by Beth Rinyu
“Well, don’t feel bad. The only reason I remembered is because all of the excitement in school.”
“Yeah, I guess when you don’t have kids you kinda lose touch with all that stuff.”
We strolled farther until we came upon complete darkness. “Umm…what just happened?” Lacey asked.
I flicked the switch on the flashlight, hoping it just happened to turn off and wasn’t the batteries, but as luck would have it…it was the batteries. “Shit, the batteries went dead.”
“Do you have any clue of how to get back in the darkness?” I could hear a hint of panic in her voice.
“Yeah, I told you I know these woods like the back of my hand.” With a little bit of light I did, but I didn’t want her to needlessly worry. I would figure this out. “We just need to turn around and go back the way we came.”
“If you say so.” She didn’t sound like she had much faith in me.
“Think of it as a Halloween adventure.”
We began to walk in the other direction. It was an overcast night with not a trace of moonlight, and I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. “Where are you?” I asked to make sure she was still there.
“Right here,” she replied.
“Don’t let go of his leash and hold on to my hand.”
Her warm soft hand gripped mine, and we continued our slow trek. I was hoping we were going in the right direction.
“Ouch, damn!” Lacey shouted, halting her steps.
“What’s the matter?”
“I twisted my ankle in a stupid hole.”
“Are you okay?” I mumbled.
“I don’t know. It hurts.”
“Can you walk on it?”
“Yeah, I think. It may take me longer, though.”
Her injury slowed us down even more, and I could hear her struggling through the pain. I stopped once again. “Keep holding on to Gus’ leash.”
“I am…what are you doing?” she asked when I gathered her in my arms. “You’re obviously in pain.”
“Quinn, I’m fine.” I ignored her and kept walking with her in my arms. “I feel like such an idiot,” she continued to protest.
I was happy to see the faint light of the house up ahead. “Look at that, we’re almost there.” Once we got a few feet away from the house, I placed Lacey down. I kept her arm wrapped around my neck, allowing her to lean on me for support. “See if you can put any weight on your ankle.”
She hobbled forward and mumbled under her breath, putting on her best game face through the pain, leaning her weight on me as she staggered into her apartment. Guiding her over to the couch, I waited as she took off her shoe and sock to find her ankle swollen up like a balloon.
“Oh shit, let me get you some ice.” My spirits dropped with guilt for talking her into going for a walk in the dark. Returning with the ice, I placed it on her ankle. “I’m so sorry, Lacey.”
“For what?”
“For suggesting we go for a walk in the dark.”
She waved her hand in a dismissing manner. “It’s not your fault.”
I helped her walk to the bathroom and then to her bedroom so she could get changed into her pajamas. She ended up back on the couch where she was planning on settling for the night.
“Do you need anything else?” I asked after coming in from taking Gus outside one last time.
“Nope, I’m good.”
I looked around the room.
“What are you looking for?” she asked.
“A broom.”
“In the kitchen,” she answered hesitantly.
I grabbed the broom from the kitchen and came back out, laying it down by the couch. “If you need me, bang on the ceiling.”
Her smile turned into a giggle. “Good night, Quinn.”
“Good night.” I smiled back, making sure the door was locked as I closed it behind me.
Chapter 10
Lacey
I rolled over to find myself nose to nose with Gus. The rain was pelting on the window, followed by the howling wind. “Great.” I went to stand up and sat right back down. I was hoping the swell in my ankle would recede by morning, but it was worse. The only upside was that it was Saturday, and I didn’t need to go to work. The downside…Gus had to go to the bathroom, which meant I would have to walk the few feet to the door to let him out. I tried my best to hobble on one foot, stopping every few seconds to catch my breath. Gus was right on my heels, darting out the door the minute I opened it, while I jumped to find Quinn on the other side with two cups of coffee and a brown paper bag in his hand. I pushed my hair from my face, knowing I probably looked like a mess after just waking up.
“Happy birthday.” He looked down at my swollen ankle. “Or maybe not.” He placed the coffee and the bag down and grabbed onto my arm. “Where to?” he joked.
“Well, I would love to wash my face and brush my teeth. So, I’ll go with the bathroom.”
“You got it!” I wrapped my arm around his neck and stumbled into the bathroom. I ran the brush through my hair and pulled it up in a ponytail. Gus was already back inside soaking wet when I exited the bathroom. Grabbing the towel from the back of the back door, I called him over.
“I got him,” Quinn said, taking the towel from my hand and rubbing it briskly over Gus. “Are you hungry?”
“A little, but that coffee is calling my name.” I gestured to the coffee cup sitting on the kitchen table. An adorable grin stretched across his face as he helped me over to it.
“Do you need me to take you to the doctor today to have that checked out?”
“Nah…they’re only gonna tell me to take Advil and ice it.” I took the first sip of coffee, which suddenly made everything feel better.
“I bought you a bagel.”
“Thank you. That was very sweet of you.”
“That’s the least I could do since I’m the reason you twisted your ankle and ruined your birthday.”
I shook my head and swallowed another sip of coffee. “Will you stop? You are not the reason I twisted my ankle. And as far as my birthday goes…I told ya, I don’t celebrate it anyway. This gives me a good excuse to take it easy today, and the weather outside is perfect for doing that too!”
He sat with me as I finished my coffee. The more I was around him the more I found him a pretty awesome guy. I wondered why his wife couldn’t see that and how she could hurt him in the way she did, but I knew better than anyone that grief could make you do some pretty crazy things.
“Well, I have to head into work for a few hours. Are you going to be okay?” he asked as he stood up.
“Yup! If I could just ask one last thing?” He waited for my request. “Would you be able to grab me some Advil from the cabinet and a glass of water?”
“No problem.” That adorable grin stretched across his face once again. “Do you need my help back to the couch?” he asked after I swallowed down my Advil.
“That would be great.” I smiled as he guided me over to the couch, taking a seat and making myself as comfortable as possible, knowing I was there for the long haul.
“Does he need to eat?”
Gus stared up at him pathetically.
“Oh shoot! Yeah, he does!”
I told him where to find the dog food, while Gus followed behind him. “Okay, Gus is fed. Did you need anything else for now?” he said as he came out of the kitchen.
“Nope, I’m good! Thanks so much!”
“I’ll check on you later.” He reached for the doorknob.
“Thanks, but don’t go out of your way. I’ll be fine.”
“See ya, Lacey.”
“See ya,” I responded as I watched him walk out the door.
I flicked through the channels, finally settling on a Sex and the City marathon. Gus jumped on the couch, cuddling next to me, never leaving my side for three whole hours. I was starting to get restless and was thankful for the distraction of my ringing phone.
“Hey, Adam,” I answered, suddenly remembering th
e card from him I had never opened.
“Hey, birthday girl! How have you been?”
“Pretty good.”
“Are you all settled in?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“So are you liking it down there?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty nice. I love my job. I love my apartment, and I made a few friends.”
“Good, but I hope that doesn’t mean you’re not ever planning on coming back.”
I let out a deep sigh. “Not really sure. I’m gonna see where the next year takes me and go from there. So, how’s Helena?”
“Oh…that’s over.”
Helena was Adam’s latest girlfriend. He never kept them around for long, so to hear it was over didn’t surprise me much. “Love ‘em and leave ‘em, huh, Adam?”
He laughed. “Yeah, still searching for that girl.”
“Someday you’ll find her.”
“I hope. So, did you get your card?”
“Oh yeah, thanks so much! You always remember.”
“Well, you’re special, what can I say? Do you have any plans for your big day?”
“Hmm…sitting in front of the TV watching reruns of Sex and the City.”
“Exciting!” he joked.
“Yeah, well, I’m kinda immobile right now. I twisted my ankle yesterday.”
“Ouch! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
“How are you getting around? Do you even know anyone there well enough to help you out?”
“Oh yeah, my neighbor has been helping me out.” I smiled just thinking about him. “He checked in on me this morning, so I’m good to go.”
“He?” His voice rose.
“Umm…yeah.”
“Lacey, how well do you know this guy? He may only be after one thing.”
“Adam! Really? He’s a great guy who has helped me out a lot since I moved here. Believe me, he has no hidden agenda, and Gus loves him.”
“Really, Lace, you go by if your dog likes him?” His words were laced with irritation.
“Yeah, I do. I happen to know Gus is a really good judge of character. Besides, he’s a cop, so it’s not like he’s some lunatic off the street.”
“Oh...that’s reassuring,” he mocked. I didn’t like the sarcastic edge to his tone. I knew he was looking out for me, but he needed to back off and trust my judgment.
“Adam, I know you worry about me, but if I’m ever going to move on, I have to try and start trusting people again.”
He expelled an exhausting breath. “I know, Lace, but I owe it to Aaron to make sure you’re okay.”
“Well, I’m perfectly fine! Okay?”
“Okay,” he answered with reluctance. “Hey, I’m gonna be in New York City in a few weeks. Maybe I can take a detour out to the boondocks and pay you a visit.”
“I’d love that. Let me know when.”
“I will. Try and have good day, Lacey.”
“Thanks.”
I hung up the phone, annoyance buzzing around me like an exasperating fly. I hated that the few people who knew my past still treated me like a fragile piece of glass that could break at any time. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed being around Quinn so much. He didn’t pity me and made me feel somewhat normal.
After lying around all morning, I desperately needed a shower. My ankle didn’t bother me as much thanks to the Advil, allowing me to put more weight upon it. I let Gus outside and stared at the torrential downpour just outside the door. I remained in the doorway, deep in thought long after Gus came back inside from doing his business. It resembled that night so much, the sound of pouring rain that would normally put my mind at ease now triggered a painful memory I was trying so desperately to forget.
I crawled into bed next to Aaron, who had just returned from a business trip. I had surprised him by cutting my girls’ weekend short to be home when he returned. The rain was beating against our bedroom window as we lay in each other’s arms.
“You didn’t have to cut your trip short, but I’m so glad you did.”
“Me too,” I whispered as I kissed him on his bare chest. “Aaron?”
“Hmm?”
“I was thinking.”
“Uh…oh!”
I playfully smacked him on the arm. “I want to have a baby.”
“Let’s do it then.”
“Seriously?”
“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”
He pulled me closer and our lips were just about to touch when we heard a loud crash come from the kitchen. I giggled. “Betcha Gus broke out of the laundry room again.”
He kissed me on the forehead and hopped out of bed. “Hold that thought…I’ll be right back…”
“You never came back, Aaron! You never came back!” I shouted as I stood in the doorway with the freezing cold rain pelting me in the face. I slid my back down the doorframe and buried my face in my hands, allowing all of my emotions to come to the surface. “You never came back to me,” I sobbed.
Chapter 11
Quinn
I pulled into the driveway and noticed Lacey sitting in the doorway in the pouring rain. When I walked up onto the porch, she didn’t even sense I was there, sobbing with her head buried into her knees. I knelt down beside her. “Hey, you’re soaking wet.”
She lifted her head and looked at me with swollen, bloodshot eyes. “Come on, Lacey, you’re gonna get sick out here.” I helped her up and guided her inside. “Why don’t you take a shower and get some dry clothes on?” She nodded and hobbled off to the bathroom while I threw some logs in the fireplace and started a fire. As I stared at the flames, I kept thinking about how sad and helpless she looked just moments ago. How I wished she would release some of the weight on her shoulders and talk to me. I poked and prodded until I was satisfied with the fire I had going. When I stood up and turned around Lacey was standing behind me, dressed in sweats and a T-shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “You must think I’m some kind of freak.”
“No, I don’t. Are you warmed up?”
She nodded and forced a smile.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“A little.” Her voice was hoarse.
“Well, how about I run out and get us something to eat?”
“Quinn, you don’t have to do that.”
“Lacey, can we get one thing straight? I know I don’t have to do anything…I want to. So, if I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t suggest it.”
“Okay,” she whispered, pulling in her bottom lip.
“Pizza?”
“Perfect.” She smiled and hobbled toward the kitchen.
“Where are you going?”
“I was going to get some money from my purse.”
“Lacey, go sit down…and no more hanging in the rain. Got it?”
“Got it.” Her face reddened as she took a seat on the couch.
***
I looked at the clock when I pulled into the parking lot. There were still ten minutes to go until the pizza was ready, so I decided to run into the supermarket next door to get Lacey a birthday cake. After picking up the first cake I saw in the bakery department, I headed to the checkout, stopping and grabbing a bouquet of flowers along the way.
“Quinn!” I halted in place at my sister’s voice.
She didn’t look like her normal perfectly put-together self I was used to seeing. Her hair was messily thrown up and her clothes were all disheveled.
“Don’t look at me like that. I know I look a mess. Maddie and Jake are both sick. David has been working nonstop and this is the first half-hour I’ve had to myself in three days. I haven’t showered in that time, and I’m quite certain I have throw-up in my hair.”
“Thanks for sharing that, Laura.”
“So, how have you been? I thought you were pissed at me for something, but since Mom and Dad said they haven’t heard from you either, I’m guessing it’s not me.”
“Just been busy with work.”
She looked down at the cake and flowers in my hand and back up at me with a raise of her eyebrow. “Okay, I know it’s not Sara’s birthday. So who are the flowers and cake for?”
I cleared my throat, wanting so badly to tell her to mind her own business. “Oh, just a friend.”
“A female friend?”
“Umm…yeah.”
“Listen, big brother, you don’t have to feel awkward about telling me. In the beginning I was the biggest supporter of saving your marriage, but after what Sara did to you, I say go out and fuck whoever you want.”
“I’m not fucking anyone, Laura. This girl has been a very good friend to me and that’s it.”
“Well, have you ever heard of friends with benefits?”
“Laura, stop. Okay?”
“Okay, okay! Jeez, lighten up!”
“And don’t go running your mouth to Mom about this. I’d rather not hear a five-hour lecture from her.”
“Cross my heart.” She smiled. “I just want to see you happy, Quinn.”
“I’m gettin’ there.”
“Well, I would give you a hug but since my hygiene is quite questionable at the moment and I’m a walking germ magnet…”
“Yeah, I’ll take a rain check. Give the kids a kiss for me.”
“I will. And will you please come and visit once all the sickness leaves my house?”
“Yeah, I will. I promise.”
After we said our goodbyes, I checked out and ran next door to grab the pizza.
On the way back home, I thought about my encounter with my sister. Laura was only two years younger than me and despite the normal brother/sister spats we were really close. She was never really a big fan of Sara. She never came out and said it, always putting on her best game face whenever we were around her, but I sensed it. I knew I would have her support with whatever I chose to do with my marriage, unlike my parents.
The rain was finally slowing down by the time I arrived home. I carefully removed the pizza, cake, and flowers and made my way to Lacey’s front porch. I knocked lightly and heard her footsteps coming closer.
“Hey.” She smiled and opened the door wider.
I walked into the kitchen and placed the boxes on the table, turning around and handing her the bouquet. Her face lit up and so did her smile.
