CH 12 - #dejavu
Riley
Song: “Breathe” by Faith Hill
AS I CAME downstairs, I heard Rhys say, “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Martin.” He’d just arrived at my parents’ house.
“It’s so wonderful to see you, Rhys!” my momma told him.
“You, too, ma’am.”
I entered the foyer right after he said that and watched him and my momma hug. My daddy greeted him with a handshake and asked him how he was doing.
“I’m doing well, sir. How about yourself?”
“I’m also doing well. So you’re going to brave taking Riley kayaking?”
Rhys chuckled and then noticed me coming up behind my daddy. “I think she’ll do just fine.”
“She will as long as you’re with her.”
“I don’t plan to leave her side. Hi, Riley,” he said, his eyes still on me.
“Hi.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“I sure am. And Daddy, Momma? Don’t worry,” I said, looking at them. “I’m in good hands.”
They nodded, happiness covering their faces.
Rhys and I kept glancing at each other on our way to his truck parked in the driveway but didn’t say anything. Words weren’t necessary because our smiles said it all. What we were doing felt good, and what we were about to do was exciting as all get-out.
When we reached Black Betty, Rhys opened the passenger-side door for me and I hopped in. Then, just like old times, he put my seatbelt on me. When he was done, he stood up straight and stared at me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“All of this is a déjà vu for me.”
“It is for me, too. Are you okay with it?”
“Yes. What about you?”
“I’m more than okay.”
“Then let’s go have some fun!”
Rhys and I were standing on the shore of the lake by his house. He was completely confident about getting into his kayak, while I wasn’t confident about getting into mine at all. The little watercraft seemed so unstable, and I could already picture myself taking a plunge into the water. If I did, then I did. I was wearing a life vest, and I was also a good swimmer.
“Riley, you can do this,” Rhys assured me.
“I’m going to give it my best shot, but you better not laugh at me if I tip over and go headfirst into the lake.”
“You’re not going do that. You’ve got this.”
“Now you’re being my cheerleader instead of me being yours.”
“That’s right.”
I searched his eyes, so easily getting lost in them. Depending on the light and Rhys’s emotions, they were a palette of shades of blue. Countless times, I’d seen them like they were now, matching the summer sky above us. I’d also seen them turn royal blue. On one occasion, they were indigo and red-rimmed. That happened on the day I ended my relationship with Rhys. I never wanted to see his eyes that dark again or him that hurt.
“We’re wasting daylight, mia bella,” he said, bringing me back to my senses.
“Then let’s go!”
He held my kayak steady, making it a breeze for me to get into. After he jumped into his, we began paddling our way through the water.
“You still haven’t told me where you’re taking me. Don’t you think it’s about time?” I asked.
“It’s to a special place I often go to alone.”
“So you’ve never taken anyone out there with you before?”
“Nope.”
“Why?”
“Because no one’s ever been special enough to me for me to do that. No one except for you.”
I looked over at Rhys, and he gave me his dimpled smile. Then he turned his attention back to the water. About twenty minutes later, I was staring at what looked like an aquatic labyrinth of cypress trees. This was a cove that I’d never seen on the lake until now. This was Rhys’s special place, and I was in awe.
“Unbelievable,” I whispered.
“I thought you’d like it.”
“Like it? I love it.”
Side by side, Rhys and I quietly moved through the water while taking in the scenery surrounding us. The giant trees appeared ancient and otherworldly—each with a spirit of its own. The Spanish moss hanging from their branches only added to their mystique, as did the low hum within this place. I could hear it, and I could feel it, and it had me covered in goosebumps.
“I’ve got to take a picture of this, Rhys,” I said.
“Here, I’ll keep you steady.”
With his hand securely on my kayak, I pulled my cellphone out of my shorts pocket, snapped several pictures, and took a video. I would never forget coming to this incredible place, but I wanted to be able to see it again whenever I missed it. I already knew I would miss it a lot and hoped to return here with Rhys one day.
He and I continued exploring the lily pad-topped water for a good half-hour. During that time, Rhys pointed out different species of birds as we encountered them. The most notable to me were the dove and crow.
I saw numerous doves and heard some crows cawing back and forth, making me grin at their intense conversation. I also grinned when a hummingbird flew up in front of me, hovered inches from my face, and then zipped away. After it had, Rhys said we needed to head back to his house before it got dark.
We were a few yards away from the shore when he hopped out of his kayak with the same ease he’d hopped into it earlier.
“Give me just a sec, Riley, and I’ll help you,” he said, unbuckling his life vest.
“No, I can do it.”
I was starting to get out of my kayak when it began tipping. Then, I plunged sideways into the lake. Within seconds, Rhys grabbed me underneath my arms and helped me stand up as I spit, sputtered, and wiped the water out of my eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine! Just pissed!”
“You should’ve waited for me.”
“I wanted to do it by myself.”
“And look at where it got you.”
I pointed at Rhys. “I see that grin that you’re trying to hide. You better not laugh at me.”
He covered his mouth, but it didn’t stop him from busting out laughing.
“I’ll show you what’s funny,” I said.
I stepped back several yards and swatted the water as hard as possible. It hit Rhys directly in the face, and the battle was on. He and I went back and forth, splashing each other while howling out our combined laughter. By the time we called a truce, Rhys was soaked from head to toe, just like I was.
Then he started running toward me.
I squealed and headed for deeper water as quickly as I could. When I reached it, I dove in and began swimming away from Rhys. I knew it was only a matter of seconds before he caught me, and then I felt him grab my right ankle.
After stopping me, he pulled me back to him, and we laughed again. Like I figured was coming next, Rhys pushed me underwater. I popped right back up and got him. When he resurfaced, we stopped the horseplay and stared at each other while catching our breaths.
“I’ve missed doing stuff like this with you,” he said.
“I’ve missed it, too. We always knew how to have fun.”
He nodded, and I swam over to him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held my body against his as we kept treading water.
“Thank you for everything today,” I whispered in his ear.
“Same to you.”
We embraced each other a little tighter and kept resting our heads together. The setting sun, the sensuality of the water, and feeling Rhys so close to me made me have flashbacks of when he and I were still a couple.
The number of occasions when we did exactly what we were doing now was too many to count. So were the occasions when we had sex in the lake. There was something freeing about it that Rhys and I had always gravitated toward. Or maybe it was the freedom that we found in each other. Either way, it was paradise.
“Are you ready to swim back to the shore?” Rhys asked.
“If you are.”
“I’m not…but we probably should.”
Right then, I knew Rhys was having the same flashbacks about us. They were affecting him like they were still affecting me. Neither of us wanted to let go of each other, but we needed to before we crossed our friendship line. It was now apparent as to how easy it would’ve been.
After Rhys and I got out of the lake, we put his kayaks, paddles, and life vests into his storage building. Then we went inside his house to the kitchen.
“I’m going to grab a towel for you,” he said, thumbing over his shoulder toward the hallway.
“Sounds good. I’m freezing.”
“I figured you were.”
When he returned, he wrapped a large white towel around me.
“Better?” he asked, grinning.
“Much! You must have Viking blood in you because it is so cool inside your house.”
“Sixty-eight degrees all the time.”
I glanced up. “And with ceiling fans on.”
“Yep. Hey, if you don’t mind, I’m about to go shed my wet clothes and put on some dry ones.”
“That’s fine.”
“Make yourself at home.”
As Rhys turned around to go to his bedroom, he pulled off his T-shirt. I caught a glimpse of the trail of dark hair below his navel, as well as his chiseled six-pack abs and muscled chest. Then I got a good look at his back.
I’d always liked seeing Rhys without a shirt because he looked sexy AF. His physique wasn’t the result of him always working out, though. It came from his good genetics plus his high level of physical activity. He rarely stood still.
While he was changing clothes, I checked my cellphone to see if it was history. Thankfully, the waterproof case that it was in had held up. Otherwise, I would’ve been bummed, but mainly because I would’ve lost the pictures and video that I took of Rhys’s special place.
“Are you ready for me to take you home?” he asked, walking back into the kitchen.
He’d put on a white T-shirt, tan cargo shorts, and brown flip-flops but hadn’t done anything to his blond hair. It was still damp and tousled—my preference.
“Yes and no,” I answered. “I hate that this day is coming to a close. It’s been such a great one.”
Rhys smiled. “One for the books, for sure.”
“Is your cellphone still working? I checked mine and it’s fine. Waterproof case.”
“Mine’s in one, too. I’m good.”
“Whew! I didn’t even think about my cellphone being in my pocket when we went for our little swim.”
“Neither did I. I was a little distracted.” Rhys’s sparkling blue eyes danced across my face. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”
“Just hanging out at my momma and daddy’s.”
“Would you like to grab lunch with me? As friends?”
“I would like that a lot.”
“How does Gallagher’s sound?”
“I was just thinking about that place.”
“No, you were thinking about their Irish nachos.”
“So were you,” I giggled.
“Then that’s where we’ll go.”
During the twenty-minute drive between Rhys’s house and my parents’, we discussed the latest happenings in Cypress Hills. One of them was the powers-that-be wanting to annex more land.
“Can the town afford it?” I asked.
“Yep. There are a lot of new residents, several new businesses, and more in the works.”
“I hope Cypress Hills doesn’t get too big. I’d hate for its small-town charm to go away.”
“I don’t think it ever will, no matter the growth. This is a special place.”
“Just like the one that you took me to earlier.”
“We’ll go back to it sometime if you want.”
“I would love to.”
When Rhys and I reached my momma and daddy’s front door, he gazed into my eyes, making my heart beat faster. My emotions were a raging mix. I wanted to kiss my high school sweetheart goodnight. It felt like a natural thing to do in this déjà vu end-of-date setting, although, technically, Rhys hadn’t taken me on a legit date.
“Thank you again for today,” I told him.
“You’re welcome. I’ll pick you up a little before noon tomorrow.”
“Oh, um, your towel,” I said, unwrapping it from around my waist.
“Keep it. I’ll get it from you later.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s just a towel.”
“Okay.”
“Goodnight, Riley.”
“Goodnight. I hope you have sweet dreams.”
“You too.”
Rhys turned around and walked down the porch steps with his hands in the front pockets of his cargo shorts. When he reached the driveway, he looked over his shoulder at me and waved. I waved back, and then he crawled into the cab of his truck and cranked the engine. But he didn’t leave.
I kept standing on the porch, watching him and thinking he was changing the radio station or something. After over a minute had passed and he still hadn’t left, I became worried and started heading toward him. His driver-side door flew open, and he began running in my direction. Within seconds, we were standing face-to-face again.
“Riley, I…” he began, searching my eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am to have you back in my life.”
“I’m grateful to have you back in mine.”
“Who would’ve ever thought that we could be like this? Friends again.”
“Right?”
“Anyway, I just wanted you to know how I feel. See you tomorrow.”
Rhys gave me one last dimpled smile for the evening, then jogged back to his truck and left. After he turned at the stop sign on my momma and daddy’s street, I went inside the house, leaned my head against the front door, and stared at the ceiling.
“Did you have fun with Rhys?” my momma asked a few seconds later.
When I looked at her, she was walking up to me and grinning.
“I had a blast with him. We kayaked in an incredible area of the lake that I didn’t even know existed. Then, after we got back to his house, we went for an unplanned swim. That’s why I look like this.”
“You and Rhys have always loved the water. Are you two going to see each other again?”
“He’s taking me to lunch at Gallagher’s tomorrow. As friends.”
“Your eyes are shining, Riley Dawn, which tells me you feel more than friendly toward Rhys.”
“I’m all mixed up about it, too.”
“You’re falling back in love with him, aren’t you?”
“I never fell out of love with him, Momma.”
Her eyebrows pulled together. “I thought you did.”
“I just acted like it. I thought it would make my leaving him and Cypress Hills easier.”
“Did it?”
“No.”
“You seem to have fallen straight out of love with Chad. Is that another act?”
“It’s disassociation. I had to step away from my tangled web of emotions about him because I’m not ready to process them. They’re so heavy. But I do still love Chad, although I should hate him for everything he’s done to me.”
“Hate isn’t in you.”
I let out a long sigh. “I still can’t believe it’s over between us. He walked away so easily.”
“He’s trying to walk back to you, honey. The tulips.”
“I could never trust him not to put his hands on me again.”
“Neither could your family and best friend.”
“Why does love have to be so hard?”
“It isn’t when you’re with the right one.”