I Love You Again

by Khardine Gray

  "Your dad was right Trina," he sighed. "Jim was completely right. Think about it. The man was dying, and he wanted to make sure his daughter didn't have her loser boyfriend dragging her down. Especially since you'd just gotten accepted at Stanford."

  "You weren't a loser to me."

  "Maybe not, but that didn't change the fact that I was. I kept promising I'd change and going back on my word. I wasn't good for you. I wish that I could have changed sooner for both you and your dad. I wasn't being a coward when I left. Sometimes it takes more courage to leave the thing you love the most than to fight for it."

  His words gripped at her heart and held her attention. It intrigued her that he could still talk about her that way.

  "Sometimes..." He stopped and stared deeply at her. "Sometimes you have to realize when you can't have something, or be with someone. I was always selfish and stole whatever I wanted because I could. Leaving you was the one time in my life when I wasn't selfish, and I was powerless to do anything else."

  A tear ran down her cheek, and he reached forward and smoothed his hands over hers.

  "I'm sorry." She could see that he was very much a victim too.

  "It's me who's sorry," he said.

  She wanted to ask him something else but held back. She wanted to know how it happened. How her father told him to leave. Maybe it was irrelevant, but she felt she needed to know. It was the kind of thing that would gnaw away at her mind if she didn't ask.

  "How'd it happen? I mean did something happen for my dad to get so worked up that he told you to leave."

  Brad pulled in a deep breath. Of course, that was the part he'd conveniently left out last night when he told her what happened. It was the trigger that set Jim off and made him banish Brad from her.

  Last night he told her that her father simply asked him to leave after an argument, and that he thought Brad was no good for her.

  "I stole something, and he had to bail me out. Again." There that was enough said. He didn't have to let her know what he stole, or even that he still had it and carried it with him like some weirdo.

  He didn't even understand it himself. Or, the even crazier notion that he'd paid for it. The jewelry store owner dropped the charges when he paid, but realistically the sensible thing to do was return the ring.

  Why'd he keep it?

  Maybe because it was the only thing he stole that meant something to him. Maybe it was because of what it represented and reminded him of her. Maybe he saw it as hers and didn't want anyone else to have it. Even when she herself didn't.

  He didn't know.

  "Oh," she replied looking down to their hands joined together on the table. "I see."

  "Is there anything else you want to ask me?" He thought he should ask.

  She shook her head, the impact loosened a strand from her ponytail, and she smoothed it behind her ear with her free hand. He pulled his hands back releasing her.

  "It's good to see you Brad." Her beautiful eyes held his and like always he found himself lost within the autumnal hue and the wealth of emotion that brimmed within them.

  "It's really good to see you too," Brad replied. He couldn't express how great it was to see her. Or, how fulfilled he felt in her presence.

  Yesterday he wondered around the area and hung out in the bar for most of the day. He didn't want to risk going back into an argument so stayed away long enough to give her a chance to cool off. When he got back, she was sleeping.

  "So, I guess we have a wedding to work on."

  "We do. But not for the next six days," he pointed out with a smile.

  She returned the smile. "Yeah. I forgot that. I feel bad because we're their best people. I still can't believe you're Neil's best friend and I never once saw you."

  "Same here. I suppose it's because we never got the chance to meet up."

  "That's probably my fault. I'm always so busy with work. I see Jennifer when we meet to eat or go shopping."

  He nodded. He was busy too.

  "What are we going to do for six days?" she offered a small smile.

  "Well, you can start filling the time by telling me about work. You're a surgeon. That must be exciting."

  She smiled wide at the comment.

  "And, you can tell me about your non-catfish fighting company." She chuckled. At least she was laughing.

  He grinned back at her.

  "Alright, Trina. I'll happily tell you about my non-catfish fighting company."

  Chapter 8

  They talked all day. Catching up on the last eleven years. Talking about every and anything.

  Trina couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to him, and it felt like the years hadn't passed at all. As if they'd always been in touch.

  It was just like before.

  They finished the evening with a bonfire on the beach where they roasted marshmallows and told ghost stories. In the past he used to scare her so bad she'd end up sleeping with the lights on and asking her dad to accompany her around the house and the farm.

  "That's not scary." She huffed. She was well seasoned in the horror department now. Nothing scared her much these days.

  "An army of flesh-eating zombies in the apocalypse doesn't scare you?" Brad challenged grinning at her. The flames from the orange fire flickered over his face turning him the same color.

  "No, of course not. I'm not sixteen anymore Brad. These days the Zombies would at the very least have to have some kind of power to move exorcist fast, and incinerate you with one look." Now that was scary. She smiled when she saw the surprised look on his face.

  "Jeez, what the hell have you been watching?"

  "Clearly not the same films you watch." She giggled.

  He shook his head. "No. I guess I can't scare you that much anymore."

  "Nope."

  "Your dad could scare us both," he chuckled.

  She nodded at that and smiled. Her dad could cook up a terrifyingly, horrific story that would chill them both to the bone. His stories were done so cleverly that it left a psychological mark on you for days.

  "He'd win at any time. Past or present."

  "Do you remember that time he terrified us on that camping trip?" Brad laughed.

  "Yes, with the demonic serial killer story, and then left us for eons while he went to collect wood."

  She was about nine.

  Brad laughed even more. "You cried the whole time."

  "So did you." Now she burst out laughing.

  "Hey," he threw a marshmallow at her while she continued to laugh. "I was scared I wouldn't be able to protect you." He shook his head at her.

  She laughed at the memory of them huddled together in the woods, holding onto each other for dear life because they believed the demonic serial killer was going to kill them. Then she all but fainted when her dad came back because she thought he was the demon.

  She and Brad ran away from him and ended up falling into a hedge of poison ivy. It served her dad right because he had to take care of them both.

  "I really miss him," Brad said. He straightened up in the sand and ran his hands across it. Then he looked across at her.

  "I miss him too," she added.

  "He was really, really proud of you." Brad nodded.

  It was good to hear it. "He'd be proud of you too." Her father would most assuredly be proud of how Brad turned out.

  She was proud of Brad for changing and making something of his life. She remembered when they first met. She'd just moved to Iowa, and he was delivering newspapers. She found it strange that a boy not much older than her could have a job. She'd actually thought he must have done something bad to suffer such a fate.

  The next time she saw him was days after they arrived. She found him in the barn hiding from his parents. Brad had two black eyes, his nose was broken, and he was covered with cuts and bruises. She didn't realize then that it would be a regular occurrence to see him that way. The way that his parents treated him was despicable.

  Her father took care of him and tried
to intervene when he could, but it made Brad's situation worse. Things only got better when Brad's parents abandoned him, but by then he was at the height of his run-ins with the law.

  But look at him now, with his own company, living on the coast in LA, and from what he’d told her he seemed to be very successful. He’d changed immensely and she knew that her father would have undoubtedly been happy to see that, and all that he’d achieved.

  The look on Brad's face, however, told her he thought otherwise.

  "I don't know about that," he said in a flat tone, confirming her thoughts. He looked out to the ocean, which was now blackened by night. The steady breath of the waves still caressed the shoreline with the gentle shushing sound it made.

  "He would Brad." She assured him.

  He looked back to her with an appreciative smile. "I'm glad you think so. I would have liked to have made him proud."

  His smile turned up a notch as he lowered to the sand and gazed up at the sky. She moved closer to him and laid down too. They used to stargaze a lot in the field on the farm when they were younger.

  "Look at the stars." He pointed up at the sky.

  She'd noticed that the sky was clearer and brighter here than in Chicago. The stars were brighter in their clusters, and if she wasn’t mistaken she could make out the outlines of a few constellations.

  "It's so peaceful here," she sighed and turned her head towards him. A little flutter rippled through her stomach when she found that he was already looking at her.

  Trina smiled at him and knew even before he opened his hand to take hers that he would do that.

  Her hand automatically found his.

  That small gesture felt like something healed within her. As if the hole that had been created when he left had started to fill. He squeezed her hand gently, and she moved even closer so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

  “I can’t hear Trina. Should I be asking for proof of life?” Neil commented.

  Brad laughed and pressed the phone to his ear. "She’s taking a shower." He could hear the water running in the bathroom. She'd been in there for at least an hour and the minute she went in she unleashed the fruity, floral fragrance of her shampoo and other creams and potions he'd seen her carry inside. The place smelled like a spa.

  Neil laughed. "Hey man, come on. You can't tell me you aren't even a little happy. I can hear it in your voice."

  Brad was happy alright. A little too happy. This was supposed to be them repairing a broken friendship, which was why he had no business holding her hand like that last night and watching her while she practically slept in his arms. At least he had the good sense to wake her. Even if it was three hours later, his senses still kicked in.

  "I'm merry," he joked.

  He couldn't hear the water anymore, and now he heard her soft footsteps as she made her way into her room.

  "Brad, do you want a Spanish omelet for breakfast?" She called out on the other side of his door.

  Well, he wouldn't say no to that. That was his favorite breakfast.

  He moved the phone away from his ear so he could answer. "Thanks, but let me come help you." He didn't want her going through all that trouble for him.

  He smiled when he heard her giggle. "It's an omelet, Brad. I'm not performing surgery." She laughed.

  "Okay, I'll make you French toast." She loved that.

  "Yay. Thanks. I'd love that." He knew without seeing her that she would have done that little hop thing she used to and land on one leg before sauntering away.

  He returned the phone to his ear when he heard her walk away. Neil was laughing.

  "What Neil?"

  "Y'all sound mighty fine to me." Neil put on his Texan accent. When he first met Neil that was how he sounded as he'd just not too long moved from Texas. They used to joke about it with their other friends. As the years went by the accent faded some what, but he'd bring it out for fun sometimes.

  In response, Brad would copy Neil's grandmother who was quite a character with her Dolly Parton accent and the look that complimented it. She even had the big, big white blonde hair even though she was pushing eighty.

  "Well sonny son, we do our best for our friends."

  "Except, y'all are starting to sound real homely. Omelette Brad? May the good Lord have mercy."

  "Yes, sugar. May the good Lord have mercy on you too." Brad really put the effort into his voice that time, and Neil burst out laughing.

  "You sound more like my grandmother than she does. Have fun man."

  "Bye, bye now sugar." Brad continued to tease and chuckled to himself as he hung up.

  He then made his way downstairs. When he got to the kitchen, he stopped by the entrance, too mesmerized by the beauty before him to venture inside.

  Today Trina wore a peach camisole top with tiny laces that tied at the top of her delicate shoulders. She turned revealing that the back of the top was tied too exposing the hollow of her back with skin that looked like liquid gold.

  Her hair swished across in long graceful waves drawing his attention to her perfect waist, perfect shape in those denim shorts and those long smooth legs.

  Shit, he should stop looking, but couldn't.

  Thankfully he managed to look more composed when she looked up at him and smiled.

  "Hey." She smiled wide revealing her perfect white teeth. "Who on earth was that you were talking to, and with that Blanche Dubois accent?" She started laughing.

  He supposed he did sound like Blanche Dubois. "It was Neil, checking to see if we were still alive. We mess around like that sometimes."

  She laughed even more. "You're so funny."

  "He wanted proof of life," Brad grinned.

  She laughed and tilted her head to the side regarding him with keen eyes. "Next time I'll bark or something."

  "Okay, I'll remember that."

  He made his way inside and grabbed the loaf of bread from the other counter to make a start on her toast. She gazed up at him when he set it before her.

  He was thinking of doing some exploring today. It would be nice to go out and see any of the sights the island had to offer.

  "What do you want to do today?" he asked.

  "Everything, there's so much to do." Excitement lit up her eyes.

  "There's tons to do. What are you feeling up for?"

  "Anything, I'm in my shorts." She laughed, and poor him took that as an invite to look again, lingering for a little too long at those smooth golden legs.

  "Guided tour or not?" He asked looking away.

  Her face lit up at the suggestion. "We could do a bit of both. We've always done more interesting things when we did our own thing."

  While she meant exploring or something similar, all he could think of was the times they'd sneak away from a family gathering or one of Jim's expeditions to either make out or make love. Brad had to look away when she looked at him. In fact, he had to move away from her. He walked over to the other cupboard to get the eggs, and some seasoning.

  What was wrong with him? Thinking about sex, and her like that.

  But then, she’d always had this effect on him, and he couldn’t stop. When his cock started to harden, he moved around and tried to distract himself with gathering what he needed to make the toast.

  "When do you want to go?" she asked brightly.

  "The minute we finish this. The earlier, the better. I think we can do a mixture of things. Plus, we're here for a few more days. If we plan it properly, we could see everything indeed."

  "Yes." Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, I haven't done anything like this in forever." She beamed.

  "Well, I'll be sure you have a great time."

  "Have mercy." She teased with her own Blanche Dubois accent and giggled.

  Have mercy indeed. He was going to need plenty of the good Lord's mercy being around her.

  Brad thought they could start with something big so they chose a tour of Haleakala, Iao Valley, and Central Maui. When he made the suggestion to Trina, she practically burst wit
h excitement.

  He was excited too. The dormant volcano there had always interested him. When he did get around to going on vacation, he always opted for somewhere that would provide a taste of adventure. This was perfect for them both.

  And, a perfect time they had indeed. From the summit of Haleakala Crater to the picturesque viewpoint of Lao Needle they explored the best of Central Maui and even got the chance to visit historic Wailuku. There they immersed themselves in the island's history and other fascinating stories.

  Their excitement hit the roof as they drove up Haleakala's ten-thousand- foot summit and saw the astounding land around them. It was definitely a memorable experience.

  Brad loved mountains. He'd climbed a few in the past, like Fuji, Kilimanjaro, and Everest.

  The whole trip lasted for a good eight hours or so, so it was a good thing they left so early this morning. It gave them just enough time to break away and do their own little tour of the East Maui Waterfalls, experiencing the hidden, tropical beauty that lured them into the scenic view.

  Trina loved it there, and he enjoyed watching the happiness that rippled off her. It was good to see her like that, with him.

  He marveled at how comfortable he was with her. It felt as if nothing had changed between them. He was so comfortable with her that he had to remind himself several times that they weren't a couple. Every time he went to put his arm around her, or pull her in for a kiss like he used to he had to stop himself.

  It was good Trina was completely oblivious to him with his crazy emotions.

  He supposed it was good too because it meant she was over him. Not that he expected her not to be. That was the idea in leaving. To make it, so she was free of him, and to give her the chance to be happy with someone else.

  As for him, well...

  Maybe he was just being a guy and allowing his attraction to her to guide him. He'd never been able to control that. It was something with a life of its own that refused to be wielded. And, like any guy with eyes in the presence of an extremely beautiful woman he was powerless, a complete slave to attraction.