"Your body fits mine perfectly, as if God had moulded it just for me..."
– Nautica
❀❀❀
~ D O R O T H Y ~
March 1998
The door bell rings and I open the front door. A middle-aged delivery man stands in front of me, carrying a large bouquet of various flowers.
"Miss Sherman?" he inquires.
"That's me."
"These flowers are from Mr. Reece Walker," he informs, handing me the bouquet.
"Thank you," I say, smiling.
"Have a good day."
"You too."
I shut the door, shaking my head, amused, yet baffled, by how Reece always successfully manages to order fresh flowers for me just when the previous ones begin to wilt.
I head to the kitchen, where mother is washing dishes.
"More flowers from Reece?" mother asks with a smile, watching me admire the bouquet.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?" I say.
"They certainly are. He has good taste, and I'm not just talking about the flowers," she says, shooting me a pointed look.
I roll my eyes at her implication, placing the bouquet on the kitchen counter.
"The lasagna should be ready in half an hour. Would you like to invite Reece over for dinner?" she asks. "It would be nice to have dinner with someone."
She and Linda are attending a musical theatre tonight, with the other members of their Book Club. They most probably will stay out till very late.
"He's busy tonight. He has some errands to run," I reply, to which she nods in understanding.
My thoughts drift to Dave. I have a feeling that Reece is meeting him tonight. Even though it has been a month since Reece returned from Paris, he has not revealed his secret yet. Honestly, I have no idea how I managed to be so patient for so long, but I guess the fact that his secret has the potential to harm our relationship helps me with that.
I mean, I'd rather we drag on this beautiful, little world that we created than to have it crash and burn to ashes.
"He is good for you, isn't he?" mother says, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Better than good," I say, to which she smiles widely.
"I've seen the way he looks at you," she says.
"And how does he look at me?"
"Like he never wants to look away."
***
"The flowers are beautiful," I say on the phone, sitting on a sofa in the living room.
Mother has just left with Linda, leaving me alone in the house.
"Surely not as beautiful as you," Reece says.
"Ah, stop," I say, feeling giddy.
His way with words – how he manages to come up with witty replies that can make my heart flutter – never ceases to amaze me.
"Never," he says, making me smile.
"So when will you come back?" I ask.
"In about an hour's time."
"Have you eaten anything?"
"No."
"Mum made lasagna. Maybe you and I can eat that when you come back."
"Yes. I can't wait."
Me neither, but I do not tell him that.
"I'll see you later then," I say.
"Alright, my little moon."
The call disconnects and I go to my room to study. But when about forty-five minutes pass, the loudest ever boom erupts in the air, startling me. I shoot up from my seat and dash to the window. I have been so immersed in my studies that I did not realise that it has been pouring outside.
A flash strikes the sky and, a few seconds later, another boom hits my ears.
But only one thing crosses my mind.
Or rather, person.
Reece.
I bolt to the living room and call Reece.
He doesn't pick up, which worries me because he always picks up my calls, no matter when I call him.
I dial again with a shaky hand and wait.
Still no answer.
Praying desperately for his well-being, I call again one more time.
Again, no answer.
Slamming the phone down, I head outside, not caring that I forgot to fetch an umbrella, not caring that I'm only wearing pyjamas and slippers, not caring that the freezing cold weather prickles my exposed skin.
I can barely make out the view in front of me, given that it is raining heavily, but I manage to run down the street without tripping over or bumping into anything, with my mind plagued by the horrible possibilities of what Reece is going through.
As I leave the neighbourhood, making my way to Dave's club, I immediately halt when I notice the front lights of a stationary car from a distance, parked just on the outskirt of the forest where Reece and I used to play a lot in when we were kids.
Frowning, I head to the car warily, but when I approach it close enough, I immediately recognise it as Reece's car. In an instant, I open the front door and spot Reece sitting on the driver's seat opposite to me, with his eyes shut tight and his head resting against the stirring wheel. His breathes are ragged and his body trembles violently. Drops of sweat cling onto his pale face.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's ok," I say in a quivering tone, entering his car and slamming the door shut behind me, relieved that I managed to find him without much difficulty.
When I cup his face, his eyes slowly open and land on me, watching me in a daze-like manner.
"Dorothy," he says hoarsely. "You f-found me."
"I will always find you, Reece," I say firmly.
Though, I do find it a bit odd that he is saying the exact same thing as the last time he had this episode.
No, now is not the time to speculate.
Pushing the thought out of my mind, I help him sit back against his seat. Then, I proceed to recline his seat back before I climb on top of him, straddling him on his lap. In an instant, he wraps his arms around my waist, clinging onto me as if he would fall into an endless void if he were to let me go.
"T-Thank you for finding m-m–"
Another boom hits our ears, compelling him to tighten his grip on me. I envelop my arms around his neck and pull his face towards my right shoulder.
"I'm here. I'm here. I'm here," I whisper into his ear, gently stroking the back of his head.
He sobs into my shoulder and my heart breaks to witness him like this – so broken, so vulnerable, so desperate.
"I'm scared," he says loudly. "S-So scared."
"Don't be," I tell him. "I'm here. I'm always here. No matter what."
Then, I hum a tune. As I do so, ever so slowly, his body and breathing rate stabilise. About fifteen minutes later, when the heavy rain morphs into a mere drizzle, I notice that he has fallen asleep. Untangling myself from his arms, I gently pull myself away from him and sit on the seat next to his.
When I look at his face, I notice how wet it is. So, I open the glove compartment, hoping to find tissues or anything that can be used to dry his face. Instead, I find something... odd. I pick up what seems to be a black face mask made of fabric.
Why would Reece own a face mask?
Is it for medical reasons? But as far as I know, Reece does not have any. Unless he's hiding it from me, which seems unlikely.
What other reasons could there be to explain why he has it?
Wait...
What if...
Did Reece perhaps lie to me, and is actually dealing drugs, as Harris said? I know that we closed that chapter ages ago, but why does he possess something that has the capability of hiding his identity – and one most likely hides one's identity if they are doing something suspicious.
I turn my head to look at the sleeping Reece, feeling a bit hurt. And it's not because he may be doing something that isn't good. I'm hurt because he is not being honest with me. He assured me that he is not doing anything illegal, yet he...
No. I trust him. I really do. But I'd rather know than to be left in the dark.
I need to know the truth. His truth.
Reece stirs in his sleep, and I take this opportunity to hurriedly put the mask back in the compartment and act as if I have never seen it. Slowly, he flutters his eyes open, sighing. When he looks at me, he frowns in confusion before realisation hits him.
"Dorothy–"
"Why do you react like that to thunder?" I ask him, ensuring that I do not let the slightest hint of what I'm actually feeling seep into my facial expression.
"...It's bad enough that I worried you and got you drenched from the rain–"
"You have to tell me, Reece," I say, adamant. "We promised to be open and honest to each other. I need to know."
I then hold onto his hand in an attempt to encourage him and look into his tired eyes.
"It's you and me together forever," I say. "Through the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. No matter what, I won't let you go. Ever."
There is silence, during which he ponders over what he should do. Pursing his lips, he finally nods slowly. I then send him a small, reassuring smile, stroking the back of his hand with my thumb.
"I was five when I went missing for three days," he begins. "I was with him, following him from behind. We were at some dodgy area – he couldn't fight the urge to gamble, even though he was supposed to babysit me. It was crowded, so people kept on bumping into me. Anyway, I lost him and I was terrified. I hid behind the bins in an alleyway for three days straight, with no food or water, just waiting for someone – anyone – to find me. I witnessed things which a five-year-old shouldn't witness. Drug distribution. Gang fights. Rape... I didn't understand much of it at the time, but I knew that it was wrong, and as I got older, I understood it better and... I'd feel worse."
I don't realise that I'm crying until a drop of tear drips onto my hand, which sits on my lap. Of course, I'd cry. To think that he went through such a horrifying experience at such a young age...
There are just no words to describe how awful that is.
Noticing the tears, Reece wipes them away with the palm of his hand.
"I can stop–"
"Don't you dare," I quickly snap.
He sends me a weak smile before he continues.
"It happened to rain," he continues. "A lot. With thunder booming at every corner. So whenever I hear a thunder, I'd be reminded of all of that. I've tried so hard to overcome it – even tried different therapies – but my mind still manages to suck my consciousness to that time. In my head, I'm still that five-year-old kid waiting to be found and rescued."
That explains why he would always thank me for 'finding' him.
Oh gosh... To think that every time I saw him traumatised during a storm when we were kids, he was re-living a horrible memory. He was so young. He shouldn't be dealing with it. Even to this day, he shouldn't have to put up with it.
I lean close to him and embrace him.
"Thank you for telling me," I whisper into his ear, sniffing. "You are the bravest person I know."
He returns my hug, burying his face into my wet hair. As he does so, another realisation hits him.
"You're wet!" he says, letting me go.
"I am," I say.
"It's freezing, Dorothy. You'll catch a cold–"
"It's honestly ok–"
"I'm driving us to my place."
"Fine, fine."
When we enter his house, he holds onto my hand and pulls me with him to his room. Once inside, he lets go and rummages through his cupboard for clothes and a towel before he hands them to me.
"Wear this. You can dry yourself in the bathroom," he orders.
"Yes, sir," I say jokingly, earning a peck from him on the forehead.
Once I get out of the bathroom, wearing his loose grey trousers and his baggy hoodie over his black shirt, I go to his room, where Reece is lying down on his stomach on the bed. He wears different clothes.
Grinning, I walk towards him and flop onto his back, making him emit an oomph sound.
"Welcome back," he says.
I roll off of him until I am lying down next to him, staring at his handsome face. He shifts his body until he faces me, his brown eyes looking at my own.
"Our mums apparently decided to go for drinks with their friends at a hotel," he informs.
"They really are living the life, aren't they?" I say, amused.
"Well, with what they have been through, they deserve to finally enjoy their life."
"I agree."
Then he drapes his arm over my waist and pulls me close to him.
"They won't be back until tomorrow afternoon," he murmurs. "So you can sleep by my side tonight."
My smile grows when he pecks my lips. I play with a few strands of his hair, twirling them with my fingers.
"You are so good to me" I say.
"Well," he begins, clearing his throat. "I love you and you deserve the best. I can't bear to see you with anybody else, so I have no choice but to try to become the best for you."
"It's unbelievable how just a few months ago, I thought of you as the worst person ever. Now, you mean the world to me. I had no idea that your soul is as beautiful as I remembered it to be – or maybe more. I had no idea that I could love someone as much as I love you, Reece."
His eyes then exude affection, admiration and awe.
"You know," he begins. "Sometimes I feel like I live for you. And I'm afraid..."
"What are you afraid of?" I ask, frowning at how his expression morphs into a serious one.
"I'm afraid that if I showed you how much I truly want you – how much I need you – you'd run away."
"Why would I run away?"
"I am addicted to you, Dorothy. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think of before I sleep. And during the day... If I had a rose for every time I thought of you in a day, I could walk in a field of roses forever."
"Reece–"
"I don't want to freak you out–"
"Reece, if you just listen to me–"
"I don't want you to leave me–"
Immediately, I sit up, climb on top of him until I straddle him and cup his face with my two hands, leaning my face close to his so that he can clearly see how serious I am.
"I am not going to freak out!" I tell him. "And I am never going to leave you, Reece. It would be a sin for me to leave you."
He watches me in silence, processing my words.
"And I am no sinner," I continue, distracted by our proximity.
At my words, Reece, too, is in a daze. The tips of our noses touch and, before we know it, our lips meet. Just when our kiss deepens, Reece shifts our positions, with him hovering over me. He leaves a trail of soft kisses from the corner of my lips to the crook of my neck, making me want him.
My hands itch to touch him so, subconsciously, I give into their desire. I grab onto his hips before I slide my hands underneath his shirt, where I feel his warm and firm skin.
A strange notion, however, crosses my mind – or rather, a curiosity.
I wonder how his bare skin would feel against mine.
Feeling heat creep onto my cheeks, I am strangely not too embarrassed or afraid by such a thought. But then again, I guess when it involves Reece, everything feels unusually right and unusually natural.
Suddenly, Reece pulls away from me, making me confused.
"What's wrong?" I ask, breathless.
"That is enough for now" he replies, flopping onto the space next to me, where I was lying down initially.
"Huh?"
"This is all new for you," he says. "I don't want you to get overwhelmed–"
"I won't get overwhelmed. I liked it. I loved it."
"It's too soon for you. For us."
"What do you mean? We always kiss–"
"Yes but if we continue for another second... I won't be able to stop."
"Stop...?"
He gives me a look, and that look says it all.
"Oh..." I say, with wide eyes.
"Get it now?"
I nod, to which he chuckles.
"Stop laughing at me," I say, pouting like a child.
"You are so adorable," he says, draping his arm across my waist. "So innocent."
"Hey, I can be not so adorable and innocent, you know."
"Of course," he says.
"I'm serious."
"Sure."
Wow, he underestimates me.
Well, I'll show him.
"You know..." I say in a serious tone, capturing his attention. "I've been thinking about it lately and I realise that I want you, Reece."
He frowns.
"You already do have me," he says.
"Not the way I want you, Reece. I want more," I say, hoping that he catches on.
"More?" he asks with widened eyes, to which I nod.
Taken aback, he tightens his grip on me.
"I suggest you stop speaking like that, my little moon, or else I will lose control and–"
"I'd like that."
Then silence falls on us, during which his eyes darken and watch me with more intensity. To be honest, I've never seen them so focused and... intimidating before. But underneath his seemingly predatory facade, I can tell that he is conflicted – confused even!
I try my best to not burst into laughter. Seeing him on the verge of losing his composure heavily amuses me. I mean, it shows that I have the upper hand and that he is my victim.
I am loving it.
"Maybe sleeping on the same bed tonight is not a good idea," he finally says, making me laugh.
"I'm just teasing you," I say.
"Oh, thank God," he says, closing his eyes. "I was seriously thinking of carrying you back to your room and confiscating my house key from you."
When he reopens his eyes, he smiles.
"Now I can cuddle you," he says sweetly, to which I shake my head.
"No cuddles for you," I say, shifting my body so that my back faces him.
"You know, it's rather offensive to Mother Nature how it's a perfect cuddle weather and we're not cuddling together–"
"Why do you have a single rose?" I ask, interrupting him.
I just realised that Reece has a small vase on his bedside table and there is a single rose in it.
"It looks lonely," I continue.
"It's from the bouquet I sent you," he replies.
I shift my body again until I face him.
"...Why do you have it?" I ask, frowning.
"I always have one taken one out."
"...Why?" I ask, even more confused.
"So that when it wilts, I'd know your flowers are too and I can order you fresh ones."
Oh...
My...
Gosh...
He is the most beautiful and adorable human being I know of. My heart is so full of love for him that I'm afraid that it can burst any second. I guess, in a way, Reece is my reward for all the hardships I had to endure. Just being able to be with him, to love him and be loved by him makes it easy for me to overlook my past.
At his reply, I pull him closer to me and cuddle him.
***
Gasps are emitted from every corner of Hampton's Theatre, as William walks in with a pair of crutches. His right leg is heavily bandaged. Rachel is the first to bolt towards him, pale and wide-eyed.
"Your leg! Oh, your beautiful leg!" she cries, dropping to the floor to clutch onto William's injured leg as if she were clutching onto her very own life.
I mean, of course she would.
The play is currently her life.
And William is a big part of the play – heck, in her eyes, he is the play.
And now that William is down... So is the play – so is her life.
As she continues to wail, Jenny and I share a sorrowful look. The play is in a week's time. William has the male lead role. A lot of dancing is involved, and, for William, it's impossible to do that now, thanks to his leg.
Someone elbows my arm. I turn my head and spot Nolan standing right next to me. Odd, when did he approach me?
"Dorothy," he whispers into my ear. "Do me a favour."
"What?"
"Break my leg."
I narrow my eyes at him.
"You're joking, right?"
"No. Now quick, break my leg."
"I am not breaking your leg."
"Pleeeeease," he says, pouting.
"No."
"But William is getting all of her attention–"
"Oh my gosh, I think I have an idea!" I exclaim, wide-eyed.
"Oh oh oh, what is it? Do you think it's better to break my arm instead too? Because I can still play the piano with a broken leg–"
"You better not break any limb of yours, Nolan. Now, will you please excuse me," I say, dashing out of the room before Jenny has the chance to question me.
I sprint down the corridor, eyeing everyone, until my eyes land on Reece, who is standing in front of his locker.
"Reece!" I yell out, panting.
He turns around and watches me worriedly, extending his arms out for me to fall into, given that I am running as if my life depends on it. Or maybe I am.
Gosh, Rachel's obsession with the play is rubbing on me.
"What is it? Are you alright?"
"Reece," I whisper.
"Yes?"
"What if you take William's place?"
He blinks, obviously confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"William broke his leg–"
"I saw."
"So, he can't be on the play."
"Ok...?"
"And you've been practicing the lines with me. You practically know most of them."
Then, he nods, finally understanding where I'm going with this.
"Fine," he says. "I'll do it."
"Oh! That's fantastic–"
"On one condition."
"Anything."
He watches me in utter amusement.
"Oh, that's a very confident thing to say. I haven't even told you my condition. You should be careful, Dorothy. It can be anything."
"Whatever it is, I accept."
"Alright," he says, crossing his arms. "I won't tell you about it now. Only when the time is right."
"Fine, fine," I say, not thinking too much of it. "I have to go back and tell everyone that you're now filling in for William."
"Alright. I'll see you later then."
"See you," I say, flashing him the widest smile before I run back to the Theatre.
*~*~*~*~*
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So close to finding out about Reece's secret!!!
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