sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
Of course I will! Thanks for replying and the update should happen in the next two days.
Damaged
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sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
When entering the driveway, Ky turned to Nick and studied his face as he parked his car. It was hard her for to believe that she had just gone out with captain of the football team and that he had been her first official date. Because of everything that he done for her that evening, she knew that her first date would be her most cherished memory and that was something that not even Chris could have given her. He had given her so much, his trust, his friendship and most importantly, his heart. Nick was surrendering himself to her but she was unsure if she could do the same.
Looking at the car parked before them, Nick said, “Joey’s here.” When he didn’t hear a response from Ky he faced her and noticed that she had been staring at him. “Ky, what’s going on in that mind of yours?”
“A lot of things,” she kept her eyes on him.
“Like?” She merely looked at him. Sighing, he said, “You’re not going to tell me. That’s fine,” he took the key out of the ignition. “Can I come in? I really need to use the bathroom,” he was clearly annoyed and made no effort to hide it.
“Yeah,” she uttered.
“Thanks,” he opened the car door and took one step out onto the snow covered driveway. He felt her gloved hand latch onto his forearm.
“Nick, this was the best night of my life. I just need time,” she told him.
He slowly took his arm away from her and said, “I know, but… can you blame me for feeling like this?”
“No. I just need you to understand where I’m coming from,” she pleaded with him.
“I do,” he got out of the car and slammed the door, she followed.
“Don’t get pissed off at me for being honest!” She cried out to him as she tried to catch up with him.
“I’m not pissed off,” he heatedly replied.
“Yes you are and would you stop for a minute?!”
He halted and turned around. They were only a few feet from one another but they worlds apart.
“Nick,” she stepped onto a snow covered patch of ice and lost her balance.
“Ky!” Nick hollered when he went towards her.
Time seemed to slow down as she lost control and began to descend towards the ground. Her face was mere inches above the ground when he caught her. His large hands took a hold of her elbows. While lifting her up, he never once loosened his grip.
Stunned, she looked up at him. She had fallen and without hesitation, he had caught her.
“You caught me,” she stated.
“Ky, I would never let you fall. No matter how much you’re pissing me off; I’ll always catch you,” he assured her. Speechless, she slowly nodded. He touched the side of her wind burned face and said, “We need to get you inside,” before guiding her to the front door.
“Gross!” Nick exclaimed after entering the living room with Ky.
Joey and Harrison pulled away from each other and wore embarrassed smiles.
“I second that,” Ky added with a surprised and slightly disgusted expression on her face.
“You’re back!” Harrison said when he got off the couch. His face was flushed. “So, how was your night?”
“Good, but not as fun as yours,” Ky teased him with a bold smile on her red face.
“You’re probably right,” Joey stood up. “Hey Sweetie,” she hugged Ky.
“It’s great to see you again, Joey,” Ky said as she pulled away.
“Hey Jackass,” Joey said to Nick. He didn’t respond. “What’s wrong?”
“I have to go to the bathroom,” he walk towards the corridor and stopped before steeping into it,” because after that, I need to gouge my eyes out.”
Joey giggled and replied, “Very funny.” She gave Harrison a chaste kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she put on her coat and gave him another kiss.
“I’ll call you,” Harrison answered as he opened the door for her.
“Bye Harrison, bye Ky,” she waved to them before stepping out the door.
“Well, I’ll be going to bed,” Harrison cheerily said.
“Trying to avoid my teasing?” Ky asked.
“Yep,” he marched upstairs. “Night.”
“Good night you little makeout bunny,” she called to him. He laughed before closing his bedroom door.
She sensed him behind her and kept her back to him. Nick walked past her and opened the front door, she joined him.
Affectionately, he titled her head by cradling his forefinger under her chin and leaned his forehead on hers. She avoided his eyes and looked at his full lips.
“Look at me.” She ignored his request. “Please?” Her eyes met with his. “I’ll give you time, but I can’t wait forever,” he stroked her hair. He pressed his lips against her forehead and heard a small gasp escape from her mouth. “I’ll see ya on Monday,” he stepped outside.
When his feet landed on the snow covered pavement, she called out to him.
“Nick,” she put her hands on the storm door. “Do you want to have lunch with me on Monday?”
“I’d like that. Place?”
“The computer lab.”
“I’ll be there. Bye,” he went to his car.
From the front door, she braved the icy air and watched him until he pulled out of the driveway. Closing the door behind her, Ky delicately touched her forehead and then brought her fingertips to her mouth. A small smile touched her voluptuous lips.
With an extra hop in his step, Jacobs strolled into the Social Studies and English hallway. Cheerfully, he greeted familiar faces that had crossed him before going into his classroom. His joyous mood disappeared when he saw who was waiting for him.
“What do you want Ky?” He threw his bag next to his desk.
Sitting on a student’s desk across from Jacobs, Ky said to him, “You had sex.”
“That’s none of your business,” he opened up his rank book and placed it on his desk.
“Oh God, that’s all that confirmation I need,” she crossed her legs. An exasperated sigh left her mouth. “Jacobs, do you love me? And when I say love, I mean the way that Harrison loves me.”
“Yes.”
“The feeling’s mutual. Since I love you like you’re my family, I am not going to lie to you. Why are you with her?”
“Because I’m in love. And I don’t care if you don’t believe me.”
She could tell from his tone that he had meant every word. “I believe you. But what scares me is your defensiveness because that means that apart of you knows how wrong this is.”
He knew that Ky was right. “Ky, I’m happy.”
“I know you are and from what I saw the other last night, so is she.”
“What did Harrison say when you told him?” Her dark eyes looked away from him. “You didn’t tell him?”
“I don’t know how sex affects men in relationships. So I don’t think I’m the right person to be giving you advice in that area. But I trust that you will tell Harrison; soon.”
Thoughtfully, he nodded. “Why are you being so understanding?”
“I don’t think yelling at you would help much. That’s the warning bell,” she hopped off the desk and crossed to the door. “Jacobs, she has her whole life in front of her. I don’t think I’d be wrong to assume that she would give up everything for you. What I’m asking you is, could you live with that?” She left him pondering her words.
Running his hand through his dark blond hair, he leaned towards Ky. Dressed in a pair of faded denim jeans and red long-sleeved top, she was radiant. He tried to keep his composure, as she unwrapped an orange lollipop and savored it in between her lips.
“Are you purposely trying to tease me or are you just being cruel?” He questioned her.
She gave him a peculiar look and then rolled his eyes when she realized what he was referring to.
“Very smooth,” she said.
“Well with lips like that…I’ll just stop right there,” he folded his arms on the desk.
“You’re getting smarter,” she said mockingly.
“I know, I’m proud of myself. Ky, what is your type?”
“I don’t really have one. Physically, I prefer guys who are taller but when it comes to looks, I’m very open. I’ve had crushes on guys who were..average. I do like hands though.”
“Really,” he slid his hands in front of her and she laughed. He loved her laugh.
“When it comes to personality, I like guys who are confident but not cocky. And he has to respect me or it can’t work.”
“Duly noted,” he tipped his head. “How do you feel about love?”
Thoughtfully, she gazed at him. “I think it’s sacred and also, dangerous.” She covered the lollipop with its wrapper and set it on the desk.
“Dangerous?”
“Being in love is like bungee-jumping off a cliff. It’s exhilarating and frightening at the same time. But there is always the possibility that the chord will break and the results…are devastating,” she turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the sorrow in her eyes but she knew that he had heard it in her voice.
“And you would know, because of Chris,” he reached for her hand and she got out of her seat.
“I have to go,” she muttered and ran into Harrison’s office.
“Ky,” Nick grabbed the doorknob and discovered that it was locked. He rested his forehead and palms on the door and exhaled. From the opposite side, Ky leaned against the door, slid down to the floor and quietly wept.
Looking at the car parked before them, Nick said, “Joey’s here.” When he didn’t hear a response from Ky he faced her and noticed that she had been staring at him. “Ky, what’s going on in that mind of yours?”
“A lot of things,” she kept her eyes on him.
“Like?” She merely looked at him. Sighing, he said, “You’re not going to tell me. That’s fine,” he took the key out of the ignition. “Can I come in? I really need to use the bathroom,” he was clearly annoyed and made no effort to hide it.
“Yeah,” she uttered.
“Thanks,” he opened the car door and took one step out onto the snow covered driveway. He felt her gloved hand latch onto his forearm.
“Nick, this was the best night of my life. I just need time,” she told him.
He slowly took his arm away from her and said, “I know, but… can you blame me for feeling like this?”
“No. I just need you to understand where I’m coming from,” she pleaded with him.
“I do,” he got out of the car and slammed the door, she followed.
“Don’t get pissed off at me for being honest!” She cried out to him as she tried to catch up with him.
“I’m not pissed off,” he heatedly replied.
“Yes you are and would you stop for a minute?!”
He halted and turned around. They were only a few feet from one another but they worlds apart.
“Nick,” she stepped onto a snow covered patch of ice and lost her balance.
“Ky!” Nick hollered when he went towards her.
Time seemed to slow down as she lost control and began to descend towards the ground. Her face was mere inches above the ground when he caught her. His large hands took a hold of her elbows. While lifting her up, he never once loosened his grip.
Stunned, she looked up at him. She had fallen and without hesitation, he had caught her.
“You caught me,” she stated.
“Ky, I would never let you fall. No matter how much you’re pissing me off; I’ll always catch you,” he assured her. Speechless, she slowly nodded. He touched the side of her wind burned face and said, “We need to get you inside,” before guiding her to the front door.
“Gross!” Nick exclaimed after entering the living room with Ky.
Joey and Harrison pulled away from each other and wore embarrassed smiles.
“I second that,” Ky added with a surprised and slightly disgusted expression on her face.
“You’re back!” Harrison said when he got off the couch. His face was flushed. “So, how was your night?”
“Good, but not as fun as yours,” Ky teased him with a bold smile on her red face.
“You’re probably right,” Joey stood up. “Hey Sweetie,” she hugged Ky.
“It’s great to see you again, Joey,” Ky said as she pulled away.
“Hey Jackass,” Joey said to Nick. He didn’t respond. “What’s wrong?”
“I have to go to the bathroom,” he walk towards the corridor and stopped before steeping into it,” because after that, I need to gouge my eyes out.”
Joey giggled and replied, “Very funny.” She gave Harrison a chaste kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she put on her coat and gave him another kiss.
“I’ll call you,” Harrison answered as he opened the door for her.
“Bye Harrison, bye Ky,” she waved to them before stepping out the door.
“Well, I’ll be going to bed,” Harrison cheerily said.
“Trying to avoid my teasing?” Ky asked.
“Yep,” he marched upstairs. “Night.”
“Good night you little makeout bunny,” she called to him. He laughed before closing his bedroom door.
She sensed him behind her and kept her back to him. Nick walked past her and opened the front door, she joined him.
Affectionately, he titled her head by cradling his forefinger under her chin and leaned his forehead on hers. She avoided his eyes and looked at his full lips.
“Look at me.” She ignored his request. “Please?” Her eyes met with his. “I’ll give you time, but I can’t wait forever,” he stroked her hair. He pressed his lips against her forehead and heard a small gasp escape from her mouth. “I’ll see ya on Monday,” he stepped outside.
When his feet landed on the snow covered pavement, she called out to him.
“Nick,” she put her hands on the storm door. “Do you want to have lunch with me on Monday?”
“I’d like that. Place?”
“The computer lab.”
“I’ll be there. Bye,” he went to his car.
From the front door, she braved the icy air and watched him until he pulled out of the driveway. Closing the door behind her, Ky delicately touched her forehead and then brought her fingertips to her mouth. A small smile touched her voluptuous lips.
With an extra hop in his step, Jacobs strolled into the Social Studies and English hallway. Cheerfully, he greeted familiar faces that had crossed him before going into his classroom. His joyous mood disappeared when he saw who was waiting for him.
“What do you want Ky?” He threw his bag next to his desk.
Sitting on a student’s desk across from Jacobs, Ky said to him, “You had sex.”
“That’s none of your business,” he opened up his rank book and placed it on his desk.
“Oh God, that’s all that confirmation I need,” she crossed her legs. An exasperated sigh left her mouth. “Jacobs, do you love me? And when I say love, I mean the way that Harrison loves me.”
“Yes.”
“The feeling’s mutual. Since I love you like you’re my family, I am not going to lie to you. Why are you with her?”
“Because I’m in love. And I don’t care if you don’t believe me.”
She could tell from his tone that he had meant every word. “I believe you. But what scares me is your defensiveness because that means that apart of you knows how wrong this is.”
He knew that Ky was right. “Ky, I’m happy.”
“I know you are and from what I saw the other last night, so is she.”
“What did Harrison say when you told him?” Her dark eyes looked away from him. “You didn’t tell him?”
“I don’t know how sex affects men in relationships. So I don’t think I’m the right person to be giving you advice in that area. But I trust that you will tell Harrison; soon.”
Thoughtfully, he nodded. “Why are you being so understanding?”
“I don’t think yelling at you would help much. That’s the warning bell,” she hopped off the desk and crossed to the door. “Jacobs, she has her whole life in front of her. I don’t think I’d be wrong to assume that she would give up everything for you. What I’m asking you is, could you live with that?” She left him pondering her words.
Running his hand through his dark blond hair, he leaned towards Ky. Dressed in a pair of faded denim jeans and red long-sleeved top, she was radiant. He tried to keep his composure, as she unwrapped an orange lollipop and savored it in between her lips.
“Are you purposely trying to tease me or are you just being cruel?” He questioned her.
She gave him a peculiar look and then rolled his eyes when she realized what he was referring to.
“Very smooth,” she said.
“Well with lips like that…I’ll just stop right there,” he folded his arms on the desk.
“You’re getting smarter,” she said mockingly.
“I know, I’m proud of myself. Ky, what is your type?”
“I don’t really have one. Physically, I prefer guys who are taller but when it comes to looks, I’m very open. I’ve had crushes on guys who were..average. I do like hands though.”
“Really,” he slid his hands in front of her and she laughed. He loved her laugh.
“When it comes to personality, I like guys who are confident but not cocky. And he has to respect me or it can’t work.”
“Duly noted,” he tipped his head. “How do you feel about love?”
Thoughtfully, she gazed at him. “I think it’s sacred and also, dangerous.” She covered the lollipop with its wrapper and set it on the desk.
“Dangerous?”
“Being in love is like bungee-jumping off a cliff. It’s exhilarating and frightening at the same time. But there is always the possibility that the chord will break and the results…are devastating,” she turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the sorrow in her eyes but she knew that he had heard it in her voice.
“And you would know, because of Chris,” he reached for her hand and she got out of her seat.
“I have to go,” she muttered and ran into Harrison’s office.
“Ky,” Nick grabbed the doorknob and discovered that it was locked. He rested his forehead and palms on the door and exhaled. From the opposite side, Ky leaned against the door, slid down to the floor and quietly wept.
M
mystery_chick
Guest
WHEE! update 
now that's sweet. Only if every guy could be like that. ^_^
:lol: I love that. It's like catching your parents making out... UGH okay nvm, didn't say that... bad mental image.
awwww that's just so cute of Nick. He really wants to be with her doesn't he? *sigh*
oooh dun dun dun. Something to ponder over isn't it? Hard decision to make espeically when you're suppose to be the responsible adult.
ooooh she likes hands does she? ... hands to do what, exactly? :naughty: :lol:
hmmm very true, interesting analogy actually
Mmmm wonderful update ^_^ You can never actually let me be satisfied with only one chapter can you? :lol:
--mandy
now that's sweet. Only if every guy could be like that. ^_^:lol: I love that. It's like catching your parents making out... UGH okay nvm, didn't say that... bad mental image.
awwww
that's just so cute of Nick. He really wants to be with her doesn't he? *sigh*oooh dun dun dun. Something to ponder over isn't it? Hard decision to make espeically when you're suppose to be the responsible adult.
ooooh she likes hands does she? ... hands to do what, exactly? :naughty: :lol:
hmmm very true, interesting analogy actually
Mmmm wonderful update ^_^ You can never actually let me be satisfied with only one chapter can you? :lol:
--mandy
sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
Nope! And I love a strong pair of hands, just to hold. The hand thing reminds of Ross and Rachel lol Except he held his hands up lol
sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
A trickle of drool dripped down from Toby’s pink lips and onto his baby blue outfit. Being the dutiful mother that she is, Kate Ericsson pulled out a small hand towel from her baby bag and wiped the saliva off her son’s mouth. He cooed and his toothless mouth curled into a smile. A cheerful laugh came from her small lips before she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. His eyes were identical to hers; she remembered another child that had his eyes and thought of this caused her smile to fade. Pushing the carriage before her, she paced down the empty hallway filling it with the clacking of her heeled boots. Her husband appeared before her and greeted her with the sweetest kiss.
“Hey Sweetie,” Ericsson planted another kiss on the top of her head. “Did you dye your hair?”
“It’s just a darker shade of blond, you like it?” She fluffed her hair shoulder length hair with one hand while pushing the carriage with the other.
“You know I do,” he helped her guide the carriage.
“So, I’ve called the sitter which means we have tonight all to ourselves,” Kate asked.
“That’s wonderful, what do you what to do?”
“I’m not sure, you?”
“As long as I’m with you, I’m perfectly happy,” he gazed at her with loving eyes.
Smiling, she stroked the side of his unshaven face and realized how blessed she was.
From afar, Ky watched their affection for each other. She had longed for the kind of love they shared and felt a twinge of envy as they continued on their way. Without taking her eyes off them, she dialed Nick’s number.
Leaning back in his chair, Harrison held a worn-out baseball in his right. He brought it closer to his face and admired the Jerry Remy and Jim Rice signatures on its surface. Studying its starch white covering, he traced the red seams with his forefinger and recalled when he had received this treasured souvenir.
It was 1978, Mr. Harrison had purchased prime seats located behind Pesky’s pole in right field and Fenway Park had reached its maximum capacity. The intoxicating aroma of juicy sausages, hot dogs and other delectable yet artery clogging treats filled the city air. A couple of seats behind Harrison were two middle-aged men with thick Boston accents complaining about the game’s current score. However, this being Boston, individuals like these two men weren’t uncommon. Tiny beads of sweat dripped down Harrison’s forehead and the blazing sun had positioned itself directly in front of him and his father; but to this ten year old, this was heaven on Earth.
“Son! Put your glove up!” Steven Harrison yelled to his young son.
With his arms in the air, little Harrison said, “Pick me up, Dad!” Steven did as he was told.
Using his glove to shield his eyes, he reached the sky as far as he could felt the baseball land in his glove.
“Dad, I got it!” Harrison hollered.
“Way to go!” Steven put his son down. “We’ll stay after the game and try to get it signed.”
“Great! Thanks for bringing me here, Dad,” he hugged his father with all his strength.
“You’re welcome, Mark,” his smile was wide and proud.
“I love you Dad.”
He tousled his son’s dark brown hair, “I love you too, Son.”
His eyes withheld tears of great grief and yearning. He opened his eyes, releasing floods of sorrow from his broken heart. The baseball landed on the desk before falling onto the wooden floor.
For the past half hour, Nick and Ky drank hot chocolate from Harrison’s oversized mugs. Nick always enjoyed her company but grew impatient of the silence between them. He set his mug down on the coffee table and moved closer to her.
Without hesitation, Ky said, “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“Nick, you already know why.”
“I know, I just need to hear you say it,” his tone was quiet yet firm.
Tentatively, she said, “For the way that I’ve been acting, for shutting you out. I know that it’s not much-.”
“Anything from you is never enough. But I’ll take what I can get.”
“You just don’t understand what I’ve been through,” Ky traced the rim of the mug with her forefinger before setting it down.
“Because you haven’t told me.”
“Well I am.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she looked out the window and then back at him. An uncomfortable breath left her mouth. “Chris and I have known each other since seventh grade. We were attached to the hip; there wasn’t a secret a between us. There were things that I had told him that none of my girlfriends knew.
I used to always put his needs before my own, no matter how much it hurt me, he was always number one. He knew that I had…..feelings for him, feelings that were more than platonic. He felt the same way, I knew he did. The difference between us was, he was too afraid to act on them, to let them be known. Whenever I-.” her voice caught. “Whenever I would let my feelings be known, he’d push me away. I would be invisible to him. So, I’d pretend that nothing had happened and I would approach him. We’d be friends again, and he would lead me on. This is how our relationship would be and it went on for almost five years.”
She stared at his solemn face and continued speaking. “Last year, during the Valentine’s Day dance, he kissed me and told me that he loved me. Those were the words that I wanted to hear from him for so long. And, I always wanted him to give me my first kiss, but there was something that felt wrong. After that night, he didn’t speak to me. That same night, before the dance, he had slept with my close friend, Julia. All of my friends knew this but they kept it from me and it was only recently that I found out. Ten months, that’s how long they’ve been talking about it, while also hiding it from me.
You wonder why I’m so cold towards you, it’s not completely intentional. I believe, that if I’m frozen; I can’t be broken, again.”
His heart sank into the pit of his stomach at her admission. She had been betrayed by those who had loved her and because of it, she was had been hardened. He met her gaze and saw how she fought back her tears. He knew what he had to do.
“Cry,” he ordered her.
“What?”
“I said, cry.”
“No.”
“I’m not asking you. I’m telling you,” he was unyielding.
So was she. “No,” she clenched her jaw.
“You can try to intimidate me but I’m not going to back down.”
“Get out,” she demanded.
“No.”
“It’s not what you want to hear, but you need to hear it.”
“Nick.”
“Would you just cry?”
“Would you just stop with this?” She said uneasily.
“I won’t, because you’re faltering.”
“No, I-I’m not,” her voice was quivering.
“Yes,” he cupped the back of her head, “you are.”
A single tear flowed down her beautiful face. With his thumb, he wiped it away and brought her face to his shoulder. Her tears of anguish and cries of heartache dampened his shoulder and he cherished every drop.
“Hey Sweetie,” Ericsson planted another kiss on the top of her head. “Did you dye your hair?”
“It’s just a darker shade of blond, you like it?” She fluffed her hair shoulder length hair with one hand while pushing the carriage with the other.
“You know I do,” he helped her guide the carriage.
“So, I’ve called the sitter which means we have tonight all to ourselves,” Kate asked.
“That’s wonderful, what do you what to do?”
“I’m not sure, you?”
“As long as I’m with you, I’m perfectly happy,” he gazed at her with loving eyes.
Smiling, she stroked the side of his unshaven face and realized how blessed she was.
From afar, Ky watched their affection for each other. She had longed for the kind of love they shared and felt a twinge of envy as they continued on their way. Without taking her eyes off them, she dialed Nick’s number.
Leaning back in his chair, Harrison held a worn-out baseball in his right. He brought it closer to his face and admired the Jerry Remy and Jim Rice signatures on its surface. Studying its starch white covering, he traced the red seams with his forefinger and recalled when he had received this treasured souvenir.
It was 1978, Mr. Harrison had purchased prime seats located behind Pesky’s pole in right field and Fenway Park had reached its maximum capacity. The intoxicating aroma of juicy sausages, hot dogs and other delectable yet artery clogging treats filled the city air. A couple of seats behind Harrison were two middle-aged men with thick Boston accents complaining about the game’s current score. However, this being Boston, individuals like these two men weren’t uncommon. Tiny beads of sweat dripped down Harrison’s forehead and the blazing sun had positioned itself directly in front of him and his father; but to this ten year old, this was heaven on Earth.
“Son! Put your glove up!” Steven Harrison yelled to his young son.
With his arms in the air, little Harrison said, “Pick me up, Dad!” Steven did as he was told.
Using his glove to shield his eyes, he reached the sky as far as he could felt the baseball land in his glove.
“Dad, I got it!” Harrison hollered.
“Way to go!” Steven put his son down. “We’ll stay after the game and try to get it signed.”
“Great! Thanks for bringing me here, Dad,” he hugged his father with all his strength.
“You’re welcome, Mark,” his smile was wide and proud.
“I love you Dad.”
He tousled his son’s dark brown hair, “I love you too, Son.”
His eyes withheld tears of great grief and yearning. He opened his eyes, releasing floods of sorrow from his broken heart. The baseball landed on the desk before falling onto the wooden floor.
For the past half hour, Nick and Ky drank hot chocolate from Harrison’s oversized mugs. Nick always enjoyed her company but grew impatient of the silence between them. He set his mug down on the coffee table and moved closer to her.
Without hesitation, Ky said, “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“Nick, you already know why.”
“I know, I just need to hear you say it,” his tone was quiet yet firm.
Tentatively, she said, “For the way that I’ve been acting, for shutting you out. I know that it’s not much-.”
“Anything from you is never enough. But I’ll take what I can get.”
“You just don’t understand what I’ve been through,” Ky traced the rim of the mug with her forefinger before setting it down.
“Because you haven’t told me.”
“Well I am.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she looked out the window and then back at him. An uncomfortable breath left her mouth. “Chris and I have known each other since seventh grade. We were attached to the hip; there wasn’t a secret a between us. There were things that I had told him that none of my girlfriends knew.
I used to always put his needs before my own, no matter how much it hurt me, he was always number one. He knew that I had…..feelings for him, feelings that were more than platonic. He felt the same way, I knew he did. The difference between us was, he was too afraid to act on them, to let them be known. Whenever I-.” her voice caught. “Whenever I would let my feelings be known, he’d push me away. I would be invisible to him. So, I’d pretend that nothing had happened and I would approach him. We’d be friends again, and he would lead me on. This is how our relationship would be and it went on for almost five years.”
She stared at his solemn face and continued speaking. “Last year, during the Valentine’s Day dance, he kissed me and told me that he loved me. Those were the words that I wanted to hear from him for so long. And, I always wanted him to give me my first kiss, but there was something that felt wrong. After that night, he didn’t speak to me. That same night, before the dance, he had slept with my close friend, Julia. All of my friends knew this but they kept it from me and it was only recently that I found out. Ten months, that’s how long they’ve been talking about it, while also hiding it from me.
You wonder why I’m so cold towards you, it’s not completely intentional. I believe, that if I’m frozen; I can’t be broken, again.”
His heart sank into the pit of his stomach at her admission. She had been betrayed by those who had loved her and because of it, she was had been hardened. He met her gaze and saw how she fought back her tears. He knew what he had to do.
“Cry,” he ordered her.
“What?”
“I said, cry.”
“No.”
“I’m not asking you. I’m telling you,” he was unyielding.
So was she. “No,” she clenched her jaw.
“You can try to intimidate me but I’m not going to back down.”
“Get out,” she demanded.
“No.”
“It’s not what you want to hear, but you need to hear it.”
“Nick.”
“Would you just cry?”
“Would you just stop with this?” She said uneasily.
“I won’t, because you’re faltering.”
“No, I-I’m not,” her voice was quivering.
“Yes,” he cupped the back of her head, “you are.”
A single tear flowed down her beautiful face. With his thumb, he wiped it away and brought her face to his shoulder. Her tears of anguish and cries of heartache dampened his shoulder and he cherished every drop.
mellybelly
Cadet
Aww...I'm so happy you updated!!
Thanks for sending me a PM to tell me.
I'm glad that Ky finally told Nick. He's being so sweet to her. She needs to trust him. *nod* Then they can be all cute and happy.
Thanks for sending me a PM to tell me.
I'm glad that Ky finally told Nick. He's being so sweet to her. She needs to trust him. *nod* Then they can be all cute and happy.
M
mystery_chick
Guest
ooooh that's so nice! I like Ericsson and his wife! ^_^ but uhh... what other baby? h34r: What else do you have up your sleeve hmmm?
And I think it's so nice for Ky to finally cry it out. Now she can finally open up to nick. ^_^
--Mandy
h34r: What else do you have up your sleeve hmmm? And I think it's so nice for Ky to finally cry it out. Now she can finally open up to nick. ^_^
--Mandy
sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
Flour and cornmeal covered Joey’s delicate hands when she rolled two drumsticks in the powdery mixture. Using metal tongs, Felicia removed a chicken thigh from the fryer and studied it. She shook her head and returned the thigh into the bubbling oil.
“Here’s the last batch,” Joey handed a large plastic bowl to Felicia. The air smelled of fried chicken and she smiled when she inhaled.
“Thank you, Ms. Josephine,” Felicia replied as she placed the bowl on the counter.
“Felicia,” Joey said as she leaned against the sink and wiped her hands with blue hand towel. “Can you please call me Joey? There isn’t a need for you to be so formal; you work for my parents, not me.”
“It would be unprofessional of me to address you in that way, Ms. Josephine,” Felicia kept her eyes on the fryer.
“But.-. “ Joey said as she held up the hand towel with one hand.
“End of discussion.”
She obeyed Felicia and changed the subject.
“Would you mind if I invited Harrison to dinner?”
“Ms. Josephine, why are you asking me? It’s not as if I am your mother.”
“At least not biologically,” Joey smiled and gave Felicia a small kiss on the side of her forehead. They shared a welcomed silence that was then interrupted by Joey’s mobile phone. Leaving the kitchen, she went into the living room and sat down on the leather couch.
“Helloo?” She chirped knowing that it was Harrison.
“Hey,” his voice was barely audible.
“What’s up,” concerned, she sat up.
“Is it all right if I come over?”
“Of course it is.” She left the living room and stepped onto the foyer. “Harrison, can you hold on? Someone’s at my door,” she gripped the doorknob.
“Sure.”
She pulled the door open and said, “Wow, you’re fast.”
“I know,” Harrison said, “I should have called earlier.”
“It’s ok, come in,” she stepped aside.
“Thanks.”
She offered her hand to him and he accepted. They entered the living room and sat on the couch together. His face was solemn and his blue eyes were glossy.
“Harrison, have you been crying?”
He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes. My father, he’s back in town.”
“And this upsets you?”
He realized that he had never told her about his father. “We really don’t have a relationship. Actually, until recently, we haven’t spoken or seen each other in three years.”
“What happened?”
Pensively, he spoke. “Three years ago on Christmas morning, Ky’s father abandoned her. He had barely been in her life after her mother died but..it was very damaging to her. So, I asked her to move in with me.”
“You’re amazing,” she kissed him on the cheek. “Please, continue.”
“My mother had passed away from cancer years ago and I knew that he would never really get over her. I was happy for him when he started dating again. After my father had remarried, I began to file for adoption. The woman that my father married wouldn’t have it. I would never call this woman my stepmother because she didn’t have a maternal bone in her body. Anyway, she was a horrible woman, selfish, rude, manipulative and racist. But, my father loved her dearly and she changed him, for the worst,” he cleared his throat. “He tried to prevent him from adopting Ky. He told her social worker that I was mentally unstable and that I was some kind of alcoholic. They were all lies created by her,” his grip became tighter.
“Harrison,” she put her hand on top of his.
“I’m sorry, just the thought of her gets me so angry.”
“I don’t blame you.”
He sighed before continuing. “Thankfully, Ky’s social worker didn’t believe him. If she had, then I would have never seen Ky again. J-Just imagining that, frightened me, still does,” he looked away from her. “He’s not with his wife anymore. So, he wants us to work things out.”
She gently turned his face towards her. “Do you?”
“At the time - no. But….I’ve been thinking. I’m still angry at him but I miss him too.”
Knowingly, Joey said, “And Ky is that last person you can talk to about this.”
Nodding, he groaned. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Well,” she ran her fingers through his dark brown hair and loosely cupped the nape of his neck. “At least he wants to see you. The optimist in me believes that Nick and I are in the top of our parents’ top 5 priorities, but the realist knows that we’re lucky enough to be in the top ten.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shook her head, “It’s not your fault. Look, Ky loves you and whether she’d agree with your decision or not, she’d still support you. So would I.” Her lips lightly brushed against his.
“Thank you,” he kissed her forehead.
She saw the weariness in his eyes and guided him to the grand staircase. “You need to rest.”
“Joey, I’m fine,” he weakly protested.
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” she held his hand and pulled him upstairs.
After entering Joey’s bedroom, Harrison sat down on her California king sized bed. With his hand still in hers, he asked her to join him; she accepted. Their shoes landed on the pale blue carpet. She turned into him and nestle her head below his chin. Shutting her eyes, she listened to his breath and dozed off.
Warm juices dripped down Nick’s mouth when he bit into the salty but tender chicken wing. As he chewed the piece scrap of meat, he wiped his mouth and took a swig of water from his bottle. Screwing the cap back on, he looked across the coffee table and watched Ky peel off her hooded sweatshirt revealing her black tank top. She adjusted the wide-ribbed straps and picked a piece of lint off her buxom chest.
“Stop undressing me with your eyes,” she warned him.
“Then stop undressing in front of me,” his tone was slightly arrogant.
“Removing my hoodie isn’t undressing,” she crossed her legs and brushed the left pant leg of her jeans.
“It’s not my fault that you’re a tease,” he leaned forward.
“I’m not a tease,” she grabbed her mug and went into the kitchen, he followed.
“Why are you denying it?” He said while following her.
“I’m not denying anything,” she put the mug in the sink, “I know who I am and I am not a tease.” She turned on the faucet and began washing the mug.
“Ky,” he leaned on the counter next to her. “There are three kinds of girls, sl**s, prudes and the teases. You are a tease and a good one at that.”
She turned to him. “I refuse to believe that I’m that alluring.”
“You are. Hell, you’re irresistible,” Nick cornered her. She leaned her back against the sink.
“If I am, then why did Chris sleep with Julia?”
“Because he’s a f***ing moron.” She quietly chuckled. “Besides, just because he slept with doesn’t mean that he likes her.”
“Or maybe, I just wasn’t worth the wait. He wouldn’t even acknowledge our relationship. So why would he want to wait until marriage to have sex with me when he couldn’t have gotten from someone else?”
He put his hands on the sink and titled his face towards her. “There are two things that you have to understand. First, with you, it wouldn’t be sex and secondly, you are worth the wait.”
Her heart began pounding against her chest and she felt her sweaty palms clenching onto the metal frame of the sink. What he did next, made her shiver.
His lips were inches away from her ear and his breath was warm while voice was a mere whisper. “I wish you could know, how unbelievably sexy you are. I never knew the meaning of temptation, until I met you. Every time that I’m near you, I’m battling with myself not to touch you. But, I can only fight for so long before I give up. To be honest, I’m looking forward to it.” He lightly blew into her ear and heard her gasp. With an arrogant smile on his face, he left her.
She sighed and put a hand on her forehead. “Oh God.”
“Here’s the last batch,” Joey handed a large plastic bowl to Felicia. The air smelled of fried chicken and she smiled when she inhaled.
“Thank you, Ms. Josephine,” Felicia replied as she placed the bowl on the counter.
“Felicia,” Joey said as she leaned against the sink and wiped her hands with blue hand towel. “Can you please call me Joey? There isn’t a need for you to be so formal; you work for my parents, not me.”
“It would be unprofessional of me to address you in that way, Ms. Josephine,” Felicia kept her eyes on the fryer.
“But.-. “ Joey said as she held up the hand towel with one hand.
“End of discussion.”
She obeyed Felicia and changed the subject.
“Would you mind if I invited Harrison to dinner?”
“Ms. Josephine, why are you asking me? It’s not as if I am your mother.”
“At least not biologically,” Joey smiled and gave Felicia a small kiss on the side of her forehead. They shared a welcomed silence that was then interrupted by Joey’s mobile phone. Leaving the kitchen, she went into the living room and sat down on the leather couch.
“Helloo?” She chirped knowing that it was Harrison.
“Hey,” his voice was barely audible.
“What’s up,” concerned, she sat up.
“Is it all right if I come over?”
“Of course it is.” She left the living room and stepped onto the foyer. “Harrison, can you hold on? Someone’s at my door,” she gripped the doorknob.
“Sure.”
She pulled the door open and said, “Wow, you’re fast.”
“I know,” Harrison said, “I should have called earlier.”
“It’s ok, come in,” she stepped aside.
“Thanks.”
She offered her hand to him and he accepted. They entered the living room and sat on the couch together. His face was solemn and his blue eyes were glossy.
“Harrison, have you been crying?”
He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes. My father, he’s back in town.”
“And this upsets you?”
He realized that he had never told her about his father. “We really don’t have a relationship. Actually, until recently, we haven’t spoken or seen each other in three years.”
“What happened?”
Pensively, he spoke. “Three years ago on Christmas morning, Ky’s father abandoned her. He had barely been in her life after her mother died but..it was very damaging to her. So, I asked her to move in with me.”
“You’re amazing,” she kissed him on the cheek. “Please, continue.”
“My mother had passed away from cancer years ago and I knew that he would never really get over her. I was happy for him when he started dating again. After my father had remarried, I began to file for adoption. The woman that my father married wouldn’t have it. I would never call this woman my stepmother because she didn’t have a maternal bone in her body. Anyway, she was a horrible woman, selfish, rude, manipulative and racist. But, my father loved her dearly and she changed him, for the worst,” he cleared his throat. “He tried to prevent him from adopting Ky. He told her social worker that I was mentally unstable and that I was some kind of alcoholic. They were all lies created by her,” his grip became tighter.
“Harrison,” she put her hand on top of his.
“I’m sorry, just the thought of her gets me so angry.”
“I don’t blame you.”
He sighed before continuing. “Thankfully, Ky’s social worker didn’t believe him. If she had, then I would have never seen Ky again. J-Just imagining that, frightened me, still does,” he looked away from her. “He’s not with his wife anymore. So, he wants us to work things out.”
She gently turned his face towards her. “Do you?”
“At the time - no. But….I’ve been thinking. I’m still angry at him but I miss him too.”
Knowingly, Joey said, “And Ky is that last person you can talk to about this.”
Nodding, he groaned. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Well,” she ran her fingers through his dark brown hair and loosely cupped the nape of his neck. “At least he wants to see you. The optimist in me believes that Nick and I are in the top of our parents’ top 5 priorities, but the realist knows that we’re lucky enough to be in the top ten.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shook her head, “It’s not your fault. Look, Ky loves you and whether she’d agree with your decision or not, she’d still support you. So would I.” Her lips lightly brushed against his.
“Thank you,” he kissed her forehead.
She saw the weariness in his eyes and guided him to the grand staircase. “You need to rest.”
“Joey, I’m fine,” he weakly protested.
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” she held his hand and pulled him upstairs.
After entering Joey’s bedroom, Harrison sat down on her California king sized bed. With his hand still in hers, he asked her to join him; she accepted. Their shoes landed on the pale blue carpet. She turned into him and nestle her head below his chin. Shutting her eyes, she listened to his breath and dozed off.
Warm juices dripped down Nick’s mouth when he bit into the salty but tender chicken wing. As he chewed the piece scrap of meat, he wiped his mouth and took a swig of water from his bottle. Screwing the cap back on, he looked across the coffee table and watched Ky peel off her hooded sweatshirt revealing her black tank top. She adjusted the wide-ribbed straps and picked a piece of lint off her buxom chest.
“Stop undressing me with your eyes,” she warned him.
“Then stop undressing in front of me,” his tone was slightly arrogant.
“Removing my hoodie isn’t undressing,” she crossed her legs and brushed the left pant leg of her jeans.
“It’s not my fault that you’re a tease,” he leaned forward.
“I’m not a tease,” she grabbed her mug and went into the kitchen, he followed.
“Why are you denying it?” He said while following her.
“I’m not denying anything,” she put the mug in the sink, “I know who I am and I am not a tease.” She turned on the faucet and began washing the mug.
“Ky,” he leaned on the counter next to her. “There are three kinds of girls, sl**s, prudes and the teases. You are a tease and a good one at that.”
She turned to him. “I refuse to believe that I’m that alluring.”
“You are. Hell, you’re irresistible,” Nick cornered her. She leaned her back against the sink.
“If I am, then why did Chris sleep with Julia?”
“Because he’s a f***ing moron.” She quietly chuckled. “Besides, just because he slept with doesn’t mean that he likes her.”
“Or maybe, I just wasn’t worth the wait. He wouldn’t even acknowledge our relationship. So why would he want to wait until marriage to have sex with me when he couldn’t have gotten from someone else?”
He put his hands on the sink and titled his face towards her. “There are two things that you have to understand. First, with you, it wouldn’t be sex and secondly, you are worth the wait.”
Her heart began pounding against her chest and she felt her sweaty palms clenching onto the metal frame of the sink. What he did next, made her shiver.
His lips were inches away from her ear and his breath was warm while voice was a mere whisper. “I wish you could know, how unbelievably sexy you are. I never knew the meaning of temptation, until I met you. Every time that I’m near you, I’m battling with myself not to touch you. But, I can only fight for so long before I give up. To be honest, I’m looking forward to it.” He lightly blew into her ear and heard her gasp. With an arrogant smile on his face, he left her.
She sighed and put a hand on her forehead. “Oh God.”
M
mystery_chick
Guest
Oh ya! and who's the tease! :lol:
I'm glad that Joey can comfort Harrison so easily and it'll defintly be something watching him bond with his father again.
I just can't get over what a tease Nick is! I mean come on! he is completely seducing her and ... :lol:
--mandy
:lol: I'm glad that Joey can comfort Harrison so easily and it'll defintly be something watching him bond with his father again.
I just can't get over what a tease Nick is! I mean come on! he is completely seducing her and ...
:lol: --mandy
mystery_chick said:Oh ya! and who's the tease!
I'm glad that Joey can comfort Harrison so easily and it'll defintly be something watching him bond with his father again.
I just can't get over what a tease Nick is! I mean come on! he is completely seducing her and ...
--mandy
[post="1189551"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]
Hah! I definitley agree!!!! Can't wait till you update more.
Awesome update.sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
mystery_chick said:Oh ya! and who's the tease!
I'm glad that Joey can comfort Harrison so easily and it'll defintly be something watching him bond with his father again.
I just can't get over what a tease Nick is! I mean come on! he is completely seducing her and ...
--mandy
[post="1189551"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]
Nick is a straight up manw***e! LOL.
Spoiler alert -Future dialogue *SCROLL DOWN if you dare*
"I happen to like my body," Ky said.
"Well I like your body too but that doesn't mean I want anyone else to."-Nick
sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
This installment is quite long.
Harrison cradled Joey in his arms when they stepped onto the main foyer. Their fingers intertwined and she faced him.
“Dinner was amazing,” he told her.
Grinning, she replied, “I was only the sous chef, Felicia did the actual cooking,” she leaned into him.
“You really need to stop being so modest,” he planted a gentle kiss on her soft lips. “Thank you, for tonight.”
“Harrison, that’s like the third time you’ve said that.”
“I know, I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am.,” he gazed at her with adoring eyes.
“I’ll always be here you, never forget that,” she touched his cheek before opening the door for him. “Mom, you’re home early.”
“Well, it’s nice to see you too Sweetie,” Susan Storetto said as she crossed the threshold. When her dark Egyptian eyes fell upon Harrison she put down her briefcase and titled her head to the right.
Joey knew that her mother was sizing Harrison up. She had done this to all of her boyfriends. The look of curiosity and slight contempt on her mother’s beautiful face more than bothered Joey.
“Mom, this is Mark Harrison,” Joey said.
Harrison smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Storetto,” he offered his hand to her.
Reluctantly, she accepted and feigned a smile. “Aren’t you Nicholas’s teacher?” She took off her Prada coat.
“Yes, actually, I’m his journalism teacher.”
“Are you here to see Nicholas?” Susan said already knowing the answer.
“Actually Mom, Harrison came over to see me. We just had dinner.”
“I see,” she nodded and gave Harrison a slow once over.
“I better get going,” Harrison told them. He gave Joey a small peck on the cheek and stepped outside. “Bye.”
“I’ll call you,” Joey said before closing the door.
Without glancing at her mother, she began walking towards the stairs. Her mother quickly blocked her path.
“Excuse me?” Susan said.
“You’re excused,” she tried to move past her.
Susan put a hand on Joey’s arm and stopped her. “What’s with the attitude?”
“Attitude? Mom, you could have at least pretended to like him.”
“Sweetie, I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
Her annoyance grew when she heard the contrived naivety in her mother’s voice. “I’m not blind; I saw the look you gave him. And he didn’t deserve it.”
“Well, what do you expect? He’s a teacher, worst, he teaches public school.” She said with a look of great disdain. “How could you even consider dating him?”
“Because unlike you Mother, money doesn’t mean everything to me,” she stated.
Susan placed her hands on her hips and scowled at her daughter. “How dare you insult your own mother?”
“You insulted my boyfriend!”
“Boyfriend?!”
“Yes, boyfriend.”
“What about Jared?”
“What does he have to do with this?”
“Well, he called me this past week and told me what you did to him! How could you be so cruel to your husband?!”
“Ex-husband. And I wasn’t cruel, I was honest.”
“You treated him like dirt!”
“He cheated on me! God, I can’t believe you’re actually defending him! I was the victim. I was the one that had my heart broken. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Joey heard herself pleading with her mother and fought back her tears.
She unclenched her jaw. “Marriage, is not based on love-.”
“God! Do you actually hear yourself? Maybe you and your socialite friends can turn the other cheek while your husbands screw anything in a skirt but I can’t. I refuse to be blind to that kind of behavior. I respect myself enough to know that I deserve better.”
“And dating some white trash teacher is better?!”
Joey held back the urge to strike her mother and instead, moved her face closer to Susan’s. She saw a mixture of fear and anger in her eyes. The animosity between was undeniable.
“First, Harrison is the most kind, considerate and loving man that I’ve ever met. He is everything that Jared wasn’t. That’s what I deserve. And lastly, the only white trash I see, is standing right in front of me.” She ignored her mother’s stunned expression and ran upstairs.
Ky couldn’t believe what she was doing. She had been going to school for eleven years and she never once attended a sporting event; until now. Cautiously, she climbed up the bleachers and settled down in the fourth row. The ecstatic cheers coming from the cheerleaders were drowned out by the school’s marching band. Those around her unashamedly shouted and hollered. She could never grasp the concept of school spirit. Of course, this didn’t surprise her, since she wasn’t a fan of school to begin with. Then, when she witnessed her surroundings, she slowly began to understand how one could become so captivated by such an event.
Before she knew it, the game had ended. All the players began to head towards the locker rooms. When she spotted Nick, she cupped her mouth and called out his name. He removed his helmet and searched for her. She held up her right arm and waved to him. His smile was radiant.
“We’ll talk after I get changed!” He shouted to her.
“OK!”
She made her way onto the field and waited by the team’s benches. Fifteen minutes later, Nick appeared. Sporting a form fitting black v-neck sweater, and a fitted pair of Diesel jeans, Ky thought he resembled one of those male models used in the American Form ads. His dirty blond hair was spiked up and a bold smile was plastered on his structured yet very handsome face. As she kept her eyes on him, she had realized that she loved watching him walk towards her.
“Hey,” he slung one of his backpack straps over his shoulder.
“Hi,” her tone was a little timid.
“Don’t take this question the wrong way, but what you are doing here?”
“Did you not want me here?”
“No, I’m glad you came. Actually, I’m glad whenever I get to see you,” he smiled and rubbed his “I’d just like to know.”
Shoving her hands into her black petty coat, she looked directly into his eyes. “I just wanted to show my support. I know how important football is to you.”
He was moved by her words and stepped closer to her. “Thank you.”
She waited a few moments before speaking. “So, are you going to Keith’s party? You guys did win. I think that’d be a good reason to celebrate.”
“Yeah, I decided to take your advice. Do you wanna come with me?”
“I’ll pass. I don’t think I’m ready for that and I’d assume that Keith isn’t either. But thanks for offering.”
“I understand. May I walk you to your car?” He offered his arm to her.
“Yes, you may,” she linked arms with him. Together, they left the field and crossed to the parking lot.
“Here we are,” Nick said.
“Yep,” Ky removed her arm from his.
“I should go now. I’ll call you though.”
“That’s fine. Have a good time.”
“I will.” As he was about to walk away she called his name.
“Nick!”
He turned to her. “Yeah?”
“Promise me something?”
“What?”
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Ky, you really-.” She put her forefinger on his lips. Then put her hands on his pectorals and titled her head upwards. Her unexpected touch caused him to inhale sharply.
“Promise me,” she commanded.
“I promise.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” He sealed his promise with a lingering kiss on her cheek. “I promise.” He stroked the side of her face before leaving her.
Grunting, Adam Waterman pulled Nick out of the car and threw his arm over his neck and began to drag him towards Ky’s house. The pungent smell of alcohol and marijuana from Nick’s mouth sickened Adam. He rang the doorbell twice before Ky opened the door. While holding the door open for them, she released a sigh and shook her head.
The disappointment in her eyes saddened Adam. Earlier, he had seen their exchange in the parking lot and like Ky, he had hoped that Nick would uphold his promise. However, he was also irritated at how easily Nick gave into Keith’s chiding at the party. He only knew of Nick and Ky’s relationship from what he had seen. It was obvious that because of Nick’s actions, their relationship was going to regress.
“How bad is he?” Ky asked as she helped Nick onto the couch.
“Honestly? He’s pretty baked,” Adam told her.
“I know, I can smell,” she looked at Nick. “How long has he been unconscious?”
Throwing his shoulders up, Adam said, “I don’t know. On the ride here, he’s been in and out.”
Putting a pillow under Nick’s head, she asked, “And he can’t go home?”
“No, his parents are throwing their annual ‘Pre-Valentine’s day’ party. We’re not very close, but I’m pretty sure his father would kill him if saw him like this.”
“You drove his car here?”
“Yep. I’m actually surprised that he didn’t puke in it. He was close though.”
“I could only imagine,” her eyes moved to the floor and then back at him.
“I asked him where I should bring him and he said your name. Thankfully, I remembered the address,” he sat down on the arm of the couch.
“You need to get home, don’t you?” Ky asked while she reached for her keys on the side table.
Adam held up his hand in objection. “Ky, you really don’t. I can use his car.”
She took his hand and put her keys in it. “Adam, you are the only person in school that has been nice to me. I trust that you’ll bring my car back. Harrison is out of town for the night for some teacher convention so he won’t know.”
“Thanks,” he got up and went over to the door. “I’ll be back here as soon as I can. I have to get going or I’ll break my curfew.”
“All right,”
“Bye,” he left.
She closed the door behind him and turned her attention to Nick. With folded arms she stared at him with disenchanted eyes. While he remained unconscious, she unfolded the sofa bed, retrieved pillows and sheets from the linen closet and a pair of sweat pants from Harrison’s closet. Just as she finished dressing the bed, he awoke.
“Hey Baby,” he said with a lazy smile. Ignoring his words, she removed his sweater and jeans. “Ooohhh, you like getting right to it!”
Putting the sweatpants on him, Ky said, “Nick?”
“Yeah Baby?”
“Shut up.”
He began chuckling uncontrollably. “Baby, why you gotta be so,” he put his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting.
“Jesus,” Ky uttered before helping him to the bathroom.
Ten minutes had passed since Nick had last thrown up. “Are you done?”
“I hope so,” he answered.
“You’re not the only one,” she hoisted him from the floor and put his arm behind her neck. Pushing him onto the bed, she pulled the blanket over him and sat on the armchair.
“Ky?”
“Go to bed.”
“Ky, I gotta let you know something. I am totally in-.”
“Nick-.”
“In wub with you!” He sat up and threw his arms up in the air. “I..WUB..YOU!” He laughed and then abruptly fell asleep.
His drunken proclamation caused her to gawk at his unconscious body. She considered how intoxicated he had been and tried to dismiss his outburst.
Groaning, Nick rolled to his right and slowly opened his eyes. It took him a few moments to remember where he was. When his eyes came into focus, a familiar face sat across from him.
“Morning Sunshine,” Anna joked before taking a sip from her coffee. “Actually, I should say good afternoon.”
His head felt as if it weighed a ton when he tried to lift it off the pillow. Wisely, he returned it to its original position. “What time is it?”
“Quarter past two. By the way, your friend Adam came by…HOT.”
“He is not my friend.”
“Well, he’s more of friend than Andy and Keith because he’s the one that drove you here,” she said in a matter-of-factly tone.
“He was?”
“Yep.”
“Did I say anything stupid last night?”
“No..well.”
“Well what?”
“You did say those three little words that every girl wants to hear.”
He froze. “No!”
“Yes.”
“I couldn’t have.”
“Ya did.”
He held his face in his hands and muttered, “Aw s***.”
“Yep, you told Ky, that you are in ‘wub’ with her,” she sat Indian style.
He removed his hands. “Wub?”
“Yes, wub.”
“God, I must’ve been so wasted.”
“Obviously, you proclaimed your everlasting wub to her,” she set the mug on the side table. “I have to admit, I’m quite jealous. I’ve always wanted an attractive guy to declare his wub for me during a drunken haze. Ah, a girl can always dream.”
“How is she?”
“Oh, she is pissed. Wait, let me rephrase that, she is hella pisssed.”
“That’s just great. Anna, do you think that could maybe-.”
“No,” she shook her head.
“But-.”
“No. Unlike you, she still likes me and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Fine,” he sat up and slide off the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“To the kitchen.”
“You don’t want to go there. Unless you want to cross the gates into Hell.”
“I’ll just talk to her,” he replied. “Anna, where are you going?”
“Upstairs. Because you have no idea what you’re about to get yourself into. And I do not want to be here when the shiznit hits the fan. Later,” she bolted upstairs.
Her back was turned to him as she washed the dishes. She felt his presence but chose to ignore him as she scrubbed the last dish. Internally, she was more than conflicted, she was uncertain. Her uncertainty confused her. Although she was angry at Nick, she was also greatly disappointment in him. He had broken a simple promise that complicated their relationship even more.
“Thanks for taking care of me.” Rinsing the last dish, she kept her back to him as she placed it in the drying rack. “I was pretty out of it last night.” No response. Her silence not only made him feel uncomfortable, but it also made him realize the severity of his mistake. “I didn’t intend to get wasted last night. I’m sorry.” She stood still. “Would you at least look at me?”
“No,” her tone was rigid.
“Why not?”
“Because I really, really do not want to look at you right now.”
“Jesus Ky, I made one mistake. I apologized for it. Why are you being such a b**** about it?”
Livid, she spun around, put one hand on her hip and gestured at him with the other. “I asked you to do one thing,” she held up her forefinger. “To not do anything stupid, you promised me. And you ‘uphold’ your promise by coming to my house completely wasted?!”
“It was just beer and weed! I could have done a lot worse!” He protested.
Placing both her hands over her heart, she yelled, “Oh I’m so proud that you decided to choose the lesser of the many evils that faced you!”
He couldn’t believe her. “So I guess you’d rather have me snort my life away!”
“And driving drunk is a much better way to die?!”
“Like you care!” His breath was jagged with frustration and rage. “You don’t give a s*** about me!”
His words caused to her to pause for a moment. After all that she had done for him, it still wasn’t enough. She knew that her sarcasm would hurt him. “That’s right; I don’t care about you at all! I only took you in last night just to make you feel like nothing! All those times that I’ve spent with you was my way of torturing you, Nick! Coming your game last night, yeah, is just apart of my sick little twisted game. You are so un-f***ing-believable,” her voice broke, she quickly cleared her throat.
“You told me to go!”
“No, I suggested,” she lowered her voice and poked her forefinger in his direction. “You were the one that chose to go.”
He shrugged. “You’re right. But you don’t know the kind of position that I’m in.”
“Nick, I know. But if this is how you spend time with Keith and Andy? Then we can’t be together.” Ky crossed to him. “I will support you Nick, but I won’t - I refuse, to be your crutch. I’ve played that role before and I am not going to again.”
Considering the current atmosphere between them, Nick chose his words wisely. “I’m not asking you to. Maybe that’s what Chris expected of you-.”
“I wasn’t talking about Chris.” Like before, she leaned her back against the sink.
His expression became puzzled with a hint of curiosity. “Then who?”
Folding her arms, she heard small water pellets dropping from the faucet. After the fifth droplet landed on the metal bottom of the sink, she began talking. “Remember Brian Wellmen?”
“Yeah, he died in that car crash near Hedgehog Lake last year.”
“Did you know of him?”
“He was a druggie.”
She folded her arms and avoided making eye contact. “He wasn’t always one. We used to be friends in 8th grade. First, all he did was drink and smoke pot. Then, when his parents divorced, he got into heavier drugs. I was the one that always took care of him. One night, he told me how he wanted to be clean and he was so sincere. He said that needed me to pull through. So, I became his unofficial sponsor. For a couple of months, he was somber. He relapsed during that summer on prescription pills. I disowned him.”
“Did you love him?”
“I loved him like a brother. On the night of the accident, he visited me. He was clearly intoxicated and..he blamed me for all of his problems. In response, I told him that everything he said meant nothing because he was dead to me.” Keeping her left forearm across her stomach, she used her right hand to wipe away her tears and fixated her gaze on him. With remorseful eyes, she said, “I’ve already buried one person that I cared about; I don’t want to do that again.”
Solemnly, he stared into her eyes and choked back his own tears. In her seventeen years, she had experienced enough sorrow and loss to last her a life time. He wanted to protect her, shield her from the darkness that seemed to follow her. However, when he reached out to hug her, she moved away from him.
“Ky, I’m sorry. I won’t ever drink or smoke again. You have my word.”
“It isn’t enough.”
Desperately, he asked, “What do you want from me?!”
In an instant, her once somber face had transformed into an icy glare that burned his open heart.
“I want you to get out. Now,” her indifference pierced through him.
“Ky, I’m not leaving you.”
“Nick, you have no idea how difficult it is for me to not yell at you right now.”
“Then don’t.”
“It’s not that simple. Nick, if you care for me, you’ll do what I say and leave.”
He had heard the ferocity in her voice and decided to obey her request. “I’m going. The more you try to push me away; I’ll push back twice as hard. I will never give up on you.” He watched her while leaving the kitchen.
His persistence and devotion to her struck her frozen heart and she felt a small beam of warmth from within.
Harrison cradled Joey in his arms when they stepped onto the main foyer. Their fingers intertwined and she faced him.
“Dinner was amazing,” he told her.
Grinning, she replied, “I was only the sous chef, Felicia did the actual cooking,” she leaned into him.
“You really need to stop being so modest,” he planted a gentle kiss on her soft lips. “Thank you, for tonight.”
“Harrison, that’s like the third time you’ve said that.”
“I know, I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am.,” he gazed at her with adoring eyes.
“I’ll always be here you, never forget that,” she touched his cheek before opening the door for him. “Mom, you’re home early.”
“Well, it’s nice to see you too Sweetie,” Susan Storetto said as she crossed the threshold. When her dark Egyptian eyes fell upon Harrison she put down her briefcase and titled her head to the right.
Joey knew that her mother was sizing Harrison up. She had done this to all of her boyfriends. The look of curiosity and slight contempt on her mother’s beautiful face more than bothered Joey.
“Mom, this is Mark Harrison,” Joey said.
Harrison smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Storetto,” he offered his hand to her.
Reluctantly, she accepted and feigned a smile. “Aren’t you Nicholas’s teacher?” She took off her Prada coat.
“Yes, actually, I’m his journalism teacher.”
“Are you here to see Nicholas?” Susan said already knowing the answer.
“Actually Mom, Harrison came over to see me. We just had dinner.”
“I see,” she nodded and gave Harrison a slow once over.
“I better get going,” Harrison told them. He gave Joey a small peck on the cheek and stepped outside. “Bye.”
“I’ll call you,” Joey said before closing the door.
Without glancing at her mother, she began walking towards the stairs. Her mother quickly blocked her path.
“Excuse me?” Susan said.
“You’re excused,” she tried to move past her.
Susan put a hand on Joey’s arm and stopped her. “What’s with the attitude?”
“Attitude? Mom, you could have at least pretended to like him.”
“Sweetie, I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
Her annoyance grew when she heard the contrived naivety in her mother’s voice. “I’m not blind; I saw the look you gave him. And he didn’t deserve it.”
“Well, what do you expect? He’s a teacher, worst, he teaches public school.” She said with a look of great disdain. “How could you even consider dating him?”
“Because unlike you Mother, money doesn’t mean everything to me,” she stated.
Susan placed her hands on her hips and scowled at her daughter. “How dare you insult your own mother?”
“You insulted my boyfriend!”
“Boyfriend?!”
“Yes, boyfriend.”
“What about Jared?”
“What does he have to do with this?”
“Well, he called me this past week and told me what you did to him! How could you be so cruel to your husband?!”
“Ex-husband. And I wasn’t cruel, I was honest.”
“You treated him like dirt!”
“He cheated on me! God, I can’t believe you’re actually defending him! I was the victim. I was the one that had my heart broken. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Joey heard herself pleading with her mother and fought back her tears.
She unclenched her jaw. “Marriage, is not based on love-.”
“God! Do you actually hear yourself? Maybe you and your socialite friends can turn the other cheek while your husbands screw anything in a skirt but I can’t. I refuse to be blind to that kind of behavior. I respect myself enough to know that I deserve better.”
“And dating some white trash teacher is better?!”
Joey held back the urge to strike her mother and instead, moved her face closer to Susan’s. She saw a mixture of fear and anger in her eyes. The animosity between was undeniable.
“First, Harrison is the most kind, considerate and loving man that I’ve ever met. He is everything that Jared wasn’t. That’s what I deserve. And lastly, the only white trash I see, is standing right in front of me.” She ignored her mother’s stunned expression and ran upstairs.
Ky couldn’t believe what she was doing. She had been going to school for eleven years and she never once attended a sporting event; until now. Cautiously, she climbed up the bleachers and settled down in the fourth row. The ecstatic cheers coming from the cheerleaders were drowned out by the school’s marching band. Those around her unashamedly shouted and hollered. She could never grasp the concept of school spirit. Of course, this didn’t surprise her, since she wasn’t a fan of school to begin with. Then, when she witnessed her surroundings, she slowly began to understand how one could become so captivated by such an event.
Before she knew it, the game had ended. All the players began to head towards the locker rooms. When she spotted Nick, she cupped her mouth and called out his name. He removed his helmet and searched for her. She held up her right arm and waved to him. His smile was radiant.
“We’ll talk after I get changed!” He shouted to her.
“OK!”
She made her way onto the field and waited by the team’s benches. Fifteen minutes later, Nick appeared. Sporting a form fitting black v-neck sweater, and a fitted pair of Diesel jeans, Ky thought he resembled one of those male models used in the American Form ads. His dirty blond hair was spiked up and a bold smile was plastered on his structured yet very handsome face. As she kept her eyes on him, she had realized that she loved watching him walk towards her.
“Hey,” he slung one of his backpack straps over his shoulder.
“Hi,” her tone was a little timid.
“Don’t take this question the wrong way, but what you are doing here?”
“Did you not want me here?”
“No, I’m glad you came. Actually, I’m glad whenever I get to see you,” he smiled and rubbed his “I’d just like to know.”
Shoving her hands into her black petty coat, she looked directly into his eyes. “I just wanted to show my support. I know how important football is to you.”
He was moved by her words and stepped closer to her. “Thank you.”
She waited a few moments before speaking. “So, are you going to Keith’s party? You guys did win. I think that’d be a good reason to celebrate.”
“Yeah, I decided to take your advice. Do you wanna come with me?”
“I’ll pass. I don’t think I’m ready for that and I’d assume that Keith isn’t either. But thanks for offering.”
“I understand. May I walk you to your car?” He offered his arm to her.
“Yes, you may,” she linked arms with him. Together, they left the field and crossed to the parking lot.
“Here we are,” Nick said.
“Yep,” Ky removed her arm from his.
“I should go now. I’ll call you though.”
“That’s fine. Have a good time.”
“I will.” As he was about to walk away she called his name.
“Nick!”
He turned to her. “Yeah?”
“Promise me something?”
“What?”
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Ky, you really-.” She put her forefinger on his lips. Then put her hands on his pectorals and titled her head upwards. Her unexpected touch caused him to inhale sharply.
“Promise me,” she commanded.
“I promise.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” He sealed his promise with a lingering kiss on her cheek. “I promise.” He stroked the side of her face before leaving her.
Grunting, Adam Waterman pulled Nick out of the car and threw his arm over his neck and began to drag him towards Ky’s house. The pungent smell of alcohol and marijuana from Nick’s mouth sickened Adam. He rang the doorbell twice before Ky opened the door. While holding the door open for them, she released a sigh and shook her head.
The disappointment in her eyes saddened Adam. Earlier, he had seen their exchange in the parking lot and like Ky, he had hoped that Nick would uphold his promise. However, he was also irritated at how easily Nick gave into Keith’s chiding at the party. He only knew of Nick and Ky’s relationship from what he had seen. It was obvious that because of Nick’s actions, their relationship was going to regress.
“How bad is he?” Ky asked as she helped Nick onto the couch.
“Honestly? He’s pretty baked,” Adam told her.
“I know, I can smell,” she looked at Nick. “How long has he been unconscious?”
Throwing his shoulders up, Adam said, “I don’t know. On the ride here, he’s been in and out.”
Putting a pillow under Nick’s head, she asked, “And he can’t go home?”
“No, his parents are throwing their annual ‘Pre-Valentine’s day’ party. We’re not very close, but I’m pretty sure his father would kill him if saw him like this.”
“You drove his car here?”
“Yep. I’m actually surprised that he didn’t puke in it. He was close though.”
“I could only imagine,” her eyes moved to the floor and then back at him.
“I asked him where I should bring him and he said your name. Thankfully, I remembered the address,” he sat down on the arm of the couch.
“You need to get home, don’t you?” Ky asked while she reached for her keys on the side table.
Adam held up his hand in objection. “Ky, you really don’t. I can use his car.”
She took his hand and put her keys in it. “Adam, you are the only person in school that has been nice to me. I trust that you’ll bring my car back. Harrison is out of town for the night for some teacher convention so he won’t know.”
“Thanks,” he got up and went over to the door. “I’ll be back here as soon as I can. I have to get going or I’ll break my curfew.”
“All right,”
“Bye,” he left.
She closed the door behind him and turned her attention to Nick. With folded arms she stared at him with disenchanted eyes. While he remained unconscious, she unfolded the sofa bed, retrieved pillows and sheets from the linen closet and a pair of sweat pants from Harrison’s closet. Just as she finished dressing the bed, he awoke.
“Hey Baby,” he said with a lazy smile. Ignoring his words, she removed his sweater and jeans. “Ooohhh, you like getting right to it!”
Putting the sweatpants on him, Ky said, “Nick?”
“Yeah Baby?”
“Shut up.”
He began chuckling uncontrollably. “Baby, why you gotta be so,” he put his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting.
“Jesus,” Ky uttered before helping him to the bathroom.
Ten minutes had passed since Nick had last thrown up. “Are you done?”
“I hope so,” he answered.
“You’re not the only one,” she hoisted him from the floor and put his arm behind her neck. Pushing him onto the bed, she pulled the blanket over him and sat on the armchair.
“Ky?”
“Go to bed.”
“Ky, I gotta let you know something. I am totally in-.”
“Nick-.”
“In wub with you!” He sat up and threw his arms up in the air. “I..WUB..YOU!” He laughed and then abruptly fell asleep.
His drunken proclamation caused her to gawk at his unconscious body. She considered how intoxicated he had been and tried to dismiss his outburst.
Groaning, Nick rolled to his right and slowly opened his eyes. It took him a few moments to remember where he was. When his eyes came into focus, a familiar face sat across from him.
“Morning Sunshine,” Anna joked before taking a sip from her coffee. “Actually, I should say good afternoon.”
His head felt as if it weighed a ton when he tried to lift it off the pillow. Wisely, he returned it to its original position. “What time is it?”
“Quarter past two. By the way, your friend Adam came by…HOT.”
“He is not my friend.”
“Well, he’s more of friend than Andy and Keith because he’s the one that drove you here,” she said in a matter-of-factly tone.
“He was?”
“Yep.”
“Did I say anything stupid last night?”
“No..well.”
“Well what?”
“You did say those three little words that every girl wants to hear.”
He froze. “No!”
“Yes.”
“I couldn’t have.”
“Ya did.”
He held his face in his hands and muttered, “Aw s***.”
“Yep, you told Ky, that you are in ‘wub’ with her,” she sat Indian style.
He removed his hands. “Wub?”
“Yes, wub.”
“God, I must’ve been so wasted.”
“Obviously, you proclaimed your everlasting wub to her,” she set the mug on the side table. “I have to admit, I’m quite jealous. I’ve always wanted an attractive guy to declare his wub for me during a drunken haze. Ah, a girl can always dream.”
“How is she?”
“Oh, she is pissed. Wait, let me rephrase that, she is hella pisssed.”
“That’s just great. Anna, do you think that could maybe-.”
“No,” she shook her head.
“But-.”
“No. Unlike you, she still likes me and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Fine,” he sat up and slide off the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“To the kitchen.”
“You don’t want to go there. Unless you want to cross the gates into Hell.”
“I’ll just talk to her,” he replied. “Anna, where are you going?”
“Upstairs. Because you have no idea what you’re about to get yourself into. And I do not want to be here when the shiznit hits the fan. Later,” she bolted upstairs.
Her back was turned to him as she washed the dishes. She felt his presence but chose to ignore him as she scrubbed the last dish. Internally, she was more than conflicted, she was uncertain. Her uncertainty confused her. Although she was angry at Nick, she was also greatly disappointment in him. He had broken a simple promise that complicated their relationship even more.
“Thanks for taking care of me.” Rinsing the last dish, she kept her back to him as she placed it in the drying rack. “I was pretty out of it last night.” No response. Her silence not only made him feel uncomfortable, but it also made him realize the severity of his mistake. “I didn’t intend to get wasted last night. I’m sorry.” She stood still. “Would you at least look at me?”
“No,” her tone was rigid.
“Why not?”
“Because I really, really do not want to look at you right now.”
“Jesus Ky, I made one mistake. I apologized for it. Why are you being such a b**** about it?”
Livid, she spun around, put one hand on her hip and gestured at him with the other. “I asked you to do one thing,” she held up her forefinger. “To not do anything stupid, you promised me. And you ‘uphold’ your promise by coming to my house completely wasted?!”
“It was just beer and weed! I could have done a lot worse!” He protested.
Placing both her hands over her heart, she yelled, “Oh I’m so proud that you decided to choose the lesser of the many evils that faced you!”
He couldn’t believe her. “So I guess you’d rather have me snort my life away!”
“And driving drunk is a much better way to die?!”
“Like you care!” His breath was jagged with frustration and rage. “You don’t give a s*** about me!”
His words caused to her to pause for a moment. After all that she had done for him, it still wasn’t enough. She knew that her sarcasm would hurt him. “That’s right; I don’t care about you at all! I only took you in last night just to make you feel like nothing! All those times that I’ve spent with you was my way of torturing you, Nick! Coming your game last night, yeah, is just apart of my sick little twisted game. You are so un-f***ing-believable,” her voice broke, she quickly cleared her throat.
“You told me to go!”
“No, I suggested,” she lowered her voice and poked her forefinger in his direction. “You were the one that chose to go.”
He shrugged. “You’re right. But you don’t know the kind of position that I’m in.”
“Nick, I know. But if this is how you spend time with Keith and Andy? Then we can’t be together.” Ky crossed to him. “I will support you Nick, but I won’t - I refuse, to be your crutch. I’ve played that role before and I am not going to again.”
Considering the current atmosphere between them, Nick chose his words wisely. “I’m not asking you to. Maybe that’s what Chris expected of you-.”
“I wasn’t talking about Chris.” Like before, she leaned her back against the sink.
His expression became puzzled with a hint of curiosity. “Then who?”
Folding her arms, she heard small water pellets dropping from the faucet. After the fifth droplet landed on the metal bottom of the sink, she began talking. “Remember Brian Wellmen?”
“Yeah, he died in that car crash near Hedgehog Lake last year.”
“Did you know of him?”
“He was a druggie.”
She folded her arms and avoided making eye contact. “He wasn’t always one. We used to be friends in 8th grade. First, all he did was drink and smoke pot. Then, when his parents divorced, he got into heavier drugs. I was the one that always took care of him. One night, he told me how he wanted to be clean and he was so sincere. He said that needed me to pull through. So, I became his unofficial sponsor. For a couple of months, he was somber. He relapsed during that summer on prescription pills. I disowned him.”
“Did you love him?”
“I loved him like a brother. On the night of the accident, he visited me. He was clearly intoxicated and..he blamed me for all of his problems. In response, I told him that everything he said meant nothing because he was dead to me.” Keeping her left forearm across her stomach, she used her right hand to wipe away her tears and fixated her gaze on him. With remorseful eyes, she said, “I’ve already buried one person that I cared about; I don’t want to do that again.”
Solemnly, he stared into her eyes and choked back his own tears. In her seventeen years, she had experienced enough sorrow and loss to last her a life time. He wanted to protect her, shield her from the darkness that seemed to follow her. However, when he reached out to hug her, she moved away from him.
“Ky, I’m sorry. I won’t ever drink or smoke again. You have my word.”
“It isn’t enough.”
Desperately, he asked, “What do you want from me?!”
In an instant, her once somber face had transformed into an icy glare that burned his open heart.
“I want you to get out. Now,” her indifference pierced through him.
“Ky, I’m not leaving you.”
“Nick, you have no idea how difficult it is for me to not yell at you right now.”
“Then don’t.”
“It’s not that simple. Nick, if you care for me, you’ll do what I say and leave.”
He had heard the ferocity in her voice and decided to obey her request. “I’m going. The more you try to push me away; I’ll push back twice as hard. I will never give up on you.” He watched her while leaving the kitchen.
His persistence and devotion to her struck her frozen heart and she felt a small beam of warmth from within.
mellybelly
Cadet
I'm so glad that you are continuing to work on this!!
I loved how Ky went to his game, it was very cute. They can be so darn cute. I just wish Nick would grow up and stop doing stupid stuff. I mean seriously, why are guys always so stupid? I'm glad he won't give up on her though. She deserves to be happy and he can give her that.
I thought it was really sweet how Ky took care of him, even though she was so pissed. It just shows what a good person she is and that she really does care for him, even though he let her down.
I can't wait to read what you write next. Do you have other stories you've writen?
I loved how Ky went to his game, it was very cute. They can be so darn cute. I just wish Nick would grow up and stop doing stupid stuff. I mean seriously, why are guys always so stupid? I'm glad he won't give up on her though. She deserves to be happy and he can give her that.
I thought it was really sweet how Ky took care of him, even though she was so pissed. It just shows what a good person she is and that she really does care for him, even though he let her down.
I can't wait to read what you write next. Do you have other stories you've writen?
sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
Yes, dear they're all in this forum. "Presence", "A Second Thought", "The Return", "Unspoken Desire" and that's it...I think lol
Thanks for the thoughtful post dear, I really appreciate it.
Thanks for the thoughtful post dear, I really appreciate it.
sugababyboo
mrs. charlie
With the digital clock in his right hand, Ericsson set the alarm to five AM and returned it to the nightstand. Sliding under the majestically designed comforter, Ericsson rested his back against the wooden headboard and turned to his wife. Since dinner, she had barely spoken to him. Instead of being her usual perky self, she was distant.
Touching her arm, he asked, “Honey, are you all right? You don’t seem like yourself.” He kept his hold on her as he waited for an answer.
Moving a strand of her honey colored hair from her face, she looked into her husband’s emerald eyes. “I’ve been thinking about Baby Caleb.”
“Honey,” he put an arm around her and kissed the side of her forehead.
“I know that it’s been years since he’s died. I just can’t..completely move on. He died because of me,” she felt tears forming in her. “I let my baby brother die.”
He took his wife into his burly arms and felt her tears on his shoulder. Comfortingly, he rubbed her back and said, “Sweetie, you have to stop blaming yourself. He died because of SIDs. It wasn’t your fault,” he assured her.
“It just whenever I look into Toby’s eyes, I’m reminded of him,” she wept.
“Honey,” he lifted her face from his shoulder. “It’s been fourteen years, you have to forgive yourself and…move on.”
“I know I do. I just don’t know if I can.”
The hopelessness in his wife’s voice pained him. He looked into her hazel eyes and said, “You will.” He planted a sweet kiss on her lips. In return, she kissed him with great passion. Lovingly, their hands traveled over each other’s body before making love into the night.
The tip of Ky’s fingernail traced the wide rim of the gray coffee mug. Then, she began tapping her unpainted nails against its side. The sound of her incessant tapping resonated throughout the living room. She abruptly stopped the tapping when she heard the front door unlock. From the armchair, she watched Harrison open the door.
“Hey,” he gave her quick smile as he took off his coat.
“I found my father’s letter in your office,” she blurted out.
He searched her face for any indication of anger; her expression was deadpan. Seating himself on the couch, he said, “I didn’t know what to do with it.”
“You should have burned it,” she put the mug down and gripped onto the arms of the chair. “That’s what I just did.” She glanced at the fireplace and then back at him.
It almost amazed him how cold she could be when it came to her father. He leaned forward. “Did you even open it?”
“No and why would I? He knows perfectly well that the only way I’ll talk to him is through our lawyer.” Her curt and defensive tone of her voice made up for her blank gaze.
He waited a few moments before replying. “It could have been important.”
Her brown almond eyes narrowed as she rested her forearms on her thighs and leaned forward. With suspicious eyes, she studied his face. “Harrison, what are you doing?”
“Nothing, ok?” He knew that she was onto him.
Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t believe you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re keeping something from me.”
“How do you know?” He tilted his head to the right.
“You might not wear your heart on your sleeve, but your eyes are always a dead giveaway.”
The minute she those words her mouth, he knew that he had to come clean. He stared at her with a hesitant expression. “You stole my line.”
“I’m borrowing it.”
“At least you’re using it appropriately-.”
“Harrison, stop stalling and just come out with it. We tell each other everything, why should this be any different?” She reached out and touched his hand.
He cherished the gesture, because he knew that after he spoke, her hand would no longer be there. “Because it’s about my father. Ky, I’ve decided that I want to at least try to work things out with him.”
At once, she withdrew her hand and folded her arms. She gave him a lingering, harrowing glare. “Please tell me that you’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?”
“No, I don’t,” his tone was flat.
“So why are you even considering this?”
“Because he’s my father, Ky,” he stated with a hint of despair. “He’s my blood.”
“He’s also the same man that disowned you for the vilest woman that ever lived!” She yelled at him as she braced onto the arms of the chair. “And, he tried to do everything in his power to keep us apart!”
“I know Ky! I’ve gone through this a million times and believe me, this wasn’t an easy decision to make! I wouldn’t even be considering this if he hadn’t seem so..”
“So what?”
“Remorseful!” He voice grew in volume.
“Now he is and it’s too late. It took him three years to finally realize what he did to you! And the only reason he’s doing this is because that b**** is out of his life! As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t deserve a second chance!”
He stood up and said, “Well that’s not up to you!”
“God Harrison, do you hear yourself? Because you have no idea how phenomenally naïve you sound!” She got out of her chair.
“I’m not being naïve, Ky!” He took a deep breathe and spoke in a moderate tone. “I’m being reasonable. He’s my father and the least I could do is to hear him out.”
“You owe him nothing!”
“I owe him a second chance and would you please lower down your voice? Screaming isn’t going to get us anywhere.” She didn’t respond. “Ky?”
“Fine.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I just can’t believe this, what you’re doing.”
He dropped his shoulders. “I’m just tired of being angry at him. I don’t want to feel this resentment anymore. I can never forget what he did to me and to you. But..maybe in time I can forgive him.” Kindly, he cupped her neck with his right hand. “Ky, you need to know that I’m not choosing him over you. Ok, I’m not trying to hurt you in any kind of way. This is just something that I need to do.” Underneath his right hand, he felt her neck stiffen.
“Get your hand off of my neck,” her voice had a quiet intensity.
“What?”
She pushed his hand away. “I remember the day he left, your father. You two were on the front steps, arguing. I was watching from your bedroom window.” Harrison looked away from her knowing what she was going to say next. “Look at me.” He obeyed her. “You remember what he called me?” Her eyes had become glossy from her oncoming tears.
He struggled with his answer, “Y-yes, I do.”
“Then say it.”
“No,” his voice was thin.
“Say it!” She hollered in his face.
“NO!!” He yelled.
“Fine. ‘A f***ing Gook,’ I remember it clearly because it came from a man that I once loved like a father.” She ignored the tear traveling down her cheek. “And it’s stayed with me, like a scar that will never disappear. I’ll never forget the pain that I felt when heard those words from his mouth. And the fact that you’re willing to forgive him, even knowing what he said, sickens me.”
He tried to lie to her. “He didn’t mean it.”
“Yes he did and you knew it because you wouldn’t have punched him.”
“He wasn’t himself-.”
“Don’t you dare make excuses for that man.”
“That man is my father-.”
“He is a f***ing prick!” She shouted.
“Goddamnit!” He screamed back.
“What you can’t handle the truth?!”
“No, I’m tired of listening to your bulls***! Ky, I am NOT going to be miserable for you! I am not going to live my life according to your screwed up rules! See unlike you, I don’t enjoy being angry or miserable! And I refuse to punish or to push away the people around me just because I can’t move from the past!” He knew that his words had wounded her but he was too angry to even care.
With her hands on her hips she shook her head and tried to deny his words. “That is not true-.”
Clearing his throat, he pointed at her, “Oh you know that it is! You spent five years chasing Chris like some kind of lovesick obsessed idiot! And he treated you like s*** and you just kept going back to him! Now, you have this guy who is madly in love you and would do anything and I mean anything just to be near you! And you push him away; you chastise him every time he makes a mistake. Yet when it came to Chris, you somehow looked past all his bulls*** and continued to love him! How f***ed up is that?!” He was absolutely fuming.
Standing across from him, Ky looked at her guardian, her mentor, with somber yet brooding eyes. Until that moment, Harrison had concealed his true feelings towards her relationship with Chris. On some level, she knew of this and had appreciated him for not passing judgment on her during all these years. Because she had feared that his true thoughts, that his judgment would actually be her hard truth. A truth, which she had refused to accept, that she was afraid to hear. Now that her fear had come true, she had no idea how to grasp it. Instead, she resorted to what she had known best, her anger.
She picked up the coffee mug, hurled it past Harrison’s head and watched it shattered against the wall. In complete silence, both of them stared at the brown stain on the wall left by the hot chocolate that once filled the coffee mug. The look of utter shock that he gave Ky, made her realize how truly disturbed she was. Just the notion that she had tried to physically harm one of the handful of people that loved her, sickened her. Sitting down on the armchair, she held her face in her hands and cried.
Instead of comforting her, Harrison slowly went upstairs and slammed the door behind him. He sat down on his bed, looked down at the wooden floor, held the sides of his neck and sobbed.
Below him, Ky continued crying and had another realization, she needed to be saved from herself, from her darkness and it needed to happen soon or else, she would be lost forever.
Touching her arm, he asked, “Honey, are you all right? You don’t seem like yourself.” He kept his hold on her as he waited for an answer.
Moving a strand of her honey colored hair from her face, she looked into her husband’s emerald eyes. “I’ve been thinking about Baby Caleb.”
“Honey,” he put an arm around her and kissed the side of her forehead.
“I know that it’s been years since he’s died. I just can’t..completely move on. He died because of me,” she felt tears forming in her. “I let my baby brother die.”
He took his wife into his burly arms and felt her tears on his shoulder. Comfortingly, he rubbed her back and said, “Sweetie, you have to stop blaming yourself. He died because of SIDs. It wasn’t your fault,” he assured her.
“It just whenever I look into Toby’s eyes, I’m reminded of him,” she wept.
“Honey,” he lifted her face from his shoulder. “It’s been fourteen years, you have to forgive yourself and…move on.”
“I know I do. I just don’t know if I can.”
The hopelessness in his wife’s voice pained him. He looked into her hazel eyes and said, “You will.” He planted a sweet kiss on her lips. In return, she kissed him with great passion. Lovingly, their hands traveled over each other’s body before making love into the night.
The tip of Ky’s fingernail traced the wide rim of the gray coffee mug. Then, she began tapping her unpainted nails against its side. The sound of her incessant tapping resonated throughout the living room. She abruptly stopped the tapping when she heard the front door unlock. From the armchair, she watched Harrison open the door.
“Hey,” he gave her quick smile as he took off his coat.
“I found my father’s letter in your office,” she blurted out.
He searched her face for any indication of anger; her expression was deadpan. Seating himself on the couch, he said, “I didn’t know what to do with it.”
“You should have burned it,” she put the mug down and gripped onto the arms of the chair. “That’s what I just did.” She glanced at the fireplace and then back at him.
It almost amazed him how cold she could be when it came to her father. He leaned forward. “Did you even open it?”
“No and why would I? He knows perfectly well that the only way I’ll talk to him is through our lawyer.” Her curt and defensive tone of her voice made up for her blank gaze.
He waited a few moments before replying. “It could have been important.”
Her brown almond eyes narrowed as she rested her forearms on her thighs and leaned forward. With suspicious eyes, she studied his face. “Harrison, what are you doing?”
“Nothing, ok?” He knew that she was onto him.
Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t believe you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re keeping something from me.”
“How do you know?” He tilted his head to the right.
“You might not wear your heart on your sleeve, but your eyes are always a dead giveaway.”
The minute she those words her mouth, he knew that he had to come clean. He stared at her with a hesitant expression. “You stole my line.”
“I’m borrowing it.”
“At least you’re using it appropriately-.”
“Harrison, stop stalling and just come out with it. We tell each other everything, why should this be any different?” She reached out and touched his hand.
He cherished the gesture, because he knew that after he spoke, her hand would no longer be there. “Because it’s about my father. Ky, I’ve decided that I want to at least try to work things out with him.”
At once, she withdrew her hand and folded her arms. She gave him a lingering, harrowing glare. “Please tell me that you’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?”
“No, I don’t,” his tone was flat.
“So why are you even considering this?”
“Because he’s my father, Ky,” he stated with a hint of despair. “He’s my blood.”
“He’s also the same man that disowned you for the vilest woman that ever lived!” She yelled at him as she braced onto the arms of the chair. “And, he tried to do everything in his power to keep us apart!”
“I know Ky! I’ve gone through this a million times and believe me, this wasn’t an easy decision to make! I wouldn’t even be considering this if he hadn’t seem so..”
“So what?”
“Remorseful!” He voice grew in volume.
“Now he is and it’s too late. It took him three years to finally realize what he did to you! And the only reason he’s doing this is because that b**** is out of his life! As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t deserve a second chance!”
He stood up and said, “Well that’s not up to you!”
“God Harrison, do you hear yourself? Because you have no idea how phenomenally naïve you sound!” She got out of her chair.
“I’m not being naïve, Ky!” He took a deep breathe and spoke in a moderate tone. “I’m being reasonable. He’s my father and the least I could do is to hear him out.”
“You owe him nothing!”
“I owe him a second chance and would you please lower down your voice? Screaming isn’t going to get us anywhere.” She didn’t respond. “Ky?”
“Fine.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I just can’t believe this, what you’re doing.”
He dropped his shoulders. “I’m just tired of being angry at him. I don’t want to feel this resentment anymore. I can never forget what he did to me and to you. But..maybe in time I can forgive him.” Kindly, he cupped her neck with his right hand. “Ky, you need to know that I’m not choosing him over you. Ok, I’m not trying to hurt you in any kind of way. This is just something that I need to do.” Underneath his right hand, he felt her neck stiffen.
“Get your hand off of my neck,” her voice had a quiet intensity.
“What?”
She pushed his hand away. “I remember the day he left, your father. You two were on the front steps, arguing. I was watching from your bedroom window.” Harrison looked away from her knowing what she was going to say next. “Look at me.” He obeyed her. “You remember what he called me?” Her eyes had become glossy from her oncoming tears.
He struggled with his answer, “Y-yes, I do.”
“Then say it.”
“No,” his voice was thin.
“Say it!” She hollered in his face.
“NO!!” He yelled.
“Fine. ‘A f***ing Gook,’ I remember it clearly because it came from a man that I once loved like a father.” She ignored the tear traveling down her cheek. “And it’s stayed with me, like a scar that will never disappear. I’ll never forget the pain that I felt when heard those words from his mouth. And the fact that you’re willing to forgive him, even knowing what he said, sickens me.”
He tried to lie to her. “He didn’t mean it.”
“Yes he did and you knew it because you wouldn’t have punched him.”
“He wasn’t himself-.”
“Don’t you dare make excuses for that man.”
“That man is my father-.”
“He is a f***ing prick!” She shouted.
“Goddamnit!” He screamed back.
“What you can’t handle the truth?!”
“No, I’m tired of listening to your bulls***! Ky, I am NOT going to be miserable for you! I am not going to live my life according to your screwed up rules! See unlike you, I don’t enjoy being angry or miserable! And I refuse to punish or to push away the people around me just because I can’t move from the past!” He knew that his words had wounded her but he was too angry to even care.
With her hands on her hips she shook her head and tried to deny his words. “That is not true-.”
Clearing his throat, he pointed at her, “Oh you know that it is! You spent five years chasing Chris like some kind of lovesick obsessed idiot! And he treated you like s*** and you just kept going back to him! Now, you have this guy who is madly in love you and would do anything and I mean anything just to be near you! And you push him away; you chastise him every time he makes a mistake. Yet when it came to Chris, you somehow looked past all his bulls*** and continued to love him! How f***ed up is that?!” He was absolutely fuming.
Standing across from him, Ky looked at her guardian, her mentor, with somber yet brooding eyes. Until that moment, Harrison had concealed his true feelings towards her relationship with Chris. On some level, she knew of this and had appreciated him for not passing judgment on her during all these years. Because she had feared that his true thoughts, that his judgment would actually be her hard truth. A truth, which she had refused to accept, that she was afraid to hear. Now that her fear had come true, she had no idea how to grasp it. Instead, she resorted to what she had known best, her anger.
She picked up the coffee mug, hurled it past Harrison’s head and watched it shattered against the wall. In complete silence, both of them stared at the brown stain on the wall left by the hot chocolate that once filled the coffee mug. The look of utter shock that he gave Ky, made her realize how truly disturbed she was. Just the notion that she had tried to physically harm one of the handful of people that loved her, sickened her. Sitting down on the armchair, she held her face in her hands and cried.
Instead of comforting her, Harrison slowly went upstairs and slammed the door behind him. He sat down on his bed, looked down at the wooden floor, held the sides of his neck and sobbed.
Below him, Ky continued crying and had another realization, she needed to be saved from herself, from her darkness and it needed to happen soon or else, she would be lost forever.
M
mystery_chick
Guest
Oh ky. Partially, I feel so bad for her yet I totally see What Harrison means. Why is it so bad to know your father?
--mandy
--mandy
