Brave the Storm and Embrace the Rain

When the door bell rang at five o'clock, I bit my lip and stood up from my spot on the stairs. I walked down the last couple and pulled the door open after I had taken a deep breath.

On the other side, was Eadon. He was wearing the same clothes from this morning and had a hopefuly look on his face. "Hey Indy," he greeted quietly as I motioned for him to come in.

I didn't say anything as I walked up the stairs and into my room. I shut the door behind him and then turned to face him with my arms folded over my chest. "You've got time, start explaining."

Eadon nodded and slipped the hat off of his head. I watched as he sat down on my bed and patted the spot next to him. I sighed and sat there, leaving about a foot of room between us. "I love you," he whispered, "I just want you to know that."

I didn't move as he spoke, trying to break into the shell that I had built around my heart. "I didn't tell you about Lachlan because I knew that you'd never give me a chance. When I saw you had lost your brother, I just, I knew that you would be somebody important in my life and I realized that kids weren't really your thing."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I should've told you before we got too involved but, Indy, you're amazing and I was, I am, afraid of losing you. I need you in my life and I don't know I feel like I'll crumble without you." He reached out to touch my wrist, causing me to bite my lip. "Lachlan is a big part of my life but I need you in my life too. I love you."

I closed my eyes as I felt him lean in. His lips hovered over mine, letting me make the choice on whether or not to kiss him. But I couldn't let myself lean in just a fraction of an inch. I couldn't let myself kiss him back and let him think that everything was going to be okay. Because it wasn't.

"Who do you think you are?" I whispered, feeling my heart close back up.

Eadon didn't pull back, he just reached up and tangled his fingers in my hair. "I'm just a stupid boy," he murmured, "But I'm a stupid boy who loves you."

I couldn't help but shake my head and try and pull away from him. His grasp on my hair wouldn't let me move, he wouldn't let me pull away from him. "I can't lose you, Indiana," he whispered, "You mean so much to me."

I stared into his eyes, wondering what was running through his mind. "Why didn't you think about how you would feel about me back then? Why'd you have to go and create all this? Didn't you realize that this would happen?"

Eadon sighed and tried to find words to explain himself. When he stuttered to find the answers to my question, I pushed him back by his chest.

"Indy," he cried, "I didn't think about how everything would play out! Just that I wanted you for myself!"

I shook my head as I stood up and walked as far away from his as my room would allow. All the times we had hung out were running through my mind. When he had tackled me on the lawn, driven around singing loudly for hours, and the times he had hidden in my closet when my family decided they wanted to visit me.

All the good times we had spent together were racing through my brain, all the times he'd kissed me, called me, asked me to come out and get in his car... All those times he could've been spending with his son, his child.

"Eadon," I struggled to say his name, "Why don't you go home and spend time with your son?"

"Indy-"

I shook my head at him as he stood up and tried to walk towards me. He stopped talking and just looked at me. His green eyes were studying me, trying to find out why I wouldn't let him back in my life.

"Indy," he sighed, "This doesn't change anything..."

I looked at him like he was crazy and then spoke, "This changes everything, Eadon!"

Eadon moved a bit closer to me and tried to grab onto my wrist, in a hopeful way. I tried to tug my arm away from him but he wouldn't let me. When I pulled my wrist he moved closer to me and rested his hands on my hips. He wouldn't budge as I tried to push him back.

"Indy," he said as he took yet another step closer to me, "Just give me one more chance."

I looked to my feet and shook my head, "I can't, Eadon. I've been pushed around enough."

Eadon sighed, "Just one more. Let me prove how sorry I really am."

"No," I stated, "Eadon, no."

"Why not?"

"Because I said no. I don't want you in my life anymore!" I told him as I looked up to meet his gaze.

His green eyes were dark as he took a step back, finally. I watched with my jaw set as he turned and walked to my bedroom door. When he was half-way out of my room he turned to me and looked me over. "Are you sure?" he questioned as he stood up a little bit talller.

I nodded once, solemnly.

"Okay then," he said quietly as he turned and left, disappearing down the hallway and then the stairs.

I took a deep breath as I followed him out of the room and watched as he walked out of my house, out of my life.