Page 50 of It's a Brewtiful Day
Cassie and I had often talked about what could’ve been had we just left the canoe on the shoreline and ran back to the cabin. In all likelihood, we would’ve been fine, but we were careless, or we maybe thought we were invincible; whatever had been our thought process, we paid the price.
“That explains your fear, and I’m sorry.” He tightened his hold on me.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
He chuckled, but not a hearty laugh, more of a sad, ironic version. “No, it wasn’t, but I’m sorry for what you went through. It sounds traumatic.”
“Every storm, I get tiny pinpricks of a charge,as if the electricity is building around me. I don’t know if the bolt was supposed to have hit me but each storm since, it feels like it’s seeking me out, like I avoided something I wasn’t supposed to have, like in that movieFinal Destination.”
“I’m really sorry for all you endured, and all you fear.” There was so much sincerity in his voice. “I wish I could take away your pain and suffering.” Although he really couldn’t, he was wiping away my fallen tears with the brush of his fingertip.
“I wish that too. That I could block it out fully.” I turned away briefly and inched more to the edge of my space to give Elliot a little bit of breathing room. “That’s why I avoid storms. It’s not that I hate them, I truly fear they are out to get me.”
“You certainly have an attraction to electrical hiccups.”
“No, they have an attraction to me.” I shuddered from the cold, although it wasn’t physically chilly in the coffee shop, not with the heat rolling off Elliot and wrapping around me like a blanket.
“Certainly sounds like it.” Elliot brushed strands of my hair off my face. “It’s happened again since then?”
“Yes, even though I was so cautious, the bolt still hit 100 feet away.”
“And? Any personal damage to you?” His breath hitched quietly but still enough to hear.
“Amazingly enough, no, but it reinforced my fear. Look at what happened tonight.”
He shifted again, moving a little closer but keeping his voice the same even and soothing tone. “And how do you protect yourself when they happen? If you were to have made it home today before it hit, what would you have done?”
I swallowed and moved my arm to cross my chest. “Usually Cassie has my room ready with my biggest, fluffiest pillow, my softest blanket, and my noise-cancelling headphones. I have a playlist on my phone labelled thunder music, but I need to update it with the songs we danced to tonight. Those were good ones. Oh, and she usually has a few scented candles going as well.”
“Very motherly. She’s covering all your other senses.”
“Exactly.” I was thrilled he seemed to get it. Past boyfriends thought it was a joke and some ridiculed my sister for what she did to help me, but it was no laughing matter, and they were instantly cut off.
Softness and concern oozed out as he whispered, “So, should another storm rise up tonight, what can I do to help you?”
It was so sincere and so sweet, I worried my heart would explode, however, I didn’t know how to answer. The banging of the pots and pans had helped, as had the dancing, but those things seemed out of place now that it was approaching the middle of the night. I wanted my pillow and blanket and headphones. However, the touch and contact he hadprovided earlier had been a welcome relief. Saying it out loud though, that was weird. Although Elliot wasn’t a stranger, not anymore, it still felt bizarre voicing my needs, but this wasn’t an average everyday situation. I had to push past that.
“How about this?” A warm, strong arm enveloped me like a giant hug, and I melted into him.
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure how to ask.”
Thank goodness it was dark so he couldn’t see the fresh rush of heated embarrassment flood my face and chest, but I was pretty sure he felt it as the rising temperature under my jacket increased.
“Ask away. I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter Ten
Elliot and I were driving along the coastline, holding hands, and singing along toLove Shacklike a wild, car ride version of karaoke.
I was oddly happy and feeling totally at peace, and something in my soul was telling me this was all a dream, and it wasn’t as real as I believed. Closing my eyes, I rested my head on the headrest and sighed a content, soul-filling sigh, until a loud bang shook the window.
Well, that was weird.
But I couldn't open my eyes. It was so warm and cosy with the hot ocean air surrounding me.
What? That didn't make sense either.
The banging persisted and a cold wind blew, startling me as I tossed my hands out to the side.