Lyra* The Night Is Young

LYRA*

Blaze walked out, and all I could do was sit there. I couldn't move or blink or anything. I stared at the door hoping Blaze would come back. Blaze is my soulmate. I knew the instant we kissed. The tingling sensation, the sparks, and flashes of light consumed me. Why in the world did I tell him to move on; I must be crazy? That's when my thoughts turned to Jared. I closed my eyes and brought myself back to the real world. I got up from my bed and made my way to Jared.

The pizza had arrived; Jared was eating the hamburger Blaze had made me, which upset me slightly. I'm guessing that because my hamburger was gone. Blaze had made my hamburger perfectly as if he knew how I would like it.

I grabbed a paper plate and filled it with chips and some salsa. Then I grabbed another paper plate and got myself four pieces of pizza. I looked over to see Blaze and Tanner grabbing some beers from the fridge. Blaze glanced over at Jared and then at me. A flash of annoyance crossed his face. Then he walked off with Tanner.

Jared got up and helped me into a chair. "What can I get you to drink, Lyra? Jared asked.

"A coke, please, "I said, smiling up at him.

Jared walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed me a cold coke. He sat it down in front of me, then sat back down in his seat. I began alternating between shoveling pizza in my mouth, then chips and salsa.

"Enjoying having some normal food; I know the hospital's food sucks sometimes?" Jared asked.

"Nope, this is me on a daily basis," I said, and we both laughed.

"I love me a woman who is healthy and loves to eat; I'll cook for you sometime. I was going to go to Culinary school initially. My dad died before I started college, and I shifted towards medicine instead. I did take a few culinary elective courses, though. Cooking is my passion, but what I'm doing now is more practical," Jared said.

"Jared, you should go to culinary school. If you are passionate about cooking, it would be best to do what makes you happy. Also, you can cook for me any time. They say food is the way to a man's heart, well it's a good way to get to mine," I said, and we both laughed.

"I would love to go to Culinary School, but that isn't feasible at the time. My sister will start college soon, and my two younger brothers will follow. I need my income to get them through college. My mom is a nurse and makes good money, but it's hard to make ends meet," Jared said.

"I understand; maybe someday culinary school could happen for you. Until then, I'm here for you. You can test out any dish you want on me. I have no allergies, and I love, love, love all types of food. No complaints here," I said, and we laughed again.

Vega and I both have killer metabolisms. I'm pretty sure we are both hypoglycemic. If we don't eat several times a day, the scene isn't pretty. Vega and I both have a little extra padding surrounding our muscles, but if anyone cared, they could screw themselves. Neither one of us was going to starve ourselves to make others happy.

Besides, until I got in the accident, we worked out daily. Sometimes even went on a morning jog. I can't wait until my body gets fully healed and goes back to normal. I lost twenty-five pounds while I was in a coma. Before the coma, I weighed one hundred and forty pounds. Most of that was muscle, though. Now I weigh one hundred and fifteen pounds, and the strength I had, had weakened and diminished. I wouldn't say I like it one bit, but I'll get back to where I want to be.

My ideal weight for height and bone structure is one hundred and twenty-five so, I would like to get to at least one hundred and thirty pounds. I've had to pace myself since waking up. However, my stomach is finally starting to get back to normal. If I could get in shape and get back to at least one hundred and thirty pounds, I would be happy.

Around the time I finished my food, people started piling into the kitchen to make mixed drinks and grab beers. I looked over at Jared, and he seemed like he might want a beer or something, but he hadn't said anything.

"Jared, we have everything you could think of here. If you'd like a beer or something, go ahead and grab you something," I said.

"I would, but unfortunately, I have to drive home tonight, and I'll be flying home to Colorado in the morning. Which is something I need to talk to you about," Jared said.

"Oh, you're going home to Colorado; how long will you be gone?" I asked Jared.

"Well, my mom has been having issues with my younger brothers. My dad died when they were both so young, and me being away isn't ideal; they need a father figure around," Jared said.

"How old are your brothers?" I asked Jared.

"Trevor has just turned fifteen, and Michael is twelve going on thirteen, and without a father figure around, they are going off the rails. I also have a sister Claire who is eighteen. She is working and trying to keep her grades up, all the while trying to help my mom," Jared said with a pained look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jared, this all must be hard for you all," I said and grabbed Jared's hand.

Jared squeezed my hand and looked off towards the living room, where everyone was dancing around and drinking. Mine and Vega's friends could be rowdy. Not saying that we aren't ourselves, but not as much as our friends could be.

"I'm on leave for a month. I'll be going home for the holidays, and then I might end up moving back home if I can get a transfer. I need to see how bad everything is. Lyra, I might not be coming back. So I think it might be good for us to go our separate ways before we get in too deep," Jared said.

"Oh, you're ending this," I said. In a way, I'm sad, but with Blaze in the picture, I knew this was for the best.

"Yes, Lyra, it is for the best. I like you a lot, but I have so much going on. I don't want to bring you into the mess of my life right now. You also have a month, and you'll be going back to school. I think you've grown to care for me because I've been your caregiver. It happens quite often. Which is why I should never have kissed you or anything like that in the first place," Jared said.

The music all of a sudden went off. "Lyra, get your butt over here; it's time for karaoke, and we're going to sing together," Vega yelled.

I glanced over at Jared, who was getting up from his seat. "Vega, give me a minute; I need at least one drink first," I yelled and laughed.

"Well, get on with it; it's time to get this party started. Summer, come sing with me," Vega screamed excitedly.

"Lyra, this is your party. People are here for you. Enjoy your party. I'll let you know how things turn out in Colorado," Jared said as he kissed me on the forehead and walked away.

Well, I guess that just happened, and I'm single again. I do hope everything works out for Jared and his family. I carefully climbed down from my chair and laughed at Vega and Summer as they sang a Blink One Eighty song.

BLAZE*

I couldn't help myself from kissing Lyra. The more she kept babbling on, the more I started to realize that I had messed up. That I might be waiting a while before Lyra and I could be together. I needed just one kiss to get me by. One kiss to see if that connection was indeed there, and it was.

I had closed my eyes during the kiss, and shooting stars had shot around, brightening up the darkness. It took all I had in me to break the kiss. I thought Lyra would be the one to do so, but she hadn't. I know how hard it is when someone cheats. It's happened to me so many times. I didn't want to bring this on Lyra and her boyfriend.

It's all my fault. I should have gone and met Lyra after she had woken up. Jace and Vega asked me several times to go with them. I finished a housing project, so I let my work control me instead. Now Lyra was with someone else. I'm such an idiot sometimes. Lyra had told me to move on, but I didn't think I wanted to. Why get with someone else when I knew Lyra was the one for me.

Tanner and I were grabbing a beer when I looked over to see Lyra's boyfriend eating the hamburger I made for her. Lyra doesn't look any happier about that fact than I am. I'm seriously contemplating leaving because I don't think I could stay here and watch them together all night.

About thirty minutes later, Vega cuts off the music and beckons Lyra to go over and sing with her. I was about to leave, but I think I'd like to stay and listen to Lyra sing. I looked over at Lyra when she answered Vega, saying she needed a drink first.

I watched as her boyfriend kissed her on the forehead and then walked out with a sad expression on his face. I wonder what all of that's about? Lyra walked over to the refrigerator, and I decided to see if everything was ok.

I walked up to her, and she bent over to grab something. Her perfectly round ass looked up at me. All I wanted to do was hold her and pull her up to me, but I stood there. Lyra straightened back up, turned around, and rammed into me. Her red bull fell to the floor, and she looked up at me, startled.

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry. I was going to grab another beer. I didn't mean to invade your space," I said as I bent down to grab Lyra's drink. "Would you like for me to get you a new one?" I asked Lyra.

"Yes, please," Lyra said, smiling. I opened the fridge and grabbed a beer for myself and a red bull for Lyra.

"Gotta drink a few before you go sing," I asked Lyra, hoping she would tell me a bit about what just happened with her and her boyfriend.

Lyra squinched her nose up and smiled; she's so adorable. "Yes, and Jared and I just broke up, so..." Lyra trailed off, staring over at Vega singing with Summer. "It's ok, though; I don't think we would have made it longer; we've only been together two weeks. It is what it is," Lyra said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were going to get some alcohol. What are you doing with this?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.

"I love Vodka and Red Bull. I need something to wake me up," Lyra said as she started making her mixed drink.

"That's a bold choice," I said as I laughed.

"It's my favorite," Lyra said as she smiled up at me. Man, I wanted to melt into her.

We walked over and sat on the love seat against the wall and laughed at Summer and Vega as they started singing another song. Lyra scoots over to be closer to me, looks up, and smiles, and I put my arm around her shoulders. Lyra then rested her head on my chest. She smelled of apples, just like she smelled in the dream; that moment in the dream flashed before me.

"What are you thinking about Blaze?" Lyra asked, and I looked down to see she was looking up at me.