Coexist: Keegan's Chronicles

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Keegan woke to the smell of bacon, which brought a smile to her face. Rolling out of bed, she reached her arms in the air for a good stretch. She was still tired but she looked over at the clock and noticed it was already 9:00 am. She’d gotten about six hours of sleep. She rubbed her eyes and debated taking a shower and changing, then decided against it. Instead, she went downstairs with her hair a mess and wearing her fuzzy dolphin PJ’s.

Rourk was standing at the stove. He had a spatula in one hand and the handle of the skillet in the other, and appeared to be completely at home. He looked up when she entered the room. “You are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on.”

A quick glance told her that he was not joking, and suddenly her face felt hot. She’d been told her whole life that she was beautiful, but it wasn’t until that moment that she believed it to be true.

Changing the subject, she asked where her parents were. He said they headed out a while ago, and they wouldn’t be back until much later. A mischievous grin crossed her face.

Rourk laughed, “Now I see why your mother warned me. Go sit down, and I’ll bring your breakfast. How does an omelet with cheese sound?”

“Perfect.”

A few minutes later he brought her a plate with an omelet and some toast. Keegan smiled up at him. “Thank you, you’re so sweet.”

They ate in silence and savored each other’s company, stealing glances across the table at each other and smiling when they got caught. When they finished eating, Rourk said, “Why don’t you get ready and we’ll go off in search of the waterfall?”

She ran over to kiss him and then skipped up the stairs. She came back down about 45 minutes later ready to head out, and noticed Rourk had packed a lunch for them. His thoughtfulness made her glow.

It took about an hour to reach the waterfall. It was incredible and must have been over 200 feet high. Water cascaded at a rapid pace down the rocks. Lush green foliage surrounded the falls, making them stand out even more. Keegan felt like they’d found their own slice of paradise; it had a magical feel to it, and she understood why her parents had not wanted to share their special place with anyone. She quickly got lost in her camera.

The weekend went by in a blur. It was the happiest time in her life. Keegan felt so grateful to her parents for allowing them to be together even though it was prohibited.

The journey home did not feel as joyful. Keegan couldn’t imagine being without Rourk again. She knew it wasn’t for long, but even a little time away would seem like a lifetime to her.

As if he could read her thoughts, Rourk leaned over and whispered, “This will all be over soon, and we will be able to be together. Instead of focusing on the negative, be thankful for the time we shared. When you feel lonely, just remember this weekend.”

She smiled, knowing he was right.

They arrived at his house, and there was no skipping up the path this time. They walked slowly, and each dreaded reaching the door.

Keegan willed herself not to cry. She had to be strong.

Rourk tenderly moved a strand of hair from Keegan’s face. He pulled her close to him. Placing his hand under her chin, he tilted her head towards his, and softly kissed her on the lips. Releasing her, he smiled. “See you in Ireland.” He opened the door and closed it behind him.

Rourk didn’t dare allow himself to look out the window when she left, and he was glad his father wasn’t there. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone. He went to his room and lay on his bed. Staring at the ceiling, he recalled the weekend as if he were watching a movie, and eventually the deep sadness cleared. He needed to compartmentalize and put his focus on the battle. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner he could get her back. That was now his primary goal.

He slept for a while, and then woke and went about his normal routine. He walked to the kitchen and made himself a protein shake. Grabbing a book and dictionary, he sat at the table. Scanning through random pages, he found a word he wasn’t sure of. Reading the surrounding sentences, he came up with a definition and then checked the dictionary and moved on to another. It was hard to find a word that stumped him, but old habits die hard.

Rourk went into his garage, tossed his shirt off, and jumped on the rower. He rowed 5k, did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and then 100 pull-ups—and went back for another 5k row. Once he hit about 3500m, he smiled. Keegan was awake and thinking of him. Her thoughts no longer caused him distress. Now, he loved knowing he had crossed her mind.

Rourk finished up his workout, showered, and headed into work.

When he got there, he noticed the men seemed to be rejuvenated after the long weekend. It was just what they had needed. Richard knew his men well. They still had some intense training ahead of them in preparation for the battle. Rourk could feel the energy in the air even though no one said anything. They all knew the time was rapidly approaching.