Love In The Forest

Jack Lotus Chapter 8

The next morning I woke up to the sound of ferocious winds. I sat up and ran out of the tent. A helicopter with a line to a board thing to lie down on and a person to strap me in was there. The other two were there. I went to the board and I turned around and I came at Lotus with eyes closed, ready to kiss him. I felt his warm lips touch mine and I felt differently about Lotus. Okay with everything. I felt his lips touch and a spark deep inside of me lit on fire. I felt Lotus kiss me back. Him kissing me, I just took him on opening my mouth. And..... he plunged. The hectic rotor sounds became silence as he held me in place kissing him. I opened my eyes to intense, awake, both heterochromia eyes eyes looking at me alluringly.
I yelled out, "I will see you again!"
Lotus stood in a stupor of my actions agreed, "I will see you again too!"
I cried flying away on that board because I didn't believe him. I lay sick, floating into the air towards Evergreen or wherever and I knew I was alive only because of Lotus.

I went into the hospital and was given strong antibiotics for sepsis and my puffed up lesion that was stitched up, was a mess of infection that had to be redone. It was the shape of an L. I lay in the hospital wondering about the men in Sivion. Were they alright? The nurses told me to stop worrying and get some sleep. I felt I couldn't sleep without Lotus's heart and yet I did and after the first night. I woke up and there were flowers everywhere around me from Olly. Yet one was different, it stood out, the Lotus flower. I walked my IV drip over and read the card,

Dear Calantha,

I await your return to Sivion Flats as does your brother, ride out here safely with Ash when you come back. Get better so we can finish what we started.

-Jack Lotus.

Olly had money and my ID's sent to me while I was in the hospital because I had nothing on me. The officials inquired about my trip and how everything happened. I left Lotus out of the picture. I was relieved when they did not feel the need to investigate. I fell back in bed agitated. I wanted to be with Lotus. As soon as it was possible in the morning, I left the hospital and bought some new clothes at the Evergreen department stores. I bought a black skin tight leather outfit with high black riding boots. I looked sultry and I let my hair down. I set out for Sivion Springs on the boat at noon and then Ash took me around to Sivion Flats. We arrived to see the sun setting.

Ash gossiped, "I hear you like Lotus."

Ash about laughed himself off the horse.

"I guess you could say that." I rolled my eyes at him.

I got off the horse and entered the gate as Ash took the horses into the stable. I walked in the house and there sat Lotus at the counter drinking and my brother Olly talking with his hands about something or someone.

I announced, "Clean bill of health. What did you guys do after I left?" Lotus grinned happily seeing me.
Lotus explained, "You can tell her Olly."
"We got some red diamonds. The rarest of all made."
I smiled and swore, "Rappelling then? Fuck... Cool."
I noticed they were looking at my black leather outfit. I explained, "I am not getting scratched ever again so I wore leather."

I watched as Olly got up and Lotus too. Lotus gave me a hug saying, "I was so worried about you. I will leave you alone cause I have to catch up with Ash. If Lotus tries anything I am outside."

Olly knew I was pissed at him from the other night. Yet I smiled dejected at him. Olly left and it was just the two of us.

I was uneasy as I timidly spoke, "About the other day..." I smiled out of embarrassment but I still wanted him nonetheless.

Lotus admitted, "You drive me crazy. One second you are fighting with me, another you are making some sort of moves on me. While that's all well and good but you make me insane. Are you always going to be that way?"

I walked over to him and warned, "I have never dated anyone, you were my first kiss and I think I should have been more truthful with you."

Lotus was blindsided. He repeated, "Your first kiss? Your what? You better tell me the truth."

"I am telling the truth." Lotus looked like someone knocked him over. Lotus wondered, "Damn. That was some firsts kiss Cala. I mean... Now things make sense."
I admitted, "Just like my brother warned. I am in over my head." I felt tears pushing but I wouldn't yield them.
Lotus acknowledged, "I care about you and your brother. But you were right, this sort of scares me."
"Going to spend your life alone? Going to push people away and then you will be safe right?"
"It isn't you Calantha. It's me."
"That's my line Lotus." I let a tear out of my eye and pushed towards Lotus.
Lotus touched the leather on me and admitted, "I don't know if I can Cal."
"You talk like you have been ruined for good Lotus. I see it in your eyes, what you think or feel. If you lost me today I know you would say you cared about me much more than even I know." That last part was low but I had to.
Lotus looked directly at me in my leather outfit commenting, "Sexy Calantha. I don't know what to... say."

The door burst open and Olly exclaimed, "You talk about her, you look for her, before bedtime you put a pillow on your chest for only one reason I can think of! You felt so spiteful when you fought because you were holding back from her. You hurt her and you are dead to me or maybe dead altogether!"

I looked at Olly very surprised. Olly telling the truth while Lotus wasn't and then Olly looked back at Lotus who seemed to still be afraid.
I asked, "You will always be scared of me, Lotus, won't you?"

I moved away from Lotus and he came after me saying, "I am unsure of this territory and I don't want to be but I can't help it." I was losing the strength to withstand this.

Lotus asked, "Olly let me talk about her alone with her." Olly slammed the door behind him and I looked dead on at Lotus. What was he doing or trying to accomplish here? He was confused as hell.

I watched a pained Lotus speak, "I do enjoy you Calantha. You are beautiful and funny and caring and you treat me well and I treat you like crap. I know. God, am I sorry Calantha. I never thought I would be near or around another woman ever again after my wife. That's why I moved out here. I am a... coward."

"No... You force yourself to try to not be available just like me. I've noticed. You want your life to be like it previously was, which it never will be again Lotus. But you know there is no turning back."

I sounded so wistful. Lotus was breaking down, "I have gone about this the wrong way."

"You think?!"

Lotus locked onto my eyes so overpowering and overwhelmingly that a breeze could have knocked me over. I looked back at him and asked, "So now what?"

"I have no idea."

I went over and put my arm around him and lamented, "I missed you. I will show you my L shaped scar later."

Lotus insisted, "Let the boys in, I bet they are hungry or ready to drink."