To Kiss You Again by Brandie Buckwine Page B
Authors: Brandie Buckwine
to Jenny, comfort her, but I was too stunned. The story explained so much. Did Jenny still suffer from her injuries? Would she remember me five years from now?
“Tell me about the accident.” Regaining control of my senses, I took her hands in mine and pulled her to a chair. I turned to Carla. “Could you give us a minute?” She nodded and crept out of the room
“I don’t really remember – just bits and pieces leading up to it, and what people have told me.” I sat across from her and caressed her palms. “I was riding with my best friend. He had a big motorcycle – 2500cc I think – and I rode with him all the time. One day, we were cruising outside of town, and I don’t know if he was turning around or just went off the road, but we went over a steep embankment. It was a terraced hillside, and they found us at the bottom.”
She began to sob and I pulled her into my arms. “He was killed, and they took me by air-ambulance to Athens.”
“I’m so sorry, baby girl,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “That’s terrible.”
“Petros’ family blamed me – said I was a bad influence, had him traipsing all over the place, following me like a love-sick puppy, but we were just friends.”
“Petros?” The blood drained from my face. “Petros Kallis?”
“Yes. You were friends, right?”
I nodded. We were friends, but I didn’t stay in touch with any of my childhood friends from the island, and his death was news to me.
“I’m sorry, Matt. I thought you knew.”
I nodded again and took a deep breath. “He did like big motorcycles. But I think he was gay, so I doubt he had a thing for you.”
“He was, but his family didn’t know. Did he tell you?”
I shook my head. It wasn’t something we talked about.
“And what happened after Athens?”
“We moved back to the States so I could work with a specialist. Certain things I remember, but I don’t remember following you, or, apparently, even what you looked like. Bits and pieces came back tonight, when we were making love.” She looked up at me. “Did I really follow you that much?”
“Everywhere.Seemed like every time I’d walk out my door, you’d be hiding down the block, waiting for me.”
She buried her face in her hands. “Oh my God. How embarrassing.”
“You were just a kid. Don’t worry about it.” A disturbing thought crossed my mind. “You don’t remember what I looked like, or following me around, but you remember the kiss? And Anna? How?”
“You and Anna were a hot topic of conversation for a long time, and the kiss,” her eyes took on a faraway look, and she paused. “The kiss haunted me for years. I remember the longing, the closeness I felt to you, the love,” her stare pinned me. “That kiss burned into my soul. I’ll never forget it.”
A rush of emotion from long ago filled me. “Neither will I.”
Jenny chuckled. “It’s no wonder you thought I was a freak and screwed in the head.”
The confession I’d been wrestling with bit at my mind. I squeezed my eyes tight. “You weren’t the only freak.
“What do you mean?” She cocked her head to the side.
“I spent hours watching you through your bedroom window. There was a dovecote, sort of diagonally across from your house. I discovered it by accident one day. After that, I watched you all the time.”
Her eyebrows rose in shock. “Seriously? At the house in town?”
I nodded.
“You’re blushing,” she said, then, her brow creased. “Did you see me –?”
“No. I would never,” I shook my head adamantly. “Look, it’s not something I’m proud of, and even though I justified it to myself at the time, I know it was wrong.”
“Justified it how?”
I grinned. “If I was watching you, you weren’t following me.”
She stood and walked to the open door, hugging herself against the night breeze. Her body drooped. I rushed to her side and took her in my arms.
“I’m sorry, baby girl. You have to forgive me. It wasn’t
“Tell me about the accident.” Regaining control of my senses, I took her hands in mine and pulled her to a chair. I turned to Carla. “Could you give us a minute?” She nodded and crept out of the room
“I don’t really remember – just bits and pieces leading up to it, and what people have told me.” I sat across from her and caressed her palms. “I was riding with my best friend. He had a big motorcycle – 2500cc I think – and I rode with him all the time. One day, we were cruising outside of town, and I don’t know if he was turning around or just went off the road, but we went over a steep embankment. It was a terraced hillside, and they found us at the bottom.”
She began to sob and I pulled her into my arms. “He was killed, and they took me by air-ambulance to Athens.”
“I’m so sorry, baby girl,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “That’s terrible.”
“Petros’ family blamed me – said I was a bad influence, had him traipsing all over the place, following me like a love-sick puppy, but we were just friends.”
“Petros?” The blood drained from my face. “Petros Kallis?”
“Yes. You were friends, right?”
I nodded. We were friends, but I didn’t stay in touch with any of my childhood friends from the island, and his death was news to me.
“I’m sorry, Matt. I thought you knew.”
I nodded again and took a deep breath. “He did like big motorcycles. But I think he was gay, so I doubt he had a thing for you.”
“He was, but his family didn’t know. Did he tell you?”
I shook my head. It wasn’t something we talked about.
“And what happened after Athens?”
“We moved back to the States so I could work with a specialist. Certain things I remember, but I don’t remember following you, or, apparently, even what you looked like. Bits and pieces came back tonight, when we were making love.” She looked up at me. “Did I really follow you that much?”
“Everywhere.Seemed like every time I’d walk out my door, you’d be hiding down the block, waiting for me.”
She buried her face in her hands. “Oh my God. How embarrassing.”
“You were just a kid. Don’t worry about it.” A disturbing thought crossed my mind. “You don’t remember what I looked like, or following me around, but you remember the kiss? And Anna? How?”
“You and Anna were a hot topic of conversation for a long time, and the kiss,” her eyes took on a faraway look, and she paused. “The kiss haunted me for years. I remember the longing, the closeness I felt to you, the love,” her stare pinned me. “That kiss burned into my soul. I’ll never forget it.”
A rush of emotion from long ago filled me. “Neither will I.”
Jenny chuckled. “It’s no wonder you thought I was a freak and screwed in the head.”
The confession I’d been wrestling with bit at my mind. I squeezed my eyes tight. “You weren’t the only freak.
“What do you mean?” She cocked her head to the side.
“I spent hours watching you through your bedroom window. There was a dovecote, sort of diagonally across from your house. I discovered it by accident one day. After that, I watched you all the time.”
Her eyebrows rose in shock. “Seriously? At the house in town?”
I nodded.
“You’re blushing,” she said, then, her brow creased. “Did you see me –?”
“No. I would never,” I shook my head adamantly. “Look, it’s not something I’m proud of, and even though I justified it to myself at the time, I know it was wrong.”
“Justified it how?”
I grinned. “If I was watching you, you weren’t following me.”
She stood and walked to the open door, hugging herself against the night breeze. Her body drooped. I rushed to her side and took her in my arms.
“I’m sorry, baby girl. You have to forgive me. It wasn’t