13. Town #3
Maybe together, with him, the sadness within that tree wouldn’t have such a grasp on me. I grab Ry’s hand, and his eyes widen in surprise. Spinning on my heels, I pull him in my direction, making our way toward the tree that gave me so many emotions this morning.
“I want to show you something,” I whisper behind me. It comes out breathy and full of the same things I saw in his eyes just a minute ago.
It takes five minutes to make our way to the tree, and in the meantime, the moon makes its way up to the center of the sky. I want to see if I feel the same things I did earlier, with Ry giving me added security.
I stop in front of the tree, but those feelings of sadness and heartache are gone. I take a step to get closer. The soft night breeze blows my dark copper curls against my face. I go to move them away from my eyes, but a hand is already there doing it for me.
I slowly look up to meet his candy-hued eyes, and I notice they are darker now. They are a color of the deepest sea green. A darker jade than my name can claim.
At that thought, I step closer to him so that each breath lingers against his chest. His hands wrap around my waist, securing me to him. Want grows deep, building to a crescendo I hope to make it to.
We stand there, caught in the invisible dance before something happens. How did we get here? When did we make the switch from new acquaintances to this—whatever this is? It doesn’t feel as if we were just meeting for the first time. It feels fated.
The breeze comes again, and certain parts of my body respond to the unusual blast of cool air. He must feel it as I notice a pulse from below. We stand like that, both wanting but not moving.
I swear the earth rumbles below us as if the roots of the tree are stirring to life upon the notion of our proximity. I move up on my toes as he moves down to meet my face. His eyes dilate, moving his lips down lower to make this real.
And then it is all feathers and wings between us, followed by an obnoxious caw. Shocked by the commotion, we jump apart. The bird flies by again and toward the oak.
We both look at each other. He looks angry and agitated.
I feel wound up, still hoping for a release I didn’t get.
Twisting my hands, I let out a breath. I can’t believe what we were about to do, and under the hickory it felt so natural, welcoming even.
A story that was destined, but ripped apart before it could be completed.
Somehow, we ease back into the reality of the situation. He turns and starts walking back toward the house.
“We should go,” he says gruffly, his feet already moving toward the house. Annoyed at his change in attitude, I start after him.
“Are you serious?” I question. How is he going to act like what just happened didn’t?
“Yep. No good can come out here. Not when they are watching.” He says still charging ahead toward the house. I huff a noise of disbelief. Who is watching?
I lift the skirt of my dress and bunch it in my hands so I can move forward briskly. With my chin high, so as to make sure he notices, I march toward the house, pushing past him in irritation.
We pass the old oak, and I feel the eyes of the crow as we rush by, as if pleased with itself for causing such a disruption. Making my way to where Ry’s car sits, I keep walking past it. Anger and pride running like thick syrup through my veins.
“You can see your way out.” My voice holding a bitter note of disgust.
The echo of the car door and the headlights hit harshly at my back.
A sure highlight of my current ‘don’t give a shit’ state of mind.
I don’t dare look behind me, afraid my face will give away what I’m really feeling.
I’m embarrassed I let myself feel anything, only for him to toss it aside like nothing.
Ry’s car is now well down the drive as I shut the front door behind me, and lock it.
I slide down the back of it, a deep frown woven into my face and my heart.
That was not how I saw the night going. Not in the least. But, it’s safe to say that perhaps Ry and I will be doing business strictly by the phone from now on.
Carya walks between my outstretched legs and then nudges my hand. She has always been my creature of comfort, knowing when I need her to stir my splintered heart back to a content rhythm.
For a minute, I had let my ideas of romantic idealism get away from me. It was easy to do when that man looked the way he did at me, but it stirred the hopeless romantic in me a little too much. It will not happen again, even if deep down I hope it will.
A hint of the heartbreak I felt before at the hickory nudges its way through. A single tear falls down my cheek, my eyes closing at its appearance. Look at me, letting a man I’ve known not even a month affect me this way. Silly girl, you should know better.
Making my way up the stairs to the bed, I strip off my dress and throw on one of my old band t-shirts, half-heartedly wash my face, brush my teeth and all but fall into bed. I never want to be reminded of tonight, and I don’t care if I ever see Ry again.
With that lie, I close my eyes and let my body do its best to numb my mind to sleep.