by Nicky Jayne
Where could she be? I ask to myself and I push down on the gas, listening to the rumble that comes from underneath the hood.
Miles and minutes pass by so fast. Marcie screamed when I ran into the café, searching for Riley. I bit my lip as she pulled me in for a hug, trying not to show the pain that radiated through my body. A thousand questions flew from my mouth in only a matter of seconds, yet just like the last three places, no one knew. Marcie did say she’d seen her earlier that morning, in her new car. I swear, the minute Marcie told me what Riley’s driving now, a look of shock reached my face though, I was amused. I could picture her driving along now, her hair whipping from the window while she scuttled along.
I gave Marcie a quick peck on the cheek before I turned and ran back to my waiting truck.
******
Riley
Laid back I read his letters over and over again. I’m content reading his words, so much so, that I’ve become tired. My body is relaxed, my mind is tired and I could quite happily fall asleep right here. Sighing, I lay his last letter to me over my eyes, careful not to breathe too hard and shift it from my face.
My eyes lids become heavy. I check my watch to find I’ve been sitting here reading and rereading his letters for nearly three hours. As much as I would love to stay here, it’s time for me to leave. I have a shift at Mason’s later this evening, so I need to get back and shower.
Folding up my letters, I can’t help but lay a small kiss to each one. When I finish, a small tear falls from my eyes. Though he never said much, the emotion in his words always caught me off guard. Wrapping them up and putting them away always seems like one of the hardest thing to do. There’s so much in those letters and putting them away, I feel lost. I fear that I’ll never see him again, that this is all I have of him. So, locking them away like this just feels so wrong.
******
Tanner
I sit and watch her shuffle around under the tree. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, it could be seconds, or it could be minutes. Do I lack the courage to see her, to go to her? I live my life, fighting some of the worst people on the earth. I live on the tip of death every time I step foot off the compounds, but I can’t face the girl that’s literally kept me alive all these months.
I caught sight of her powder blue bug when I zoomed past the park. Slamming my foot on the brake, my tires screeched with protest when I flung the beast around.
Pulling up alongside her car, I laughed silently. As ridiculous as it sounds, it suits her. When I first met her, the sight of her behind the wheel of her uncle’s truck shocked me. I’d never have taken that small, petite girl behind the wheel to be a Truckee. I can’t lie, seeing her behind that wheel turned me on so much, I swore I’d never be able to calm myself down. Thank God for cold weather, because that could’ve been embarrassing.
I don’t see her face. She’s shadowed by the forever-long branches of her favorite tree.
Laying a hand ever so gently over my new tattoo, I open my door.
Closing it quietly, I walk slowly around the truck. Not wanting to spook her, I decide to wait. I have waited enough as it is, another few minutes won’t kill me.
Arms folded, body leaned against the hood, I wait.
******
Riley
Sliding my body from the ground, I tug the edges of the blanket as I go. I stand, looking around and taking in the beauty of this small park. I have so many memories of this place, all good of course. I watch the wind blow the branches and it ruffles through the grass. I see him, I see us walking along hand in hand. Laughing, joking, smiling, just being us. Years have passed, we’re older then we are now, but he’s there. A sense of hope fills me to the max, as much as I know this’s a daydream, I suck in all the hope that each one gives me.
The dream fades, just like they always do, but the warmth in my heart stays, filling me to the brim.
Spinning ever so slightly on one foot, I turn. My arms release the precious paper, causing everything to fall to the ground while I stare off into the distance. My eyes seem to be deceiving me. It can’t be him, standing there in all his glory. He moves, but only just. My heart’s stopped. I can’t feel anything and my vision’s blurring with the tears that form.
I rub my eyes, trying to clear my vision. I must be mistaken. I’d thought that the day dream had ended. I must’ve been wrong.
However, with every blink, with every rub, his body seems to be moving, stepping closer to me. I suck in air trying to restart my body, but I just can’t. This is unreal. How could he be here?
Each of his steps shakes my body. They’re silent, yet ear pounding…or is that my heart?
I want to move, but the shock of seeing his figure has frozen my body. I can’t move and unlike my daydreams, he speaks.
“Riley!” he calls, as he gets closer.
I can feel my frozen legs snap, my body falls to the ground. I land on my knees, but feel no pain. I’m too numb. His slow steady walk turns to a jog, as he closes in on my position. Something’s broke inside me, why else would my head be playing this evil trick on me? That can’t really be him.
My hands fly to my face and I sob, crying hard. Each sob tears through me, shaking me to my core. I reach out an empty hand, halting whatever comes close to me, but the second I reach it out, a warm sensation grips it.
His fingers wind around my hand, bringing it up to his chest. My small delicate fingers grip the fabric beneath them, but I can’t watch. This is one bad dream, and I want no part of it.
“Riley,” he calls again, but I hold my position firmly. I refuse to open my eyes.
Pulling at the fabric in my hand, a sudden thundering sound just ahead of me, shocks me. My eyes fly open. Releasing him, my hand flies to my mouth. A sudden wave of nausea fills me before I fly up and grab him.
If this’s a dream, it’s by far the best one ever. I breathe deep into his collar, while his hands roam down my back. I pull back, ever so slightly, enough to see a line of purple just above his collar bone. I wince, thinking of how much holding me like this must be hurting him. I try to pull back, but he doesn’t release me. He’s clinging to me for dear life. Right there in that very second, I fell in love with him all over again.
“Riley,” he breathes.
“You’re here,” I whisper.
“I promised you I’d come back. Did you think of me?”
I nod frantically into this shoulder.
“Riley?”
“Tanner?”
“I love you.”
My heart sings as his words fill my head. Everything that once felt cold, now bubbles with heat. He loves me. I want to return the words, I want to exchange the favor, but somewhere deep inside me, I still don’t believe that he’s real. No matter how real his body feels, no matter how warm his breath is on my neck, he can’t be real.
His arms relax just enough that I can sit back. My hands explore his face, his tangled hair and the stubble that lines his jaw. I search those deep pools of darkness for a sign of life and they twinkle back at me. He’s really here!
“You’re here!” I exclaim, the excitement kicking in.
He seems amused by my statement, so much so, that a cheeky grin creases his face.
“I am,” he confirms.
“Promise me that you’re not a dream. Show me, Tanner. I couldn’t take you leaving me again.”
Before I can finish my sentence, his lips are on mine, pulling any doubt out of me. This strange boy who came into my life a year ago, now stands in front of me sucking the very life from me. Every strand of emotion I have is wrapped up in his kiss. A kiss that I’ve waited so very long for.
We break from each other, breathing heavy, like we just ran a mile. Well, for me that would be an issue, but for this man, that’s a walk in the park for sure. I look him up and down. Tracing my fingers over his shirt. He visibly winces when I lay my hand over my scar. It almost seems wrong to call my mark a scar, but that is what it is. His body is covered-littered eve
n with them. Placing mine beside them makes his tarnished skin easier to look upon.
His fingers wind around mine as they falls to my side.
“Here.”
I hold onto the hem of his shirt, giving him a curious and confused look. He just smiles at me.
Lifting his shirt, gently over his head. The bruises that line his collar bone run down the inside of his arm. I follow them with my eyes, sucking in a deep breath, trying not to think too hard about how much pain he’s in.
I search for my scar, but what I see shocks me more than his presence. Under a thin sheet of plastic is my name, my heart, my words tattooed into his skin. Words escape me while I reach for it.
I look up at him and his eyes meet mine. A small tear falls from my eye, realizing what he’s done. I’m permanent. I’m there to stay. In such a short period of time, I have claimed the heart of a broken man and he’s claimed mine. He gave me more than I could have ever have asked for. He gave me hope, he gave me love, he gave me the strength to keep fighting and as I live and breathe, I stand here today loving this man more than ever.
“I love you, Riley, more than you’ll ever know. You were the light that filled the darkness that surrounded my days. There was not a minute that went by that you didn’t cross my mind. Thank you, for everything.”
“Tanner, I-You, you’re here! Oh, my Tanner, I love you.”
EPILOGUE
Two years later:
Tanner
I’d be lying if I said the transition was easy, because it’s not. I still have the itch, the urge to do the only thing I’ve ever known, but I roll over in the bed and I see her. Not necessarily the reason I quit, but a damn good reminder.
We’ve grown so much in the last two years, I can’t imagine not having her by my side. Running my fingers down her spine makes her move ever so slightly. I love the feel of her soft skin.
I move closer to her, laying my chin on her shoulder.
“Morning, baby girl.”
She moves ever so slightly, unwinding her body from the mass of blankets she has it locked in. I smile when I think of the play fight we had last night. It wasn’t until recently that she became blanket hog. Most mornings, I wake up with none.
My hand skims across her hip, and over her growing belly. I love the feel of the mass beneath my hand. I made that. I made the little being inside her, kicking my palm. I fell in love with Riley in the blink of an eye. For me, that was an accomplishment, one I never thought I was capable of. Like the amount of love I have running through me right now, but as my hand roams over and over her belly, I know I’m capable of so much more.
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicky Jayne was born and raised in England but now resides in Las Vegas with her Husband and two boys. When she is not writing, she has her nose firmly placed in a book.
She released her first series in September 2013. The Embrace Series, Embracing Life and Embracing Love.
Other Books By Nicky Jayne:
Embracing Life (Embracing Series)
Embracing Love (Embracing Series)
You can find Nicky on Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon.
