Free Fighting the impossible by Selina Bodur Page B

between them. He blinked and twenty four carat smile splashed on
his face, as the winner in a game, unknown to Tara. The last she heard was the
closing of the door.
     
    ***
     
    Present days
    Tara heard
the click of the door.
    “Excuse
me, can I help you?” in front of her stood a man in his 50’s with gray hair and
caring fatherly eyes.
    “No,
I… I think I have the wrong room.” Tara blinked quickly to chase the tears
away, which were desperately welling up to spill over her cheeks.
    “This
is number 103.” The man opposite her looked concerned.
    “Yes…
103.” Her thoughts were slamming into her skull, struggling with the reality in
front of her. It was so long ago, but Tara remembered; every moment and every
second. All that’s left to do was to welcome the memories, to accept and learn
to live with them.
    She apologized to the gentleman and
hurried to her room.

Chapter two
     
    Five years earlier
    The day before the wedding
     
    The
next day was a real torture for Tara. Organizing a wedding for someone like Claire,
who always expected more, was a real test and now she had to deal with this
big-headed male specimen Peter McClain. And this proved more difficult than the
guest list and the floral arrangements. No matter how diligently Tara was
trying to avoid him, he was always there, watching her, handing her the
scissors, inflating balloons or simply bringing her a glass of water, just when
she was thirsty. How tiresome! And although he seemed to had turned into her
shadow, he hadn’t uttered a word since the morning. Tara just wanted to get
away, throw away everything, jump in her Mini and set off to… Where to?! All of
her friends were here and she would never abandon Claire in the most important
day of her life. It was clear that she needed to deal with Peter McClain alone.
    “You
okay?” there was concern in his voice and of course the eternal tease. Peter
slightly touched her shoulder, sending electrical impulses throughout Tara’s
body. “You were clutching the chair so hard, I thought that you will break the
backrest.” His eyes sparkled, warmer than the midday sun.
    “What
do you care?!” Oh, it sounded wrong again, she thought, but it was only his
fault. Peter visibly withdrew by her tone and caused a part of the daylight to
go out with the glimmer in his eyes.
    “Well,
just” he reached over her and took a card with a guest name from the table “Mr.
Colum Preach won’t have a place to sit if you break his chair. All in the name
of the perfect wedding!” his eyes flashed thunderstorm blue.
    “I
think we will be able to find an extra chair” Tara’s tone was ice-cold “And if
not, Mr. Colum may take mine!”
    “But
wouldn’t that be wonderful!” Peter was on the verge of losing his temper “Then
we can share a chair and I’ll even let you sit on my lap!” he winked at her.
Tara was clutching the scissors so hard that… The adrenaline was blurring her
vision. Self-control was a foreign word in his presence.
    “Be
careful, Miss Whyley, you’ll cut yourself!” he gently took the sharp object
from her stiff fingers, burning her soft skin. “And we still need your
decorating skills.” His tone was indifferent and businesslike, but also somewhat
guarded. Peter walked away with quick steps, leaving Tara alone to deal with
the anger and the emotions raging in, taking over her like a flock of angry
birds. And why now, when he finally left her at peace, she didn’t feel relief,
but emptiness. The world suddenly had lost its charm, the grass was grey, the
sun was simply annoying, blinding her; everything around her was like a
tasteless meal in a five star restaurant. Tara just gave up and sank into the
chair beside her. Maybe it was all because the stress around the wedding. She
had to make sure everything was on schedule and Claire was happy, but it turned
out, that it was drinking all of her vital energy. And now that Peter McClain.
As if it wasn’t enough, he was throwing all