The Rift In Our Reality: A Sweet Young Adult Romance

by Amy Proebstel

  “It was worth the wait,” I whispered back, my mind racing with giddy thoughts about our future together.

  Overhead, I could hear Hunter yelling out to Jackson who was the last to ride on the zip-line. Before we could get razzed by the boys, I stepped away from Matt so there would be some space between us by the time they joined us. Although, Matt didn’t let me get too far when he took my hand in his.

  “I wouldn’t want you to trip,” he added.

  I could hear the humor in his voice. To be truthful, I was glad for his assistance. I felt slightly at a loss since we’d had to leave Charlie in the main office since they didn’t have harnesses for service pets, nor did I think he would enjoy it as much as we did.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I took another nap in the car after the zip-lining adventure. Since this was only our first activity planned for the day, I knew it would be important to get whatever rest I could. Our next stop was a short trail hike to visit some waterfalls.

  When we parked the car forty-five minutes later, I felt rested and refreshed. I waited for another five minutes on the park bench while Hunter and Jackson fiddled with their recording equipment. Another car pulled into the parking lot, coming to a stop right beside where I sat.

  As soon as I heard the voices, I jumped to my feet, scaring Charlie at my abruptness. “Jay! JB! What’re you doing here?” I hadn’t spoken with either of these two since our last day of school. This was such a nice surprise.

  JB was the first to hug me. His laughter rumbled all through his chest as I held him tightly to me. “Hunter thought you’d be surprised.”

  “My brother planned this? Thanks, Hunter,” I called around JB’s body to where I’d last heard my brother laughing with Matt. “I swear you’ve gotten taller!” I teased.

  Jay touched my arm to let me know she was near. She wasn’t the type of person who enjoyed physical contact, but she made that exception for my blindness. “We’ve been watching your videos on YouTube. I’m so glad you’ve been getting out this summer. I just hope you’re not overdoing it.”

  I shook my head and sighed as I replied, “You sound just like my mother. I’m fine; I promise.” I tugged on Charlie’s leash to bring him up next to me. I knelt and put my arm over his back, rubbing his chest as I said, “You two need to meet Charlie. He used to be Matt’s dog, but through some strange twist of fate, he came to be my seeing-eye dog.”

  After the pleasant reunion and introductions were made, we began our trek up the first trail. None of them thought this would be something I’d want to do, since seeing nature was the biggest draw to this location. “I just love all the fresh, earthy smells here,” I commented.

  “Is that why you wanted to come? I mean, tripping on tree roots and rocks hasn’t usually been your thing,” Hunter teased.

  “Very funny.” I tried to make a stern face but ended up laughing at him. “You know how much I enjoy being around water. I love the sound of it as it rushes over rocks and falls freely. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the mist as it falls all around, sprinkling us with its magical healing powers.”

  “I don’t know about all of that,” JB added, “but this sure beats working at the fast-food joint for the day.”

  We laughed at JB’s joke, but then all fell silent as we arrived at the first waterfall. It was everything I had hoped it would be. The volume of water created such a crashing sound as it spilled over the top to land into several pools on its way to the bottom.

  Of course, the boys discovered the trail led behind the fall of water. We made the slippery, dangerous journey without too much trouble. The thunder of the fall made conversations all but impossible until we came away from it on the other side.

  Matt lifted my hand to his lips, planting a kiss on my knuckles. “Did you like that?”

  “Yes. It was exhilarating.”

  “Are you sure? You actually look pretty beat. Do you want to head back to the car? We can wait there while the others finish the trail. Hunter thinks it’ll take them about an hour to make the circuit.”

  “Okay, maybe we should go back.” Plus I liked the idea of being alone with Matt. I’d never been parked with a boy before and wondered if it were everything everyone made it out to be. Maybe I’d get an opportunity to find out.

  “Hey, guys. We’re heading back to the car. See you when you’re done,” Matt called out to the group which had moved on ahead of us.

  “Are you sure? We could all go now,” Jackson offered.

  “No. Go finish your video tour. I’ll be fine,” I answered, probably a bit too quickly to be entirely convincing. From the catcalls and whistles which immediately followed, I must have been too obvious. I’m sure Jackson captured my flaming red cheeks on camera, yet I couldn’t bring myself to care overly much.

  Back at the car, Matt and I scooted into the back seat together. Charlie had made himself at home across the front seat, leaving us room to get cozy. Matt leaned against the door, and I rested my back against Matt. He had his arms around my middle, and I traced the outlines of his hands where they splayed across my stomach.

  “What’re you thinking about? I can almost feel the wheels turning in your head,” Matt teased.

  I loved how his breath tickled the edges of my ear. It brought shivers of anticipation immediately. This day would be forever cemented into my memory as the perfect summer day. Then I had to go and ruin it with my curiosity.

  “What’re your plans for your future?” I asked.

  “Don’t you mean our future?” Matt turned his hand over and captured mine with his. “I’ve never known how lonely I was until I met you. I wake up thinking about you, I spend all day with you, and I fall asleep with you on my mind.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t dream about me as well,” I said, laughing at his sudden seriousness.

  “Oh, but I do. Those are the best. Do you want me to tell you about them?”

  “Not just now. I’m serious, Matt. What’re your plans? I mean, I’m sure you want to go off to college, have a career, a family.” I bit my lip, holding back the rush of emotions I felt as I thought about his future without me in it.

  “I do. With you, Haley. We’ve got a lifetime to plan. Once you’re done with your treatment, you’ll see how much better you’ll feel.”

  “What do you know about it?”

  “I know that it’s had some pretty spectacular results so far. There’s no reason in the world to think it won’t be the same for you as well.”

  “Those were all in the lab rats. We can’t be sure of anything just yet.”

  “Well, I’ll believe in it until you do as well. You’ll see. Once it’s all said and done, we can celebrate the fact that I was right.”

  “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I pushed my elbow back into his gut.

  “Being right? Absolutely!” Matt didn’t get to hear my response. He shifted me over slightly and brought his lips down to cover mine.

  I forgot all of my misgivings and objections in an instant. Who needed to worry about the future when the present was so pleasurable? I could live in this moment forever.

  Chapter Twelve

  SIX DAYS BEFORE we were scheduled to leave for New York, I woke up with a stuffy nose. Who ever heard of someone catching a cold in the middle of summer? I was just grateful everyone was too busy to notice my sniffling.

  I didn’t dare ask anyone to give me any medicine to relieve the stuffiness. I could just imagine the uproar any bout of a minor illness would create at this late date. At least almost all of my family had plans for the morning.

  At ten o’clock, Hunter knocked on my open bedroom door just to get my attention. “Everyone’s gone, and I’ve set up your cello in the living room. Are you ready?”

  “Sure,” I answered, forcing myself to have the energy to get up.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah; I just didn’t sleep that great last night.”

  For the next hour, I played through several of the songs I’d bee
n writing while Hunter filmed and directed me to start over at various points. For once, I wished I could simply play straight through and be done already. But since I’d asked for Hunter’s help, I had to keep my snarky comments to myself.

  When he finally declared he had everything he needed, I sighed with relief. My arm felt like a noodle, and my hand was cramping from holding the bow for so long. At least I’d managed to play well despite being so tired.

  I returned my bow to its special case and thought seriously about taking another nap. Just as I turned to sit down on my bed, Hunter stopped at my doorway.

  “I’m heading out for a few hours. Are you going to be okay alone?”

  “Yes.” I couldn’t withhold the irritation from my voice. “It’s not like I’m six, Hunter. Besides, I’ve got Charlie to look out for me. Go and have fun. I think I’ll just take a nap anyway.”

  “Cool. See you later. Cooper and I are heading to the lake to go waterskiing since it’s so hot outside. You’re invited, you know.”

  “That’s okay. I wouldn’t be much fun today anyway.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  I heard the front door slam shut and Hunter’s truck leave the driveway. So rarely was I ever left completely alone, it almost felt foreign. Usually, Matt or Jackson would be left to watch over me, but they were both busy with their families for the weekend.

  Thinking about the sunshine, I decided to go outside and lie out on the grass. Maybe the heat would help to dry up my sinuses. It couldn’t hurt, anyway. I grabbed a blanket off my bed and called Charlie to go out with me.

  Within a few minutes, I’d created a cozy spot on the lawn for me to lie out. Charlie had opted to rest several feet away in the shade of one of our maple trees. I listened to the chirping birds and crickets until I fell fast asleep with the warmth of the sunshine soaking into my body.

  Time was not something very easy for me to gauge, but I knew something was definitely wrong. I had no idea where I was, but the feeling of something soft caressing the side of my face was definitely different. Not only that, I was freezing cold.

  Moving my hand, I discovered I was completely soaked from head to toe. The feeling on my cheek was Charlie licking the water from where it dripped down my face. Just as I sat up, the sprinkler sprayed me with a fresh wash of icy water. Then it all came back into my head.

  How could I have been so tired not to notice when the sprinklers came on? Groaning in dismay, I realized I’d have to get inside and dried off before my family returned. I could just imagine how they would all hover and chatter their concerns about my health if they caught me in such a state.

  As soon as the hot water in the shower touched my face, I realized I wouldn’t be able to hide my afternoon activity. I’m sure the sunburn was quite spectacular. I sure didn’t plan this very well.

  No matter how long I stayed in the shower with the scalding hot water pouring over me, I couldn’t seem to get warm. When I ran out of hot water, I wrapped myself in a towel and slung my wet blanket over the shower rod so it could drip dry.

  It seemed strange that such a simple activity would cause me to be so exhausted. All I could think about was putting on my pajamas and curling up in my bed. It almost seemed too much trouble just to put on clothes, but I managed.

  As I lay down on my side, my peripheral vision caught sight of the pink canopy on my bed, the sunlight striking one of the sequins sewn around the edges. A smile played on my lips for the decorations my mom had given me when I was so little. I seldom thought about them since losing most of my vision, and it never occurred to me to ask to redecorate. This was my last thought as I fell asleep.

  “What’s wrong with her? She’s burning up!” Mom said, her cool hand touching my cheek.

  Lifting my hand felt like such a monstrous task, yet I managed to move enough to catch my mom’s notice. I felt terrible like an elephant was sitting on my chest rather than the thin comforter. A shiver ran through me, and I wondered why I hadn’t warmed up during my nap.

  “I’m fine, Mom,” I mumbled, straining to get the words out of my throat. “I just got a sunburn.”

  “No, Haley, this’s more than a simple sunburn. C’mon; I’m taking you to the emergency room.”

  “Mom!” I moaned, dismayed with the idea of how she was overreacting to such a simple problem. “I swear I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

  The covers lifted from my body, allowing the cool air to wash over my body, and causing me to shiver even harder. I could feel goosebumps forming all over my skin. Mom’s hands were suddenly replaced by my dad’s. He lifted me from the bed as if I were still a little child and I didn’t have the energy to protest.

  An hour later, I was hooked up to an IV line and bundled up on an uncomfortable hospital bed. A small win for my blindness came in the form of Charlie’s warm body lying next to mine on the bed. I could hear my parents talking in the hallway with the doctor and decided to listen in because that was the only way I’d hear the unvarnished truth about my condition.

  “Haley has a severe case of pneumonia. She’s lucky you brought her in when you did,” the doctor advised, his words carefully measured as all of them did when delivering particularly bad news.

  “But how’s this possible? She was fine when we left this morning,” Mom argued.

  “It’s hard to say. She might’ve had symptoms which she hadn’t mentioned. All I can say is her x-ray and bloodwork clearly show how hard her body is working to fight off the virus. We’ll keep her overnight and reevaluate her in the morning. Try not to disturb her. The best thing for her is sleep right now.”

  “We’re scheduled to fly to New York in six days. She’ll be alright by then, right?” my dad asked.

  “I wouldn’t advise any trips in the near future. She’s just not strong enough. Any exertions right now could set her back or cause a relapse. You’d better reschedule your plans.”

  “But we can’t reschedule. She’s been selected to participate in a research study to cure her Batten disease. She has to be there. Don’t you understand?” My mom’s voice rose with every sentence.

  “Honey, please keep your voice down. You don’t want Haley to hear, do you?”

  I had to keep from scoffing at that statement. Did they really think I wouldn’t be able to hear everything they said right outside my open door? Yet, I did feel my heart breaking a little at the idea of missing out on the drug trials. I had to get better; my life depended on it.

  I must have fallen asleep again, because the next time I woke up, I could feel someone holding my hand. Immediately, I noticed the familiar cologne and knew who had come to be with me. “Hey, Matt,” I whispered.

  “Hey! I didn’t know you were awake. How’re you feeling? I came as soon as I heard you were sick. What happened?”

  I sighed and rolled my head on the pillow until I faced Matt’s direction. “Something incredibly stupid. I fell asleep outside and got soaked by the sprinklers.”

  “Well, I guess that explains your spectacular sunburn. I wasn’t going to say anything, but now that you’ve brought it up…” His hand squeezed mine playfully.

  “Ha. Ha.” I scoffed, starting to chuckle but ended up in a coughing fit so severe I thought I might actually pass out.

  My outburst must have caught the nurse’s attention because Matt was asked to leave as the hospital staff started fussing over me, propping me up, and offering ice chips. All I really wanted was to have Matt back by my side.

  “I don’t think you should have visitors right now, Haley,” Taylor declared as she took my pulse and checked my oxygen levels.

  She may have always been my favorite nurse, but right now she was getting on my nerves. “I need him, Taylor. You know how I hate being alone in the hospital. I promise I’ll fall asleep if I get too tired. Please, just let him come and sit with me.”

  “Fine. But I’ll be checking in with you regularly until my shift is over.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth; it was the best I cou
ld do with my limited amount of energy. Seconds later, Matt returned by my bedside, again holding my hand. “You really scared me.”

  “I’m sorry, Matt. This must bring back some pretty terrible memories for you. You don’t have to stay, you know.”

  “There’s nowhere I’d rather be but by your side.”

  “Do you think you could do me a favor?”

  “Anything. Just name it. If you want a burger and fries, I’m on it.”

  “No, nothing like that. Could you take Charlie out to go potty?”

  Matt laughed, clearly not expecting that request. He squeezed my hand playfully and answered, “I’ve already done that twice. He’s good for now.”

  “Whew. I’ve been worried about him.” I sighed, thinking about all the other problems cropping up just because my body decided to get sick right now.

  “Spill it, Haley. What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not going to get the trial drugs.”

  “Don’t say that, Haley.”

  “No, listen to me. I’m not just being dramatic. I overheard the doctor telling my parents that there’s no way I can travel in six days.”

  “Five,” Matt corrected.

  Alarmed at his news, I tried to sit up and ended up in another coughing fit. This one didn’t last as long, and I managed to get it under control before the nurses charged back in. “I’ve already lost a day?”

  “Yes. But the rest did you good. You already look better, but the doctors want to keep you for another day. Once your bloodwork has a better white blood cell count, then they’ll consider sending you home. They’re pumping you full of antibiotics with this IV here.”

  “At least it’s doing something good for me. I just wish they’d heat it up so it wouldn’t make me cold all over.” I shut my mouth. I hated sounding like a whiner and a complainer.

  Matt’s warm hand rubbed up and down my arm causing my flesh to ripple with chills. I could get used to this kind of attention, I much preferred it to the poking and prodding the nurses usually did whenever they touched me. “Thanks, Matt. You’re the best friend ever.”