Secrets And Tea

Chapter 23

Rhionna sat quietly in the truck, holding Abigail's hand.

Hearing Thomas again had been heartbreaking, but healing at the same time. She knew that it had been him to say those words not Abigail.

"Are you okay Rhi?" Abigail asked softly.

"I will be. It was nice to hear him again," Rhionna stated quietly, leaning her head on her friend's shoulder.

They pulled into the driveway at her house. Abigail got out first, then Rhionna.

"I'm going to go sit by the cliff side. I need to be alone," stated Rhionna, "You guys head on in."

She headed for her favorite line of trees that hid the overlook where a bench had been bolted into the ground to keep it from flying around during a storm.

The ocean view was stunning in the summer sun and she took a seat there. Her eyes watering once again. She found that it was more from the wind than from sadness.

She swung one foot absently as she just let the view before her soothe her aching chest. She always came to this spot when she was upset, or just needed to think.

She and Thomas had spent many nights on this bench talking and laughing. She knew his words were right, it would take time for the pain to ease when she thought about or heard Thomas's name.

She was also still a bit frightened by the ghost that had thrown the can of coffee grinds at her today.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had her looking over her shoulder. Damien stood there with a large mug filled with some fragrant tea.

She could smell it from where she sat and he stood a bit of a distance from her.

"Sorry, I know you said you needed to be alone. Abigail told me to bring you this." He said, stepping forward and extending the mug.

"Thank you. Did you want to sit with me for a bit?" She asked, "I won't mind your company. You must be having some feelings too after hearing Thomas's voice."

Damien gingerly sat on the bench. His gaze looked over the horizon where the water lifted and sank, tiny white caps breaking the surface of the water.

A boat whizzed by, its motor the only noise over reaching the sounds of the ocean waves hitting the rocky edges.

"I killed them both," he said heavily, his words filled with grief and pain, "I sent them in. Thomas and Henry. I didn't question the moment, I didn't even think to abort the mission. I just sent them in and they were killed."

He rubbed his hands over his face, "All I wanted to do was protect those I care about and in doing so I killed two people who were like my brothers."

Rhionna rubbed his back, she could see the pain etched in his face as he remembered the days in his head. The grief.

"You couldn't have known that it was going to happen Damien, no one can predict bad things," reassured Rhionna.

"That doesn't make me less guilty, I knew something was off when we got to the destination. I sensed it. I still sent them in." Damien said, "I didn't even radio base to make sure things were still a go. I just did as the mission had been told to us."

He shuddered, "When those fighter jets flew over and I saw those bombs dropping. I didn't do anything. I just froze. I watched as that bomb dropped on that warehouse where Thomas and Henry had been. I could have warned them."

Rhionna just rubbed his back, she knew that this was something that he had to overcome himself. The guilt, just like she had to overcome her guilt with her fight with Thomas that had separated them.