JENNIE
Lisa's alarm was blaring throughout the room. I bolted upright as she turned it off.
"Sorry," Lisa said, dropping her head back on the pillow.
I pressed my lips to her forehead. "I wanted to ask you, why are you afraid of roller coasters?"
"Oh, it's an old story. When I was a kid, I saw this video of a roller coaster car jumping off the track and crashing with full speed to the ground, full of people. The footage showed the people's necks snapping, and their heads rolling into unnatural positions. I barely kept my breakfast down after seeing it. Since then, I just don't trust these rides. I managed to ditch them almost all my life. The one in Barcelona was the first adventure park I had visited in years."
"What about today?" I asked.
"I understand now that these parks are better engineered and safe compared to the one I saw in that video. I'm not even sure that video was taken in the US. Even so, I will hold your bag and enjoy the junk food they sell there."
My phone rang. I took it out, and the screen showed Kai's name. Lisa noticed, the skin under her eyes tightening, but she tried to smile. "Go ahead, take it."
I crawled out of the blanket, my negligee hiding nothing. Lisa glanced at me, and her eyes lingered on my body, the hungry grin on her lips. I giggled. Her stare made my core burning hot. I grabbed my phone and went to the living room.
"Hey," I greeted hesitantly, picking up.
"Hi," Kai replied, his voice strained. "Is everything alright? I haven't heard from you for a few days."
I just couldn't bring myself to call him. I knew what I had to do when I went back. So, I sent him messages saying everything was okay along with pictures of LA and the beach. I took a deep breath.
"Yes, sorry, we were busy." It sounded harsh. "Can you imagine I surfed yesterday? And it appears I am decent at it!" I added in a more cheerful tone.
"Of course you would be. You love the water," he laughed, his deep warm laugh, familiar. My heart was filled with guilt. He always gave me his constant support, and I would need to break it soon.
"How's work?" I asked, changing the subject.
He told me about the latest deadline and that it was crazy how much information they needed to gather before it. He said that all he did now was work, crawl back home late only to grab dinner and fall asleep, with every day being the same.
"I envy your vacation. The sun would do me good now." Kai's voice was tired.
"You need to start searching for a new job, like we discussed. There won't be any time later. After this deadline, there will be another. They won't give you a break, and you know it."
I was worried about him, and the news I was about to break when I got back would hit him hard.
"I will think about it when you're back." Every time he came up with an excuse, I thought he secretly enjoyed the amount of work they gave him; it gave him the impression of being a valuable asset.
"Kai, please, at least prepare a resume."
"Okay, okay," he sighed. I knew he wouldn't. He cleared his throat. "What are you going to do today?"
"We're going to a roller coaster park. Lisa, me, and her neighbors: Jack, John, and Ian."
"You're going with three men?"
"Jack and John are married, and Ian is their nine-year-old son."
Kai paused. "Do you mean they are gay?" he asked, a tinge of amusement in his voice.
"Yes," I replied, my voice getting a bit protective.
We didn't have any gay friends at home. Kai was open minded, but he had never really talked to a gay person. Well, it appeared he lived with a bisexual woman, which was close. But he still had no idea.
Kai whistled. "And how are they? Did you meet them already?" he asked.
"Yes, and they are the sweetest couple. You would like them." I didn't know anyone who wouldn't.
He paused. "Jennie, I miss you so much. Thank God you will be home soon."
I took a deep breath. Yes, I'd be back soon. But it meant leaving Lisa, which was like a knife blow to my heart. I knew I would leave my heart with her and take my body back to the Ukraine to hurt the person I cared about.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." I knew I sounded like a jerk not saying I missed him. I did miss him, but it was now more like missing a brother.
"Have a great day today. I know how you love the rides. Ride the scariest and send me pictures," he chuckled. "I'm going to bed now."
"Good night, Kai."
"Bye." He hung up. I dropped my head in my hands. This was difficult, the lie, and I knew the breakup would be raw. He was so used to me, so comfortable, that he would laugh off my love for Lisa.
The bedroom door creaked slightly. I turned my head, and there was Lisa standing in the doorway. She was wrapped in a towel, her face worried.
"How was it?" she asked.
"He misses me, but I don't really miss him. He wants me back, but I don't want to go back. He can feel something isn't right. He's working his head off for that stupid firm, and in a few days, I will break his heart."
Lisa stepped closer and took a deep breath, her eyebrows drawing together. "I am so sorry."
"This is the right thing, I know, I can feel it." I put my hand to my heart. "But Kai and I have a history together, and it will be difficult for both of us. Later he will make sense of it, especially when he is holding the baby he has dreamed about. He will forgive me. And I just can't stay with him when I am in love with another person …"
I froze. I said it. Lisa looked at me wide eyed.
She put a hand on the side of my face, gently pulling me up.
"I heard that another person is head over heels in love with you." Lisa smiled. "I am sorry you will be hurt when you break up with him, and I wish I could help you. I can go back with you if you want."
"Thanks, but I need to sort it out myself."
"I knew you'd say that," Lisa said, tracing my earlobe with her fingers.
"But you can help me now," I replied, tugging on the corner of her towel and dropping it to the floor. She stood completely naked in front of me. The view hitched my breath, her beautiful body, the softest forms. I couldn't stop myself from cupping her breast in my hand. She looked directly at me, not moving. My Goddess.
"You said another person likes me." I squeezed her gently.
"Yes," she murmured, "very much." Lisa was holding my gaze.
I touched her inner thigh, slowly tracing her skin up. Her breathing quickened, and the rise and fall of her chest became more prominent. Her lips parted, but still she looked straight at me.
"You said you are in love with me," she whispered.
I moved closer and put my lips close to her ear.
"Yes, Lisa, I am so deeply in love with you that sometimes I can't breathe." And I slid my finger inside her. She inhaled sharply. I put another arm around her, gently pressing her into my body. As I moved my fingers inside her, I said, "I want to be with you every moment of my life. I want to stay close."
Lisa moaned lightly, and she trembled beneath my hands.
"Your body is the most exquisite thing I have ever seen," I whispered in her ear. "Your soul is kind and clear, and your mind is sharp." She was so hot, her body was moving in my arms, her breath ragged. I held her when she cried from pleasure, I held her when she stopped. I whispered, "I love you, Lisa." And I pressed her closer with both of my arms.
"Jennie," she said, her voice breaking, and she kissed me. That kiss showed what she wanted to say. It was the most tender, open feeling. I felt her heart beating close to mine. And the wave of happiness that engulfed us made us stronger.
--
We were packed in Jack's enormous SUV. The back row of seats was reserved for us. The middle row was Ian's. Jack had prepared a basket of snacks for us, as well. I'd never been so at ease with the people I barely knew. Jack hugged me when we reached their house.
"When she is with you, she's glowing," he said, smiling and looking at Lisa, who stood aside speaking to John. "Thank you," he added, his eyes filling with tears. He blinked fast and squeezed my arm.
When we climbed into the car, Jack snapped a photo of all of us from the front seat. Everyone was beaming, including Ian, and that boy always had such a serious old-man expression.
"Jennie, tell us more about Ukraine," John suggested with a grin.
I moved closer to the front row; the car was so long it felt like I needed to shout from the rear seats.
"Your people are sure showing the world strength, loyalty and heroism," Jack sighed.
I nodded. "Ukrainians are completely different. They are protective, resilient and extremely strong-minded. Let's take for example the first meeting between people. Americans are open and mostly smiling, while at home people are more reserved. The difference is that at home when you meet a person, you don't trust them at all, and that person needs to prove that he is trustworthy. Here, I think people tend to see the positive in each other from the beginning, and then a person can lose someone's trust by doing something bad. Ukrainians are grumpier and more serious around strangers."
"I am like the Ukrainians," Ian said.
The car erupted with laughter.
"Yes, you are," I chuckled. "And their way of life is completely different. People mostly live in apartments they own. Some rent, but most try to buy them. Ukrainians love to show off, driving a car they can't afford, wearing name-brand clothes that are super expensive there and cheap here."
"What about the restaurants?" Jack asked.
"Because of high competition in recent years, many new coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants were opened. Each one tries to attract customers by maintaining the highest standards: The food, the design of a place, and the service is extremely high quality. And compared to the US, prices are much lower. So, in Kyiv, there is a huge number of stylish places, and I would say it's a nice place for gastro tourism. And there are a variety of bars. For example, there is one where bartenders and waiters are dressed as nurses, and shots are served in test tubes. If you want to order an extreme cocktail, one of the nurses can put a shot in a syringe and help you drink it."
"Sounds crazy," Jack laughed.
"I would love to visit Kyiv," Lisa said, and I looked at her, trying to imagine her in my home city. It was an image I would love to see.
"What are your plans after this?" John asked.
"Jennie flies back home the day after tomorrow." Lisa took my hand in hers and squeezed lightly. "And then we are going to arrange her transfer to the Barcelona office."
She glanced at me with her ocean eyes, and I nodded.
"We want her to spend some time closer to Ukraine, so Jennie won't be far from her family," she continued.
"We will give Barcelona a year," I said. "Then we'll see."
"Will your management be okay with your transfer, Lisa?" John asked, always focused on business.
"They will be happy for me to go somewhere. They have been asking me to choose an office I would like to go to so I can help them with their growth."
Sitting here in the car going to the adventure park, the endless highway winding in front of us, the cars speeding along, the hills on the horizon; I kept forgetting that Lisa was at the top at Benzon. She was an important figure.
"Jennie, what about you? Will they allow you to transfer?" Jack asked.
"I am a graphic designer, and I can do my tasks anywhere. We don't have a lot of meetings and when we do, I can be connected online. One of my colleagues has been working from an island in Thailand for a year now. And my manager said that my colleague's productivity grew compared to him sitting in the office. So, I can either work remotely or in the office in Barcelona. I think I will stay with my current team."
"Lisa always wanted to live outside of the US," Jack said. "I'm glad you're doing it."
The park was looming in the distance. A track the height of a skyscraper bent straight into the sky, a slithering ride curled in mind-bending arcs and an immense tower loomed in the middle, smaller loopy rides looking lost between the giants. Lisa caught sight of me gaping and giggled.
"I can't understand you people," she said, shaking her head.
"It's your choice, but you are missing a lot of fun and adrenaline," John chided, waving a dismissive hand with a grin.
When we entered the park, they showed me the craziest rides. While Lisa was waiting down on the ground, Jack, John, and Ian created a tour for me, starting with the easiest and ending with the highest and fastest. There weren't a lot of people in the park, so we didn't have to wait in long lines.
In two hours, my head started pounding because of the pressure from the rides. Jack and John didn't seem to notice it, as they were always saying go-go-go. I remembered Lisa mentioning that they had bodies like astronauts. I took an aspirin, which quickly helped, and we went on to the next one.
This one looked like a big hammer with seats placed in a circle. The circle rotated, and the hammer swung. It didn't look scary or fast. Jack and John decided to skip it and stay with Lisa. I was pretty excited, so Ian kept me company.
We took our seats, and Ian's legs dangled in the air. He was small for his age. Jack waved, and Lisa gave me a dazzling smile.
"You know," Ian said, "I have known Lisa almost all my life, and I have never seen her this happy."
I turned to him, and he was looking intently at Lisa.
"She always had this sadness in her. Daddy said it's because her parents left her. You know, my birth parents left me too." Ian shifted his gaze directly at me, his clear green eyes searching my face.
I nodded.
"But I have my family now. We found each other, and now I am not alone. But Lisa, she was always alone. We take care of her, but it's not the same. With you, she is blooming and always smiling. Please don't leave her." He was so sincere.
"Why would I leave her?" I asked, furrowing my brows.
"I don't know, people sometimes leave. So please don't leave her," he repeated.
Ian cared so much. I stared at him, and my eyes stung. This boy knew things little boys should not know. He knew about being abandoned and the power of family and healing.
"I won't. I will stay close to her as long as she wants me to," I said.
"Promise?"
"I promise," I agreed with a nod.
Ian reached out a hand for me to shake. I stared at it, a small, pale palm. I took it, and we shook. His eyes never left my face.
"You are a good person. I like you," Ian said. "But my dad says I need to protect people I care about."
The seats shook under us, and we started moving. My jaw still hung open from this encounter. Lisa caught my eye and burst out laughing. I assumed they saw us shaking hands. I liked this little guy; he was like an adult trapped in a child's body. Even now when we swung quite high, he was sitting firmly with the faintest smile on his lips.
I let go of the railing, took my feet off the panel, and let the force of movement sway me. In a moment, Ian did the same. He turned to me and smiled. For a few seconds, we didn't feel a gravity pull, and we both giggled.
When we reached Jack and John's house, full of the snacks that had been waiting for us in the car, it was dark already. Ian grabbed his tablet from the car seat and ran inside.
"Let me show you something." John beckoned Lisa and me to the closed garage door. He pressed the key, and the door started moving up. Inside was huge. There was an empty space for the SUV, and a shining black Mercedes sedan stood in the middle. A smaller car was hidden under the cover in the far corner. John reached it and pulled down the fabric. It was a silver BMW vintage convertible. I whistled. I was not a car expert, but this one was a true beauty.
"It's your last day here tomorrow," he said, turning to me. "Take this rusty thing for a ride." He threw the keys to Lisa, who caught them.
"But …" she looked at John wide eyed, "are you sure?"
"Sure, it needs some fresh air."
"Thank you," Lisa said in a shaky voice. She pressed the keys to her chest and tipped her head to the side, watching him closely.
"Thank you, John," I chimed.
Jack stepped closer to John and hugged him. I noticed how John breathed in softly and burrowed his face in Jack's neck. His hands were slightly shaking.
We said good night and thanked them for the day.
"Tell Ian bye from us," I said, my chest expanding from the feeling of a connection with this family.
"I will." Jack winked.
We took our bags and went to Lisa's house. When we were inside, I dropped my things and turned to Lisa. She was standing in the doorway, looking at the keys in her hand.
I moved closer to her.
"I assume this is an important car?" I asked.
"It was John's father's car. He died last year from coronary artery disease. They built it together. His father had it shipped from Germany, and it arrived rusty and neglected. John spent years rebuilding it with his father. After his father died, John couldn't drive it. There were too many memories. It has been standing in his garage for a year."
"Oh." That was all I could say as I rubbed my neck. "Did you know John's father?"
"Yes, he was a wonderful man. It hit John pretty hard. Thank God Jack and Ian were there every minute for him. It helped him stay away from a deep well of depression. John doesn't remember his mother well, as she died when he was four-year-old. His dad was everything to him."
"I hope it will help John to see the car on the road tomorrow," I said.
--
The garage door stood open in the morning. Jack and John had left for work, and Ian was at school. It still amazed me how you could leave your things open and nobody would take anything. But this neighborhood was a closed one, so it was doubly secure.
Lisa reached the car, tracing its hood with her fingers.
"I always dreamed of driving it. Wait till you hear how it purrs."
There was a note on the steering wheel. "Have a great trip! We love you!"
We packed sandwiches and blankets and then took our seats in the car. Lisa was looking with awe at the panel. It was vintage, with beautiful old brown leather. She put the key in the ignition.
"Are you ready?" She smiled at me.
I nodded. The engine revved, making my eyes go wide. "Wow, it's loud."
For me, it sounded like a massive muscle car, and it was unusual for such a small convertible.
"Custom-made." Lisa grinned.
We rolled out of the garage. The road was clear as we moved in the direction of Malibu. Lisa pressed the gas pedal, and we were pushed back into our seats from the thrust of speed. This car was a true beast hidden in the body of a princess.
Lisa was concentrating on the road; she was enjoying it so much. I was enjoying her, her dark hair disheveled from the wind, a smile on her full lips, and her pale skin glistening from the sun. She noticed me watching her, took my hand in hers, and kissed it. Then she dropped my hand and shifted the gear. Of course it was manual.
The ocean appeared between the hills. I was in awe of the dazzling blue, the roar of the engine, the wind in my ears, and the speed.
I closed my eyes. I couldn't shake the feeling that it would all end soon. Soon, I'd be back home, in the grey drizzle, and this would be just a dream. Lisa was my sweet dream. I opened my eyes and looked around. I was still here. Lisa was still by my side. I let out a deep breath.
We parked by the ocean. The parking lot was almost empty since it was during the week, and it was a bit chilly out, but the sun warmed my skin. We took the stairs down to the beach. Empty. Huge boulders were scattered here and there.
We walked in silence for a few minutes.
"I don't want to leave tomorrow," I admitted, stopping to look at Lisa. "I have this crazy thought that all of this isn't real, that you are not real. And that the moment I leave you, it will all be gone."
"Don't," Lisa said, pressing two fingers to my lips. "What we have is real." She touched my cheek, tracing my brow. "We will see each other in two weeks, and if not, I will come to Kyiv and stay with you. Now that I found you, I intend on keeping you close, here." She smiled and put a hand to her heart. "Always."
I kissed her, and she kissed me back. Our movements were desperate; we were trying to feel as much as possible before our separation. My hands roamed her body, her hair, and her sweet scent domineered all my senses.
I took her hand and led her to a huge boulder. Behind it was a small space between the hill and the rock. The sun was up high shining directly onto this small cove, making it warm. Here, we were hidden from the outside world. We dropped to the sand, finding it was cold, but our bodies were on fire. We were a mess of limbs, of sounds.
"I love you," I kept whispering, "I love you, I love you, I love you."
Lisa covered my lips with hers. She kissed my body, leaving a burning trail after each kiss, and I could see our future together. Looking in her eyes, I knew that we could make it work. And I felt that this was real.
We tried to shake the sand from our hair and clothes. It would be barbaric to sit in the car this way, leaving the sand literally everywhere. We giggled while trying to get rid of it.
After our encounter, we strolled down the beach, just by the water's edge. Lisa said that on Monday she would speak with her boss about transferring to Barcelona.
"He will ask how long I want to stay there," she said.
"A year?" I asked.
She raised a brow. "And then?"
"Back here," I replied simply.
Lisa stopped walking and turned to me. "Really?"
"I love it here. And I don't want to take you away from the people you love. A year is quite a long time. I know that it's not the same when you visit as a tourist compared to living here, but I think I'll manage." I grinned. "Of course, only if you want me to," I added.
Lisa was smiling. "I love how you see us together in the future."
"Don't you?" I asked.
"I see us growing old together," she laughed.
We resumed walking, hiding our smiles.
"I will speak with my team manager on Monday as well. I assume she will be fine with everything. As long as I am online for weekly meetings, and since the time difference between Barcelona and Kyiv is small, there won't be any problem. LA to Kyiv is more of a problem regarding time difference, but we'll figure it out closer to the date."
It appeared that Benzon probably would finance Lisa's stay in Barcelona by providing her with a flat. The plan sounded easy enough, except the part where I needed to break up with Kai. I tried to hide this realization from myself. But a nail dug deep into my heart every time I imagined his face.
When we reached Jack and John's house, they heard the noise and stepped outside to meet us. There were tears in John's eyes, but he was smiling.
Lisa parked the car in the garage.
"How was it?" Jack asked, stepping closer to us.
"Amazing." Her face was radiant. "It drives even better than I imagined. We might have left some sand on the seats though. Let me come by and clean it tomorrow."
Jack peeped inside the car. We tried to shake off the sand, but some had stuck. It wasn't really bad.
"How did you like it?" John asked me.
"I wasn't expecting it to sound like that," I laughed. "But thank you for letting us use it. It really made our day. Please do not hide this beauty in the garage; it should ride and shine."
"We might take a short trip on Sunday," Jack beamed.
Lisa looked at John and stood on her tiptoes to hug him.
"I guess I will see you the next time I'm here." It was time to say goodbye. My flight was early tomorrow, so we would head to the airport in the middle of the night.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Jennie," Jack said, smiling. He stepped closer and enveloped me in a bear hug. He smelled of a pleasant men's cologne, bergamot. "Thank you for making Lisa happy," he whispered.
"Oh, don't crush the girl," John laughed, and Jack released me. "I hope we will all spend more time together. There are so many adventure parks to visit." He grinned wide, dimples playing on his cheeks, and he hugged me.
I looked at them both, and my eyes stung. They were Lisa's family, and they had accepted me from the moment they first met me. I didn't know that saying goodbye to this family would be so hard; my heart was pounding in my chest.
Ian was standing in the doorway. He moved closer and reached out a hand to me. I shook it, but I couldn't stop and hugged the boy. He froze but slowly put his hands around me.
"Remember what you promised," Ian said quietly. "I will be waiting for you to come back here."
I released him, the image blurring. In a few moments, tears would flow.
"Thank you, guys, for everything. And please take care of Lisa while I'm away," I told them.
Jack clasped his hands to his chest. His eyes were a little red as well. Lisa took my hand in hers and led me back to her house. As soon as the door closed behind us, I hugged Lisa, pressing her close to me, tears sliding down my face to her shoulder. With my body shaking, Lisa held me tight.
"Everything will be alright," she kept whispering. But I was afraid to leave. I felt as though something would happen, something that would keep me away from her.
Lisa searched my face, her lips still swollen from the beach. She slowly kissed my cheek, catching the tears with her lips, brushing my hair with her fingers.
"You have sand in your hair," Lisa whispered. "Let's take a shower," she suggested, pulling me to the bathroom. "Together."
Slowly, she unbuttoned my jacket, peeling off the shirt, tugging down on my waistband. In a minute, I was standing naked in front of her, but Lisa was still fully clothed. Her eyes fixed on mine, then slowly moved down, taking in my details.
I reached for her shirt and helped her out of it. I unhooked her bra and slid it down. Her full form made me crazy, but still, I didn't touch her. Her nipples hardened under my gaze. I touched the button on her black jeans, unzipped the zipper, and slowly pulled them down. We stood there, breathing hard, not touching. I was mesmerized by the rise and fall of her chest, her eyes taking in my hips.
Lisa stepped into the shower and beckoned me in. She turned on the warm water, the rivulets flowing between her shoulders, breasts, and legs. She took a washcloth, applied shower gel, and sweet vanilla scent filled the bathroom. Lisa touched it to my arms, rubbing gently. She rubbed my back and my belly, avoiding my breasts and gently touching my inner thighs, but not more.
The need was building inside me like an avalanche, but still, she wouldn't touch me where I burned most. She slipped the washcloth in my hand, and I did the same, slowly tracing her pale skin. She was breathing hard when I was moving down her belly button, but I skipped the part she was longing for me to touch and moved to her hamstrings. A low growl escaped her lips. It took a few moments to wash down the foam.
Lisa turned down the water, took a fluffy towel, and led me to the bedroom. She gently pushed me to the bed, with her knee she spread my legs, and eased her finger inside me. I gasped, a sweet sensation spreading through me. I started moving my hips, and she lowered her lips to her finger, going down on me, gently at first, increasing the intensity as her tongue circled, pressing harder.
What she was doing kept me breathless, and I was begging for more, and more, until the wave of an explosive orgasm covered me, my body shaking. Lisa kissed my belly and sucked on my breasts and lips. I was panting. She put a hand to my heart; it was hammering in my ribcage.
She propped her head on my arm and asked, "How are you doing?"
I laughed and pressed her down. Now was my turn.
We stayed in bed for a few hours. I just couldn't let her out of my reach, and she kept her arms around me. We laid talking about the past, about the future; we were a tangle of limbs.
"I have a present for you," she said, going to the bathroom.
Lisa soon emerged holding a small blue box.
"A little thing for you to remember me."
As if I could forget her. I touched the box, finding it was like smooth velvet under my fingertips. Inside was a ring; it was a starfish with a blue stone in the middle.
"This is a small part of the ocean to carry with you," she explained.
"It's beautiful, it's …" I was smiling, but tears started to roll down my cheeks again. "Damn it, I just can't stop crying."
I took the ring out of the box and slipped it on my pointer finger. It fit perfectly.
"Thank you," I whispered, looking at my hand, feeling better to have a part of her with me. Lisa pressed her lips to mine.
"I will see you soon. I will come whenever you want me to be there."
I glanced at the clock. It was time for me to gather my things, which were still scattered around the house. I kissed Lisa and put on my shirt and jeans. I pulled my clothes out of her wardrobe, along with the small presents I had bought for Mom, Dad, my brother, and his wife. They were mostly sports clothes, as my family loved practical gifts. I even found some baby rompers for my brother's son. I wouldn't see him much.
"Lisa, have you seen my phone?" I called.
"It's somewhere in the beach bag," she said.
I found the bag at the door. My phone was at the bottom. I unlocked it and froze. Seventeen calls from Alex, six from Mom, and nine messages, all telling me to call back immediately.
My hands started to shake. Had something happened to Dad? My finger hovered on Mom's ID, but at the last minute it shifted to Alex's number. I hit 'Call'.
"Oh, thank God, finally" he exclaimed. There was an urgency in his voice.
"Alex, what happened?"
"It's Kai. He was hit by a car when he was crossing the road, right by your house."
My knees buckled, ice gripping my chest. "How is he?"
"Not good, but he is conscious. He asked the nurse to call me before they rolled him in the operation room. She said his legs were severely damaged, and they are investigating his spine. There might be something seriously wrong with him. The impact was pretty hard, throwing him across the road."
"Where is he now? What hospital?"
"Central. I'm on my way there."
"Do his parents know?"
"Yes. But they will not be here until the day after tomorrow."
"Oh no, they are on vacation in Egypt …" I remembered how happy his mom was when on her birthday Kai presented a small pink envelope containing the details of a booked trip to Egypt for them.
"Yes, and there are no flights till tomorrow night," Alex said.
"My flight is tonight, but it takes twenty hours to get to Kyiv."
"I know, Jennie. There is nothing more we can do. I will find out everything I can at the hospital and will keep you updated. But hurry, he needs you."
"Yes," I sniffed. "Call me when you know anything."
"Okay, bye."
I slid to the floor, the beach bag at my legs, sand littering the carpet. I was staring at it, tears rolling down my cheeks. Lisa exited the bedroom and was moving to the kitchen when she spotted me and my mess on the floor.
She ran to my side, falling to cup my chin, to find my eyes. "What happened?"
"Kai … accident … he is hurt … ambulance," I stuttered.
"Shhh." She pressed me closer. "Tell me."
I tried to explain the little I knew from Alex's call. And then it hit me, I jumped up and ran to my luggage. He needed me. What was I doing here?
I started shoving my clothes in the bag.
"We need to go to the airport," I urged.
"Your flight is in five and a half hours. We need to wait."
"He might die there while I wait!" I screamed.
The hurt slashed across Lisa's face. She staggered a step back.
"Sorry." I stopped and dropped my bag, bits of shirts sticking from it. I stepped closer to Lisa. "I am so sorry."
And then it hit me.
"Barcelona won't be anytime soon," I whispered.
She nodded. She had analyzed the news faster. While my mind was clouded in panic, she knew.
"And you won't break up with him."
I couldn't do it while he was hurt.
"I need to go back," I said.
Lisa nodded again and sat on her bed, her huge eyes never leaving mine.
"Can I go with you?" she asked.
I looked at her. "I need to do it myself," I said, more gentle this time.
She nodded.
"Will you come back to me?" Lisa asked so quietly, I almost missed it.
I rushed to her, almost falling when my foot caught my pants on the floor. I grabbed her shoulders and draped my arms around her, crushing her hard to me.
"Of course, I will come back to you," I said, sobbing. "You are mine now, and I am yours. But he needs me."
"Please don't go," she whispered in my hair, her voice breaking. "Please stay. I can't lose you." Her ribcage was heaving next to mine, and she was breathing fast.
I pressed her closer to me. There was not an inch of space between us, but I needed her even closer, under my skin. She needed to know.
"Lisa, I love you, and you will not lose me. But please, please …" My voice was closing on me. "Please, wait for me."
"Wait," she whispered back.
Ever since then I wondered, was this the first time the smallest chip of her heart broke? I had broken it. The trust. I was leaving her not to end things with Kai, but to help him.
"You are doing the right thing, and I will wait," she said, after hours or minutes in my arms.
She never moved; she stayed pressed in me, her breathing getting even, but her heart didn't stop hammering, never slowing.
Lisa helped me pack my suitcase, staying quiet all the time.
"Do you want to sleep for a few hours before we go?" Lisa asked.
"No," I said, leading her to the bed.
She stood there, and her eyes searched my face.
I leaned in and kissed her, and she replied, so tenderly, barely touching my lips.
"I am so afraid of losing you," she whispered.
"I love you," I replied, kissing her jaw, her neck.
"Please come back," she pleaded.
"I will," I murmured in her ear.
She found my lips, the salt of our tears mixing on our tongues.
"I love you," I said again, tugging her with me on the bed.
"I hope it will be enough," she murmured in the hollow of my throat.
The time rushed mercilessly, and I thought only minutes had passed when my alarm blazed. It was time to go. As I was pulling my jeans on, my raw body still buzzing from Lisa's touch, I saw her black t-shirt crumpled on the floor. It had a faded Bugs Bunny print. Slowly, I picked it up.
"Can I have it?" I asked.
"Sure," Lisa said, smiling. "Why did I think it was a wonderful idea to give you a ring? I could have just given you an old shirt."
Lisa's face grew more serious with each passing minute, and she kept glancing at me.
As I was standing by the door, I looked around one more time, touched the wall and stepped through the threshold. We put my bag into the truck. I loved the beast; it had taken us to some amazing moments. Once inside, Lisa put the key into the ignition but didn't start the car. She moved closer, her eyes so vulnerable, and I closed the gap between us, pressing my lips to her.
"I love you," I whispered. It was so easy to say it to her now.
"I love you, Jennie," she said, pressing her forehead to mine, her hand in my hair.
She took a deep breath and looked in front of her, turned the key, and backed out of the driveway.
In the airport, Lisa held my hand the whole time we stood in the drop-off line. Getting rid of the bag, we went to buy coffee. We still had half an hour. But it was difficult; the separation time loomed on the horizon. And now we didn't know the next time we would see each other. I was worried about Kai, since messages from Alex kept saying that he was still in the operating room.
The airport was almost empty, as there were not many flights this early. And as the time trickled through our shaking fingers, just like that, it was time to go. We reached the security check gate, and my eyes clouded with tears again.
Lisa hugged me, our bodies finding each other, clicking together.
"I will see you very soon," she murmured desperately.
"Yes." My voice was shaking, and I turned my face to find her lips. The softness of her turned to hunger, but now our time was up. My heart hammering, I traced the line of her face, trying to memorize it under my fingertips. "Bye," I whispered.
"Bye."
I watched her while I took my things out at the security check. She waved and smiled, but I had never seen her eyes so sad. And then there was a bend, our eyes locked for the last time, and she was gone.