Beverly felt betrayed. No, betrayed was not the word, she felt even worse, like her whole world came crashing down in the space of minutes. Deep down, she had expectations, trying to convince herself that it was nothing more than infatuation and it was going to pass. But she felt very foolish thinking about everything from the beginning. She wondered if the book Bryan showed to her was just a smokescreen to make her feel special, like the one who saw his most treasured possession. The dust on it, the careful way he handled it, was it all just for show? She didn't know anything about him, save the things he told her. She was living in a fantasy world and he wasn't to blame.
She held back tears as she drove even faster in a bid to clear her head. The music was turned to the max as she bobbed her head in appreciation of the sound. It was a love story through music, unrequited love. She'd have put herself in that position but she didn't even know if she ever met the real Bryan. He could have been acting everything, making her feel at home since she was alone with a total stranger. Instead of feeling better when she thought of that, she felt even worse. In the end, she was no better than a charity case, one he took pity on. Was any of it real? She mused inwardly.
She didn't see the car that sidled next to hers, didn't see Bryan trying to call out to her as a lone bike stood unmanned on the highway, and she didn't see it on time. Before she could do anything, Bryan's car slammed into hers, reducing the speed of her car considerably as she wrestled with the steering to gain control of it. She made it without a scratch but barely.
"I'm so sorry, I'll pay for the cost of fixing your car." Bryan apologized as he came running to her, heart beating erratically. He didn't know what he would have done if her car connected with the bike lying idly on the road. He didn't know if there was anything he'd have been able to do and that scared him more than anything else.
"Pay? You shouldn't say that. That was a, risky gamble but you saved me."
Beverly noted that his car took the full brunt of the impact in order to save her life. With such a revelation coming to life, there was no reason for her to be angry with him anymore. He did it thoughtlessly but had he not, she didn't know what would have happened to her and she shuddered to think of the implications.
"Are you hurt? Anywhere at all?" He asked like a doting parent, eyebrows creased in worry. She wanted to reassure him that she was fine but the feeling of him being all over her with that expression on his face was something she didn't want to get over.
"I'll live. Thank you once again." She offered him her thanks but he was looking right at her, seeing through her. He came up to her before she could object and took her arms in his. She felt her fingers warm considerably and the fingers that were shaking slowly stopped.
"Leave your car, I'll get someone to take it home for you," Bryan said taking charge of the situation like he was born for that moment. He didn't want to think about the fact that she was in greater danger than he'd ever anticipated, he didn't want to think about anything but making her worries go away.
To his shock, however, she didn't object and let him lead the way, arms around her shoulders in a bid to steady her. He helped her open the passenger door of his car and placed her on the seat gently, taking care not to harm any part of her. He entered into the car and drove off to his house as carefully as he could, the sound of his heartbeat in his eardrums testifying to how scary the situation actually was. He didn't want to lose her, he didn't want to lose her at all. It might have taken such a tremendous event to let it sink into his head, but he was glad for the wakeup call.
He drove as fast as his car could carry him, pulling out of the highway and into his driveway like a pro. He didn't applaud himself though, he didn't even notice but Beverly did. She saw the way he shook when she was in trouble, saw the way he alleviated her fears like the warmth of the hearth warding off the night chill. He was warding off the misgivings she had earlier and she couldn't pinpoint a valid reason to be mad at him, not after what he was going through.
Bryan took care not to startle her unnecessary, helping her by leading the way into his house. She didn't object and he was mighty glad for it. At least he knew that he'd find an avenue to rectify his mistakes, something not many people got. He was just grateful for the second chance, albeit it was scary.
"I'll make a cup of tea, please sit." He ushered her to a seat on the sofa, as he rushed to the kitchen and went about preparing a cup of steaming hot tea for Beverly. The events of that day played back in his mind and he had to wonder if the sheriff flippantly tossed out his most guarded secret or if it was because they were in trusted company.
He didn't know what to think about it, but he resolved to put it all out of his mind, at least until he'd taken care of Beverly to the best of his ability.
"Here, sip slowly, it's really hot." He advised as he placed the tray holding the saucer in her hands. She nodded her thanks to him as she grabbed the cup and top a small sip. He watched her like a mother would watch her young, his protective instincts kicking in. He knew that she worried about the car but he also knew that with his connections, her car would be as good as new in the next 24 hours. He called in a few favors and didn't regret any second of it.
"Thank you, for your thoughtfulness." Beverly managed to say as soon as she got her voice, giving him a small smile to signify that she forgave him for not telling her about his career. Though she wasn't one to talk, he knew virtually nothing about what she did and didn't pry in any way. She felt ashamed of the way she behaved to a man who'd been nothing but kind to her, going out of his way to see that she was doing well.
"It's fine, just glad to see color in your cheeks again," Bryan said and it was only then she noticed the color rushing to her cheeks, as he gave a sigh of relief. She knew that he was ready to put his life on the line for her, she just didn't know why. Was that what he did for everybody he came across? It didn't seem to be the case but she couldn't tell with him. He was an enigma, one she was still trying to figure out. Her heart raced erratically anytime he was near her but his presence was comforting and didn't make her want to bolt all of a sudden.
"Were you worried?" Beverly asked as she took a sip of the cup of tea she held, using it to cover the knowing smirk on her face. She was extremely comfortable with him, in ways she couldn't explain. It was like being with him came with its own brand of safety, beyond all others. She wasn't the sentimental type but whenever she was close to him, she couldn't seem to form coherent thoughts on why she avoided him in the first place. They were like two polar opposites yet attracted to each other by the sheer force of their will.
"Worried? Worried is an understatement. I wasn't worried, I was dying of worry. It felt scarier than those extreme sports shown on TV." Bryan said, his voice riddled with emotions. She could hear the emotions in his tone, his emotional walls were down and he was vulnerable before her. Yet instead of feeling fulfilled and trying to exploit it, Beverly felt a sense of loss creep upon her, like she lost something she didn't know she had.
"I've heard that it can be like that. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Definitely not a recommended experience for people with failing hearts. In fact, not a recommended experience for anybody." Beverly stated humor seeping into her tone in hopes that she'd lighten the atmosphere but that deep expression was etched on his face and refused to leave.
"Can I hold you? Just this once?" She heard the voice of Bryan and felt her heart melt. He looked lost, like a child thrown in the middle of nowhere. It would have been cute if it wasn't so heartbreaking.
"You can, you can. Hold me as long as you like." Beverly reached out to him as he threw his hands over her waist, face in her neck. She knew that it was a moment of weakness to him but that sight alone was enough to make her cry from the overwhelming feeling of love she felt emanating from him. It wasn't something she could mistake, it was different from anything she'd ever felt since then. He was like a gift in her arms, one she never wanted to let go of. She wanted that moment to last until the end of forever.
She didn't push him away and he didn't stop holding her. That singular feeling, of loving someone even when common sense demands you shouldn't, that feeling of ecstasy that couldn't be replicated anywhere else.
"Wanna hear a story?" She asked aloud, basking in the smell of the man holding onto her like a lifeline that'd leave it he let go. The feeling of being wanted, being treasured, nothing came close to that feeling, nothing she'd felt up until then ever prepared her for the intensity of emotions. She'd always heard about the art of love, the way it snags your soul, and never seemed to let go. She decided that it was all a part of an old wife’s fable, exaggerated tales told to garner a response from the recipient of the stories. She never believed it was real, the wholesome feeling that enveloped her being. It was like she finally had something worth holding on to, worth fighting for. She'd denied it time and time again, but she couldn't deny it anymore, she didn't even want to.
"Mmm." He murmured a response to signify that she should go on with her story and she knew there and then that she'd found what she was searching for, the culmination of everything she'd ever wanted in life was holding onto her and refusing to let go. It was a miracle, the miracle of love. It was wholesome and beautiful, there were no words to explain the feeling pooling in the pit of her stomach. The implications were staggering but for the first time, she wasn't afraid to take the leap into the unknown. Either she crashed and burned, or he caught her midway. Whichever way, she was going to throw caution to the wind and let her heart lead.
"..Once upon a time..." She began as she played with his hair, finally understanding why people raved about love. It wasn't just a word to be thrown around, the impact and implications of it was too vast to be taken lightly. She only hoped that she was worthy of love, worthy of the process it was going to take to get there. But until then, she'd listen to his heartbeat and fantasize some more.
Love, love is the bond that holds everything together. Without love, everything falls apart. Just staring at Bryan, Beverly knew that there was no truer statement than that in all of the world.