After the Rain

Chapter Eight

     Tommy limped into his room and shut the door. He pulled off his torn, ruined shirt with a groan, knowing his shoulder was bruised on the account that he couldn't touch it without pain. His back was terribly sore, and one glance in the mirror showed that the branches of that tree had cut it up to the point where he would need stitches and maybe a few splinters removed. His back throbbed painfully, the cuts burning with each pulsating beat of his heart.
     He sighed and went downstairs to the fridge, taking out a beer, gingerly sitting on the counter. He reached behind himself carefully and opened one of the cabinets, finding a bottle of ibuprofen, swallowing four pills to help ease the pain of his battered body.
     A sudden chill made him shiver, as if a pair of icy fingers had scraped down his spine. Tommy though that either that the air conditioning had kicked on or that he was cold just because his jeams were still wet, his hair soaked and sticking to the side of his face, and that he wasn't wearing a shirt.
     This was not the case.
     Tommy looked up and saw Terri standing in front of him. He froze and his heart hammered against his ribs, so hard he thought they might break.
     "Terri?" He whispered.
     She smiled. It was the most beautiful thing Tommy had ever seen. It filled him wish a sudden gush of happiness and comfort, bringing back a tsunami of memories. For the first time in years, he didn't feel so cold.
     "It's me, kitty." She stepped forward and pushed his wet hair back, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. Tommy closed his eyes as an involuntary shiver ran through his body.
     "I've missed you so much, Terri," he sighed, smiling a bit. It felt so easy, so normal, being here with her. He forgot his pain almost instantly.
     "I've missed you, too. I came to talk to you."
     "Talk about what?" Tommy asked, taking a pull from his drink,
     "Ellie," she replied, a little sadly, and he cringed.
     "I'd rather not... I've had enough of her today."
     "Tommy," she placed a hand on his shoulder, the one that hadn't been injured. "You can't blame her for what happened to me."
     "Watch me," he spat through his teeth. "She killed you."
     "But it wasn't her fault," Terri pressed. "It was an accident."
     "I don't care, Terri! It's all her fault. She took you away from me. She ruined everything." He let out a sigh, tears stinging his eyes. "Everything was going to be perfect... I had it all planned out." Tommy rubbed at his eyes, not letting the tears fall, swallowing against the need-to-cry-knot in his throat.
     "You and your pride, Tommy," Terri sighed, and the imaginary hole in his chest felt all too real, throbbing mercilessly. Without really knowing it, his arm wrapped around his torso, and Terri saw just how damaged Tommy had become.
     "I'm sorry, Tommy," Terri whispered, kissing his cheek.
     "It's not your fault," Tommy rasped, breathless.
     "I have to go..." Her voice was soft, sad.
Tommy stared down at the floor. "Okay..." He looked up at her and was met with her soft lips against his. His hands moved up to the back of her neck. Terri thought the slightly rough texture of his shaven cheeks felt wonderful. His tongue moved inside. Slowly at first, then without hesitation. Warmth built up in Tommy and he couldn't seem to get close enough to her.
     Terri ran her hands through his still-damp hair, loving how the stands felt. But then she pulled her mouth from his and moved back a few inches to look at him. Tommy's eyes opened and he stared at her with a hooded gaze. She saw the wildness in his eyes, a hunger she'd never seen before. More then anything, longing, as it swallowed up and replaced the hunger in his eyes.
     Terri felt a pull, like several pairs of hands on her, pulling her from Tommy. Voices echoed in her head. And right then, everything she felt was just too much. She wanted, ached, to stay here with him, but she had to go. Only Tommy couldn't let her go.
     Tommy moved in before Terri could stop him; he was doing what he did best-holding her. Her cheek rested against his chest, and she listened to the steady pounding of his heart. Inhaling his scent, Terri closed her eyes. She would give in for a moment. Just a moment.
     "I love you, so much." Tommy's hands moved tenderly against her back. His touch felt good. Familiar. Normal. Life the way it should be.
     Life the way it was three years ago.
     "I miss you, Terri," he said, and reached up, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
     She swallowed. "I miss you, too, but—"
     He leaned in and placed a soft kiss beside her lips. Whatever she was about to say got lost inside her head. She closed her eyes and while the voices nagged at her brain, she didn't want to stop this. She wanted him to kiss her, to make her forget the pulling.
     Oh, yes. She wanted to forget.
     His mouth touched hers, slow at first, as if making sure she wanted it, then Tommy slipped his tongue into her mouth. She loved it when he kissed her like that.
     The next thing Terri knew, Tommy had his hands up the back of her shirt. She felt his hands on the hook of her bra. He deepened the kiss, as if to distract her. She decided to let him do it, too.
     Opening her eyes as the nagging, pulling sensation intensified, she broke the kiss.
    Tommy's eyelids fluttered open and Terri stared at his eyes, searching for the reason not to stop him despite the tugging at her mind.
     "Tommy..." she whispered. "I really do have to—"
     "Shhh. Please, don't... Please, don't say it." He put his fingers softly to her lips, almost begging. There was a sad desperation to his voice that broke her heart. "Please. This feels so good, Terri. I want to hold you like this, I want to touch you." His hands ran up and down her arms. "What's wrong with us being together if we love each other, huh? I love you."
     I love you. Those three little words played like a slow song in her head. He moved in again for another kiss. She wanted to be with him so badly. And it did feel good, she couldn't deny that to herself. It helped her forget. She let herself become lost in his kisses again. Lost in how his hands moved under her shirt, over the skin of her back up to her bra latch. Unlike before, he had it unclasped in seconds.
     "Tommy, I'm really sorry. I can't do this." Terri pulled away, not looking anywhere but at Tommy. She studied his shirtless body as he put his hands on the counter at his sides, exposing his hard abdomen. He leaned back a bit, and she took in the cutest inny belly button she'd ever seen. And then his chest. Solid. Hard. A few drops of water from his hair glistened in the light against his skin. Terri's heart beat to the sound of passion again.
     "All right," he sighed, and reached out to brush a strand of hair off her cheek. He gazed at her dreamily. "You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?"
     The voices were louder now, almost making it impossible to hear her own thoughts, let alone Tommy. Not that she cared. Every instinct she had was zeroed in on the man sitting in front of her and the compliment he had just given her. He always made her feel beautiful.
     But she really had to leave.
     Terri smiled and hugged him tight, not letting go. She was careful not to hurt him and buried her face into his neck, the tip of her nose tucked into the cup of his ear. "I love you, Tommy Joe."
     "I love you, too, Terri." He whispered. "Always."
     Tommy squeezed hard onto Terri, hoping that she would still be there when he opened his eyes, but sadly, as he looked up, his arms were around nothing but air. Tommy sighed, tears stinging his eyes, letting his arms drop to his sides.