Chapter Two
I was about to tell her to come inside right now, and spill everything, but I knew I couldn't do that. Not with my husband upstairs. "I would invite you in but...." I trailed off.
She knew what I was going to say. I can still remember the horror in her eyes when I told her I was marrying Caliber. How she insisted I didn't do it, that Ian would come back for me. That's why I was startled to see her here, in her cut-off shorts and raggedy shirt. Her hair, a deep purple, her eyebrow pierced, so different from when I last saw her.
"Yeah, it's okay. I understand. This will be quick, anyway. Annabel's dad has finally given up looking for them. I didn't hear news from him, but you know I know people who know people who told me that. I thought you should know; you know, warning you," she explained and I nodded. I didn't know how to react to this news. I was happy knowing Ian could come back, frightened because I didn't know if he would want to come back, and sad because I knew someone was going to get hurt.
"Thanks for telling me, Harley. You can come inside now. We just can't talk about...." I couldn't say his name. Not now, not when I knew that he could come back any minute.
"Sorry, I have to be somewhere," she said shortly, and I sighed.
"Harley, please don't be like this," I said as I reached towards her.
She backed away from my touch. "Willow, you're a quitter. You took the easy way out, and I have no respect for you." She said this as she looked me right in the eye.
Just then, Melody and Hunter pulled up in their car.
"Bye. If I hear anything else, I'll come tell you. Not because you deserve to know, but because Ian would want you to know," she said and walked away, not looking back at me once, as I stood there.
With my legs planted on the ground, I just shook my head and turned towards Melody, plastering the usual smile onto my face.
"What did Miss Moody want?" Melody asked climbing out of the car, while Hunter got Titan out.
"Nothing," I said and I could tell by her raised eyebrow that she didn't believe me, but she wasn't going to pressure me about it.
"Okay," she said and we walked inside.
May was sitting on the couch, a popsicle in one hand, as she snuggled next to Caliber's side.
"Hey." I said kissing his cheek as I walked inside.
"Hey, babe." He greeted back, as Hunter waved at him from the doorway. He waved back, and Marty handed me Titan.
"I already fed him and gave him a bath. He'll probably eat again, in about an hour or so." Melody informed, as she kissed his forehead and smiled at me. "Thank you for watching him." She kissed my cheek and dragged Hunter out of the house.
As soon as she was gone, May decided it was time for her to see the baby. I laid him down on the floor with some toys and let May play with him while I went to start supper.
Caliber followed behind me, and helped me with dinner. "Honey, when do you want to start having kids?" he asked.
I froze and looked at him, a bit startled. "I d-don't know. I guess whenever it happens" I said with a shrug which was the truth. Caliber and I didn't use protection anymore; there wasn't a need too. I mean we were both young adults, who were married to each other.
He nodded shortly, kissing me on the cheek before walking back into the living room.
I finished cooking supper, but didn't have the appetite to eat. As everyone else sat down to eat, I excused myself. "I need some fresh air." I said. Caliber gave me a weird look before agreeing to it. I walked upstairs and threw on my jogging clothes. I walked downstairs and out the door, immediately running.
I ran to the one place that resurfaced memories about Ian. The beach.
The sun was beginning to set when I got there. I raced up and down the shore line. I didn't stop until I was drenching with sweat, breathing heavily. I fell to the ground, and pulled my knees to my chest.
Memories began to assault my mind with such fierceness that I just sat there motionless. Ian. His face popped into my head. Him in his polka-dotted bikini, I laughed at the image. He looked so goofy, with his dark red hair plastered to his forehead and his body bulging in that small bikini. Then, my mind flashed to another memory. Him leaving me on this very beach, despite my desperate cries for him not to go.
How he told me he didn't want to but he had to. I remember how it felt. My heart breaking in two as I crumpled to the ground. How can I love him after he put me through so much pain? But the truth was, I did love him. With ever fiber and molecule in my body, I loved that boy. When he left me again, right in front of my house, he promised he would be back.
I used to walk the beach daily, hoping for some sign from him, but none came. Eventually I began to lose hope, and as my heart began to break again, Caliber was there to pick up the pieces and duct tape them back together. That's the reason I married Caliber, I loved him. I did, but part of me still loved Ian.
"Why do you continue to hurt me? Even when you're not here, you still hurt me." I whispered to the wind as my eyes began to ache with unshed tears. I took a deep shaky breath, and stood up. "I haven't cried over you in years, and so I don't plan on crying over you today." I spoke, hoping Ian could hear me but I knew he couldn't.
With those words, I spun around and began running back home. As my feet pounded on the solid, hard ground below me, I cleared Ian from my mind. Still, I knew he wasn't out of my mind for good. Ian never would be, because he was Ian.
Ian, the boy in the polka-dotted bikini.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you guys liked this short chapter. :D
COMMENT. VOTE. BECOME A FAN.
YOU ARE READING
