Love's Rapture

Kelly: Unintended Friend

"How do you find things to talk about every day?" Talon asked as we walked through the trees to my field.

"I just tell him whatever I would have told him anyway," I answered.

"What are you going to tell him today?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait to hear it."

I was nervous about talking to Breton in front of Talon again, but there was no going back now. We made it to the clearing and walked to the middle of the field. I immediately laid down, hiding from the world, and Talon did the same.

"You go first," he said.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I pictured his smile and felt myself relax. "I miss you, Breton."

I miss you, too.

I smiled. "I think I convinced my mom and dad that I'm okay."

You aren't okay.

"I feel alone now. Ivy moved to Taylorsville to live with our grandparents, Parker is opening his coffee shop on campus, and Jake lives a few miles away. I'm the oldest kid in the house, which feels strange. The others are so much younger than me. They don't understand what I'm feeling."

You can't blame them.

"I don't want them ever to understand how this feels," I assured him. "I love you."

I love you, too.

"You can talk now, Talon."

I heard him take a deep breath before he began. "Hi. I'm here with Irene again. Uh, I guess I just wanted to say I miss you. Mom and Dad are doing okay right now. Mom's been seeing a doctor, to talk about everything, but it's helping. She's doing good, Bret."

A few moments passed where neither of us spoke. I closed my eyes and imagined Breton laying beside me, remembering one of the times we came here together. He was so excited for us to be in this place, just us.

"Come on; you have to run faster, Kelly!" He'd yelled from a few feet in front of me. He was laughing and looking over his shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, Breton!" I screamed, laughing as well because his joy was so infectious. "I'm going as fast as I can! It would have helped if you told me we were running through the woods. I would have-," I was cut off by the ground rushing toward my face. I let out a scream, but Breton didn't get to me fast enough.

"Kelly!" He ran over and pushed me onto my back. One look at his face sent us both into a fit of laughter. "You are so clumsy!"

"I am not," I giggled. "I wouldn't have worn flip flops if I'd known we were coming to the field again."

"You're bleeding," he said, pointing to a spot on my lip. I touched the tip of my finger to the place that was throbbing. Sure enough, I was bleeding.

"I'll be okay." He took my hand and pulled me up. "Let's go."

"Why did he want to go swimming?" I suddenly asked. Talon moved the grass that separated us and looked into my eyes. I thought he might not answer because he waited so long, but eventually, he did.

"He said he wanted to test it out since you'd both be going a couple of nights later." He looked up at the sky and continued. "He said if it was too bad, he wanted to find another way to spend your anniversary."

I was still lying on my back, causing the tears to run into my hair and ears. "So, it was my fault that Breton was out there," I said.

"Kelly," Talon stood and reached down to grab my hand. He pulled me up and put his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look up into his ice-blue eyes. "I should have never said that to you, especially since I was hurting. I took it out on the wrong person. Please forgive me."