`"Kiss the rain"~

Kayla raced down the hall. She was oblivious to the rocking motion of the ship as she pulled herself up the stairs to the deck. The rain had started but it struck her unnoticed. The night was beautiful until Taylor found them. Her clothes clung to her as she ran up the stairs to the higher deck. She felt so stupid. So terribly stupid and confused. She hated it. She flung herself down on the bench and stared out at the tormented see. She felt sick.



Ike paced the room. He was worried. He had no idea where Kayla was and not turning up was definitely not her style. Something was up. Keryn had fallen into exhaustion on the bed and Taylor was sitting by her, nursing her head, with a frown. Ike was almost tearing his hair out.

"Taylor where the hell could she be?? Something must have happened."

"Yeah…something must have."

Ike looked at his brother. He knew something.

"Tell me Tay."

Taylor shuffled in his seat. Keryn stirred.

"I don't know what to say."



Dan had sat at the table and watched as Kayla abruptly got up and flew past him. That had been over an hour ago and she wasn't back. She had talked all night with such ease until…until she told him to get behind the pot plant. She was weird but there was something about her that made him want to get to know her. He motioned the waiter for the bill. Playing silently he left. In search.



"She what?"

Ike was rooted to the spot. He could believe it….

"Taylor she really said…."

Taylor nodded slowly, he didn't want to hurt his brother... but he had to hear it.

"She said 'he's hurting me'"

Ike's eyes glazed over and for a second Taylor felt scared. Ike rushed out of the room. Taylor felt like banging his head against the wall. That was not supposed to happen. Now two of them were out there.



Ike raced down the hall. What had he done wrong? Everything had seemed so perfect and now….now it had all gone. He couldn't believe it. What had he done wrong. Ike kept on seeing Kayla on a date... with someone else. What hadn’t he noticed…Why did she do it? His mind was filled with unanswerable questions. He didn’t want to know the answers. He rounded a corner and rammed into a elderly lady…he apologized and broke into a run. He had to find her. They had to talk. It couldn’t be true.



Dan walked confidently down the hall. His long strides attracting attention from many. He smiled but concentrated on looking for Kayla. The weather had worsened and people were running in off the deck saturated but there was still no sign of her. He wasn't worried. She seemed the type to know what she was doing, very independent. He smiled.



Melanie looked at the clock. Almost 4 hours had past and she hadn't moved. She couldn't even remember what she had been thinking of. She shook herself and attempted to put herself back together. It didn’t work. She still felt like shit. She couldn't deny it anymore, she had destroyed it. Lost her chance. He life was in chaos and she had lost her daughter. She was a failure. It was the first time she had admitted she was wrong. It hurt. She reached past her makeup to find her mobile, slowly she dialed.



Kayla was still sitting and staring. She was alone now. Everyone had left, the rain and wind scared them away. Kayla didn’t even realise there was wind... or rain. She continued to sit. To punish herself. Although she wasn’t sure if she was wrong. Dan….which one? The old one merged with the one she had just met. She fought to keep their images separate. As she thought she decided that she just went to dinner with him to make sure…..to make sure Dan was really gone. Although she missed him. She hadn't told anyone that, they wouldn't understand, but she missed him. Ike, Ike tried to understand, just as he tried to do everything. He usually succeeded, but not with this. And he was….he was so perfect it was scary. As if it was the calm before the storm. It couldn’t last. Better if she wrecked it not him.



Taylor was watching Jerry Springer with the sound off when Keryn woke.

"Tay?"

He switched it off and looked down at her.

"yeah…you okay?"

"Yeah. I think so…was it just as bad with the sound off?"

"You could say so."

Keryn sat up and stretched.

"Where is everyone?"

"Out."

"In this weather?"

"There has been a…"

Keryn stared at Taylor. Suddenly she understood.

"She went out with Dan right."

Taylor nodded.

"Oh God. Has Ike gone to find her?"

"I don’t know... he left in such a start that I didn’t have time to ask."

"He has... Look at the weather Tay. They better not be up on deck."



Ike sat down on a chair in a hallway completely lost. Where was she? He had searched everywhere. He didn't know what to do, she could be anywhere. He felt so foolish. He furiously tapped his hand against his thigh as he urged himself to think….with a start he remembered. She had to be on deck. Refrains of "Kiss The Rain" ran threw his mind.



Dan couldn't think of anywhere else she could be. He stood in the lift and fumbled with the door buttons... he ended up on the roof. As the door opened torrential rain swept him, he slowly stepped out. Further down the deck he could see a huddled figure.



Kayla pulled her jacket closer to her. Suddenly aware of being cold. She shivered and hugged herself. From a distance she could hear someone calling her name. She looked up.

"Kayla!"

It was coming from, everywhere? She turned to see Dan running down the deck towards her. Turning again she saw Ike emerging from a stairwell. They both backed off at the sight of each other. Kayla swiveled her head to and from not knowing who to look at. It was Dan who first spoke, yelling to be heard over the wind.

"It's cold. Don't just sit there."

His sharp words stung. She turned to Ike. He wasn't saying anything. Just staring.

"Ike…I….BR>
He raised his hand at her. He didn’t want to hear.

"Kayla, Come on! You're going to get sick. Quickly."

Dan gestured ferociously. Kayla didn't know what to do. They were quiet for a second as Kayla continued to rock and hug herself, as Ike stared on and Dan slowly became impatient. Staring at the floor Kayla didn’t know who to look at first. It was then that his words came.

"Kiss the Rain."

Her head jerked up. He remembered. Ike had remembered. Before Dan had died it had been 'their thing' when they had a fight or something they had made up by saying 'Kiss The Rain.' The song having a calming effect on both of them. Ike ventured now to use it. Kayla suddenly realizing that it was raining stood up.

"You remembered."

Ike refused to say anything. She turned to face Dan who was approaching her.

"Ike... it’s raining."

It sounded so stupid coming from her mouth. But it seemed to echo.

"What is going on?" Demanded Dan.

"I…I…"

She had no way to explain herself. Once again she was torn between the two. Who to address first? Her phone began to ring. It's high pitch surprising them all. Kayla reached into her bag and gingerly asked who it was. Her face crumpled as she listened. She dropped the phone. For the first time in the night she began to cry. Dan was too shocked by the events t say anything it was Ike who picked the phone up and raised and eyebrow for an answer.

"It's my mum. She says she loves me."

It was if nothing had changed as Ike embraced Kayla on Deck 4. With the rain pelting furiously down it was a scene. Dan backing himself back into the elevator and disappeared as the stood hugging.

"Kiss the Rain" Ike murmured as the two pulled away.

"I'm so sorry."

It was only now that Kayla broke the embrace to open her bag. Gingerly she withdrew the worn papers of Dan's letter. The rain immediately make the ink run. Ike watched as she approached the railing, kissed the letter and threw it over.
chapter thirty~six HOME chapter thirty~eight
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