Love Amongst Tragedy Ch. 02

**A special thanks to Tashia for helping me out with the series!**

Donovan Powers drove around with no destination in mind. His mind was focused on what had just happened between Linden and him. How could she have done that? How could he have responded to her that way? Why had he?

Sure, it was just a kiss, but it came on the back of his best friend dying. She had been Jett's girl, not his. He was never that type of guy who could just so easily take up where others left off. He never would take another man's woman. It was wrong. Jett may not have been alive anymore, but to Donovan it was still his girl.

Before he knew it, his car pulled into the cemetery seemingly on its own accord. He followed the dirt drive to the plot where Jett was buried. He turned off the car, took a deep breath and got out. He paused by the car for a moment, unsure of why he had gone there. He walked over to the place where his friend lay.

The cemetery keeper had draped a rectangle swatch of AstroTurf over the brown patch of fresh dirt. It was much too cold for the grass to grow. It made it seem like Jett had been gone much longer than a a week.

Donovan stared at the headstone. He bit his lip, and rubbed his hands slowly together. Part of him wanted to talk aloud, as if Jett were there. Part of him thought it would be foolish to think that. After fighting within himself, he sank to the ground and began to talk.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. He felt awkward, like he was talking to himself. "Linden kissed me, and I let her."

Donovan sat silently thinking about the scene right before he had run off. He was scared, not of her, but of betraying his friend. Sure, he wasn't alive, but the grass hadn't even grown over the grave yet. He had only been gone a week.

A lump wedged itself into his throat.

Jett had been medevac'd to the hospital once the rescue crew had him down off the mountain. The hospital immediately sprung in to action, doing all they could. The doctors had not allowed Donovan, Linden, or even his family in to see him.

Jett's mother, Martha, sat anxiously in the waiting area. She gasped every time the swinging door to the Intensive Care Unit swung open. She would only breathe again when she saw it was not about her son.

Hours later the door opened once again and a balding man in pale blue scrubs walked over to them. He ushered Jett's parents to sit. Everyone present didn't dare breathe in case they missed something the doctor said.

"Mr. and Mrs. Landon?"

They nodded.

"I'm Dr. Shillings, your son was in the snowboarding accident?" He sat down in front of them on a leather ottoman.

"Yes, how is he?" Martha sobbed. "Can we see him? Is he okay?"

"We have to run some more tests, but I'm afraid it looks like there is nothing we can do further." He told the group quietly.

"What does that mean?" Jeff, Jett's father, questioned.

"His body can no longer function on its own, there is no brain activity. We have to wait for another doctor to run a few tests to confirm my diagnosis first, but we believe he sustained so much damage to his brain stem that he will never recover." His grey eyes saddened as he looked at the heartbroken couple in front of him.

"No!" Martha burst out crying. "That's my baby! He's my son, he can't die! I didn't say I loved him before he went up to the lodge!"

Jeff grabbed her and held her tight, tears streaming down his own face. He gently rocked her back and forth as sobs wracked her body. His own shoulders seemed slumped in defeat.

Dr. Shillings politely excused himself giving them his condolences. Donovan watched in disbelief of the scene around him. Linden was staring at the door and sniffling quietly. He reached over and wrapped an arm around her.

They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity, until the nurses chased the two out after visiting hours were over. Donovan had taken Linden to her parent's and he headed home. He was numb over the news, and didn't know what to think.

A short week later, Jett's family had decided, along with the doctors, that it was time to say their goodbyes and take the young man off of life support. He hadn't really moved since the accident. A few times he had twitched a muscle or two, the doctors quickly dashed any hope it was a sign of life by saying it was not brain-related activity.

Donovan signed himself in to the ICU, stuck the 'Visitor' sticker on his shirt, and went to the room his friend was in. Jett lay on a bed in the middle of the room, with what seemed like a million machines beeping and squealing around him.

His black hair rested against his face, making him look so awfully pale. He didn't look like he was in any pain, just as if he had gotten tired and had laid down to take a short nap. A long blue tube attached to a breathing machine was the only thing really keeping him alive. It puffed and whirled rhythmically every few seconds.

Donovan didn't know what to say. He struggled not to lose his composure. He took a deep breath. "I don't know what to say. I don't even know if you can hear me. I am sorry I didn't do something faster to help." His lower lip wavered slightly as he spoke.

"I guess this has to be goodbye. You were the best friend anyone could ask for. I'm going to miss you." He couldn't say anything else; it was too hard for him to find the words. He walked forward and took Jett's hand in his own.

"I'll see you later, Buddy." He gently squeezed Jett's warm hand and walked out of the hospital knowing that was the last time he would ever see Jett again.

Donovan shivered, noticing for the first time how chilly it was out. He stood up and brushed his pants off. "See you later." He waved as he walked back to his car.

*****

He turned the heat on and headed back towards his apartment. He hoped Linden had gotten a ride and had gone home. He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't even want to deal with it at that moment. He just wanted to crawl in bed and fall into a deep sleep.

Unfortunately for him, she was still at his place. He sighed but said nothing as he took off his coat and threw it with the car keys on the counter.

"Donovan, I-"

"I'm not in the mood, Linden." He snapped, cutting her off.

"I didn't mean to make you mad." She held her hands up, like she was surrendering. "I just was lonely, and I have always liked you. I thought you knew."

His face betrayed the cool he was trying to keep. He stomped over to the table where she sat. She looked up at him, fear written in her brown eyes. "How can you sit there and say that right now? Huh? His body isn't even cold and you are already looking to hookup. You are just a slut!"

He couldn't say why he did it, but he punched the glass table so hard it shattered, sending glass all over the floor and her lap. Blood began trickling out of his right hand. "Well isn't that great." He growled and walked to the sink to run cold water on it. It stung as the ice cold water hit the open cuts.

He glanced over to see Linden crying while on her hands and knees picking up the broken glass. He watched only for a moment before the guilt of scaring her like that began to set in. He sighed and turned the water off. He grabbed a wad of paper towels and wrapped it around his throbbing hand.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. Just leave it go I'll clean it up later." He walked over to her. "I'll give you a ride to your folks' house."

She looked up at him for a moment, her brown eyes framed in scarlet red. If he hadn't already felt terrible about himself, that would have done it. She simply nodded, stood up and threw away the glass she had picked up.

The ride was quiet to her house and back. Donovan didn't know why he had done that, but his hand was sure hurting. He never was a violent type of guy. He never would have hit anyone, much less an innocent glass table. He laughed to himself, he had never liked the old hand-me-down table anyway.

When he got home, he bandaged up his hand as best as he could. He went to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and went to sit on the couch. The table still lay in ruin, but it wasn't like it was going anywhere if he didn't clean it up right that minute.

He sighed and chugged down the beer. Turning the TV on, he relaxed back and soon was out like a light.

*****

Donovan woke up the next morning to his cell phone going off. He fumbled around until he found it and answered groggily. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Linden." Her voice sounded hesitant, like she didn't know if she should be calling him.

"Hey, what's going on?" He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his tired eyes.

"I just wanted to ask if I could come talk to you. Or we can meet somewhere, if you want. Just to talk."

"I guess you could just come here, but would you bring donuts or something, I need sugar."

She laughed. "Sure, chocolate with sprinkles?"

"Why not." He shrugged.

Fifteen minutes later, Linden walked in with a plain bakery bag held out in front of her. She had indeed brought him two chocolate frosted donuts with colorful sprinkles. He couldn't hold in a laugh as he saw them. Donovan ate silently, waiting for Linden to spit out why she had wanted to talk to him. He didn't have to wait long before she did.

"Look, I'm sorry about the other day. I just was lonely and you were there. It's hard knowing that I have to go home to our place eventually and Jett won't be there waiting like he always was. I was wrong to say that so soon, but it is the truth."

Donovan sighed as he finished his donuts. He didn't even know how to process the information she was giving him. Here she was, this girl he secretly had liked for the last several years, telling him she liked him back. He felt guilty about it. She was Jett's girlfriend, and he wasn't around to let Donovan know it was okay to go after her.

"I don't know what I am supposed to say, Linden." He told her honestly. He stood up and walked to the kitchen to throw the empty pastry bag away.

"So don't say anything." She shrugged and looked down.

He sighed again and walked over to her. He reached down and tipped her chin up. "If the situation was different, and Jett were still here, would you still want me?"

She stared up into his eyes for a moment before she stood up, took his face in her small hands, and lightly kissed him.

Donovan didn't think this time, he couldn't think. He shut off his brain and let his body do the talking. He kissed her back, running his tongue against her lips until she let his in. As they kissed, he walked them backwards to the couch, until Linden's knees bumped into it. She immediately sat down, taking him with her.

His hands were restless, they wandered all over her body. They touched her face, her hair, her neck, trailing down to her collarbone. He leaned over her and followed with his mouth, planting small kisses all over.

She sat up long enough for him to take her shirt off, showing that she wore a black bra. He reached behind her and unclasped it. He freed her breasts, and gently drew first one, then the other, into his mouth. He caressed each of them for what seemed like forever, until finally he moved on.

Donovan kissed down her taunt stomach, down to her belly button. He was somewhat shocked to see she had a piercing there. He growled his approval into her as he made his way further south. His hands unzipped her jeans and yanked them off her. Her underwear and socks soon followed.

He looked down at the sight before him. Here was the girl of his secret fantasies, laid out naked on his couch. He felt like he was going to burst. Donovan threw all of his own clothes off onto the floor. He once again leaned over her and brushed his lips along her neck. She arched her back up off the couch, causing her warm skin to brush against his bare chest. Her hands ran along the sinewy muscles.

He nipped and kissed at her skin, exploring her warm center with his hand. He curled his upturned hand in her, causing her to rocket off the couch and emit a low moan. She opened her eyes and looked into his.

"Please?"

Donovan obliged and moved over top of her, rubbing his hard mushroom head against her sensitive clitoris. She moaned, arching her back enough to cause his penis to enter her slightly. They both shuddered at the contact.

He pushed into her, reveling in the feeling. She was warm, wet, and so very tight. He pulled out and thrust forward, picking up his pace. Linden pushed up to meet his hips as he surged into her, not being able to get enough of his hardness inside her.

Abruptly, Donovan pulled out and picked her up, turning her onto her hands and knees. Before she could question it, he slammed into her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her stomach. He used her hips to pull her back and impale her on himself.

They stayed in that position for only a few moments before he again turned her to face him. He stood up and lifted her with such ease, and lowered her on his penis. He wrapped her legs around his middle and bounced upwards into her sweet center. Linden tilted her head back and let out a long moan. Donovan grinned, she was like putty.

When Donovan's knees threatened to give out, he laid her back on the couch. With a few short thrusts, he buried himself deep inside her. He shook and moaned with the intensity of his orgasm. He collapsed on top of her afterwards, breathing hard.

"Can we get the neighbors some cigarettes?" Linden piped up after a few minutes.

Donovan laughed and gave her a small kiss.

"Darlin' if you think that's all I have in me, you are sadly mistaken." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and bumped her bare thigh with his ever-present erection.

"Oh dear..."