Not Even Close (A New Generation)

by Elizabeth Reyes

  “Why?” Vannah shook her head not understanding. This sounded like textbook first love to her. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because.” He cradled her face in his big hands gazing deep into her eyes. “As much as it will forever be a beautiful memory, I’ve lived long enough to know I loved her as much as a fifteen-year-old thought he knew about love. But my grown ass knows better now. My mom was the one who opened my eyes to this just last year. After getting tired of watching me push through one meaningless connection after another, she finally took me aside and gave me a good talking to. I realized how wrong I’d been for years.”

  Staring into her eyes like he had so many times, Byron shook his head looking more anxious than Vannah had ever seen him before. Even when he’d been faced with her dad and uncles.

  “After only two months of being with you, there are so many reasons, I know I’m so insanely in love with you, Savannah.” Vannah nearly gasped as he gazed into her eyes. For a moment she thought she might swoon and then he went on. “I love you, baby. Lizette may’ve been my first everything, but for the life of me I can’t remember much more about our connection. I can’t even recall a single deep conversation we had. Not like now, when I lie awake at night thinking of everything we spoke of that day. I’ve never smiled and laughed so much as I have since I met you.” Savannah’s brows pinched instantly as she felt her throat swell. “Losing someone I was so close to and hung out with almost on the daily, so suddenly and tragically was, and will forever be, a pivotal part of my past. But as far as real love is concerned, I know better now that I’ve experienced it as an adult. There’s so much more to why I’ve fallen for you. As pissed as I was that night at Frat Row about you thinking I was taking advantage of your friend, I look back now and know even if I didn’t know it then, I was instantly brought to my knees when your tiny ass came at me like a bat out of hell to rescue her.”

  Vannah’s hands were at her mouth now holding back her emotions as he smiled and went on.

  “Grumpy ass people like myself, have never liked, nor enjoyed giddy people like you. Yet, I’ve never gotten enough of seeing your smile and hearing your laugh since that first day. As much as I cringe at the thought of having to be around him, I love that you think your scary-as-fuck dad is a teddy bear.” He laughed shaking his head even as her lips began to quiver. “I love how much affection you have for that evil sister of yours, and you two squeal and hug each other like you haven’t seen each other in years, even if it’s been just weeks.” He slowed when he saw how emotional this was all making her. “I love that you buy books on OfferUp to save your family money. Seriously, have you not seen how big that restaurant, slash multi banquet hall is? And that’s just one of their restaurants!”

  She nudged him smirking even through her tears. “That still doesn’t make me entitled to any of it.”

  “And I fucking love that about you, too.” He kissed her then squeezed her with another grunt then turned to the food she’d begun to prepare for him on the counter. “I love that I already know, you can warm a tortilla for me, and it’ll be the best one I’ve ever tasted not just because you made it for me, but because you were smiling and laughing the whole time.” He pulled her against him even tighter. “I love how after getting sucked into you so easily, then meeting the enormous backing you have from all those who love you, the biggest worry in those bright eyes for you is your future. More than anything, I love that you genuinely don’t seem to know just how lovable you are for so many reasons. Not just because you’re beautiful beyond words, inside and out. You really don’t realize how many people out there, your parents, uncles, me and every fucking guy that meets you from here on, would be willing to take care of you forever.”

  “I don’t wanna be taken care of.” She pulled away shaking her head, wiping away tears but he pulled her back to him and she was grateful for it. “I’ll take care of myself and I know now I’ll figure out my future eventually. Yes, it was one of my biggest worries for a long time. But after meeting you a different more terrifying fear took over. My biggest worry now is getting my heart broken.”

  “I told you before, baby.” He lifted her into his arms hugging her tightly. “I’ll never hurt you.”

  “God, I hope not.” She gasped wrapping her arms around his neck. “Because . . .” She hesitated for a moment, terrified about admitting it. But given everything he’d just admitted and heeding her mother’s adamant warnings, she trounced her fear as her emotions completely gave and she felt her face crumble. “I’m so in love with you too.”

  For a second he froze but held her tight. “Yeah?”

  She nodded, burying her head in the shaft of his neck. “Yes,” she gasped. “I don’t know how you plunged into my life out of nowhere like this and this happened so fast, but I love, love, love you, Byron. So much!”

  “Fuck!” He groaned hugging her even tighter. “I’ve been wondering the exact same thing almost since the night I met you.”

  After making sure all the burners on the stove were off, Byron whisked her off into the bedroom. As expected, and so very grateful for it, Vannah was completely naked and lying underneath his big hard body within minutes. As usual, her body willingly succumbed to his every touch, taste, kiss and stroke as he made love to her over and over as if they’d been doing so forever.

  The initial startling call had come at three AM, waking them out of their spent stupors. Any call at that time of night would shake anyone up, and Byron had jumped out of bed looking, and sounding every bit as alarmed as Vannah had felt. But the dread had been fleeting. His brother Beast had been calling from the hospital to let Byron know his wife Ali had just given birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy. Byron all set to head straight to the hospital on the spot, but after his brother let him know they were both exhausted and visiting hours weren’t until later that morning anyway, Byron and Vannah had gone back to bed. Though as usual sleep was the last thing on their mind.

  Beast had asked Byron to pick up his girls at Ali’s sister’s. Ali’s sister Lila, a former women’s boxing champ herself had a previously planned business trip out of town that day that she couldn’t get out of.

  Lila was already gone when Beast asked him to pick them up and bring them to the hospital. The girls were in the care of Lila’s nanny in the meantime. Vannah had heard so much about Elsa and Lucy from Byron, that she felt like she knew them already, but she hadn’t expected the overload of cuteness. When they arrived, the girls ran straight to their squatting uncle’s open arms. “Uncle, B!”

  “We have a new baby bwuduh.” The youngest one said.

  “I heard,” Byron said hugging them both, then pulling back to look at them, still squatting before them. “Congratulations, big sisters. You ready to go meet him?”

  “Yes!” they both said in unison but noticeably turned to look at Vannah curiously.

  Byron turned to Vannah as well, as he stood up and reached for her hand. “Okay, but first I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Savannah.”

  They stared at Savannah a bit timidly and she smiled at them even if her heart had begun pounding after hearing him refer to her as his girlfriend for the very first time.

  “Babe.” He squeezed her hand. “These are my two Littles, Elsa and Lucy.”

  “Hi,” she waved at them smiling big. “Very nice to meet you.”

  They waved back but appeared a little stunned, then Lucy turned to Byron. “I didn’t know you had a gilfwend.”

  Byron turned to Vannah and smiled. “Yeah, I didn’t either until very recently.” He turned back to Lucy who leaned against his leg looking up at Vannah. “But now that its official, I knew the first thing I had to do was introduce her to you two.”

  “Are you coming to meet Lucas too?” Elsa asked Vannah.

  “Is that his name?” Byron asked. “I didn’t even think to ask your dad when he called. I was half asleep.”

  “Lucas Edwuhd Ledesma,” Lucy said very proudly. “Elsa showed me how to spell it alweady.
”

  “I like it,” Vannah said nodding. “That’s a very nice name and sure I’d love to meet your new baby brother.”

  “Me and Lucy helped pick out his name.”

  Vannah smiled big. “Well, it’s an excellent choice.”

  Inez, Lila’s nanny explained that the girls had already had breakfast. Byron grabbed their bags and they all headed back to his car. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d warned Vannah that the girls could be very inquisitive. The entire ride to the hospital they grilled Vannah from everything about her school, about being a twin, to the color of her nail polish. Thankfully, unlike most people who harped on about her being a twin, their attention spans weren’t up for it. They moved on quickly from one topic to another. Vannah kept up with all their questions, often laughing at just how unabashed their questioning could get without either batting an eye.

  “Are you in love with Uncle B?” Elsa asked making Vannah nearly gasp.

  Byron glanced at her arching a brow but brought his eyes back to the road with a smirk. She turned back to the two adorable pairs of curious eyes. But addressed Elsa. “Yes,” she admitted even as her insides went wild. “Very much so.”

  She glanced at Lucy curiously as she recited something under her breath but Vannah only caught the tail end. “. . . then comes mewedge. Then comes baby—” She stopped suddenly as her mouth fell open. “Ah you getting meweed and having a baby?”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Byron said exaggeratingly loud. “She didn’t say all that.”

  Vannah laughed swatting him playfully. “Why is that so out of the question?”

  “Yeah, Uncle B.” Elsa asked. “Aren’t you in love with her too?”

  “Well, yeah but—"

  “Mommy said that’s what happens when two people ah in love,” Lucy said almost in a scolding tone. “They get meweed and have babies.”

  Deciding to get him off the hook, Vannah turned back to the girls. “I still have four years of school to finish.”

  “And?” Both girls asked simultaneously.

  Byron and Vannah exchanged glances and Vannah laughed nervously. “Well, I have to concentrate on finishing first before moving on to other things.”

  “My mommy got married and had me before finishing college,” Elsa countered.

  “That’s different,” Byron said as they pulled into the hospital’s parking lot.

  “How?” Lucy asked looking genuinely curious.

  Vannah felt her eyes widen, because Byron had told her about this when he’d elaborated further about his relationship with his brother. Getting married and having a baby before their mother could finish school, was not something either Ali or Byron had planned. But Vannah was quite sure the girls were still too young to know the whole truth.

  “Never mind how,” Byron said putting the car in park after pulling into a parking space. “But I’ll tell you this much. I do have every intention of marrying her someday. If it were up to me.” He glanced up at Vannah and flashed that beautiful smile. “I’d marry her tomorrow.”

  Both girls smiled big as Vannah’s heart sped up instantly. She knew he couldn’t possibly be serious. Clearly, he knew his Littles that well, that he known that’d be enough to satisfy their curiosity and get them moving on to the next topic.

  “I wanna hold Lucas fuhst,” Lucy declared, as all four walked through the parking lot holding hands.

  “But I’m the oldest,” Elsa protested.

  “So?”

  “I heard he’s a big one,” Byron said as they walked into the hospital. “Probably too heavy for either of you to hold him by yourselves just yet. You can both sit on a chair and hold him together. How ‘bout that?”

  Just like that, both girls were smiling again, their bright eyes full of anticipation. Fortunately, when they got in to see the baby, Lucas was the immediate focus of everyone’s attention. Byron had given Beast and Ali a quick and dirty introduction to his girlfriend, but the girls were so full of questions about the baby their parents couldn’t really ask too much about Vannah right away.

  Only that didn’t last long. As soon as they set the girls up in a chair like Byron had suggested so they could hold him together, Ali turned to Vannah and smiled. “I knew things were more serious than Byron was letting on. Girlfriend, huh?”

  “They’re getting married,” Elsa announced.

  “And having babies,” Lucy said following Elsa’s lead and now Vannah nearly choked on her own spit.

  As expected, his brother and Ali both turned to them looking a bit stunned. Beast’s eyes even fell to Vannah’s belly for a second, before turning to Byron. “What?”

  “Not any time soon.” Byron playfully glared at the girls and shook his head.

  “You said you wanna mehwee her tommowoh.”

  Vannah couldn’t help giggling now though it was more out of angst than anything else. “I said,” The playful glare went even more severe before Byron turned back to address his brother and Ali. “If I had it my way, I’d marry her tomorrow. But she still has four years of school.” He shrugged as if to make less of it. “You know them. They asked about everything.”

  “Still,” Beast said. “That’s a bold statement. Tomorrow? Really? What’s it been? A few months?”

  “Show me the rule book,” Byron squeezed Vannah’s hand. “Specifically, where it says how long it has to be before you just know.”

  Unlike her family, whose jaws would likely be on the floor, Beast shrugged now too, turning to Vannah. “Guess you’re the reason this guys smiled more in the last few months than he had in years.”

  Before Vannah could respond to that, the baby squirming, making noises, and scrunching his face like he was getting ready to wail, was the center of attention again. Thankfully so, because Vannah needed a breather after the subject had gone there, the very first time she’d met his family. She’d been certain meeting his family would be much less nerve wracking than his meeting hers.

  Not so.

  Byron picked up Lucas from the laps of his now anxious looking nieces. Vannah leaned in to get a closer look at the little guy, as Byron’s lulling seemed to calm him. “He’s beautiful,” she said glancing up at his proud but very tired looking parents.

  Despite the subject going back to mostly Lucas and the long night his parents had, Vannah’s head kept going back to Byron’s nonchalant declaration. She’d been certain he’d said it the first time for the sake of acquiescing his Little’s take on love and marriage. But now he’d said it to his brother and Ali as well. And he hadn’t even flinched when he did so.

  Both Beast and Vannah’s father were big, intimidating, and quick tempered, yet she was certain her father’s reaction to what Byron said about being ready to marry her tomorrow would be so much different. It’s why despite her mother insisting their family didn’t keep secrets from each other, she wouldn’t even mention this one to Nena. It’s not like they were getting married tomorrow, right? Both times, he’d mentioned the four-year waiting period they still had. That said, she knew her family would still get a little freaked if they knew the subject had even come up. It’s why Xochitl would likely be the only one to hear about it.

  Twenty-Seven

  The Earring

  Vannah

  Rushing out of her car, Vannah sprinted up the walkway to her dorm. She’d been at Byron’s for the past several days. Since she was headed home tonight for her mom’s birthday dinner and Byron couldn’t make it out with her, he’d convinced her to stay another night at his place and they’d made the most of their time together last night. They’d woken several times last night to make up for the one day they’d be apart since she’d be staying at her parents tonight. Then that morning when they’d already slept in, they were at it again. Now Vannah was running late and still needed to pack a bag since she’d be headed straight home after classes that afternoon.

  “Well, nice of you to drop in,” Xochitl said as she poured herself what looked like a smoothie from the blender in the kitchen.


  “I’m going straight home today after lab and won’t see Byron until tomorrow, so he talked me into staying an extra night at his place.” Vannah explained. “Otherwise, I would’ve been home last night.”

  “I’m sure he had to twist your arm.”

  Vannah smirked at her friend who eyed her knowingly as she rushed past her into her bedroom.

  Throwing things in a bag quickly, Vannah scurried about in her room. If it weren’t for her final in her economics class that day and then the paper she had to turn in by the end of the day, she might’ve just played hooky altogether. But staying an extra night at Byron’s, even if she felt completely spent now, was totally worth it.

  “With the semester almost over, and you practically living at Byron’s now you really think you’ll need to dorm it next semester?”

  Vannah turned to Xochitl who leaned against her doorway sucking her smoothie through a straw. Feeling slightly guilty, because ever since declaring their love for each other and making things absolutely official over two weeks ago, she’d spent all but one or two nights a week at his place. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not moving in with him, Soch. If that’s what you’re asking.”