Triangles

By Seth King

The central triad of this novel involves two young men, Josh and Donald, who have developed a bitter rivalry, but are forced to form an alliance in order to save the life of their mutual love interest. Several other triangular relationships are interwoven into the plot as the enduring consequences of untreated neglect, abuse, and pain are explored. An action thriller on the surface, Triangles also details a young mans journey into adulthood as he confronts his insecurities while striving for a sense of purpose, independence, and a stable sense of personal identity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 5, 2005
• ISBN: 9781469111568

Book preview

Copyright © 2005 by Seth King.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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26502

Contents

BOOK ONE

Chapter 1

One, Two, Three

Chapter 2

Passing Uncertainty

Chapter 3

Satan’s Workout

Chapter 4

Brian’s Big Opportunity

Chapter 5

Invitation To A Slumber Party

Chapter 6

The Wolf Laugh And The Brass Cow

Chapter 7

The Number Of The Beast

Chapter 8

Putting A College Education

To Good Use

Chapter 9

Territoriality

Chapter 10

The Skeldrow Resolution

Chapter 11

The Maturity Mode

Chapter 12

Two Different Pictures

Chapter 13

Filling The Void

Chapter 14

Stability

Chapter 15

The Rookie

Chapter 16

Projection And Dissection

Chapter 17

Tommy O’neil’s Caretakers

Chapter 18

Passing The Misery

Chapter 19

The Perfect Girl

Chapter 20

The Solution

Chapter 21

Severed At The Corpus Colossum

Chapter 22

Drinking Responsibly

Chapter 23

Tranquilizers

Chapter 24

The Distributor Of Love

Chapter 25

Triangulation And Flatulation

Chapter 26

Tommy Oneil’s New Family

Chapter 27

Arrival

Chapter 28

Not To Be Denied

Chapter 29

The Plan And

An Unexpected Accomplice

Chapter 30

An Unexpected Arrival

BOOK TWO

Chapter 31

The Houdini’s Message

Chapter 32

Observations

Chapter 33

Rusty And His Gang Of Heroes

Chapter 34

The Hidden Message

Chapter 35

Under Eduardo’s Protection

Chapter 36

Isn’t It Ironic

Chapter 37

Why Sonya?

Chapter 38

Unwanted Partners

Chapter 39

Plan A

Chapter 40

Taken For Granted

Chapter 41

A Perilous Situation

Chapter 42

Fun And Games In The Cabin

Chapter 43

The Answer

Chapter 44

The Progression Of Plan A

Chapter 45

No Reason To Worry

Chapter 46

In Over His Head

Chapter 47

Owning The Responsibility

Chapter 48

Surprise

Chapter 49

Chasing Death

Chapter 50

Sapien’s Presentation

Chapter 51

Space Mountain With No Lights

Chapter 52

The Eyes Of The Hunter And

The Hunted

Chapter 53

The Whistling Police Officer

Chapter 54

A Listing Of Features And

Differing Opinions

Chapter 55

Mobilization

Chapter 56

Plan B

Chapter 57

A Circle Of Friends

Chapter 58

The History Of A Rivalry

Chapter 59

Self-reliance

Chapter 60

A Difficult Decision

Chapter 61

Assistance

Chapter 62

The Decision

Chapter 63

Onward

Chapter 64

Buying Time

Chapter 65

A Desparate Gamble

Chapter 66

Common Language And Motives

Chapter 67

A Momentary Calm

Chapter 68

From One Trap To Another

Chapter 69

Sapien On Guard

Chapter 70

The Bowels Of Hell

Chapter 71

Interogation

Chapter 72

A Symphony Of Pain

Chapter 73

Sharing Grief

Chapter 74

Story Time With Antisocial

Chapter 75

Pain Control

Chapter 76

The Real Thing

Chapter 77

The Scar

Chapter 78

Sonya’s Interview

Chapter 79

Josh And Jay

Chapter 80

Not Your Average Competition

Chapter 81

Escape?

Chapter 82

The Power Of Women

Chapter 83

The Purpose

Chapter 84

Reflections Of Rhett

Chapter 85

Tommy’s Fifth Home

Chapter 86

Studying The Houdinis

Chapter 87

Mars’s Spokesmodel

Chapter 88

Squad’s Orders

BOOK THREE

Chapter 89

Recognition

Chapter 90

A Case History From Hell

Chapter 91

The Demise Of Purpose

Chapter 92

A Lesson In Loss

Chapter 93

Blossom

Chapter 94

Participating In The Insanity

Chapter 95

False Alarm

Chapter 96

The Signal

Chapter 97

Scolding Mcmarin

Chapter 98

Food Storage

Chapter 99

Wilkie’s Ambush

Chapter 100

The Frozen Tomb

Chapter 101

Clash Of The Titans

Chapter 102

Another Signal

Chapter 103

Beyond The Threshhold

Chapter 104

Donald’s Move

Chapter 105

Skilled Killers

Chapter 106

Donald’s Dilemma

Chapter 107

Reframing The Purpose

Chapter 108

Out Of The Slumber

Chapter 109

The Connection

Chapter 110

Different Motives

Chapter 111

Confessions Of A Former Teammate

Chapter 112

The Final Confrontation

Chapter 113

Three, Two, One

BOOK ONE

Chapter 1

One, Two, Three

One.

It no longer had a positive ring to it. The entire concept did not seem right.

One used to have a different meaning for him: striving to be the best at something—to be the champion, to be in charge of a corporation, to be the top expert in your field.

As usual, however, time and experience had changed his views. One only had negative connotations now: alone, isolated, on your own. Who had sung that one is the loneliest number? That simple song seemed extremely wise now.

The single toothpick on the plate—it might as well have been a twig in a giant bed of snow. Even this bothered him now. No matter how he positioned the toothpick it did not look right. A diagonal, a horizontal line, a vertical line—it did not matter. It simply did not form anything. It had no significance.

This society places emphasis on looking out for number one and focusing on individual needs. It doesn’t take long, however, to realize that the dyad has a very high value in this country. He had become aware of this at an early age. He had a mommy and a daddy. Mommy and Daddy used to be single. Then, as the story was conveyed to him, the highlight of their lives occurred when they met each other by some great feat of fate. At that point, a COUPLE had been formed. From that moment onward, they would work together as a unit that was stronger than they could ever be on their own. Their lives now had more meaning, because they could share everything together.

At every stage in his life, society’s fascination with and gravitation toward pairs had been obvious. Who was dating whom, who was going with her to the high school dance? A pimply faced, insecure adolescent’s identity was reformed and strengthened by forming a relationship with the captain of the football team. She was no longer the quiet girl with a boyish figure. She was the brave woman who had tamed the wild-star athlete. Adam and Eve needed each other to continue the human race. The dynamic duo escaped deadly situations that would have surely overcome Batman or Robin if either one had been alone. Even Noah knew that it would be best if each species of animal had a partner.

Marriage was an institution that was founded on the assumption that the dyad is the most valuable concept in our world. The goal of life was to find a perfect match for you—to find your partner. When a man and a woman find each other, they could begin to fulfill the mission of humankind: to reproduce and ensure the survival of the human race. However, the mission was not complete at that point. The man and woman needed to stay together and provide the nurturing, love, and guidance necessary for their children to develop into beings who were capable of carrying on this essential mission of mankind. Thus, the couple was the essential building block of the world.

He dropped another toothpick onto the plate. The scene immediately improved. There was no longer a solitary object to face the sea of blinding whiteness alone. It had a partner. He arranged the toothpicks so that they were perpendicular to each other. He made a cross, then an X, then a V. He had formed a relationship between these two inanimate objects, and that made him feel better.

He looked up from his plate and surveyed the restaurant. A young woman had been standing by herself for about ten minutes. The more time that passed, the more she seemed to shrink into the corner. She seemed so vulnerable. Her eyes darted nervously toward the door. She was careful not to make eye contact with anyone. She fidgeted with her pocketbook nervously. Her insecurity was becoming tangible, taking on a life of its own with every passing second. Suddenly, her facial expression changed. Her shriveled, anxious face brightened and opened up like a blossoming flower. Her radiant smile lit up the room as if the sun had just emerged from the clouds. Her friend passed through the door and walked across the room. The two friends embraced. Two guys who were sitting at the bar within five feet of the young women took notice of the embracing women. The men’s conversation and beers could no longer keep their attention in competition with the attractiveness and confidence of the bond between the two women. A relationship had been reestablished, and everyone in close proximity was responding favorably.

He looked down at his plate and noticed that he had spilled a drop of wine onto it. The purple drop broke into a streak which began to travel toward the V formed by the two toothpicks. The small purple river began to enter the open mouth of the V. Before the intrusion could take place, he quickly dropped another toothpick onto the plate blocking the wine from entering the open V. The toothpicks now formed a closed object which could not be violated by an imposing purple river.

As Josh Stokes looked down at the triangular toothpick formation before him, it reminded him of one great truth in life that he had only recently discovered. Although society was obsessed with dyads and placed utmost importance on the formation of couples, Josh now realized that the world was made up of triangles. The dyad was what people strove to create, and it seemed to be the source of satisfaction and happiness. However, when a couple or dyad was confronted with some external force or pressure, a third entity was often pulled in to the picture. The dyad was the most glamorous relationship, the focus of tabloid gossip and fairy tales of love. Nevertheless, there was always a third party in the periphery to be called upon to create a buffer against adversity. This was usually an unconscious process, but Josh had discovered that it was almost inevitable. He was just another human being who sought to form meaningful dyadic relations that could stand up to the everyday demands of life. However, the triangle had become a fixed structure in his life. It was both a curse and a necessity for him.

Josh looked up once again and saw that the two young women across the room had begun to argue. They pointed at each other and gestured wildly. Expressions of hostility and hurt replaced confidence and love. The bond was broken temporarily, and they were once again vulnerable single entities. One of the men at the bar got up from his stool and stepped between the quarreling women. Josh could not hear the words spoken, but he believed that he understood the process that was taking place. One of the women seemed to align with the young man. This woman talked to the man while pointing at the other woman. The man said something, and suddenly the other woman’s frown softened. The corners of her mouth began to curl upward despite the woman’s intention to remain stern. Within seconds, the young man and two women were laughing. The women waved to the man as they walked away to be seated for dinner. Other seated people had difficulty taking their eyes off of the radiant, attractive women. All that they saw was a strong dyad. The young man went back to his beer and had no apparent relation to the young women. The spectators, fascinated by this dynamic pair, were completely unaware of the temporary, yet significant, role that this man had played in preserving this dyad.

Josh. Josh. JOSH!

He could no longer ignore her. Josh took his eyes off the young man on the other side of the restaurant and locked eyes with his mother. Yes, Mom?

You are even more preoccupied than usual tonight.

I guess I was just thinking about graduation, he lied.

I was saying that Betty just returned from studying abroad in Spain.

That’s great, responded Josh, attempting to sound enthused. How was it?

It was a wonderful trip, began Betty. I started off living in a small town called Torremelinos. I spent some time in Sevilla, Grenada…

The words began to fade out for Josh rapidly. He had much more on his mind than Betty’s bantering about her trip. His observations of the strangers on the other side of the restaurant had temporarily averted his attention from his racing thoughts. This was to be a momentous occasion for Josh. It was not just another night of watching the dyadic and triadic interactions of others. This was supposed to be the day that he showed his parents that he could not only exist on his own, but he would also introduce them to the person who formed the dyad in his life. They would see that he had formed a meaningful relationship with a spectacular young woman. This was to be the day that he replaced the dysfunctional triad that he had formed with his parents with the dyad that would forever be the relationship that took precedence in his life.

The early part of this day of destiny had gone relatively well. He had graduated from Lehigh University. He had won no academic awards and had been elected to give no speeches, but neither of his parents had expected that. He had simply graduated on time, and that more than exceeded his parents’ wildest dreams. The few hours following the graduation ceremony had been relatively incident free. His parents had met a few of his professors and had managed to embarrass him to a minimal degree. He had not had one fight with them. Their celebration dinner was off to a decent start. He and his parents were joined at a table in the Red Horse Inn in Lehigh by their friends, the Schmidts. Stan and Eilene Schmidt and their daughter, Betty, had traveled from Andover, New York, with the Stokes to Lehigh. As usual, Mrs. Stokes was attempting to build Josh’s interest in Betty. It wasn’t that Betty was ugly. In fact, her curly blonde hair and blue eyes made her quite appealing, and she was pleasant enough to talk to. In the past, Josh had actually been quite attracted to her. At this moment, however, he could only focus on the cold sore at the corner of her mouth. As Ms. Schmidt bit into a piece of Brie cheese, Josh imagined that it resembled the pus that would surely rush out of Betty’s cold sore if he were to kiss her.

He quickly took his eyes off of Betty and looked at the empty seat to his left. He felt a heaviness in his chest, and his pulse quickened. He had been warding off anxiety all day, but the battle was beginning to become insurmountable. His father’s cold stare as their eyes now met did nothing to set his mind at ease. His father had been addressing him with that same reproachful glance all day. Although his icy disposition had warmed momentarily when Josh had handed him his diploma earlier in the day, he had worn the same expression throughout the day. The central message of this judgmental expression was one of disappointment and disgust in response to how Josh had been inconsiderate enough to get his mother’s hopes up with promises that he was going to introduce her to his sophisticated and classy girlfriend.

Sonya had a tendency to be flighty. She had missed more than one date in the past with Josh and did not always have what he would label as a legitimate excuse. He had accepted this characteristic as a quirky part of his girlfriend’s personality that he otherwise found to be delightful. This was the last day, however, that he wanted to deal with this attribute. Over the past year, he had boasted to his parents about the incredible woman with whom he had managed to establish a meaningful relationship. Of course, his parents, especially his father, were skeptical. He had never had a relationship with a woman that had endured for more than a couple of months, especially with someone who could actually meet his parent’s standards of ambition, social grace, and intellect. Furthermore, his attempts to have Sonya meet his parents had always fallen through for one reason or another.

Dear, you might want to slow down with that meal, said Ms. Stokes to her husband. You are going to be done before anyone else even touches theirs!

Mr. Stokes shot his wife an incredulous glance. He sharply exhaled. Josh knew that this was his father’s way of regaining his composure before he exploded. Mr. Stokes hated to be reprimanded by his wife, especially when there were witnesses to this obvious display of disrespect.

I am sure that no one here is quite as concerned about my eating habits as you, darling, responded Richard Stokes, laying on the sarcasm thickly.

Josh’s mother averted her husband’s piercing eyes momentarily and caught her breath. When she spoke, her voice wavered slightly. It’s just that all of our guests have yet to arrive.

Mr. Stokes laughed loudly. Oh, so you are still buying into Josh’s fairytales. He turned his relentless stare toward Josh. You see what you do to your mother with your thoughtless promises.

Mrs. Schmidt coughed uncomfortably. Betty looked at Josh with heartbreaking sympathy. Do you want to use my cell phone? she asked him with deep concern. Betty had always appeared to be a little too eager to please for Josh, but her genuine compassion was almost comforting now.

Josh shook his head toward Betty, put his finger in his mouth and bit down. This was one of the only defenses he had found that was effective against his parents’ often unsubtle attempts to drag him as an unwilling participant into their quarrels.

Josh had to bite down harder on his finger as he was overwhelmed with rage. How could his father treat his mother like this on an occasion that she had been looking forward to for so long? An even more difficult question to answer was why was he still trying to impress his father after failing so many times before?

Perhaps this was not simply about impressing his father. Maybe his plan to introduce Sonya to his parents was more of a way of proving them wrong. He could show them that he did not need them any longer. With such a healthy relationship, an invincible dyad, he would no longer be vulnerable to their crippling scrutiny. This would be the success that overshadowed any past or future disappointments.

Josh had always felt that he was lacking a certain quality that other people possessed. As his relationship with Sonya had progressed over the past year, his feelings of inferiority had increasingly been replaced with feelings of confidence and satisfaction. He was strengthened in a way that he would not have believed possible by the formation of this dyad.

Of course, the dyad had not been capable at all times to sustain itself. Things could never be that easy for Josh. The involvement of a third party seemed inevitable. To make matters worse, Josh had nothing to do with the selection of this third party. Josh quickly tried to block the images that now flooded his mind. Thinking about Sonya’s most popular choice for the third party would do nothing but increase his anxiety level. It was difficult for him to swallow as he fought back tears.

Are you Josh Stokes?

Josh was torn away from his tortured thoughts. He looked up at a waitress with curly locks of golden red hair. Someone wanted to give you some information regarding your missing dinner guest.

Josh looked at her quizzically.

The waitress pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and began to read, Ms. Sonya Phillips will regrettably not be joining you tonight.

Josh inhaled sharply. Mr. Stokes grunted. Mrs. Stokes shifted nervously in her seat.

The waitress continued to read, Her absence is not due to a lack of amazement at the miracle of your graduation. The waitress paused and squinted as if the writing on the paper became more difficult to decipher. Rather, she did not come today be… because you do not… deserve her and you are a fucking loser. The waitress’s face turned the color of chalk, and she released the piece of paper suddenly as if it had caught on fire.

Mrs. Stokes sighed loudly.

Mr. Stokes wore an expression of shock for the first time in Josh’s recent memory.

I’m so sorry… I didn’t read it first, stammered the waitress.

Who… , began Josh sternly.

A figure approached their table rapidly from Josh’s right. I will take it from here, said the tall young man.

Josh’s eyes opened widely, and his jaw dropped.

Do you know this person? demanded Josh’s father.

Josh was unable to speak. He could not have scripted a worse nightmare for his graduation day. The most important person in his life, the member of his most coveted dyad, was not with him on one of the most significant days of his life. In her place was the biggest threat to his dream of maintaining a stable relationship with her. The member of the most dreaded triangle in his life had crashed his party.

How are you doing, sir? the intruder said, shaking Mr. Stokes’s hand and smirking wildly.

Who are you? asked Mr. Stokes, dislodging his hand from the uninvited guest.

I am one of your son’s dear friends who has come to deliver some unfortunate news.

Is everything all right with Sonya? asked Mrs. Stokes nervously.

Oh, she couldn’t be better, replied Donald Adams, grinning widely. Just a little something that I have to tell my good friend Josh. Would you like to do this in privacy or would it be easier to handle this in front of your parents, buddy?

Josh looked down and exhaled slowly. He was gripping his legs with his hands tightly. He stood up stiffly. All eyes at the table were fixed on him. Excuse me, he said, glancing from his mother to his father.

He followed Donald across the room. His mind was racing as he attempted to choose a course of action when he left the building. Donald stopped abruptly, however, in between two tables of families celebrating the accomplishments of recent graduates.

Keep moving, said Josh through clenched teeth as he squeezed Donald’s arm.

You listen to me, Josh, or I will make a scene that your parents will never forget.

What the hell do you want?

I just wanted to tell you that Sonya is through with you.

You don’t know what you’re talking about, said Josh, gripping Donald’s arm even more tightly.

I have proof, you little miserable bastard!

Is everything okay?

Josh turned and shifted to look behind him. Betty was standing within two feet of the two young men. Everything is fine, Josh managed.

Donald broke free from Josh and walked briskly toward the door. Josh hurried after him but tripped over a cart a waiter had just pushed into his path. Josh sprawled onto the floor, breaking a couple of glasses as they fell off of the cart. He scrambled to his feet, ignored the protests of the waiter, and ran out onto the porch of the restaurant. Betty followed him. There was no sight of Donald.

Suddenly, the brakes of a red pickup truck squealed as it came to a stop in front of the restaurant. Do yourself a favor and call 610-679-8828. Ask for room number 617. That is where Sonya is staying tonight in anticipation that I will be arriving in one hour, said Donald, stepping from behind a large tree.

You are so full of shit! yelled Josh as he began to descend the stairs.

Call the number then and face reality. You never deserved to be with her and never will be again. Happy graduation, you pathetic loser! Donald said, jumping into the passenger side of the truck. The driver stomped on the accelerator, and the vehicle sped away as Josh lunged toward the truck. Josh fell to the gravel-covered driveway as the truck made a sharp right turn onto the road and disappeared over a hill.

Are you okay? asked Betty anxiously from the porch.

Josh got to his feet. Give me your cell phone, he demanded.

Betty quickly pulled out her phone and handed it to Josh. He dialed the number that Donald had given him. The phone rang several times as he paced back and forth on the porch. Finally a young woman answered, Hello, Green Tree Hotel, how can I help you?

Room 617.

One moment, please.

The phone began to ring again. Josh was breathing heavily. He felt as if his life had become some surreal dream. Surely, this night could not continue its downward spiral. This had to be some prank that Donald had concocted.

Someone picked up the phone. Hello, answered a female voice.

Sonya, muttered Josh, barely managing to speak.

Hello, is that you, Donald?

Sonya, Josh grunted in a low voice.

Donald, are you okay? asked Sonya Phillips.

Josh attempted to speak again, but he was having difficulty breathing. There was a sinking feeling in his chest, and he could not swallow. For a moment, he believed, or at least hoped, that he was dying.

Hello! Sonya was saying repeatedly through the phone. Josh caught his breath and threw the cell phone against the wall of the restaurant. It exploded into several pieces.

Oh my god! he heard his mother say from what seemed like many miles away. He looked up to see the Schmidts and his parents standing on the porch of the restaurant. Even through his tears, he could tell that they were all staring at him with a mixture of surprise and horror.

Chapter 2

Passing Uncertainty

Throw in some of those, said Donald Adams.

These? asked the store clerk holding up a handful of multicolored animal-shaped soaps.

Give me a pink bear, a blue elephant, and a green crocodile, please, answered Donald. He was feeling more foolish with every passing minute. He had been in the Body Shop in the Lehigh Valley Mall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for thirty minutes selecting soaps, oils, shampoos, and sponges.

Would you also like a pair of these? asked the clerk, holding up what appeared to be a small pair of green gloves.

What in the hell are they? asked Donald. The rather homely girl laughed flirtatiously. Donald was used to females flirting with him. He was 5’10", slender, and he had long dirty blonde hair which came down to his shoulders. He was usually flattered when women gave him attention, but he was tired of buying absurd feminine cleaning products. He was not sure why women always need several different types of soaps, shampoos, and body creams, and he could not imagine why anyone would need a pair of gloves with tiny holes in them. He had the sudden image of the heinous store clerk jerking him off in the shower while wearing those gloves. He cringed and laughed out loud at the thought.

The girl laughed also. Her overbite was even more pronounced when she laughed. I know they look funny, but they are very useful. They exfoliate the skin when washing with soap in the shower, she said.

Wonderful,’ said Donald. I’ll take the gloves, too."

Okay, she said, cheerfully swinging her brown hair out of her face. She took the products up to the cash register and typed up Donald’s receipt.

Donald left the store after thanking the saleswoman and handing her $62.43. He had gone way over his budget today buying clothes, compact discs, books, jewelry, and soap shaped like animals, but he was determined to take advantage of his second opportunity to date Sonya Phillips.

Donald and Sonya had gone to the same high school. They began dating when they were juniors. Their relationship was great during high school and remained strong during their freshman years in college even though they went to different schools. Sonya attended Lehigh University which was in their hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Donald had urged her to enroll in Temple University with him in Philadelphia, but she had wanted to remain as close as possible to her parents and friends.

It wasn’t until their sophomore years, when the distance (it took Donald approximately one hour to get to Sonya’s school) began to take its toll on the relationship. Sonya seemed less willing to make the effort to see him. They began to see each other less frequently, and when they did visit each other, they would fight constantly. Donald would complain that Sonya never came to see him anymore and that she did not seem to care if he even existed. She would tell him that they were simply growing apart, because they were having different experiences.

Sonya finally broke up with him during their sophomore year in February 1994. She denied that she was interested in dating anyone else at the time, but Andy, an old high-school buddy, informed him two months later that she had a new boyfriend.

Donald hopped into his truck in the parking lot of the mall and quickly turned the key in the ignition. He wanted to get to the flower shop before he picked Sonya up at 6 PM.

He was on his way to his first date with Sonya since she had begun to call him again one month ago. He had been reluctant at first to entertain the thought of dating her again. However, he could only think about the reasons why he had fallen deeply in love with Sonya as her phone calls became more frequent. She repeatedly reassured him that she had broken up with her current boyfriend, Josh, because she had realized that she would always love Donald.

Donald had been more than happy to take the opportunity to break the news to Josh on the day of his graduation. Although Sonya had attempted to keep her Lehigh University boyfriend’s identity a secret, Donald had gotten to know more about Josh than he could have ever wanted over the past couple of years. Jealousy and love make dangerous companions and cause one to act out of character. Donald had traveled to Lehigh University by himself a couple of months after his relationship with Sonya had ended. As if on a mission that needed to be completed for him to go on living, Donald had relentlessly searched for the man who had taken his place in Sonya’s life. Donald had been responsible for the first meeting that had taken place between him and Josh. However, Josh had been merciless in ensuring that Donald would not forget that he existed ever since then.

Therefore, Donald had thought that it was only fitting for him to be the one that informed Josh of Sonya’s absence at his dinner party, although he had to travel from Philadelphia to Allentown to do so. He believed that Josh would have done the same if given the same circumstances. Donald had found it strange when Sonya had chosen to confide in him about her feelings of uncertainty regarding Josh one week before his graduation. He had not hesitated, however, to make an attempt to renew his relationship with her. Donald became convinced that he could forgive Sonya for dumping him as long as he could have another chance with her. No other girl he had met since their breakup possessed all of Sonya’s traits. She was beautiful, caring, adventurous, intelligent, had a good sense of humor, and he wanted her back. As he drove toward the flower shop, however, his memories associated with the breakup began to make him feel uneasy again.

How could he be sure that she would not hurt his feelings again? How could he be certain that she really wanted to date him again? She had left him for Josh before, how could he be ensured that this would not occur again?

He had every intention to confront her with these questions when he saw her. However, he was overcome with feelings of serenity, love, and hope as soon as he saw her emerge from her home. All through dinner, they talked as if they were simply returning to each other from a short vacation rather than from a two-year breakup.

They had eaten dinner after Sonya opened Donald’s presents. She thanked him graciously and kissed him on the cheek. That small kiss alone had caused his penis to dance in his pants.

Donald had almost forgotten how beautiful she was. Her curly red hair still fell to the middle of her back, and her firm and curvaceous figure still turned all of the men’s heads. She wore a one-piece body suit to dinner which showed off her toned body. Her hazel eyes sparkled, and her smile filled him with warmth as it always had.

Would you like to come in? asked Sonya when he drove her home after dinner.

It was 12:30 AM, and they were in Donald’s truck parked one block from Sonya’s house.

Donald’s conscience told him not to follow her, but the message that he was getting from his heart and below was much more persuasive. Sounds like a plan, he said, getting out of the truck.

She slipped around to his side of the truck, took his hands, and kissed him suddenly on the cheek. She was at least six inches shorter than Donald, so he had to bend his head downward to kiss her. They kissed for several minutes before pulling apart.

I have missed you so much! she said.

Me too. He was rapidly losing control of all rational thought.

Walk me to my room.

They walked to her house and climbed through her bedroom window as they had thousands of times before. Donald landed on her floor and helped Sonya make her entrance.

Sonya, I wanted to—

She interrupted him and kissed him passionately, grinding her pelvis against him.

After a minute, Donald pulled his face away from hers. Sonya…

What, silly? she put a finger to his lips.

Donald gently removed her hand from his mouth. He had to make an attempt to gain control. This is just so sudden. How do I know that you are serious about dating me again?

She pushed her body suit past her shoulders and hips, and it landed at her feet. She was wearing a matching red bra and thong which he had given her one Christmas.

Are you sure that you are ready for this? he asked. Donald knew that Sonya did not sleep with someone whimsically. He waited ten months after they had been dating before she had slept with him.

If you are ready, then so am I, she replied, staring fixedly at the large lump in his pants. He laughed, looking down.

After making love to her twice, Donald prepared to climb back out of Sonya’s window. I love you, he said, kissing her gently.

I love you too, she replied, hugging him tightly.

As Donald walked to his truck, his feelings of uncertainty and insecurity were a fading memory.

It was as if some baton of uncomfortable emotions had been passed, however, back in Sonya’s room. When she had jumped off of her desk after closing her window, she had knocked over a box that had been stored next to her bed. It had opened, spilling its contents on the floor.

She was now looking at several items that she had gathered while dating Josh. She planned on throwing this box out but had not been able to muster up the strength as of yet. Although she was fairly certain that Josh and she had not had what it took to have a stable and enduring relationship, she truly felt sorry for the way that it had ended. She had spent the last couple of months of their relationship in confusion. Her time with Josh over the past two years had been generally wonderful, with patches of tumultuous periods mixed in.

She had found that during college, the common elements of the age group and the shared events of the university served to undermine the differences that existed between its inhabitants. In hindsight, she believed these factors had been responsible for hiding the incompatibilities that had always been present in her relationship with Josh. As time had progressed and Josh’s impending graduation had gotten closer, their incompatibilities had become more obvious, and their tumultuous periods became more frequent.

She had meant to attend Josh’s graduation and his celebration dinner and to have a discussion regarding their future afterward. However, her car had broken down approximately twenty miles from Philadelphia. She had been on her way to Philadelphia to shop for a present for her father’s birthday. She had not been completely certain why she had chosen to travel all the way to Philadelphia to shop, but Donald had been on her mind during the entire trip. She had recently begun to talk with him again and had been having a strong desire to see him. She was not consciously certain as to whether she desired to