A Stellar Year

by Krystle Rose

  “If that’s all I wanted, I would have given up by now. I could get a quick fuck from half a dozen women in town and you know it,” he told her with infliction.

  “God, Owen,” she said with disgust. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  “Forgive me if I’m bad with words, but at least I’m honest,” he replied curtly. Frustrated, he went on, “What I’m saying is I haven’t tried to get it elsewhere and I haven’t tried to get it from you, either. As you said, it’s been damn near a month since I’ve seen you and I didn’t come around trying to seduce you, now did I?”

  “No, but--”

  “No,” he stopped her. “I didn’t. Because whether you want to believe it or not, I want more than that, too.”

  “Oh, I want to believe it, I just find it difficult to believe.”

  The hottest bachelor in town? The notorious womanizer? The charismatic, cocky man she’d always known? A man known for both his physical attributes and machismo. A man Nomi would do well to stay away from if she truly wanted to change her ways. That was the man she was supposed to trust with her heart? That sounded stupid and dangerous. Yet, here she was, entertaining this conversation with him, despite all of that.

  “Try,” he pleaded.

  They were cruising down the highway, going a comfortable sixty miles per hour, through wide-open fields and a cloudless sky on the horizon. Nomi kept her attention on the road ahead, as did Owen, while they awkwardly navigated through the difficult conversation.

  “You seriously haven’t been with anyone in the last month?”

  “It’s been over three months,” he offered up.

  She recalled him telling her he'd given up dating in March, but just like now, Nomi couldn't fathom it.

  “You were serious on St. Patrick’s Day?”

  “As a heart attack.”

  “And… you did that to prove what, exactly?” she wondered out loud.

  “That I don’t need it as much as I think I do. That it was just as meaningless as it felt like,” he listed off. “Mostly just to prove that I could be defined by more than what’s in my pants.”

  Owen had certainly been defined by his prowess, that was for sure. But Nomi also knew him as more. She wondered how many other people could say the same. Aside from her family and his, who really knew the authentic Owen Blankfield?

  He was kind, loyal, determined, smarter than most realized, and although he looked like an MMA fighter, he was a real softy. He liked goofy movies and playing video games. He preferred a day on a hike or out go-karting over sitting at home watching TV any day. He took pride in most things; his clothing, his physique, his car, however, Owen wasn’t hard to please. He found pleasure in most things, like a sunny day or the smell of freshly cut grass.

  Sex was one of those things which he took supreme pleasure in. That was why Nomi couldn’t picture the man going without it for more than a week, let alone three months. After all, he had committed at least one sexual act with her, yet he wasn’t counting that. Not that she was saying that it counted because she didn’t count it, but how many others had he done similar acts with? And did those not count, either?

  “You’re the only one,” Owen said as if reading her mind.

  She looked at him, finally, and he glanced in her direction before returning her eyes to the road. It was a look that spoke volumes, one that told Nomi that he was being honest. Her pulse quickened.

  “And I plan to keep it that way.”

  “Why?” she chirped.

  “Because what I want to prove the most is that I can be a good man for you."

  "Why me?" She croaked.

  Owen worried his lower lip, considered what he was about to say, then said it with emotion.

  "You make me feel something other girls don’t and I’m not prepared to give that up." He glanced at her once more. "I won’t be satisfied until I have you.”

  “You mean until you’ve had me,” she corrected him.

  “No,” he shook his head. “Until I have you. I don’t plan on letting you go once I’ve got you.”

  Her mouth suddenly went dry and Nomi found it difficult to swallow. Or breathe. Or concentrate. Gawking at him in astonishment, Nomi fell speechless and Owen sent another look her way. One that reflected flames of desire, the same that surely shone in her own gaze.

  He was serious. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

  “Speak, Nomi,” he encouraged her. “Tell me how you feel about that.”

  “Well,” she managed. “That proves a whole lot more than your muscles ever could.”

  The corner of his lips lifted slightly and Owen appeared satisfied. God how Nomi looked forward to seeing that expression again under different circumstances.

  ∞∞∞

  “Damn, Nomi! How the Hell did you get so lucky?” Jenna shouted through the phone. “Owen friggin Blankfield?”

  “I have no idea. Your guess is as good as mine.”

  Her apartment was mostly unpacked, but she still had a few boxes to go through. At least the most important stuff was out. Like the bed and toiletries and the couch she was currently lounging on.

  Nomi had called to tell Jenna about her new place, but over the course, it segwayed into filling her friend in on the conversation with Owen and how the sexual tension had been at an all-time high for the rest of that day. So far, Nomi had been pretty secretive about her situation with Owen, but she wanted to share this newest development with her friend. Jenna was clearly a tad excited at the prospect of Nomi getting that kind of attention from the likes of Owen.

  “I can’t wait to see you two in action.”

  “I wish you could,” she giggled. “Then maybe you could give me advice on what to do about it.”

  “Your wish is my command,” her friend said exuberantly. “I’m coming down next week for Independence Day.”

  “What?!”

  “Yup. So you’d better come home and visit me or, so help me, I will never forgive you.”

  Leave it to Jenna to be dramatic.

  She had always been feisty and outspoken and brutally honest. She meant well, even though she had next to no filter. A flair for the dramatics had always been her thing. Jenna loved to surprise people and make deals out of everything, like instead of a quaint going away dinner, she had organized a huge to-do when Tess moved to Redding. It was just her style. So, it didn’t shock Nomi at all when her pal announced, seemingly out of nowhere, that she was coming into town in just a few days.

  “Of course I will!” she assured her. “What about Tess? Have you told her yet?”

  “She hasn’t answered my calls,” Jenna replied with disappointment.

  That was odd. Nomi couldn’t recall a single time in her life when Tess didn’t answer a phone call. She was sort of like the Mom in their friend group. She was the one you could always rely on and call at any hour. It didn’t sound like Tess not to answer or return the call.

  “Did you two get into it or something?”

  “No,” Jenna assured her. “I haven’t talked to her in forever. I figured maybe she’s upset I haven’t been in touch, so she’s ignoring me in return.”

  That wasn’t like Tess, either. The girl wasn’t one to hold grudges and was one of the most forgiving people Nomi had ever known. No, none of this sounded right, at all.

  Then again, come to think of it, it had been a good length of time since Nomi had spoken with her, either. That was something that needed remedying right away.

  “I’ll try to get a hold of her. You just pack and get ready for an awesome weekend.”

  “Will do,” Jenna replied with more excitement. “And by the way, Nomi, I don’t need to be there to advise you on what to do about Owen. I can tell you without seeing it that you need to jump on that immediately.”

  Seriously? She thought to herself.

  “Both figuratively and literally.”

  “Thanks, Jenna. As always.”

  “Okay, love youuuu,” she said before making kissy noise
s and ending the call.

  Month 10

  The holiday weekend was in just two days and neither Nomi nor Jenna had been able to get in touch with Tess. So, she decided to take a little drive over to Tess’s parents’ place and do some investigating. It was a long drive, but Nomi would be making it soon, anyway, so she simply decided to make that trip a tad earlier.

  With an overnight bag in her backseat, she headed into town.

  Nomi had plans to meet Owen for lunch. He had made her promise to let him take her on a date. She wasn’t ready for dinner and a movie yet, but she could commit to lunch. Owen, of course, wanted more, but he settled for what he could get.

  After her move, Nomi’s body had been betraying her. It longed for more touches from Owen and the fulfillment she knew he could offer her. After all, he had already done so once and Nomi fantasized about him doing it again… only better. She swore the sweltering heat in Chico was nothing compared to how hot she got dreaming about that moment.

  Owen had been calling her almost every night and they talked about random things like how their day went and the warm weather. Every word dripped with flirtation, especially from his end, and mostly because they were both months into a celibacy streak and horny as Hell. Nomi was enjoying the attention and, although she wasn’t convinced by the possibility that this could be the real deal, she was hopeful.

  “Nomi! What a surprise!” Tess’ Mother, Midge, said when she answered the door.

  “Good morning, Ms. Parker, how are you?”

  The woman offered her a warm embrace, then welcomed her inside.

  It was a bold move to show up at the house and question Tess' parents, but Nomi didn't know what else to do. Even if her friend got mad at her for doing it, she believed wholeheartedly that it needed to be done.

  “I’m well,” Midge replied with a smile. Then, closing the door behind Nomi, she asked, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “I was hoping you could put me at ease about Tess. Do you know her whereabouts?”

  “Tess? Probably at school, why?”

  Waving to an empty chair in the living room ahead, Midge motioned for Nomi to take a seat. They both sat across from one another and Nomi worried her lower lip nervously.

  “She’s not answering either me or Jenna. We’re worried.”

  “I haven’t spoken much with her since Spring Break, but I’m sure she’s fine,” Mrs. Parker offered. “Have you checked her social media pages?”

  “Yes,” Nomi bobbed her head. “It shows she’s been on there, but she isn’t posting or replying to anything.”

  "Well, she may just be busy."

  "Sure, but why isn't she just sending a text to let me know she's alright?"

  "That's true."

  "I just want to be sure she's okay."

  “Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Mrs. Parker said with a wink. Pulling out her phone, she pushed a few buttons and explained, “I installed a tracking app on Tess’s phone when I bought it for her years ago. I still check it every once in a while to put my mind at ease. Here, I hope it helps.”

  Handing the phone to Nomi, she gave a weak smile, then shoved her hands into her lap as if she were in trouble. Nomi ignored her discomfort and glanced down at the device. The app showed that Tess’s phone had been actively moving around campus and at the apartment she shared with two other coeds near the school. So, unless someone had murdered her and stolen her phone, Tess was indeed going to school and home again with regularity.

  Nomi gave the phone back to Midge and asked, “I don’t understand why she’s ignoring us.”

  “Last I heard from her, she was having some problems with her boyfriend. Maybe they broke up and she doesn’t want to talk about it.”

  That was possible, but also not. Never, in the history of Nomi knowing Tess, had her pal ever had a breakup and not immediately told her about it. Plus, seeing her and Lim together, it was doubtful that the two had parted ways. They were crazy about each other. Something just wasn’t right.

  “That doesn’t sound like Tess.”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. To be honest, you would probably know better than me. She and I haven’t been close since she moved away, unfortunately.”

  “What about Mr. Parker? They always seemed pretty tight.”

  “Oh, they were, but that also faded after Tess’s last visit. You understand why.”

  Nomi’s heart jolted at the revelation. So, something did happen between Tess and her parents when she introduced Lim. At the time, Nomi hadn’t pressed her friend on it, but now she was curious.

  “You mean about what went on with Lim?” she said as if she already knew.

  “Yes. That didn’t go as well as any of us would have preferred, but it is what it is,” she filled Nomi in. “Before she went back to Redding, she pulled her father aside and let him have it, as I’m sure you heard. They haven’t spoken since. I just hope that’s not the reason behind her relationship issues. Lim really was a nice boy.”

  “Mr. Parker had that strong of opinions on it, huh?”

  “That man has strong opinions about everything. But he loves his daughter and he would never want her to be unhappy. If he found out that he caused problems between the two of them, he’d feel plain awful about it.”

  “Well, let's hope that’s not the case,” Nomi suggested. Simmering, she did her best to stay calm and asked Midge, “Can I ask you a favor?”

  “Sure, honey, what is it?”

  “May I borrow your phone again?”

  Without question, she handed the device back to Nomi. Finding Tess’s number in the contact list, she pressed ‘Call’ and held the phone to her ear. If she was right, there was still one person Tess would answer to, regardless of what was happening.

  She answered on the second ring.

  “Mom? Is everything alright?”

  Just as she suspected, it was rare that Midge would reach out to her daughter, if ever. She was a woman who respects people’s boundaries and she wouldn’t bother Tess if she obviously didn’t want to talk.

  Thinking it was some sort of emergency, Tess had answered right away. Nomi felt bad for duping her, but she had to be sure her friend was alive and well.

  “It’s Nomi.”

  “Nomi? What the--”

  “Don’t hang up. I’m sorry I tricked you, I just needed to know you were okay.”

  After a brief silence, her cohort responded.

  “You went all the way to my parents’ house to check in on me?”

  “Of course. I’d go to any lengths to ensure your safety.”

  “Safety? You thought I was hurt?”

  “Or missing,” Nomi approved. “You haven’t answered me or Jenna for weeks.”

  She heard a sniffle from the other end of the line and looked up at Midge. The woman understood the need for space and quietly excused herself from the room. As mentioned, she knew her boundaries.

  “What is going on?” she asked once Mrs. Parker was gone.

  “Oh, Nomi, I’m so sorry I made you worry. I just haven’t been myself lately. I’m a wreck.”

  “What happened?”

  Her friend went on to explain what really went down when she had brought her boyfriend home to the family. Apparently, her father had taken it about as well as Tess had expected. He treated Lim disrespectfully and, in turn, treated his daughter the same way. Mr. Parker made it clear that he didn’t approve of the relationship, but didn’t kick them out. He allowed them to stay there for the remainder of their visit, but Tess and Lim had been scarce around the house after that.

  As Midge had said, Tess gave her dad a firm talking to before they parted ways and things had been ugly ever since. Basically, she'd told her father that not accepting the relationship meant not accepting or respecting her. They both parted furious and hurt.

  After they returned to Redding, she and Lim had a long discussion about their relationship and, although they had chosen to continue their partnership, things had been
strained since then.

  There was no question that her friend was madly in love and heartbroken at the prospect of it not working out. She told Nomi that she had been trying insanely hard to prove her devotion to Lim, but she wasn’t sure it was working.

  “I haven’t been talking to anyone but Lim, proving to him that he’s who I really care about, but it doesn’t feel like that’s enough.”

  “Tess, he doesn’t want you to change your life or who you are. He just wishes he could change your Father’s mind.”

  “Well, that’s not going to happen.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I know my Dad.”

  “Okay, so he never approves of your boyfriend. Can you live with that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can Lim?”

  Silence.

  “You see? It’s not about you.”

  “Oh my God, Nomi,” she fell into a heavy cry. “I should have called you immediately. You always know the right thing to say.”

  Nomi smiled warmly to herself and reassured her friend, “I don’t know if I’m the wisest in our friend group, but I can agree on the fact that you should have reached out. Jenna and I have been so worried.”

  “I’m so sorry. I truly am. I’ll call her, I promise,” Tess sobbed.

  “I’ll do you one better,” Nomi told her. “Come into town this weekend. Jenna’s coming home for the holiday.”

  “I can’t. I don’t have any money and nowhere to stay. I wish I could, but… give Jenna my love and beg her forgiveness for me.”

  “Alright. Only because I love you.”

  “I love you, too. I’ll call you later. I promise.”

  “Okay. Bye,”

  Hanging up, she stood and walked into the kitchen, where Mrs. Parker was pacing anxiously. She looked up at Nomi expectantly when she entered the room. Nomi explained that Tess was alright and handed her back the cell phone. It was obvious that Midge wanted to know all the details, but didn't press her on it. Nomi suggested that she might want to have a heart to heart with her husband and Mrs. Parker just nodded in understanding. With that, Nomi said her goodbyes, thanked the woman for her assistance and headed into town. Now she had her own relationship drama to face.