You're My Home (completed)

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Rachel's driving skills were definitely impaired as she sped down the highway. Cars honked, and she was pretty sure she'd been flipped a few middle fingers. Her mind was hardly present. Questions spun tangled webs in her head. She was more than grateful when the truck's worn-out tires scraped along the familiar dirt road. Country greenery welcomed her home, and the scents of dust and autumn leaves filtered through the vent.

She snuck a peak at Collin in the back seat. His jeans were the only thing that hadn't been affected by...the event. His bare chest was rising and falling wearily.

Rachel clenched the steering wheel, her eyes on the road now. Her life, whether she wanted it to be or not, was changed and couldn't ever be the same. If she was honest, her life had changed the moment she'd seen Collin outside her house. If she was more than just honest, her life had changed when an unnamed boy had given her her first kiss. Collin wasn't that same boy now, and Rachel wasn't that same girl.

She parked the truck in what passed as her driveway. Calling Willow's mom was next on her agenda.

"Hi, Mrs. B. Can you come over? I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but it's an emergency."

Mrs. B's voice chirped with energy. "Of course! Is it your arm? I do hope the wound isn't infected! To be zapped by a self-defense weapon...now that was quite a story!"

Rachel ran a hand over her face. "No, no. My arm is fine. It's about my friend, Collin. He gets these really bad headaches, and today he passed out."

"Oh, my goodness! Willow mentioned this friend of yours. It sounds serious. Migraines are one thing, but passing out is another. Have you taken him to the hospital yet?"​

"No, hospitals aren't an option. I need to get him inside. Will you please come over?"

"Let's see, I should be able to move some things around for you. I'll be there shortly."

Rachel hung up and stuffed the phone into her back pocket. Luckily, Willow hadn't left the trailer yet. She stood on the small porch, her dark straight hair still wet from showering. She used her hand as a shield from the sun.

"What happened?" Willow called.

Rachel gave her a grave look. She wanted desperately to tell her best friend the fantasy novel events she'd experienced. But, this was real life, and things like this don't happen in real life. At least...not to her.

Yet here she was in all her glory, with dyed red hair with an almost purple hue. Her slight frame wasn't exactly up to romance novel standards. In fact, nothing about her fit the stereotype. She wasn't perfect. She didn't have an hourglass figure, a cute button nose, or a dash of freckles across her cheeks. Her figure was lengthy, but not in the pleasant, tall way. She was more like the short yet awkwardly stickish type. Her nose had been broken twice and now didn't quite match the rest of her facial structure. Yes, she had freckles, but not the cute kind. Hers were just about everywhere. Plus, her teen acne years were far from over. As for clothing, if she was feeling adventurous she'd shop at Target, but that was usually after hours of planned budgeting.

Oh, great. So this was one of those stories where an imperfect girl gets the perfect guy. Just awesome....

Rachel wasn't aware of her frown until Willow's arms were around her. She let go of the tense expression and momentarily lost herself in the warmth of companionship and flower scented shampoo.

"What happened to Collin?" Willow asked.

Rachel opened her eyes, the frown returning. Willow removed herself from the hug and went to open the backseat door. Rachel felt cold where Willow's arms had been.

"He got a headache and fainted...." Her voice trailed off, and her mind was becoming numb with exhaustion.

Willow tried to question further, but Rachel interrupted. "Help me get him inside, please."

There he lay on the couch in front of Rachel, that first night swimming through her memory. A few days ago felt like a lifetime. She stared at his back, remembering the wings and imagining they were there now. Rachel put her oddly stable hand on Collin's backbone. She touched the place she imagined the wing would be, running her fingers over it.

Willow sat uncomfortably at the kitchen table a few feet away. "What happened, Rachel?" Willow pressed.

Rachel retracted her hand and placed it in her lap. "We were in the woods—the glen I used to go to as a kid."

"I thought you were going out for lunch."

Rachel shrugged a lazy shoulder.

"He wanted to take me there. Turns out, he was there when I was younger, too. We met back then, and he kissed me." The last part was said absently, more by accident than on purpose.

"Wait, what? Kissed you when?"

Rachel didn't make eye contact. "When I was fourteen. And today, too."

Willow's next slew of words was mostly unintelligible. "Oh, my gosh! That's crazy!" She bubbled with excitement, reminding Rachel of Mrs. B.

When she thought of Mrs. B, she wanted to be gone before the woman arrived. "Please make sure Collin doesn't get taken to a hospital. Your mom is on her way and she can handle the situation."

Rachel walked stiffly to her room and grabbed her Halloween costume. Willow blocked the doorway. Rachel paid no heed to Willow's questions and managed to maneuver past her friend.

Whatever Willow was saying, Rachel cut in, "I need to get away."

She glanced at Collin and felt a pang in her heart. With heaviness weighing on her shoulders, she shut the front door behind her before her emotions could convince her to stay. She would protect Collin if he was taken to the hospital or not. At this point, she was willing to bend and defy the law for him. It was a stupid, illogical feeling. Her lungs felt compressed, and her head pounded. She needed to get out. She needed to get away from the feelings inside her. She needed to breathe. She needed to get away from Collin.

Little did she realize that no matter how far away from him she was, her feelings still existed.