Path to Deciduous (Sequel to Road to Evergreen) | #Wattys2018

f i f t y - t w o

Adams POV

"Let's count to fifty-two. I'll start," I say.

Her breathing is out of place. I hold her. "one... two...three...four...five...six...seven....eight...nine...ten...eleven."

She wraps her hand around me. "twelve...thirteen... fourteen... I'm tired." She puffs.

"Fifteen...sixteen...seventeen...eighteen...nineteen...twenty," I proceed. "twenty-one..."

"Adam... I'm tired." She interrupts as I keep counting in the background. "Things happen. I get it." She continues.

"thirty-three... thirty-four... thirty-five... thirty-six... thirty-seven... thirty-eight..."

"Please, just stop." She begs. Her breathing starts to regulate. She crosses my gaze and continues. "thirty-nine...fourty... fourty-one... fourty-two... fourty-three...fourty-five..."

I locked her gaze and we both start counting together. "fourty-six... fourty-seven... fourty-eight... fourty-nine... fifty... fifty-one..."

She inhales. "fifty-two." She exhales.

I smile. She smiles. "Why fifty-two?"

"That's the number of a deck of cards. That's how many events in life can be shuffled into different probabilities." I say.

She frowns. "Ours was definitely shuffled way too much." A faint laugh comes out of her smile. She hugs me tighter and we both just exhale.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" I ask.

She giggles. "I mean it is on your way. If there's no trouble."

I smirk. "I will walk you to your bed. And then I will lay next to you and show you an alternative way of stress relief."

She rolls her eyes and starts walking. I follow her. "It's feels like you're walking me home."

"Is is such an issue for your testosterone if a lady walks you home?" She mocks.

I shove my hands in my pocket. "So now you're a lady? Last time I checked you were a little girl ordering Kidsmeal to get a unicorn toy."

She playfully shoves me and she laughs. "It's easier to act like a kid than a lady."

I stop and look around trying to remember where the nearest convince store is. "First one to reach the traffic light wins."

She looks at me unsure. Then a whole smile spreads across her face as she turns and sprint. When she's half way across, I follow, letting her win.

By the time we reach the corner so playfully pushes my arm. She breathes heavily. "You let me win, Adam."

"Not so much of charmer if I let you lose now would I?" I smirk.

She rolls her eyes, again. "Where are we anyways?"

I start walking.

"Hello? Do you assume I will follow you without an answer?"

I smile and keep walking.

I hear her groan. "You're so damn provocative."

"Oh, come on Lesley! Should I walk slower so you can catch up or is it too easy for a race?"

She mockingly repeats my question like a little girl throwing a tantrum. I hear her stomping behind me. "You're so naive," she says.

The door chimes as I open it and enter. I head to the third aisle. She stands beside me hear eyes wandering to every row of items. "Am I mad or are we looking for soap dispensers?"

I smile and grab two graffiti spray cans. She stops me. "Get blue instead of green." When I arch an eyebrow at her she fakes smiles. "Please." She says as it drags on until I replace the cans.

As we head outside the door and start walking I grab her hand tight. "Going on adventures just me and you," I smile at her.

She looks down as she blushes. When we reach a dent of an empty wall, I shake the cans and hand her her blue one.

"So what are we writing?" She asks as she takes the can.

I smile. "A song."

She smiles deviously as she heads to the wall and spells out 'A song'.

I shake my head. "You know that's not what I meant. You just ruined a perfectly good wall."

She smiles. "Not so clever with your words are you now love?"

"I particularly told you A song. I never finished the sentence." I smile.

She eyes me closely and when I step back from the wall her eyes follow the words.

A song of abiding.

"What does that mean?" she finally asks.

****

There he lays siting beside her on the hospital bed. His eyebrows rise in shock as I stumbled in the room. He wasn't sure what was more fucked up, this awkward situation or my arm.

I break my rage stare from his devious black eyes and walk slowly toward her bed. She's covered in scratches and her leg is covered in a casket. I clench my teeth.

I look back at Kyan. Why am I here? Her fiancé is beside her. She needs him more than me.

I sigh taking a full last glance at her. That's when I realize she doesn't have her engagement ring on.

"Must have been expensive to lose. You must be in awe." I say to Kyan.

He shakes his head as if he is too weak to argue and raises his hand to my face. "Fuck off."

"I guess she doesn't want to marry you anymore. Not going to give her another chance for leaving you at the alter, are you now?" I mock. 

Kyan smirks. "Don't worry. We already went to the courthouse and got married earlier." 

*******

to be continued.