Begin Again

Chapter 6

~Storm's P.O.V~

I lead her back to room 207. After all these years I have not forgotten the way around these corridors. It's hard being back inside these depressing walls, but something about her made me come back. We approach her dad's room and I hear her inhale sharply as she turns the knob to reveal her dad's still body where it was when we left, just like I had promised her.

We acquire the same seats like we had never left and she takes her dad's hand again unwilling to let him go. I can see the fear in her hazel eyes, the same fear I had oh, so many years ago. I want to tell her something, make her pain go away, but I know that there is nothing I could say to make her feel any less agonized. With no words coming I just sit there like a creep taking in everything about this girl that came into my life yesterday afternoon. Looking at her I could tell that there was something about her that was going to be more to me than just another player that came to soccer camp, and I was willing to go through this journey with her to find out where she belonged in my life.

~Jennifer's P.O.V~

My dad was right where we had left him, just like Storm had promised me. I resumed my position from where I have hardly moved the past day, on a chair at the edge of his bed holding his hand. Something about Storm being next to me gave me a sense of security I had never felt before. A wave of longing comes over me and I feel as if I need to tell Storm everything about my life, about my past, but why would I? Only four people know about my past, my dad, my best friend Donte, my cousin Lana, and her mom, so why would I tell someone who I had just met the previous day? I sigh from my conflicting feelings and look up into Storm's curious eyes as I give him a weak smile.

Venturing into a safe topic I start to tell him about my dad. "My Dad and I used to do everything together, it was always just the two of us. He introduced me to soccer, I started to run before I could even walk. Some of my best childhood memories was of us going camping under the stars, just the two of us. We never planned a trip, we just always found ourselves at a campsite." I rambled on about my dad and I as Storm just sat there contently, taking in each word I was saying. I couldn't stop the question that kept popping up into the back of my mind. Why was he here still listening to things irrelevant to his life when he could just leave?

I don't know when it started, but sometime during my storytelling hot tears started to slide down my cheeks. Storm just kept sitting there, listening, almost interested in what I was saying. He rubbed his hand in small circles on my back, more comfort than any words could have given me at that moment.

When I run out of things to say he sits there taking it all in, not pressing to hear why it was just my dad and I, not asking the usual what happened to your mom? He just accepts me for me.

"Your childhood resembles mine in many ways," he says with a hint of a smile on his face?

"Really?" I ask wanting to prod into his past, but not wanting to seem pushy.

"Yeah, except it was always just my mom and I, she's the one who brought me up and made me who I am. It may sound cheesy, but she really is my hero."

We just sit there content in each others presence as I stare into his deep blue eyes that holds a past which is foreign to me.

Somewhere between laughing, talking, and crying I found my way into a deep sleep exhausted from being emotionally drained. I awaken and find myself in a groggy, confused state. I rack my brain trying to recall where I am and what happened yesterday. When it all came back to me I never remembered saying goodbye to Storm. I glance around the room and see a piece of paper laying on my Dad's nightstand. I pick it up and in messy writing a note is written:

Jennifer - you fell asleep last night and I had to leave to go back to camp. Hope you got a good night's rest. I'll come check in on you later. - Storm

I replay last night in my mind. Wait, later? Does that mean he's coming back tonight? I doubt it, why would anyone want to spend time with such a wreck, but the prospect of him coming back makes a smile tug at my lips. Why did my fear of him suddenly turn into security? I shouldn't feel this comfortable around him. I can't let my guard down, the last time I did that only bad things came out of it.