The Catalina Touch Effect (NaNoWriMo2014)

Chapter Fourteen

“I can’t do this,” Myles said. Bass and Cat looked at him with worried expression. “I can’t see them like that again,” he looked to Catalina, quickly glancing at Bass. “I can’t see you like that again.”

“We can go in another room,” he offered, putting a hand upon his shoulder. Myles let out a different kind of sigh, a relieved but stressed one. As counteractive as that seems, he surely did. It was the worry of them not coming back that was getting to him, the worry he’d never hear Bass’ voice again.

“You promised her a date-night and that means lunch, shopping, dinner, and then a movie. Six hours of us not there to ruin anything.” They both looked to Cat and Myles nodded. He looked at the pill in his hand, feeling queasy. Bass patted his shoulder a couple times, then left him alone with Cat. There they stood in the kitchen, Bass leading the others into his bedroom.

Myles popped the pill into his mouth, Cat handing him her water. He took a couple sips, shutting his eyes tightly. He felt like throwing up, the knots in his stomach tightening until he was having to lean against the counter. Thankfully he couldn’t hear them scream any longer than they did the last time. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He didn’t want a relapse of hearing them all scream in pain, and Bass knew that well. Being the kind man Bass was, he knew what was best for Myles and was able to get everyone to not let him hear. And thanking for him for that, Myles shut off the world for a second as his head started to hurt.

He was quickly met with Catalina’s arms around him, grabbing onto her and feeling her try and settle his shaking. “I love you,” she whispered in the deafening silence. He smiled, feeling the tears stream again. “I believe in you.”

“I love you, too,” he said, rubbing her back. She felt amazing to hug to press against, to know. She was there for him and him for her. She’d never been in love more, it seemed. Her last relationship was a rough one and the break up was even worse. He was a douche bag, abusive, and never treated her right.

Myles was exactly what she needed: a test of her willpower and someone to hold and love as much as she wished he would hold and lover her back. She was there, hugging him tightly to ensure he would be alright. He’d done the same thing the day previous after Jacob racially slurred her, incorrectly at that.

They soon left for lunch, a quick take out from Paper Soldiers. Flat breads and sodas, a side of onion rings, and little candy peppermints to top it all off. They sat in the snow, eating their flatbreads. Mittens, gloves, scarves, knit-wool hats, and heavy winter coats for the occasion. The snowflakes fell on their chilled cheeks and rosy noses. They watched the sky turn from a light lavender to a deep baby’s bonnet as the sun passed over from high noon to 2 o’clock. By then they’d gone inside a library to warm up, running back to Myles’ car to drive to the theatre.

Nothing this exciting had happened to Myles in a while. Romantically exciting, that is. He’d gone on dates many times before with Dianna, but never with someone as genuine as Catalina. Catalina giggled and was present when she wanted or needed to be, not absent and demanding like Dianna. She’d be there and gone in a second flat, but Catalina stuck around for a while and then faded into her thoughts when Myles did his own. They were timed perfectly, like set clocks in an antique clock shoppe in New York.

As they rolled down the street towards the 15 Cine, Myles felt his stomach lurch again. He released his hand from Catalina’s grip and placed it upon his skin-to-bone abdomen, glaring down the darkening road.

“What is it?” she asked. Myles’ face contorted in discomfort and he shook his head with dizzying pain.

“Must’ve gone wrong with the avocados,” he replied. She smiled, rubbing his shoulder and guiding his hands back into her own.