Chapter 12: Buried secrets

Katelyn Bishop

The stars became bullet points through her cold and dark fire escape. Katelyn overlooked the bustling city beneath her with a hard dagger wedged in her heart. To stop the nightmares, she counted cars rolling past her. The cars lurched forward in a mesmerizing pattern of headlights and taillights. Time eluded her as her heavy ocean eyes looked upward in search of a tide that wouldn't pull her under. Bags of concrete seemed to be tied to her eyes, as she looked upward hoping for an ounce of sleep for the day ahead.

It wasn't that she couldn't fall asleep. She could, but she knew what she'd see if she did.

That night played over and over in her head. It filled every bone of her with lead.

Her fixated eyes pulsed for a moment as her phone rang in her pocket, she picked it up but delayed pressing the accept call button.

Hoarsely she grumbled, "Who is it?"

An anxious voice echoed over the phone, "Hey, Kate, I did what you asked...but...do you think we can... um...talk?"

Katelyn bit her lip nervously, "Flint?"

"Yeah...I'm so sorry about calling you so late. I honestly didn't think you'd pick up," he said wearily.

Curiosity picked at her, "Why are you calling then?"

Flint hesitated for a moment but slowly coiled out a soft answer, "I couldn't sleep."

Katelyn's eyebrow quirked, "You know this isn't Sleepless in Seattle, right?"

Flint chuckled but there was something very labored about his call, "You know what, I shouldn't of called. I'm sorry, Kate."

Katelyn felt him close to hanging up, but she just couldn't seem to let him off the line.

She interrupted him by saying, "I can't sleep either. All my dreams end in nightmares."

Katelyn could hear Flint putting the phone closer to his ear.

"Tell me about it," he pleaded.

Katelyn winced, "I...just can't. You'll just think I'm a monster."

Flint surprisingly replied with an agreeing tone of resignation, "You're right."

Just as Katelyn was going to say something else, she heard the dial tone on the other side.

He hung up on her.

Katelyn's heart broke into a million pieces...and she felt every shard in her skin at the moment. It pierced her unexpectedly, warping what was a full heart, into small enough pieces that a broom is needed to sweep away the remains. She knew exactly why it hurt, but admitting this would be to sweep up all the shards of herself and admit she was broken.

And...it was all because she was right.

He would think she was a monster if she told him what happened that night.

She didn't know why she thought he'd understand.

There was just something about him.

It was that first kiss when she didn't know better. It was looking at him when they both found out about each other.

She felt that every moment with him was like a sunset on fire. Every shadow that lurked in her head were thoughts of him. Every memory of him was etched in her head with permanence. Every little detail pulled her back into his sea foam eyes. She was just powerless to break free of him. She wanted to say it was the money or his amazing body...but what really had her was those eyes.

She didn't know how to stop it...and honestly...she didn't want to.

Katelyn's heart pounded like a thunderstorm as she laid back on her lumpy mattress, staring at the ceiling. She started counting the divots in the popcorn pattered ceiling. Her thoughts settled on her like starving vultures.

She knew Phoenix's warning. She knew it could never work.

But that did little to settle the affairs in her tumultuous heart.

As Katelyn rolled over, that manila folder taunted her yet again.

She needed to forget that night, she needed to forget Flint.

She needed to stop falling for her nemesis; Flint Morgan.

She didn't know how to stop, however. How do you stop falling? The only plausible way she saw to stop was to hit the ground and shatter. Her heart splintered at this thought. She felt like Galileo's experiment with the feather and the bowling ball. No matter how heavy she felt, she would still hit the ground at the same impact. Right now though, she felt like a bowling ball hurtling towards her own demise.

To distract herself, she opened to a random page of the folder, hoping to find something in there to make her remember she shouldn't do this.

Opening the manila folder, she found an image of Jared and all of his info compiled.

It listwd everything about him, from his address to all of his phone numbers.

Katelyn eyeballed them with curiosity.

Of course he wouldn't be up at 3:00 am, but...she needed to talk to him. About that kiss. About why he said that about his wife. Most of all, why pick her?She scarcely knew why Flint picked her. Everything just pricked at her like she was sitting on a bed of nails; unsure if the next step would stab her through.

Still...she needed to know why he did all these things

Katelyn's fingers dug into her pocket and dialed the number, just expecting empty trills to follow.

The phone rang once and she bit her lip in the nervousness.

She shouldn't do this. She was falling for Flint, not his brother.

But...there was also something about Jared that she recognized, however, she couldn't put her finger on it. That, however, drew her to him even more. Maybe...just maybe...it was also his inky black hair that looked like it could darken any storm. Along with his glistening steel eyes that looked like a silent hurricane...she was done for.

It was inexplicable. She was a terrible person. She knew it. Yet, here she was as another ring trilled away.

Katelyn prepared to give up on the last ring, until she heard a connection.

"Who is it?", a labored voice sounded.

"Its Kate, you know, the girl you kissed in the elevator? I got your number off of Carter."

A sharp scraping sound echoed from the other side of the call. Katelyn's heart thudded with the same rhythms as the scraping. Slowly, with each scrape, it chipped a piece of her with it. Fear filled her and took a heavy ransom on her thoughts as she waited for him to remember her...that was if he even did?

Finally a voice cut in, "Hey, I am kind of in the middle of something here."

It was Jared, but it was also an intense scraping sound.

The scariest part?

It sounded like a shovel...and who uses a shovel at 3:00 am?

A moment of silence passed on her side while the scraping of a shovel continued on the other line.

Curiosity broke her unevenly, as she asked, "Jared, what are you doing?"

A grunt of his labor sounded and the scraping increased, while Katelyn waited for an answer.

As Jared realized she was waiting for an answer he joked, "I'm burying my wife now. After this we can attach the 'Just Hitched' sign and some string and cans on the back of my Lamborghini."

He sounded jokingly but that scraping sound of a shovel did not alleviate her concern.

Jared could probably sense her reaction because he sighed and said omniously, "Don't worry. I am burying our past."

Then, devilishly he chuckled like it was an inside joke afterwards.

Katelyn's eyebrows just quirked up in confusion.

Was he still joking?

What past did they have other than one kiss?

Katelyn's head whirred as the scraping continued for a moment.

She was just about to ask about it when a blood curdling scream echoed through the other line.

Then, the line went dead before she could ask any questions.

Katelyn gulped as terror broke through her in broken train of thought. Her bones shook and chilled at that scream. It reminded her of the same inky black night she'd been trying to forget. She had tried hypnotism and whatever methods possible, falling short at hitting her head against a lead pipe or brick wall to forget it.

Before Katelyn had a chance to do anything like call the police, a knock thudded at her door.

Katelyn rubbed her eyes and stumblingly walked over to the door.

The knock continued to thud at her door and she yelled out to it.

"If you're a solicitor, you don't have to beware a dog. You have to beware me for coming here at three in the morning." Her best growl did little to deter the person at the door. Katelyn clenched her jaw as the knock unsettled her to the core. Who would be coming here at this hour anyway?

Slowly, Katelyn unlatched the door and those green sea foam eyes drifted like a peice of driftwood, towards her.

Katelyn's eyebrows questioned the handsome and weary Flint in her hallway.

"What are you doing here?"

Flint smiled at her and walked into her apartment.

Katelyn's eyebrows shot up as she quizzed him with a single expression.

Flint did not answer her, he only made his way to her mattress and laid down.

Katelyn was both too tired and confused to deal with this.

"Why are you in my bed?"

Flint gave her a confused expression, "You're having nightmares. So I'm here. What's so hard to understand about that? Why don't you lie down with me?"

Katelyn eyed him with an "are you serious look", but his smile and sea foam eyes pleaded her beside him.

Finally, she laid down on her bed with him beside her. His woodsy scent filled the air in a perpetual and inexplicable bliss.

Katelyn looked into his eyes searching for answers.

Flint ruffled his hand through her hair, "So...what are they about?"

Concern flickered in his eyes, as Katelyn debated giving out an answer.

Katelyn gulped. He was giving her those puppy dog eyes. Stupid. Cute. Millionaire.

She stroked his cheeks feeling the stubble and warmth of them.

Still, Flint looked for an answer.

Katelyn gulped and looked back at those sea foam eyes that always pulled her under at the worst times.

"His name was Jay Farley."

Flint's eyes widened as he waited expectantly for more.

"I...we...kissed during fireworks on the fourth of July in the summer of 2002. He heard gunfire, but I told him it was just the fireworks...when we finally did investigate."

Katelyn paused and hoarsely said, "My Aunt had shot my uncle and Jay's mom. There was so much blood. So much screaming. I ran away without Jay. I ran into the woods. My mind was flooded. I knew I should of saved him...but I just...it was...I was so scared."

Tears flew down Katelyn's stormy blue eyes as Flint softened them with his hands.

"It's not your fault," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

More tears tore down her cheeks and she screamed, "It was!"

Sniffling, Katelyn's eyes became drenched as she softly and remorsefully said, "It was...my...fault."

Flint kissed the top of her head again. When he parted from her, he rested his forehead on hers.

She hated this. She hated how she was bound to break his heart.

She had always been the fragile one. Now, she was scared to death that she would hurt him and he wouldn't stay. He was the glass now.

Looking back up at those sea foam eyes, she fell in once more.

But...she knew that she had to get it off her chest before it exploded inside of her.

"Flint..."

He interlaced his fingers through hers at the sound of her voice, saying, "Yes?"

Katelyn's heart broke as he said that simple phrase.

She tried to shake it off. She had to tell someone. She was a monster.

Slowly and cautiously she said, "I...when I was running back to the woods...I heard shots in the house and more screaming...I looked back, but I kept running."

Tears blinded Katelyn's eyes as she tried to take a deep breath in. She shouldn't have run. She should have stayed...but would she have been killed if she did? Guilt washed over her just like the sea foam eyes in front of her. Hot tears stung her eyes as she choked out violent sobs.

Flint tilted her head upward so he could look her in the eyes.

Katelyn's heart broke even deeper. Its like she was on ice and it all started cracking beneath her.

She was falling for him.

She knew how Annie felt. She knew Phoenix's warnings, but here he was; and he was looking at her like she was the only girl in the world. She just wished he stayed. She wished he stayed right here; because that's where she'd stay given the chance to. She'd stay in his arms forever.

Most of her life had been hell.

Why was it so bad to want a slice of heaven?

Katelyn's heart twisted in place as she thought this in her head.

Slowly but surely, she began to fall asleep in his arms.

No nightmares followed her this night, but they should have.

What was she doing with both Jared and Flint?

There was no answer she could formulate herself, but she wished there was.

The morning prevailed against the blinds as Katelyn's alarm went off. Flint was sleeping there beside her sweetly. He rested through her alarm with a smile cutting at his lips. His morning messy hair looked even better than last night. His hard chisled jaw was taut as he turned over to get away from the morning's harsh and cold light.

She ruffled her hand through his hair and kissed the top of his forehead. Her heart fluttered at the very touch of him.

Getting into the shower, Katelyn was giddy. It was the first time in years she'd felt great waking up.

Katelyn hummed Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" in the shower, as she worked the shampoo through her charcoal locks. Thoughts kept melting on her tongue like snowflakes. She didn't know how to say what she was feeling...but it was definitely something she'd never felt before. Her heart fluttered at the mere thought of him.

Her ribs only seemed to be a cage so the beating butterflies in her chest would not escape.

The knowledge that Flint was out there sleeping, it made her happy.

They hadn't kissed last night.

There were no moments of long lingering lips, though she wished there were.

There was only them.

Katelyn smiled as she stepped out of the shower. Cold air accosted her with a draft and she quickly worked to get a towel over herself. The bathroom was a small room. White tiles covered the floor and the walls were painted the same sea foam as his eyes, coincidentally.

As Katelyn got over to the fogged up mirror, she pulled out her tooth brush and began her routine for the morning.

After brushing her teeth, next was her hair. To do so though, she needed to wipe away the fog from her mirror.

With Katelyn's palm she rubbed a head shaped hole to see herself through.

When she finally found her image in the mirror, her eyes widened in a silent scream.

She was flickering.

Katelyn tried to blink and rub her eyes, but it was true.

She was flickering away just like Flint.

Thank you for reading! So if Katelyn is starting to disappear...will she pull Flint closer or push him away? Will the brokenhearted Flint run into the arms of "Nikki"? What is Jared up to...is it murder of his wife or is it something else entirely? How does Jared feel about Katelyn? Will that get in the way of the way Flint feels? Who will break their own heart first? Find out in chapter 13 of Blank Slate. Thank you for all the support thus far.
Love you guys!❤❤❤❤❤