Chapter 1: The morning after
The first sound that he awoke to was the sound of running water, at the time he disregarded it thinking it was just raining outside. As he reached over to feel the woman he loved so much, the woman who brought him into her world and became his guiding light he noticed her absence from the bed they shared. As his eyes opened, he noticed the immaculate room they stayed in; every corner, every inch of this room brought back wave after wave of pleasure and memories as he remembered their intense and passionate love-making. Stephen thought back to all the trials, all the tribulations he endured watching the woman he had fallen in love with since the time her voice was in his head, and he came to the startling but blissful feeling that their connection, the bond they shared was akin to a soul mate bond.
Stephen hears the water shut off and he gets up eager to take the woman he loves into his arms and share his startling revelation. Seeing her as she opened the door to the bathroom, her hair wet from her shower, her feet lightly padding on the soft carpet, her legs; her long beautiful legs that led to every inch of her body that made him feel alive, that gave the woman he loved the most beautiful embodiment, all it did was drive him deeper and deeper into his love for her. "Good morning beautiful, last night was, well it was epic and something I cannot begin to put into words at how beautiful and how right it felt," exclaimed Stephen. The look in Cara's eyes however stopped what else he was going to say to her. And her next words shattered his world, broke his heart and completely broke him.
"Stephen, last night was a mistake and I regret it deeply, I was sad and lonely and feeling vulnerable and I let it consume me and gave in and slept with you. I don't love you, I still love John and desperately want him back." Cara couldn't believe what had just tumbled out of her mouth, it wasn't what she was coaching herself to say in the shower. Her mouth just said the first thing it could and the worst possible way to start this conversation, all she wanted was to tell Stephen that it was wrong and that it shouldn't have happened, she was with and in love with John. However the moment she said it, she knew she could never take those words back, and the sight of Stephen's eyes going dim like a part of him had died crushed her heart. Cara quickly tried to assure Stephen that they were still friends and that nothing would end that but in the end it was futile. Stephen had stopped listening after she said she didn't love him. All he could hear was the blood rushing to his head and feeling lightheaded, as if all the light in the world had grown dark, as if Ultra had just killed his father all over again.
Going through the mechanical actions he nodded his head and said the appropriate assurances despite not believing them himself. Stephen went through the motions of putting his clothes on and teleporting out. Leaving Cara behind with more than a little trepidation, his first thought being to get out of there, away from her.
Teleporting into his room, he immediately started punching the wall and breaking things around him as if they meant no consequence to him. Internally screaming over and over how the universe wasn't fair, how his father being taken away, how Astrid was being cold towards him because he accidentally read her mind and found out his best friend was in love with him. Unrequited love nonetheless. All of that plus his mother thinking he was crazy and continually trying to drug him as if that solved everything. Luca was off in his own world and rarely acted like a brother half the time and more like 2 ships passing in the night. Everything was falling apart and for once he couldn't be the voice of optimism anymore. Feeling his phone vibrate he see's its Ultra and his Uncle Jed calling him back to the office. Picking up the phone quickly he replies he will be there and asks his Uncle to talk with him privately. Going over to his computer and opening a file he previously sent to the trash, an email file containing a trip he won that he was sure with the way his life was now that he couldn't take anymore. But with the way his life was going now, he quickly printed out the tickets and sent a confirmation that he was going to use the tickets, he was going to Thaliand.
Stephen made his mind up right there and then, he wasn't needed nor wanted around by anyone. Stephen quickly made a list of pro's and con's, The pro's being that it would give him time and space away from everyone, time to move on from Cara and learn to be someone he wasn't sure existed. But the con's were that he would be away from Cara, his one true love and honestly didn't know how she would take it. The first thing he did however was put on his father's watch and cut off his bond to Cara. It was the first time he decided he wanted nothing to do with her, wanting her out of his head and more importantly out of his life.
Teleporting quickly over to Ultra, he met with his Uncle and quickly told him that he needed time and space away from Ultra, away from everything that things at home and school were driving him insane and he needed space, quickly giving his Uncle a hug and saying goodbye without waiting he never stopped to realized that it was the first time he hugged his evil psychotic Uncle. Uncle Jed had always been that stern authority figure and enemy of the Tomorrow people, it never occurred to him that Uncle Jed was also family and a living connection to his father. As he teleported out her barely heard his Uncle telling him not to misuse his powers; as Stephen got home he started quickly packing for his trip, grabbing his passports, his clothes, money from his emergency fund and a spare cell phone. Afterwards he sat down at his desk and looked around his room, looked at all the pictures and took in everything for a moment. Stephen knew that the moment he did this it would cause a massive backlash but this was something he needed.
As he sat there staring at the wall he grabbed a pen and a few sheets of paper and started penning out notes to the people closest to him wanting to justify and give them a reason as to why he was leaving and why he was cutting himself out of their lives. Staring with his mother he left her the most heartfelt note he could. Then he ripped it up and decided to add his brother into it as well so they both would know in one letter. Then he wrote to Astrid and explained his grief and his apologies as well as how sorry he was for doing this to her. Finally he wrote 2 more letters, one to John explaining things and finally the hardest part of all he wrote a letter to Cara. After he was done writing them he took a moment to read it out loud to see if it made sense, starting with the letter to his mother and brother.
Dear Mom and Luca,
First off before anything else I wanted to apologize, I haven't been the best brother and son you both deserve. Truth is, I haven't been feeling like myself in a long long time. It started when I met Cara and John. Something you both deserve to know is that I have powers, I know your probably laughing to yourselves thinking I am delusional, mom is probably thinking of calling the doctors and having the men in white coats come running for me. But its true. I have powers and have had them for several months now.
It started about 3 months back when I felt at my lowest that I had nothing left to live for, I heard this voice, a female voice in my head. At first I ignored it, did everything I could to avoid it, but it kept talking to me, and eventually wore down my resolve and I started actively talking to it. Eventually after 3 months of this, I met the voice, the girl. Her name is Cara. Yes, mom the same Cara that you have heard me talking and/or raving about. Cara and others like her have powers like mine. Though they claim my powers are stronger and better and they come from Dad. I don't really believe them but it is what it is. They told me I was the "Chosen One" I am pretty sure they think I will leave them to some place called "The Refuge" something Dad told them about. I have no idea what crazy they are talking about but whatever. Every day I look at their young eager faces and see just how much hope and belief they have in me and it makes me cringe at how much they believe some myth.
But thats not all of the reason why I have to leave for a little while. The truth is, this past year has given me both ups and downs, but more downs. Meeting Cara, she was everything to me. She was my light in the darkness, my one true love. She and I share this connection, this psychic bond between us that lets me know even when I am physically alone, she is there, always there for me. I grew to draw strength and comfort and eventually love through it. Yes Luca, I said love. I love Cara. Actually its more than that, its the fact that Cara is my one and done. I always look at her and see a future. Until last night and this morning. Cara and I slept together, it was both the most exhilarating experience of my life and the worst. Exhilarating because I had finally gotten into bed with the woman who I wanted to share and build a life with. But it was the worst because I also knew that she was in a relationship with John and that it would ruin all our friendships. But what happened was that she told me it was a mistake, a regret and that it would never happen again and they she only saw me as a friend. I cant begin to tell you how devastated I feel right now. How much heartbreak I am suffering from right now. Cara took my heart, my love and stepped on it, burned it, and finally threw it back in my face. My heart shattered into millions of pieces and honestly I don't know how I will go on living here so close to her and watching her with John or some other guy, but not me.
So I am leaving, I am getting out of here and away from her. I know its petty and cruel and probably something Dad would do. But I need my time and space away from her. I need to learn who I am in the world. I am sorry if my leaving hurts you both but its not forever, its only until I get my bearings and then I will come straight home. I will try to call when I can.
Love always your son and brother,
Stephen Jameson
Reading over his letter to his family he quickly put it into a sealed envelope and left it on his bed. Going over his letter to Astrid he didn't put in nearly enough detail or much else, he just simply apologized and begged her forgiveness while telling her to see his Mom's letter for why. Then came the harder of the 2 letters left. John and Cara's. John's letter was short and sweet. Telling him that he slept with Cara and that while he didn't regret it at all and that he loved Cara, Cara made it plainly obvious that she didn't love him back and outright told him it was a lie and a mistake. Apologizing to John and telling him to tell the group that he would be back someday and that this wasn't forever. He left it on his bed like the last letter.
Cara's letter took the longest time to read through as he had tears in copious amounts running down his face, he poured his heart and soul and heartbreak into the letter wanting to make sure she knew exactly how he felt and why he was leaving her and everything else behind.
Cara,
Its funny, how a simple small 4 lettered name invokes such meaning and passionate feelings of love and beauty to me. You have absolutely no idea what you truly mean to me. When everything else in my life was going wrong when I thought I was going crazy, you were there for me. Granted half the reason I thought I was crazy was your voice in my head. But either way I came to rely on it, depend on it and realized just how much I loved it. You were always in my corner, always there with advice or just a pep talk or there to listen. And I cherished it and dare I say it, loved it in every way. You were there for me when I needed someone the most. These past few months, meeting you and working with and side by side with you have been some of the most amazing moments of my life. Yes Russell and the others are amazing friends and I am grateful to be apart of their lives and they mine. But it was always you. You had to have known that, you were the reason I came to the lair every day. You were my reason for being. The bond we share, this connection, you have no idea just how much it truly meant to me to be connected to such an amazing and strong and powerful woman. But like all fairy tales it had to come to an end. I thought that when we finally came together, became a couple, we would confess our love towards one another and get a happily ever after. But that didn't happen, instead I woke to seeing and hearing that the woman I loved with all my heart and soul. Who had completely free access to mind anytime she liked, not because she could, but because I had no secrets to hide from her and nothing but complete trust in her, would destroy me so utterly.
When I look back at all those times, we spent together, those quiet moments, the eye sex we basically had seeing each other. It breaks my heart even more. I feel every inch of my body in flames, you have truly deeply taken my heart and ripped it to pieces, stepped on it, stabbed it and then set it on fire while burning it with acid. I never, not once stopped to think about you not returning my feelings for you. You never came out and told me you didn't want it, I mean we kissed that night, several times, flirted heavily and made love that night. But it was nothing to you. And thats why I have to go. I know you will try to stop me, but by the time you get this letter I will be long gone and I wont be back till I am ready to. You broke my heart Cara Coburn, you broke it and broke my spirit. You were my everything and now I feel like I am nothing without you. I know I shouldn't be blaming you, but in all honesty, I thought with how much the universe was pushing us together, I thought that it meant something, that we were destined for one another.
But that was a lie wasn't it. It wasn't destiny or meant to be, it was just going to end in heartache. I love you Cara, and I am sorry I didn't make that clear enough that night, But you are everything and so much more to me. I could never ever love anyone as much as I do you.
I don't know where I am going, or what I will do when I get there, But I do know, that I have to do this, not just for myself but for everyone. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I am sorry for the heart ache and pain I will cause by leaving but I need this for me. I need to be as far away as I can from you. Because I don't think I can live watching you with John or someone else. Its not fair to either of us and I hope someday you will forgive me.
Goodbye Cara, love always,
Stephen
With the letters written and left on his bed, Stephen Jameson grabbed his back and headed out and off to the airport with his powers. Quickly buying a ticket to Thailand he paid for in cash to keep credit card transactions away from T.I.M. for as long as possible. Waiting to check-in, he thought back through all his life had gone through to this moment. Vowing never to be a sucker like this again, he boarded the plane to start the next chapter in his life, not realizing the heartache and pain and suffering he left behind for Cara and the people who regarded him as a savior.