The Storms That Fated Us

by JP Summers

  “Many people have proven their doctors wrong before. Maybe you’ll be one of them.” Evan said, trying to cheer me up.

  I cleared my throat. “Why are you here?”

  Looking down at his hands, he took a moment before responding, “I wanted to see you before I left for school and give you this.” Evan handed me a small, beautifully wrapped box. I removed the wrapping paper and pulled the lid off the box. I stared at the tiny jewels.

  “Do you like them?” he asked while I sat there trying to make heads or tails of his gesture. “These earrings look expensive. I’m not sure if I can—”

  “I want you to have them, Tia. I remembered how much you love black opals and wanted a pair of earrings to replace the ones you dropped from the bleachers during one of my games.”

  “How did you remember all of that?”

  “I have a great memory. I even remember the biggest mistake I ever made.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Hurting you. I want to make things right, especially after what happened at John’s party. I was a complete asshole. There’s no excuse for what I did or said to you. Out of all the girls I’ve been with...” Evan paused for a second. I’d never seen him get emotional over anything before.

  He cleared his throat and continued, “What I’m trying to say is...”

  “That I actually meant something to you?” I blurted out.

  “Yeah, you did… I mean…you still do. I really messed up, Tia, and needed to make sure you know how sorry I am for screwing things up between us.”

  I sat there, speechless at his admission. My heart was conflicted with another unfamiliar pain. I wanted to believe Evan was just another guy I dated, but he wasn’t. He did mean something to me. Evan held a part of my heart no matter how furious I was at him.

  Before I had a chance to respond, Evan leaned toward me, causing our eyes to unexpectedly meet. I didn’t want to feel anything for him. I shouldn’t have allowed him to visit me. It would have been best to send him away and treat him rudely, but I just couldn’t dismiss his effort to gain my forgiveness.

  His hand touched my face, causing my heart to react by beating faster than before. I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing at that very moment Evan was closing the distance between us. For the first time since my accident, I wasn’t sad or depressed about not being able to ever play soccer again. Being around Evan was somehow comforting. The uncertainty of what was happening between us baffled me.

  I continued keeping my eyes closed as our noses touched. A gasp escaped my mouth the second Evan’s lips touched mine. He wasn’t kissing me like he had in the past. This was gentler, as if I were somehow fragile.

  The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to cloud my mind. Evan kept his hand on my face as he pulled away and smiled. I inhaled deeply, trying to fathom what this all meant or if it meant anything at all.

  His hand suddenly dropped from my face when the door abruptly opened and a voice barked, “What the hell are you doing here, Storms?”

  I turned my head toward the door. Carson was standing there, his face a thundercloud. His stare was grim and rather lethal. So much for him being discreet about his revulsion towards Evan.

  I was upset with Carson’s behavior. He couldn’t just barge into my room demanding answers. Evan took his time getting up from my bed, no doubt it was his way of really pissing off Carson.

  While Carson moved toward me, waiting for an answer. Evan folded his arms. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I wanted to check on Tia and say goodbye before I left for school.”

  “Tia is my business. Do you need to be reminded of the ass-kicking from earlier this year? If you think for one moment it’s okay to take advantage of her during the vulnerable state she’s in, then you’re sadly mistaken,” Carson seethed.

  “Enough!” I yelled out. “Evan was just leaving, right?”

  He gave a snide look at Carson. “Yeah, I was just heading out.”

  I didn’t have a chance to protest as Evan leaned over to kiss my lips. Then he walked past Carson and saw himself out. Carson’s reaction petrified me. He had daggers coming out of his eyes after seeing Evan purposely showing me an ounce of affection.

  Carson sat on the bed, not saying a word. Tension filled the room. He shook his head in disapproval and bluntly asked, “Why on earth did you let Evan kiss you?”

  “I don’t know,” was the only answer I could respond with. “I thought you had to work late?” I said to change the subject.

  “I decided to take off a few hours early and spend time with you,” Carson commented before returning to the subject of Evan. “Do you still have feelings for him?”

  “I thought I didn’t, but now I’m not sure.”

  “How can you not be sure? Did you some-how forget how he embarrassed you at John’s party in front of our friends? That soccer ball must have hit you one too many times if you can’t see Evan is playing games with you again.”

  “Stop it, Carson!”

  “Stop what?”

  “Don’t do this now.”

  “Why not? I can’t stand to see you being played by Storms, or any other guy for that matter.”

  “What about what you're doing to me?” I inadvertently stated.

  “I don’t understand what you mean by that,” Carson snapped.

  “How about what you’re emotionally doing to me?” I sat up straight and continued. “Right before I went into surgery, you waited for everyone to leave my room, then kissed me. It wasn’t even a tiny peck on the lips either. The kiss was so intense I almost thought the surgeon would need the crash cart to revive me when my heart exploded. The worst part was waking after my procedure thinking that kiss meant something. It really upset me when you swore it meant nothing and was made out of fear of me dying on that operation table. I know that was total B.S.!”

  “It wasn’t a lie!” Carson fumed from my accusations. “I was worried about you. I always worry about you.”

  “Do you worry about the mixed signals you’re giving me whenever we kiss and then you run back to Erin?”

  “It’s never been my intention to hurt or confuse you, Tia.”

  “Then why does it feel that way?” I said, almost out of breath from the confused emotions building inside of me.

  Carson jumped off of my bed so fast I thought for sure he was going to take off. He stood on the opposite side of the room, glaring at me. I wanted to take back what I had just said, just to steer away any hostility and keep the peace between us, but I knew it was too late. I spoke the truth.

  Carson’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. He looked down while shaking his head in frustration. Before I had a chance to get in another word, he countered, “Do you seriously believe I’m so cruel that I’d deliberately play mind games with you?”

  I’m not sure where my inner strength came from, but I easily disputed, “Honestly, it doesn't feel any different than what every other guy has done to me.”

  “So you actually consider me like all the other losers you’ve been with?”

  “Why are you making me feel bad for saying how I really feel?”

  “Because you’re comparing me to Evan. I’m nothing like that worthless son-of-a-bitch.”

  “I know you’re not like him, but I’m feeling…”

  “What? Go ahead say it. You’re being taken advantage of!”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t help that I…”

  “You can’t help that you what?”

  “That I’m just a filler for Erin.”

  “Don’t you think if that were true I wouldn’t want to be around you all the time? If I was using you, it would be for one thing and one thing only. I’m not here because I can’t be with Erin right now. I’m here because you’re my best friend and I hate that things have been depressing for you lately. I thought missing a few hour’s pay was worth being able to come over and cheer you up.”

  “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m not in the right fra
me of mind. I don’t feel the greatest, plus these painkillers are wearing off. I really need to eat something before taking any more pills.” I indicated, hoping to diffuse the awkward situation I’d created from opening my big, damn mouth to divulge the truth.

  Carson sighed before walking out of my room, leaving me to wonder if he was coming back. I didn’t want to bring up Erin anymore. It seemed that every time we discussed her, I would infuriate Carson in some way. It just pissed me off to know another girl would always have her nails dug into my best friend, making him her captive.

  My conversation with Julisa earlier had opened my eyes in a way I hadn’t been expecting. I never wanted to fall for Carson, but my heart had somehow given itself to him before I had a chance to intervene. It’s why I blurted out everything I was thinking. I actually thought he’d confess to having feelings for me that were more than platonic.

  Evan checking in on me, stirred up things between Carson and I. Carson had acted jealous when he saw him and practically threw him out the door. I couldn’t help but wonder why he would act like that if he didn’t have stronger feelings for me than just being his best friend.

  The sound of glasses clinking and dishes hitting the counter made me attempt to get out of bed, but the pain was too much to handle. I propped my knee up a little higher as Carson entered my room with a glass of milk and a sandwich. He might have been mad at me, but he didn’t show it as he put a straw in the glass. I knew our conversation was far from being over, but I temporarily put it out of my mind to eat.

  He adjusted the pillows, making things more comfy for me. Even when we were having a disagreement, Carson managed to put aside our differences to take care of me. My knee began getting terribly uncomfortable as the pain escalated. I reached near my nightstand, grabbing the bottle of pills then tossed two of them back.

  Carson carefully got into my bed, slowly inching his way behind me so that I was comfortably nestled between his legs, and he laid his chin on the top of my head. He couldn’t hold me too tight, but could be close enough without hurting my leg. He snaked his arm around my waist while lowering his head and touched his lips to my ear. A comforting warmth spread all over my body, probably caused by the mixture of pain meds and having my best friend so close to me.

  I closed my eyes and felt my body relax as Carson kissed the lobe of my ear, whispering,

  “I’m incredibly sorry if I’ve made you feel like you’re my back-up for Erin.”

  My body was fully at peace, leaving no ounce of pain to be felt throughout it. I wished things could be black or white. Why couldn’t Carson just come out and say he wanted us to be more than friends? Every second we spent together, I could stare into his eyes and see my future having him in it.

  Even when it got late, Carson refused to leave. He didn’t want me to be alone, and I didn’t want to be, either. We fell asleep to The Wedding Singer and for a moment, things were as perfect as they were going to get for us.

  *****

  I finished drying off my body as a cold gust of wind snuck underneath the door, making me shiver and bringing me back to reality. The only items I had brought into the bathroom were my bra and panties. I had absentmindedly left everything else on the bed in the duffel bag. I guess my mind was focused on getting cleaned up and taking a little break away from Carson.

  The sounds of the wind became louder as I opened the door and entered the bedroom. As I searched for a sweater, the howling from outside didn't disguise a purring sound that came from a creature whose yellow eyes glared directly at me. A mountain lion was on my bed, staring at me, growling. My heart in my throat, I slowly backed myself into the dresser.

  Terror overtook me. My heart began pounding so loud I worried the mountain lion would sense my fear and attack. I wanted to scream out for help but forgot how to open my mouth.

  Seconds felt like hours as our eyes remained fixated on one another’s. The mountain lion’s eyes were a dark amber. Its fur was light brown and very matted. The claws were longer than Mira’s latest manicure and sounded quite sharp as they clicked then clacked on top of the broken out window each time it inched closer in my direction. It repeatedly licked its chops, indicating it was possibly hungry. I surely didn’t want to become its next meal.

  Neither one of us moved as the gusting winds continued snapping branches off the trees. Will Carson even be able to hear my screams over the loud noises? My chest heaved as my breathing quickened. This is how I’m going to die.

  “For God’s sakes, Tia, why in hell are you on this side of the house where it’s so much colder? What’s wrong—?” He froze when he saw the look on my face. I glanced in the direction of the mountain lion, then back at him. Carson’s eyes followed my gaze and rested on the animal. Carson remained still, as unable to move as I was.

  The mountain lion growled, causing Carson to back himself into the wall. We were at this ferocious animal’s mercy. We wouldn’t have to worry about surviving each other when Fate had intervened once again, giving us something much worse to deal with.

  Then I saw the fear in Carson’s eyes. I wasn’t sure how either one of us were going to get out of there unharmed.

  I’ve never been the hero. Just the damsel in distress. I was willing to sacrifice myself to save someone I still care deeply about, even though I couldn’t tolerate him. In a subtle tone I instructed, “Don’t move, Carson. I have an idea.”

  “Tia, don’t be stupid,” He mumbled in a low voice.

  “I’m not. If the mountain lion gets lured into the bathroom, it can be trapped in there.”

  “How in the hell is that going to happen?”

  “I’m going to go in there and…”

  “No! Are you insane? It’ll kill you.”

  “There’s a window in the bathroom wall where the tub is. A thick glass door encloses the bathtub and will keep me safe long enough to climb out of it. I remember seeing a cluster of trees next to the window that will make it a little easier to get to the ground safely.”

  “No fucking way! You’re not going to chance being trapped in a bathroom with something that large and dangerous. If I could only get to my truck, there’s a gun in the glove compartment. A few rounds into the air should scare it away.”

  “That sounds just as insane as my plan. Besides, we don’t have much time before it decides it wants to attack one of us. I look like a skeleton and may just be the appetizer while you become the main meal.”

  “What if your plan doesn’t work?”

  “It will.”

  “But what if it doesn’t?”

  Carson was right. I could end up being killed by a mountain lion three times my size. But I decided that I’d use myself to protect the boy I’d always been in love with. Besides, what other choice did we have?

  Slowly, I walked toward the bathroom while the mountain lion’s eyes focused on Carson. At least I could buy a little time before coaxing the animal into chasing after me if I ran for the bathtub and shut the glass bypass doors, buying me time to open the window while Carson closed the door bathroom door, trapping the mountain lion.

  “Tia, stop!”

  “Carson, you should know once I have an idea in my mind, I’m not going to listen to reason.”

  “I already have that part figured out, but you should know that I…” Carson cleared his throat like an obstruction was stuck inside it. Maybe his pride. He took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “I’ve missed you.”

  Carson wouldn’t have said that unless he thinks something really bad is going to happen. Now I’m about to freak out and cause both of us to get eaten alive by this massive, oversized cat.

  I looked directly into Carson’s worrisome gaze. “Why are you telling me this now? Do you think I’m going to…”

  “I believe you’re going to be just fine. I just thought that was something you should know,” Carson replied with his voice full of concern.

  Normally, I would be smiling from one ear to the other. I was just too frightened to make any
kind of facial expressions. Hearing Carson missed me after all this time was major. I wanted to run over and wrap my arms around him saying how I’ve missed him too. Of course, that would make it easier for the mountain lion to have a two-course meal.

  I kept my eyes focused on Carson as he continued. “Once the animal follows you into the bathroom, I’ll trap it, then run outside to wait for you to come out of the window.”

  Nodding okay, I slowly reached for the two candle holders on the dresser next to the bathroom door, hoping that if my aim was off the first time I wouldn’t miss hitting the animal the second time. I slowly backed towards the bathroom door, peeking inside and making sure I had a straight shot to bolt into the shower. I took a deep breath and nodded. I’d never been more apprehensive and terrified at the same time.

  Before I had a chance to chicken out, I stretched my arm back, holding the candle holders tightly and placing my left foot back a few inches, giving me room to bend my legs just enough to gain enough momentum to lunge forward and hit the mountain lion with as much force as possible. I wound my arm back far enough to catapult one of the heavy candle holders at its head, getting a direct hit. It snapped its head around, leaving one final attempt to get it to charge towards me. I whispered beneath my breath “This has to work… GOD… please work!” and then repeated the same position with the other candle holder.

  The animal charged towards the dresser instead of me. Carson’s reflection in the dresser mirror somehow threw off the mountain lion just enough so that I could run into the bathroom. Hearing the malicious growling coming from behind me made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and my skin crawl. The sensation of a sharp object piercing the back on my left thigh forced me to dive headfirst into the tub, kicking my feet in case the mountain lion was nipping at them. I quickly rolled to my side, gripping onto the thick, frosted glass doors behind me and closing them.

  I had no idea if Carson had already closed the door. All I could hear was the mountain lion beating its head against the glass door, trying to get at me. Barely able to catch my breath, I lifted myself with what little strength I had in my arms, to got onto my knees, and rose up to reach the window.