CORAL (A Romance Trilogy, Book 1) (35 page)

That’s unbelievable, and crazy,
he must have been so uncomfortable. Why didn’t he just take me upstairs and
sleep on the sofa, or use the bed with me? I scowl at my wayward thoughts.
Tristan in your bed already?
Coral you Ho!
Well it’s not like we’d have
been humping all night is it? I argue back at myself. I stop my thoughts right
there, I’m in too much pain for my mind to be whizzing about like that. I just
want food and some random animation, something to make me chuckle so I don’t
curl up into a ball feeling sorry for myself.

I slowly lie back down, resting
my head on the pillow, and close my eyes, the gentle whirring of the air-con is
making me feel sleepy, which I can't quite understand. How can I want more
sleep when I’ve already had so much?

The pain killers start to kick in
and the throbbing starts to ease - slightly. I feel myself drifting off, just
as I slip away, I hear my mobile buzz. I groan inwardly, not wanting to answer
it and let it go to voice-mail. Just as I’m drifting off again, I hear it start
buzzing -
Grrrr!
I get up far too quickly and the room sways, I sit back
down for a moment and let my blood pressure adjust.

When I feel like everything is
where it should be, I find my bag on the kitchen side and fish out my mobile. I
turn it over and see it’s Rob. I can’t press answer quick enough.

“Rob, are you ok? Where have you
been?” I whisper.

“Sorry,” he mumbles gloomily.

I shuffle back over to the sofa
and gently sit down. “Rob, you’ve had me so worried! I’m really gonna kick your
arse when I
finally
see you...
and
Carlos,” I add –
I’m so mad
at him too!

“Coral…please,” he pleads. He
doesn’t sound right.

“Ok, ok. So…?” I say waiting for
his explanation. What I don’t expect to hear is Rob burst into painful tears –
No!

“Rob!” I gasp. “W-what’s wrong?”
It takes a few minutes, but he finally stops crying enough to answer me.

“I j-just called to see how y-you
are?” he chokes out.

“What?” I ask totally
dumbfounded.

He sniffs loudly then continues.
“I called yesterday to say happy birthday to Lily, Debs told me what happened
to you. So are you ok?” he croaks, sniffing some more.

“Better than you sound?” I answer
softly. I’ve never heard Rob cry; whatever it is must be really bad. “Now tell
me Rob, what’s wrong? Is it you and Carlos?” My leg starts jigging up and down,
he starts to cry again. “Rob, you’re really scaring me,” I whisper.

“Sorry,” he chokes, he sounds
exhausted.

Just at that moment Tristan comes
through the door.

“Rob, please tell me?” I squeak.

“Another time.” He sighs
sorrowfully.

“No Rob now!” I bark. “You’re my
best friend, why won’t you talk to me?” I ask bitterly. “We always talk about
everything...please,” I plead. “Tell me.” I hear a funny noise in the
background; sounds like an announcement at a train station, or an airport?

“I have to go” Rob sniffs. “Bye.”

“No Rob wait’ – He hangs up, I
stare blankly at my mobile –
What the hell was that about?

I grit my teeth in frustration
and go over the conversation again. He didn’t give anything away! How can I
help him if he…?I hear him burst into tears again, which automatically starts
me off. I close my eyes and try to fight against the tears that are now
cascading down my cheeks…
god damn you Rob, why won’t you tell me what’s
wrong?

“Coral!” Tristan gasps. I open my
eyes and see his blurry figure dash over to me. He sits next to me and wraps
his arm around my shoulder. I lean my head into the crook of his neck and try
to choke back the tears –
It’s official, I hate crying!

Tristan squeezes me tighter, and
kisses the top of my head. It feels very comforting; and I know in that very
moment I’m so, so grateful to have him here with me.

“What’s wrong?” he whispers as he
holds me tight.

“Rob,” I choke. “He was
crying...I…I’ve never h-heard him cry.”

“Any idea what it might be?”
Tristan asks; his voice full of concern.

“He w-won’t t-tell me,” I growl.

“Want me to see if I can find out
anything?” He softly says.

“L-like w-what?” I choke, looking
up at him through my watery eyes.

“It’s easy to find information,
just have to know what to look for,” he softly says, wiping a tear away with
his thumb.

“He’ll tell m-me when h-he’s
ready,” I stutter and squeeze my eyes shut.

It takes a while for me to calm
down, the sound of Rob bursting into painful tears keeps replaying in my head.
I’m so frustrated, how can I help him if he won’t talk to me? And now I’m
starting to think Rob’s got into some sort of trouble? All the worst case
scenarios my over-active imagination can come up with play over and over in my
mind –
Oh God, oh no, Rob!

“Hey, hey…Coral, you need to calm
down now. You sound like your hyperventilating,” Tristan says lifting my head
up which is now in full scale – somebody’s got a gong next to it and is banging
it repeatedly – mode. “Come on Coral, deep breaths.” Tristan hands me the box
of tissues from my side table.

I shake my head and shuffle out
of his hold. “Help me to the bathroom?”

Tristan is instantly on his feet
holding his hands out to me. I place my hands in his and he pulls me to my feet,
but the room sways again. So he lifts me into his arms, takes the few short
steps needed, and places me down in the centre of my tiny bathroom.

It’s a tight squeeze with the two
of us in there. Tristan shuffles backwards until he’s outside the door. I
glance across at him and see he looks so worried. “I’ll wait right here,” he
tells me.

“No,” I say waving him away. “Go
eat before it gets cold.”

“But’ – “No buts Tristan, I won’t
be a minute.” I sniff.
Ouch, that really fucking hurt!

I wince in pain and shut the
door, then grab a load of tissue and clean myself up - Ok, so crying seems to
have cleared my nose
. Grosse!
– At least I can breathe now! I wash my
tear stained face in the sink, then gently pat myself dry –
Jeez, I feel
exhausted and I haven’t even done anything!
I hear Rob cry again in my
head, I push back the tears that threaten to start up –
God Damn you Rob!

I take several deep breaths, and
decide it can't be any of the really bad things I thought because Carlos would
be worried and on the phone to me. So maybe it is those two?

I shake my head at myself, I
could be here all day trying to figure it all out.
There’s nothing you can
do about it Coral, come on, Tristan’s waiting for you!
Yes, he is. I
shuffle over to the door and yank it open. I’m instantly hit with the smell of
freshly made pancakes and coffee. My stomach growls in appreciation.

Tristan walks over to me and
holds out his arms. “May I?” he asks.

“I’m ok,” I croak and start to
shuffle out.
I feel like a god damn old woman!
Tristan gives me his one
hand to help balance me, and I gladly take it. “Thanks. Smells good,” I say
with appreciation.

“Tastes good too.” He says
helping me to sit on the sofa; then he sits next to me.

I see my pillow and quilt has
disappeared and my coffee table is back to its usual place in front of the
sofa. Tristan has laid out two plates, and there are knives and forks neatly
placed on napkins, two tall take-out cups, and four Styrofoam white boxes, each
has a small amount of steam oozing out of them.

“Cappuccino for the lady,” he
says handing one to me.

“Thanks.” I say in appreciation.

“Now, I got several different
types of pancakes as I wasn’t sure which you would prefer,” he says gesturing
to the four different boxes. “So there’ –“Pancakes?” I interrupt, purposely
looking down-hearted.

“Um...yeah,” Tristan shuffles
slightly, looking very uncomfortable.

“But I don’t like pancakes,” I
squeak, trying my very best not to let the grin that’s pushing through appear
on my face.

“I...Oh!” Tristan deflates, he
looks lost. I can't take it anymore, I bump his shoulder playfully.

“Kidding!” I chuckle then stop –
I shouldn’t have bumped him, my head bangs in protest.

“Is your head really that bad?”
He asks measuring my expression.

“I think yours would be too, if
you’d have had that happen.” I answer dryly.

“True.” He smiles. “You had me
there by the way,” he adds grinning widely.

I smile back at him. “I know it
was good right? You really believed me!” I chuckle then stop –
The pounding
really better stop soon!
Tristan is looking concerned again so I quickly
change the subject. “Good choice. I haven’t had pancakes in years!” I say
cheerfully.

Tristan carefully opens each box,
then turns and smiles broadly at me. “Ta da,” he says playfully. “Found this
place just by chance yesterday morning, I got here really early and I was
starving, they are very good pancakes,” he adds, looking very pleased with
himself. “So, you have a choice of Chocolate Chip, Buttermilk, Cinnamon or
Blueberry?”

“Wow!” I gaze down at the
pancakes, they really do look delicious.

“So which will it be Coral?” I
decide to go for the safe option.

“I’ll take a buttermilk one,
thanks.” Tristan places one on each of our plates then takes the top off a
little Styrofoam cup.

“Maple syrup?” he asks, his head
cocked to the side and a wicked glint in his eyes –
Is he asking what I think
he’s asking?
I’m sure there’s a double meaning there. I stop
those
thoughts in their tracks, and clear my constricted throat.

“Sure.” I watch him carefully
drizzle a little syrup over each pancake, then I pick up my knife and fork and
take a bite. “Mmm....delicious,” I say, my stomach seems grateful too.

“They’re good right?” he says
demolishing his in seconds.

“Whoa! You must be hungry?” I say
without thinking. I watch him take a Blueberry one and drizzle syrup on it.

“What makes you say that?” he
says between mouthfuls. I shake my head and carry on eating, too embarrassed to
say. “Ah come on Coral, I think we’re passed all the evasiveness by now, don’t
you?” He leans into me with pancake stuck to his fork, and playfully shoves it
into his mouth.
Ok I can do this!

“Well I...sort of noticed on
Tuesday that you, kind of, took your time with your food.” I answer quietly.

“I was nervous.” He admits.

“You were?” I gasp.

“Yes.” Another mouthful, he
quickly chews then swallows. “I so badly wanted you to say yes to a date, to
something. It was putting me off my food.” Another mouthful, he quickly chews
and swallows. “And I’m never off my food,” he adds thoughtfully.

“Oh!” Is all I can say to that.

“What about you Coral?” He asks,
placing a chocolate pancake on each of our plates, then drizzling them both
with syrup.

“I...” I take a bite. “Wow,
really nice too. Good job I don’t eat this kind of stuff too often, or I’ll
turn into a big fat bloater.” Tristan chuckles.

“So what about you?” He repeats,
taking a drink of his cappuccino.

“What do you want to know?” I
ask.

“You didn’t each much of your
salad at lunch,” he tells me. “Off your food too?” he asks. How very perceptive
of him and for some reason, maybe all my inner-dialogue, I answer truthfully.

“Yeah...I guess I was,” I say
shyly. “I was nervous too…a-about how I was already feeling about you. I didn’t
understand it.”
Ok too much information.

I take another mouthful before I
can really put my foot in it.

“Do you understand it a little
more now?” he asks. I instantly detect a hint of nervousness.

“Yes.” I whisper nervously, and
eat some more.

“And?” He helps himself to
another pancake, keeping his eyes locked forward.

“I don’t know Tristan...what do
you want me to say?” I try to think of something to tell him about myself. I
come up with one thing and before I can stop myself from saying it, it’s out of
my mouth. “I have a therapist.”
Whoa! Shut up Coral, don’t tell him that
yet!

Tristan stops chewing and turns
to gaze at me, I cannot look away from him. What is this power he yields over
me? I feel like he’s looking straight through me again. As he continues to
stare, I notice his eyes grow darker, and his jaw tense a couple of times,
finally he looks away, picks up his cup and takes a long drink.

I start breathing again, but my
appetite has vanished - I knew it, I knew he wouldn’t like it. Tristan stops
drinking and frowns down at his plate, his whole body seems to have tensed up.

“Is the therapist helping you Coral?”
He asks darkly.

“Yes.” I whisper, feeling
mortified I just shared that with him. “George is great…really, really great.”
Tristan turns to me and half smiles, it doesn’t reach his eyes.