Chapter 39 - The Falls

Robert was in a church.  Or at least he thought it was a church because of the rows of empty pews in front of him.  When he looked up towards the front, he was surprised to see his mum, dad, Mary and Betsy with Darrell sitting together in the front row with their backs to him.  Why were they here?  Then he looked on the other side of the aisle and saw May and Marianne sitting together.

He began to feel a sense of dread as he looked down and realized he was wearing a black suit.  There were only two reasons why his and Georgie's families would be together in a church, and since he and Georgie weren't a couple, he knew a wedding was not about to take place.

When he looked back towards the front of the church, his blood ran cold and he suddenly found it difficult to breathe.  A large glossy white casket was on the altar.  The lid was open and he could see plush pink satin lining.  The casket was high enough he couldn't see inside it, but he didn't want to see inside it.  He didn't even want to be in that fucking church.

He decided he had to get out of there, but when he tried to lift his feet, he couldn't move.  He looked down, trying to figure out why he was stuck when he heard a scream.

"Robert!"

Bloody hell, he thought with his heart in his throat.  It was Georgie.  Something terrible was happening to her.  He looked back at the altar and his heart nearly stopped in his chest.  The bastard was standing at the foot of the casket, his steely deep set eyes boring into Robert, his smug smile plastered on his face.

"Robert!" Georgie screamed from somewhere.

"Robert!" the bastard said heartily.  "What a delight to see you again!"

"What the fuck have you done to her!" Robert shouted.

"Why, Robert.  Nothing has been done to her," the bastard said smoothly through his smug smile.

"Robert!"

"She probably realizes where she's going by now, that's all."

Then Robert saw her.  She was struggling wildly as two of the bastard's guards dragged her towards the coffin.  Her face was red and tear stained, her eyes wide with terror.

"Robert!" she screamed as she thrashed her body, trying to get free from their grip.

One of the guards grabbed her kicking legs, holding them tight by the ankles while they lifted her up, higher and higher.  Robert knew what they were about to do, what was going to happen to her.

"Let her go, you fucking wankers!  Let her go!" Robert shouted.  He tried to go to her, to save her, but no matter hard he tried to lift his feet, he remained rooted to the spot.

"Robert!" she screamed as she fought wildly, desperately trying to free herself while they lowered her in the casket.

"No!  Stop!  Leave her alone, you sick bastard!"  Robert shouted, tears coming to his eyes from frustration and fear.

"I must say, Robert.  I'm surprised," the bastard said coldly, his smug smile becoming more broad as he placed his hand on the lid.  "What do you care what I do with her?  You don't want her anymore."

He began to lower the lid as Robert watched with horror, clearly enjoying himself.  Georgie began letting out long piercing screams with choking sobs at the end that were muffled when the lid closed.  Oh, God, Robert thought desperately.  She was going to die in there.

"No!" he shouted as he sat up in bed, his heart pounding in his chest and his entire body shaking, Georgie's piercing screams muffled through the bedroom door.

He threw off the pink floral quilt and jumped out of bed.  Within seconds he was by her side.  He didn't even wait for her to wake up before he was pulling her into his arms, calling her name loudly.  She woke up choking on a sob and struggled against him.

"It's alright, Georgie.  It's alright," he breathed in her ear as he began rocking her earnestly, holding her tight against him.  "It's me.  You're safe now."

He could feel her relax with relief and then she put her arms around him, clutching handfuls of his t-shirt, her body trembling from her nightmare while she cried on his shoulder.  Robert continued to hold her just as tightly and squeezed his eyes shut.  He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her smell to calm himself while he tried to push the images from his nightmare out of his mind.

After a few minutes, his heart rate slowed as he concentrated on her warm body pressed against his.  He could feel her relax even more when she finally stilled with a shuddering sigh but he continued to rock her.  It was completely silent in the dark room except for the sound of their breathing.  They were holding each other so tightly Robert could feel her steady heart beats on his chest, slightly faster than his own, calming him even more.

Georgie released him with a deep sigh, her arms sliding off his back, but Robert tightened his grip on her.  He wasn't ready to let go of her, not yet.  Her breath caught in her throat, and he felt her heart speed up a bit.  Her hands touched his back lightly, then tentatively slid across until she'd wrapped her arms around him.  With another sigh, she released the last bit of tension in her body, molding herself to him as her arms tightened.  Her heart beat slowed against him as he continued to rock her, finally feeling at peace and safe in her warm embrace.

When her breathing changed and her arms dropped briefly, he knew she was falling asleep and gently laid her down.  When he straightened her bedding over her, he could tell her eyes were open, but it was too dark to see her expression.  He stood up and she grabbed onto his hand, just like she used to when they were in the flat.  He hesitated, looking down at her while memories of all those nights they had together overwhelmed him, bringing back the terrible ache in his chest.

He didn't know what to do.  He felt like he should pull her hand off his, but he knew it would hurt her if he did.  He forced himself to walk away, letting her release him when he was so far from her she had to and went back to her bedroom, his heart breaking for everything they'd lost.  When he pulled the pink floral quilt over his head, he did his best to turn off his mind so he could escape from what he was feeling.

The next thing he knew, his name was being called, waking him up.  He rolled over as he pulled the bedding off his head and looked towards the doorway.  In the dim light from the just rising sun, he saw Georgie wearing her fluffy pink dressing gown and looking tired.

"It's time to get up, Robert," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Oh, right.  Cheers, Georgie," he replied, and she closed the door.

The two of them were bleary eyed from having their sleep interrupted as they gathered in the sitting room with their things but May and Marianne seemed perky and eager to go.  Once their bags were loaded into the boot Robert and Georgie opened the rear doors on either side of the car.

"Oh, Robert," May said.  "Why don't you sit up front with me?  You'll get a better look at the country from there."  He quickly stole a glance at Georgie, but she didn't react to May giving him the option not to sit with her.

"Uh, alright," he said, feeling a little disappointed, and went round to the passenger side, sitting in front of Georgie while Marianne sat behind May.

They were soon on the motorway and leaving the skyscrapers of Chicago in the distance behind them.  It wasn't long before they left Illinois and entered the state of Indiana.  As they traveled along the southern edge of Lake Michigan, they were surrounded by warehouses and factories with smokestacks, the rising white smoke turning pink in the early morning sky.

Within a half hour, they'd left the lake, the industrial hub, and Indiana for the state of Michigan, and then they were driving past pastures dotted with black and white cows and bright green farm fields.  As time passed, it never seemed to end, and with little to look at, Robert began to drift off.  He wasn't certain how long he'd been asleep when he woke up to yet another pasture with cows.

He noticed May was gripping the steering wheel, her knuckles white, and there was a tension in the quiet car that hadn't been there before.  Then he heard Georgie whimper behind him and his heart sank as he realized what had woken him.  She was having a nightmare.

She whimpered again a little more loudly, and Marianne said gently, "Georgie.  Georgie, wake up."

He heard a small gasp, and then Georgie said, "Oh."  It was so quiet in the car, he could hear her heavy breathing and he looked out the window, swallowing against the pain in his throat.

After a moment, Marianne asked gently, "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yes," Georgie said with her voice breaking and Robert could tell she was crying.  He kept his face turned towards the window so May couldn't see his expression, listening to Georgie sniffle.

"Georgie, here's a tissue," Marianne said.

"Oh," Georgie said, sounding surprised.  "Thank you," she said in a tremulous voice.

There were more sniffles and then Marianne asked quietly, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said with her voice breaking.  At that moment, Robert saw a blue sign on the side of the road that read 'Rest Area One Mile'.

"May, d'you mind getting off at that next exit?" he asked quickly.

"Oh, certainly, Robert," she said, looking over at him as if to check if he was alright.

It seemed like it took forever to cover that mile but then May was pulling into a car park next to a large one-story building.  As soon as the car doors were unlocked, Robert unbuckled his seatbelt and got out.

He opened the rear door and held his hand out, saying gently, "Come here, Georgie."

She looked up at him with surprise, her eyes swimming with tears, then unbuckled her belt and went to him with relief.  He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and shushing her quietly while she buried her face in his shoulder and cried.  It wasn't long before she relaxed against him with a deep sigh but he continued to hold her, waiting for her to let him know she didn't need him anymore.

A minute later she pulled away, saying "Thank you, Robert."  She smiled at him while she wiped her eyes, looking grateful and it made him feel good.  He'd beaten back the bastard one more time for her.

"It's alright, Georgie," he said sincerely.

"Are you two ready to get back on the road," May said as she and Marianne walked back from the direction of the building.

"Yes," they both said at the same time, and then laughed a little before Georgie ducked her head, smiling shyly.

Marianne got behind the wheel to drive and when May went to sit behind her, Robert walked up to her.

"I'll sit in back, May."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking startled.

"Yeah."

"Oh, alright," she said as she glanced over at Georgie, and then quickly looked away.

When they got settled in the car, Georgie looked at him briefly with a shy smile after she fastened her seatbelt, then turned her head to look out the window.  He looked out his window but after a bit he was bored by the continuous stretches of fields.

He could feel his eyes closing and when he leaned his head back to take a nap, he noticed Georgie jerking awake and blinking.  He watched her, and after a minute her eyes started closing and her head drooped before she jerked awake again.  He realized she was trying to keep from falling asleep.

"Georgie?" he said quietly.

"Hmm?"  When she looked at him, he could see worry in her eyes, the dark circles under them prominent against her pale skin.

"Why don't you get some sleep?"  She looked even more worried.  "It'll be alright," he said, taking her hand.  "I'll stay awake, yeah?"  Her body slumped and she looked at him with gratitude, her face glowing.

"Thank you, Robert," she whispered, blinking hard.

"It's alright.  Just close your eyes, yeah?" he said, wanting to stop her from looking at him like that.

She leaned her head on the head rest and closed her eyes.  She must have been even more tired than he thought because within minutes, her breathing changed and her mouth fell open slightly.  He watched her for a minute, then he turned his head to look out the window, concentrating on the endless fields so he wouldn't think about anything, her warm soft hand still in his.

In the city of Detroit, they crossed the border, entering the Canadian province of Ontario, and then it was more hours of driving past endless farm fields before they arrived in the city of Niagara Falls.  May pointed out the road they were traveling on was going to pass the Falls and Robert and Georgie craned their necks, trying to see as much as they could.  Robert couldn't see much more than the tops of three different waterfalls, but it was enough for him to get a sense of the enormous scale of them, making him anxious to get out and see more.

May turned the car left and they climbed a steep hill past gift shops, restaurants, and attractions on the way to the hotel.  She'd booked them two rooms, one for Robert and one for the women.  As soon as he had his bag in his room, he went to the room next door and knocked.  Georgie opened the door, beaming at him as she let him in.

"Are you ready to go see the Falls," she asked the older women excitedly.

"You kids should go down," May said.  "Marianne and I are going to stay here and rest up from the trip.  In fact you should get some supper while you're out.  "

"Are you sure?  I don't want to leave you that long," Georgie said with concern.

"We'll be fine, Georgie.  We've been here lots of times," Marianne assured her with a smile.

"Go on now," May urged.  "I know you're anxious to get going."  After a quick glance at Robert to see if he would say anything, Georgie stepped forward to give each of them a hug and kiss good bye, telling them to text her if they needed them to come back.

They left the hotel, retracing the way they'd come and were soon walking down the hill towards the Falls.  It was a warm sunny late afternoon, and the pavement was filled with people of all ages and nationalities enjoying the tourist attractions.  Robert noticed Georgie seemed particularly happy, walking beside him with a spring in her step.

As they got closer to the bottom of the hill, they could see a large waterfall directly ahead of them and the roar of the rushing water got louder.  Georgie looked over at him excitedly and they quickened their steps.  When they crossed the street that ran alongside the Falls, she took his hand.  When he glanced at her, she seemed focused on the view ahead of them and as soon as they reached the other side, she let go.  He tried to keep from smiling when he realized she was unconsciously making sure he was crossing the street safely.

They walked across the pavement to a railing and looked across a deep chasm filled with churning water towards the United States where a wide waterfall was spilling over a rocky incline.  Georgie remembered it was called American Falls, and pointed out the much smaller one next to it, Bridal Veil Falls.  It was an amazing sight, with white water cascading down and birds flying through the mist that rose up around the rocks.  There were two boats filled with sightseers passing each other at the base.

Then they turned right and slowly made their way towards the most famous of the three waterfalls, Horseshoe Falls, taking their time so they could enjoy the view as they walked.  When they finally reached it, the size and power of it was more impressive than anything Robert could have imagined.

He was overwhelmed, standing mere feet from where tons of water was flowing over a sheer drop of well over a hundred feet.  The roar was deafening, and a mist rose up into the sky where the sunlight hit it, creating a rainbow.  The wind was much stronger there from the force of the falling water and blew the mist so it settled over the area they were standing.  When he looked over at Georgie, she was grinning at him, but he noticed her teeth were chattering and her arms were covered in goose bumps.

"Are you cold?"

"Just a little," she said through her chattering teeth with a huge smile.

Without hesitating, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.  When he felt her shivering against him and began rubbing her back to help warm her up.  While they stood there, mesmerized by what they were looking at, Georgie relaxed against him with a satisfied sigh and after a few minutes, her trembling stilled.  She laid her cheek on his shoulder and molded her body against him more, bringing her hair close enough he could smell it.

He continued to rub her back to keep her warm, his nose buried in her hair.  He couldn't help the feeling of happiness that came over him, enjoying the feeling of being so close to her while they were sharing this extraordinary experience.  After several minutes, she turned her head away from the Falls, burying her face in his neck with another deep sigh, relaxing against him more and he stopped rubbing her back.

At that moment, he knew they'd gone too far, they were crossing the line again, but before he could react she lifted her face so that her lips were pressed against his neck and he froze.  His heart began beating faster and his skin tingled where she was touching him as he was overwhelmed with a sudden desire for her.  He fought against it and tried not to move, because he knew if he gave her the slightest indication of what he was feeling, she would begin kissing him, and then it would all be over.

As he felt her warm, soft lips on his skin, he could feel their friendship hovering near its own precipice, ready to plummet down a sheer drop into treacherous, murky whirlpools.  He couldn't let this happen, he thought desperately, and forced himself to move away from her.  She stumbled a little when she lost the support of his body and looked up at him with obvious surprise and confusion.

"Let's walk back, shall we?" he said, attempting a reassuring smile, but it didn't work.  Her body slumped in a defeated way and she looked like she was about to cry.

He took her hand, hoping to take the sting out of not holding her anymore, and led them back the way they'd come, kicking himself for what almost happened.  What the hell was wrong with him, he wondered angrily.  Why did he keep allowing them to get close like that?  Did he want to hurt her?  Did he want to get hurt?  He needed to keep his fucking head screwed on straight.

Robert was so engrossed in his thoughts, he'd led them some distance past the American Falls before he realized it.  When he looked at Georgie, it was obvious she was still upset and he decided they should eat so they could go back to the hotel where they could have some separation.  When he asked her where she wanted to go, she replied tiredly "I don't know, Robert.  You pick," avoiding his eyes and making him feel even worse.  He looked around and made a quick decision.

"There's the Hard Rock Cafe.  That should be fun, yeah?"

"I guess so," she said quietly, not bothering to look where he was pointing.

While they sat in a booth, surrounded by electric guitars mounted on the walls, Robert tried to shake the awfulness he was feeling.  He didn't want to admit it to himself but it was clear why they were continually being drawn to each other.  They still had deep feelings for each other.  And how could they not?  After everything they'd been through together, they were bound to have formed an intense bond.  But the reality was, no matter how intense it was, no matter how much they'd cared for each other, it wasn't enough for them to surmount all the obstacles they faced.

The sad fact was, Georgie needed to have that separation from him so she could concentrate on herself.  Seeing how hurt she'd been earlier, he understood what being around him was costing her.  Continuously allowing them to get too close, only to have him pull them back from the brink wasn't healthy for her.  Once he was gone, she'd be able to concentrate fully on her recovery.  Now that he knew it was therapy that was the reason for the strides she'd been making, he could hope that given enough time she'd finally be able to cope with everyday life.

When she reached that point, if they still felt as strongly towards each other, they could consider being a couple again.  Doing it now, when she wasn't ready would be a mistake.  He had three more days with her and he needed to step up and do a better job of protecting her, he thought firmly.  And when he went home, it wasn't the end.  They'd stay in touch, and he'd do what he could to support her until she was ready for him.

As he looked at Georgie across the table, picking at her salad with her shoulders hunched, he felt desolate.  There was no use denying it was going to be every bit as difficult for him as it was for her when he left.  She looked up at him, her vivid blue eyes filled with sadness.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"I, uh, I'm not very hungry," he said, deciding he shouldn't say what he was thinking.  "Are you ready to go?"  She dropped her eyes and nodded.  He paid the bill and they left the restaurant.

It was nearly nightfall and they slowly walked up the hill, neither of them looking anywhere but at the pavement ahead of them, while happy families and couples moved around them, eager to begin enjoying the night's activities.  They rode the elevator back to their floor and walked towards their rooms, arriving at Georgie's door first.  They stood there a second, not saying anything.

"Well, night, Georgie," he said finally, not looking at her.

"Night, Robert," she whispered.

She reached into her back pocket to fish out her card key and he turned to go to his door.  He was about to put his own card key in when he heard Georgie quietly say, "Robert?" and hesitated.

"Yeah," he said, not daring to look at her.

"Can I come in your room?" she whispered, and he looked over.  It was clear she was struggling to keep from crying.

"I dunno, Georgie.  I don't think it's a good idea, yeah?" he said, trying to sound firm, but his voice was rough and he had to clear his throat.

"Please?" she asked plaintively, her sad eyes begging him and he turned towards his door, trying to push down his feelings.  He had to stay strong.  If he didn't, he would only be hurting her more than she already was.

"Robert, please let me come in your room," she begged more desperately, taking a step closer to him and he looked up at her.  The tears that had been threatening to come were now running down her face.  "I just want to talk to you.  I promise."

"Georgie, I don't –."

"Please!" she sobbed, taking another step towards him, her hands held out in supplication.

He heard the elevator chime and looked over her shoulder.  Four blokes stepped out, laughing loudly while one of them said, "Did you see the tits on that –," before another one punched his arm to shut him up, realizing they weren't alone.  They smirked and tried to hide their laughter as they walked towards them.

Georgie hunched her shoulders and quickly wiped her eyes with her head hanging, looking ashamed.  Without thinking about it, Robert put the card key in and unlocked the door.  He pulled her into his room and got the door closed just before the blokes reached them.

****

Dedicated to katrinacarnoky.  This one's for you, Em.  :)

Well, what do you think is going to happen next?  Do you think Robert is going to be able to stay strong, or do you think this is the moment when they'll finally begin to talk?  What do you think Georgie is thinking?  Let me know!  I would love to hear your thoughts.

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, please show it some love with a vote.  I tried as hard as I could to convey what Niagara Falls is like.  If you ever get the chance to go there, it is a truly awe inspiring place to visit.  In the multimedia is a picture I took the last time I was there and a video that will give you an idea of how incredibly beautiful it is.