Page 34 of Summer With You

12

His Reason

Celine

I could smell him before I opened my eyes. The familiar, comforting scent of him overwhelmed my senses, and blindly, I reached for him only to feel cold sheets beneath my fingertips.

Opening my eyes, I blinked slowly, surprised by the ominous darkness. I searched the room for him. From the bedroom door, I could hear voices and the flash of light followed by the giggles of children.

Where was he?

Rain pounded against the dark window, loud, harsh droplets that instantly reminded me of the days we spent in the high school during Hurricane Dawson, the constant fear and pain that coursed through me that only he could take away. Nightmares had plagued me for months after those few days. I’d still get flashbacks of walking countless miles along the beach in the pouring rain, my hands and feet like ice, but he was resilient when I wanted to quit.

Ace had been my driving force. Without him, I would have willingly died.

I often remember how much pain coursed through my body and how scared I was to tell him that I was hurt. I feared his reaction because I just wanted to be seen as something other than my brother’s obnoxious little sister.

Ace had seen right through my mask to the pain I carried, and he not only mended my broken heart but kept me safe during one of the most dangerous storms to ever go through our small town.

When I think back, I remember it was a miracle that we both survived.

Sitting up, I slowly got off of the bed, warily making my way across the room, looking for anything that could make me fall as I safely made my way to the door. I walked out of the room, worried that maybe I had dreamt his homecoming, the way he had held me, and the instant relief that had settled all of my nerves.

The house was unusually dark. I remembered losing power, but all the windows were dark, extremely dark. A terrible wind rattled against the house, the eerie sound so loud that I wanted to slap my hands over my ears to stop the onslaught of memories that were washing over me, but nothing helped, except him.

The house was sticky with humidity, making me instantly regret wearing pants. Pulling my hair off of my neck, I tied it up in a quick bun on the top of my head.

I followed the sound of voices and found the kids playing charades, faces flushed, big grins on their small, round faces.

“Momma!” Charlie saw me first, his brown hair matted to his forehead, his big, blue eyes wide in excitement to see me. He rushed at me, throwing his little body at my legs, and wrapped his sweaty body around them.

The force almost knocked me over, but I quickly caught myself and squatted down next to him, holding his warm body to my chest. “Hi, baby. Where’s Daddy?” I asked.

He glanced outside before jumping out of my arms when one of the kids called him for his turn. “Outside, Momma,” he hollered before picking up a card off the table and acting out his word. The kids laughed at his silly faces and actions. Their laughter lifted my spirits as I went in search of my husband.

I found Amber in the kitchen sipping on a glass of lemonade, her hair piled messily on the top of her head, wearing a red tank top that stretched over her belly and a tiny pair of shorts.

“I’m really fucking hot,” she grumbled. “Don’t judge.” She looked at me over the rim of the glass and then took the final sip in one big gulp.

“Is Ace here? Did I dream that?” She laughed and shook her head.

“No, he’s here, girl.” My shoulders slumped in relief. “He’s just putting up the shutters with Ryan in a goddamn hurricane like the two absolutely fucking insane cavemen that they are.”

I sank into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. He had come home in one piece. It hadn’t been a dream.

“It’s already started?” I whispered, looking at the big window only to see the shutters had been put on it already.

No wonder the house was so dark and hot.

“About an hour ago,” she told me, and I frowned. “Ace said you needed to sleep, but I guess he thought putting the shutters up would’ve been easier. They’ve been fighting a few old ones that the screws wouldn’t fit in the holes, and the rain hasn’t made it any easier. I just hope they don’t get sick or hurt.”

I nodded in agreement. It was uncommon for hurricanes to come through this part of Florida, especially this hard. I didn’t know the house even had shutters. We had never used them before, but then again, there hadn’t been a hurricane of this size in twelve years.

It was crazy to think how far Ace and I had come since the last one.

We walked into that situation hating each other, and at the end of it, we were in love. Well, maybe not entirely in love, but more entranced with the idea of this relationship we weren’t allowed to have but desperately wanted.

In the end, we did fall in love, and our love story was my favorite. The rage I felt this morning was unhealthy, all because I just wanted to be with him, not because I ever wanted to be apart. He was my missing half.

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