Revelations, story continued

“I don’t know. There’s no easy answer to that question. I mean, we don’t know each other, we have never been friends, and we have different social circles. You hung out with the pretty, popular people. Attended school functions, dances, prom, and things like that. After I quit wrestling, I didn’t have much time for that sort of thing.  I mean things change so quickly you never know what’s going to happen. You live your life the way you want to, who am I to judge you?” he blurted out quickly turning his head away from her direct gaze.

Reaching out slowly, she turned his face to hers and stared at him for a moment. The anguish in his soul visible in the pain reflecting deep within his eyes.  “Why did you come to find me?”

“Because your parents asked me too,” he replied quietly.

“No, the real reason,” she demanded equally quiet.

“I can’t,” he said and tried to turn away again.

“Please,” she asked with soft urgency in her voice, needing to hear him say what she already knew.

“Because I thought, stupidly, that maybe, if…” he started, “that maybe you would understand how I feel about you.”

“Oh, and how do you feel about me? ” she pressed.

“Why are you doing this to me?” he asked suddenly standing up and walking a few paces away.  “When we get back, you’ll return to your life and run off back to college and your friends. The same ones who think I’m weird.”

Startled by his statement, she sat there a looked at him for an eternity before standing and replying to his question. “Why? Because I want to know why you came and not my so-called boyfriend? Not one of my, no, not any of my so-called friends?”

He stared at her for a moment, inhaled a deep breath, her scent filling his lungs, and slowly exhaled. “Your mom told me that your boyfriend was afraid to look for you during the storm, but he promised to go out right after it blew out. She was worried and remembered the time I dropped off some flowers for your birthday, so she called me, hoping I would help. I don’t know about your other friends.”

“Flowers? When?” she questioned, suddenly remembering a bouquet of summer flowers left on her front porch two years ago with an unsigned card wishing her a happy birthday and a beautiful charcoal portrait of her face inside.

“A couple of years ago,” he said, resigned to his fate. His shoulders slumped forward in defeat, the trails of this adventure suddenly draining him of all energy.

“O my God. That was you,” she exclaimed, covering her mouth with the her hand. “All this time, and you never told me. Why? How? What an a-hole!”

He looked at her in shock, not expecting that response at all. “I didn’t tell…”

“What. No, not you. Well, yes, you too. But I mean that prick of a boyfriend, he let me believe that the flowers and card were from him. He told me that he had someone make that charcoal relief of me.  He lied to me. As for you, why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Scared.”

“Scared? Scared of me? Why?” she demanded.

“Look at you. Beautiful. Smart. Sexy. You have everything. I asked you out once when we were Juniors, and you told me to take a hike. You don’t date losers. After that, your friends harassed me for a while. I decided it was easier to just avoid contact with you than deal with the pain of rejection again.”

Swallowing the lump that had suddenly developed in her throat, “After all of that, you still came for me?”

“Yes.”

She stared at him, taking the time to really see him for the man he had become. His body was long and lean, the muscles hard and rippled from hours of hard work, not hours in the gym. His skin deeply tanned for long days in the sun but blemished from scars and life on a ranch. His face was not exactly handsome in the traditional sense but more rugged and comforting, the face of someone who would always be there for you. His hands and arms were strong but gentle, reassuring, and comforting. Safe. She found herself suddenly unable to breathe; why had she not ever seen him this way before. She knew the answer but didn’t want to admit it to herself. Making a decision, she stepped back a little and turned to face him. Blushing a light pink she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, letting it slide from her shoulders to fall gently to the ground. She followed his gaze as he once again blushed, taking in all of her. His arousal apparent, his passion overwhelming, his eyes devouring her. Reaching out, she took his hand.