Silver Bay Song

by Rutter, M J

  “Kaden,” Skylar called out. “Can I talk to you?”

  “I’m busy,” I barked and climbed into my car. I started the engine as my passenger door pulled open.

  “It wasn’t a date,” she said. “He just wanted to say he was sorry and I thought it would be a good way to wind you up. I’m sorry. I am not usually like this.”

  “I thought I was getting to know you, Skylar, but the truth is, I don’t know you at all.”

  “I give people the benefit of the doubt, is that a crime?” she asked.

  “He was going to rape you and you accepted his apology?”

  “He wouldn’t have raped me,” she sighed. “I uh, I can’t do this, Kaden. I’ll not bother you again.” She shut the car door. I watched as she rushed onto the beach. I turned off my engine and hurried after her. She ran towards the water’s edge and dropped down onto her knees on the sand.

  “Why are we putting each other through this?” I asked from behind her. She turned her head and I could see the moonlight glisten on her wet cheeks, I had made her cry and that felt pretty shitty.

  “I thought I could take the lead, show you I could be hard and not let it bother me that you only wanted sex from me, but the truth is, Kaden it does bother me, it hurts a lot to think that you feel nothing for me. That I am a lay and nothing more.”

  “I never meant it to come across that way.” I sighed and sat beside her. “The truth is I like you, a lot and I am sorry I made you feel used. Now I know a little something of how it feels, it’s not nice.” I admitted. “I would never have slept with you if I felt that you were only a lay. I have done that to girls in the past and I am not proud of it. Having you leave me this morning after that shower, it made me feel used and I didn’t like it.” I reached over and took her quivering hand, “The only reason I said that to you yesterday was because I got scared. I will never be Jay for you, the way your eyes sparkle when you talk about him made me jealous and I know that I may never be able to give you any sort of future. You deserve so much more than I can offer.”

  “Jay was amazing, but he was lazy and stubborn, although for me he was the one, it will take someone special to fill the void he left in my life. Up until you weirded out on me yesterday, I had forgotten about the pain of losing him. I was able to talk about him and it not hurt, but now… I just don’t know why you thought I needed limitations. I was happy taking it day by day. I was happy because you were happy and that is all that mattered to me. Like it or not, Kaden, I am falling for you, I can’t help it. If you don’t feel the same, then I will have to live with it. It’s not the first time my heart has broken and it won’t be the last.”

  “I’m an asshole, Skylar, a dick even, I don’t deserve you.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Karma,” I sighed. “Like I said, I have done a lot of stuff I am not proud of. Then I met you and you are amazing, the first girl I have met that I can actually see a future with and that scares me more than anything.”

  She stared for a few moments. “Can’t we just go back to how it was before? I mean, if you want to.”

  “Even if there is no happy ending?” I asked.

  “You are worth the risk,” she sniffed and squeezed my hand.

  “I am not, but if you are happy to go back to the amazing sex, more times a day than I care to imagine, hot dates mixed with a little fun, then sure, we can do that.”

  “And if you can handle intrusions on your showers now and then, I am positive it will be fine.” She smiled.

  “That was a great shower,” I agreed.

  “Kaden?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Kiss me,” she said. I took her into my arms and kissed her tenderly.

  Eleven

  Skylar

  I spent most of the day crying, then it hit me, I was acting exactly the way he thought I would. I was not needy and pathetic and after not seeing him all day. I decided to go over and see if he was home. I needed an excuse, so I took the few things he had left in my room and was surprised to find that he had drank himself into a coma. Maybe he was having second thoughts.

  I didn’t like cussing him out, I try not to, as a teacher I would hate for a student to hear me talk like that. But anger flowed through my veins and I couldn’t help it. I could see it shocked him, though at the time, I didn’t care.

  While he was in the shower, I have no idea why, but I had a compelling urge to join him, to see if he was still interested in me and to show him how it felt to be used. It would take a lot of courage, so I took a few breaths before quietly entering the bathroom. I could see him through the glass doors, washing his hair as soapy bubbles covered his firm, tanned chest and ran down his incredible looking legs.

  I pulled my dress over my head, removed my underwear and with a condom in my hand, I opened the shower door. He spun around and took me into his arms. I have no idea of where the courage came for me to leave him as soon as we finished. My hands were shaking as I lifted my clothes and hurried out of the door. Not kissing him or holding him was the hardest thing I had done since I met him.

  I cried when I got inside of my house and ran up to my room. How could I do that to him? Still, I had proved a point and it apparently worked. Now I just had to face him.

  After lying and telling him I had a date, I knew he would be watching me. So I called Keith and asked if we could talk about what had happened. He was a little reluctant at first and I was petrified. I decided to suck it up and take control of the situation. He was on major suck up detail and I would make him grovel.

  As we left the house I caught a glimpse of Kaden watching us leave, he looked both shocked and disgusted. From his perspective I must have looked the slut he first thought I was. I of course saw it differently.

  “I was so surprised to hear from you,” Keith said sipping his water.

  “Well, we still have to work together after the summer and we had both been drinking,” I shrugged. It made me feel sick to sit there with him, but I had instigated this and I had to see it through.

  “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Skylar, you are such an amazing woman and I couldn’t help myself.” He explained. I wanted to throw my orange juice in his face. “Can we at least be friends?”

  “I am sure we can work something out.” I replied.

  We talked for a while, I managed to eat a salad and as the sun set, I suggested we leave. As he had driven me an hour away from home, it scared me to think that he could change again and we were in the middle of nowhere. Luckily he drove me home and I was relieved to be back on my front porch again.

  We said goodnight and as he leaned to kiss my cheek, I moved my face away,

  “No,” I said sternly, “not going to happen.”

  “Sorry,” he muttered, “goodbye.”

  “Bye,” I frowned as Kaden’s door slammed shut. He was angry and he had every right to be. Time to fess up!

  As I approached his house the shaking began again, in short, I felt foolish and had behaved like a teenager throwing a tantrum. I liked him, I really liked him and I wanted him to be a part of my life. I had to tell him the truth, it could cost me the last few grains of dignity I had, but I was even prepared to beg.

  Before I got to his front gate, the door pulled open and he raced towards his car.

  “Kaden,” I called out, “can I talk to you?”

  “I’m busy,” he snapped. Okay, so he was angry still, but he was going to talk to me, anxiously I pulled open the car door.

  His eyes looked so cold, just as they did the first time we met. It pierced my soul to see him look at me with such contempt. Nothing I said mattered, he made up his mind about us and there seemed nothing I could do about it. I told him I couldn’t do his anymore and ran to the beach.

  Admitting that I failed hurt, I didn’t realize just how much he meant to me until that moment. Losing Jay broke my heart and I never thought anyone would ever make my heart feel something again after him, I was obviously wrong. I had fallen fo
r Kaden and I had no way of telling him. He didn’t want to know and I had to live with knowing that.

  I sat on the sand and allowed yet more tears fall, the sea breeze blew against my wet face, I hadn’t noticed that he had followed me to the beach. Not until he spoke while standing beside me.

  He admitted his fears and I fell for him even more. A man with vulnerability always seemed more appealing to me. Hearing that he cared about me and wanted us to at least try again gave me a glimmer of hope, still uncertain that it would work, I was prepared to try and show him that I was worth it.

  After we made up he stood from the sand and held out his hand. I reached up and placed my hand in his and he helped me to stand.

  “Is it alright if I stay with you tonight?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “It’s not because I want to have sex, because I don’t. But I do want to hold you all night long. Would that be alright?”

  “That would be perfect.” I smiled and led him to my house.

  True to his word, we climbed into my bed and he held me all night long. Misty even slept in the room with us. There is no better feeling than falling asleep in someone’s arms, especially when that someone is a man you are falling in love with. As slowly as leaves fall from a tree at the beginning of fall, my heart was sheading months and months of pain and heartbreak. Kaden Wright had become the object of my affection and I had no idea of how I would tell him.

  I woke but didn’t want to open my eyes. I didn’t want it to be morning and for him to wake and leave me again. Although it felt as though I was being watched, I resisted for as long as I could. Warm and soft lips brushed against mine and I reluctantly opened my eyes, dawn had defeated me and Kaden warmed my soul with his insatiable smile.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  “Good morning,” I replied.

  “You are so beautiful,” he added. I felt my cheeks warm. “You are, you have a natural beauty. You don’t need make-up or fake eyelash things crawling out of your eyes. You don’t need fake tan or anything, you are perfect and beautiful.”

  “Careful,” I smiled, “I might not let you leave.” I warned playfully.

  “It just so happens that I have nowhere to go today anyway.”

  “I on the other hand, need the bathroom, and I guess I should let Misty out.”

  “I’ll wait here.” He grinned. I nodded and hurried to the bathroom.

  I splashed water over my face and brushed my teeth before pulling a hoody over my pyjamas. I called her out of the bedroom and she trotted down the stairs beside me. I opened the front door and instead of running around the side of the house like she usually did, a cat was in the front yard looking at us, she barked and took off after it.

  “Seriously,” I groaned and chased after her in my flip-flops. “Misty,” I yelled as she ran after the ginger cat. It ran across the highway and Misty chased it. “Misty,” I screamed as a truck came down the road honking its horn. “Misty…” The truck screeched its breaks, but its wheels wouldn’t stop. Misty disappeared under it. “Misty,” I screamed.

  I just knelt there gazing at the truck,

  “Skylar,” Kaden yelled running up behind me. “What happened?”

  “Um, Misty, the uh…the truck,” I cried. Dressed in his shorts and a white t-shirt with his flip-flops on his feet, he ran across to the truck and began looking under the wheels.

  “She’s here,” he called out, “go and get a blanket.” I stood and ran inside, grabbing my blue throw from the back of the couch. I ran over to him, he was knelt on the road and the truck driver was talking on his cell phone. Misty’s eyes were open and she was panting heavily. She had blood in her white fur, but for that moment she was alive. “We need to get her to a vet.” Kaden said as I handed him the blanket. He laid it on the asphalt and then gently lifted a whimpering Misty, after folding the blanket around her he slowly lifted her into his arms. “Are you okay to drive?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I sniffed.

  “I hope she’s okay,” the driver hollered as we walked across the highway. I ran inside my house, lifted my keys from the table by the door and unhooked my purse from the banister before closing and locking the door.

  I drove as fast as I could without causing her any distress. Kaden stroked her by her ears and told her everything was going to be alright, I only wished I could believe him. I stopped the car outside of the door and ran around the car to open Kaden’s door. As we entered the waiting room, I called out, “Can somebody help us please?”

  Marianna, the nurse came running out of the back room, “Oh, my God, Misty, what happened?”

  “She chased a cat across the highway and got hit by a truck,” I explained as she gently took Misty out of Kaden’s arms.

  “Okay, Lucinda is free, I’ll put Misty in her office, take a seat.” She told us. Kaden took my hand and led me to a seat.

  “If I had put her leash on her…” I began.

  “She is normally so good at going to the beach,” he said softly, “you weren’t to know there was a cat outside.”

  “At least now I know who’s been taking a dump in my rose bushes,” I sniffed. “If she dies…” I began to cry again.

  “Come on now, I haven’t known her long, but I can see she’s a fighter.”

  “I sure hope so,” I sniffed.

  We waited for quite some time, the office was so quiet, I didn’t even realize that it was a Saturday until Kaden mentioned it being the weekend. I watched the dust particles float on the sun beams that shone through the blinds. Inside I was praying to God not to take my baby away. I promised that I would look after her better, but in the pit of my stomach, I feared the worse, because losing her would be the icing on the cake of heartbreak that I seemed to be stuck in the middle of.

  After another hour or so Lucinda, a tall blonde woman in her thirties with blue eyes and glasses, emerged from the room wearing surgical scrubs covered in blood. Both Kaden and I stood from out seats and I squeezed his hand anxiously.

  “She’s pretty messed up, Skylar, I won’t lie to you. But for now she is stable. I have had to pin her back leg and pop in two of her vertebrae. The fact that she was still alive when you found her is a miracle.” She looked at Kaden. “I am keeping her sedated for the next twenty four hours. It’s the waiting game I’m afraid. Providing her vitals remain strong and she doesn’t go into shock, she could pull through and make a full recovery.”

  “Thank you,” I said, slightly relieved.

  “I’ll keep you posted, okay?”

  “Okay,” I nodded. “I’ll call in an hour or so.”

  She smiled, “Sure,” she said and turned to leave.

  “I have her insurance with me,” I went to pull my wallet from my purse.

  “We can settle all of that later, she’s in the best place, I will look after her for you.” I nodded numbly and watched as she disappeared behind the door.

  I turned to Kaden, he looked as concerned as I felt. “Let’s get you home,” he said. “I’ll drive.” He led me out of the vets to the car and I handed him the keys. “We can stop and pick up something for breakfast on the way if you like.”

  “I am not even dressed,” I grumbled.

  “Well,” he smiled recklessly, “they are some of the sexiest PJ’s I have ever seen.”

  “We can get something to go,” I said and climbed into my car.

  “Cool,” he said and climbed in beside me.

  We stopped at Taitor Tots, they made the best omelettes in town and I knew Kaden would love it. The scent of the food filled the car, and though I was worried out of my mind for Misty, I was also extremely hungry and couldn’t wait to get home and eat.

  We ate our omelettes in virtual silence, I mean, he did groan a satisfied groan at his first bite. I smiled and devoured my Texan omelette filled with smoked sausage and bell peppers. It sang to my taste buds from the very first bite to the last. We washed it down with fresh orange juice and after, I cleared the table while
he went home to shower and change.

  While he was gone I decided to clean the bottom part of my house. My living room was barely touched, but needed vacuuming and dusting. I set to work and once I started, I realized the whole house could do with a clean. I hadn’t done it in days. I had been so consumed with Kaden, I forgot to do my housework. He must have thought I was a slob.

  I vacuumed the living room and cleaned the kitchen, I changed my bed and put the laundry in the machine, I folded my clothes that had been sat in the dryer and re-made my bed with fresh white sheets. I then took a shower and changed into my denim overall shorts with a wine colored tank underneath. I pinned up my damp hair and put on a little make-up to at least look human.

  I called the vets while I waited for Kaden to return, they said that Misty was still sleeping and would let me know if anything changed. I was about to leave the house to see if Kaden wanted to go for a walk when my phone rang.

  “Hello?” I frowned.

  “Skylar, its Nessa, how are you?”

  “Nessa, wow, I am…well…how are you?”

  “Tired and busy, did I mention I am tired?”

  She talked about married life overseas and about her baby, Charlie. I was genuinely pleased for her, she sounded so happy. I told her about losing my parents, then Jay. I didn’t really have that much to tell her, I wondered if I should have mentioned Kaden, but felt it was still early days and that I shouldn’t say I was seeing someone, I didn’t even know what we had anyway. Great sex, I was having great sex with a guy who likes me a lot, but can’t commit to me in any way. Saying that would make me seem weak and I wasn’t.

  “I want to meet up with you and would love you to meet Charlie,” she said.

  “Sounds wonderful,” I smiled. “I am pretty much free this summer, so name the day.”