Through Kate's eyes….
The music played loud and energetic as we entered. Scott's eyes found mine when we walked in and he ran to me for a hug.
"Seth filled me in. So we have time before the sacrifice!" he said exuberantly. I nodded and Scott glanced down at my and Richards intertwined fingers. He raised an eyebrow and gave me a quizzical look. I smiled sheepishly and shook my head. Richard pulled me gently towards the bar where Seth was talking on a cell phone. He looked agitated.
"Where is Tanner?" Richard asked when we reached Seth. Seth put a finger up to silence Richard.
"Yes. I know! Alright, we will see you then!" he snapped as he hung up the call.
"Tanner left as soon as we got back. Figured we didn't need him anymore," snapped Seth throwing back his drink.
"Who was that?" asked Richard.
"Just some collectors. I'm going to meet them tonight in El Gresson. I'll be back in the morning," replied Seth giving Richie a pat on the back before heading for the door.
"Do you need me to go with you?" asked Richie uncertainly.
Seth turned back and gave his brother a half smile.
"I got this, plus I think you might be a little busy," replied Seth nodding towards our hands. I could feel my face flush as Seth walked out the bar doors.
What now? I thought as I looked up at Richie. He seemed just as uncertain as I.
"Well this is awkward," quipped Scott. I shot him a glare as I led Richie away from the crowd and towards my room. He followed easily, which seemed like a good sign. When I got to my door he stopped in his tracks. I turned towards him with wonder.
"Can we go to my room?" he asked. It was one of the two times I had seen him look nervous. He still held my hand as I nodded and we walked towards his door. I hadn't ever been in his room and I was quite curious as to what it would look like.
He opened his door a crack and then turned to me.
"Could you wait here for just a second?" he asked me. I nodded.
"Sure." And he dashed into the room. The door was slightly ajar and I was able to see him scrambling trying to pick up random pieces of clothing or trash that hadn't made it into the bin. I smiled at his labors. It seemed so normal!
"Come on in," he called and I entered.
His room was much like mine except he only had a single bed. The comforter was a dark blue with matching sheets. He had an adjoining bathroom and vanity like mine except his room looked lived in. He had books by the nightstand and several stacks on a table. As I walked in I caught the title, "Dracula" among the stacks and stifled a giggle.
"What's so amusing?" he asked. I realized he was watching me closely.
I stepped over to the bed side table and gently picked up the gothic novel, the title facing outward.
"Oh, well, come on! It's a classic," he replied.
"I guess it's just ironic," I replied replacing the book. I sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced through the other books he had stacked there. The silence stretched.
"Kate?" Richard whispered. He was standing in the same spot with his hands in his pockets.
"Hmm?" I replied looking up at him. How do we do this? What was the protocol? Neither of us seemed to know.
I patted the spot next to me on the bed and Richard sat next to me.
"What do we do now?" I asked him. I couldn't look him in the face.
"I don't know," he replied and I had to look up because he was smiling sheepishly. He looked like a normal guy who was nervous, I decided to change the subject.
"Did you read all of these?" I asked gesturing to the many books. Richard took off his black jacket and got up to hang it in the closet with several others. He wore his black vest over a black dress shirt and black tie. He seemed more comfortable without the jacket at least.
"I try to. I don't sleep well," he said resuming his seat next to me.
"Why not?" I asked. I had assumed that Culebra's just naturally slept well during the day.
"Bad dreams," he replied looking at his hands, "of you."
That caught me off guard. Culebra's dream? Well, I guess I already knew that but, what could he have dreamt that kept him from sleeping?
"Really?" I asked. He nodded.
"Mostly the same dream of the night Carlos shot you. When you told me there was no love left and that you hoped I burned in hell," he whispered. He was staring at his clasped hands and I felt a surge of pity for him. I remembered that night and how angry I was. Could anyone blame me? I was sure I was dying and for nothing. I didn't know my resurrection would occur. I didn't know that I would get a second chance. Slowly I placed my hand in his.
"I dreamt of you too," I managed to say, my throat felt extremely dry. He ran his thumb over my knuckles gently.
"Kate, I'm sorry about that night. I'm sorry about getting you mixed up in all of this," he said as if the words had been trying to escape from him in urgency.
I faced him.
"Richard, you don't have to apologize," I whispered. I took my hand and rested it on his shoulder as I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. He seemed so much more fragile than I had ever seen him before. He responded placing both his hands on the sides of my face and pulling me closer.
It was like we were melting into one another. Before I knew it we lay across his bed, arm in arm and unwilling to let go. He seemed everywhere to me. His hands on my face, my waist, my breast and my back. My hands trying to undo his tie and remove the buttons on his vest. I didn't even notice the things going on around us until his hand found the hemo of my skirt and pulled it up.
I gasped without meaning to.
"What is it," he said looking a little nervous. I thought for a moment. Should I tell him? Should I ignore it?
I decided to be honest.
"I….ummm….im a virgin," I whispered my face burning under the embarrassment. I don't know why that seemed to make me flush. Richard smiled sweetly.
"I know. If you want me to stop then I will," he whispered kissing me gently. I shook my head, I wanted this.
"You sure?" he asked. I nodded. Gently before anything else could happen, I pulled Richards glasses from his face and placed them on the side table before covering his mouth with mine and letting ecstasy take over once again.
Sometime later, I'm not sure how much, I lay with my head across Richards chest. Funny to lay there and not hear a heartbeat but, feel the body breathing bellow me.
Our clothing had been shredded in the frenzy to be with one another. I was so worried about it hurting the first time but, surprisingly it was better than I imagined. There was a small moment of light pain but it soon faded and I was caught up. The bed had moved a little though. I smiled at the memory. Just as we both were reaching our peak Richards face seemed to transform to its Culebra form. He almost stopped but, I beckoned him not to. It didn't bother me. Then I felt the power raise up inside of me and the bed levitated for a short period. I giggled at how ridiculous it must have all looked.
"What's so funny?" Richard asked tightening his hold on me, like he was afraid I would disappear. I lifted my head to look at him.
"Nothing," I replied kissing him lightly before settling my head back on his chest. He reached over to his discarded pants and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered me one and I sat up with a sheet wrapped around my waist and rested my back against the head board. We smoked insilence but it was a comfortable silence. I yawned involuntarily.
"You should get some sleep," said Richard.
"What about you?" I asked. I didn't want him to go. He sighed.
"I need to call Seth. Make sure he got to the collectors," he replied. I nodded. He needed to work and frankly, I was tired, it had been a long night in a series of long nights. I stubbed out my smoke and lay back down next to Richard.
He snubbed his as well and turned to get up.
"Wait," I said and he rolled to face me.
I ran my fingers down his bare chest.
"I think you should know something. I know that night haunts you but, Richard…" I didn't know how to say this without tearing up. How could I tell him without scaring him off, or worse him thinking he had to say it back? A tear ran down my face and he wiped it away. I could tell he was sweating what I would say.
"There is no love lost. If you burn in hell, I want to be there with you," I whispered and glanced up at his face.
It was incredibly hard to read. He looked like I had slapped him. I couldn't tell if he was angry or happy. Then, ever so slowly he smiled and kissed me hard pulling me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. I knew he wouldn't walk away from me. Not now when we both needed one another and had put all of our issues to rest. Richard would never be the Christian boy that my father and I had envisioned I would end up with. I wouldn't be the fierce Culebra with stiletto shoes and world champion fighting skills. Yet in our flaws, we had found a common ground to meld together making a perfect shape. Whether I survive for one hundred years or one thousand and whether I end up in paradise or fighting off the vultures who would use me as a weapon, I knew Richard would be there beside me.
In the end, isn't that what everyone wants? Someone to fight with them and to love with them when the world seems to fall? Even if we died trying I knew that Richard and I would do that for one another. The world would just have to accept it and accept us, or the hell we could bring would be momentous.
