Driver

Part 24

But later, after a heated interlude, doubt began to creep in to Idyn’s mind. “Are you sure about this job and moving here?” he said into the relaxed aftermath.

Taki tuned her head to frown at him. After a tense pause she said “if you’re sure, I am.”

“If I hadn’t asked would you have told me about the job?”

She shrugged. “I wanted to tell you straight away but we hadn’t talked about anything. You hadn’t even asked about where I was going next. I didn’t want to pressure you or make you do something you weren’t ready for.”

He nodded “I didn’t want to pressure you, that’s why I didn’t ask” he admitted.

She smiled “seems we were both worried about the same thing.”

“But this will mean changing your whole life” he asked, his doubts were still not assuaged. “Are you ready for that?”

“I’m ready to change the hell I’ve been living in for the last two years. The only peace I have felt since the accident has been with you. I’m never going to get over what happened, I know that but with you I think I can live with it.”

Idyn didn’t know what to say. The thought that she was pinning everything on him scared the hell out of him. “Taki…” he began.

Driver

Part 23

Idyn sat down in the living room to collect his thoughts. He loved her and wanted to ask her to stay but her job meant she had to travel. He had no right to ask her to change her life for him. He didn’t even know how deep her feelings went.

Taki walked into the room. She sat down beside him. “Idyn, what’s going on?”

He looked up and met her gaze and once again the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “I don’t want you to go” he said. Damn.

But to his surprise she smiled “then I have good news.”

Driver

Part 22

The next day Idyn went out to the car ahead of Taki and was standing next to it waiting for her when she emerged. He smiled at her as she walked towards him. She returned it.

“Morning Taki” he said feigning a merely professional relationship. He opened the door.

“Morning Idyn” she said and slipped in through the open door.

Idyn shut the door and walked around the car. In the driver’s seat he turned and grinned at her “not so bad yeah?”

“It feels weird” she said.

His grin widened and he repeated her words to him on the first day they met he said “I know but you’ll get used to it.”

Taki laughed and Idyn got them on the road.

For the next week Idyn opened the door for her and Taki seemed to mind it less and less. Without undue conceit he was aware that the change in her attitude might have had something to do with the fact that it was him doing it but still it was an improvement. Towards the end of her sixth week in town Idyn asked her about what he saw as the next step. “Do you see yourself driving again?”

Driver

Part 21

But thinking about how he might be able help Idyn sat down next to her and said “perhaps forgiving yourself is too big to do all at once” he said “maybe you need to tackle it in small steps, one at a time?”

“Like what?” Taki said.

“I’m thinking something small to start with, like trying not to hate being driven so much. Try not to associate it with the accident. Think of it as a just a part of daily life.”

She gave him a wry smile “you mean let you open the door for me?”

He returned her smile “if it means you that you detest what it stands for less, then yes.”

“I can try I guess” she said.

He smiled “I’m sure it will get easier the more you do it.”

“You have really hated not being able to perform that part of your duties haven’t you?” she said with a smile.

“I don’t know why, but yes.”

“Okay” she said taking a deep breath. “Let’s give it a go. From now on you are to open the door for me every time.”

“Are you sure?”

“No” she said “but we’re going to try it. I’m tired of the hold this has on me. If this is the way forward then let’s do it.”

But Idyn was worried now. He was no expert. He had no idea if this was the right move. His smile faded. “I don’t know if it is the way forward though” he admitted. 

Driver

Part 20

Idyn didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t a councillor. What right did he have to tell her how to feel? He was making it worse for her. Distraught he sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. He had a horrible feeling he had just ruined everything.

It seemed like hours before Taki emerged from the bathroom. When she did her eyes were red signifying that she had been crying. Not knowing what else to do, Idyn had got dressed in that interval. He was sitting on the bed and he stood up as she entered.

“Are you going somewhere?” she said.

“I thought you might need some space?” he said. He did not want to leave her alone like this but if that was what she wanted.

“This is your house” she said.

“It doesn’t matter. Is that what you want?”

Driver

Part 19

For the next month Idyn drove Taki to and from his house and her work and anywhere else she needed to go. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her knowing that their time together was finite.

It was one evening early in the second month as they lay in his bed that he asked her a question that inadvertently brought up the subject of her accident again. He was watching his fingers playing with her hair and as ever his mind was on her impending departure. Even though they hadn’t talked about it, it was all he could think about. For his own sanity he needed to find a solution to them being separated for months at a time. He asked “hey have you always worked as a consultant?”

“No, not always” she said.

“So how long has it been?”

“Two years” she said.

He lifted his gaze and met hers “ever since the accident?” he guessed.

“Yes” she said, her eyes slipping away from his.

“Why?” he said.

She shrugged “the constant change helped occupy my mind. It was easier to lose myself in a different city every couple of weeks than sit at home and relive it.”

Thoughtful for a minute he said “you need to forgive yourself Taki. It was an accident. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Taki frowned “are you saying I shouldn’t feel guilty?”

Driver

Part 18

On Sunday afternoon he was back at the airport waiting for Taki. He couldn’t wait to see her and hold her in his arms. It seemed Taki had been having similar thoughts as almost before he saw her she was wrapped around him.  “I missed you” he whispered into her hair.

“Me too” she said, her arms tightening around his neck.

“Then let’s get out of here” he said moving her back and smiling down at her.

“Yes please” she said.

After collecting her luggage they walked out to his car. This time however he was off duty and was driving his own car rather than one of his business fleet. When they reached it Idyn said “I don’t want to hear one word about me not opening the door for you” he said “I’ll let it slide when I’m working, but right now it’s me and you’re someone I care about and I want to open the door for you okay?”