I stepped out of the small office and I saw a young woman on the beach, struggling with a canoe. I walked up to her and started to laugh. She turned around and my breath caught in my throat. She was exotically beautiful and I was aware that I was staring.“Let me help you with that.” I picked up the canoe, getting my bearings straight and put it face down on the beach. “I hope you’re not planning to go out on the water in this thing, are you?”“Thanks and actually I was, it’s so beautiful here.” She smiled at me, even her voice was beautiful and I smiled back at her, she had that type of smile, one you couldn’t resist.“Not such a good idea, the wind’s going to pick up and you don’t want to get caught out there when it does, you’ll flip over.” I was intensely aware of the sweat in my hair as she gazed intently at me.“Right … and you are?”“I’m sorry… I’m Kiran.” I stuck my hand out like an idiot but she smiled as she shook my hand and we both pulled our hands back at the spark of ele
I parked the Jeep on the grass next to Beach Road and got out. I could see the bonfire on the beach and hear the music and voices. I had to stop myself from knocking on every cabin’s door in search of her so instead I walked towards the bonfire.“Superstar!” Sam yelled as he saw me approach.I smiled as he called me by my old nickname from school. We met halfway and we hugged briefly. She turned around and her hair glimmered blue in the light of the fire. I stopped breathing as I looked at her. Was it possible that she was even more beautiful than she had been that morning?“Where’s your other half?” Gustav asked me as I sat down on a chair across from where she stood. She was on the other side of the fire, looking at me and I felt the sexual tension sizzling between us.“Fairbanks.” I kept staring at her. She broke eye contact and laughed at something that Jasmine was saying. She was looking at me too.“What’s he doing in Fairbanks?” Sam asked as he handed me a beer and took my two b
She walked past me and her hand lightly touched mine; I turned around and followed her as she walked towards her cabin. Faintly in the background, I heard Sam shout something but I couldn’t care less what it was about. She unlocked her door and walked inside, leaving the door ajar. I pushed it open and walked inside and closed it as she turned to look at me.I forgot about work, I forgot about Jessica and I even forgot about Adara. I picked her up as she stood against me and we were kissing. All I cared about was her, right here, right now. I felt obsessed, addicted even, her smell, her taste, it was all about her. She was clawing at my shirt and I put her down on the small kitchen counter.I blinked and we were half naked and she wrapped her legs around me. I walked with her to the bed and she clung to me as we fell on top of the covers. Before I knew it, I was inside her and she was matching my rhythm; there was no tomorrow, no next week. There was only now, the sex, urgent and amaz
Adara would wake up in the mornings and stick out her arm and then remember that Kiran wasn’t there. She was in Ireland and he was in Seward and he didn’t love her. Her heart would ache as she showered and got dressed.She would go downstairs for breakfast and Declan would be waiting for her with a flower or a poem and slowly Kiran would fade from her thoughts. At night she would dream of Declan and then Kiran would replace him.She felt tired when she woke up as if she’d been struggling all night long. She tried to remember her dreams but most days they wouldn’t reveal themselves to her. She had lost weight and didn’t have an appetite. It was as if her body and her spirit weren’t in harmony and were fighting each other.The more time she spent with Declan the more she seemed to wane. When she was with him, she felt happy and in love. At night though, when she was alone, she felt more alive but sadder because she thought of Kiran then. She was lost in a web of confusion that she felt
Adara struggled to sleep, she felt dizzy and nauseated. She got up and wandered through the house. The bed seemed strange, big and empty. She went down to the kitchen and got some water. She concentrated on her own spirit, healing herself. After a few minutes she felt a bit stronger and slightly better.She sat in the living room all through the night, staring out of the window. She tried Malachi’s phone a few times, but it went to voicemail. She wished Karani was still alive. She needed her so much. Karani would know exactly what to say. She missed her so much that it hurt.“Adara.” Adara’s head snapped up because the voice that had spoken to her belonged to Karani.“Am I dreaming?”“I’m right here with you.”“I’ve missed you so much, Karani.” Tears were flowing freely over Adara’s cheeks as Karani gripped her hand tightly.“What are you doing, Adara? This isn’t your home.”“I don’t have a home anymore. You were wrong, Karani, Kiran doesn’t love me.” The words were choked sobs and Ad
Christian was four years old and the only child of the late Phillip and Mary Jeffreys. He was a bright little boy and adapted to living with us quite easily after the first two weeks of bed wetting and temper tantrums.I had new found respect for my parents after dealing with Christian’s tantrums. He’d scream, throw things at my head, cry and hit the wall with his small fists. The first time it happened I was shocked and then I grabbed him, holding him tight against me.“I’m here, Christian, I’m not going anywhere. Scream and cry as much as you need to.” I’d take his pain, his guilt at surviving and the confusion of his loss as he slumped against me and cried himself to sleep.I assumed the role of caregiver and took over the responsibilities of taking him to daycare and putting him to bed. It was also the first time in my life that I had to pack a school bag. It took my mind off things as I was kept busy with his schedule and mine.His room used to be the spare guest room. It had a d
I sat down opposite Malachi. “Bridget from his daycare called me. She says he’s doing well in spite of everything else going on and that he was in a fight yesterday.”“Why did he fight?” Malachi asked casually without looking up.“Benjamin called him an orphan and Christian punched him in the face.” I laughed and Malachi looked at me sternly.“Violence is never the answer. Did you talk to him?” Malachi’s tone caught me off guard for a few seconds.“Yes, I did, I told him job well done.” Malachi laughed at the proud look on my face. “I also told his teacher that Benjamin got what he deserved, and she should speak to his parents instead of scolding Christian for defending his honor.”I had started training Christian like Malachi still trained me, although we were just doing punches and kicking a boxing bag. He was a tough little man, eager to learn and he would scrunch up his nose in concentration as he practiced.“Maybe you should ease up a bit on the training with him. You might creat
She looked up at me and I couldn’t believe my eyes. She looked like a ghost, thin and pale, she reminded me of that girl at my front door so long ago. I was shocked to see her look like this. Claire had been right, Adara wouldn’t have survived Declan for long.Her eyes were red rimmed from crying as she looked up at me. “Kiran, what are you doing here?”“I’m taking you home.” Adara looked down and I felt her pain and her guilt. I pulled her towards me and she felt so small in my arms as I enveloped her in my hug. I could have stood there all night just holding her.“Oh Kiran, I’ve made a huge mess of everything.” She broke down and cried again.“Then we’ll fix it together.” She shook her head as I rubbed my hand over her back, trying to soothe her.“You left me. You just left me.” She cried into my shoulder and the pain struck me square in my chest again.“I know but I want to show you everything.” I sat down with her next to me; I put my hands on either side of her head and I shared