on a wedding under Your splendor. Not me." I let out a long sigh before adding, "And I've probably used more colorful language in the last two weeks than I have in years. I know it hurts Your ears. I'll do my best to reel it in."

  I leaned back against my pillows, and thought about how easily I'd gotten caught up in the world and had too easily forgotten about the Word. Christian had even offered to take me to church Sunday morning, and I'd brushed him off. I quietly perused the pages and settled on Scriptures that always brought me comfort. I fell asleep with my Bible on my chest, and peace in my soul.

  Chapter 48

  South Carolina 2007

  When I'd woken up from that nap almost two weeks ago, I'd immediately made my airplane reservations. Not for that coming weekend, but the following one.

  I threw myself into concentrating on my classes. I shared with the few friends I still trusted about Camp Keowee's closing and running into my childhood friend. They seemed genuinely happy for me when I showed them my ring. I saw two of them exchange quick glances, and I knew what they were thinking. I instantly resented them, and did my best to avoid them after that.

  I was so over people, my parents and Christian's family included, for judging how quickly we'd fallen in love. What none of them realized or understood was that our love for each other had always been there, and was inevitable. Not one person had walked in our shoes. Therefore, not one person had a right to judge our relationship.

  I stuck with the three friends who were genuinely happy for me. Sandy, Jeanie, and Marilyn now sat in my dorm room for a late-night study session that included pizza and gabbing. We'd met in Sandy's room last time, and it was my turn to host.

  "I still think you should've reported Lucas, Mimi. The campus police aren't going to do anything, but maybe the real police should know." This comment came from Jeanie who was with me when I discovered my tires had been slashed a few days ago.

  I shook my head. "I can't prove it was Lucas who cut my tires."

  "It had to be him," Sandy chimed in. "Ever since you broke up with him, he's been harassing you."

  "What'd I miss?" Marilyn asked with a mouthful of pizza.

  "Lucas has been hassling Mimi," Sandy answered. "He's slipped her threatening notes."

  "And just yesterday, someone spray-painted ‘Mimi is a whore’ on the back side of the library.” Jeanie reached for another slice and added, "It could only be him or one of his lame friends."

  "And to make matters worse," Sandy continued, "he has some kind of protection. One of his criminal justice cronies must know somebody with campus security because"—she used air quotes to finish her sentence—“‘unfortunately, our cameras didn't pick up anything.’"

  It was all true and I knew Lucas was behind it. This was the first time the four of us had been together to talk about it. However, I couldn't tell my friends the reason I'd avoided contacting the real authorities was because I didn't know if the police would call my parents. If that happened, certainly Christian would find out. Not good. I'd even lied on the report filed by my vehicle assistance program, telling the man who changed two of my tires, "I don't want my parents to worry because I'm engaged in a battle with mean girls. Would you say that I hit a deep pothole that blew out two tires?" He'd agreed.

  "Something needs to be done about this," Marilyn said between bites. "He can't keep doing this for the rest of the school year."

  I nodded my agreement. "Or maybe his wrath will just fizzle out." What I hadn't shared was that if it didn't, I would take some countermeasures of my own. I didn't want to get into a battle with Lucas, but I would if he didn't back down. I would sleep on it, and make a decision about the best way to proceed.

  Our conversation was interrupted by my cell phone pinging. I reached for it and saw it was from Daisy. I wondered why she was texting me so late? I couldn't stop the smile that lit up my face. My heart melted at the picture that came through with a text that said, “I took this tonight.”

  "Let us see," Jeanie piped in, as I reluctantly handed her my phone. I could've stared at the photo all night and immediately knew it would become my screen saver. It was a candid shot of Christian and Abby. She was leaned back against his body, and they were both looking at a book that Christian was obviously reading to her.

  "I can't even," Jeanie sighed while placing a hand on her chest. "He looks so hot in glasses."

  "I didn't know he wore glasses." Sandy swiped the phone out of Jeanie's hand. "And I still think she is the most beautiful child I've ever seen."

  Christian's baby steps with Abby had turned into huge elephant strides thanks to Daisy. He’d made a point of having dinner with his family almost every night since I'd left, and it was paying off. The only time Abby seemed to waver was when given a choice between her father or grandfather, and we'd speculated maybe that had something to do with her fear of Christian in the beginning. Maybe her little mind couldn't wrap itself around seeing the two of them, who bore such striking resemblances to each other, but were obviously two different men. Maybe confusion had added to her prior reluctance to be anywhere near Christian.

  I stared dreamily into space while my three friends oohed and aahed over Christian and Abby. Because they'd so warmly and excitedly received the news of my engagement, I'd let my carefully guarded walls down and shared more about Christian and his daughter. They knew I’d be moving to Florida, and that Christian was a mechanic and had a daughter from a previous relationship—if you could call it that. I trusted them to keep these details private. I would miss Sandy, Jeanie, and Marilyn, but promised myself and them that I would stay in touch after graduation.

  A couple of days later, I met Sandy for lunch before heading to my one o'clock class. I found my seat and was taking out my books when I realized I didn't have my phone. I sighed when I remembered leaving it on my bed. I had two more classes before I could go back to my dorm and text Christian. I noticed then that there seemed to be a subtle buzz of activity around me. I slowly scanned the room and saw a couple of people talking to each other in whispers while shooting looks my way. At the same time, Tiffany plopped down in the empty seat on my right, and leaned toward me, her eyes blazing with excitement.

  "Have
you heard, Mimi?" she huffed, her breath coming in quick waves.

  After I broke up with Lucas, Tiffany made quick work of trying to take my place. His coldhearted rebuff was all over campus. I felt sorry for the girl, and even though I hadn't invited her into my fold, I didn't have the heart to be mean to her.

  "Heard what?" I cast a wary glance around the room.

  "Your ex is in some deep shit," came a masculine voice from behind me.

  I turned around and made eye contact with Rob, a nice guy who'd borrowed my notes in the past.

  "Lucas, three of his criminal justice friends, and a guy who works for the campus police are all in hot water." Tiffany didn't give me a chance to reply when she named the three friends, who I'd known, and the guy from the campus police, who I'd never heard of. "They've been caught cheating. Apparently, their campus police friend helped them get the answers to their midterms for all of their classes. Lucas and his friends cheated on every single exam. It resulted in their immediate expulsion, and the guy who works for the campus police was fired. It's all over school." Her eyes were as wide as saucers. "They think a teacher may have even helped them, and that there might be more students involved too. Isn't it crazy?" I could see the satisfaction in her expression, and I had to agree. I'd been praying for an easy resolution to my situation with Lucas. I'd battled retaliating, and had truly wanted to come up with a solution that would just make him go away. I looked heavenward and whispered, "Thank you."

  "And to think I felt sorry for the guy when I heard yesterday that his car had been stolen," Rob chimed in over my shoulder.

  I leaned back in my seat and tried to suppress a smile. Something about karma and her unavoidable bitchiness sprang to mind, but I didn't voice it. Instead, I silently thanked God for answered prayers.

  Chapter 49

  Pine Creek, North Carolina 2007

  It was my wedding day. Not the one under the stars and snow at the rental house during my spring break. And not the secret one at my cousin Rachelle’s house almost a week later. It was the wedding I’d spent the last few months planning. The one where my father would be walking me down the aisle. The one where Christian would be standing at the altar, waiting for me to say our vows with our closest family and friends in attendance. Of course, all of them with a few exceptions, didn’t know that we’d already been married—twice. We chose to go through with this formality for several reasons, the first and most important being that we wanted to have a ceremony where our loved ones could take part. I'd had my grandfather hold off on filing the paperwork for our hasty nuptials at Rachelle's house. It made sense, and was a lot easier to just fill in the details using today's date.

  Rachelle didn’t object when I asked Daisy to be my maid of honor. Besides, Rachelle had asked if she could play the piano during the ceremony. Slade was Christian’s best man, Jason was an usher, and Ruthie and Dillon would each hold one of Abby’s hands as the three of them walked down the aisle.

  I stood and walked to the full-length mirror. I was alone in the bridal waiting room at our little church. I was told the mirror had been installed back in the seventies to accommodate brides, as was the small couch that sat adjacent to the church secretary’s desk. The sofa showcased a loud floral pattern that had seen better days. Then again, it was over forty years old. I wondered how many brides had sat on it.

  I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My silk gown was simple, with a round neck and long sleeves. It was summer in the mountains, but the air was cool. The sleeves were made of a thin sheer material that was overlayed with a pattern of intricate lace. I had my hair pulled back and gathered at the nape of my neck. One of my cousins had braided an elaborate design through my thick brown locks, weaving in baby’s breath and pearls since I’d opted not to wear a veil. The only jewelry that adorned my body was my silver cross necklace, pearl drop earrings that had been a wedding gift from my husband, and a gaudy blue synthetic stone that hung from a silver chain and rested between my breasts and against the white silk of my gown.

  I liked what I saw in the mirror, but was angry with myself for what I’d done to make sure the dress wouldn’t be too tight on my wedding day. For as many times as Christian had taken me to the gym to do battle with Ed, I'd allowed my eating disorder to win when it came to my wedding gown.

  I still had some time to myself so I glided over to the worn sofa, picked up my bouquet, carefully sat down, and reflected on the last few months.

  Though not physically draining, thinking about all that I'd managed to accomplish was mentally exhausting. Prior to graduating, I'd spent two long weekends each month in Florida with Christian where we’d found a lovely home to rent with an option to buy. It was a three-bedroom, two-bath, ranch-style house with a two-and-a-half-car garage. It sat on an oversized lot and butted up to a small lake. The back yard showcased an enormous tree where the previous renters had erected a solitary swing.

  After that, we partially furnished our new home. I graduated college with honors, and moved out of my dorm. I shipped my belongings to Florida, planned a wedding, and still squeezed in time to see Ruthie and Dillon earn their yellow belts in karate. I should've been worn out, but I was too excited about the future to be anything but floating on air.

  I was more than relieved that Lucas never bothered me after he'd been expelled from school. I’d heard through the grapevine that after his expulsion, things had gotten even worse for him. I didn't ask for details because I didn't care. I was grateful that he'd been too preoccupied with his own unfortunate circumstances to hassle me anymore.

  I remembered having a small concern that Lucas might crash graduation, so I'd insisted that nobody, not even my mother or grandfather, attend. They were reluctant to agree, but I was adamant. I'd spent four years living cautiously so as not to bring attention to my family. The last thing I wanted was a potential confrontation with an angry ex-boyfriend. And of course, Christian couldn't be there due to his parole limitations.

  The graduation ceremony was recorded so my family would be able to pop in a DVD and watch me and a thousand other students walk across the stage. And it wasn't like graduation was a lonely affair. Sandy's parents were there. Not only did they invite me, Jeanie, and Marilyn to a celebratory dinner at a five-star restaurant, but they rented us a suite in the ritziest hotel in town for our last night together.

  I sighed and studied my bridal bouquet as a special memory from graduation night warmed me from the inside out. I'd been in line, getting ready to go up the few steps to the platform to accept my diploma when the hair on my neck bristled with electricity. I knew he was there. I felt him so vividly, it was as if my lungs tingled with the recognition that I was breathing the same air as him. The auditorium was big, but my eyes immediately zeroed in on the solitary figure casually leaning against an open doorway on the opposite end of the massive space.

  It was Christian.

  After accepting my diploma I broke with protocol, and instead of returning to my seat I headed straight for Christian. I threw myself at him, and he caught me and spun me around.

  "I'm so proud of you, Mimi. I could never miss this." His hot breath caressed my neck as he held me aloft.

  "But your parole?" I asked as he set me back on my feet.

  "I have permission to be gone two days. I got here in time to see you walk across the stage and I'll leave tomorrow. You already told me about your plans with your friends, and I'm not interfering with those. All I'm asking is that after they fall asleep, you sneak down to room 204." He handed me a keycard. "I'll be waiting for you, baby."

  "I'll be there," I whispered breathlessly.

  My daydreams were interrupted by Rachelle who opened the door and peeked her head inside.

  "Ten-minute delay," she informed me. "Don't ask how, but Ruthie managed to already get her dress dirty. We need ten minutes to get her cleaned up. Your parents will come see you in a few minutes."

  Not the least bit surprised by the announcement, I nodded and smiled.

&nb
sp; "Oh, and your husband is the hottest groom I've ever laid eyes on. Don't tell Travis I said that," she said with a goofy grin.

  "Cell phones and cameras?" I asked.

  "Everyone is respecting your wishes and leaving them in a basket. They know they'll get them back after the reception." She quietly closed the door.

  I was relieved. It wasn't like we'd invited a ton of people to the ceremony, but I didn't want to take any chance of a picture getting posted on social media. My cousin, Scott, was not only an exceptionally talented photographer, but a trusted friend. I knew he wouldn't share anything I didn't want him to. I planned on making sure everyone would get a wedding picture of me and Christian in the thank you cards I intended to send.

  Only a few minutes passed when my mother let herself in the room.

  "Christy is helping get your sister cleaned up. I wanted to have a few minutes alone with you." She took a seat beside me on the sofa.

  "First, I want to tell you how proud I am of you, Mimi. You've gone above and beyond, not only with your grades, but with all the planning, and moving." She waved her hand in the air. "Everything. You've been like superwoman!"

  I knew something was coming. "But?" I asked, tilting my head to one side.

  "I hope it wasn't at the expense of your health. You've assured me you've been taking care of yourself. I want to make sure you continue."

  She was talking about my eating disorder. I'd tried to squeeze in a few sessions with a therapist while at school, but I'd been so preoccupied and busy with everything else, I'd be lying if I said it helped. "I promised you I would talk to someone, and I did, Mom. And I'll make it a priority as soon as I get settled in Florida."

  She nodded, and I saw that a mist started to form in her eyes. "You're sure about this, Mimi?"