Moments

Chapter Two - Part 2

           

Enjoy Joseph's perspective!

~VLB

JOSEPH

I hadn't even seen a picture of "the brat," Alyssum Garner for years and was surprised. I almost felt bad for calling her that for the last ten or so years, but then again, she was none the wiser. She is maybe 5'3'' with socks on, beautiful with a small frame, nice curves and straight, light brown-blonde streaked hair that stopped just above her shoulders. She had a simple, low maintenance beauty unlike the women I tend to date. Or screw. I watched her sit in the ER for nearly three hours and learned how she fidgeted and watched the clock for great lengths of time. It was interesting how the occasional smile or grimace would pass over her features as some memory crossed through her thoughts and I found myself curious. What is she thinking? I noticed her perk up a little when the guy had arrived, but things between them seemed off. Must be Caleb. Neil had mentioned him a few times with ambivalence. "Not a keeper," had been the way he described him. They didn't appear to be lovers, at least not anymore and she seemed more irritated than comforted by his presence. It was clear that she had been the one to call things off. Caleb had attempted to hold her hand and she either never realized or rather calculatingly turned her body and rested her head on his shoulder. It would have been more intimate but she had turned away from him which was clearly a "friends only" marker. But, Caleb looked at her like a man on a mission and he wondered if she had any idea that he was in love with her.

It felt odd to know all the players in Neil's life and yet to not be known to them. He had resented feeling like a secret for a lot of years and never understood Neil's motives. He wanted to meet Lyssa, but today definitely did not feel like the right day and certainly not in front of an ex-lover.

In the ICU he talked to Neil and explained what happened. The fact that Neil seemed to find the situation amusing irritated him. No matter what, he owed Neil his life and would do anything he asked of him. The last few years had been rough on Neil with the loss he felt when Lyssa moved out a few years ago and the recent direction of the dreams he often had of his dead wife Lily.

He had seen her safely home, had the garage door closed on him and then took off for his place to collect a bag of clothes and a few other things. He made it back to Neil's house around midnight and slipped in the house only to sleep like crap on the tiny sofa in Neil's office. The nurse Diane had called at 5:45 am to say he had taken a bad turn. He asked her to call Lyssa while he hurried to shower, dress, and wait.

He had somehow convinced her to ride on his motorcycle with him back to the hospital. It just made more sense than letting her drive when she was upset and scared. Besides, he was in for the count and had promised Neil he would watch over her for a while. He felt his jeans pulling and twitch against his zipper when she put her arms around him on the ride to the hospital. Not part of the plan. A house with a view, a dog, successful business, women without strings, and no chance of the issues that had destroyed his parents, that was his plan and none of that had any room in it for "the brat."