End of Chapter 12
"I saw mom." I said, the tears returning to my eyes.
"I'm sure you did." Jan said as she smiled at me.
"What did she say?" Carol asked.
"She said I have to be patient, that I have to trust myself and hear everyone out. Oh..and that we didn't have much time." I said softly.
"She would know." Celest said, everyone turning and glaring at her.
"Maija, do you feel up to hearing us out or would you like to rest for a while?" Carol asked.
"I think I need to rest for a while if that's ok?" I asked.
"That's fine dear, feel better soon." Jan said as she leaned down and hugged me awkwardly.
Everyone said their goodbyes and walked out of the room, I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a soft knock on the door. I wasn't sure I wanted any more visitors, but grumbled my approval to enter.
"You up to one more visitor?" Michael asked softly as he walked in and stood next to the bed, gently reaching out to move my hair out of my face as he smiled.
Chapter 13
As usual when he got close my anger and mind went away, I was left laying on the bed staring up at him like an idiot. He laughed quietly as he ran his fingers along my jaw, stopping at the spot where my jaw meets my neck.
"Did you want to be left alone?" He asked as he slowly drew his hands back to his sides, holding them stiff against his side.
"No, please don't leave." I said softly.
"You sure?" He asked as he watched me closely.
"Positive, please stay."
"Ok, I will." He said, smiling from ear to ear. He turned and grabbed the rocking chair that I kept in the corner and pushed it over next to the bed. "So...."
"So..." I said as I looked down and realized that I was no longer wearing the dress I had been wearing while riding. I noticed that someone had changed me into a tank top and a pair of jogging shorts. I looked down at my legs, gasping as I saw strange colors covering my legs.
"How....what happened?" I said as I pulled the blanket back and looked at the bruises that were covering my legs. "I was riding Concho and we saw a cougar, he took off as fast as he could...we made it into the field......then nothing."
"I was there, I went after you." He said as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I should have stopped you, I should have calmed you down. I knew you were upset..but I thought your horses would be the best."
"Michael, please. Please, don't blame yourself." I said as I sat up and reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly in mine. "What happened to me?"
"I saw you take off on Concho, you were going as fast as you could push him. I sat on the fence and waited, I figured that when you calmed down you would come back. You were gone for quite a while, your aunt Jan came down to check on you. I told her you went riding and she sat down next to me on the fence, she cares about you like you were her own."
"Yeah, I'm lucky." I said, thinking of my aunts and how worried they must have been.
"You had just come out of the woods, running at us and instantly we both knew something was wrong. Your aunt saw it before I did, and she screamed your name." He shook his head as if it would help get the memory out of his head. "The cougar launched it's self at Concho's hind quarters, the impact jarring you out of the saddle."
"Oh...." I said as I watched his face as he relived the entire memory again. I felt horrible, I left him in such a mood...I needed to comfort him like he was trying to comfort me.
I went to stand up, but didn't think about the fact that my legs had been beaten. I threw my feet on the floor and went to stand up..and would have if it weren't for my rubber legs. Michael caught me as I fell, holding me carefully as he set me back on the bed. He went to go back to his chair, but I grabbed his arm, running my hand down his arm and into his hand. I smiled up at him and pulled on his hand, pulling him to the edge of the bed.
"Please sit with me." I said as I moved back towards the headboard of my bed.
He watched me for a minute before he sat down towards the end of my bed, sitting cross legged as he watched me wince as I tried to get comfy.
"I'm ok, don't worry. I'm just a bit *wince* sore *wince*" I said, laughing as I winced in pain.
"You like to be the tough one don't you?" He said as he reached over and pushed a curl out of my eye.
"I try," I said as I smiled at him, his hand pausing on my cheek. "Please continue, I got thrown off Concho?"
"Oh..yeah, sorry." He said, pulling his hand back like I burned him. "You fell, you hit the back of your head on a stump..you went so still."
"I'm sorry Michael," I said as I reached out and touched his hand, my fingers gently brushing his. "You don't have to continue, I don't mean to upset you."
"You're worried about me." He laughed. "You just got thrown and stepped on by a horse and you're worried about my feelings?"
"Oh, poor Concho." I said as I gulped. "Is he hurt? I should go check on him." I said, moving to stand up and go to him but a hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me back onto the bed.
"He'll be ok, my mom is with him." He said, his face falling a bit.
"I'm sorry I said that about your mom." I said, remembering the horrible things I had said to him.
"It's," He said as he looked at the ceiling. "My mother is stuck in her ways, she thinks that something that was seen HAS to be true. That we don't have options, that we can't choose our own destiny."
"I..I just don't want you to get in more trouble because of me." I said, my voice no more then a whisper.
"I want to be here Maija, don't worry about me getting in trouble." He said as he smiled, his eyes lighting up.
I was about to say something, to try and argue with him that he needed to listen to his mom. That it was not worth fighting with her, when he leaned over across the bed and kissed me softly. His hands resting on either side of my face, holding me still while he kissed me.
"I'm sorry." He said as he scooted back on the bed away from me.
"Don't be, please." I said as I scooted closer to him, feeling more alive after the kiss then I had in a long time.
"Maija." He laughed as I scooted closer to him. "You should be resting."
"I feel better." I said as I grinned.
"I can tell." He said as he lifted his hand, resting it on my right shoulder. "You should rest, I'll go."
"No, please don't go." I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "I don't want to be alone."
He watched me, clearly weighing his options. I wanted him to stay, wanted him to comfort me, to tell me it would be alright. To just talk to me, I wanted to tell him about my mom, what I had seen.
"Are you sure?" He asked as he stood up.
"Yes, please don't go." I said, looking at my legs because I didn't want to see him leave if he chose to.
"I will stay if you promise to rest." He said as he walked over to the edge of the bed.
"Ok, I will try." I said as I moved slightly and tried to get comfortable, but with the large bump on my head it was difficult.
"Here, let me help you. If you don't mind." He said as he moved slightly, climbing on to the bed again.
I watched him, wondering what he was doing until he moved up next to me, arranging the pillows behind his back. I smiled as he reached over and gently pulled me over next to him, tapping is chest as a sign for me to lean on him.
"Are you sure?" I asked as I smiled.
"Come on, you need to rest for a while." He said as he helped me get comfortable, I was instantly relaxed being close to him. I was going to comment on that when he started running his fingers through my hair, relaxing me instantly..before I knew it, I was asleep.
"I saw mom." I said, the tears returning to my eyes.
"I'm sure you did." Jan said as she smiled at me.
"What did she say?" Carol asked.
"She said I have to be patient, that I have to trust myself and hear everyone out. Oh..and that we didn't have much time." I said softly.
"She would know." Celest said, everyone turning and glaring at her.
"Maija, do you feel up to hearing us out or would you like to rest for a while?" Carol asked.
"I think I need to rest for a while if that's ok?" I asked.
"That's fine dear, feel better soon." Jan said as she leaned down and hugged me awkwardly.
Everyone said their goodbyes and walked out of the room, I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a soft knock on the door. I wasn't sure I wanted any more visitors, but grumbled my approval to enter.
"You up to one more visitor?" Michael asked softly as he walked in and stood next to the bed, gently reaching out to move my hair out of my face as he smiled.
Chapter 13
As usual when he got close my anger and mind went away, I was left laying on the bed staring up at him like an idiot. He laughed quietly as he ran his fingers along my jaw, stopping at the spot where my jaw meets my neck.
"Did you want to be left alone?" He asked as he slowly drew his hands back to his sides, holding them stiff against his side.
"No, please don't leave." I said softly.
"You sure?" He asked as he watched me closely.
"Positive, please stay."
"Ok, I will." He said, smiling from ear to ear. He turned and grabbed the rocking chair that I kept in the corner and pushed it over next to the bed. "So...."
"So..." I said as I looked down and realized that I was no longer wearing the dress I had been wearing while riding. I noticed that someone had changed me into a tank top and a pair of jogging shorts. I looked down at my legs, gasping as I saw strange colors covering my legs.
"How....what happened?" I said as I pulled the blanket back and looked at the bruises that were covering my legs. "I was riding Concho and we saw a cougar, he took off as fast as he could...we made it into the field......then nothing."
"I was there, I went after you." He said as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I should have stopped you, I should have calmed you down. I knew you were upset..but I thought your horses would be the best."
"Michael, please. Please, don't blame yourself." I said as I sat up and reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly in mine. "What happened to me?"
"I saw you take off on Concho, you were going as fast as you could push him. I sat on the fence and waited, I figured that when you calmed down you would come back. You were gone for quite a while, your aunt Jan came down to check on you. I told her you went riding and she sat down next to me on the fence, she cares about you like you were her own."
"Yeah, I'm lucky." I said, thinking of my aunts and how worried they must have been.
"You had just come out of the woods, running at us and instantly we both knew something was wrong. Your aunt saw it before I did, and she screamed your name." He shook his head as if it would help get the memory out of his head. "The cougar launched it's self at Concho's hind quarters, the impact jarring you out of the saddle."
"Oh...." I said as I watched his face as he relived the entire memory again. I felt horrible, I left him in such a mood...I needed to comfort him like he was trying to comfort me.
I went to stand up, but didn't think about the fact that my legs had been beaten. I threw my feet on the floor and went to stand up..and would have if it weren't for my rubber legs. Michael caught me as I fell, holding me carefully as he set me back on the bed. He went to go back to his chair, but I grabbed his arm, running my hand down his arm and into his hand. I smiled up at him and pulled on his hand, pulling him to the edge of the bed.
"Please sit with me." I said as I moved back towards the headboard of my bed.
He watched me for a minute before he sat down towards the end of my bed, sitting cross legged as he watched me wince as I tried to get comfy.
"I'm ok, don't worry. I'm just a bit *wince* sore *wince*" I said, laughing as I winced in pain.
"You like to be the tough one don't you?" He said as he reached over and pushed a curl out of my eye.
"I try," I said as I smiled at him, his hand pausing on my cheek. "Please continue, I got thrown off Concho?"
"Oh..yeah, sorry." He said, pulling his hand back like I burned him. "You fell, you hit the back of your head on a stump..you went so still."
"I'm sorry Michael," I said as I reached out and touched his hand, my fingers gently brushing his. "You don't have to continue, I don't mean to upset you."
"You're worried about me." He laughed. "You just got thrown and stepped on by a horse and you're worried about my feelings?"
"Oh, poor Concho." I said as I gulped. "Is he hurt? I should go check on him." I said, moving to stand up and go to him but a hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me back onto the bed.
"He'll be ok, my mom is with him." He said, his face falling a bit.
"I'm sorry I said that about your mom." I said, remembering the horrible things I had said to him.
"It's," He said as he looked at the ceiling. "My mother is stuck in her ways, she thinks that something that was seen HAS to be true. That we don't have options, that we can't choose our own destiny."
"I..I just don't want you to get in more trouble because of me." I said, my voice no more then a whisper.
"I want to be here Maija, don't worry about me getting in trouble." He said as he smiled, his eyes lighting up.
I was about to say something, to try and argue with him that he needed to listen to his mom. That it was not worth fighting with her, when he leaned over across the bed and kissed me softly. His hands resting on either side of my face, holding me still while he kissed me.
"I'm sorry." He said as he scooted back on the bed away from me.
"Don't be, please." I said as I scooted closer to him, feeling more alive after the kiss then I had in a long time.
"Maija." He laughed as I scooted closer to him. "You should be resting."
"I feel better." I said as I grinned.
"I can tell." He said as he lifted his hand, resting it on my right shoulder. "You should rest, I'll go."
"No, please don't go." I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "I don't want to be alone."
He watched me, clearly weighing his options. I wanted him to stay, wanted him to comfort me, to tell me it would be alright. To just talk to me, I wanted to tell him about my mom, what I had seen.
"Are you sure?" He asked as he stood up.
"Yes, please don't go." I said, looking at my legs because I didn't want to see him leave if he chose to.
"I will stay if you promise to rest." He said as he walked over to the edge of the bed.
"Ok, I will try." I said as I moved slightly and tried to get comfortable, but with the large bump on my head it was difficult.
"Here, let me help you. If you don't mind." He said as he moved slightly, climbing on to the bed again.
I watched him, wondering what he was doing until he moved up next to me, arranging the pillows behind his back. I smiled as he reached over and gently pulled me over next to him, tapping is chest as a sign for me to lean on him.
"Are you sure?" I asked as I smiled.
"Come on, you need to rest for a while." He said as he helped me get comfortable, I was instantly relaxed being close to him. I was going to comment on that when he started running his fingers through my hair, relaxing me instantly..before I knew it, I was asleep.
