To Go From There

About two days later, I pulled off the highway and into Seattle. About an hour of navigating through Seattle’s streets, I found myself out front of a cute little two-story house. It was a light green with white trim. The porch was decorated with a porch swing and several potted plants. A fence lined their backyard where an old fashioned clothesline peaked over the wood. They had no garage, just a patch of cement just before the fence that connected with the street. I turned the car off, stared up at the house for a bit longer and got out. Rhys’ car was in the driveway, which meant someone was home. Hopefully. I got out and wandered up to the front door. I knocked and inhaled. There was a bark from inside. They had a dog?

“Down, Fender!” Lydia snapped. I tucked my hands into my jeans pockets, hissing at the jarring motion in my shoulder. My arm bumped into my ribs and I whined, pulling my hands out of my pockets. The door opened and Lydia appeared before me. Her hair was tied up, and she was wearing a blue and white Seattle Seahawks jersey that fell to her thighs. There was a pair of short jean shorts peaking out from beneath the jersey. There was a round white 8 on the front. She looked surprised to see me, her mouth hanging open.

“Kiernan. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see your brother,” I stated simply.

“Alrighty then. Come on in,” she said, looking me up and down. I was a little rough, having driving two days by myself. I’d changed at a rest stop into a pair of boot cut jeans and a striped linen tank top. I picked a pair of dark blue flip flops with some kind of design on the heel. She opened the door wider and turned away. The back of her jersey had the same 8 as the front and had the last name Hasselbeck in bold white capital letters. I followed her inside and she lead me to a stair case just around the corner from the entryway. She pointed up the stairs that sat against the left-hand wall of the living room.

“At the top of the stairs, turn left, last door on the right. You should be able to hear the music. He’s been a bit mopey since we got back.”

“Yeah?”

“He loves you, Kiernan. He really does. I’ve never seen the boy like this. So yeah, he’s been a Debbie Downer. Do something about that, yeah?”

I took the stairs and when I reached the top, Lydia called to me.

“Thank you, for showing up. Rhys needs this. Even if you’re here to scream at him.”

I smiled and headed down the dark hall. I found Rhys’ room, the door open wide. The music was loud, and I couldn’t pick out vocals over the very loud, prominent clashing guitars. Rhys was laying on his bedspread, shirtless. He was wearing a pair of simple black nylon shorts. I smiled. I liked seeing the boy I was practically in love with, especially when he’s half naked. I stood in the doorway, admiring his very bare body. He was toned in a not so obvious way. His skin was tanned, but not orange. He stretched but kept his eyes shut. I grinned a little wider.

I cleared my throat and Rhys’ eyes opened lazily.

“Lydia! What did I tell you!” he snapped.

“I don’t know. What did you tell Lydia?” I replied. He sat up so quickly, I barely saw him move. But there he sat, staring at me in awe.

“Am I dreaming?” he asked. I chuckled and wandered in his room, sitting on the bed with him. I pinched him. “OW!”

“If you were dreaming, that wouldn’t’ve hurt. Now would it?”

His face was still in a state of shock.

“Hi,” I giggled, pressing my lips to the corner of his. He smiled.

“You’re really here?”

“Yeah, I am really here. And I’ve got a few words for you, mister!”

“Let’s hear it then,” he said.

“How could you leave like that? You didn’t say goodbye. You didn’t tell me where you were going. You didn’t tell me anything! The most you did was kiss me and tell me you were being sent to Timbuktu. What kind of goodbye is that, Rhys? It’s not a goodbye. That’s a stupid way to disappear!”

“I’m so-”

“No. I’m not done yet!”

“Sorry. Go on,” he said softly.

“Do you know what happened after you left? No, of course not. My mom died. And you weren’t there. My dad came back and oh, yeah, you weren’t there! Genesee went off to college and I didn’t have anyone! I can’t believe you would do that to me.”

He frowned and opened his mouth to speak.

“Don’t. I’m still not done.”

“Alright. Sorry.”

“How could you do that to me? I trusted you, Rhys. I had to find out from some little old lady that actually owns the house you were living in that you left, that you never actually intended on staying in Pacific Bay. She said you got in some trouble and had to go. Were you planning on telling me any of this? Did you ever think that I’d want to know this stuff?”

He stared at me, his lips pressed into a line.

“Don’t you have something to say for yourself?”

“Are you done?” he asked unsurely.

“No!”

“What more could you have to say? I’ve been gone for a week or two.”

“Why did you leave?”

“Because, Mrs. Love was right. I got in some trouble,” Rhys answered.

“That’s not enough!”

“Fine. I got into a fight with Kellen and the court gave me two options. I either had to go to a juvenile detention hall for six months, or I had to relocate. I chose the latter. But Kiernan, you have to believe me, I didn’t want to leave you like that.”

“Why weren’t you just straight with me in the first place?”

He didn’t say anything.

I sighed, and ran my hands through my hair.

“You are ridiculous! Look at me, Rhys.”

He did.

“Why didn’t you tell me that when you left?”

“I couldn’t. I didn’t want to hurt you like that.”

“And just ditching me is any better?”

“No. But I-”

“You just didn’t want to see me cry, right?”

He sat speechless before me.

“Yeah, I thought so.”

I shook my head and stood up. He caught my hand as I went to leave.

“Kiernan. I can’t hurt you.”

“Too late. You already did,” I snapped.

He pulled me to him and kissed me.

“Will you shut up already?” he asked simply.

“Why? Why should I?”

“I’ve got something to tell you,” he replied.

“What? What else have you got to say?”

He smirked, leaned in to kiss me again but diverged, putting his lips on my ear. He chuckled, “I missed you.”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me?”

I pushed myself off Rhys and growled. I started to walk away again.

“Come back here,” he said. There was a kind of desperate pleading in the boy’s voice that made me stop and turn towards him. I set my hands on my hips, pressed the tip of my tongue into the back of top front two teeth and stared at him.

“Why did you come here?” he asked suddenly.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“That’s really not an answer here, Kiernan.”

“Fine. I. I. I love you, you idiot. How about that? What have you got to say to that? I love you.”