Pieces of Lies (29 page)

“What?” I pleaded, completely confused by his reaction.

“It was Clint who interrupted us Norah. He was the one who called.”

Oh for goodness sake.
 

I shook my head at Josh and at fate, and then remembered Clint and the look on his face as I walked off with Josh. “Oh damn! I have to go Josh, I have to,” and with those words I ran back into the reception hall as fast as my high heels could take me.

When I returned to where I left Clint, I couldn’t see him anywhere. Tess was now standing in the same spot, chatting with a few of my relatives. She looked like she had relaxed into the scene, laughing and smiling in conversation with them. Running up to her, I grabbed onto her shoulder in order to stop myself from toppling over head-first.

“What’s wrong Norah?” Tess asked, helping me steady myself from stopping so abruptly.

“Where. Is. Clint?” I said between breaths.

“Oh Norah, he thought that you went off with Josh. Like you chose him or something. He left a few minutes ago. I guess he didn’t want to see you with him.”

I cursed myself out loud, “No, no, no.”

Her eyes brightened, “What, so you didn’t pick Josh?”

I brought my breathing to a calmed pace, “No, I want to be with Clint, but I had to tell Josh first.”

Tess smiled brightly, “That’s wonderful Norah, I mean not for Josh, but for you and Clint.”

I shook my head again, “It’s not wonderful if he has taken off thinking I picked Josh.”

Tess brought one of her fingers to her mouth as if she was thinking hard. “Hmmm, yes, I see your dilemma.  Then go Norah, go get him!  Take the Volvo, I’ll be fine.” And she pointed in the direction of the valet parking. I gave her a quick hug and took off to go after Clint.

There was a line at the valet when I arrived to get her car. As I stood waiting, I felt nervous, hating the time that was passing by, thinking about what must be going through Clint’s head at that very moment. It was then I recognized my Aunt Christina at the front of the line. 

It’s now or never Norah
. 

Racing up to my Aunt as the valet brought round her Honda, I pleaded with her, “Aunt Christina, please let me borrow your car. It’s a matter of urgency and I promise I’ll bring it back in one piece, but I need to go right now!” I hadn’t seen my aunty in about a year, but I figured since she was family, she would understand.

Her eyes lit up when they saw me, but then changed to worried expression. “My god Lenorah, don’t you look beautiful, but would it kill you to eat a little more, my goodness, you are skin and bones darling.”

I shook her a little, “Not now Aunty. Can I please borrow your car?” Seeing how frantic I was, she just nodded. I smiled like I had won the lottery, kissed her on her cheek and then jumped and sped off in her little blue Honda.

Driving away from the reception, it occurred to me that I didn’t know where I should go. Just outside the country club, I pulled over to the side of the road. I had to figure out where Clint could be. I didn’t think Clint would drive back to his parents’ place, so where else? Think, think, think.
Oh, but of course
. When Clint is upset he drives, and where does he go to drive, the mountainside roads. That was at least a forty-five minute drive from here. Doing a Tess, I planted my foot down hard on the accelerator, and sped off.

As I neared the familiar roads where the car race took place, I remembered watching Clint drive. The ease with which he took the corners and assessed his movements. So calm, so composed. He said driving was his way of releasing his frustrations when things got too much. I hoped I was correct in coming to this place. I figured if he was upset, he would be out driving somewhere along this stretch of road. It seemed like the only logical place for me to start my search.

Driving along the roads, there wasn’t a car in sight and I began doubting my knowledge of Clint. Perhaps he just went home. A tear began rolling down my cheek as I was quickly realizing my search for him was coming to a dead end. I was about to turn around and head back to the country club to return my auntie’s car, when I saw the glimmer of headlights a few miles from where I was driving. I could see the glow starting up the base of the hillside and heading up the winding road. 

The radio on the Honda crackled and the song, 
Push It
 by 
Garbage,
 began to scream at me. “Yeah yeah, I hear you Shirley Manson, I’m trying!” I yelled back at the radio. I shoved my foot hard on the accelerator to try and catch up to the little beam of light that was my last sign of hope.

I breathed out a huge sigh of relief when I finally got close enough to make out that it was Clint’s Mercedes veering into the woodland roads. I accelerated more. The pick-up with the Honda was nowhere near as good as my BMW, but now, I was more determined than ever to stop Clint. I had to tell him how I feel.

I started flickering my headlights behind him hoping that it would be enough to get his attention, but he continued to drive up and around the hillside, ignoring my signals.

Rain started pelting down. The wheels on the Honda started to swerve on the slippery surface as I quickly took the corners, but I somehow managed to keep control of the car. I was getting increasingly frustrated that he would not pull over from my tailgating and light flickering. This chase was useless if he was not going to stop. Clint was a far superior driver, and I couldn’t keep up the chase all night, especially in the rain. 

As we rounded another corner, the wheels on my car began to slip even more and I struggled to keep pace with Clint’s speed. I began to lose control of the car. In a moment of confusion, I accelerated rather than slowed down on a corner, clipping the behind of Clint’s car and sending my own into a spin and onto a collision course towards the side of the mountain. All I could hear was the rain on the bonnet and seeing my face in the reflection of the glass, as it propelled itself towards the side of the window.

Blackout.

“Norah, Norah! Wake up Norah!” 

I was back on that cement floor with a gun pointed at my head. Pain, I could feel pain. Something on my face, blood? It’s cold, like ice.
 

My eyes tried to open but couldn’t part.

“Norah can you hear me?” The sound of the voice made me smile.

“Clint is that you?” I still couldn’t quite open my eyes. 

Am I dreaming again
?

“Open your eyes please.” There was a mix of light and darkness as my eyes began to open, but I squinted as cold water hit my face.

“Clint?” I mumbled again.

“Yes it’s me Norah. I had to pull you out of the car to see if you are OK. We are on the side of the road and it’s raining.” 

I tried to move but struggled and began to shake.

“You are going to be in a bit of shock, don’t move too much. Just try to relax so I can try and see how hurt you are.”

My head felt sore but the rest of my body felt fine. “I think I just bumped my head hard on the window. I’m sorry I hit your car.”

I turned my head so I could make sense of the situation and assess the damage. The Honda I was driving was firmly planted up against the mountain with the right hand side of the car crumpled. Clint’s car looked fine, and he had turned it around so his headlights were facing us on the side of the road. Clint was on his knees, my head was on his lap, and he was holding both sides of my head with his hands. His head was tilted over mine so it blocked the rain that was pouring on top of us. His face was like my personal umbrella which had a glow all around it from the headlights. He looked like a beautiful angel. My angel. My dream was coming true.

“What the hell were you doing Norah?” 

The pain in my head was easing slightly. “I thought I would come after you for a change, but I didn’t think jumping into the deep end would be so painful this time round.” I tried to laugh but the movement just made my head hurt.

“But at the wedding, when you took Josh’s hand, I thought you chose…”

I shook my head. “No, but you left before I could tell you that.”

Clint looked shocked and surprised all at once. “Norah, what you just did, was without a doubt, the craziest, stupidest, most dangerous, yet insanely romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”

I tried to pull myself to my knees. “Help me up,” I asked, but Clint shook his head.

“Help me up and onto my knees please. I’m OK, I just banged my head, I’ll be fine.”

Clint used my arm to wrap around his shoulder so he could bring me to my knees. I wanted to look him in the eyes. The rain poured over our faces. I thought about the night Clint came to the gallery after my art show, when he stood in the rain and told me he loved me and how much I adored every single word that came out of his mouth. It was now my turn to declare my feelings.

“Seriously, you are unlike any girl I have ever met Norah, and so infuriating; we should get you to a hospital to see if you have concussion.”

I used my arms to straighten myself on my knees by resting them on his shoulders. “In a moment OK, I want to say this.”

I took a deep breath and looked into Clint's eyes, finding his soul that spoke so tenderly to mine. 

“Clint.  I love you.”

His eyes gleamed brilliantly as I opened  my heart to him. 

“I am sorry that I didn’t say this sooner. I should have told you at the cabin that I believed you and that I felt the exact same way, but I was scared of how much you could hurt me if I let you in again. You have my mind, my body, my trust and my love. From the moment I met you, I felt every part of me come alive with more passion and desire that I never knew possible. You have opened me up in a way I never knew I needed, and when I’m with you, everything dark in me disappears and I’m the best version of myself. Your touch ignites me, your kiss melts me, and your words make me feel like I can fly. Clint Weston.  I. Am. Yours. ”

“My, Norah,” he breathed, holding my face in his hands. Then he kissed me softly and passionately, in the stream of light under the tumbling rain, and for the first time in my life, I finally felt free.

Chapter 23

Next Move

Graduation felt like a huge blur of caps, gowns, applause and awkward parental conversations. Clint took the plunge by introducing me officially to his parents as his girlfriend. Once they accepted Clint’s decision to seek out his own career in New York, they seemed to be more accepting of all his new choices. They were not bad people after all, and only wanted Clint to be happy, and once Clint realized that, he had no problem telling them what he wanted to do with his life.

I spent graduation night having dinner with Josh and my father. Josh didn’t have any family and he had practically always been part of mine, so I insisted he join me. Clint didn’t seem to mind that Josh was dining with me and my Dad. The fact I had chased him down in a car to declare my love, almost killing myself in the process, was all the reassurance Clint needed. 

Dinner was a little awkward to say the least. Even though I begged and pleaded with my aunty to not tell my dad about what I did to her car, it got back to him,
of course
, and he couldn’t resist making jabs about my irresponsibility throughout the whole dinner. I had already told Josh about what happened with the car, and he did his best to try and deflect the conversation as much as possible towards his new job in New York, but In the end, I had to take the hours of lectures my father inflicted upon me.

After dinner, I met Clint at his parents’ house, and we spent the rest of the evening celebrating with champagne on the mooring near the gardens. It had become one of our favorite places to hang out since the night we spent getting to know each other.

I had slipped into some low-rise jeans and a very loose chiffon spaghetti-strap top before I arrived at the Weston mansion. Clint was also dressed very relaxed in nice fitted jeans and a polo.  We both sat against each other on the mooring, casually relaxing in the late night air, surrounded by the garden’s soft lighting. We sipped our champagne and shifted so we could dangle our legs over the edge of the mooring as we continued to talk into the night.

“So there is a firm who is interested in me in New York. Actually, there are a number of firms who have expressed an interest in me because of who my dad is, but there is one in particular who I think I’ll be able to make my own mark with.” Clint spoke with excitement.  It must have been really thrilling for him to finally make the decisions he always wanted to make.  

“That’s fantastic Clint. I’m so happy you are doing what you want.”  I smiled sweetly at him as his eyes continued to flutter as he talked. This was the Clint I was in love with.  The guy who knew what he wanted and was grabbing onto it with both hands.

“It is good, but Norah, I want you to come with me. Will you come live with me in New York? You could put on a new show, and do some freelance work for a while until you find a publishing house you’re happy with.”

He really is jumping into the deep end!

My back straightened as I lifted my feet from the edge and turned so my legs were crossed in front Clint. I wanted to get a better look at his face. “Wow, you’ve given this some thought haven’t you?”

“Yes, kind of. I have.” He gazed at me and rubbed my knee with his hand. “Say yes Norah.”

I looked away and out to the lake, avoiding his eyes. I would give in very easily if he kept pleading with his eyes like that. It was a big step to take and I wasn't sure we were quite there yet, plus there were other reasons I didn't want to go back to New York.

“Come with me please. I mean, I think we are at that place in our relationship, dont you? And it’s New York, the place you grew up. That would be great for you, right?” He looked at me for any doubt and hesitation. 

Flashes of blood and guns, the sounds of car brakes screeching, screaming voices, the constant feeling of fear, all sprang into my head. They were part of visions and memories  I constantly fought to keep at bay. Clint had not seen any of my episodes, nor did he know of anything I had seen growing up, and that was how I wanted to keep it. Going back to New York could potentially bring all that stuff up and be thrust into Clint’s life, along with that side of me.