by K E Osborn
“Do you want to shower?” I ask and she shakes her head.
“No, I just want to cuddle up with you in bed and sleep for like a year. A patient passed away tonight, it always rattles me.”
I purse my lips and lean in hugging her. “I’m sorry, is there anything I can do?”
“No, it’s just that it was an overdose. They always brings back memories, you know?”
My heart starts to pound as images of that terrible night seeing her dad dead on her lounge room floor flood my brain. I close my eyes while I lean in kissing her head.
“You are one of the strongest women I know. I don’t think you realise just how utterly extraordinary you are.”
“Well, I don’t feel very strong or extraordinary right now,” she says and I lean back and continue to unbutton her blouse.
“Then let me be the strong one for you. You do whatever you need to, to keep afloat and I’ll be the waves that hold you up.” I pull her blouse over her shoulders and then place it with her cardigan.
“You’re such a poet you know that?”
“Only with you,” I reply as she unzips her skirt and steps out of it placing it with her other clothes. I lean in and undo her bra and she looks down at my nakedness and giggles.
“You sleep naked all the time, or just when you’re waiting for me?” she asks as she wriggles out of her panties.
“I guess I’ve been waiting all my life for you, so always naked.”
She giggles leaning in and wrapping her arms around me. I bend down and lift cradling her to me. She nuzzles in, not squealing like normal as I lift her, showing how exhausted she really is. I had dreams of taking her from behind when she got home, but I can see that will have to wait until the morning. I walk over to the bed and gently place her naked body down on the soft mattress. She rolls onto her side and into the fetal position and I smile and crawl onto the bed behind her. I reach for the remote and turn off the television and move in behind her pulling her naked back to my front. Her cool temperature sends a chill down my warm body. Dragging the bed sheets up to encase us, I wrap myself around her tightly to try and warm her body. I can hear her slow, languid and deep breathing as I nuzzle in behind her ear. She’s so peaceful right now, and this right here is a peace I’ve needed all my life.
“I love you,” I whisper and kiss behind her ear.
“Mmm,” she murmurs back and then drifts off to sleep.
I’m so content. Sure, making love with her would’ve been great, but having her in my arms and slowly drifting off to sleep is just about as perfect as it can possibly get. Just having her with me is enough and after the night she’s had, she needs to rest and recover. And I’ll be here in the morning if she needs to talk to me about her work or to talk about her dad, or her mum, or anything else she needs to discuss. Tomorrow or any time she wants to talk about them, I’m here for her. No matter what, no matter the pain, the torture, the bad memories for both of us, I’m here for her through it all. I will be her rock, her light, her knight in shining armour if she wants me to be. For Indi, I will be anything, and right now I need to be a safe and warm place for her to sleep. I cuddle into her and close my eyes encompassed by her flowery scented hair.
When Indi woke up, she was still a little sad from her previous night’s loss at work. We talked about it briefly. It’s amazing how open and honest we can be with each other. It’s just like we have moved straight back to the seventeen-year-old kids we were when we would tell each other everything. Nothing was too embarrassing or nerve-wracking to talk about. We are so comfortable with each other, it’s almost sickening even to me. I bet anyone looking in on us would think we are one loved up couple. The problem is no one knows about us, or will know about us for a while. At least until Indi is comfortable with the idea of people knowing, and I am okay with that, really. I just wish that her past wasn’t so fucked up so that if people were to bring things up it wouldn’t hurt her so badly. I know that’s what’s stopping her, not that she’s ashamed of me or anything. I know she loves me, and wishes we could tell people. But I understand more than anyone how the press can ruin things and twist stories to make them even worse than you thought humanly possible. I don’t know how they could make her parents’ deaths worse than they were, but I’m sure they could think of something or some way to torture Indi. And, to be honest, I’m not willing to risk it or put her through that. So a secret we must stay until she’s ready to face whatever they will throw at her, at us.
I tried to talk her into coming to tonight’s concert, but she had to work again. I made up so many excuses for her to be sick, but she laughed at me and told me to stop being so desperate. I laughed with her and drove her to work, then continued on to tonight’s venue. It’s at the Iron City in Birmingham, so I have to drive just over two hours from home to get there. I’ll drive anywhere as long as I get to play music at the other end.
I’m at the stadium and we’ve drawn a large crowd. We’re the main act tonight, but there are a couple of other bands too. Rob did an excellent job signing us up for this gig at such short notice. Annie and Aston are still hanging off each other, and where it would normally make me wanna puke, now that I have a love in my life it makes me smile knowing they have what I have. I’m happy for them. Truly and utterly happy that my cousin and one of my best friends have found a safe and comfortable place in each other. And it’s kinda cool that Colt is letting them be together. I can see he’s still against it, but he is letting them be. Which is good. Our music is all the better for it.
I’m standing right on the wing of the stage just before I’m about to head out. I’m doing my usual jumping on the spot and warming up my vocal cords as the others run up onto the stage ready to start our set.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I look up figuring I have just enough time to check it.
Indi: Good luck baby, smash it tonight. xoxo
I smile and put the phone back in my pocket and jump up and down once more. Then I hear my cue to race up onto the stage with adrenalin pumping and heart racing so fast I feel like I’m flying. An image of Indi sweeps through my mind and the brightest smile crosses my face. Indi and music, my two great loves and I’m combining them right now to hopefully give a stellar performance. I grab the mic and look over at Annie and Aston, who are standing back to back grinning like there’s no tomorrow. And I know that this, right here, being on stage, and being with Indi, is how my life is exactly meant to be.
I walk off stage and my atoms are charged and vibrating through me at such a fast rate that I feel like I could float through the air. I’m on such a high from performing that all I want to do is run into the green room and celebrate with my bandmates. I just wish Indi was here to help celebrate with me. I rush back to the area and everyone is there all as happy and jubilant as I am.
“Caleb, you were on fire tonight. You’re always great, but tonight you had a new energy about you,” Dad says and I nod because I know why.
“Yeah, I’m in a good place right now Dad and everything just feels right,” I reply and he grins and slaps my shoulder as Mum comes up and hugs me warmly.
“Well done, honey, you worked the crowd so well,” she says.
“Thanks, Mum.”
“Caleb, you son of a bitch. Where the hell did that stage dive come from?” Chad calls out from across the room, and I chuckle as I remember when I jumped off the stage and crowd surfed for the first time ever.
“I don’t know, it just felt right at that moment,” I say and the whole room laughs.
“Well, the crowd ate it up. That’s what true rock stars are made of Caleb,” Colt tells me.
I beam at those words from him because they really mean a lot to me. I can only hope that one day I can be in the same league as the great Colter Slade.
“Thanks, mate,” I reply.
I love these people, my family. I’m so glad I have them, even though the only reason I came to know them was because I was so desperately sick. Without my kidney’s being
so bad, I would probably still be living a life of squalor, and I would never have met these amazing people. Who knows what my life would have turned out like if we didn’t come and meet the Slade’s when I was seven? Thank God for my kidney failure. I never thought I would say that. But as I look around the room in awe of my family, I can honestly say that being sick was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Even though it was hard with everything I went through with Mum and Colt. That was a horrible time, but still all these years later it seems worth all the heartache and pain. I ended up with a family, a mother who’s happy and a great father. Sure, he may not have been the one I wanted, but he’s still amazing nevertheless. The father I wanted is my uncle and mentor, and that’s still pretty amazing in itself and then I have my cousins and friends that I couldn’t imagine being without.
“I love you guys!” I yell out and everyone looks at me and smirks like I’m a complete idiot. “What, isn’t a man allowed to announce his feelings?” I ask and they all laugh at me.
“You’re weird,” Annie says and I nod.
“Yeah, I am.” I walk over to Annie taking her into a headlock. She squeals while Aston laughs at me, then she slaps at my arm around her neck and I let her go scruffing her hair.
“Oh my God, Caleb, I’m not five anymore. I’m seventeen for crying out loud. How is it okay to scruff my hair and headlock me you big dick?” She pushes against my chest while she glares at a laughing Aston. “And stop laughing, you!” she says to Aston, who stops laughing immediately, but his eyes suggest he’s still laughing internally.
“You’re my little cousin, I’m allowed to treat you like a little kid. It’s the rules,” I say and she frowns and rolls her eyes at me.
“Whatever! Why are you in such a good mood anyway?”
I smirk and gesture to zip my mouth shut.
She opens her eyes wide and gasps. “Oh. My. God. You’re seeing someone?”
“No, I’m not,” I say sounding a little too defensive.
She laughs as Aston looks at me and smirks knowing I’ve been caught out.
“Yes, you totally are, you big fat liar,” she whispers leaning in closer to me. “Who is it?”
“No one—”
“So, it’s Indi—”
“What?” I say opening my eyes wide.
How the fuck did she guess that?
“You said in the hospital Indi was no one. So it’s Indi, right?” she asks quietly so only she and Aston can hear.
“Shit, Annie—” I reply running my hand through my hair in frustration.
“I knew it!” she yells and I duck trying to be inconspicuous.
“Annie, shut it! She doesn’t want anyone to know,” I whisper and Annie and Aston both raise their eyebrows.
“What? Why?” she asks and I exhale and lean in close so no one can overhear.
“It’s complicated. Her past is not great, and we don’t want the tabloids bringing it up. It’s just…it’s complicated. It’s only new, and we are taking it very slowly. You can’t tell anyone guys, not your parents, not Ella, no one. Okay? Promise me? Indi would kill me if she knew you guys knew.”
Annie frowns. “Is the little pixie ashamed of you?”
“No, it’s nothing like that, I promise, Annie. One day I’ll explain it all to you, but not here and not now, okay?”
She nods seeming satisfied with my answer. “Well, I like her anyway. I’m so happy for you, cuz,” she says and leans in hugging me around my neck tightly. I chuckle and hug her back as Aston just looks on smiling.
“Yeah, it’s nice to see you happy for once, mate. I’m stoked for you.”
Annie starts to sway me from side to side.
I laugh and she laughs with me. “What are you doing you, crazy git?”
“Dancing! I’m happy dancing. I’m so damn happy for you.” After swaying with me some more, I break free as Aston shakes his head and laughs loudly.
“Dude, you really wanna date her?” I ask Aston and he shrugs as Annie backs up and scoffs slapping my shoulder.
“Hey, you love me,” she says while I tilt my head raising my lip slightly. “Hey! Say you love me!” she demands and I laugh as she slaps my arm.
I back up and laugh. “Okay, okay, I’ll say I love you just so you don’t have one of your hissy fits.”
“I do not have hissy fits,” she exclaims and Aston and I both raise our eyebrows and smirk. “Okay fine, I hate you all. I’m going for a wee,” she says and turns around and rushes off.
“Too much info, cuz!” I yell out as she rushes off.
I look at him as he watches her leave and he absolutely looks at her like he’s a lovesick fool. I like that I see that in him.
“So how’s it going with you two?” I ask and he turns to look at me.
“Amazing! She is my light, man. I’m so lucky she saw how good we could be together,” he replies and the smile reaches his eyes. He really is one love sick fool.
“So, is it really serious then?” I ask wanting to know how far they’ve gone.
“As in, have I put your information into practice?” he asks with a broad grin that tells me he has.
“Yeah.”
He nods. “Yeah, all the advice you gave has been flawless. Every spot you said to touch works perfectly. We haven’t…you know, had sex yet though. We’re waiting a while for that, but everything else we’re working on and holy shit, I never knew being in love could feel so—”
“Orgasmic?” I say and Aston laughs.
“Yeah exactly.”
I slap his back and smile at him. “Well, just take good care of her. I know I don’t need to do the whole if you hurt her speech, ‘cause I’m sure Colt’s done enough of that for both of us. All I am gonna say is be careful and always use a condom. When the time comes, of course.”
“Yeah, will do. But yeah, I think Annie wants to wait. She wants to keep a promise to Lia and I respect that. So I’m willing to wait. I just hope it’s worth it,” he says and I smirk.
“Oh mate, it’s worth the wait. Trust me,” I say and slap his back as Annie comes rushing back in and jumps in front of Aston and cuddles into him.
“What are you two wanks talking about?” she asks and I roll my eyes.
“You have developed such a potty mouth, you know that?”
“I’m a rock star, Caleb. You should try it.” She laughs as I smirk, and she looks up at Aston with love in her eyes. “The after-party is on. You wanna go?”
“Yeah, let’s go, I need to watch people getting drunk,” I say and Annie laughs as Aston shakes his head. We all walk out of the green room and toward the ballroom for the after-party. Luckily, it’s in the same venue as the concert for tonight. The other bands will be there, some of the VIP’s and a few other people who I don’t care much about. I’ll stay here for a bit, and then make my way home. It’s late, getting close to one in the morning, and Indi finishes her shift at three. So hopefully, I’ll be able to message her then. I might send one when I get to the party just to let her know what’s happening.
We walk into the small room and it is decked out in older style décor, almost like a 1920’s ballroom. It’s really cool, and all the waiters and staff are dressed to match. I have no idea why they’ve done it this way, but they have and I like it.
“Wow, this looks really pulchritudinous,” Annie says and Aston and I both look at her raising our eyebrows wondering what the hell she’s just said.
“Umm, say what now?” Aston asks and I chuckle.
“What? It means beautiful. Susan, our homeschooling teacher taught us the word, remember Aston. I always wanted to use it, now just seems like a perfect time. This room is pulchritudinous,” she says and Aston and I crack up laughing and shake our heads as Annie smiles and straightens her posture like she’s proud of herself.
“God, I love you, kid,” I say and she scowls and goes to talk, but I interrupt her.
“I know. I know, you’re not a kid, blah, blah, blah. Let’s go watch wannabe�
�s get drunk,” I say and they both nod as we walk over to a booth and take a seat. Ella and Chad walk in followed by all the parents, and they move over to us and all cramp into the one booth with us. Lucky, it’s a big booth.
“Where’s the twins?” I ask Sia, Chad’s mum.
“Asleep at home with Dingo’s mother. Thought it was a bit too much for them to come out here tonight, but we wanted to be here for Chad, seeing as this is all still so new to you all,” she says.
“You know they’re not asleep, right? Mum will have them up with her watching movies and keeping her company,” Dingo says and Sia opens her eyes wide.
“No way!” she says. We all laugh as Dingo nods and she shakes her head as she looks at the time on her phone and then slides out of the booth typing something frantically into her phone. I chuckle to myself as Dingo shakes his head.
“Crap! I just caused another argument with Sia and Mum,” he says and I chuckle.
“Wives hey,” I say and he nods his head.
“Yeah, sometimes they’re just as bad as your mother. Then get them together with your mum, and holy hell, it’s like a bloody time warp. Suddenly, you’ve lost all your ability to be a man and your nads are on the floor shriveled up and hiding under the furniture,” he says and I laugh out loud and shake my head.
“Sounds like fun,” I say and he smiles at me and shakes his head.
“Fun, it’s fucking ecstasy,” he says and I raise my eyebrow at him confused.
“You like it?”
“Being married?” he asks. “Mate, I fucking love it. Have you met my wife, woof, she is fucking hot! Even after all these years. When you find the one, Caleb, don’t let her go. Marry the fuck out of her, and then let her chop off your balls and throw them under the furniture. Your life will be much happier that way,” he says and then smiles as he walks off toward Sia.
I turn back and look at Aston and Annie and then at Lia and Colt, and I see the love they all share as couples and it’s exactly what I have with Indi. That deep unbreakable bond that will always be there no matter what life throws at you.
