Someone called Soul Mate - 6. Chapter 6

They were still traumatized by what they had experienced a few moments ago.

A life had withered away in front of them and they couldn’t do a thing. Riley was more than depressed by it. The dead man had reminded him of Gabe; and the circumstances that had led to his death. Riley forever would blame himself for it. Had he not forced his way into Kyle’s life, the mess could have been avoided. It was his fault and yet, Kyle had never pointed an accusing finger at him.

Riley felt fingers entwining with his and most of his anxieties instantly calmed down.

After the horrific episode, Kyle had never left his side. He kept holding him closer as they walked, testing the ground at each step.

Fear was starting to settle in him. As they progressed, the flooded water got deeper and soon they were walking in the water that was touching just below their chests. Riley was freaking out thinking and worrying about Kyle. He had known this was a bad idea, which he shouldn’t have given into. Kyle had the right to be stupid since it was his family’s lives that were at stake, but Riley shouldn’t have gone weak. He should have acted more sensible in such a situation and should have forced his lover to do the right thing too. Now, he had put both their lives in danger.

The frequency of people moving to an upper-ground had narrowed down to almost none at some point and the area turned awfully quiet. Everywhere Riley turned his gaze, he saw water; he even smelled it and the mixed sound of ripples and yet the splashing rains never ceased.

He was exhausted of walking, but he could only imagine what Kyle must be going through.

“I hope everyone is safe.” Kyle mumbled, obviously thinking about his family.

Riley turned his head to him. “They will be.” He tried to smile but couldn’t. He settled on affirming, “We are gonna find them soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Kyle whispered and they walked silently some more.

A question began to bug Riley as they entered Area B and he glanced at Kyle.

The blonde caught him staring. “What?”

“I ...” He stammered choosing his words carefully, then exhaled, “Kyle, you didn’t say anything ... you know ... about what I told you before. With all that happened with that man,” Riley’s whole body tensed up thinking about it again, and he shook his head trying to focus on what he was saying, “We were interrupted... I mean, you were about to kiss me.” He whispered and watched as Kyle averted his gaze from him. The brunette pondered whether he did that out of nervousness or regret. Still, he dared to ask. “Does that mean you still love me and that you forgive me for my mistakes?”

There was a brief moment of silence after which Kyle gave a short nod and looked up at Riley. “I never ever stopped loving you, Riley.” He whispered looking him in the eye. The divine hazel eyes stared back at him before looking ahead and Kyle continued, “When Gabe killed himself in that crazy hospital, my world had shattered. I admit, I wasn’t the best company back then. I had snapped at you, argued with you day in and day out. But you were being so impossible! I remember those words still, Riley when you claimed that I never loved you ever. That I was only in love with Gabe... I had to keep assuring you that I did love you and that hurt me so much.”

“I am sorry you felt that, but you have always been my life. It’s just ... You were crying all the time, talking about him to me telling me about the times you spent together all those years back... I felt so insecure ...”

“That is what hurt me Riley.” Kyle stopped and made a quick turn to look at him. Riley could see the mixed emotions in his hazel eyes. “Gabe was my best friend, the first guy I ever kissed, the man whom I made love with for the first time. Was I supposed to just stop thinking about him, Riley? Especially after he was dead?”

“No,” Riley mumbled feeling ashamed.

“He meant something to me and I needed to grieve over his death, for God’s sake.” Kyle fumed. “The only way it made me feel better, was to reminisce; thinking about our memories. And do you know why I used to share those with you?” Riley hesitantly shook his head. “Because you were the only one I wanted to be with at that moment. I thought you’d understand me and hug me and kiss my sadness out of me just by your being there for me.” His voice was cracking by the time he finished and he audibly swallowed.

Riley’s heart broke into million pieces looking at Kyle tearing up. “I am really sorry, Kyle.” He held his lover by his shoulders and moved closer to him.

“But you just couldn’t do that for me.” Kyle sobbed as Riley put his hands around Kyle’s wet, clothed body. Riley held his head close to Kyle’s chest and heard him continue, “You had to get jealous instead. Jealous of who, Riley? Gabe? The guy who died because of us? Because we fell in love with each other and broke his heart?”

“Please forgive me, baby. I am sorry.” Riley had no intention of hiding his tears at that moment.

“But I do forgive you, Riley.” Kyle stepped back from their embrace and looked up. His tears rolled down, mixed with the raindrops falling on his face, but his eyes went expressionless. “I thought I wouldn’t when you asked for it before, thought I would tell you that I need time for doing that, but no ... my heart forgives you because it loves you and so do I.” His face was the most vulnerable then and he was whispering. “Right now when you slipped away trying to hold that man, I felt like my soul was dead inside. I don’t want to experience that feeling again because I love you so much, and I don’t want to lose you.” He smiled through the tears.

Riley smiled, feeling ecstatic. His Kyle loved him and it made him feel like he was the happiest man in the world. “I don’t want to lose you either, Kyle. I will never leave you ever again.” He kissed him continuously and covered Kyle’s beautiful face with light pecks. The rush of all his romantic emotions began to flow through his blood and he began to confess his love to his blonde lover. “I lo-”

“Help me!” A shivering cry was heard from nearby, and their heads instantly turned in the direction of where the voice was coming from. It was a sound of a younger girl crying for her “mommy”.

“There! Oh my God!” Kyle quickly wiped his tears and pointed up at a tree. It stood in the pathway that led to the woods. Without thinking twice, Riley watched him moving closer and began to climb over the tree.

“Hey, be careful!” Riley shouted from beneath.

Kyle approached the scared little girl cautiously. “Come, sweetie.”

“I need my mommy.” She sobbed.

“We will take you to your mommy, okay? Where is she?” Kyle asked in a soothing voice. Riley remembered how great he was with kids. The girl didn’t say anything just cried and pointed towards the river.

Riley swallowed knowing what she meant.

He was amazed, wondering how the girl had managed to get up the tree. The tree wasn’t that tall, but she still was younger.

He saw Kyle taking the girl in his arms and carefully climbing down. That’s when he saw the bruises and the wounds on the poor girl. “Hey there.” Riley put on a cheerful smile for her.

The girl didn’t say anything and hugged Kyle tighter. “She is very scared.” Kyle smiled sadly and Riley nodded. “Hey sweetie, don’t be afraid. This is Riley, he is a friend okay? He will take you to your family, alright?” Kyle said to her.

“Wait... what?” Riley looked at him in shock.

“Riley, you have to take her to the safe house.” Kyle said as a matter of fact.

“Alright, and what about you?” Annoyance rose in him.

“I will be fine.” Kyle snapped. “Look, I need to go find the others before it is too late.”

“And I am coming with you.”

“And what about her?” Kyle asked in hushed tone.

Riley knew it was the right thing to do but he didn’t want to. “We can take her with us,” he said, even though he knew it was the stupidest thing to say.

“Come on, Riley. You know we can’t do that. She is scared and injured. We can’t risk her life by taking her with us.” Kyle explained.

“Then you go take her and I will go find them.” Riley desperately gave Kyle the only other option he could think of.

“Don’t worry about me, Riley.” Kyle smiled at him. “I might be your baby, but you don’t have to babysit me all the time.” He teased.

Riley groaned. “But I don’t want to leave you.”

“It is hardly raining now and I bet this area will dry up before you know it.” Kyle said, “And look at the girl Riley, we can’t leave her like that. You have to help her.”

He looked at the girl. Her innocent eyes were staring at him. She had stopped crying and her dried tears and fresh wounds on her face broke his heart. Finally, Riley gave in after much coercing and he said, “Fine! But I will come back looking for you.”

“Riley ...” Kyle began to protest.

“Yes, and I want you to promise me that if you think, at any point in time, that it is dangerous to go further, you’ll back off.” Kyle bit his lip. When he didn’t say anything, Riley warned, “Promise me or I am not leaving you.”

“Alright, I promise.” He rolled his eyes and muttered. “You are so damn stubborn.”

“Learned it from you.” Riley smirked taking the girl from Kyle’s arms. He quickly pecked his lips and before he left he said, “Take care, okay? I will be back for you.”

Kyle nodded and Riley began to walk away trying to hold the young girl up, protecting her from the water beneath them. With worried thoughts about Kyle on his mind, he walked backwards. That’s when he realized something and he turned briskly. “Kyle!” He yelled with all the power of his lungs.

The man had walked further away but he did turn. “What?” He shouted back.

“I love you, too” He said the words that he didn’t get to finish earlier.

But Kyle didn’t seem to be able to hear them. He asked again, “What?”

Riley began to repeat, a little louder this time, “I said I ...”

“What?” Kyle yelled back. His voice reaching Riley’s ears was too low, so he figured Kyle couldn’t understand him either. Their voices were dying down in the pattering sound of rainfall.

Dejected, he shook his head and turned to leave. Maybe this wasn’t the right time.

He began to think of Kyle as he walked with the girl and the name alone brought a smile to his face. He thought of how the words “I love you” coming from his mouth had affected him deeply in his heart. He wanted to make Kyle feel the same when he said it back. That tickling of the heart, that flipping of the tummy...

Riley knew even if he said it simply, Kyle would be on cloud nine. Still, he wanted it to be special. He began to think of various ways he could say it to him and some of his ideas sounded too silly to him but they did sound cute. Finally, he concluded that a big family dinner with all the Morgans present would be the perfect occasion to declare his love for him. And he had an idea of when he could do that.

As he made all the plans, he safely reached the safe house. There were medics already helping some other injured people. The little girl had fallen asleep in his arms, and he handed her to the medics so they could take care of her.

He talked to one of the female medical assistants and made sure she would find the girl’s family. Once he was assured that she was in safe hands, he left to get back to Kyle.

As he turned to leave, a familiar voice called his name. “Riley!” A man, whom he had least expected to see there, was approaching him, cutting through the crowd. And he wasn’t alone. He could see his wife and son and his two daughters, running expectantly behind him

Of course, he was happy to see all the Morgans safe. But the terror of Kyle being out there in danger and he was out there for no good reason- that scared the shit out of him.

“Riley!” Graham’s relieved and happy face greeted him. The man looked a bit older from when he had seen him last. Not much, just a few grey hairs here and there, but still looking strong and solid. The man instantly came up and hugged him. “It’s great to see you safe and sound.”

Alice smiled at him from behind her husband. “Hi, sweetie. It’s good to see you; it’s been such a long time,” she said but her eyes searched for someone else instead, and she asked the question he was dreading to answer, “Honey? Where is Kyle? Is he outside?”

“And Jess?” Chris asked. “She went looking for you guys. You did meet her, right?”

“Wait ...” Riley made an effort to keep his voice steady. So much was happening all at the same time. “Kyle and I ... we went down looking for you guys. But then we saw this little girl and she needed help so I came back here to bring her to the paramedics. But ... K-Kyle went ... oh my God!” He gasped. “What did I do? I shouldn’t have left him.” He ran his hand through his hair in distress.

“You mean Kyle went down? By the river?” Alice spoke, already on the verge of tears. “But it is hell down there. We got out in time and he ... my baby. I hope he is okay.”

“But where is Jess?” Chris asked desperately wanting to know about his fiancée.

Riley frowned. “We never saw her. I don’t know where she is.” Panic welled up inside them. The girls began to sob in fear. Chris was too shocked to say anything, while Alice and Graham looked worried as hell. “Listen, I am sure he is alright. He has to be.” Riley tried to calm them down. “I made him promise to back off if he sensed any kind of danger and I know he will keep his promise.” He shook his head, hoping Kyle actually would keep his promise. “But now, I have to keep my part of the promise. I have to go back and find him. Alice, I will find him okay? I will get your son back.”

“Wait, Riley ...” Graham stopped him. “You can’t go down there again.”

“But Graham, I promised him I would come back. And I can’t stay here. I will just keep worrying about him. If I go now, I might be able to find him.”

“Let me come with you then. I can’t let you go alone. Chris?” He turned to his son.

“Yes, dad. We have Jess to trace down too.” He said readily. “I really hope she is okay.”

Graham asked Alice to look after the girls before they parted. Riley could relate to the pain Kyle’s mother was going through. Her fears of losing her son matched his as he thought of never finding Kyle. His whole body trembled.

The rain picked up again creating havoc, and it was making it impossible for the trio to see in front of them. The water began to rise to a much higher level than earlier, and by the time Riley got close to the place where he had parted ways with Kyle, the water was almost above his chest.

Suddenly, at one point he realized that he was alone once again, and that there was no trace of Graham or Chris around him. He couldn’t help but think of how he had lost Kyle before he could even get him back into his life. He wiped his tears and the water from his face. His eyes were red and swollen. He kept calling out Kyle’s name but there was no one to hear him in that secluded area. He yelled for Graham and Chris but no reply came from either man. Feeling defeated, he just broke down in the middle of nowhere, while surrounded by water and only water.

A broken, thick branch of a tree came floating over to him and scratched his skin harshly as it passed by. The wound began to bleed but all he could do was stare at the dark blood which flowed and mixed with the water. He walked aimlessly as he cried his eyes out, blaming himself for all the wrongs that had happened.

“Where are you Kyle?” He whispered to himself, looking everywhere, hoping to see the man he loved somewhere in the darkness, hoping that he would come out from somewhere and hug him, smile that bright cheerful smile of his and the misery he felt would be gone.

But Kyle was nowhere and the pain of losing him made his heart sink. The world seemed as if it was filled entirely with despair. There was nothing left for him in it. He had his Kyle back in his life that day, only to have lost him forever. It wasnt fair. He ran his hands through his wet hair and pulled at it in severe depression, as he yelled at the top of his lungs. “KYLE!”

His knees went weak all of a sudden and closing his eyes, Riley finally let the water take charge of his body.

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