The Crush

A young girl in love can do some crazy things.

            After a hard day at work Flynn’s brain had shut down and he was running on autopilot as he entered his house. He tossed his bag on the couch as he headed for the kitchen as was his routine. He was just about to step through the doorway into the kitchen when something tugged at his brain, something just didn’t feel right to him. He stopped and looked around the dining room but nothing seemed out of place. He continued into the kitchen trying to put that nagging feeling that something wasn’t right out of his mind. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed upstairs to change.

             Coming downstairs in a t-shirt and sweatpants he paused on the steps having that weird feeling like something was out of place again.   His eyes passed over the pictures of his family so lovingly and carefully hung on the wall.  He reached out and straightened one and continued down to his study.

             His study, the one room in all of that big house that was his and his alone.  He wouldn’t have traded any of the twenty-seven years of happy marriage him and his wife had for anything, but now that she was gone, he found he couldn’t stand to be in any of the rooms they had shared.  The memories of their happy times together in the house ripped at his heart making him want to curl up and cry.  He had considered selling the house, moving to a nice condo someplace and trying to enjoy what was left of his life, but he couldn’t this was their home, the place they had raised their kids.

             He opened the door to his study and stepped in just as he noticed the woman sitting behind his desk.  He corrected himself, the girl, as he recognized her.

             “Katie, what are you doing here?”

             “Mr. Collins, Flynn, I came to see you.”

             Katie Jordan had been his neighbor’s daughter, but a few years ago they had moved away.  Flynn couldn’t help but think that Sydney, his dead wife, would have stayed in touch with the Jordans.

             “What do you mean you came to see me?”

             “Mom and dad, well they only recently let me know about your wife and I knew this was my chance, our chance to be together.”

             “Katie, I think we need to call your parents.”

             The gun Katie lifted from her lap and pointed at him looked huge to Flynn.

             “They will just come between us.  They don’t want me to be happy Flynn.”

             “That isn’t true, they are your parents they love you.”

             “They had me locked up.  They told lies about me and had me put away, but I escaped and came to see you.”

             Flynn looked around for something anything and he spotted the picture on his desk.  It had been of him and his wife on vacation at the beach, now it was him and Katie.  Like a switch being thrown he realized that every picture in the house had been replaced, Katie had removed his wife from them all putting herself in them.

             “Katie, I don’t really understand why you are doing this.  I’ve known you since you were born, you were my daughter’s best friend.”

             “I love you Flynn and you love me.  I know you can’t say it, but I can feel your love.  It will take time, but you will learn what I’m saying is true.”

             “I love you Katie, but like a daughter.”

             “No.  You love me more than that.  Say the words Flynn, really say them and mean them and your broken heart will heal.  You and me can be together forever if you just say the words.”

             “Katie, I can’t say that, not how you want me to say it.  Please just put the gun down and we can just talk about it.”

             “No!  Now tell me you remember all those times you gave me presents and took me on dates.  TELL ME!”

             “I don’t have a clue what you are talking about.”

             “You remember don’t lie to me.”  Her finger tightened on the trigger.

             Flynn felt the sweat running down his face as he tried to think.  “I’m old Katie, my memory is bad, please help me to remember.”

             “The water park, you took me there every year.”

             Flynn let out a groan as the memory came back.  He had taken his own daughter to the water park and Katie had tagged along.  His mind raced back, and he began to remember, Katie was always there, with them.  Suddenly he understood the presents, birthday gifts from him and his wife.  He shook his head realizing telling her the truth would not save him.

             “I love you Katie.  I’m so sorry I had to be sure.  Please put down the gun and we can run away together.”

             She said, “I always loved you,” then the gun went off.