*Author's Note*
The third part. Hopefully, the story is holding your attention.
Enjoy!
******
Other People's Drama
Colorado (1)
My guess is that you are wondering 'why Colorado' - especially when I was in a position to keep fucking three amazingly sensual women.
Mostly because of the dreams. Seems that my questionable past is coming back to haunt me. Yes, it's a bit of a list.
All the shit I did in the Gulf, in the name of freedom. What I did to Lilli. And more specifically, what I did to a remarkable, if not slightly confused, pair of sisters, and their mother. I bailed because I knew what I was doing wasn't right. I desperately need to redefine my moral position. I
need
to be normal, like other people.
So, in pursuit of that end, I bought twenty-five acres on the side of a mountain, at 8800 feet up, sixty miles from any civilization, and built a very simply A-frame. It takes me six months to get the place habitable, and to get rid of the small trailer I've been living in, while I finished construction.
I also got a friend. His name is Butch. He's a pure-bred St. Bernard.
And here I hide, trying to deal with all
my
demons...
Only a month after I set up housekeeping, I get a call from Kirsten...
"She wants to come and hang out with you... for six weeks... until school starts. She even threatened to go on her own. I tried to tell her there are reasons you left, but I'm fighting a losing battle."
"So, did she tell you?"
"Yes."
"Good.
"Good?"
"Yes, good. I'm glad she chose to tell you. The relationship between the two of you is the important one. I'm just a car, that passed her in the dark, on the highway."
"You asshole. You are far more than that to the girl, and you fucking well know it. Morgan told me her story as well."
I sit silently, staring at the trees, out the front window of the A-frame.
"No, Lucas - I don't hate you. In all honesty, I'm not even slightly concerned - well, with what happened anyhow. I am however, very concerned about your attitude at the moment. You gave them back to me, Lucas - you pulled them out of the insane life they had each chosen, since Doug bailed on us. They sat down and told me all about the conversation you had that first night - when you scared the shit out of Thomas and Richard. Although I couldn't admit it, I knew what the hell was going on, and I didn't have the strength to do anything about it. You did. Where I struggled, you took action. You walked into our lives, when we -
all four of us
- needed you to. I will forever owe you for that."
More silence. I am honestly not sure how to respond.
"It isn't like you coerced, or manipulated, either of them," she lets out a little snicker, "more like they did it to you. What happened, happened because they both wanted it to, and I'm okay with that."
"I'm not sure how to respond, Kirsten... honest to God."
"Tell me I can send her out there - so she can get this out of her system."
"Kirsten... I can't... well... I can't guarantee..."
"The only guarantee I want from you, is that in six weeks, you
will
send her home to me."
Again, I go silent. I know I brought this on myself. It's my demon, and I need to deal with it. I also know what will happen, if I get close to her again...
"She's nineteen - whatever happens while she is there, is between you and her. She needs to do this, Lucas. She needs some kind of closure, so she can turn loose of you, and move on."
"I didn't mean for this to happen - I swear to God..."
"Can I send her?" she instantly replies, ignoring my comment.
"Yes. I'll pick her up at the airport."
At 5:00 pm the next afternoon, I'm standing next to the carousel that has Riley's flight number on it, and as I am looking around, it buzzes, the light starts flashing, and it begins to move. I make one more visual search for Riley, and two-thirds of the way through my circle, I see her - running at me full speed.
When she is close enough, the silly girl jumps into my arms, and bursts into tears. I think she pulls at the heart strings of everyone watching. And once again, the amazing young woman I fell in love with, plays it perfectly. All I get is an intense hug, and lots of tears.
Once we find her single bag, we're on our way. She never turns loose of my hand, until we reach the Jeep.
Yes, my heart is racing.
******
"It doesn't have to be like it was before. I just want to hang out with you," Riley says, dropping her backpack next to the suitcase I just put down.
"Are you sure you can do that, Riley?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
She stands there, looking as beautiful as I remember her, biting her lower lip. Because she has started playing soccer for the community college, she appears to have lost her 'baby fat', and is now very toned -
all over
. Not muscular. Toned. Oh, and still perfectly tanned as well.
"Yeah... I didn't think so."
"Is that bad?"
"Depends," I reply, going to the small kitchen, and retrieving the foot-long sub sandwich I made earlier.
"On?"
"On whether or not Riley can turn loose of all this, when the time comes. I promised your mother I'd send you back in six weeks, and I fully intend to keep that promise -
no matter what
."
I grab a bottle of Gatorade, a half bag of chips, and head for the couch. Riley is quick to kick off her sneakers and join me. I hand her half the sandwich, and a couple of paper towels, put the bag of chips between us, and then put my feet on the table in front of me.
"So, I can't stay forever then?"