When We Meet Again.

Chapter 12: Alek

I was heading to Amry's ranch when I pulled out behind a firetruck. I just assumed it was going elsewhere until it pulled in her driveway. I park my truck by her mailbox. Chief and Abby were beside Amry. Amry was on the ground pinning down a girl. The cops cuff the girl and pull her to her feet. I see that the girl is Dixie and that she has blood dripping down her face. I stand behind Amry. I step closer before saying, "I am so sorry. I had no idea that Jasper had an alternative motive. He approached me one day, offered to give me money if I book us tickets to another country. I knew it might be hard or hurtful for you to be away from your horses for a long time. I had no idea he was planning on burning down your barn. I'm sorry." I let out a sigh. "It wasn't just Jasper though. It was Dixie too. She attacked me after Jasper was hauled off. She was also aiming to take my mare and foal. She said she would wean off the foal and take the mare to a meat packer. While the time I have spent with you has been wonderful, it has also brought on pain and agony. I think we need to spend some time apart regardless if it is permanent or not."

Pain blossoms within my chest and a tear leaks from my eye, ""Please don't do this, please."

I turn her to face me, hoping to plead some more. Her words silence me, "I know you had pure intentions, but I need time alone to process this night. If you don't want me to forever associate you with this incident, you need to go home. I will call you if and when I am ready but please just go home." She said if not just when. More tears leak from my eyes and the certainty in her voice makes me accept it. "I love you, never forget that. I will wait for you." I bend down to her level and kiss her before leaving. I get in my truck and leave. I drive to my friend's house and enter the door. He is sitting on the couch with a bottle of alcohol on the table. He doesn't live with his parents, so he doesn't have to worry about them this late at night.

I grab the bottle of Jack and take three big swallows of it. I sit it back down and sit on the couch. "What's up, man?" Jonathan asks me, "This whole night has been horrible." I say before reaching for the alcohol again. I drink some more before sitting it down. He doesn't ask me to explain what happened. I drink till I can't feel the burn anymore and I forget what happened. We just share the bottle of alcohol, and he passes out before the last gulp is drunk. I take the bottle and put it to my lips. I tip my head back and the bottle upside down. The last drops trickle from the bottle into my mouth. I feel the drops trickling down to my stomach. I feel drowsy and my tiredness takes hold of me. I slowly pass out.

I am glad I did because my dream was beautiful. Amry was in the passenger seat of my truck. Her blonde hair glows as it blows out the window. We drive around all the backroads. When the sun sets, Amry rests against me and I wrap my arm around her shoulder. The smell of summer blows through the cab and fresh cut hayfields smells so good. We drive through the night. We finally reach home and I go to carry her into the house. She tells me she wants to sleep outside tonight, so I go inside the house quickly and grab blankets. She lays beside me and snuggles into my chest. I rub the bare skin of her arm with my fingers. As they lay to rest on her arm, I fall asleep and hope to not wake up.

I wake up with the feel of her soft skin against my fingers before fully regaining consciousness. I find I am alone in the dark.

I head to the kitchen to grab painkillers and some water. After taking some, I head to a bedroom upstairs. I lay in the bed and lay awake staring at the ceiling until my eyes drift closed. And that is when the nightmare starts. Amry's face pops up in my vision and her words echo around me. My vision spans to her driving in her truck. I see a semi with the name Jasper chasing her down. The next semi called Dixie follows behind. I am driving a semi and I just catch up to Dixie's semi when Jasper's semi plows into the back of Amry's truck. Amry's truck turns to the side and Dixie's semi plows into her truck on the driver side. Her screams ring out and her body goes flying out of the passenger door. Her blonde hair waving around like a flag. Her body hits the ground with a thud. Suddenly, everything goes black. I wake up and feel the covers wrapped around my legs. The sweat pours down my bare chest and my chest heaves with my panicked breathing. I text Amry.

Please text me that you are okay.

She responds a minute .

I'm alive.

I respond.

Good, I love you.

She doesn't respond and I set my phone back down. I finally fall asleep now that I know Amry is safe. I wake from another nightmare with the feeling of being restrained. Jackson is tying my hands to the bed and my scalp burns with pain. He grabs my phone from the stand and calls somebody. I hear Amry's sweet voice on the other end of the phone. He says she needs to have somebody bring her to his place and he texts her the address. I fall asleep only to be woken by soft hands brushing against my skin. The rope holding me down falls to the ground and my hands go up to clutch Amry's face. After checking it is her, I hug her into my bare chest and finally relax. I fall asleep, clutching Amry to my chest. Her hands massage my sore scalp. When I wake to find Amry stirring on my chest. "I need to take care of my horses. You stay here and don't you dare drive. I can smell the Jack on your breath." She looks at me sternly. She kisses my cheek and then she is out the door.

I head to the window to look but the sunlight hurts too much, and I return to the covers that smells like her. I hear her truck start up and drive away. I listen till I can't hear it anymore then move onto my back. I end up staring at the ceiling.