Chapter 27: Heartbreak

Jaime and Keira

«WHAT JUST HAPPENED?» Jaime asked Keira.

«She cut us off! She screamed to go away again and slammed the door so hard my head hurts!»

«Why? Trayce! Where are you? Don’t cut us off.»

«Let’s go on to the bookstore and see if we can find her. I can’t believe she’d just cut us off like that when we were so near!» Keira said.

The two hurried to the bookstore, but hurrying through the mall on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, was a matter of perspective. They were going faster than others, but not nearly as fast as they wanted to go. When they reached the bookstore, the sales had the cash registers backed up and people were standing in line in the café to place their orders. Jaime and Keira split up, first checking the café for any sign of Trayce.

«I don’t think she’s here, » Keira said.

«It’s a big store. Let’s make another circuit around. She could be hiding, » Jaime said.

«She’s hidden herself from me. I can’t feel her at all.»

Both teens were upset, but continued their search, meeting up at last at the café once more.

«I don’t feel much like eating, » Jaime said.

«Me either. Can we go to your place?»

«I’ll text Dad. If he’s still circling the mall, he’ll be here in a few minutes.»

Jaime and Keira made it back across the mall, holding hands. Tears were near their eyes. David and Olivia were still nearby and in a few minutes were back to where he’d dropped the two of them.

“How did your meetup go?” David asked. “You weren’t there that long.”

“She didn’t show up,” Keira said.

“I don’t like that,” David said. “She could have been someone scoping the two of you out. Maybe not even a woman. I want you to be extra careful this week.”

“We will, sir. Can you take us to your house? We just need to figure out what we’ll do next,” Keira said.

“Sure. How about a dip of ice cream on the way back? That always makes me feel better.”

“Before lunch, David?” Olivia laughed.

“Why not?”

“Yes, please,” Keira said.

Jaime and Keira sat on the sofa in the family room holding hands. They’d finished their ice cream with David and Olivia. The older couple then said they were going out to lunch. Jaime had the impression from both of them that lunch might be in Olivia’s apartment.

«I feel really hurt, » Keira said. «I never thought she’d tell us to go away again.»

«I didn’t think she was capable of slamming the door so tightly. Any time she’s backed away from us, I could still sense her. I’ve never slammed a door so tightly—not without pretty much going into a coma.»

«You don’t suppose that happened to her, do you?»

«If it happened like it does to me, we’d have had time to understand it.»

«What if she was in an accident? Maybe she was hit in the parking lot. When you were knocked out, we both lost touch with you. Then you were in the hospital and there was so much interference I couldn’t reach you until I was in your room.»

«I didn’t see any flashing lights at the mall. We can check the news and call the hospitals, I suppose. Something really bothers me about this.»

«Did our lover really just ghost us? I’m bothered, too, » Keira said.

«I don’t know how to explain it without ... at least kissing you, » Jaime said.

«There’s nothing stopping you from doing that.»

The two folded into each other’s arms and kissed deeply. In that moment, Jaime opened up and shared his deepest fears and desires. Keira could not help but do the same. The two were of one mind. Both were flooded with the intensity of each other’s feelings.

But there was no answering thought from Trayce.

Jaime had only one experience that came close to what had just happened. It was his last moments with his mother, when she’d told him she loved him. Then there was nothing. She was gone from his life forever.

Keira gasped at the intensity of the memory and the two embraced as tears began to fall. The thought that Trayce might truly be gone forever broke their hearts.

«We’re here alone, » Keira said. «Your dad won’t be back for a long time. There’s nothing stopping us ... We could just go to your room.»

«Keira, you’ve just been inside my mind and body. You know how much I want you. But... »

«Yeah. Except that.»

«I just don’t like the idea that we make love to each other for the first time while we’re grieving the loss of Trayce, » Jaime said.

«It would always feel that way, wouldn’t it? I just want us to have the joy in each other that we’ve always had before. I don’t want a dark cloud hanging over us, » Keira said.

«I always thought it would be so much easier to have a relationship with a woman who could hear my thoughts and speak in my mind. Like, we’d always know for sure if our partner was consenting to something, » Jaime said.

«Instead, we see each other’s desire, complicated by our doubts and misgivings. We don’t even know our own minds and feel like we are never ready. I love you so much, Jaime.»

«I can’t imagine my life without you. I would be miserable.»

«I’m miserable enough right now, » Keira said. «Wouldn’t it be acceptable to comfort each other with some more kissing ... and stuff?»

«Yeah. That would make me feel a lot better.»

Each wanted the comfort they found in the other’s arms. They were determined not to have intercourse, but that didn’t eliminate any of the other things they’d done together. It began with just a little kissing and progressed to touching and petting. Before long they were both naked and lying on the sofa together.

«So easy. It would be so easy, » Keira sighed.

«I love you so much, » Jaime said. «I know it would be wonderful. Maybe we’re silly to wait.»

«Let’s make sure first. It won’t hurt to wait a few more days. No regrets, remember?» Keira said. «But New Year’s Eve is our time, lover. New Year’s Eve I want all of you.»

«I want to feel you, Keira. I want to feel your body and your mind as you come.»

«Keep doing that. Yes. Right there. Slide your finger ... up ... yes ... in. I can feel you searching inside me. Searching for my soul. I want you so much! I’m ... going... »

That was all the warning Jaime got for Keira’s impending orgasm. As she began to slip back into herself, she felt Jaime ramp up for his. Both rode the waves of the other’s pleasure.

They held each other and eventually dozed off to sleep.

Jaime’s phone buzzed, waking them up. He looked at the text message.

“Picking up pizza. Be home in fifteen minutes,” was David’s message.

«It’s so nice that he gave us a warning, » Keira giggled. Jaime continued stroking her body.

«He could have given us more time, » Jaime sighed. «I could continue doing this for the next fifty years or so.»

«Oh, yes. No! We need to dress.»

«I’m dressing. I love you, Keira.»

They pulled themselves together and each supported the other when sadness got hold of them.

Jaime and Keira and Emerson

“Hey, Keira, it’s Emerson,” said the cheerful voice on the phone. “I was just wondering if you and Jaime might want to get together this afternoon. We could run another test on our software and then maybe get a pizza. Um ... Your girlfriend is welcome to come, too.”

“Oh, hey. Thanks Emerson. That might be just the pick-me-up we need today. Our girlfriend kind of ... rejected us Friday. It’s been a real downer,” Keira said.

“I’m so sorry! Really! Nothing makes the holidays suck like being rejected by someone you really like. Can you guys get over here by, say, one, to run some tests and then we can get a pizza mid-afternoon?”

«Are you up for this?» Keira asked Jaime.

«Sure. Why not. You know what she wants, though.»

«Yeah. Maybe that’s okay. I’m so down, mindless sex might be just what we need.»

«Let’s not go too far, okay?»

“I just checked with Jaime real quick. We’ll see you at one.”

“That’s great! Later!”

It was about eight blocks from Keira’s house to Emerson’s, but they decided to walk through the falling snow. It wasn’t the first snow of the season, but this one was looking like it would accumulate some serious inches. Not much chance Monday’s return to school would be delayed, though.

«Is your hand too cold?» Jaime asked. They each had a glove on one hand, but were holding bare hands between them.

«I’d rather freeze than lose touch with you, » Keira said.

«I wish we were sharing this with Trayce, » Jaime said. «And that is the last thing I’m going to say on the subject of our former girlfriend, » he added with more finality than he felt.

«You need to remember to sign while we’re with Emerson, » Keira said. «Based on her reaction when you spoke in her mind, she could freak out completely if she finds out we talk in our heads. We don’t need to send another girlfriend to therapy.»

«Got it.»

«Look! There’s a crossbill!»

«Is that what that bird is called? He sure looks bright against the snow, doesn’t he?»

«His light shines.»

They walked through a mix of neighborhoods before reaching Emerson’s slightly more opulent area.

“Hey! You made it,” Emerson said when she opened the door to their knock. “Did you walk? I could have driven over to pick you up!”

“Thanks, Emerson. It was just so beautiful out there, we decided to walk and enjoy the snowfall.”

“It’s really coming down now. We usually have to go farther inland to the mountains to see this kind of snow,” Emerson said. She took their coats and hung them up in a hall closet. “Not to worry, though. If we get snowed in, we have plenty of supplies. We could last a week here. Let me introduce you to the fam.”

They went into the living room where Emerson’s parents were sitting and reading.

“Mom, Dad, these are my friends Keira and Jaime,” Emerson said.

“Happy to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Flaherty,” Keira said as Jaime signed.

“Emerson has told us so much about you,” Mrs. Flaherty said. “I understand you don’t speak, Jaime, but I think it’s great Emerson has been learning sign language so you can work together in your computer lab. We should make sign language a mandatory course in elementary school. And make sure we have appropriate assistive technology where needed.”