Twisted Truths & Leveled Lies

by Lessner, S. K.

  I turned the stove off and stomped through the house to find Brett. If nothing else, I was going to tell him what I thought.

  It didn’t take me long. I found him in the bathroom, the door was slightly cracked, and he was leaning over the sink. The water was running, but he stood motionless, gripping the edge, and looking down at it.

  “Brett?” I pushed the door open a little more.

  He looked lost.

  “Can I come in?”

  Putting the wall back up, he smiled at me. “Yeah, is your hand okay?”

  He turned the water off and stood to the side to let me in.

  “It’s not my hand.” I said, closing the door behind me. “It’s everything. I know you’re just doing your job now. I know that I’m your assignment and then you’ll go on to something else or return to the Red Cross. I get that. I do. But what happened to our friendship? I mean, I thought we were friends.”

  This was harder than I had planned. I was not doing a good job explaining my feelings at all. Brett was listening to me, wide eyed, probably as confused as I sounded.

  “Listen, here’s the thing. I met you, you were incredibly helpful to me and Josiah, but then we were together so much. It wasn’t the sex, Brett. I really felt like we had become close friends. I shared things with you, we talked, we laughed, we sat and held each other without any pressure for anything else. I mean, we slept in the same bed for almost a month. It wasn’t just where we were, it’s who you are. I miss you. I miss my friend. If you don’t want anything sexual from me, I’m fine with that. But can’t we be friends, still? You’ve been with me for four months and you act like you hardly know me. I know you have a job to do, but can’t we still be us while you’re doing it?”

  Brett took a step back and sat on the edge of the tub. Looking down at the floor, he studied some invisible spot I couldn’t see. He didn’t speak, just kicked at it with his boot.

  After standing in silence for a few minutes, I feared that my words might have been a mistake.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ll go finish cooking dinner.”

  I hated seeing him like this. I liked seeing the happy, determined guy who made me laugh even when I was crying. If I was the cause, then I’d remove myself and remain distant.

  I made it to the living room before he caught up with me. Grabbing me from behind, he wrapped his arms around my waist, his head nuzzling my neck near my ear. I wrapped my arms on top of his and squeezed him tightly. We stood there for a few minutes, neither of us saying a word, simply enjoying the feel of our bodies entwined together.

  “Mel,” he said softly, turning me in his arms. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We did become good friends. Very good friends. And I used this job to protect myself from getting’ hurt.”

  Now I didn’t understand. Hurt from what?

  He pulled me into his embrace, continuing his caring words above my head.

  “I want ya every minute of the day. I watch ya when ya don’t think I’m watchin’. I study ya and learn so much more then I already know. But what I miss most is just being with ya and talkin’ and laughin’ like we did all those days we were stuck in that miserable hospital. I never felt trapped there. I woke up every day excited to spend more time with ya. And then…”

  He paused, releasing me and taking a step back. Pulling my hand, he sat down on the couch, directing me to sit beside him, but keeping our bodies facing each other’s.

  “Then Mel, when we had sex, I thought I’d lose my mind not bein’ able to touch ya again.”

  This was news to me. He always seemed so in control. Interested, but also okay without it.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I thought I was bein’ selfish if I did. Well, I was selfish in the long run, anyhow. I took this job because I wanted an excuse to stay close to ya. I was afraid when ya came home that we’d go our separate ways and you’d forget about me. But what I didn’t plan on was how I felt about ya. I put walls up because there is so much goin’ on, and I worried about myself instead of you.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He exhaled, looking around the room, before bringing his eyes back to mine.

  “Ya just went through hell. It’s been a little less than three months since ya were with your husband, or almost four months since things were normal. What if he’s being honest and you guys work things out? Or what if that doesn’t happen and you decide it’s too soon to be involved with me? Instead of talking to ya about these things, I put the walls up and tried to protect myself. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

  Now I understood, far better than I wanted to, because everything he said was true. It was too soon, and what if Miguel was telling the truth? Where would that leave us?

  Yet, I couldn’t let go of Brett. Maybe I was the selfish one after all. But I wanted him, the rest of the world was such a hole of shit right now. He was one of only a few things I could count on.

  I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, and bringing my body closer to his.

  “Thank you for telling me. I agree with what you’re saying, but I can’t lose you, Brett. Even though it’s only been a short time that we’ve known each other, you mean so much to me.”

  I pulled back and looked at him. “Think about it, we’ve spent 24 hours a day together for nearly four months. That’s more time spent together than people who are dating spend with each other in nine months or a year. If all we can be is friends, then let’s do that. But no more hiding how we feel, please.”

  He smiled and pulled me into a tight embrace. “God you’re amazing, Mel.”

  His hand accidentally tickled my side and he took the opportunity to continue the attack. I tickled him back, both of us laughing, as we fell to the floor.

  “See, that’s what I’ve missed. That smile and your little pouty lip.” He said, leaning over me, momentarily pausing his assault.

  “Then don’t be such a block head next time, you big brut!”

  I jumped up and raced to the kitchen. He hurried and tried to catch up, but I beat him there and before he got to the doorway, I grabbed the sink sprayer and turned it on. Just as he walked through the door I sprayed him, face first, then his entire body.

  “You didn’t just do that!” He looked down at his wet clothes in shock, smiling and biting his lip at the same time.

  I felt a tingling rush from between my legs all the way up to my breasts. Yes, this would make it hard to resist him again, but it was worth it.

  “Oh, yes I did.” I laughed at him.

  His eyes full of mischief, he slowly walked toward me. I thought he was going to take the sprayer from my hand, but instead, he started rubbing his wet body all over mine, resembling a dog rubbing his body off after a bath.

  “Ewwww… yuck!” I squealed. Truthfully, I didn’t want him to stop, but I had to play it off.

  “That’s what you get, princess!”

  He took a look at my clothes, or my body I’m not sure which, and decided he did a good job. After taking a deep breath, he stepped back, shaking his head with laughter.

  “I better go change now. Someone doesn’t know how to behave herself.”

  Trust me, I was behaving! I laughed and turned around to start cooking again, anything to get my mind off how his body felt against mine. It was the first time he’d called me princess since we came home, the first time we’d playfully laughed and touched each other since our final day in the hospital, and I was determined to make sure it wouldn’t be the last.

  CHAPTER 35

  “So, where should we start?” Brett was diligently studying the trail map in his hands. I really didn’t care which trail we went on. I was too busy studying him.

  He was wearing a tight baby blue t-shirt with a slight V neck at the top, tan cargo shorts, and tennis shoes. The white Cubs baseball hat finished his ensemble perfectly. I rarely saw him out of his jeans and work boots, and this more relaxed version was quite appealing.

  “Let’s
just start walking and see where we end up.” I smiled and held out my hand.

  It had been a couple weeks since our discussion about our relationship. Two weeks of pure sexual tension. I wasn’t complaining though, I loved every minute of it. Not only was I able to forget about what I’d lost for the majority of each day, but I was able to enjoy life again.

  Today, Brett and I had decided to go to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. Joan was keeping Josie for the night, giving me two days with no parental duties. It was the first time we were completely alone, and we decided to make the most of it.

  “Okay.” He laughed, folding the map, and putting it in his back pocket. “But no blaming me when we get lost.” He took my hand, allowing me to lead our journey.

  Two hours later, I was silently questioning my ingenious plan to avoid the map. We must have climbed over two hundred stairs and countless hills, and still hadn’t begun a decent.

  The paths were beautiful though. We hiked and worked our way through multiple gorges, walked through creeks that led to small waterfalls, and observed endless amounts of creatures scurrying and flying around us. The moss on the wet rocks was slippery on many of the trails, causing me to slip, and forcing Brett to catch me to prevent my falls. Other than the burn in my calves from climbing, I was having a great time.

  Leading our trek, I came to a stop as we approached a fork in the path, and turned to find Brett trying to control his laughter behind me.

  “What?” I asked him curiously.

  “Oh, nothing.” He tried to keep it in, but his laughter burst out, forcing him to stop beside me so he could catch his breath.

  “Yeah, right. What’s so funny?”

  “Well, it appears ya just led us in a complete circle and we have to climb those stairs ‘gain.” He was laughing even harder as he leaned against the trail marker post to help control himself.

  I didn’t mind that he was laughing. He looked adorable holding his stomach and sucking in deep breaths of air. Each time he’d fill his lungs, his nipple piercing would push against his shirt, filling my stomach with little butterflies of desire.

  “I did not! We never went down any stairs!” I began laughing with him, wondering if he was telling the truth.

  “Mel, we went down, it was just mixed in with hills and valleys so ya couldn’t tell. There weren’t any other stairs after we went up.” He was fighting to contain his amusement, but failing miserably.

  “Ugh, fine, get the map out then.” I moved to the side, sitting on a fallen log, and stubbornly crossing my arms over my chest.

  After unfolding the map, Brett came over, sitting down beside me.

  “Oh, no pouting now. I don’t mind. I’ve always wanted to see the smallest waterfall in the United States…three times!”

  “Oh, you’re so…well…ugh!” I stuck my bottom lip out, attempting to look sad.

  Reaching his hand to my face, he extended his finger, gently placing it on my lower lip.

  “I love your little pouty faces,” he whispered, leaning forward, and softly kissing me with his finger between our lips.

  I hadn’t expected him to do that, or I would’ve pulled him into me for more. But before I had a chance to formulate my thoughts, he leaned back, grinning mischievously, as he started looking at the map.

  An hour later, Brett had led us past the scenic overlook to the larger waterfall. We were deep inside a rock gully that had taken multiple ladders, and some fancy acrobatic climbing, to reach.

  Gently pulling my hand, he led us across the slippery rocks, lifted me over a large boulder, and brought us directly behind the waterfall. The sound of rushing water echoed beautifully through the cavern in which we stood. Looking through the waterfall, the sun was setting, its final rays filtering through the dense tree tops above us, and creating a magical look.

  Coming to a stop, he pulled me against his body, wrapping his arms around my back. I looked up at his bright, blue eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. His scruffy beard from waiting a day or two for shaving, and tan skin, made the color of his eyes stand out more than normal. His wavy blond hair was tousled under the edge of his hat. And his sensual lips were turned up at the edge. He was sexy.

  “Now this is perfect, Mel.”

  Lowering his head, he captured my lips in his, softly kissing and exploring my mouth. Lifting my arms, I wrapped my hands around his neck, reveling in the feel of his body so tight against mine.

  It had been months since we’d allowed ourselves this intimacy. We took our time, our mouths moving in unison, our tongues tenderly playing across each other’s.

  Our hands explored each other’s body, rubbing and caressing each curve and dip, as our kiss continued. There was no rushing. It was simple, yet passionate. So incredibly perfect as he had said.

  I felt the light spray of the water falling behind me, but was more aware of the increasing wetness lower on my body, as our mouths gradually became hungrier, our desire overtaking our actions. Straining to get closer, I pushed my chest into his, my hips rocking against his hardness, wishing I could touch every inch of his body.

  About ten minutes later, movement on the other side of the waterfall caught our attention, signaling that other hikers were nearby. Hesitantly coming to a stop, our lips still touching, he whispered, “Mmm, you taste so good. Just like I remember.”

  My cheeks flushed from his reminder of our time together at his apartment. I was at a loss for words, my body begging for more, my mind racing with memories. Leaning back, I arched my back, feeling him press harder against my abdomen. I bit my lip, nodding about his comment, but fully focused on what was against me.

  His gaze shifted to my lips as I felt him breathe a playful chuckle against my body.

  “You have to stop doing that, you’re driving me crazy.”

  I didn’t mean to, but I did it again, this time biting harder. His words drawing attention to my action and making me wish it were him biting me.

  “You’re not the only one.” I said softly.

  After finally prying ourselves apart, we found our way back to the parking lot and ate a small dinner as we drove home. The original plan was to have a picnic while we were there, but my legs were sore from the day-long hike, and I couldn’t wait to get back to a nice hot bath.

  Our ride home was entertaining. I enjoyed teasing him about an upcoming event to which he agreed to accompany me, where he would be required to wear a tux. It was obviously something he wasn’t looking forward to, insisting that jeans were suitable for any occasion. It was fun watching my tough guy squirm about something so trivial.

  At almost 10:00pm, we pulled in front of the house. Gathering our things, I went inside, leaving Brett behind to talk with the security men by the road. I debated on taking a hot bath, but knowing that Josie was gone, and I hadn’t swum all summer except for his therapy sessions, I decided the pool would be better. It was dark out, but we had plenty of lights and the night was very warm still. Quickly putting the picnic supplies in the kitchen, I hurried upstairs, and put a bathing suit on.

  I had been floating on my back in the warm water for almost half an hour when I heard a large splash near the pool’s entrance. Lifting my body upright, and treading water beneath me, I smiled as I looked at the other end of the pool.

  Brett was slowly making his way toward me, his almost-naked body gliding through the water. He had never swum with me before, and the excitement from that and seeing his unclothed body, wet, and glistening in the pool lights, made me giddy.

  Suddenly disappearing, he reemerged moments later, directly in front of me.

  “Ahhh!” I cried out in surprise.

  Laughing at my childish response, he began treading water as well.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya.”

  “Sure you didn’t.” I splashed him playfully. “So, to what do I owe the honor?”

  “Well, it seems my job is to serve and protect.”

  I caught a hint of his mischievous grin in the darkness and
shook my head.

  “Hmmm.” I thought out loud. “You do quite a good job at protecting, but I think we’re going to have to work on the serving part.”

  “Is that so?” He splashed me back, plunging toward me, and easily lifting me in his arms. Clearly, he was taller than I thought, because he could touch the bottom. His arms instantly began lifting me higher, telling me he was going to throw me.

  “No, no, no, don’t you…” My words were swallowed by water, about ten feet away from him, as I fell beneath the water. Opening my eyes, I began swimming to the surface, eager to pay him back for his little prank.

  Breaking through the water, I gasped for air, just in time to see all the lights in the yard and pool turn off. It was completely pitch black. Other than my waves from treading water, I couldn’t hear anything, either.

  “Brett?” I called softly.

  Nothing.

  “Brett, please, answer me.” My voice quivered.

  “Brett, please.”

  A splash sounded to my left and I turned as quickly as possible, straining to see what was there.

  “Brett, is that you?” I couldn’t believe what a big baby I was being. I was practically crying.

  “It’s okay. It’s just me, Mel. I was underwater for a minute.”

  As soon as I heard his voice, I frantically swam to him, throwing my body into his arms. My legs locked around his waist, my arms clutching his neck, as I buried my head in his shoulder.

  “Mel? Are you okay?”

  I felt his arms tentatively wrap around my body, but couldn’t stop my actions.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, but didn’t release him. “I’m afraid of the dark, but especially in water, and even more so after all that’s happened.”

  “It’s okay, I’m here.” His hand slid down my back, rubbing reassuringly, while his other hand cupped the back of my head and held me to him.

  “Just don’t put me down. Please Brett, just walk to the stairs or something.”

  He chuckled, but must have realized I was seriously scared, because he lifted me higher, and began making his way to the edge.