She is smiling like heaven is down on earth
Sun is shining so bright on her
And all her wishes have finally come true
And her heart is weeping.
This happiness is killing her.
Is crushing her.
Lyrics by: H.I.M. – Right here in my arms
Chapter three: The Apology & Tyler
“Dad, I need to get to Doctor Hunt’s house, and seeing as you two are great friends, I’m positive you know how to direct me there.” I state hoping that Ivy is visiting with him today. I’m willing to take a chance of her not being there.
I watch his face go from confusion to a smirk; he knows something happened, meaning that he was right about taking Ivy to the bar. I wish he hadn’t been correct about that, but he was. Corva was acting like such a jealous bitch last night.
“I’m going to assume you want it to go see Ivy?” He asks moving closer and grabbing a piece of thin charcoal starting to scribble a map. Thankfully I have grown up in this house my whole life and know most of where the trails lead to.
“Yes I do. I have to get to her today and the hospital is closed. I can at least hope that she’s over at her father’s visiting, and if not then, that he will possibly guide me to her home.” I explain taking the little sturdy light wood plank out of his hand with the map inscriptions on it. I doesn’t look like a far walk from here.
“Do I want to know what happened?” He asks crossing his arms over his chest.
“Nope.” I reply walking out of the front door, off the porch and down the front steps into the muddy water.
I wave him off and start walking down the opposite path from my town, where the trees will continue to be green the whole time. The Pure Eye’s trees sometimes have little fruits that grow on the branches. I like picking them off and eating them, but sadly it’s not that time. The moon is rising early, with heavy rain, and winds are picking up.
I can’t help but think back to what happened last night at the bar with Ivy. She said, ‘she wanted to get to know me.’ And yet she fucking took off. It is understandable ‘why’ she left last night… I just wish she wouldn’t have. I found myself staying up late thinking about her and her round ass all night. That damn woman is making me crazy; I’m finding myself wanting to be around her ALL the time.
I look down at my map trying to make out what the next course is going to be. The charcoal is smudged right on the next trail. I look up taking in where I’m at exactly. I have explored these woods my whole life so figuring out which turn to take should be easy enough. To my left I know if I go that way for long enough I’ll fall down a cliff where the mud slide took out some trees and created a horrible death cliff. The Pure Eye’s refuse to fix it saying, ‘it’s all natural causes’.
Whatever the hell that means, to my left that path leads me off towards the boarder where most of the Dements are probably getting drunk, but the path in front of me leads on to a Pure Eye block off houses. I can’t imagine the doctor living in one of them though. He is highly respected through all communities, even on the Dement side for healing.
The old ways of healing practices are uncommon among any of us now. The sorceress didn’t leave much space for passing down any of her spells or healing rituals. My mother has learned some of the old ways of healing and rituals from her grandmother. The Pure Eyes look up to my grandmother sorceress for many reasons. If you ask me she wasn’t on either side, she made everyone this way, and in so doing making no one unique.
I walk up the path leading to the homes deciding it was the only one that suited the map my father had drawn up for me. It didn’t take long until I reached the first row of little white houses all with different trimmings and windows. The Pure Eye’s homes are all the same structure, but with little things that make them stand out from one another. One house in particular catches my eye having a wood carving of a jack rabbit holding a pointed vegetable.
I walk up to the white door with the cobble stone fixtures and knock. I hear a voice from inside making noise but I’m unable to make out what its saying. I hear someone stomping to the front door. The doc stood there looking down at my quizzically.
“Hello young Mr. Walker, how may I help you today?” I laugh eyeing his wardrobe; the doc is wearing brown shorts up past his knees, and a flowing white shirt.
“I’m looking for Ivy, is she here? I really need to speak with her.” I explain looking passed him into the house. He laughs gesturing me inside; I follow him into the living room, taking a seat on the wooden bench beside the fire place.
“I’ll go and let her know you’re here.” He says walking off through the back sliding glass door, not even two steps away from where I sit. I decide to take a look around while I wait noticing a painting beside the front door. It is of a woman no younger than I am right now, surrounded by colorful flowers and lying on grass. She has a wide smile, full white eyes and auburn hair.
“That must be Ivy’s mother…” She looks just like her and that hair is the exact same.
“Get out of my dad’s house! You aren’t welcome here!” Ivy came in yelling snapping me out of my thoughts. She’s in a fired up mood today I can see. I smile knowing I just need to explain and everything will be fine. I decide to toy with her a bit.
“What the hell? Why not?” I ask watching her pinch her lips together and tighten her hands into fists. Is she planning on hitting me? I smile at the thought of Ivy punching anything, just doesn’t seem possible. And yet, she really does seem unhappy to see me right now.
“Because you let me think you liked me, and then took me to go meet your super old lover! Is she the new sex that you have been having? Because, I think she is carrying bumps on her private area! And is way too old to have a husband like Kyle, even if his creepiness suits her Dement self!” She spat the last words like they were poison.
“Whoa! Hey no! It’s so not like that, please calm down Ivy.” I say quickly to defend my self-dignity against her horrifying allegations. “Come on give me some credit! Plus, I would never sleep with a woman I call my aunt!”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! OH!” She took a step towards me tripping over the stair in front of her. I reach out barely catching her by her arms and pull her into my chest. I squeeze her against it tightly; pressing her face hard into my chest stifling her profanities. Her measly grip is clutched against my shoulders and I can feel her put all her strength in trying to push away. Deciding to let her go I wait making sure she is calm before I speak.
“Thank you!” She yells pushing herself away from my tight grip. Her chest is rising and falling rapidly and she looks flushed, her face begins to relax and I can see the tension in her tiny body slowly dissipate.
“Okay, now may I tell you why I’m here?” I ask watching her face for any inkling of anger still left.
Her face snaps into a scowl but she gestures to continue, “Corva told me to tell you that she apologizes and that she let her jealousy get the best of her.” I say
“And kyle?” she asks with her eyebrow raised and her arms folded over chest.
“What about him?” I ask sidetracked by her the way she’s maneuvering her hips to find a comfortable way to stand. She’s uncomfortable I can tell but she’s being stubborn and is making it a point to try to be sexy and sassy. I can’t say it’s completely working for her but it definitely has my attention span at a halt.
“Wow, you’re truly oblivious aren’t you?” She says taking her arms from her chest and repositioning them to her hips. Oblivious? Shit I’m anything but oblivious.
“Kyle is a creep but he’s harmless.” I say still staring at her hips. Harmless after I’m done with him. Speaking of Kyle reminds me that I need to have a long drawn out talk with him about eye fucking my woman and I swear if he ever pulls that shit again he’s as good as dead. I smile at her to reassure her that I’m telling the truth. The tension has completely left her body and she has settled into her normal relaxed stance. She ponders on a thought for a while and I know it’s detrimental to her peace of mind just by the way she’s chewing on her bottom lip and fidgeting with her fingers.
“I guess you’re forgiven.” She says in a low whisper like tone. She looks away from me, hiding that blush, that fucking blush that drives me crazy, and her embarrassment. I grab her chin and pull it to face me and I look straight into her pure white ghostly eyes that for some reason have me held there, even though they are the same as anyone of the Pure Eyes, I find peace in them. Knowing I shouldn’t, I pulled her chin up to meet her lips with mine; she resisted for a moment then gave in. That’s right; you can’t resist me just like you couldn’t stay mad at me. I forcefully parted her lips with my tongue; I want more of her, I want to taste more.
She bit down hard on my tongue and I reflexively pushed her back from me, “What the hell was that?” I ask tasting the blood fill in my mouth. She laughs lightly as she straightens her shirt, “You’re a bit forward.” She says.
So? What’s wrong with that? Whatever, you liked it. “My bad, I’ll be sure to behave from now on.” I say low and husky and seeing her blush from my response. Oh she fucking loved it, regardless what she thinks I know she did. “I think we should get to know each other a little better before that happens again.” She says still blushing. It’s a simple request and to be honest, I want to know her, why not?
“Sure, you start.” I say. She immediately starts talking about her father, grabbing my hand and leading me out of a sliding glass door and into a sea of carved wood creatures. She smiles picking up one of the many jack rabbits and runs her hand across the smooth wood. “He loves craving all of these beautiful creatures. His boyfriend likes to paint them with him.”
“Wait! Wait! What? Boyfriend?” I ask incomprehensively .
“Yeah that’s what I said. My father has a boyfriend, who is a true sweet heart.” She states sounding like a matter of fact. I watch as she begins to smile up at me.
“They didn’t get together until years after my mother’s death. Tyler, my dad’s boyfriend, is and was the only thing to make him smile again. I’d missed him being happy so much so that I welcomed Tyler instantly.”
“That’s cool; it was just unsuspected and caught me off guard. It doesn’t bother me, if that’s what you want to know.” I say. I have never been around a man who likes other men, but I also haven’t given it much thought. At all. I like the doc and have always gotten along with him fine, so why would that all change because of him being with another man? It won’t.
“That’s good to know, most people already know they are together, including your father. Tyler is head of the food trade-offs with the Dements. My father usually helps him and the other Pure Eyes with the trades every Sunday.” She says stepping closer to me placing her hand on my cheek.
“How about you stay here for dinner and meet him? I’m sure father will be fine with it.” She asks quickly removing her hand off my face, and the ghost of her touch lingering with an icy chill.
I have to take a minute registering everything she had just told me about my father and her father. The curiosity that I once had about her mother’s death came tumbling back. I now want to know once again what had happened to her. “Yeah sure dinner sounds great, I’m starving.” I say as my mouth begins to salivate. I glance down as my stomach begins to rumble. I didn’t notice how hungry I was until right now.
“So that picture by the front door… is that your mother?” I ask curiously. I want to know something about her, well more like about her death and I have no idea why. I just don’t like seeing Ivy upset I guess? I shrug to myself shaking my head to try and clear the thought. I watch as her cheeks turn into a deep scarlet and she lets out a small laugh.
“Yes, it is. She was beautiful wasn’t she?” she replies in a small voice I could barely hear her.
“What happened to her?” I ask.
I wait for her to reply watching her eminently. Her eyes are filling up with liquid and her cheeks are turning a deep red. She moves closer to me for a second then sits down on a little wooden bench waving me down next to her. I sit and reaching my hand out to take hers.
“She was murdered by a Dement man after building the rest of her arts room here at the house. She was walking back to meet my father in the garden outside of the hospital, waiting for him, the Dement grabbed her and slit her throat. We never have figured out why… we never could figure out who he was. My father ran out to her and held her until she choked on her last breath.”
“We sent a search party out for the man, only nothing ever came up again. My father wanted to stay here with all of her things and keep a piece of her alive with us. This house is my mother and he will never leave it.”
I absorb all of this information making it a note in my mind to not bring it up ever again. I got what I wanted to know and that was all I needed. I squeeze her hand tightly before releasing it and standing up. I look down noticing her staring up at me with clear liquid still falling from her eyes. My stomach knots up and my heart tugs in a painful way.
Okay it’s time to get passed this and cheer us both up again. What to do? What to do? I look around trying to find a change of subject and see the doc standing in the door way staring down at us. How long has he been standing there? What all has he heard?
“Lucius, you’re welcome to stay for dinner if you’d like?” He says quirking his grey eyebrow up in question.
“Yeah dinner sounds great; Ivy and I were just talking about that.” I say looking back down at her wiping the liquid completely away. She stands up next to me and smiles brightly in his direction before saying, “We are coming in right now daddy!”
As I take a seat inside their dining room, I notice the table set is carved out of the same wood as all of her father’s carvings. I smell the scent of bread baking; the smell makes my stomach start to whirl of hunger, and my mouth start to salivate again.
“I’m home! That bread smells amazing!”
Ivy is taking a seat next to me, while pushing the bread across the table on little wooden bowls for each of us. Doctor Hunt sat across from me at the head of the table with a smile playing across his face. The empty seat next to him got full in a matter of seconds, as Tyler sat down. He is tall, with an average build, and has curled blond hair that covers most of his forehead. Of course another Pure Eye, it was to be expected. If I was to see him away from the doctor I wouldn’t have assumed he liked other men. How would you know?
“Hello Lucius, I’m Tyler!” He yells welcomingly. I extend my hand to shake his, only to be grabbed by both of his hands pulling mine up and down quickly. I pull mine back quickly being caught off guard. How does he know my name?
“Hello. How do you know my name?” I ask smiling awkwardly. He lifts his head nodding off towards Ivy with a smile.
I glance over to Ivy watching her stuff a piece of bread into her mouth. She lightly blushes catching my stare. It’s nice to see she’s not such a twig after all, she’s scarfing that thing down. I sure do love a woman that can eat. There’s something about the way her mouth wraps around-‘
“You must be pretty happy to have a girl who can eat like that! I know I would be!” Tyler yells interrupting my thoughts. I bite my lip looking over at him feeling a little guilty with the way my thoughts were heading and smile.
“How do you stay so skinny?” He asks her looking at her up and down shaking his head left and right.
“Don’t be mad because I know how to eat!” She yells at Tyler obviously teasing, and smiles over at me with her blush becoming deeper.
“I’m not his girl.” Ivy says with laugh.
“Not yet. But I’ll get you.” I say not being able to help my smile.
“Ha, look at you two having a lovers spat already! How adorable!” Tyler chimes clapping his hands together. I watch as he leans into Mr. Hunt giving him a kiss on the cheek. The doc’s cheeks lite up like a familiar fire and his smile is the largest I’ve seen yet.
“We aren’t lovers.” I say crossing my arms.
I’m not embarrassed. I’m not. I’m not at all. Dammit, I see where Ivy gets that from now.
“Not yet.” Ivy retorts sticking her tongue out at me.
I’m going to bite that fucking thing if she does that again. What a pain in the ass. I arch my eyebrow as a sign of ‘I get the fucking point’ now let’s change the conversation.
“So how long have you two been together?” I ask Tyler directing my attention at him to look away from Ivy gnawing on her bottom lip.
“Since Ivy was fourteen years old, we had met doing the trades with The Dements, mainly vegetables and those sorts of things. He walked up to me and I knew he was the one I’d been waiting for, something about the way his cheeks turned a bright red caught my attention.” He replies eyeing the doc with a cheesy grin.
“That’s nice.” I reply looking over to Ivy who has a guilty look on her face. Her cheeks are bright red and her eyes are wide. I think? What’s that about? I turn my head slightly to the side watching her from the corner of my eyes. She places her pointer fingers to both sides of her mouth pulling on them. Her tongue flies out and she scrunches her nose at me.
She’s making faces at me? What the hell? How old are we?
“Really?” I ask scowling her and quirking my eyebrow up, and then turning to glance outside seeing it’s gotten very dark. Thankfully dad has mom in bed for the rest of the night, but still it’d probably be better to hit the road now before the trails are too hard to see.
“It’s time for me to go home, thank you so much for dinner Mr. Hunt. It was really nice to meet you, Tyler. I hope to be seeing you around sometime.” I stand up looking down at Ivy not completely ready to say goodbye to her yet.
“You want to walk me out?” I ask her hopeful.
“Yes, I will, I actually have to be getting home as well.” She stands up quickly shaking her flower filled dress free of crumbs.
We say our goodbyes once again to her fathers’ and walk out of the front door. I move closer to her grabbing her waist and pull her close to me. After hearing what happened to her mother I don’t want her walking home alone at this time. Hmm… Or ever again, for that matter by herself. I’m going to start picking her up after her hospital shifts.
“I’m going to walk you home. And start walking you home after you’re done at the hospital.” I state gripping her hand.
“You don’t have to do that. You have to get home to your mother. And I’m a big girl I can handle myself.” She says pulling it away and backing up.
“I actually don’t have to. My father has her and I’ll feel a lot better if I can make sure you get home safely every night from now on.” I say taking her hand once again.
“You’re not going to give up on this are you?” She asks sighing smacking her free palm against her forehead.
“Nope.” I reply smiling triumphantly because I know, I have won this.
A/N: Hey guys very hard time with this one!
I had to put it on hold because my son got very sick, I started it back up and had distractions, annoyances and everything thing else in the way of finishing this. So it is most likely choppy and so and so. I still need feed back so please let me know what you're thoughts are on this chapter in general & about Tyler's character!!!!