9 comments/ 15395 views/ 11 favorites Love Amongst Tragedy By: CambriaRose Donovan Powers watched her silently from beside a cottonwood tree. He looked on as she ran her hand slowly across the engraved name on the smooth granite gravestone. It was as if Linden Sealy couldn't believe he was gone. Neither could Donovan. At first, only a single tear formed in her eye, spilling over to streak down her pale cheek. After only a moment, more tears followed the first. Suddenly, the sky opened up, mixing ice cold rain with her tears. She raised her face to the harsh droplets, closing her eyes. The fresh dirt beneath her began to turn to mud, but she didn't seem to notice. Donovan crossed the short distance to where she kneeled. "You're going to drown doing that." Her sad, empty brown eyes opened and met his. "Would that be so bad?" He sighed, holding his hand out for her to grab. She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. Silently, he ushered her to the car. By the time he had gotten in the driver's seat, he was soaked and cold. She had been out in it longer than he had, but she didn't seem to be affected. Donovan cranked up the heat, and pulled out of the cemetery. They began the hour long drive back to where Linden's family lived. He didn't know where else to take her, she obviously was not in any state to go home to her place. He certainly wouldn't want to if he were her. "Do you want me to help you inside?" He asked when they pulled up to the small ranch house her family owned. The rain was still coming down in icy sheets. She looked at him for a second before she answered. "No, thank you." "I'll see you later, okay?" Linden nodded. She angled herself out of the car and walked up the path to the house. When he was sure she was inside, he pulled away from the curb and drove home. ***** When Donovan got home, he stripped off his wet clothes and jumped into a steaming hot shower. The warm water felt so good, it chased the coldness the rain had left behind away. With the water cascading down his back, he stared at the bathtub floor. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact his friend, Jett, was gone, and he never was going to walk in the door again. He was never going to give Donovan a hard time again, when he once had drunkenly said he found Linden hot. He was so young, he was only twenty-six. He had so much in life he wanted to accomplish, but now, it was gone. Jett had died, and even though Donovan knew he had died doing something he absolutely loved, he still could not find peace with it. A small part of him blamed himself. Maybe if he would have yelled louder, maybe if he'd have not agreed to race down the mountain, maybe his buddy would still be there. He stayed in until the hot water turned to lukewarm water. He turned the faucet off and stepped out, grabbing a towel. As he was about to pick up his soaked clothes, his doorbell rang. He threw them in the tub and went to the door. "Linden?" He sounded surprised. "Did you walk all the way here?" He yanked her inside. She was soaking wet, water dripped from the ends of her short brown hair. "I...I...-" She stuttered and shivered. "I don't know." "You are going to get hypothermia." He grabbed her arm and steered her towards the bathroom. At the door she hesitated. He had forgotten he was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. "Get in the shower and use what's left of the hot water. I'll throw your clothes in the dryer if you throw them out here in the hall." Donovan went to his room, changed, and rummaged through his drawers until he came up with a faded grey t-shirt and similar sweats. He knew it wouldn't fit her, but it was better than nothing. He knocked on the bathroom door and opened it. "Here is something to wear while your clothes dry. I'll set it on the counter." He shut the door behind himself. Half an hour later, the water still was running in the bathroom. Donovan knew it had to be ice cold by then. He didn't want to intrude, but the way she had appeared on his doorstep had him slightly worried. He lightly rapped on the bathroom door. "Lin, are you okay?" No answer. He knocked again, but still no reply was heard. Taking a deep breath, hoping he was not going to walk in on her naked, he cracked the door open. "Linden?" She was not out and dressed as he had hoped. He expected a scream of 'get out' or something similar, but she was oddly quiet. "Are you okay? You didn't answer me when I knocked." He said, looking at the sink instead of the shower. She didn't answer him. Concerned, he crossed the bathroom to stand beside the shower curtain. He repeated himself, but received no acknowledgement. Steering himself to be slapped, he yanked open the curtain. Linden was curled up in a tiny ball on the tub floor, the freezing water pelting her. "What the hell?" He muttered as he turned the water off. He grabbed her slippery arms and pulled her to her feet. He grabbed a towel off the rung and handed it to her, trying not to look. She didn't take it from him; she just stood there shivering, staring at the floor. At a loss for what to do, he quickly wrapped the towel around her. "You need to get dressed. You'll get a cold standing around my place butt naked, I should know." He tried to make her smile. His joke fell flat. "That was supposed to be funny." Her face raised, her gaze meeting his. His heart broke for her with the sadness written in her eyes. He cursed under his breath. "Come here." He drew her out of the bathtub and into his arms. "It's okay, Sweetheart." He soothed. Donovan held her until her shaking subsided. He scooped up the t-shirt he had placed on the counter and as quick as he could, he dropped the towel and put it on her. She didn't flinch or even seem to notice, her lifeless gaze staring ahead at the tiles on the floor. He ushered her to the couch and covered her up with a blanket. "I'll be right back." He grabbed his cell off the table. At a loss, he dialed his mother's number. It rang twice before she answered. "Hey, Sweetie, is everything okay?" "Yes, no. Oh, I don't know Mom." He ran a hand through his short brown hair. "Linden showed up here and she's like a zombie." "The poor thing is probably in shock. It's a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone a loved one dying in front of oneself." Her voice quivered. "What do I do?" He had been there too, but somehow he was still functioning. He wondered why that was. It was his best friend. "Just take care of her as best as you can. If she doesn't get better in a few days, take her to a doctor. That's all you can do right now." ***** Donovan spent the afternoon sitting in a chair staring out the window at the dull gray sky. The rain had finally dissipated, but the sky had not turned blue again. Soon, the sky darkened and night took hold. "You can stay here tonight." He broke the silence. "Thanks." She replied feebly. "I'm sorry about earlier." "It's alright." "I just-" Her voice trailed off. She didn't know what to say to him. "It's alright, Linden. I'm not going to tell anyone that you came here, if you don't want." He assured her. She rose from the chair and patted his arm as she walked out of the living room and down the hall to his room. Donovan sat in the chair for a few more hours after she had gone to bed. He couldn't sleep, but he wasn't going to say that to anyone. He flipped through his phone, when he spotted a text message that caused him to catch his breath. 'Come up to the lodge in Aspen,Buttermilk has fresh powder!' It was the last text that Jett had sent him. Donovan shut the display to his smartphone off. He stared at the carpet, his mind seeing more than just fibers woven together. He saw the lodge, their favorite winter spot, with its beautiful scenic mountain views. He saw the white, crisp snow that had fallen overnight. He saw the smile on his best friend's face as he pulled into the drive. The good memories led way to harsh and cruel memories. They had grabbed their snowboards, hopped on the snowmobile, and the trio headed up to the top of the mountain that backed the lodge. The pine and aspen trees were thick in the area, which to them made it seem more safe from avalanches that tended to plague the Colorado back-country. Linden was to drive the snowmobile down the mountain, since the boys felt it too dangerous for a novice snowboarder. She didn't complain about her role, she liked spending time with her boyfriend, it didn't matter how. Donovan and Jett had tightened their bindings and donned helmets and goggles at the top. "Race you to the bottom!" Jett shouted and grinned. "You're on!" Donovan sped off down the slope. The boys led chase to one another as they weaved between trees and carved their way down the mountain. Jett had taken the lead, only twenty feet ahead of Donovan. For some reason, Jett had looked back behind him to see how far ahead of Donovan he was. Donovan yelled at him to turn around, but it was too late. He hadn't heard him in time. Jett slammed head-first into the trunk of a large Blue Spruce pine tree, hard enough his helmet split in two. He groaned a sickening groan and collapsed back onto the snow-covered ground like a ragdoll. "Jett!" Donovan ground his board to a stop, unsnapping the bindings to free his feet. He ran to his friend. "Oh my God, Jett answer me!" Linden had been right behind Donovan, and saw Jett hit the tree. She jumped off the snowmobile. "Jett!" She screamed. "Call 911!" Donovan yelled at her as he unsnapped the board from Jett's feet. She tried to grab for Jett. "Don't touch him, call the hospital!" He ordered, grabbing her arms forcefully to keep her from moving him. With the way he had hit the tree, moving him could only hurt him more. "I don't have my phone!" She screamed hysterically, tears falling down her cherry wind-blown face. "Go down to the lodge, my phone is on the counter. Hurry!" Linden didn't have to be told a third time, she ran back to the snowmobile that was still running and zoomed off down the mountain. Jett's chest was barely moving up and down, but it was moving so Donovan felt some hope that he would be okay. "Jett, can you hear me?" No response. "Everything will be okay, Lin's going to go get help." He assured himself more than his friend. He reached out and squeezed his friend's gloved hand with his own. Even though it was a bright sunny day there was a chill in the air. Donovan stripped off his coat and lay it gently over his friend as an added layer of warmth. The rescue crew came blazing out of nowhere on snowmobiles ten minutes later. They had with them a bright yellow stretcher sled pulled behind the snowmobile, and red emergency bags strapped in it. Donovan stepped back to allow them to work on Jett. He looked on as they gently took off the shattered helmet, and placed a neck brace and oxygen on him. Despite hitting the tree, he had no open wounds to show for it. He simply was unconscious. Or so Donovan thought. The emergency crew quickly, but carefully, lifted his lifeless frame and placed him on the stretcher sled. "Is he going to be okay? Please tell me he's going to be okay!" A hysterical Linden appeared beside Donovan. She grabbed his arm and had he not been wearing a sweater, she would have drawn blood. "Tell me!" "Lin, they have to take him to the hospital to know that." Donovan told her. She released her death grip and attacked an unsuspecting EMT. "Is he okay?" She cried. "Ma'am, I need you to stay back. We need room to work." The man told her gruffly, brushing off her hand. "Please tell me!" She shrieked. "Back up." She sucker punched the man, and had it not been under the circumstances it was, Donovan would have laughed. "Don't tell me what to do!" "Linden, come here." Donovan called. She ignored him, plowing her way through the group of EMT's that surrounded Jett. Several of the men on the team yelled at her to step back, yet she ignored them. Donovan walked to her and grabbed her from behind. She began kicking and screaming for him to let her go. He kept hold of her, dragging her fighting away from the group. "You bastard! Let me go!" She screamed and punched at his arms. "Put me down!" "Stop fighting me." Donovan struggled to keep his bear hug on her tight. She was smaller than he was, and it seemed she had more wiggle room. "Let me go, please." She wailed, and stopped struggling. He didn't trust her to stay put. He left his arms wrapped around her torso as she sobbed. She turned and buried her face in his chest, her sobs wracking her small frame. "I'm scared." She looked up at him with fear written in her eyes. "Me too." He confessed. The rescue team finished strapping Jett in carefully, and left down the hill in a hurry. The whole thing seemed to drag on forever, yet maybe was only five minutes in reality. As Donovan half-carried Linden to the snowmobile, he told her over and over that it would be okay, that Jett was alright. He had been wrong. So very wrong. ***** Donovan blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. He ran a hand through his hair, and took a deep breath. "Are you okay?" Linden startled him. He paused before he answered. "I was just thinking." She nodded sadly, knowing exactly what he had been thinking about. She crossed the room to where he sat, leaned over him and hugged him. It was a simple gesture, but to Donovan it was what he needed so badly. "I miss him." He choked out. "Me too." He wrapped his arms around her, silently letting the tears he had held in for so long fall. He cried for his friend, a vibrant young man, who was taken so early in life. He cried for the loss of a pal, one that had been there through thick and thin with him. He cried until he couldn't cry anymore. After he had calmed down, he began to realize just how awkward their position was. Linden was hunched over him, still hugging him as best as she could from above. He didn't say a word; he stood up and took her hand. He pulled her to his room and pulled down the covers and crawled in bed. He didn't pressure her to join him, but she did. They curled up next to each other, holding each other until the exhaustion combined with the small comfort of having one another caused them to drift off to sleep. ***** Donovan was the first to wake up. He crawled out of Linden's arms, and quietly slipped out of the bedroom. He found his phone and dialed Jett's parent's house. "Hello?" A quiet male voice answered. Jett's father. "Hey Mr. Landon, it's Donovan." "Donny, how are you?" He smiled on the other end of the phone. "I'm alright. How are you guys holding up?" He asked. "Martha is still having a rough time." Mr. Landon sighed. "It's a rough time for us all." Donovan could still hear in his mind Jett's mother screaming the moment the doctors told her that her son, her only child, would never wake up. "I just wanted to call and say if you need anything, to call me." Donovan told him. "You are a good man, Donny. Jett loved you like a brother." His voice trembled. "But, I will hold you to that, okay?" "Yes, Sir." They exchanged goodbyes and hung up. ***** "You are so sweet." Linden scared him yet again. "Geez, you keep scaring me and one of these times you'll give me a heart attack." Donovan rolled his eyes. "Well, you are." She walked over and hugged him. He sighed and hugged her back, enjoying the comfort it gave him. After a few minutes, Linden pulled back and looked up at him. Her brown eyes gazed at his. She reached up and brought her hands to his face. She drew him down slightly and gently brushed her lips across his. Donovan responded to her, his tongue snaking out to trace her bottom lip. Her warm mouth opened, allowing him to kiss her fully. He brought his hand to her cheek, gently cupping it as their lips mingled. He ran his free hand back into her hair, smoothing it away from her face. Suddenly, his eyes went wide with shock and realization of what he had done. He shoved her away as if she had The Plague. He nearly ran out the door, slamming it against the wall hard enough it closed behind him. Scared and unsure of himself, he jumped in the car and sped off. To be continued... A special thanks to CuddlyAl, DivineShadow218, and Tashia for being my "second set of eyes"! Love Amongst Tragedy Ch. 02 **A special thanks to Tashia for helping me out with the series!** Donovan Powers drove around with no destination in mind. His mind was focused on what had just happened between Linden and him. How could she have done that? How could he have responded to her that way? Why had he? Sure, it was just a kiss, but it came on the back of his best friend dying. She had been Jett's girl, not his. He was never that type of guy who could just so easily take up where others left off. He never would take another man's woman. It was wrong. Jett may not have been alive anymore, but to Donovan it was still his girl. Before he knew it, his car pulled into the cemetery seemingly on its own accord. He followed the dirt drive to the plot where Jett was buried. He turned off the car, took a deep breath and got out. He paused by the car for a moment, unsure of why he had gone there. He walked over to the place where his friend lay. The cemetery keeper had draped a rectangle swatch of AstroTurf over the brown patch of fresh dirt. It was much too cold for the grass to grow. It made it seem like Jett had been gone much longer than a a week. Donovan stared at the headstone. He bit his lip, and rubbed his hands slowly together. Part of him wanted to talk aloud, as if Jett were there. Part of him thought it would be foolish to think that. After fighting within himself, he sank to the ground and began to talk. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. He felt awkward, like he was talking to himself. "Linden kissed me, and I let her." Donovan sat silently thinking about the scene right before he had run off. He was scared, not of her, but of betraying his friend. Sure, he wasn't alive, but the grass hadn't even grown over the grave yet. He had only been gone a week. A lump wedged itself into his throat. Jett had been medevac'd to the hospital once the rescue crew had him down off the mountain. The hospital immediately sprung in to action, doing all they could. The doctors had not allowed Donovan, Linden, or even his family in to see him. Jett's mother, Martha, sat anxiously in the waiting area. She gasped every time the swinging door to the Intensive Care Unit swung open. She would only breathe again when she saw it was not about her son. Hours later the door opened once again and a balding man in pale blue scrubs walked over to them. He ushered Jett's parents to sit. Everyone present didn't dare breathe in case they missed something the doctor said. "Mr. and Mrs. Landon?" They nodded. "I'm Dr. Shillings, your son was in the snowboarding accident?" He sat down in front of them on a leather ottoman. "Yes, how is he?" Martha sobbed. "Can we see him? Is he okay?" "We have to run some more tests, but I'm afraid it looks like there is nothing we can do further." He told the group quietly. "What does that mean?" Jeff, Jett's father, questioned. "His body can no longer function on its own, there is no brain activity. We have to wait for another doctor to run a few tests to confirm my diagnosis first, but we believe he sustained so much damage to his brain stem that he will never recover." His grey eyes saddened as he looked at the heartbroken couple in front of him. "No!" Martha burst out crying. "That's my baby! He's my son, he can't die! I didn't say I loved him before he went up to the lodge!" Jeff grabbed her and held her tight, tears streaming down his own face. He gently rocked her back and forth as sobs wracked her body. His own shoulders seemed slumped in defeat. Dr. Shillings politely excused himself giving them his condolences. Donovan watched in disbelief of the scene around him. Linden was staring at the door and sniffling quietly. He reached over and wrapped an arm around her. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity, until the nurses chased the two out after visiting hours were over. Donovan had taken Linden to her parent's and he headed home. He was numb over the news, and didn't know what to think. A short week later, Jett's family had decided, along with the doctors, that it was time to say their goodbyes and take the young man off of life support. He hadn't really moved since the accident. A few times he had twitched a muscle or two, the doctors quickly dashed any hope it was a sign of life by saying it was not brain-related activity. Donovan signed himself in to the ICU, stuck the 'Visitor' sticker on his shirt, and went to the room his friend was in. Jett lay on a bed in the middle of the room, with what seemed like a million machines beeping and squealing around him. His black hair rested against his face, making him look so awfully pale. He didn't look like he was in any pain, just as if he had gotten tired and had laid down to take a short nap. A long blue tube attached to a breathing machine was the only thing really keeping him alive. It puffed and whirled rhythmically every few seconds. Donovan didn't know what to say. He struggled not to lose his composure. He took a deep breath. "I don't know what to say. I don't even know if you can hear me. I am sorry I didn't do something faster to help." His lower lip wavered slightly as he spoke. "I guess this has to be goodbye. You were the best friend anyone could ask for. I'm going to miss you." He couldn't say anything else; it was too hard for him to find the words. He walked forward and took Jett's hand in his own. "I'll see you later, Buddy." He gently squeezed Jett's warm hand and walked out of the hospital knowing that was the last time he would ever see Jett again. Donovan shivered, noticing for the first time how chilly it was out. He stood up and brushed his pants off. "See you later." He waved as he walked back to his car. ***** He turned the heat on and headed back towards his apartment. He hoped Linden had gotten a ride and had gone home. He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't even want to deal with it at that moment. He just wanted to crawl in bed and fall into a deep sleep. Unfortunately for him, she was still at his place. He sighed but said nothing as he took off his coat and threw it with the car keys on the counter. "Donovan, I-" "I'm not in the mood, Linden." He snapped, cutting her off. "I didn't mean to make you mad." She held her hands up, like she was surrendering. "I just was lonely, and I have always liked you. I thought you knew." His face betrayed the cool he was trying to keep. He stomped over to the table where she sat. She looked up at him, fear written in her brown eyes. "How can you sit there and say that right now? Huh? His body isn't even cold and you are already looking to hookup. You are just a slut!" He couldn't say why he did it, but he punched the glass table so hard it shattered, sending glass all over the floor and her lap. Blood began trickling out of his right hand. "Well isn't that great." He growled and walked to the sink to run cold water on it. It stung as the ice cold water hit the open cuts. He glanced over to see Linden crying while on her hands and knees picking up the broken glass. He watched only for a moment before the guilt of scaring her like that began to set in. He sighed and turned the water off. He grabbed a wad of paper towels and wrapped it around his throbbing hand. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. Just leave it go I'll clean it up later." He walked over to her. "I'll give you a ride to your folks' house." She looked up at him for a moment, her brown eyes framed in scarlet red. If he hadn't already felt terrible about himself, that would have done it. She simply nodded, stood up and threw away the glass she had picked up. The ride was quiet to her house and back. Donovan didn't know why he had done that, but his hand was sure hurting. He never was a violent type of guy. He never would have hit anyone, much less an innocent glass table. He laughed to himself, he had never liked the old hand-me-down table anyway. When he got home, he bandaged up his hand as best as he could. He went to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and went to sit on the couch. The table still lay in ruin, but it wasn't like it was going anywhere if he didn't clean it up right that minute. He sighed and chugged down the beer. Turning the TV on, he relaxed back and soon was out like a light. ***** Donovan woke up the next morning to his cell phone going off. He fumbled around until he found it and answered groggily. "Hello?" "Hey, it's Linden." Her voice sounded hesitant, like she didn't know if she should be calling him. "Hey, what's going on?" He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his tired eyes. "I just wanted to ask if I could come talk to you. Or we can meet somewhere, if you want. Just to talk." "I guess you could just come here, but would you bring donuts or something, I need sugar." She laughed. "Sure, chocolate with sprinkles?" "Why not." He shrugged. Fifteen minutes later, Linden walked in with a plain bakery bag held out in front of her. She had indeed brought him two chocolate frosted donuts with colorful sprinkles. He couldn't hold in a laugh as he saw them. Donovan ate silently, waiting for Linden to spit out why she had wanted to talk to him. He didn't have to wait long before she did. "Look, I'm sorry about the other day. I just was lonely and you were there. It's hard knowing that I have to go home to our place eventually and Jett won't be there waiting like he always was. I was wrong to say that so soon, but it is the truth." Donovan sighed as he finished his donuts. He didn't even know how to process the information she was giving him. Here she was, this girl he secretly had liked for the last several years, telling him she liked him back. He felt guilty about it. She was Jett's girlfriend, and he wasn't around to let Donovan know it was okay to go after her. "I don't know what I am supposed to say, Linden." He told her honestly. He stood up and walked to the kitchen to throw the empty pastry bag away. "So don't say anything." She shrugged and looked down. He sighed again and walked over to her. He reached down and tipped her chin up. "If the situation was different, and Jett were still here, would you still want me?" She stared up into his eyes for a moment before she stood up, took his face in her small hands, and lightly kissed him. Donovan didn't think this time, he couldn't think. He shut off his brain and let his body do the talking. He kissed her back, running his tongue against her lips until she let his in. As they kissed, he walked them backwards to the couch, until Linden's knees bumped into it. She immediately sat down, taking him with her. His hands were restless, they wandered all over her body. They touched her face, her hair, her neck, trailing down to her collarbone. He leaned over her and followed with his mouth, planting small kisses all over. She sat up long enough for him to take her shirt off, showing that she wore a black bra. He reached behind her and unclasped it. He freed her breasts, and gently drew first one, then the other, into his mouth. He caressed each of them for what seemed like forever, until finally he moved on. Donovan kissed down her taunt stomach, down to her belly button. He was somewhat shocked to see she had a piercing there. He growled his approval into her as he made his way further south. His hands unzipped her jeans and yanked them off her. Her underwear and socks soon followed. He looked down at the sight before him. Here was the girl of his secret fantasies, laid out naked on his couch. He felt like he was going to burst. Donovan threw all of his own clothes off onto the floor. He once again leaned over her and brushed his lips along her neck. She arched her back up off the couch, causing her warm skin to brush against his bare chest. Her hands ran along the sinewy muscles. He nipped and kissed at her skin, exploring her warm center with his hand. He curled his upturned hand in her, causing her to rocket off the couch and emit a low moan. She opened her eyes and looked into his. "Please?" Donovan obliged and moved over top of her, rubbing his hard mushroom head against her sensitive clitoris. She moaned, arching her back enough to cause his penis to enter her slightly. They both shuddered at the contact. He pushed into her, reveling in the feeling. She was warm, wet, and so very tight. He pulled out and thrust forward, picking up his pace. Linden pushed up to meet his hips as he surged into her, not being able to get enough of his hardness inside her. Abruptly, Donovan pulled out and picked her up, turning her onto her hands and knees. Before she could question it, he slammed into her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her stomach. He used her hips to pull her back and impale her on himself. They stayed in that position for only a few moments before he again turned her to face him. He stood up and lifted her with such ease, and lowered her on his penis. He wrapped her legs around his middle and bounced upwards into her sweet center. Linden tilted her head back and let out a long moan. Donovan grinned, she was like putty. When Donovan's knees threatened to give out, he laid her back on the couch. With a few short thrusts, he buried himself deep inside her. He shook and moaned with the intensity of his orgasm. He collapsed on top of her afterwards, breathing hard. "Can we get the neighbors some cigarettes?" Linden piped up after a few minutes. Donovan laughed and gave her a small kiss. "Darlin' if you think that's all I have in me, you are sadly mistaken." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and bumped her bare thigh with his ever-present erection. "Oh dear..."