Positive/Negativity (43 page)

Directing her attention to the beach, she continued, “Look at her. Her spine is straight; she’s facing the sun and the waves. Doesn’t she look brave?”

She nodded in agreement.

“Somehow, Paige, I can tell by looking at her that she has found some peace and she’s planning what she’s going to do next. If I know my daughter, I wouldn’t want to stand in her way.”

Looking at her friend, she saw her with a fresh perspective and she couldn’t agree more.

“Hold on to the bars, Mr. Sinclair. Allow your arms to carry some weight until you adjust to walking again.”
TT

Declan knew that he’d walk again, and he was determined to push himself to exhaustion. Pushing through the pain, he had resolved to work as hard as he could to get out of rehabilitation as quickly as he could. He had no other goal in mind.

“How’s it going today?” Carter asked as he entered the physical therapy room.

Declan gave him a scowl and turned away.

“Your brother’s doing very well, Mr. Sinclair.” Bringing around a wheelchair, the therapist placed it near Declan. “That’s enough for today.”

“I can go one more time.” Declan started to turn around to do the walk again. He looked angry and his attitude was harsh.

“I said enough for today, Mr. Sinclair. In order for you to function properly, you have to rest properly.” The therapist brought the wheelchair around to the other side of the walkway to approach him. “Please get into the wheelchair.”

He gave the therapist a look of protest, but relented and got into the chair.

“I’ll take him back to his room,” Carter said as he came around to the back of his brother.

Pushing him, Carter waited for Declan to speak. Once again, as had become the norm, he refused to talk with his brother. There was just an air of hostility that seemed to radiate from him. He wasn’t the same man since the accident. He’d done his best to alienate Aria, and the further he pushed her away, the bitterer he became. His countenance had changed, he drove his body in physical therapy, determined to get back to his business, and he refused to talk about Aria.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked as he pushed his brother into his room.

“No.”

“You have to talk to someone, Dec. You’re going to explode.”

“I’m fine. I’m going to push myself in therapy so that I’ll get out of here and back to my business.”

“What about Aria?”

“What about her?”

“You can’t fool me, Dec. I know you too well.”

“You don’t know shit, Carter. She doesn’t come around anymore or haven’t you noticed.”

He sat in a chair across from Declan, looking him straight in the eye.

“And whose fault is that? You practically threw her out of here every time she came in your room.”

His eyes filled with fire and anger. Taking a deep breath to fill and expand his chest, he postured himself in a fighting position the only way he felt he could from a wheelchair.

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Carter, and you’d be better off keeping your damn mouth shut. Aria is
my
concern, not yours. You haven’t got a clue what it was like to see her face when she came here. I know what I’m doing. Stay the hell out of it!”

He turned his back and lifted himself to get into the bed.

Helping his brother to the bed, Carter received a look of harnessed rage. He saw so much anger mixed with the pain and anguish.

“You’re still in love with her. You know it, and so do I.”

Declan froze. For a moment he did nothing, then gave his brother a glare indicating the conversation was over. His stare dared him to speak one more word and violence would erupt.

Carter shook his head in sadness and disbelief. Although he was trying to put on a good act, he couldn’t fool his brother. He was hurting, and he was trying to push everyone away. He just hoped his brother wouldn’t turn into someone unrecognizable.

“The view is fine. The furnishings are adequate. This will do.”
TTT

Marisol went over to the desk to sign the lease for the penthouse condominium. It had a beautiful view of both the ocean and the bay. With a private elevator and a private garage, she felt comfortable that she could come and go without being bothered by the local people.

Handing the contract to the leasing agent, she received the keys in return.

“Enjoy your stay, Ms. Vencedor. Please call me if you’re interested in extending the lease.”

Making a slow walk through the room, she enjoyed the view and glowed with pride. She had chosen a clever alias
“vencedor”
. Yes, she most certainly was a
“winner”
. Concentrating on the purpose for her stay, she knew she had accomplished much, but still had much to achieve. Once she had perused her temporary surroundings, she again focused on her goal and objective. The view most certainly was appealing…

Directing her attention back to the leasing agent, a deceptive smile crossed her lips.

“Oh, I will enjoy my stay, Señor…

…
I most certainly will
…

D.D. Lorenzo is a fresh modern-day storyteller. Her stories reach deep into the heart of readers and engage them through the emotions of her characters.

D.D. resides in Maryland, The Land of Pleasant Living. She met the love of her life in high school and decided to look no further. Together, they have raised their children into fabulous adults. When she isn't writing stories of the impassioned lives of her characters, she is rooting for the Baltimore Ravens or the Baltimore Orioles. Her favorite pastimes include spending time with the great people in her life and riding in her husband's classic Mustang to the Eastern Shore.

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