25 | in which he stands on a broken foot

The only thing standing between you and me,

Is reality.

.\.|./.

Ryan Falls

We spend our days on the road, Crystal driving me around and showing me the very identical sites in Alaska. Sometimes we park at the end of the road, walking up the mountain tracks to have a clear view of the beautiful plains and the clear lakes. Other times, we sit on the grass, my laptop open on my legs as I catch up on my work.

Crystal talks, mostly about what she doesn't like about Alaska. I never knew that she doesn't like the snow, saying she would move to a warmer place if she ever got the chance. I suggest LA, and she shrugs.

"Maybe one day," is her answer.

I think she's like me, wanting to run from everything that connects her to pain. I ran from LA to it's opposite, and she wants to run to LA for how different it is from Alaska.

At one point during our adventures, we see a bear drinking at the shore. I've never seen a bear before, and I have to say, the big, brown, thing looks kind of cute. As I raise my phone to take a picture, Crystal grabs my arm, steering me away from danger.

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" she snaps, looking like she would rip me apart if the bear didn't. "That's it. We're never leaving your house again."

The way she says it makes me smile, not to mention putting an idea in my head.

When we get back home, and Crystal still hasn't talked to me, I ask her to stay over for the night.

Her eyes widen as she takes in my expression, and though I have no underlying motives, Crystal doesn't think so. Her answer is no, not in the blunt way but rather in a subtle excusive way. It doesn't beat me, though, as I repeat the same question to her every evening.

Crystal -- being Crystal -- somehow shakes me off every time, only to return the next morning, breakfast ready in hand.

It's one morning some time after the end of our second week together -- which is a joke, considering I never even get to kiss her, afraid of pushing her away -- that I drop by her house. She opens the door to find me standing there, two men behind me.

Not rapists, but plumbers.

"What ...?" She trails off, her eyes taking in the big dudes behind me.

"House maintenance, ma'am." I tip an invisible hat, taking Crystal's hand and moving her out of the way before leading the guys through her door.

She doesn't speak as I instruct the men on what to do. Her sink is clogged, and termite has begun eating at the wooden cabinets in the kitchen. I noticed a leakage in one of the walls, and one of her stoves only works on one side. Her refrigerator sometimes grumbles like an old man, and the toaster burns everything you put in it. Not to mention the lightbulb in the bathroom has a tendency to blink  multiple times before settling down to illuminate the tiny space.

It isn't until I have set the men to work that Crystal takes hold of my arm, leading me into a corner and whispering in urgency.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demands, looking close to breaking down.

"Getting some work done," I state the obvious. "Seriously, Crystal, this house is a death-trap. And I thought I was supposed to be the suicidal one here."

I give her a solemn look, and now she looks close to breaking my nose.

"Ryan, I ... I can't pay for all this," she finally blurts out.

"You don't have --"

"No," she says firmly. "I'm not going to let you buy my groceries and get work done and --"

"Then you can live with me and I won't have to." I shrug.

Her fist collides with my shoulder, and I whine instinctively. Crystal gives me the coldest glare she can manage, and I simply smile.

"Come on." I take her hand and lead her out of her house and towards my own.

"Ryan, stop!" She pulls her hand out of my grip. "I'm serious."

Folding her arms across her chest, Crystal gives me a stubborn look. We're standing in the middle of the street, between our houses, and I have no choice but to sigh.

"Okay, how about ... as soon as you get a job, you can pay me back," I suggest.

Crystal opens her mouth to argue, but I reach out and cup her face in my hand.

"Please," I insist.

As much as she looks like she wants to refuse, it's probably the innocent look I give her that wins her over. Closing her eyes and sighing in resignation, Crystal follows me begrudgingly into my house.

I spend the rest of the day on my bed, typing an article which is already over-due. Crystal busies herself in my kitchen, and after some time, I hear her humming as she moves around. The delicious fragrance of chocolate reaches my nostrils, and I inhale deeply. Looking up from my laptop, I turn my gaze towards the kitchen door, smiling as I watch her open the oven and pull out a cookie tray, still humming along to a tune I don't recognize.

If there was heaven on earth, this would be it.

"Cookies?" Crystal asks, peeking out of the kitchen to see me watching her.

"You are an angel," I compliment, putting the laptop on the bed and walking over so I can try some of the steaming treats.

Ignoring the fact that I might not get paid for the stupid article if I don't submit it by midnight, I spend the rest of the day with Crystal, asking her about her childhood.

She has a weird laugh, that sounds halfway between wheezing and snorting. I notice that she tries to suppress it, but I only make her laugh harder, stuffing my mouth with cooking.

"You're so gross," she complains, her face red.

"No way!" I grumble, slapping a hand on my mouth to prevent the amount of cookie crumbs from falling out. If I gain three-thousand pounds and die of over-eating, Crystal will be the only one to blame.

"Yes way, you pig," she says, moving the plate out of my reach before I can eat myself to death.

"Come on!" I whine. "Not fair."

I fold my arms across my chest and pout exaggeratedly, putting on the most childish expression. Crystal just laughs along.

"Stay over tonight," I suggest out of the blue.

My words cause Crystal to stop laughing. She sighs before speaking.

"Ryan, I want to take this slow," she says.

"That's totally fine. I'm not asking for anything, Crystal. Just that you stay over. I promise we won't even share the bed. I can sleep in that chair."

"Why?" she asks, looking both doubtful and confused.

I try to think of a logical reason, as 'I miss you when you're gone' seems too damn weird. The girl already thinks I'm a total creep, she might just get a restraining order against me after I say this.

When nothing comes to mind, I shrug. "I just -- I don't know, okay? I want you to stay. I'm alone here, you're alone there. We can both be here."

Crystal doesn't speak, staring at me like she's waiting for me to give her a sensible answer.

"I promise I'll stand on one foot all night if you want," I add.

"The broken one?" She raises her eyebrows.

"It's not broken anymore," I retort, sticking out my chin. "And yes, if you want."

"Really?" Crystal folds her arms across her chest. "It's perfectly healed?"

I nod proudly.

"Show me, then," she says. "Jump."

For a moment, I think Crystal is joking. She doesn't seem to be, though, because she neither smiles nor takes her words back. When I'm sure it's what she wants, I get to my feet, my expression firm. Even though a part of me warns me to be careful, and that she probably knows better than I think she does, giving in to her assumption that I'm not fully healed is not something I want to do.

So I spread my arms out, and jump.

Besides looking like a clown on a trampoline, everything seems to be okay for a moment. My jump isn't high, and I'm confident I can land straight on my own two feet. It's only when my toes hit the ground again that I feel my knee wobble, telling me I'm a fool to think I can impress Crystal.

My leg gives out from underneath me, and I reach out to grab something for support. Ironically, Crystal is the one to take hold of my arms before I can land on the ground in a crumpled heap. Her expression, though, is a mixture of panic, guilt, and pride.

"I told you, Ryan," is the first thing she says, proving that her pride won over the panic and guilt. "You're ... ugh!"

"Hey, you're the one who said I should jump." I let out a breathless laugh, straightening up and touching my knee, which sends a piercing pain through me. Nearly two months, and my bone hasn't been the same.

"Fine," Crystal snaps. "I'll stay."

I stop palming my leg and look up at her, smiling when her words sink in.

"You're the best!" I exclaim, pulling her into a one-arm hug.

Crystal shoves me away, refusing to let me kiss her.

We lay down on either side of the bed, leaving a large space in between. On our sides, we face each other, our eyes on each other.

This would be so romantic if Crystal wasn't looking at me like she hates me.

"Sweet dreams, love," I say with a smile.

She rolls her eyes, turning onto her back and then her other side. Suppressing a laugh, I stare at her back of her head, and her blonde hair spread out in the space between us.

I drift off to sleep, jerked awake by the doorbell ringing loudly. Confused whether it's real or whether I'm imagining it, I sit up in bed, squinting through half-open eyes. I glance at Crystal to see that she's sitting up too, her wide eyes fixed on the door.

"I'll see who it is," I reassure her, reaching under the bed to grab my discarded crutches. I need something to defend us if need be, and this might just be the only weapon I have.

Crystal swings her legs off the bed, getting to her feet next to the bed as I approach the door. Propping the crutch against the wall, I pull open the door, expecting a scary bunch of guys with tattoos and guns.

Instead, I see a thin man with short, blond hair and icy blue eyes, a clean-shaven face, and the expression of someone ready to commit murder.

"Can I help you?" I ask him, wondering how best to get rid of this creepy stranger.

"Jem?"

The voice that speaks doesn't belong to the man, but rather to the girl behind me. I turn to look at her pale face and wide, fearful eyes. It only takes me one look at Crystal to know who the man is.

The said abusive boyfriend, Jeremy.

The nightmare has returned.

.\.|./.

A/N: Thanks for reading, loves!

NOW! What do you think will happen? ^_^