CHAPTER 21!!!!!
*Will’s POV*
Ever since our fight, Katie-Anne acted differently. She would shy away from me and she slept in the other room now. I had tried to talk to her numerous times, but we never had enough time alone for us to talk. Finally, I thought of a plan.
“Katie-Anne?”
“Hmm?” she answered, not even looking up from her book.
“We are going to go for a ride. We need to talk, and we are NEVER alone. Let’s go.” I didn’t even bother asking because anymore, she wouldn’t listen to me, and frankly, it pissed me off.
She looked up from her book, a shocked expression on her face, but she still avoided eye contact.
“Okay.” she said quietly.
We walked to the barn in silence, saddled up, and started to ride. We continued to be silent until we got to the field I wanted to stop at.
We dismounted, and tied the horses up. I sat down under a big tree, waiting for Katie-Anne to join me. She eventually sat down a couple of feet away from me. I frowned.
Why the hell does she keep doing this?!
Suddenly, she broke the silence.
“Are you mad at me?” her quiet voice startling me.
I thought about my answer before I responded.
“No, I’m not mad at you...” I trailed off.
“BUT...?” Katie-Anne urged.
“BUT I am irritated with you.”
She didn’t say anything, she just nodded.
“Why don’t you talk to me anymore?” I asked her. “We used to spend hours laughing together about everything, and now we barely even look at each other.
Once again, no answer.
I groaned in frustration and got up. I started to walk toward the wooded area across the field. I was so frustrated, and I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I needed to do SOMETHING.
Suddenly, a soft hand touched my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
“Will?” her voice quivered.
I sighed and turned around, avoiding her eyes.
“Yeah.” I answered, looking around.
“I know I don’t deserve to ask this, but will you please look at me?”
I took a deep breath, and looked into her eyes. They were glistening with some sort of sadness.
“I’m sorry.” she whispered, placing her hands on my chest.
I automatically wrapped my arms around her, and pulled her into a hug.
“I know I’ve been weird lately, but I’ve just been trying to think of a way to stay together.”
“I have been too, but I’m too worried about you to get any planning done.”
I felt her chuckle once.
“I’m not kidding. When you act weird like this, it worries me.”
“I know, I know. So how do you suggest we fix this?” she asked wrapping her arms around my waist.
“Well, how about you sleep with me tonight?”
“Well, William! Just what kind of a girl do you think I am???” she joked.
I smiled. The real Katie-Anne was back.
“Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?” I winked at her.
She laughed for the first time in nearly two weeks.
“C’mon, hot shot. Let’s go before my parents think we’re doing something we shouldn’t be doing.” she started to walk away, but I scooped her up in my arms, making her giggle.
“Maybe we COULD do something we shouldn’t.” I winked at her, and kissed her.
“William, you sex-driven pervert! Take me back home now!” she giggled.
“Whoah, whoah, WHOAH! I never said anything about sex. I was thinking about spray painting a cop’s car! But since you offered....”
“WILL!!!!!” she slapped my chest.
I smiled and laughed, glad that my Katie-Anne was back.
“WHAT?!? You brought it up!!!” I said, raising my hands in mock surrender.
“Hmmm.... you’re right I did. Alrighty then. Let’s do it!” she said.
My smile vanished immediately. “What?”
“You heard me. Now come here, William.” she said seductively.
I started to get nervous.
What the hell?!?!?! Is she SERIOUS?!?!?!
“Uh...Katie-Anne....I...uh..”
She was walking towards me slowly, swaying her hips and biting her lower lip softly.
Dammit, Will CONCENTRATE!!!!! Don’t lose your focus. Be cool, man!
“I...uh...don’t think that...uh..”
She placed her hands on my chest and then gripped my shirt.
I lost all focus. I leaned in and closed my eyes, but the kiss never came. Instead, she whispered in my ear.
“I win.” and with that, she started to run in the opposite direction.
“You little tease!” I laughed, running after her.
I chased her around the field for a good fifteen minutes before I finally caught her around the waist. Laughing, we rolled on the ground until she was on top of me.
“Damn, girl! You’re fast!” I breathed.
She smiled, and kissed me.
“C’mon, pretty boy. We need to get home.”
I got up and swooped Katie-Anne into my arms.
“I can’t let my girl die of exhaustion and make her walk the whole way.”
She giggled. “At least let me ride piggy back. I wanna see were we are going.”
“No problem.” I replied, swinging her onto my back.
We got to the horses, and started our ride home. We talked and laughed and joked and had a great time.
I sat back on the saddle and thought to myself:
Thank God she’s happy again. I just hope she doesn’t get all sad and depressed again.
*Katie-Anne’s POV One Week Later*
It’s been a week since Will and my fight. I had been fighting the creeping depression for the past week, just trying to stay happy for Will. But today, all bets are off. I’m going back home tomorrow. I had spent all day yesterday with Molly and Jack, and today, I was staying with Will. My parents had gone to stay at Mason’s to give us the whole day to ourselves. Which I suppose it was a sweet gesture, but Mom made things awkward when she gave me a box of condoms and said ‘just in case.’
I shuddered just thinking about it.
“Katie-Anne? Are you awake?” Will poked his head in my door.
“Yeah, I’m awake.”
He crossed my room and laid down beside me. I rolled over to look into his eyes. I sighed.
“Tomorrow....” I whispered.
Will pulled me close. “Yeah, I know. But we will work everything out. I promise.”
I nodded and willed the tears away from my eyes. I would not cry. I would enjoy my last day with Will, and prepare for the struggles ahead.
“Katie-Anne?”
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. “Yes?”
“I know this is random and a really stupid thing to ask, but will you take these with you and wear them?” Will removed the dog tags he always wore with his name on them. His mom had had them made for him before she had died, and he never went anywhere without them.
I gasped. “I-I can’t take your dog tags, Will. Your mom-”
“-Would have loved you, and would be proud for you to wear them.” he interrupted.
He unhooked the chain and motioned for me to turn around. I spun around slowly, and picked up my hair.
“There. Now, I know that you’ll have something of mine, and I hope you wear them often.”
I had no clue what to say. He was giving me his PRIZED possession that was given to him by his mother. His freaking DEAD mother.
“Will, I....I don’t know what to say. I feel so badly taking these from you.”
“You aren’t taking them. I’m giving them to you. And don’t worry about it. I know you’ll take care of them.”
“I will.”
And with that, he kissed me. It was the most passionate kiss we had ever had, but it wasn’t raunchy. It was sort of a bittersweet kiss. It was like we knew what was ending, but we also knew we would get through the distance.
Will pulled away and grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers.
“Come on, I want to show you something.”
I followed him to his truck.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I want you to meet someone before tomorrow.”
I didn’t ask anymore questions. I got in the truck, buckled up, and went along for the ride....the silent ride. We pulled up to a small, black-iron gate. Will turned off the car and got out, so I climbed out as well. He took my hand and led me through the little gate.
There was a little pathway that lead to a giant oak tree that shaded most of the gated area. At the base of the tree were eight words that chilled my to the bone.
Charlotte Willow Tucker
Loving Mother, Wife, and Friend.
I stopped, my hand flying to my mouth with my gasp. Will let go of my hand and sat right in front of the headstone. My heart thudded erratically. My breathing became rattly. I slowly sat down next to Will, staring at the tiny grave.
Will turned to me, a slight smile one his lips, but sadness brooding in his eyes.
“This is my mother.”
A few tears escaped my eyes, but I made no move to clear them. Instead, I crawled over to the white headstone. I placed a hand on her gravestone and said a prayer, my tears still falling.
I sat back on my heels, my eyes still not leaving the grave. Will came and sat next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.
“She would have loved you.” he said.
“If she was anything like you, then I would have loved her.” I answered back.
Just then, a gorgeous blue butterfly appeared from the flowers on the grave and flew over to us. It flew around us a couple of times and then disappeared.
Will chuckled. “Mom always did have perfect timing.”
“What?”
“Every time I visit Mom, that blue butterfly appears. It’s the same one, I know because it has 2 black stripes and one white spot on its wings. I’ve tried to look online for the butterfly, but I got nothing.”
I smiled. “Your mom’s trying to tell you that she knows you visit her.”
He smiled back. “I know. And she must think you’re special because she never comes out when anyone else is here. Just me.”
With that, a slight breeze blew, bringing the smell of warm vanilla and cinnamon. I closed my eyes, breathing it in.
“There she is again.” I said, smiling.
“Yeah, but how did you know?”
I thought about that for a while. How did I know?
“I don’t know. I just kind of knew.”
We sat there in comfortable silence for about another ten minutes before Will started to get up.
“Come on. We have a lot more to do before you leave.” he said.
I kissed my hand and placed it on the headstone.
“Thank you for looking out for him.” I whispered so only I could hear.
At that point, I swear I heard a faint, womanish giggle.
Smiling, I got up and walked hand-in-hand with Will back to the truck.
“She loves you.” Will said.
“How do you know?”
“I asked her while you were saying goodbye to her. She only laughs when she is extremely happy.”
“You heard her?” I asked, shocked.
“Always do.” he smiled.
With that, we drove back home. We were both happy, but we could not help the feeling that we were going to be apart. We had decided that we HAD to make this work, and nothing was going to come between us (cliché, but whatever).
“Hey, Katie-Anne?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
I smiled because I knew it was true. “Will?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you too.”
End Of Story
A/N: BAHHHHHHHHH I’M SO SORRY!!!!!!!!! I AM THE WORST AUTHOR EVER!!!! But thanks for reading anyway! :)) There MIGHT be a sequel, but not for a LONG time. I’m sorry it too so long to finish, and I’m sorry the ending sucks, but whatever! Thanks you all sooooo much for reading!!!! Love you all! XOXOXO