Collision

by K. A. Sterritt

  “You don’t have to respond.”

  “I love that you love me,” she started.

  “Seriously, Jules. You don’t need to say anything.” I wished at that moment I hadn’t told her how I felt. I didn’t want to scare her off.

  “I’m not finished.”

  “I love how you make me feel important and special.”

  “There’s no one more important to me than you.”

  “Can you please stop interrupting?” She smacked me lightly on the chest. “It’s getting annoying.”

  She was so fucking beautiful. “Sorry.”

  “I love that, despite the demons that so obviously haunt you, you were willing to show me the beauty you know shines brighter here.”

  She really loved the farm and that made my heart ache.

  “I love your body.” She ogled me shamelessly and I chuckled, thankful for her ability to bring her light to my dark. She was flush against me.

  “I love your heart.” Her face turned serious as she touched my chest in the middle and could no doubt feel my heart rate quicken under her touch.

  She placed her other hand on the side of my face. “I love your mind and how you make me smile every time I think of you, which is pretty much all the time, by the way.”

  She took her hand from my chest so both were cupping my face, and then she reached up to kiss me. She pulled back, and the look in her eyes gave away what she was about to say before she said it.

  “I love you, Leo. All of you. You’re my number one.”

  My lips crashed down on hers in a kiss to end all kisses. Our tongues entwined in a frenzied collision of lust and love. I couldn’t wait to get her home and naked. When we came up for air, I held her for a long time, enjoying the serenity I felt with her safe in my arms.

  “Come on, gorgeous,” I whispered. “We can’t stand around all day. We have jobs to do.” I smacked her lightly on her butt. “I noticed a tree fallen down around the other side of the house. I’ll need the chainsaw from the shed to cut it up. I might even let you have a turn.”

  “Wait! I have another question.”

  “Oh right. You do. Hit me with it.”

  She appeared suddenly unsure, shifting from one foot to the other before looking me in the eye. “What happened in this house?”

  My blood ran cold. It was the question I dreaded the most. I felt the blood drain from my face. I flinched when I felt her hand on my arm.

  “You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry for asking.” Her voice was soothing and calm.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm my mind. When I opened my eyes, I told her my truth. “I lost both my parents in that house five years ago.”

  “God, Leo. I’m so sorry.” Her voice was full of sincerity and warmth. “Thank you for telling me. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you.”

  She had no real idea just how hard. “I’m sorry, Jules. It’s in the past and I don’t see the point in dredging it up.”

  She nodded and I was grateful she didn’t push for details.

  ***

  It was after five by the time we’d finished chopping and stacking the wood. For a city girl, Juliette had no fear of getting her hands dirty. She was so fucking perfect.

  “Come on,” I said, grabbing her hand. “I’ll put the chainsaw back in the shed and grab some torches. It’ll be pitch black here in under half an hour.”

  The moon would rise around nine, so we’d have a fantastic view of the night sky until then. Everything was going to plan.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Juliette

  “Umm… Leo. Mother Nature is calling. Is there an outside toilet?”

  Leo looked around the shed, cursing to himself. “There isn’t.” He glanced at the house. “You can use the downstairs bathroom, but I don’t know what state it’s in. Sorry. I didn’t think.” He appeared completely mortified, and I’d never wished to be a boy more than I did at that moment. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  His reluctance came through loud and clear. “It’s fine, babe. Thanks,” I said, hopping from one foot to the other. I’d left it to the absolute last moment to ask. “I’ll just take one of those torches.”

  I could see the indecision on his face. He was clearly tortured letting me go in there alone, but he’d probably have been more tortured to go in with me given what happened the last time we were in there together.

  Shaking his head as if he were disgusted with himself somehow, he spoke so quietly I could hardly hear him. “There’s a key in the pot next to the back door. Go through the kitchen, and the bathroom is the second door on the left down the hallway.”

  “Thanks. Back in a sec.” I scooted quickly towards the house, glancing back at Leo just before I went through the shed door. His usually powerful demeanour appeared crippled by fear. He stared at his feet with his hands in his pockets and rocked nervously from heel to toe. I hated to see him hurting, but my bladder was pulling rank.

  The last time I was in the house played in my mind. Leo telling me that both his parents had died in the house shed a lot of light on why he was so edgy. I didn’t know the circumstances, but he was obviously still grieving and the house was a tangible reference point for his grief. He still loved it; otherwise surely he would’ve sold it.

  When I let myself in, the scent of freshly cut lavender invaded my senses. I really didn’t enjoy the smell, but that was beside the point. Why would there be fresh lavender in the house at all? Shining the torch around the country-style kitchen, I found the offending arrangement. A large vase filled with flowers in exclusively purple tones sat proudly on the bench. Lavender was the overwhelming scent, but I also recognised hyacinths, morning glory and some beautiful irises.

  I’d barely looked around last time I was there, but I was sure it had been dusty and disused. By contrast, it was now spotless. With my screaming bladder, I didn’t hover and quickly made my way into the hallway, shining the torch ahead of me, thankful for its light. The first thing I noticed was another vase of flowers sitting on a wooden sideboard halfway along the exposed stone wall. It was similar to the one in the kitchen but a bit smaller. I had a quick smell, recoiled as the lavender hit my nostrils, then scurried to the toilet before things got embarrassing.

  The bathroom, like the kitchen, was spotless, with a distinctive smell of disinfectant. Someone had cleaned it that day, and I said “Thank you” out loud. So desperate to take care of business, I hadn’t noticed the note stuck to the mirror above the vanity. After I washed my hands by torchlight, I pulled off the paper and picked up the torch. It was for me, and when I glanced at the bottom, I smiled when I saw Bea’s name.

  Dear Juliette,

  When Leo told me he was taking you to the farm, I thought I’d take care of a few housekeeping issues.

  First things first, there’s a battery-operated lantern on the vanity. Just flick the switch.

  I shone the torch across the vanity top and located said lantern. I flicked it on and the room was illuminated by a soft glow. I continued reading.

  There’s another lantern by the picnic basket in the kitchen. It’s full of everything you’ll need for a winter picnic. I took a wild guess and assumed Leo would forget to bring food.

  I kept reading as I started walking back down the hall to the kitchen, so incredibly touched by what Bea had done for us.

  I think you’re just what Leo needs to help him face his past. The fact you are there at all speaks volumes. He won’t talk about what happened and I think it’s eating him alive.

  Bea

  xx

  What on earth happened here? I wondered, staring at her note.

  I picked up the basket and lantern and hurried outside to set up the picnic in the garden. When I laid the blanket out, I rushed back inside for the other lantern along with the flowers. When I stepped back outside, I picked out the lavender and carefully placed them by the back step. Once I was happy with the way it looked, I returned to Leo. He still look
ed nervous and fidgety.

  “Was it okay?” he asked, looking up and exhaling when I re-entered the shed.

  “Better than okay, actually.” I wasn’t sure how he was going to react to Bea’s gesture. “The bathroom was spotless and clean towels were hanging on the rails. There were vases of fresh flowers.”

  “Purple flowers?”

  “Too much lavender,” I replied, scrunching up my nose.

  He shook his head and clenched his jaw. “Beatrix.”

  I took a step forward and touched his arm. “She’s a really good friend. I have to say I was relieved to see toilet rolls.” I chuckled nervously.

  “I’ll be sure to thank her.” He bowed his head. “That sounded sarcastic. I am genuinely grateful to her for your sake.”

  “She really went above and beyond.” I took his hand and led him outside. I’d left the light lanterns next to the picnic so it was easy to find in the otherwise pitch-black garden.

  Leo remained quiet as we approached the lights.

  When we were standing next to the blanket, I stated the obvious. “She left us a picnic and these lanterns.”

  “She knew I’d forget.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

  “I’m actually really starving now.” I released his hand, stepped forward and knelt next to the basket. I patted the ground next to me. “Come on. We had ice cream for dinner last night. This can be our first dinner date.”

  “Hmmm… It’s freezing cold and I forgot to bring food. I’m not setting the bar very high.” He sat down on the blanket, shaking his head.

  I shuffled forward on my knees to hand him a sandwich. He looked down at the sandwich in his hands but wouldn’t look at me. I placed my hands on either side of his face and waited for him to raise his eyes to mine. “You’re here and I’m here. I’m as happy as I can be.”

  A small smile was all I needed and I gave him a big one in return. “Eat your sandwich and stop with the feeling sorry for yourself.”

  Leo chuckled. “Bossy Juliette is very sexy.”

  We devoured the sandwiches Bea had provided and washed them down with a beer. I couldn’t think of a time I’d felt more content. When we were done, we packed everything back into the basket.

  “So, are you ready for the after dinner show?” Leo switched off the lanterns, then lay down on his back.

  “I think it’s a bit cold for that?” I shivered involuntarily.

  “Lie down next to me, Jules.”

  When he asked me to do something with that sexy-as-sin voice, it was impossible to deny him. I lay down on my back, looked up and gasped. “That’s quite some light show.”

  The night sky was now an inky canvas, shot by thousands of tiny light bullets. I stared, completely spellbound—understanding for the first time how the city lights and pollution had deprived me of something truly wonderful.

  “Pretty incredible, huh? Mother Nature was on my side tonight.”

  I glanced at him briefly and nodded enthusiastically before returning to the panorama above.

  “Those two really bright stars,” I said, pointing in the general direction. “What are they?”

  Leo shuffled as close as he could to me, and I felt his warmth against my side. He pointed to the sky. “They’re actually planets. The one that appears lower is Venus, and the other one’s Jupiter.”

  “And that one there?” I pointed to one halfway between Venus and Jupiter.

  “That’s not a planet. It’s called Regulus and it’s actually four stars quite close together. We’re seeing it tonight with light rays which left Regulus way back in 1937.”

  I tilted my head to the left so I could look at him. “You know a lot about this stuff, don’t you?”

  He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. “My mother was fascinated by the stars.”

  “Oh really?” I was inwardly thrilled to hear him mention his mum again. “Was she into astronomy or astrology?”

  “Before I was born, she was a Classical Studies professor. Her interest was primarily Greek mythology and the names they gave the twelve constellations.”

  “That is fascinating,” I said sincerely.

  “She was obsessed with it. My bedtime stories were The Odyssey and The Iliad.”

  “Oh. I love those books.”

  “Me too.” He exhaled a long breath as if this subject was making it difficult for him to breathe. “She moved to the country to be with my father and gave away her career.”

  “So you became her student?”

  “Kind of. I guess. I loved the myths and legends, but I began studying astronomy on a more scientific basis. Constellations are just groups of stars with no real association to each other; they’re usually hundreds of light years apart.”

  We lay together in silence. He moved his arm under my head so I could snuggle into him, star gazing on a cold winter’s night but cocooned by his warmth.

  “I could stay here all night,” I sighed. “Will you tell me more about the stars?”

  “Last night you asked me about my name.”

  I held my breath, remembering how his whole body had gone rigid.

  “I did,” I whispered, studying his side profile.

  “That star you picked out—Regulus. It’s the brightest star in the Leo constellation.”

  “Oh! Wow.” I turned my head skywards again.

  “You know Leo is the Latin word for lion?”

  “I didn’t know it was Latin.”

  “Okay. Well, that group of stars were perceived as a lion by ancient civilisations as far back as 6000 BC.”

  “What about the Greek myth?”

  “Have you heard of the twelve trials of Hercules?”

  “Vaguely. I can’t remember much about them though.”

  “His first trial was to find and kill the enormous and powerful Nemean Lion with the impenetrable hide.”

  “Oh, that rings a bell.”

  “Hercules manages to corner the lion in a cave, stuns it with his club then strangles it with his bare hands. To prove his victory, he must bring the pelt of the Nemean Lion back to King Eurystheus. He works out the only way to get the pelt is by using the Lion’s own claws to cut it from his body and ends up using it as his own personal armour.”

  “Keep going.” I was completely mesmerised by his storytelling.

  “There are multiple versions of how that story connects to the constellation. Most legends assume it is done in homage to Hercules, but then why would it be of the lion he defeated?”

  “That’s right. It was an honour to ascend to the stars. I remember that.”

  “Right. My mum only ever told me one version. Queen Hera had a very strong connection to the lion. Angry at her husband, Zeus, she sent it to live in Nemea where there is a shrine to Zeus. Anyone wanting to worship Zeus had to get past the gigantic and almost indestructible lion. When the lion was hunted down and killed, Hera allowed him to—”

  “Ascend to the stars.” I finished his sentence, completely absorbed.

  “There are a lot of other explanations for the Leo constellation, but that’s the only one my mother was interested in.”

  “Can you show me the other stars in Leo?”

  “I can try. It’s low in the sky and will drop below the northwestern horizon soon. So you can see Regulus about halfway between Jupiter and Venus?” Leo pointed to the sky.

  “Got it.”

  “From there, you go up in the shape of a backward question mark. That’s the lion’s head. It’s marked by Algeiba and Adhafera.”

  “Okay,” I said unconvincingly.

  Leo chuckled. “Back to Regulus. Take a straight line to the left and you get to a triangle of stars—Chort, Zosma and Denebola. The lion’s rump.”

  I laughed. “You lost me at Regulus, I’m afraid.”

  Leo hugged me to him and laughed. “Thought I might, but you did ask.”

  I snuggled into him and put my arm over his chest. “I did. Thank you.”

  “I haven’t really lo
oked at the stars in years.” His voice was shaky. “I forgot how much I liked it.”

  I cranked my neck back so I could look up at the sky without letting him go. “What do you believe in, Leo? Do you think maybe your mum and dad are up there amongst the stars?”

  His body shuddered, and I immediately felt like I’d said something wrong.

  “Everything okay?” I asked, willing him to drop the guard that just shot up.

  “Are you too cold?” he asked, pulling his arm from under me and sitting up. “We should probably get going.”

  “I wasn’t cold until thirty seconds ago.” I felt dejected. Every time I felt like he was opening up, I seemed to say something to make him shut down.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked, sitting up, startled and suddenly on high alert.

  “The crack?”

  I nodded.

  “We’re in the country, princess. It was just a branch breaking.”

  I relaxed, knowing he was right. It was just so incredibly quiet compared to the city.

  “Okay. Sorry. I might just use the bathroom again before we head off.”

  “I’ll pack the basket into the car.”

  He pulled me to him and kissed me hard on the lips. “What was that for?” I asked, breathless.

  “Do I need a reason to kiss the woman I love?”

  I shook my head and smiled. “I’ll see you at the car in a minute.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Leo

  As I rounded the corner of the house, I stopped in my tracks.

  “Don’t take another step.”

  Standing in front of the Mini was a man I recognised from fight night. He was the one who had attacked Juliette, and he was pointing a handgun at me with a sly grin on his face.

  Memories of him being rough with Juliette unleashed my rage. I clenched my fists and took a step forward.

  “I said, not another step.” His voice lacked absolute authority even though I heard him pull back the hammer. The slight reservation was all I needed to know he wasn’t about to shoot me.