Hearts Desire Book Trailer
Chapter 14
My sides feel like knives are stabbing them. I curl up in a tighter ball and hope for relief. Sarah comes and goes, Kyle leaves to talk to Janet, and Tyler stays by my side watching me. I can feel him watching. He rubs my arm and kisses my hand. I know it’s torturing him to see me in so much pain. I keep my eyes shut. I don’t want to see the pain that I’m causing him.
He squeezes my arm. “Kris, do you mind if I try something to see if it’ll help?” I can’t argue anymore, the pain is too sharp. If there’s a chance at relief, I’ll take it.
“No,” I whisper. I hear him in the kitchen and then his footsteps coming back to me. I’m not sure what his plan is. I figure I’ll just have to live with the pain for a while longer, regardless.
“Can you try to sit up? I know it hurts.” Tyler sits things down on the floor next to the couch. I still can’t see well enough to make out the items. “Here, let me help you.” He puts his arm around my back and helps sit me up. It would’ve been better if I just shot up instead of gradually sitting, probably would’ve hurt less. Kind of like when you take off a Band-Aid.
“Sarah, can you come in here?” Tyler asks. Within seconds she’s by my side again.
The sting of tears forming in my eyes is overwhelming. No matter how hard I try, I can’t keep them from flowing. I press my lips tight, but a few moans escape. Once, I manage the upright position I feel a warm sensation around my ribs. It’s wet and warm but doesn’t give off an odor. Must be some kind of cream. How that’s going to help, I don’t know. It can’t hurt to let him try.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“It doesn’t matter what it is,” Tyler says, calmly. “I’m going to wrap some bandages around you. It may sting a little. This has to be snug. Squeeze Sarah’s hand if you need.” Sarah takes my hand and helps me hold my shirt up enough for Tyler to work.
I nod and hold my breath, hoping it will keep me from yelling. He pulls the bandage tight in one fast movement. I manage to take the pain. I don’t know how Sarah’s hand is now. She doesn’t seem to be fazed.
“Can I lay back down?” I ask. “I’m feeling a little dizzy.”
“Yes, just try not to move around a lot.” Tyler kisses my head, his finger traces over my birthmark just above my hip. I flinch a little, it tickles. “It looks like a heart.” He sounds fascinated and runs his finger over it again.
“Not too many people know about it.” I pull my shirt down to hide it. Tyler covers me with the blanket.
Sarah hands me more pills and a glass of water.
“What do these do?” I ask.
“They help you sleep.”
“I don’t want to sleep. I want to be with Tyler.”
“You may not want to, but you have to. I promise they help, Kris.” She stands over me, watching as I take them. I hand her my glass and she places it on the coffee table.
****
I wake to the sound of wood being chopped in the distance. Sitting up I notice it doesn’t hurt anymore. I touch my face and it isn’t swollen and I can see again. How did he do that? I raise my shirt and the bruising is gone. I feel completely normal as if nothing ever happened.
“Nice to see you up again,” Sarah says, from the kitchen doorway.
I pull my shirt back down. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Just a few days.”
“A few days? What kind of pills did you give me?”
“Trust me, it wasn’t the pills that made you sleep.” She grins. “By the way, I washed your hair as best I could to get the mud out.” Sarah walks back into the kitchen.
Then what made me sleep for days? This just doesn’t make sense. I hear the ax hitting the wood again. I look out the window to see Tyler chopping wood. I can’t help but smile watching him, shirtless. I spot a familiar tattoo covering his right shoulder blade. It’s just like Sarah’s. A sun, with an eagle flying in the middle. Done in all black ink. His back and bicep muscles tense up and release as he repeats every swing. My attention is more drawn to his rippling muscles than his tattoo.
“Why don’t you go talk to him?” Sarah startles me with her sudden comment. “He’s been going crazy with worry. It took all I had to get him to leave your side.” She shoots me a friendly wink.
I smile and head out the door barefoot.
The air smells of freshly dewed grass. Tyler catches sight of me on the porch and tosses the ax to the side. “How are you, beautiful? I’ve been worried about you.” I run to meet him. He puts his arms around me, picking me up off my feet. “I won’t let him hurt you anymore.”
“Thanks for making me better, again.” I kiss him softly on the lips. “Let’s not talk about him right now. I just want to be with you.” Tyler places my feet back on the ground; the wet grass tickles my toes. He still holds me close. I rest my head against his chest and trace the outline of his chest muscles with my fingers. His warmth and soft heartbeat make me feel good. Do I really deserve him?
The summer will end and I’ll have to figure out what to do. I keep trying to push this thought from my mind, but it returns. I don’t want to break Tyler’s heart. I shake my head to make the thoughts go away. I don’t want to worry about it now.
“You two love birds hungry?” Sarah yells from the porch.
“Be there in a minute.” Tyler smiles and we start toward the cabin. He grabs his shirt and throws it on.
“Why’d you put that on?” I ask, sticking out my bottom lip.
“She doesn’t like it when I don’t have a shirt on when we eat. She says it’s not sanitary.” Tyler laughs and pushes my lip back in.
We get to the porch and I can smell bacon frying. “After you,” Tyler says holding the door for me. “You’ve made plenty once again, Sarah. You always make enough to feed an army.”
“It’s better to have too much than not enough.” Sarah winks at me and hands me a cup of coffee. “Besides, this girl hasn’t eaten in a few days. Who knows how much she’ll put away.”
“Thanks. I don’t know how anyone gets along without coffee. It’s the best part of my day.” I take a sip.
“So, waking up and seeing me isn’t the best part of your day?” Tyler teases, trying to take the cup from me.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” I say, keeping my cup from him.
Sarah gives him a playful punch to the arm. “Better leave her alone. I think she could take you.”
I take a seat across from Sarah, next to Tyler. I inhale my food. The hash browns, bacon and eggs are gone in a blink of an eye. I guess I was hungrier than I thought. My stomach is tight from gorging.
“Thanks for the food, Sarah. I think it’s the best I’ve had in a long time. You’re a good cook.” I grab my empty plate and start to the sink.
“What are ya doing? Put that down; I’ll get it,” Sarah says.
“Don’t worry. I can at least pick up after myself after all you’ve done for me.” The sound of a car coming down the lane puts my nerves on edge. Peering out the window, I recognize the car to be the one we rented from the airport. “It’s Janet,” I say running towards the door. The car comes to a stop in front of the porch. Kyle gets out of the driver’s side.
“Kyle!” I run to hug him.
“Hey,” he smiles and hugs me back. “I brought someone who wanted to talk to you.”
“Kristina, why haven’t you called me? I’ve been worried about you and your mother is worried, too.” Janet shuts the car door. I suspect she’s here to argue with me. I keep my distance. She continues, “Kyle has informed me of the misunderstanding and I know Tyler isn’t to blame. Do you understand my reasoning at the time? Jason hasn’t ever given me a reason to believe he would hurt you like that.”
“You know it wasn’t Tyler?” I ask.
“I do and if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to him.” Janet walks over and squeezes my shoulder, “Do you forgive me?”
“Of course I do. Come on,” I say, walking Janet up to the porch. Kyle lingers back. “Are you coming with us?”
“Tell Tyler I want to speak with him out here.” He gives me a reassuring nod, then sits down on the stump where Tyler has been cutting wood.
“Tyler, can you come in here for a minute?” I ask, showing Janet inside the front door and into the living room. He leans against the door frame between the living room and kitchen. His arms folded across his chest.
“Tyler, I want to apologize to you for the way I reacted before,” Janet says. “I didn’t know the truth and I should’ve given you a chance. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“It’s no problem really,” Tyler grins. “You were reacting the way you thought was right. You didn’t know; it’s okay.” Tyler holds his hand out and Janet shakes it.
“Kyle wanted to see you when you had a second,” I say. “He wouldn’t come in so I’m not sure what’s going on.” Tyler’s expression turns serious and he heads out the door. Worried I turn to Sarah. She smiles and shrugs it off. “I’m sure it’s okay. Whatever it is.”
“Janet, would you like some coffee?” Sarah asks, heading back to the kitchen.
“I’d love some.”
I walk over to the window and stare at Kyle talking to Tyler from his place on the stump. What could be so important they couldn’t talk about it in front of me?
Kyle catches me watching and they turn away, walking towards the wood line. They disappear into the woods and I’m confused. I have many questions without answers. “Janet, do you think I could go back to town with you? I want to go back to the library,” I say.
Janet gives me an unsure look. “Sure.”
Chapter 20
It’s been a week since I last saw Tyler. He hasn’t come to see me like he said he would. This is making my decision of going back easier. He knows I can’t leave here; paparazzi are surrounding the Inn and, if I walk outside, my every move is documented.
Behind my bedroom door, Janet says, “Kristina, you better be ready.”
“I’ll be down in a sec.” I do the finishing touches with my make-up and head down to meet her.
“We’re going out the back. The police have blocked the alley off so we can get to the car easier.” Janet puts her bag on her shoulder.
She opens the door and we head for the car. It’s a waste of gas in my opinion since the car pulls up to a small brick building only three blocks away. I know we took the car for safety reasons, but it still seems crazy.
Inside the theater, there’s a group of kids sitting in front of the stage. All their smiles make me smile. A young girl, the same one from the fair, walks over and leads me to the stage. “I can’t believe I’m meeting you again; this is so exciting,” she squeals.
I take her hand. “Oh, you’re sweet.”
“Hi there.” A woman dressed in a denim skirt and polo shirt approaches. “I’m Tara, the acting coach. It’s nice of you to come. Especially since things are sort of nuts in town. I had to keep the doors locked to keep the crowd out.”
“No problem,” I say.
“The kids wrote down some questions for you.” Tara offers me a chair. “The first one is, you’re different from most actors we see. You don’t pretend to be better than other people. How do you stay you?”
“I don’t know how to be any other way. I was raised to treat others with respect and not judge. I do my best to live by those words. I try not to let things go to my head. People seem to be amazed at the fact I’m no different than they are.” I smile at the kids. “I eat junk food and watch TV just like all of you.”
“Does anything make you nervous?”
“I get nervous every time I have to speak in public or during interviews in general.” This time is different, children don’t bother me so much. “It’s intimidating to get up in front of people and speak. No matter how much I do it, it still gets to me. I care too much about what people think of me. I worry I won’t be liked.”
“People love you.” Tara laughs.
“No, not everyone. I try not to focus on it, but everyone wants to be liked.”
“What worries you the most?”
“I won’t be good enough. I won’t do my job well enough. I will disappoint the ones I love. It’s hard being in the public eye. If you mess up, the world knows in a blink of an eye. The reality is, you have to follow your dreams and believe you can reach them. Don’t do anything for the fame; it’s good at times and bad at times. Do what you love because you love it, not for the money. Be true to yourself and work hard to reach your dreams. The feeling you get when your dreams come true is far greater than the fear you have of not getting there. I’m lucky to be doing something I truly love and can say a dream of mine has come true. Just keep going until you reach your dreams.”
The door flies open, slamming into the wall. Two large cops are holding back a girl who is covered in blood.
“Let go of me. I have to talk to her!”
Janet rushes up to the girl and moves the hair from her face. “Kristina is busy. Can…,” her voice trails off as she notices the blood.
“Sarah?” I rush from my place near the stage to where Janet stands beside Sarah.
“Kris, you have to come. It’s Tyler. He’s hurt!”
“No.” Janet places her hand on my shoulder. “You need to finish this first.”
“It’s okay. If she needs to go, we understand,” Tara says.
I shoot her a grateful smile.
“Good.” Sarah grabs my arm and urges me outside. “Get in the car. Now!” she demands.
She speeds out of town. Her bloody hands tremble and tears flow down her face. This has to be bad. I’ve never seen her so frantic. It frightens me to see her this upset. My heart is racing and my muscles tighten.
“Kris, I have to warn you. It doesn’t look good.” Her voice trembles. “Grandfather doesn’t know if he can heal him. Tyler might not make it.” Sarah wipes her eyes.
My face goes numb and I swallow hard trying to keep from being sick. “What’s happened?”
“The last night you were over, a week ago, Tyler told me he was going to run in the woods to clear his mind. He shifted into the wolf, sensing that something was up. He patrolled the woods night after night. He didn’t come to see you, afraid whatever it was would follow him. He communicated his concern with me. I know you’re good with weird, so you should know we can read each other’s minds. I told him he’s just on edge over the whole Jason thing and he should just come home.” Sarah pauses to wipe more tears away.
That explains how Tyler knew I was hurt when I asked Sarah to keep my secret. He’d read her thoughts.
“This morning I went over to talk to him since I hadn’t heard from him after I told him to come home. I found him outside, covered in blood and barely alive. Someone attacked him. He’s been beaten and stabbed multiple times. It must’ve happened fast. Otherwise, he would’ve been able to tell me. Grandfather came and we got him in the house. He comes and goes from consciousness, asking for you. I can’t let him die without seeing you.”
Sarah pulls into Tyler’s driveway and I feel the tears start to flow down my face. I open the door to the car before Sarah has it completely stopped. I get to the porch and hear him let out a yell. My heart stops. I stand frozen at the sound of his cry.
Sarah takes me by the hand and pulls me into the house. Buckets full of bloodstained towels and sheets sit by the doorway. Tyler’s grandfather is standing in the kitchen, cleaning blood from his hands. He sees us and nods.
Sarah leads me to Tyler’s bedroom. “Com’ on. It’s okay; he needs you.”
She lets go of my hand and nudges me inside, then leaves. I walk timidly around the bed and take a seat in the chair beside the bed. He moves his hand over to the edge but doesn’t open his eyes. I gently rub it, seeing that it’s black and blue.
“Kris?” he whispers.
“I’m right here.”
“Sorry you have to see me,” he winces, “like this.”
“Shhh.” I lean over and kiss him. “Don’t worry.”
His chest and torso are encased in bandages. His face is badly bruised and swollen. I don’t know why someone would want to hurt him like this. I can’t believe this is happening. I lie my head on his hand, kissing it. A tear lands on his hand.
“Don’t cry.” Tyler dries the tears from my cheek. “I’ll be alright.”
“I can’t help it. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m better now that you’re here.” He cringes and puts his arms around his stomach.
“Don’t get yourself worked up. I’ll stay here and cause trouble. Draw the attention off of you,” I say, attempting to lighten the moment.
He smiles. “Good.”
I rub his arm until he falls asleep.
Sarah comes in and gives me what appears to be a smoothie. She points to him but doesn’t speak, afraid of waking him. I nod and place it on the side table. I’m trying to figure out the smoothie’s contents. The only thing I can come up with is that it’s green and frozen.
“Kris!” Tyler yells. “Kris, where are you?”
“Right here.” I take his hand, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “I’m right here.”
“Kris!”
“He’s dreaming.” Sarah places her hand on his head. “He’s got a fever. Must have an infection. I’ll get Grandfather.”
I hold his hand even though he keeps flailing around. Sweat is beading on his forehead and his stab wounds ooze blood from his movement. I try to soothe him, but he overpowers me, and I end up on the floor.
Sarah helps me to my feet.
Grandfather enters the room carrying an eagle feather and something smoking from a wooden bowl. He chants and stands over Tyler’s body, tracing it with the feather.
I squeeze Sarah’s arm.
She takes my hand. “It’s okay. Just watch.”
Tyler starts to calm. His yells turn into slight whimpers of my name and his thrashing turns into twitches.
Grandfather looks Sarah in the eye. She nods to him and he leaves the room. I can’t read minds, but I can see the worry on both of their faces.
“What did he say?” I ask.
“It’s not good. We have to get his fever down or his body will start shutting down and…we’ll lose him. We need to change his bandages.” Sarah walks me up to the bed. “Start unwrapping those and I’ll be right back.”
I start unwrapping his bandages and feel my stomach start to turn. My hands are shaking with the fear of hurting him. I see the stitches Sarah has done. They now have blood oozing around them. A couple will have to be redone. He winces as I continue to unwrap him. I stop, feeling my eyes burn with tears.
Sarah places her hand on mine. “I’ll do it. Here, take this and keep him cool.” She hands me a bowl of cold water and a washcloth.
Placing the cloth in the water, I swirl it around and wring it out. I begin dabbing his face and forehead. I try to comfort him as Sarah finishes with the last few bandage removals. I wish I could take his pain away.
Sarah takes out a weird-looking brown paste. She places it over each of his wounds and then covers them with new bandages.
“It’s to draw out infection. As the paste dries, it draws out toxins from the body.” She finishes the first bandage. Sarah moves quickly, trying to get it done fast to keep the pain from taking a larger toll on him. “We need to keep him calm and cool so he can rest. It’s the main tool to get him better. I’ll let him rest now. Stay with him and comfort him.” She takes the used bandages out of the room.
It’s just Tyler and me in the room. He’s still saying my name, and now he has tears running down his cheeks. It looks like he’s trying to find me but can’t. I wipe his tears away and wring out the cloth with fresh water. I place the cloth on his forehead and take his hand. He doesn’t pull away, but he doesn’t squeeze it with acknowledgment either. I still can see the beauty in him even if he’s beaten. His spirit isn’t damaged and that’s what stands out to me. His beautiful spirit.
I rest my head on the edge of the bed beside him, my arms covering my head. I close my eyes and try to block out reality for a minute. I need to block it out. Janet may want me to go back to the Inn, but I can’t leave him like this. He’s accepted me for me and helped me when I was broken. I’m not going to leave him when he needs me. I have to help him recover.
