To Fall for You

by R. J. Groves

  I climbed into the car, my thoughts only focused on getting more painkillers to make my body numb again. I pulled my seat belt on, wincing as the belt rubbed against my bandaged wound. Coming home had become almost a fantasy for me on this trip, despite the fact that I had grown to become sick of staying there all the time.

  “You know what you need?” Fayne asked, turning his car on.

  I hadn’t even realised he’d already climbed into the car and had taken a moment to analyse me.

  I shook my head lightly, fearing I would be sick if I opened my mouth to talk.

  “A coffee,” he replied.

  By this time, he had already started heading towards the closest café.

  “Fayne, you know I don’t drink coffee,” I forced out, taking my chances with being sick.

  “You should,” he replied, his eyes set on where we were going. “I’ll tell you what – you can have whatever you want, but I’m still getting coffee.” He spared a glance at me, poking his tongue out.

  I sighed. He was the one driving the car and, therefore, he had control of where we would be going.

  After a short drive, we came to the café and Fayne seemed eager to get inside. It must have really been a hard day taking me to the doctor’s to be excited about getting coffee. He came hurriedly to my door to help me out of the car and walked me inside to sit me down at a booth in the corner.

  “Wait here. I’ll order the drinks,” he said quickly. “What do you want?”

  “Orange juice,” I replied – I’d found a new likeness for it.

  I watched him as he walked quickly to the counter, where he was greeted with a hug by his friend of the week.

  ΅ ΅ ΅

  Well, I thought we had great timing. I entered through the door of the café, smiling from having seen Fayne’s car parked outside, and saw him making his way to the counter. I almost ran up to him and gave him a hug from behind, my gesture being received and returned with a proper hug.

  “Hey,” he said, smiling.

  “Hey,” I replied, returning the grin.

  “Can I help you, sir?”

  We both turned to face the barista. He looked bored, his eyes wearing down from exhaustion. I guess it was the result of working full-time with early mornings while juggling night school. We knew this barista; he served us almost every time we came, so we’d learnt a thing or two about him. His name was Brad.

  “Hi Brad,” Fayne replied cheerily. We liked to think we made his day. “Just two coffees and an orange juice today, thanks.”

  I drifted into thought as Fayne completed the transaction. Orange juice? I could swear Fayne said he didn’t drink orange juice and he knows that I don’t like it. Maybe I misheard what he said? I thought of other options that he may have asked for instead, but honestly, I couldn’t find anything on the menu that sounded anything like orange. There really was no mistake about it. He had definitely ordered orange juice.

  “Corner booth again?” Brad asked, and Fayne nodded in reply. “Great. I’ll bring them over to you when they’re ready.”

  “Thanks,” Fayne and I said at the same time out of habit.

  Fayne turned and led the way towards the corner booth. I sighed when I saw someone else there with her back to us. It looked like we wouldn’t be sitting in the corner booth today. I observed the girl from the back. She obviously wasn’t dressed up. Her long red hair was tied in a bun, and the jumper she wore looked more comfortable than was appropriate for going out in. I put my bag on a seat at another table that was nearby. The barista would know where we are.

  “What are you doing?” Fayne asked, confused at my change of direction.

  “The booth is taken,” I replied quietly.

  “Come,” he said, giving me a reassuring smile.

  Hesitantly, I followed. I obviously didn’t have a choice.

  “Did you want anything to eat?” he asked the redhaired girl sitting in our booth.

  I watched from behind as she shook her head, and I approached some more to stand by Fayne. I gasped a little when I saw that the girl sitting in our booth was Renée.

  I somehow couldn’t find any words; I gaped back and forth between Fayne and his redheaded traitor of a sister, sure I looked like a moving clown head at a carnival. Her surprised look was still not very noticeable. Her eyes simply widened and her lips grew tighter together. Maybe she didn’t want to see me either.

  “Fayne,” I forced out, finding my voice briefly before losing it again.

  How could you do this to me? I finished the sentence in my head. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to hear it but, somehow, I hoped he would. I hoped he knew I couldn’t do this.

  “Emma, sit down,” he said, unmoved by my silent protesting.

  I stayed still. I would not sit down. Even if I wanted to, my legs were already refusing to do such a thing. My thoughts were muddled. Even they were short and confused, like the one word I’d managed to force out.

  I looked at Renée. She had turned her gaze to the table, studying the beech-wood pattern in an attempt to avoid looking at me. I shifted my gaze to Fayne again, hurt and confusion written all over my face.

  You’re killing me here! I thought, still hoping he would somehow know what I was thinking.

  I sighed. I obviously wasn’t going to get any help from him. He brought her here. He knew I was coming, we had planned to meet, but he still brought her here. He knows we’re not talking!

  I turned my head to see the barista bringing the drinks over for us. He even looked a bit cautious about coming over. Were we really making it that obvious? Well, I didn’t care. The whole world could see how I was always being betrayed and it still wouldn’t change anything.

  I felt a smooth, masculine hand enclose mine, hanging numbly by my side. I turned to face Fayne, his touch becoming a sign of trust. I studied his deep green eyes.

  “Emma,” he said again, urging me on as he pulled me down onto the seat next to him, still holding my hand.

  I gave in. I didn’t have control of my legs but, somehow, he did. I didn’t want to sit, but I couldn’t resist his touch. Of course, it didn’t take me long to realise that I was sitting opposite Renée. I could kick her under the table if I had control of my legs. Renée just sat there, silent and unmoving, like a child who just got told off for something she’d found enjoyable.

  “Really, girls?” Fayne broke the silence, giving us both the look. The I don’t get you look.

  “Fayne, I thought we were going home,” Renée said, still not breaking her gaze from the table.

  He looked at me, urging me to say something. I didn’t. I didn’t know what to say. His soft hand closed around mine tighter now, confusing my thoughts even more. How was I supposed to think properly when he was distracting me like that?

  He sighed. “I really don’t understand you girls,” he said, shaking his head. “You fight over nothing, then suddenly you hate each other.” He let go of my hand.

  No, I thought. I didn’t want him to let me go.

  “It’s not nothing!” I said, my words surprising both of them, who had obviously forgotten I had the power of voice. In fact, I had forgotten.

  “Then what is it?” he asked, his voice rising slightly.

  The truth was that I didn’t fully know what it was. She had betrayed me. She probably didn’t know any better, but she still did it. Not only that, but she hadn’t apologised. And I shouldn’t have to – she’s the one that hurt me.

  Fact is, I didn’t like that Fayne was upset at us – at me.

  “She betrayed me, Fayne!” I said, frustrated.

  “I betrayed you? What makes you think I betrayed you?” Renée piped in, now also looking confused, breaking her gaze from the table.

  “Oh, don’t act like you don’t know,” I snapped back at her.

  Fayne put his hands on the table.

  “Girls!” he said. “I’ve had enough. You’re both being really immature right now. There’s no point in arguing about it. Just freaking
work it out.”

  “We can’t just freaking work it out!” I said, my voice breaking from holding the threatening tears back.

  “Well,” he replied, standing up and pushing his chair in. “If you can’t work it out, then I’m not talking to either of you.”

  Renée and I watched in astonishment as Fayne picked up his coffee and started walking to another table. Before he got far, he turned slightly to continue his thoughts.

  “And another thing: neither of you is getting a lift home until you work it out,” he said. “And in case you didn’t notice, neither of you is going to be able to walk home, so you’d better hurry up.”

  We watched in silence as my only remaining friend – Renée’s only brother – left us together at the booth and went to a table near the window to drink his coffee alone. I sighed. He had a point – it had started raining quite heavily over the last hour, and it would take me at least half an hour to walk home. I’d be a fool to walk for that long in weather like this. And Renée couldn’t walk home – she still could barely walk without assistance from having her appendix removed.

  “He’s right,” I whispered. I looked up at Renée, who was obviously contemplating the same thing as me.

  She nodded. We both sat in silence, staring at the untouched drinks in front of us. I looked over at Fayne. He was sitting with his back to us, reading the newspaper. I sighed. I didn’t want to have to walk home, nor did I want to be the first to apologise. We continued to sit in silence, drinks untouched, time ticking by, only the rain outside to be heard.

  “Emma.”

  I looked up from the table when she whispered my name. Renée was staring out the window past Fayne, absently watching the rain fall to the ground. I could tell she wanted to forget everything and just enjoy the moment. I did too.

  “Emma, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for betraying you – but can you please tell me how I did, so I know exactly what I’m apologising for?” she said, finally turning her gaze towards me.

  “Do you not remember? When I came to your place after having just lost all my other friends, and Kane was there?” I asked, trying to prompt her memory. It really wasn’t that long ago.

  She nodded, looking back over at Fayne.

  “Oh, yeah,” she replied. “That’s when you stormed out and Fayne followed you.”

  I nodded. I really didn’t feel like talking about this, especially with her.

  “Why did you storm out?” she continued, not wanting to let this go.

  “Renée, you were getting too close to him. It was obvious that he and I weren’t friends. He hurt me, Renée. He broke my heart.” I could feel tears welling up just thinking about it. “I was jealous.”

  “You were jealous, of me?” she asked, surprised at such a thought crossing her mind. “Emma, how could you be jealous of me?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged. “Maybe because you’re really pretty and Kane was spending lots of time with you after just breaking up with me, knowing that the two of us were friends?”

  “Oh.” Her eyes widened, her voice growing silent.

  I watched her as she registered what I was saying. Then, with a look of disgust, she leant forward so she could talk quietly, without anyone hearing her.

  “Emma, Kane is my cousin.”

  I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. I wondered if I was dreaming again, having another nightmare. A dream I couldn’t wake up from. I pinched my arm, sure I was dreaming. The sharp pain shot up my arm, proving that I was awake.

  “How can he be your cousin?” I stammered, shocked, but in some strange way relieved. “I mean, Fayne didn’t tell me he’s your cousin.”

  “Fayne doesn’t know.”

  “What do you mean Fayne doesn’t know?” I asked in disbelief.

  I watched as Renée cautiously glanced over to her brother, who was oblivious to our discussion. I realised then that Renée didn’t mean to betray me. She wouldn’t have known that she was doing anything wrong – which she wasn’t. I knew that now. She was just talking to her cousin and I blew it way out of proportion.

  “We had never met him before,” she continued. “Well, I met him and his mum at the shops when I went with my mum on our first day here. Fayne was at his classes, so he wasn’t with us. My mum recognised his mum because his mum was married to my mum’s brother. Apparently, they split up shortly after Kane was born.”

  It was all starting to make sense.

  “But Kane visited his dad,” I said, confused as to how they could have never met.

  “We moved around a lot, Emma,” she said, shrugging. “We have seen my uncle and knew we had a cousin named Kane, but had never met him or seen a picture of him. Not a recent one, at least.”

  “You didn’t tell Fayne that you met him?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “We did,” she replied. “Later that day. But I guess he hadn’t put together that this Kane is our cousin.”

  I stared at the cup in front of me. How could this single important piece of information cause so much confusion? How could Fayne not know?

  “You have to tell Fayne,” I said, bringing my gaze back up to Renée.

  “Tell me what?”

  We both looked up at the attractive man standing beside us, wondering who should say something. He looked between us.

  “Wait – you have made up, haven’t you?” he asked.

  We both nodded.

  “Good,” he said, sliding into the seat beside me. “So, tell me what?”

  He looked at me and then, when I looked at Renée, he turned to his sister.

  “Fayne,” she started. “Kane is our cousin.”

  “I know,” he said simply.

  I watched Renée as her jaw dropped open, then she shook her head.

  “No,” she continued. “Emma’s Kane is our cousin.”

  Renée shot me an apologetic look when she realised what she said. It did hurt, but only a little. He was my Kane, once, but he’s not anymore. I had come to terms with that. And Fayne was helping me.

  “Okay, first, he’s not Emma’s Kane,” Fayne said, squeezing my hand under the table. “And yes, I already know he’s our cousin.”

  I let his fingers intertwine with mine.

  “But,” Renée said, confused. “How did you know?”

  “I’m not an idiot, sis.” He shrugged. “I put the pieces together.”

  I froze. Fayne did know that Kane was their cousin. And he’d never told me.

  “You knew,” I whispered, staring at the table. I felt both sets of eyes on me. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me?”

  Fayne closed his eyes, pondering the predicament he found himself in. The predicament I put him in. I was the one who brought it up to him; I told Renée that she had to tell him. But that was before I knew that he already knew.

  “Fayne?” I said, my voice shaking.

  I felt his hand tighten around mine as he pulled me to my feet and started walking me towards the door, Renée’s eyes following us. He said nothing until we were outside, standing under the small veranda in front of the café, hearing the rain pouring down around us. He turned to face me, putting his hands on my shoulders, insisting that I look at him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered, tears threatening.

  “I didn’t want to lose you,” he whispered back, shaking his head. “I like you, Emma, and I have since you knocked on the door looking for Renée. I knew that Kane was our cousin. But I didn’t know that he broke your heart until you told me. I thought that–” his voice broke, and he took a big breath, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “I thought that you wouldn’t want to be with me if you knew.”

  I blinked back tears, searching the green eyes that were holding my gaze so intently. He wanted to be with me. He wanted me to want him. I could feel my heart mending. All this time, Fayne had been picking up the pieces of my heart and putting them back together again. He was there for me. He held me. He made me smile. He helped me heal.

  “Fayn
e,” I whispered.

  “Yes?” he asked, tracing his fingertips over my cheek, across my lips, against my neck.

  “I just like the sound of your name,” I said, smiling up at him.

  He smiled back, the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face, and he swallowed. He tugged me closer and brought his face down, resting his forehead on mine, letting his lips linger close to mine. I could feel his breath against my lips. He closed the gap, allowing them to touch. He kissed me tenderly, gently, passionately, wrapping his arms around me to pull me closer. I let myself fall for him, this incredible, attractive, amazing man. I let myself wrap my arms around his neck and allowed him to kiss me deeper. I could feel his longing. My longing.

  He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against mine again. He was still smiling, and he was searching my eyes.

  “I love you, Emma,” he whispered.

  It felt so natural, so right. I love you, Emma. He took my hands from around his neck and held them by our sides, entangling his fingers between mine. I knew it in my heart and I couldn’t deny it.

  He was my Fayne.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  Chapter 18

  A final dance.

  Three weeks had passed and, once again, I was standing in front of the mirror. But this time, I knew I was different. My reflection didn’t show someone that was hurting. It showed someone that was mending. I pinned some stray brown hairs back and ran my hands down my emerald green formal dress. Tonight was the school dance. I had decided after the break-up that I didn’t want to go. In fact, I hadn’t even told Mum or Fayne about it, hoping that I wouldn’t be talked into it. I didn’t factor in that Fayne would have known about it because Renée was eager to go.

  I smiled at the memory of Fayne begging me to go.

  ~x o x~

  “Go with me,” he said. “It’s your last school dance – you have to go.”

  I’d said that I didn’t want to go, and that I would much rather see a movie with him. He didn’t take “no” for an answer. The next day, he was in my kitchen, persuading Mum to make sure I went. It was the first time they saw each other since the night we watched Titanic. I watched from the stairs.