First, Best and Always

Chapter 59 – Truth’s Revealed

Vin slipped his carry-on bag into the overhead compartment, sat down, and fastened his seatbelt for the 3 hr flight to California. As the flight attendant secured the plane’s door he gazed out the window and prepared himself for takeoff. He loved this part, the speed down the runway, the exhilaration as the plane left the ground, watching as everything below got smaller and further away. He sat there thinking over the events of the last three weeks, wondering how he had allowed things to spin so out of control. Craig had improved enough to be released, and he had accompanied Raven and her brother back home to South Dakota. Snoop still required a little more TLC, and Raven had insisted that he come home with her until he could truly get back up on his feet – or at least up on to a pair of crutches without feeling dizzy. Chris stayed in N.C. and began the school year right on time. Due to the extraordinary circumstances of Craig’s injuries – and the fact that he was struck on their grounds, the school had graciously allowed that Craig could start his school year on-line communicating with his professors through emails and taped lectures courtesy of the school and his brother. As soon as he was able he would join Chris on campus and they would finish what they had started that fateful day when Craig was run down.

As he sat here now Vin thought back to that day outside the hospital, the day that Raven gave him his answer. He understood now, he understood the connection between Raven and Eric and he understood what he had to do. Thinking back to her words he became even more determined…

“The truth” she said “is that I much as I love you, and I do love you…I loved him first, I love him best…and I know I’ll love him always.”

So there is was. The thing he had been most afraid of had come true. Raven was in love with Eric. What was worse was the knowledge that he, in great part, made it come true with his lack of trust. He sat here now with his eyes closed mulling things over in his mind while he waited for the flight attendant to come with the beverages. As the attendant made her way up the aisle she passed Vin’s seat, without asking him what he wanted and proceeded to the passenger behind him. When he realized that she’d passed him by he called her back and said jokingly…

“What’s wrong Miss?” “Don’t want to serve me today?” “Was it something I said?”

“Oh no Mr. Diesel,” she replied, “I saw your eyes closed and I thought you were sleeping, I just didn’t want to disturb you.”

Vin smiled up at her and asked for his usual grapefruit juice then quipped…

“Gotta remember ‘Every closed eye ain’t sleep,” and as she handed him his drink and walked away he added under his breath…

“Ric or no Ric we’ll be back together again Rae…I can feel it” “Cause just like every closed eye ain’t sleep…every good-bye ain’t gone…”


The End