Catching Rainbows

36

In the morning Chloe texted Assface back as if she was going to be there when he got home, so he wouldn't know anything was up. He told her he would be back at nine and included a further list of the things he expected upon his return.

Except instead he would be getting Jared with a delicate message.

We went to the water park, taking Hailie, who only had one smallish meltdown when a ride splashed her fully in the face. It was fun, especially the rainbow-catching room, which was up and running for the public.

"This was how I felt when we first started hanging out," she told me, gesturing at the people of all ages enjoying the game. "Caught up in the wonder of you. Of having the chance, however small, of holding you." She smiled, a little shy at her admission. "Catching Lunas."

After I melted, I hugged her as rainbows danced across our faces. "You caught me," I said happily. "In your heart."

"Same," she said, and I loved her a little more.

She grew more anxious as the day passed, which was certainly understandable. 

By nine that night she was so nervous about the impending arrival and how it would go, she could barely sit still. The kids were asleep and we were sitting at the table in the patio, she to my right, drinking pink lemonade in the warmth of the summer evening. It was newly dark, with a choir of crickets sounding off around the perimeter of the yard, and a frog in the old bird bath adding his small ribbits.

"Hey," I said, taking her hand and raising my eyebrows when she met my eyes. "Don't worry; we've got this. Jared'll handle it and you'll be rid of this asshole forever."

She squeezed my hand with her right one. She wore only one ring, the infinity sign that she always had on her right index finger. "I know," she said. "It's just, you know. I worry about him doing something in retaliation, especially something to you."

Guys like him were true cowards, and he may be angry at first but he would move on when he realized he was beaten. "I hear you, and your fear is totally valid. But I think it'll be okay." 

She sighed. "I am ready for this to be over, ugh."

My cousin called then and I answered. "Hi?" Chloe's eyes widened and her grip tightened.

"Yep, he's pretty pissed," Jared said over the rock blaring in the background

"Turn your music down dude," I said, exasperated. He'd always done that. 

"Oh, sorry. There, better?"

"Yeah. I'm putting you on speaker," I warned so he didn't say something stupid.

"'K, hey Chloe. So I told him and yeah, he was mad, he punched a wall and shit, big man. He didn't punch me thought, I noticed." He snorted. "He tried to tell me you would never leave him, that you never could, and I was like 'oh you mean because of the video of her burning down the mayor's house?'" 

"Oh shit," Chloe said, beginning to enjoy it. She wrapped her hand around her lemonade but didn't drink any.

"I know, right? And he was like 'how the fuck do you know about that', so I explained that we'd taken the liberty of removing the videos as well as the evidence, in case he felt like exacting any revenge upon your person." He was trying to lighten the whole subject without being too much of a jackass but I wasn't sure how close he was actually coming to succeeding. "From his reaction, I think it's safe to say we got the only copies he had."

"Wow," I said, watching her to see if she got that we'd won. She just looked shell-shocked, and her knuckles stood out as she gripped the plastic cup tighter. "That's perfect . . . thanks and everything."

"It'll be fine, but I'm gonna come over and sleep on the couch or in Nathaniel's room, just in case he feels the need to drop by." His tone over the speaker said he was not open to arguing about it. "I won't bother you guys."

I could tell by the look on her face that she was relieved by that option, and I squeezed her free hand. It was damp. "Okay, yeah, that would be good. Thanks." 

"You got it. Want anything from 7-Eleven?"

She shook her head no. "Donuts," I requested. "Chloe likes maple and those apple fritters they have, actually get me one too please. Couple of hot chocolates maybe." Their machine made the best cocoa.

"'K. See you in a few, I'll be quiet."

We hung up and she glanced at her phone, clearly expecting it to ring. 

A mosquito buzzed around my ear and I waved it away. "You think he'll call?"

She nodded. "I know he'll call."

As if it had been waiting for that cue, the ring tone suddenly began. The volume was low, the jaunty tune strangely ominous. "You don't have to," I started to say.

She just shook her head and hovered a finger over it. "I want to," she said, and tapped the screen determinedly. 

"CHLOE!" came the shout, loud even though it wasn't on speaker phone. "Listen to me, you stu--"

"No you listen to ME, asshole," she fired back, louder than him, standing up. "Don't ever call or think of me again, or I will tell everyone we know what you did, which I might do anyway. You can fuck all the way off, loser. Good luck getting a girlfriend, limp dick!" She ended the call, blocked his number, and put the phone on the table. "Holy shit," she said, her grin widening as she looked at me. "That felt so good."

She was shaking from the adrenaline, and I rose to put my arms around her, holding tight. "That was awesome," I said honestly. "You are awesome."

"I feel pretty awesome," she agreed.

 I let go of her and tugged her up so we could go inside. The open yard felt unsafe suddenly, and I wanted to let Jared in before he woke up Hailie. "Let's have hot chocolate and donuts and go to bed," I said reasonably. Some therapy for her wouldn't be amiss, but we could talk about that later, and ultimately it would of course be up to her if she wanted to pursue it.

She stood with her mostly empty tumbler of pink lemonade, biting her lower lip, and I pulled her to me again. She felt so right there in my arms, warm and soft and safe. "I'm more than ready," she said, her own arms circling my waist. 

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," I said firmly, and I hoped it was true . . . but I was still relieved my cousin was planning to stay over.