Burnt (18 page)

She stared at the paper, flipping it over a couple of times in her hand. It wasn’t signed, but it had to be from Kevin. It was obvious to her. It couldn’t be anyone else. Her thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. The first trick-or-treater was already here. She put the note down and headed to the door. Her mind was racing with so many questions.
Did Kevin really feel this way? Why didn’t he just tell me?

She opened the door and saw a little Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtle standing on her doorstep.

“Trick or treat!” the kid said, holding out his bag.

“Why hello there.” She reached into the bowl and pulled out a couple of pieces of candy and put it into his bag.

“Thank you,” he said, behind his mask.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, smiling as he ran back to his mother.

Tara thought about the letter and started to shut the door but it wouldn’t close. There was a shoe blocking it. She looked up and saw a taller person standing at the door. She could tell his shoulders were broader, so it wasn’t just a tall child.

“Oh...” She chuckled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He was dressed like the Grim Reaper. It startled her briefly, however it was Halloween.

“Trick or treat,” he said. It was a husky voice. She reached in and put some candy into his bag.

“Thank you, Cinderella!” he said, causing shivers to go down her spine.

“Tell Prince Charming he is a very lucky guy,” he added before leaving the door.

Tara stared after him, and a strange feeling lingered in her belly. She closed the door and thought about his words.
How weird,
she thought, and shivered like she had been hit with a cold chill. She was about to head back to the living room when the doorbell rang again. She wasn’t expecting this many trick-or-treaters already. She opened the door and a smile crossed her face.

Kevin stood there, dressed like Prince Charming. It made her laugh. She had told him she was going to be Cinderella, but she had never expected him to remember, let alone show up at her house as her Prince.

“Hi Kevin. What are you doing here?”

“I thought Cinderella could use some help dishing out the candy,” he snickered.

She looked over Kevin’s outfit and thought about what the guy in the Grim Reaper suit said.

“Did you...” she started to ask whether Kevin knew anything about the guy who was just there, but left it alone.

“Did I what?”

“Ah, nothing,” she answered. It was Halloween.
Probably just a coincidence.

“So can I come in for my candy?” he asked.

She nodded. “You better believe it.”

They laughed as she pulled him in the house and shut the door. She briefly considered mentioning the note, but the thought was replaced by pure desire. If he wanted to admit it was him, he would. For the time being...she was so happy to see him.

T
he letter wasn’t the only special gift Tara received over the next few days. She received a box of chocolates, a bouquet of roses, and finally a charm bracelet. The bracelet had charms from various things she enjoyed most. There was a star, a horse, a ball of yarn, and a heart. She wasn’t sure what the heart showcased, but as she assumed it was from Kevin, it made sense. The notes all read:

I’ll always love you!

When the bracelet arrived, Tara had no more doubts. She just didn’t understand why Kevin couldn’t give it to her openly. She had to admit though, his secrecy actually thrilled her. The extra attention was exhilarating. Still, she missed him terribly. They saw each other to study and the friendship was back to normal, but not being able to hold him or be with him every night was torture. Love had never left the equation for her. Her feelings had never been stronger.

Tara played with the dangling charms on her bracelet, trying to gain extra confidence for what she was about to do. They needed to talk. His gifts sent one message, yet he never talked about it or made any moves to get them back on track. She needed to hear Kevin say what he felt. No, she needed him to show her.

She was brimming with joy when she drove into the parking lot at work that afternoon. Kevin’s car was there. She looked down at her bracelet and smiled. With any luck, they would be back in each other’s arms. She couldn’t wait. Looking in her rearview mirror, she practiced.

“I love you, Kevin. Nothing else matters. I’m sorry for everything, from doubting Jake’s innocence to letting you slip away. I don’t want to waste another minute without you.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled before stepping out of her car. Kevin wasn’t in the front area when she entered the building. He was probably already working. She did her best to keep her cool, going behind the desk and clocking in, and then putting her purse away. The words she wanted him to hear passed through her mind again and again. It had to go well. She needed him. As she went out the back door, she was practicing her words so much she didn’t even notice Kevin walk in. She nearly bumped into him when she looked up.

“Hey.” He smiled. “You look so deep in thought about something.”

She found herself running her fingers along her charms as she nodded.

“Guess you could say that,” she answered nervously.

She looked around the backyard. There were a few employees working and several customers, but she needed to talk to him and didn’t want to wait until later.

“Busy?” she asked.

“Well, I was going to clean out the pig pen. You could join me.” The way he wiggled his eyebrows made her chuckle. “I know you just can’t pass it up.”

“It does sound appealing,” she replied, snickering. “However, I was hoping we could step away for a moment.”

He cocked his head. “Everything all right?”

“It will be.”
I hope,
she thought.

“Okay. After you.”

Tara didn’t know where they could go so they wouldn’t be interrupted, but after looking around, they stopped behind the horse stables. She turned face him. He was staring at her with intrigue.

“I’ll make this quick,” she replied, feeling her palms were already sweaty. She looked up at him and everything she wanted to say to him was lost.

“I...I...” she started. The flood of emotions made her breathing so light, she could barely speak. “So, you see...I have done a lot of thinking...and I have come to one conclusion.”

He appeared confused. “Which is?”

“I love you,” she blurted out. She bit her tongue. It came out in a rush, but by the shock on his face she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“You have been the one constant in my life and even over the past few weeks, I know I have been foolish. Jake is a good guy and I shouldn’t have doubted him. I shouldn’t have doubted your faith in him. I don’t want that or anything else to come between us. You’re my forever and I want to be yours. I love you.”

As she finished, she felt relief. A weight was lifted from her shoulders. Tara didn’t mention the bracelet, flowers, or other gifts as he moved closer to her.

“I love you too, Tara,” he answered.

Kevin lifted her into his arms, embracing her body completely. He turned her around and around, making the rush of emotion all the more giddying. Tara laughed. This was exactly what she had hoped for. As he slowly lowered her to the ground, his lips went to hers. His body pressed tightly against hers, leaving little room to doubt his forgiveness. Had they not been on the clock, their clothes would be on the ground and they would be making passionate love behind those stables. She was breathless from the intensity of his kiss. She had been craving him for so long.

As he pulled away, their eyes locked and he smiled. “I’ve needed you these past few weeks. You have no idea how much.”

She bit her lower lip so hard she was afraid she would draw blood. The desire to kiss him again, press him against the back of the horse stables, and let nature take its course was raw and salient.

“I’ve needed you, too.” She thought about it and smiled. “Tonight...pick me up at eight?”

“It’s a school night,” he teased, acting appalled she would suggest it.

“Well, then I suppose we could wait three more days.” She shrugged. “No biggie.”

She started to move past him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his arms. The devilish grin on his lips was inviting. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him so tight, locking lips with him. There was no way either one could wait another night– they both knew it.

***

K
evin was whistling as he got ready for his date with Tara. He was stoked about the way the day had started out. Tara had said everything he had been thinking about. He couldn’t wait to be with her again.

“What are you doing?” he head from his bedroom door.

He turned around, staring at Jake.

“Jake, you startled me.” He laughed, turning back to dig through his dresser drawers. “I have a date, my friend.” He was beaming with happiness and he couldn’t hide it.

“A date? Anyone I know?” Jake asked, raising an eyebrow when Kevin looked at him.

“Of course you do. Tara and I are going out. We’re getting back together.”

The sound of the words on his lips made it all real and he began whistling another tune. He paid no attention to Jake, still standing in the doorway.

“Do you think that’s the smartest idea?” Jake asked, breaking into Kevin’s pumped up aura.

Kevin frowned. He didn’t expect it, coming from his brother.

“What do you mean? I thought you liked Tara.”

Jake sighed heavily. “I do, but I don’t think she’s the right person for you. You two are better off as friends.”

Kevin laughed. “That’s nonsense, my boy. Tara is my future and I’m going to make sure I spend every moment proving it to her. I love her. Nothing else matters.” He walked over to him, clothes in hands. “Excuse me so I can go take my shower.”

Jake stepped back, letting Kevin through the door. Kevin didn’t think about anything but being draped around Tara. It had been too long.

***

J
ake slammed his bedroom door shut.
Tara is your future. You love her and she loves you. Don’t let your brother weasel his way in. Go after her!

He sat on the bed, rocking back and forth and covering his ears. “Stop it!” he groaned. “It’s too late. I’ve lost her.”

You’re a spineless jellyfish. You don’t know a good thing when you’ve found it. It’s never too late. Go after her!

The words
go after her,
continued to play in his mind. He couldn’t imagine that would do any good, but the thought of Kevin and Tara getting back together was unthinkable. After everything he had done to prove his love to her. He didn’t want to let it come to this.

“She should be mine,” he said through clenched teeth, sitting up on the bed. The voices in his head were gone.

“I have to go to her,” he announced, not caring that he was talking to himself.

He got up, grabbed his car keys and hurried down the stairs. He could hear the shower still running in the background as he went out the front door. He wouldn’t have much time but he didn’t need a lot. He just needed to talk to her and she would discover he was the right one all along.

***

S
he heard the doorbell and excitedly flew down the stairs. Kevin was early, but she had been ready for over an hour. She slowed down once she reached the door, taking a deep breath. She opened the door and was shocked.

“Jake? What are you doing here?” She didn’t mean to be so abrupt with her question. “I mean...is everything alright?”

He nodded, his eyes held on her. “I need to talk to you. May I come in?”

She shifted from left to right foot, confused as to what he could possibly need to tell her.

“Of course,” she replied, allowing him to get past her. She paused before shutting the door and turning to look at him.

“I don’t feel I really expressed my gratitude to you, for what you did for me.”

If he was talking about how she lied for him, it was almost a month ago. She didn’t want to hash over it again.

“You mean when I talked to the police?”

He nodded. “It was really nice you went along with it. You didn’t owe me anything, and I appreciate it. I just wanted you to know.”

“You thanked me already, Jake. You’re innocent, and I was glad to help. You didn’t need to come all this way just to thank me again.”

The intensity of his stare put her on edge. She felt uneasy in her own home.

“I wanted to see you,” he finally answered.

The way he said it, was like a man lusting after a woman. He moved closer to her and on instinct, she took two steps back.

“That one act. The way you covered for me and helped set me free, proved everything I needed to know.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, inching back even further.

He snickered. “Come on, Tara. You have got to know what I mean. You were willing to get the cops off my back. That proves that you love me.”

She looked at him, stunned to hear him connect two completely unrelated statements.

“I love you,” he confessed, eyes as wide as puppy.

He took two long steps forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him.

His grasp was firm as he brought her to him and forced his lips on hers.

“Jake...” she groaned out from behind his lips.

She brought her free arm up to his chest and desperately tried to push him away. The force of his kiss was gaining strength and she was losing the battle to get him to stop. In her terror, she bit down on his lip and pushed him hard.

“Ouch,” he said, putting his hand to his lips. “I didn’t know you liked to dominate. Fine. I’ll play along.” He moved closer to her and she dodged his grasp.