If there was one thing Beverly was good at, it was moving on. Yes, Bryan took her unawares but she wasn't going to let it happen again. She was who she was because of her rock-hard emotional nature. He came up and blindsided her and threw her into a confused feeling most people termed as love. She didn't have time for such high handed ideals, such grandiose illusions of grandeur, she wasn't going to fall for it again. She was who she was because of her experiences and the challenges she faced head-on, unflinchingly. She was no wilting flower in need of watering, no princess in need of a prince charming. She was her own person and she was going to build the world she wanted, her way.
The first call came while she was lost in thought, the ringing sound brought her out of her reverie. She stared at the unknown caller, heart racing in her chest. It had to be Bryan, she thought. Bryan was the type to call even though it was a philanthropic gesture, just to show he cared about her well-being.
"Hello? It's me, James." The voice of the sheriff from the other side of the phone made her wish to throw her phone away from her but she quelled the feeling and spoke to him as cordially as she could. A few laughs here and there, a few witty remarks, and the call was done.
She stared at the phone screen, wondering why she had to pine for a guy who paid her no heed. She wanted him to call, she wanted it more than she'd wanted anything in a long time. She wanted to hear his low voice over the phone, she wanted it to wash over her. It was pretty pathetic for her but she knew that if she stayed indoors, she was going to be assailed by thoughts of Bryan. She didn't want that, she wanted to avoid it at all costs. He had no business taking up space in her head, it wasn't what she wanted.
She stepped out of the house to see her car parked outside, a folded note stuck in between the wipers. It read, Talking to you today was bliss. I hope we talk more - J.
She didn't need to be told who it was from, the sheriff was already trying to worm his way into her heart even after she spent the night with his supposed friend, Bryan. She didn't know the kind of relationship that they had but it made her uneasy, nonetheless. She was tired of second-guessing everything, tired of blowing things out of proportions. The sheriff may have only wanted to check up on her and not make moves on her but as usual, her mind flew beyond the boundaries of propriety. She chalked it up to her unstable emotions from being with Bryan, that was the only explanation she could accept without feeling like a blubbering idiot drunk on naivety.
She needed Cameron, she needed her more than ever. Cameron was going to help her sort out her emotions and tell her what to do after that. Cameron was the most trustworthy when it came to such things, of which she was beyond grateful for. Cameron was an anchor, a solid rock. Unshakeable, dependable. Cameron would know the answers, she always did. On that note, Beverly tore the note, entered into her car, and drove off.
Arielle mentally prepared herself for whatever story her brother was going to tell. He'd been a recluse before she even grew up enough to notice. He shied away from company and never let anything dictate the company he kept, if at all he kept any. He found a friend in himself, something she'd never fathomed how to do. He would have been the best role model but he often kept his distance and she couldn't mirror his actions. The day she found out the pseudonym he wrote under, he was livid. She was proud of his achievements, knowing that he did it all himself. It was a thing of pride for her they her brother wasn't dependent on people, he was his own person.
"Do you need to get anything or do anything before I start?" He asked, as thoughtful as ever. He always thought of others before himself, it had always been that way for the longest of times.
"Nah, I'm good. Please, by all means, begin. There'll be no interruptions from me." Arielle said, making the gesture of zipping her mouth shut. It was a gesture that reminded him of their childhood. Some things never change, he mused.
"Yesterday was a pretty normal day, until the rain started. I didn't want to move out of the house at first but the downpour was even worse than I anticipated. Seeing a figure stuck in the pouring rain was enough for me to butt my head into where I resolved to stay out of. I didn't actively choose to go help, it was as though my conscience had a mind of its own. Do you know what I mean? I felt like not going out there in the pouring rain was a disservice to humanity. It may not make sense to you but-"
Bryan made as though to continue but he was interrupted by Arielle, as expected.
"So, you saw her in the pouring rain? How romantic. Now, tell everything. This seems like such a fairytale, a beautiful one if I might add." Arielle mouthed off as Bryan just watched, wondering what to tell her.
"You did say no interruptions, you literally said it yourself." He asked with eyebrows raised. She had nothing to say after that. He continued his story after a few seconds, after which she heaved a sigh of relief.
"I don't know why I went out of my way to help but I could tell she had a can of pepper spray and God knows what else. She was a fiery one, I knew that much without being told. After convincing her to leave the rain and come with me, I knew that that was just the first hurdle, one of many. She was receptive after leaving the rain and I surmised that the rain made her easily irritated and angry for no apparent reason. After she had her bath, I knew that I didn't have any clothes she could wear but some of yours were still available. Since you left them here and I couldn't wear them, I was glad they were useful."
Bryan stopped talking, waiting for her to criticize the way he made use of her clothes without express permission from her. But strangely, she was fixated on him, her eyes glued, not leaving his line of vision. She'd always loved stories, true stories. As much as she could be problematic, she was also a big softie.
"She decided to talk about herself and asked about me too. I was freer with her than I'd ever been in years, talking about the travails of my high-school like she was there to witness it. It's just hard to explain how she made me feel, how she opened my eyes to new possibilities. She made me feel lighter than I'd had in a long time. You're the only person I talked to that freely, but she loosened my knots, so to speak. But, in the morning, something even more surprising happened."
Bryan went over the events that led Beverly to his place and everything after that. It made him feel warm anytime he thought about her, like she was a hearth, warming him to the depths of his soul.
Arielle didn't interrupt still, she just kept staring at her brother who's never talked that animated about anyone but his writings before. She could see the gears turning in his head, yet he barreled on, talking more about this girl she'd never met but was extremely thankful for. Her brother deserved love, he deserved peace of mind. But he ran away from anything to do with it, as though he was scared of the implications. It would have been cute if she didn't wish to hit him over the head with a bat sometimes. He was hopelessly clueless when it came to girls and how to act around them. Seeing him excited was enough for her to forgive his past demeanors.
"In the morning, I woke up to see her reading a book. It was a book I recognized fairly well, a book you've read on various occasions, and a book we've argued about ceaselessly. It was the first book I wrote."
Bryan knew that Arielle couldn't resist talking after he mentioned his book but to his surprise, she only gasped with astonishment and told him to go on. Since he wasn't able to make her talk, he decided to spill everything and gauge her reaction when it was all over.
"I asked her to talk to me about what she was reading and she floored me with her accurate analysis even though it was her first time reading the book and she was just past halfway through it when I asked. Her deductive reasoning was beyond my expectations and it's known that my expectations are usually very high according to a certain someone."
Bryan said again, making a jab at his little sister who on various occasions told him in no uncertain terms that he was hard to please as a person due to his insanely high expectations from people. He didn't know if it was true or not but the mere fact that she'd said it many times in a short period of time made it undoubtedly true. But Arielle never made a statement to either defend herself or blatantly deny. But Arielle was many things, a liar she wasn't. She was always truthful to him, no matter what.
"She cooked, while I just zoned out. I can't exactly say why I zoned out the way I did, I just felt something in my chest, tugging. It didn't make sense to me, I'd done everything in my power to avoid situations like that but there I was, smack dab in the middle of it. I don't know what to call it but it sure as hell isn't what I expected at first, truth be told. But it had a homey feel to it, and she was a fantastic cook. I decided to show her my writings then,"
As soon as Bryan said the latter part of her sentence, Arielle interrupted, not minding if the story was done or not.
"Where's she now?" Arielle asked, the urgency in her tone as clear as day. Bryan couldn't understand why she had such urgency in her voice, Arielle wasn't known for caring too much about a lot of things. So, why did she care where Beverly was?
"Uh-oh. What's going on in your mind? What are you thinking?" He asked, unable to tell what she was thinking or what part of his story triggered her.
"Nothing of consequence. Did you drive her home?" She asked, even though she knew the response to it already. She just wanted to hear him say it, then hold it over his head like he committed a grave crime even worse than murder.
"No, I had the local sheriff do it." He said proudly and she was tempted to walk to his kitchen, grab a pan, and hit him over the head with it.
"Did you hug her at least before she left?" Arielle asked, knowing he probably thought she was unreasonable but she knew how dense her brother was when it came to relationships.
"Hug? I didn't though. The sheriff was there and he took over her care from where I stopped. Isn't that what a model citizen does?" Bryan asked, an expression of confusion etched on his face. She didn't blame him though, his experience with women was as nonexistent as they come. She knew the sheriff, she knew how sly he was. She hated it, but there was nothing she could do about it short of dragging her brother by the ears and going to dump him on her doorstep. Even that was not enough atonement for the way he treated the girl he spoke so glowingly about.
She was going to take matters into her hands, Arielle style.