Not Even Close (A New Generation)

by Elizabeth Reyes

  Vannah turned around and touched his face as he loosened his hold on her. “I do.”

  His expression softened just slightly but that intensity she and Xochitl had noticed even before meeting him was a palpable one. She’d seen it earlier during the confrontation between him and her brother—the bulging vein on the side of his head just above eye level. She’d noticed it but was understandably distracted with everything else going on to give it much thought then. Now she caressed it softly with the back of two fingers. As with everything else about him there was no denying what he was feeling. It screamed in-your-face, I-couldn’t-hide-it-if-I-tried, candor.

  She glanced up at him and their eyes locked, as his searched hers anxiously. “I feel a little . . . naïve and it scares me.” Clearing her throat, she went on. “I don’t know what it is about you.” She tilted her head almost afraid to say it. “But I’ve believed everything you’ve said to me so far.” Playfully pouting as his expression eased up a little more, she added what she knew would have him feeling bad again. But it was the truth and she wanted to be as open with him, as he was being with her. “Even that text you sent yesterday.”

  He let his head fall back in obvious regret, though he pulled her against him firmly. Vannah went on quickly before he could start kicking himself about it again. “I get it, Byron. I really do. Not sure how I would’ve reacted if I’d seen you with someone else like you thought you’d seen me, but I know that despite it only being a week since you first kissed me, it would’ve felt like a kick in the gut.” She smirked, keeping to herself just what a kick in the gut his text alone had felt like. “Just like Xochitl and I dissected that awful text, I’m sure I would’ve needed her to help me come up with how to respond to anything from you after watching you suck face with another girl.”

  His anxious eyes continued to search hers in such a concerned way she knew couldn’t possibly be something he was faking. “Why?” he asked as Vannah peered at him in question, so he went on quickly. “Why do you feel naïve? I mean I know we haven’t known each other long and I know what happened at the gym with your brother is what led to your father asking me to join you guys for dinner on a whim. But I could’ve easily said no. You know that, right? As intimidating a man as he is, and as awkward as the situation was, I still could’ve lied and said I had to work or already had plans. In fact, I’m sure I would’ve, had this been anyone else. I wouldn’t have put myself through all that just for the sake of trying to get lucky with a chick. You believe that, don’t you?”

  Vannah nodded, not sure if she believed him entirely. Not that she thought him a liar, but a part of her was still scared to believe it all. That horrible feeling of her gut bottoming out yesterday when she’d read that text he sent, was still just too raw. As upsetting as it’d been, she’d been equally pissed that she’d gotten so ahead of herself this quickly. While her heart wanted nothing more than to believe everything his words and penetrating eyes were conveying, her head was begging her to proceed cautiously.

  “I do. But you’re right, Byron.” She pressed her lips together to give herself a second to choose her words wisely. “I may be young and not have a whole lot of experience when it comes to this stuff, but I know enough to get that this is something that really did just come barreling into both our lives.” She laughed nervously. “I mean after just one week you’ve already met my entire immediate family and you don’t know the half of it when it comes to them. Me and Nena and my mom have had entire conversations about all the possible scenarios of what it’d be like the day one of us finally brought someone home to daddy and our brothers.”

  Byron’s expression eased into a smirk as his brows arched. “You mean the big, sweet teddy bear and his equally sweet and ready-to-pounce cubs?”

  Vannah laughed nudging his chest playfully. “It really was a lot less painless than all the scenarios my sister and I have imagined over the years, you know. Overall, I’d say you meeting my family went pretty smoothly.”

  His eyes going wide and jaw dropping was enough to have her giggling again, but then he added. “You mean me getting in your sister’s face, your brother and I nearly going to blows, and that being your parents’ first impression of me is what you call smooth?”

  Of course, this had Vannah cracking up again and she was glad for the relief in the tension, but she gathered herself to explain. “Alright, that first part could’ve been totally avoided, and I take complete responsibility for it. But I meant dinner with my family went smooth. Don’t you agree?”

  “Yeah, it did actually,” Byron said tightening his embrace on her a little roughly, but she smiled beyond relieved for his lighter mood. “For a minute there until after when the big, sweet teddy bear threatened my ass.” She laughed even as he let her go and got back to working on getting clean sheets on his bed again. “Can we just forget about all that and catch up on what we missed out on all week?”

  Swallowing hard, Vannah wondered how and why things seemed to change and move so rapidly between them. Like their connection had progressed leaps and bounds in a matter of just one week, her head was already completely rethinking something she’d been so sure of less than an hour ago. When she jumped into Byron’s arms earlier, and he carried her up the stairs like her knight in shining armor, she’d been so ready to move this along even further. She’d been so impressed by his honesty and willingness to wear his heart on his sleeve. No matter how out there his frantic explanations of both Irma and the earring in his bed had made him appear.

  But despite all that, or maybe it was because of it, everything she’d felt today and yesterday had been an eyeopener. Vannah wondered if the smarter thing to do wasn’t for her to take a step back. At the very least slow things down until she knew for sure she was ready to take such a chance with him. Already she knew just how weak and easily she’d be ready to believe and forgive Byron for any misunderstandings and she hadn’t even slept with him yet. Even more important, she’d also gotten a feel of what she’d be in for if he ever did hurt her.

  “Hey.”

  Vannah glanced up at Byron, surprised she’d zoned out long enough that he was done replacing his sheets and pillowcases.

  “Lost you there for a moment,” he said smiling softly then motioned to the bed. “This doesn’t mean I’m expecting things to go anywhere past what we’ve done so far. Kissing and holding you is more than enough until you’re ready for anything more, Savannah. No matter how long that is.”

  Smiling, Vannah lifted her knee onto the bed refraining from doing what his sweet and genuine words did to her. Pushing the visuals of leaping across the bed and wrapping her arms around his neck she nodded, climbing onto the bed and took a deep breath. So far, he’d been completely honest with her and heeding her mother’s warning, she decided to take the chance of being this honest with him this early on.

  “You have no idea how much I looked forward to your kisses all week.”

  With a groan he was on the bed next to her in the next second. “Trust me,” he said kissing her softly as he pulled her up against his hard body. “It was absolute torture to have to wait,” he whispered against her lips. “And I won’t be doing that again. Even if it means me driving down to your dorm every night just to kiss you goodnight.”

  Smiling, Vannah was beyond grateful that he made it so easy to say things like that to him. As scary as it was to admit these things so soon, his responses were never a disappointment. It’s why she decided to share something else with him when he finally came up for air to gaze into her eyes in that same dazed way she was feeling.

  “I hardly got any sleep this whole week.” She smiled running her fingers through his hair. “My mind’s been so preoccupied with thoughts of you.” Feeling her dreamy smile wane a bit she added the next part, only because she now knew why he’d sent that text. “Last night was the worst though. I don’t think I slept at all.”

  His smile flattened at that. “Only reason I got any sleep last night was because after seeing your siste
r with that dude, I went out and got wasted.”

  Surprised by this, Vannah felt her brows pinch. “You did?”

  Closing his eyes for a moment, he shook his head. “Yeah, but I don’t want to think about that anymore. I’d rather be doing this.”

  In the next instant, he devoured her mouth. And for what felt like forever and yet not long enough, she was indulged with the sweetest nonstop of what she was now sure no one would ever come close to replicating, Byron’s glorious kisses.

  A phone ringing in the distance pulled a reluctant Vannah out of the amazing dream she’d been having. It took her a few seconds to grasp that she wasn’t in her own bed, and then a few more to realize it wasn’t all a dream. Glancing around as her heart rate spiked suddenly, Byron walking into the room smiling broadly calmed her a bit. The fact that she was still fully dressed also helped, except she couldn’t help but wonder. “What time is it?”

  He brought a finger to his lips as he held out her cell phone to her. “It’s just after eight in the morning.” Vannah’s jaw dropped as Byron smirked before handing her the phone. “Phone call from mom.”

  Not sure she wanted to answer, but relieved he walked right back out of the bedroom, giving her some privacy, she did. “Morning, Mommy.”

  “Morning, Sunshine.”

  Vannah smiled. One of the polar opposite traits, as Byron had put it, between her and her twin was that Nena was not a morning person. As opposed to Vannah who was always cheery regardless of the time of day.

  “I take it you were too busy last night with your friend to call and see if your parents made it home okay?”

  Wincing, Vannah brought her hand over her face feeling bad. “Sort of. I’m sorry. I had a long week, with little sleep and last night I just knocked out.”

  “With him?”

  “Hmm?” Vannah squeezed the phone a little tighter.

  “Did you knock out with your friend, Byron?”

  “I can’t really talk about that right now,” she said in a lowered voice then refrained from giggling when she heard her mother gasp.

  “Savannah,” she hissed and Vannah knew her mother had likely been in bed still.

  “Mom, don’t say anything if daddy’s nearby!”

  There were some door closing sounds and footsteps, then more doors closing before her mother spoke again. “Did you spend the night with him?”

  Sitting up, Vannah glanced around certain Byron had done nothing more than kiss her whipped ass to sleep, but still knew her mom would have a million questions. “Yes, I’m still at his place actually but he’s in the other room. Only nothing happened,” she whispered. “I just woke up and I’m fully dressed. He promised me he’d wait until I was ready for more than just making out. I just had the longest week of losing sleep. We hung out here at his place last night after dinner. There wasn’t even any booze involved and I still can’t remember falling asleep.”

  “You lost sleep all week, why?”

  Out of everything she’d just admitted to her mother, this was her main concern? Chuckling softly as it suddenly dawned on her, Vannah shook her head knowing full well her mom already knew. “Because I met this amazing guy who after one date, he’s the last thing I think of when I fall asleep, and the first when I wake.” Suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, she felt her face scrunch and she wiped tears away before Byron could walk in and see her but admitted to more even as her voice broke a bit. “I’m scared, mom.”

  “Scared of what, baby?”

  Sniveling back all the emotion that made it hard to speak, she squeaked out her explanation. “That he’ll break my heart.”

  Her mom was silent for just a moment until she spoke up again. “You said you’re at his place still. You’re fully dressed after spending the night and now you’re crying. Where is he?”

  Vannah shook her head still swiping stupid tears away. “I dunno. He just walked in to hand me my phone because it was ringing but walked back out.”

  Just then Byron walked in again holding a tray in one hand, and his finger against his lips with the other, to show he didn’t want to interrupt. He put the tray down with the plate of food, napkins, and utensils over her upper thighs and pecked her before starting to walk away again but paused when his eyes met hers in question. Vannah made a show of yawning big to explain her glistening eyes. She smiled when he nodded as if understanding and started away again.

  Vannah covered her mouth feeling a little guilty, though it didn’t muffle her soft bemused laughter as she took in her breakfast. “He just brought me breakfast in bed,” she whispered with a smile as soon as he was out of the room, looking down at her perfectly plated breakfast. “French toast, sausage and coffee.” Breathing in deeply and sucking it in because she was terrified now of allowing her heart to get too excited so soon all over again. She was just glad this was her mom on the phone with her because even this made her feel so weak. “Mom, he’s so perfect.”

  Her mother chuckled but then huffed. “They can be, even when they don’t know it.” Vannah shook her head not understanding but before she could ask, her mother went on. “Listen to me, Savannah. If you really believe he’s genuinely into you and trust me a mother knows and this boy has it bad, you need to be honest. Spare yourself all the unnecessary tears and sleepless nights and just tell him.”

  “Well, we did talk last night.” Vannah picked up a sausage with her fork but lowered her voice. “I mean after what happened at the gym, he wanted to make sure we got it straight, that while he knows I have every intention of focusing on school and hadn’t anticipated getting into any kind of serious relationship, that what we’re doing still be exclusive.”

  “And exactly what is it you’re doing?”

  Vannah thought about it chewing her sausage as she stretched her neck and listened to see if Byron was anywhere nearby. Though she got the feeling he’d continue giving her, her privacy until he knew she was off the phone. “He called it having fun. But only because of how I explained to daddy when he asked about what happened to me not wanting anything to derail my focus on school.”

  “Yeah, about that.” Her mom huffed, or was she chuckling under her breath? “I get that he was nervous and rightfully so. I’m sure the last thing he expected to be doing yesterday was having dinner with your parents. Especially not sitting next to your father of all fathers.” This time Vannah was sure of it. Her mother was laughing at poor Byron’s expense. Still Vannah couldn’t help but laugh softly even as she continued to chew her breakfast. “But I watched and observed him closely the entire dinner, Savannah. He was tense for sure from the moment you guys arrived but there was no mistaking the change in demeanor after you told your father your plans were to enjoy your college years.”

  Vannah swallowed her food and quickly wiped her mouth. “What do you mean?”

  “Let me put it to you this way, honey.” Her mom chuckled again but this time Vannah’s insides were a hot mess. “That boy was not happy with your explanation of what you two are doing. You basically lumped him in as a part of your plan to just enjoy your college years. It’s why I called you first thing this morning. I was curious if the subject had been brought up again. Obviously, it was.”

  Thinking about it for a moment, Vannah felt her eyes open wide and she lowered her voice again. “It was one of the first things we discussed in the car before we even got back to his place.” She shook her head rolling her eyes. “Second only to daddy threatening to hurt him if he hurt me.”

  “Did he?” Her mother’s chuckling mood took a sudden shift and this time there was no mistaking the irritated huff. “I asked your father point blank if he’d threatened that boy. I should’ve known when he waved me off, then instantly turned the subject on Sienna to ask why Byron would get so fired up about thinking he’d seen you having a taco with another guy.”

  Nearly spitting up her coffee, Vannah covered her mouth with her napkin then wiped away the dribble. “What did she say?”

  “Of course she told him she had
no idea, and that Byron was clearly just an intense guy. But I cornered your sister later and made her spill it.”

  Vannah’s father’s voice in the background interrupted their conversation. She sat and listened smiling as her mom verbally walked him through all the places his running shoes might be.

  With another huff her mom was on the phone again. “I guess we’re taking a morning hike. So, I have to go now but I just wanted to make sure to tell you, this guy ain’t playing, Savannah. From what little you’ve told me about him so far, and what I observed, biggest difference between him and your dad is that at least in your case you’re not dealing with a man whose pride outweighs him. If he’s already wanting to get things straight, be honest with your feelings too. Talk. Trust me, baby girl. It’ll spare you so much heartache. And I’ve already seen it in your face, heard it in your voice, sweetheart. You have it bad too.”

  Feeling choked up, yet again, Vannah smiled. “I will.

  “Good.” Her mom groaned when her dads voice bellowed in the background asking about where his basketball shorts or something or other was. “I love you, but I gotta go.”

  Vannah snivel laughed. “I love you too, mom.”

  As soon as she hung up, she moved her empty plate and cup to the nightstand and got out of bed. She rushed to the bathroom to rinse her mouth out with his mouthwash then rushed into the other room.

  Her hurrying was slowed abruptly as she heard Byron’s hushed voice. She couldn’t make out much of what he said but clearly, he was irritated, and she thought she may’ve even heard him cuss. She took a few more steps towards the kitchen then felt bad. He’d given her privacy, she should return the favor, so she turned around and started back into the bedroom until she heard his next louder more distinct response.