“I see I wasn’t who you were expecting, but I’ll let myself in anytime you like,” said Marisol with a sardonic grin.
What the hell was she doing here?
“What do you want? We concluded our business last night. I thought you went back to New York,” I said, turning my back to her.
“Oh, Declan. I’m hurt that you aren’t happy to see me,” she said, following me into the house. “I have some papers for you to look at with regard to the group that was at The Studio last night. Sign off on them and I’ll be on my way.” She held out a folder for my perusal.
“Why didn’t you give this to me last night? Better yet, why didn’t you just fax it or scan and e-mail it?” I took the folder from her.
“Well, that would be my professional ethics, Declan,” she said as she came closer to me. Resting her hand on my arm and pushing her pelvis closer than she should. Lifting just her eyes to look at me, she concluded her statement. “You know I would go above and beyond to deliver my best work.” TT
I moved away from her. “What kind of game are you playing, Marisol? Don’t play the bitch in heat game for me. I’m not interested.” I shook the folder in front of her. “Is this really necessary and is it about work? Or is it a ploy for you to get into my house?”
She moved toward me again. “Yes it’s about work! Look at it and sign it. If you don’t believe me, then call Blake.”
I opened the folder and looked inside. The papers were legitimate and they did require my signature. Moving to grab a pen, she followed me.
“I’m signing these and you’re getting the hell out of my house. The next time you have business to discuss with me, you send it to The Studio, got it? I don’t want you ever coming here again.”
My signature flowed on the last document and I shoved the papers back into the folder. As I turned to give it back to her, she was up against me. My one hand held the folder as my other grabbed at her shoulder to keep her from coming closer, but she still managed to place her other hand on my cheek.
“Declan, Declan…what happened to you that makes you dislike me so? Last night in the meeting, you were smiling at me and being pleasant to me. I thought we were becoming friends again. Isn’t that what you want? For us to be friends again?”
She slid her free hand down my chest and as I still held her shoulder, she placed that hand against my pelvis. I gained instant clarification. My thoughts were immediately solidified—Aria was correct. Marisol was unstable. Having known her for so many years had made me desensitized to her cunning ways. I could play at this game and get her out of my house; and when Aria returned, I’d tell her of this latest Marisol game and confirm her suspicions. Together, we could plan how to deal with her. The immediate dilemma I faced was to play this bitch’s game and get her out of my house in the shortest amount of time. My brother would be here soon and Aria would be returning. I didn’t want Marisol to derail our plans. The primary need was to engineer a believable scenario to Marisol to achieve a prompt result to get her out of here.
I took her chin forcefully in my hand, making her look at me as I spoke, “Is that what you want, Marisol?” I demanded of her. “For us to be friends?”
She never released her hands from their place on my body; instead, she looked me over skeptically, searching my face for signs of foul play. Thinking she could manipulate me, she relaxed her body into mine slightly, mistakenly thinking I’d respond to her on a sexual level.
“Yes, Declan. I want us to be friends. Very, very good friends. I could make you want me as more than a friend…if you let me.”
Marisol moved the hand at my pelvis to sensually cup and grip me, catching me off guard. I gripped the shoulder I was holding as my intent was to throw her back and away from me, but my attention was diverted to the sound of something hitting the floor.
Aria’s eyes locked on mine as she looked from the scene in front of her to me. I watched the breath leave her body as both of her arms came and wrapped around her waist to bring comfort to herself. Her cataclysmic gaze registered rapid sequences of blue hues as a multitude of emotions registered in rapid succession. It only took seconds, but it seemed our eyes locked forever. Shock, betrayal, anger, and devastating hurt were reflected to me as I couldn’t tear my stare from her and a scene that I knew had gone horribly wrong.
As I stood transfixed and frozen within the devastation Aria was witnessing in those agonizing moments, Marisol took the opportunity to make the scene appear that she had interrupted a consensual scene of playful lust.
“Oh, Aria!” Marisol feigned surprise, diverting both mine and Aria’s attention. “We didn’t expect you so soon…”
Aria’s breath left her as if someone had just punched her taking all she had. Looking from Marisol to me, she turned running out the kitchen door.
I pushed Marisol away from me with explosive physical force.
“You bitch!” were the only words that formed as I attempted to go after Aria.
Marisol grabbed my arm. “It was only a matter of time…” she said, displaying a wicked smile.
I started down the stairs in an attempt to catch Aria, who was now running across the street. I loudly and fiercely shouted her name as if my life depended on it, because she was my life. She wouldn’t stop. I chased her, running down the street and around buildings. I needed to get to her to explain. I had to tell her that she was right and I was wrong. I couldn’t let her get away, she didn’t see the truth and I had to let her know. I couldn’t think about anything else except the pain I caused her, and I felt desperate. I had to make her stop running, ease her hurt and pain and nothing else, for nothing else mattered to me except getting to her.
…and as Marisol decided to witness the aftermath of the little escapade, she noted that she might purchase a new accessory when this was over…
T Whatcha Gonna Do – Imelda May
TT Fade Into You – Nashville Soundtrack Featuring Sam Palladio & Clare Bowen
I ran. There was only one image burned in my brain, and it was driving my feet to take one hurried step after another to get as far away as I could from what I just witnessed. The scene was like the cars of a freight train that you watched pass by on a track, and they kept passing before my mind’s eye. T
Declan leaning back…
Marisol’s hands on him…
Declan’s hand under her chin…
Marisol smiling at him…
Declan’s hand on her shoulder…
Marisol’s hand feeling him…
With each pounding step, I wanted to erase the scene from my brain. Questions filled my mind with the images. When did this happen? Was it real? How long had it been going on? Is this why Declan was so defensive when I called Marisol unstable? How long was she here? Where was she staying? Oh my God…please, please make the thoughts stop! I can’t think! I can’t concentrate! I can’t slow my brain down! I can’t rationalize! I can’t breathe…
“Aria!”
I thought I heard Declan’s voice, yet I still ran. The tears were flowing as quickly as the adrenaline was flooding my brain.
“Aria! Stop!”
It’s Declan. He must have come after me the moment I left the house. I don’t want to talk to him, yet I do. I don’t want to see him, yet I do. I want him to hold me and tell me that this has all been a terrible mistake, but I don’t know if I’d believe him. I can’t control what I’m thinking. Everything’s a complete jumble of thoughts in my mind. I have not one collective, rational thought. I just want to keep running, but if I do, I don’t know where I’ll go. Just then, it hit me. I know where I’ll go, I’ll run to the bayside and sit by the water to clear my head. Run to the bayside, run to the bayside…
“Aria! Stop! Please!”
Something about Declan’s tone made me stop. I don’t know what it was exactly, but perhaps it was the kindred desperation in his voice and my head or perhaps the paramount emotion that came through. Fear? Anger? Hurt? Care? Concern? Love?
I slowe
d my pace and realized my chest was burning from the exertion on my lungs. I didn’t even recognize where I was, as if I were in a daze. My arms and legs wouldn’t give me time to register their protest as they initiated a concert of appendage quivering.
My surroundings were coming into focus and I realized I was at the edge of Coastal Highway. Declan’s shouting alerted me to the danger I may have posed to myself, and as I turned to step onto the curb, I also scouted to see where he was.
I looked left and right on the street, across the highway, and at the sides of the buildings. I couldn’t see him, but I was keenly aware that I had heard his voice. Once again, I became distracted and stepped into the street to gain a better view. I wasn’t thinking clearly, but then I saw him on the other side of the highway!
I started to walk in his direction as he came toward me, taking a step back onto the curb when a car came down the street. I was trying to make my way to him, and he to me. My thoughts were completely irrational at this point, so I needed to look into his eyes for the truth. Nothing made sense. I needed to be close to him. Nothing else would suffice.
As I took a step into the street to cross, I saw Declan look at the oncoming traffic in my direction. His voice took on a tone of excruciating torment that shook me into clarity and he seemed to want to reach me, and at the same time, his handsome features registered a dreadful horror.
“ARIA!!!” Declan screamed as I heard screeches and grinds of machinery.
“…Declan,” I whispered as I observed him standing helplessly across the street with Marisol at his back…
The sirens sang a shrill and haunting song into the afternoon. An overwhelmed and distraught gentleman is holding his hand to his chest, saying, “Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop.”
Someone in the crowd is shouting, “Call 911!! Now!”
The gentleman drops to the ground, desperately attempting to remember everything he’s learned about administering CPR. Thankfully, the paramedics arrive and use their skills.
They bellow into the growing crowd, “Please move back everyone! We need some room!”
Medical equipment latches around the top of an arm, pumping air into a ball. A stethoscope is listening intently for vital information. A light is shined into eyes. The paramedic looks at his partner. There’s a pulse, so there’s still some hope.
Aria and I. We recognize no one except each other. Words are telepathically communicated as if some silent message could transcend the chaos around us. Fear is fast becoming the ruler of us both. Unconsciousness would’ve been a welcome friend, but shock arrived in its place.
My gaze is locked on Aria, willing significant strength into her. She glanced my way, pouring unspoken love into me. A touch would’ve been welcome, but circumstantially impossible.
Time was passing quickly and medically crucial, but for Aria and I, it moved at a sluggish pace. Every moment spent in each other’s eyes, held a lifetime of regret, love, and hope.
All around us, necessary and deliberate emergency medical preparations were made. Intravenous fluids were being administered. Stabilization of blood pressure and heart rate was being attempted. The ambulance began to transport the injured to better help. The siren wailed its ear piercing warning so that traffic would make way for the hurt. Still, fear was the looming monster threatening to consume us both.
We couldn’t speak, but no words were necessary. My suede brown eyes meet her beautiful, emotion filled, blue-gray ones. The only words between us are unspoken in a gripped held hand—its message: “Please stay with me. We’re almost there. I can’t lose you.” TT
My Declan. His long, lean, muscular body is in agony. The muscles, which I have so leisurely traced with my fingers, now make him distressed. My only thought is to make him comfortable. He hasn’t been able to move into many positions. It appears as if he needs a good stretch or a nice, long massage. His sleeping has been consistently fitful. There’s no wonder as to why he’s rigid. I can see the discomfort registered on his face. My thoughts are inconsistent and I drift to a more pleasant memory.
I remember watching him sleep. I had never watched someone as they slept before I met him. Truth be told, I had never been involved this deeply with any other man. I watched everything about him. I watched his face when he laughed and when he was serious. I could now read his different expressions. I could read his body too, and saw how his muscles changed after a workout, when we were resting, or watching television. I watched him breathe. I could read his breathing when he was passionate or when he was cold with a chill.
Momentarily, I drift to the present. As I stood there, I wished to be near his body. I currently am watching his breath. I want my head to be on his chest with each rise and fall of the air he inhales. I want to be in his arms. I had peace and security knowing that every curve of my body fit most perfectly within the angles and folds of his…
I remember coffee. His lips are so dry and I know that he’d much rather be with me, having a cup of coffee…
“Mrs. Cole, there’s no way to tell what a person in a state of emotional trauma is struggling with. Aria seems to be completely disconnected when she’s away from Mr. Sinclair,” Dr. Dominic gently explained. “It wasn’t so long ago that she experienced the illness and grief of losing her father. She now has witnessed the accident involving Mr. Sinclair. Compounding the two traumas, it may take her a while before her psyche allows her to connect and feel the emotions that one would normally feel when witnessing such a devastating event. At present, she appears numb and withdrawn whenever she’s taken back to her room. She only shows any positive emotion when we allow her to visit Mr. Sinclair.”
Concern shrouded Jeannie from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. The thought of her daughter being in pain, emotional or otherwise, caused her heart to break.
“She will recover, won’t she?” Jeannie pleaded, a slight sob catching in her throat.
“I believe she will, with time,” said Dr. Dominic. “What Aria witnessed, from the accounts we’ve received, was an extraordinarily stressful situation. It was terribly traumatic, and she wasn’t in a position to help the person she loved. She was helpless. She hasn’t spoken much about it. Her verbalization is consistently about Mr. Sinclair’s condition. All we do know is that she witnessed something terrible to someone she loves and that she was powerless to prevent it. It was a perfect cocktail for emotional shock. Emotional illness is just as real as physical illness; you just can’t see what has been broken with your eyes.”
Jeannie lowered her head as Dr. Dominic sat across from her. She could no longer contain her tears, shedding them for Aria, as well as for Declan. The couple that seemed so perfect for each other had now hit the perfect storm. She could only shake her head in disbelief.
“I just can’t believe that she won’t come out of this.”
Dr. Dominic placed his comforting hand on hers.
“I can assure you that we’ll do everything we can to help her.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Jeannie said through tearful eyes. “Anything you do for her, and for Declan, is very much appreciated.”
My Aria. My beautiful girl. I feel that I’ve failed you. When I met you, sadness was reflected in your beautiful eyes. One glance into those eyes was all it took for me to love you. I didn’t know that at the time, but at that moment, all I wanted to do was make you happy. Growing to know you, we evolved into a love like I’d never known, and I could see joy take the place of sadness in you. Now all I see is sadness stealing its way back…and I’m the cause.
You look so fragile, yet I want to crush you in my arms. I need you in my arms. I want you in my arms. That is where you belong. When I hold you, we’re a perfect and unique fit.
I so badly want to assure you that everything’s going to be all right. I want to ease your mind. I want to tell you that I’m here for you. I will always do what I think is best for you; I promise. I will always put you and your needs before mine—always. I love you,
baby, with all my heart. I want you to know that. I want you to feel my hand holding yours…I want you to feel my strength…somehow. I want you to know how beautiful you are to me. There’s no one else like you in my world. There has never been anyone else that I’ve ever allowed into the places in my heart and life that you now claim as yours. Please, baby, please…
…Oh, babe…there has never been anyone else but you. Please, bear, please…
T I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
TT If I Didn’t Have You – Thompson Square
TTT Every Day it Would Rain – Bruno Mars
Carter came over and put his arms around his brother’s chest as he rested his head there. When he arrived at the beach, the last thing he expected was to see was his baby brother in a hospital bed. He had been through so much last year, but he instantaneously decided that he’d stay as long as necessary—for Declan.
Declan had been in and out of consciousness due to the pain medication he’d been given. He didn’t know if he was aware of conversation, but he chose to speak to him anyway.
“Hi, baby brother. How are you holding up?” Carter’s voice became broken with emotion. “It’s going to be okay…Do you hear me? This is only temporary and you will come out of this. You have to believe that!”
As he embraced him, his eyes misting with tears, he used Declan’s love for Aria as an incentive.
“You’ve never been capable of the type of love you have for Aria. The depth that you’ve allowed that girl into your heart has never been touched or explored by anyone else. You have to fight to stay around for her! You have to watch over her—no matter what!” He let the tears flow; tears he learned through his love for Lacey. They flowed freely down his cheeks.
Positive/Negativity Page 22
