Chapter 14 ~ Rise Above This

Take the night and darken everything around me
Call the clouds and listen closely, I'm lost without you

Call your name everyday, when I feel so helpless
I'm fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this

~ Seether

University: Wyatt's Rental ~ 6:12PM



Wyatt studied his reflection in the mirror. What he saw however was not a young man dressing for a date, but the young man he became these past few years spent in college. It had been a tumultuous senior year for him but Wyatt was finally moving forward. Just last year Jason had graduated and soon he and Jett would be graduating. Wyatt thought back to the party they had thrown for Jason.


One Year Earlier



"I wish you would change your mind about moving out after graduation. We could focus on our music; work on booking some gigs, small tours, things like that."

Jason glanced over at Kes and the feelings he had for her lit his face. "Yeah I thought about that but living here but...I'm thinking...I'm going to ask Kes to marry me."



Wyatt tried to mask his anxiety. "Marry Kes? Come on J, you are still young. Is that what you really want? Look what happened with your mom and dad. Look at mine. They married young and look where they are now. You think she will be happy following you around on the road?"



Jason folded his arms and glared at Wyatt. His expression was humorless. "She can if she wants. If she doesn't, if she wants to open her own bistro I'll support it, get her started. I am not my father Wy. I might make mistakes but marrying Kes would not be one of them. I love her. And since you brought it up...you aren't Cooper. You do not need to live his life either. Our dads opened the doors but we do not have to choose to walk in their shadow. We make our own music."



Of course, J had been right about all of it. He and Kestral were both happy, the band was thriving and Wyatt was soon to graduate himself. Jett had gotten his sometime girlfriend Lorrah pregnant and they had moved into a smaller rental. Jett had not been thrilled about changing his lifestyle but after a long talk that, according to Jett, was more of an ultimatum from his parents, they moved in together. Jett had drawn the line at marrying her. Lorrah seemed okay with it...for now.



Wyatt looked around the place before heading toward the door. The house seemed so empty and quiet. He experienced so many things at this rental. He made mistakes, made bad choices, and fell in love. The most important thing was that he finally figured out who he was. The ghosts from his past were gone, buried, and he was ready to move forward. Wyatt was his own man. Jason would be proud if not a bit smug at that admission. Wyatt was not his father. He could live with that.

Oceanside: Echo Restaurant ~ 8:23PM



He arrived right on time. Expecting to meet the mysterious Mrs. J. Michaels at Echo, he looked around. She would be wearing a blue dress, she said. Wyatt had spoken to her over the phone after the auction committee had given him the details of his date. Her contact information had been included in those details. Wyatt could not place the voice and even though he still felt a bit strange over her identity, he let it go. The last thing he wanted was to seem paranoid. What was he going to say? “Do I know you from somewhere?” That sounded cheesy.



Wyatt saw her, or at least he assumed it was her, standing near the window. He approached her quietly and then tentatively resting his hand on her shoulder he said her name.



"Hello Wyatt." She turned around and Wyatt froze where he stood. He felt as though he had been punched in the stomach with a fist made of painful memories.

"Is this some kind of joke Mrs. Michaels?"

"Of course not; I bought the date because I wanted to see you again. I wanted to apologize for everything and I doubt you would have seen me if I had asked."



Of all the people Wyatt could have imagined his date would turn out to be, the last person he considered was Bailey Walker. Seeing her again brought all those emotions flooding back. "What's with the fake name?" Was Wyatt really going to consider hearing her out and finishing this date? He did admit he was curious - he thought he had loved her once.



They sat at a table reserved for them by the auction committee. "The name is not a fake. You must remember James..." Bailey hesitated and then added, "Professor Michaels? We were married shortly after I left the music department at the university. We opened a small music school for children that I run while he teaches; it has been doing quite well. I suppose that was another thing I wanted you to know - that I had no hard feelings about losing that university position."



Dinner was a blur for Wyatt but he managed to get through it. She asked him to dance with her. Reluctantly, he agreed. Holding her close like this reminded him of that first time with her. They had made love all night and Wyatt could not get enough of her.

"For what it is worth Wyatt, I did love you back then. Your father was wrong about that part but it was for the best that I let you believe otherwise. I would have hurt you more in the end by staying with you."



Wyatt agreed to finish their date and they took a limo to the marina where they boarded a boat that cruised around the bay. They talked about trivial things, classes, her school, and his band. When the cruise was over, Wyatt and Bailey headed back to Echo where they would part ways, one more chapter ending.

"This was nice, especially since I was able to apologize and explain things. Be well, Wyatt." Bailey kissed him lightly on the cheek, gave him one last lingering smile and left.



University: Wyatt's Rental ~ 2:16AM



He could still smell Bailey's perfume on his clothes. Flipping on the light Wyatt removed them, tossed the clothes on the floor beside his bed and pulled on sweats and a t-shirt. The drive back from Echo had taken a lot longer than he expected. What time was it, 2AM? He should call Cade. Even though she said she did not care about the date Wyatt knew her, knew she would still be up. Just then, his cell began to vibrate. Wyatt looked at the caller ID and smiled.



"Your timing is perfect! I was just going to call you." Wyatt could listen to her talk all night but he had something else in mind, something else that he would much prefer doing with her.

"Yeah, I just got home and changed...I was thinking about coming over to see you. Is that all right?"

When Cadence asked about his date, Wyatt laughed. "You'll never believe it. You know what; I will fill you in on all the gory details when I get there okay? He hesitated as his heart flooded with deep emotion, a strong need to reveal those emotions to her catching him off guard.

"Cadence...I love you."



Wyatt disconnected with a quick tap and grinned. He should probably shower. No, he would shower with Cadence instead. That would be infinitely more fun. Maybe after graduation he could stay in his rental on campus, stay close to Cadie. As he prepared to grab a change of clothes, the doorbell rang. Wyatt laughed and thought, "I should have known you would be calling from outside my door."



Wyatt hurried down but when he got to the door, no one was there. "What the hell?" Stepping outside, he slowly walked toward the street and peered into the carport. Walking farther out to the sidewalk, he looked to his right. Cadence always parked near that corner; the streetlight that lit that side of the street made her feel safer. No one was there, no car, no Cadence. Had he heard it right, was it the doorbell? Maybe it was nothing, just his imagination, but the hairs on his arms rose.

Turning back, Wyatt pulled out his cell phone to call Cadence when he heard the sound of an engine revving. Tires screeched and the headlights of a speeding car blinded him.

Author's Note:
This chapter closes Wyatt's Story. Further updates will be posted at Studio Time. This blog will no longer be updated. To the readers who followed Rising Above, thank you so much.