The Rain Began to Fall (24 page)

He stopped a
couple of feet from her and hooked his thumbs into his belt loops. His heart
jogged faster as he approached, and his breathing quickened. He looked her up
and down slowly, wanting her with everything he was. He would not give up his
quest, his need, to win her today, no matter what.

“Didn’t mean to
scare you,” he said.

“You never do,
right?” she replied, laughing nervously.

He stepped up
beside her and looked out across the field, his hands on his sides. The wind
blew stronger now, and the tall grass in the field was whipping back and forth
with the intensity of the coming storm. Full-blown spring emitted the smell of
life in the air, and the vegetation yawned wide for the spring rains after a
long winter of desolation; the clouds, now dark and moving overhead, seemed
ready to let go at any moment.

“Pretty spot,
huh?” he said.

“Yes!” she agreed
enthusiastically, her nerves heightened. “You weren’t kidding! This would be a
great place to build a house!” There had been plenty of anxiety about this
meeting on Leigh’s part when she planned it. She had gone over it in her mind,
mapping it out, how she would act, everything she was going to say. But now
that he was really here, and they were
alone
, her heart was going like a
trip hammer.

“Yeah, it would,”
he responded. “I thought the
exact
same thing.” He sat down on the soft
grass, and she followed suit, tucking her knees close and wrapping her arms
around them. She looked over at him, then up at the sky.

“It looks like
it’s going to rain,” she opined, her voice quavering with nervousness. He
followed her gaze up, and then looked back straight ahead, without responding.
He sat with one leg extended and the other up, his arms crossed and resting on
his knee. She stole another quick glance at him, but he was silent, giving her
all the room she needed to make her speech.
Keep it together, girl
. She
felt the wind on her face, as she touched her forehead with the tips of her
fingers.

“You know,” she
said finally, her voice steadier, “this isn’t easy, Kyle.” She paused for a
moment, but he didn’t respond, continuing to stare ahead.

“I have to tell
you something. I need to explain myself.” She looked over at him
apprehensively; he ran a hand through his hair. He finally looked at her and
smiled.

“Yeah, I suppose
you do,” he responded, looking out across the field.  He reached down and
picked a blade of grass. He studied it a moment, and then flicked it into the
air. The winds carried it away, and he sighed.

“I’ll face the
music, Leigh, whatever tune you want to play,” he said, turning and looking at
her determinedly. “But don’t expect me to dance to it.” He looked face forward,
his jaw muscles flexing. Hearing the resolve and passion in his voice, she
faltered a little.

“That’s fair
enough,” she responded, her hands opening and closing on her knees.

She was suddenly
aware of the
now
, this moment in
time; that she was standing at a major crossroads, and the choice she made
today would have ramifications that would last the rest of her life. She had
asked him to meet her for this, and though she now began to feel hesitance
about her mission, she went on.

“First of all, I want
to apologize for being so mean to you that day at the mall,” she said. “I
implied things that simply weren’t true. It was the easy way out for me, and I
was wrong to treat you that way. You deserved better than that.”

He glanced at her
briefly and smiled, then looked ahead again.

“And that’s why
I’m here today, to do it right.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I’ll be
honest. You’re an
extremely
handsome man,” she confessed, “and you would
be a catch for any woman.”

“There’s only one
I’m concerned with,” he responded evenly. She sighed, feeling a tug at her
heart, but she continued.

“You’re a great
guy. I could tell from your book. You have admirable views.” She paused for a
moment and stared at him, reflecting on her words.

“Thank you,” he
replied, his voice low. The winds blew stronger now; winds of change.

“But you
have
to understand,” she pleaded, rubbing her hands together, summoning her past.
“I’m engaged and about to be married to a man I have known all of my life! Gene
and I grew up together!” She looked at him for some reaction, but he remained
quiet and still, his head bowed.

“We’ve known each
other so long.” Emboldened by that statement, she plowed ahead.

“Kyle, you and
I.
. .we barely know each other! It just doesn’t make
sense!” she cried out. “I’m sorry, but I got confused somehow, along the way. I
was trying to experience something that I…. I…. only dream….never mind,” she
stumbled. Her heart and mind were in great turmoil, and she was finding it
terribly hard to come out and say what she had rehearsed; the lines, on stage,
now so difficult to repeat.  She turned sideways, leaning on one hand to
face him. “Kyle, I am
so
attracted to you. I can’t deny that.... I
won’t
deny that,” she blurted honestly. As she stared at him, she felt something
changing inside of her; something old crumbling, something new rising.

“You have become
more to me…I don’t understand…I don’t know what it means!” He still wouldn’t
look at her, and his face was expressionless; but he was thrilled inside. He
wasn’t sure what to expect coming out here. He was prepared to give it his all
if she was resolute. He was not going to go without a great effort to win her
over, but he knew now it would be unnecessary. She was struggling, and he
understood perfectly. She was in love with him, heart and soul, and their time
had come.

Leigh felt real
panic coursing through her. Why couldn’t she tell him the truth?
And come
again on what that truth is, Leigh?
that
annoying,
indomitable voice inquired.
Shut up!

“You’re just a…a
fantasy!” she screamed in her frustration, wanting so badly to believe it; but
it was an empty declaration of faith in a lost religion. “Don’t you know this?”

He still said
nothing, allowing her to work it out and cycle through it all. She was
breathing hard after her explosion, looking at him for some reaction, but he
remained calm and stoic. It was maddening. She cleared her throat, staring at
his handsome face as the sun peeked briefly from behind a dark cloud, bathing
them in light. The wind suddenly died, and all was quiet. The frustration fell
off her face.

“But when I’m with
you, when I look into your eyes, something feels… so
right
,” she said
softly, her eyes wide and filled with wonder at her own words; at the emotions
she seemingly could not control, despite her intentions today.

He lay back on the
grass, and placed a hand behind his head. She leaned over him, and he saw dark,
rain filled clouds in the sky moving behind her agonized, beautiful face.

“And I think you
know why, Leigh,” he said finally, smiling. Looking down at him, locked into
his gaze, her eyes opened wide in a moment of clear understanding as hard truth
suddenly slammed into her heart and shook her to her core. She closed her eyes
tight and stood abruptly, walking quickly away from him to the far west edge of
the clearing, folding her arms against herself. The wind had a slight chill to
it, but it was the feeling of a force she couldn’t stop that made her tremble.
You’re
in trouble here Leigh
, she thought weakly.

And she was sure
of one thing, if nothing else: It had been a grave mistake coming out here to
meet him, at least if she wished to stay with Gene and her planned life. But
that’s what this was about, wasn’t it?
Proof?
No more
running? She knew now that for some reason she wasn’t strong enough to end it
with Kyle, wasn’t strong enough to tell him he was nothing but a fantasy.
And
that’s because he’s not just a fantasy.
He’s real…and
I am in
love with him
.

No!
she
screamed in her mind, fighting the idea to the bitter
end.
I am going to be married!  I can’t allow this! I can’t just throw
away so many years!
But those arguments now rang hollow, lacking
conviction. What on earth was she going to do? She bit her bottom lip and
tightened her arms against herself, shaking her head violently against destiny,
against the inevitable.
Enough!

She summoned all
the willpower she could find to turn and face him, tell him in no uncertain
terms that she was going to go through with her marriage, and that they could
go no further. She was just caught up in the moment again, allowing herself to
get carried away. It would all be clearer when she got away from him. She was
going to say all of it from a safe distance, and then run back to her car and
forever out of his life. She would quit
Falstead
on
Monday; wouldn’t even work a notice, removing herself from any further
temptation. She took a deep breath and gathered herself. She could do it, and
would do it, because she must.

She spun around,
full of resolve to say her piece, and ran into him. She gasped aloud, startled,
and her heart leapt in her chest. As she had been in thought, Kyle had gotten
up and walked over, standing directly behind her, certain she was preparing to
run. But he would not allow it. She would not get away from him this time.

He now reached out
and pulled her forcefully into his strong arms. She trembled as she looked up
into his face, her body tight and shaking. But as she stared into his deep,
passionate eyes, she finally saw the truth; a truth that could no longer be
denied. She sighed and relaxed in his embrace, in total surrender, the last of
her resistance fading away.

The rain began to
fall.

There was a small
voice of protest still trying to sound in Leigh’s mind as Kyle looked into her
eyes and held her close in his arms. It spoke of her father and Gene, a link to
the past she had clung to, but now it was a pitiful, meaningless voice in the
face of such powerful love and desire as she felt for the man holding her. Her
resolve of only moments before to tell Kyle there was no future for them now
drifted away like smoke; replaced by an urgency to tell him not to stop, not
this time, finish it.
Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me
...

She stared
lovingly into his eyes, dropping her hands to the crook of his elbows, and the
clouds finally let loose. The rain fell steadily, smacking the leaves on the
trees above them, which provided scant covering; but they were oblivious to the
weather. At this moment in time the entire world, the entire universe, was in
and between them.

Kyle stared deeply
into the beautiful blue eyes of the woman he loved, seeing her heart, for him,
at last. He locked his hands firmly around the small of her back and pulled her
tightly to him, and she in turn responded by wrapping her arms around his neck.
The rain was falling harder now, as if increasing with the intensity of their
desire, and confirming the truth of their love for each other. Water cascaded
down their faces, dripping off their noses and chins, and then, at last, his
lips met hers.

She immediately
felt a sensation that swept over her body like a wind- blown fire. He cupped
her face in his hands and slid his tongue into her mouth, the rainwater
combining with the wetness of their kiss. She squeezed his neck tightly in her
arms and responded hungrily to his kiss, pushing her own tongue into his mouth,
tasting him, and oh how delicious he was! She felt him growing against her
stomach as his hands slid down to her hips. She suddenly pulled back from him
and took his face in her hands, staring into his blazing green eyes, so alive
and so full of desire for her. The rain was now coming in torrents, and he
stared at her through the wet strands of his hair.

“I love you,
Kyle!” she exclaimed with great exhilaration, finally at liberty to say it.

“And I love you,
Leigh!” he responded sincerely.

He grabbed her
face and kissed her again, sucking her bottom lip, his right hand moving from
the small of her back and finding the front of her jeans. He deftly unbuttoned
and unzipped them, then spun her around forcefully, pulling her back against
him. He stroked her long wet hair aside and with a moan escaping her lips, she
laid her head back on his shoulder. He began kissing her slender neck, then
circled his left hand around her waist and slid it down inside her panties,
touching her, feeling her wetness for him. She was breathing hard and fast now,
panting and moaning as she reached both hands up behind her, encircling his
neck. She pressed against him, grinding, feeling his hardness.

Leigh had no
reservations at all about giving herself to him completely, to make love to
him. Nothing in her life had ever felt more right to her than this moment; she
had arrived at the place she was supposed to be, with the man she was meant to
love.

She removed her
arms from his neck and felt for him, squeezing his rock hard erection through
his jeans. His hands were all over her body; inside her panties, between her
legs, under her shirt. Now he peeled her shirt up and over her head, casting it
aside on the ground. He snapped her bra, and tossed it off as well. Still
behind her, he cupped her firm, beautiful breasts in his hands, rubbing them,
squeezing her nipples as he continued to kiss her neck. Her jeans were
beginning to slide down her hips when she spun back around suddenly and kissed
him fiercely, her hands roaming all over his face, into his hair. He pulled her
up against him, as her fingers went to his shirt, fumbling with the buttons in
her excitement.

The rain continued
coming down hard, drenching them. He saw her struggling, and in his delirious
need to have her, he grabbed the front of his shirt, tearing it open. The
buttons popped off in a spray, and she pressed her lips and face against his
broad chest. He pushed her jeans down off her hips, as she tore at the button
and zipper of his, both ravenously seeking each other’s sex. Her jeans and
panties were now at her feet; she stepped out of them, yanked his jeans open,
and pulled him with her to the ground.