The Lake

by Grant, AnnaLisa

  When I tried to talk, she quickly hushed me again and that was it. That was the last time I ever spoke a word to my grandparents about my parents death.

  It’s a hard thing to remember. Those five years seemed like an eternity. Grandparents are supposed to take you for an afternoon or weekend, spoil you, and then send you home sugared up with noisy toys. While you’re with them you tolerate the game shows, puzzles, 4:30 p.m. dinners, and 8:00 p.m. bed times, but I had five years of it. No friends or parties, no sleepovers; nothing that resembled the life of a teenager. I took it like the sour medicine that it was, as my punishment for taking their son away from them.

  I shake my head to clear it. I have to get off this dock. It’s a strange contradiction that in order to clear my head, I need to leave the place that helps me do just that. I go back inside and find Luke and Will taking a break.

  “There she is!” Luke says excitedly.

  “I was down at the lake…on the dock.” My reply is forced. I really just want to find Claire. She emerges from the living room with Gwen and Caroline behind her. Even better! Time with them will be an even better way to distract me. “Hey, what are you doing here?” I ask in an almost squeal.

  “We came to kidnap you! We decided that we haven’t had enough time with you, so we’re here to whisk you away! And you can’t say no.” Caroline’s attempt at forceful is ridiculously cute.

  “No way! I mean…I was just thinking I needed to get out, so it’s really great that you’re here.” I’ve barely acknowledged Will since I walked in and he looks at me quizzically. “Let me change really quick and I’ll be ready to go.” I turn to Will to say good-bye, but it just comes out as a weak smile and a wave. I’m not sure if I should try to kiss or hug him. I’ve never initiated that kind of physical contact before and this isn’t the time or place to test the waters of my comfort level. I can’t worry right now if I’ve hurt or offended him. If I have, I’ll smooth things over with him later.

  Gwen and Caroline follow me upstairs. They show no signs of being in awe of the library loft like I am every time I see it. I suppose if my house had been as enormous as this one I’d have little to be impressed with, too. It’s just eleven o’clock so the girls think we should do some shopping and then lunch. I change into something more fitting for my company and we’re quickly back in the kitchen to say our good-byes.

  Claire insists on giving me her credit card in case I find something I just can’t resist. I doubt that will happen, but I take the card because it will make her happy. I’ll need it for lunch anyway. As I turn to leave Will grabs my hand and pulls me to him. He wraps his arms around me and gives me one sweet kiss. I can’t help but kiss him back. He smells like wood, and Will and his closeness makes everything I’m struggling with in this moment so much better. He releases me and I avoid making eye contact with anyone in the room. My face begins to fill with heat and I know if I don’t leave now I won’t be able to hide it.

  Chapter 15

  Caroline drives us to the same outdoor shopping mall where I first met them. We wander the stores, not really finding anything. I’ve already browsed the racks of a few of the stores with Claire and know there isn't anything of interest to me in them. Even if there was, I can’t bring myself to pay the exorbitant prices.

  We’ve been shopping and chatting for about an hour when Caroline and Gwen give each other a knowing glance – the same one I saw on the hike – and then stare at me until I can’t take it anymore.

  “What?” I say, looking at both of them. “Ok…if you’re about to do some kind of ambush makeover…”

  “Are you going to tell us about your date with Will last night or not?” Caroline is busting at the seams.

  “You know about that?” I say with surprise.

  “Hello! We knew before you did! We knew before we met you! Will’s been talking non-stop about you for weeks. It was inevitable,” Gwen says. “Besides, that little kiss in the kitchen was telling enough.”

  Oh, yeah, the kiss. That was right there in front of everyone, wasn’t it? “Wow. I…don’t know what to say,” I stumble. I’m not being elusive; I really don’t know what to say. “What did Will say?” I ask slowly, wanting to know what they already know.

  “Will has never talked about anyone the way he talks about you, Layla. To be honest, it was starting to get on my nerves. I’m glad we met you when we did otherwise I would have had to hate you on principle,” Gwen says, with a bit of a wink. “He’s seen a couple of girls, mainly ones his dad set him up with, but Will never liked any of them, not like this. Even when he was with Holly it wasn’t like this.” My stomach churns at the mention of Holly’s name. I’m momentarily filled with fear knowing that a House Call is in my future if Will’s father finds out about us.

  “Well…are you going to fill us in or not?” Caroline asks eagerly.

  “Oh, um, ok. Well, it was really great” I say nervously. I’m not sure how much to divulge so I tell them as much as I did Claire and hope that they don’t push for more.

  “This is so great, Layla,” Caroline says hooking her arm through mine. “Will needs a girl like you. The choice of girls for someone like Will is slimmer than slim. You’ll understand better once school starts, but, well, we’re sort of the outcasts of the school. Chris, Tyler, Caroline, and me…we’re buying our time until we’re out from inside the Heyward bubble. We play the game and make nice as much as possible, but not Will. His family is literally the wealthiest of all the families at Heyward and Will doesn’t hide his hatred of it. It baffles the rest of the school. But Layla…you’re one of us. You’re exactly what Will needs.”

  My time with the girls has definitely changed and lightened my mood. I’m feeling much better now. I don’t know how to thank Gwen and Caroline for their encouragement and support. I’m not sure that they fully grasp the risk Will and I are taking. I have a feeling they know better than to broadcast my and Will’s relationship until he gives them the go-ahead, but I’ll leave it to him to dispense any instructions on the topic.

  Throughout the afternoon both Gwen and Caroline continue to quiz me on minor details of my date with Will, and I answer as vaguely as I can. While I’m warming up to the idea of having girlfriends with whom to share all of my new found girly-ness with, I really want to keep the details to myself as my personal treasure, just as I did with Claire. I was forced to keep my feelings inside for so long, so it’s nice to know it’s my choice now.

  We shop for another hour or so, with Gwen finding a pair of boots she can’t live without. We stop for lunch and are back at Luke and Claire’s by four. Caroline has a hair appointment and Gwen a fitting for her cousin’s wedding, so they drop me off with a promise to call me tomorrow. I walk into the kitchen and find Luke, Claire, and Will exactly where we left them. I wonder if Will knew what Gwen and Caroline’s hidden agenda had been today. I’m sure he did and most likely saw it as my initiation into their sisterhood.

  “You’re back! They weren’t too terrible to you, were they?” Will says as he locks his arms around my waist. He’s quite free with expressing his feelings for me around Luke and Claire. I take it as a good sign that he feels as safe around them as I do. This is the only place we can be ourselves like this.

  “No, I had a really great time with them,” I say.

  “Well, good. Are you still up for a tour today?” Will asks.

  “Actually…would it be ok with you if we didn’t go today? Could we hang out here?” I’m thinking that my staying in night needs to come sooner than later for Luke and Claire. They obliged me this morning, as they usually do, and I’m beginning to feel badly about that. I hope they won’t mind me asking Will to stay. On second thought, they’re probably happy to have us somewhere they can keep an eye on me.

  “Yeah, sure, whatever you want to do is great with me,” Will replies, giving me a little squeeze.

  “Is that ok with you, Aunt Claire?” I ask. I’ve called her aunt and it makes her teary eyed. I feel a flutter in my s
tomach at the thought that something I did could evoke emotion in someone like that.

  “I think that’s a great idea, Layla. Why don’t you two check out what movies we have up in the loft, or we can go get one, and then we can order in,” she says joyfully.

  Will and I head upstairs to the loft to see what our choices are. Having not watched a movie since I’ve been here, it takes me a few minutes to figure out which beautiful piece of furniture houses the DVD’s. I finally find the exquisite piece. It’s a tall, dark wooden case with stunning scrolled engravings on the doors. There are hundreds of movies inside. I’m scanning the titles when Will comes from behind and puts his hands on my hips, making my heart skip a beat.

  “What changed?” he asks.

  “What do you mean?” I reply.

  “You called her Aunt Claire. What changed?” His voice is like velvet, soft and smooth.

  “Well…” I pause. How do I tell him that Luke’s warning about his tyrannical father was the catalyst to my embracing them as family? I don’t. “The time that I’ve been here has proven to be good…better than expected, actually. They’ve been really wonderful and so incredibly supportive. They’re my only family. It just didn’t make sense for me to pretend like they weren’t.”

  “I think it’s nice,” Will says and leaves it at that.

  *****

  Over the next weeks Will and I spend as much time together as we can. Whether it’s while he works on the house with Luke, spending time with our friends, or the moments we can sneak away and be alone, I enjoy every minute of being with him. My favorite times with Will are simple. We walk the campus of Davidson College where no one knows us. It’s a beautiful campus right in the middle of town. I only got nervous once or twice that we would run into Marcus.

  Will never hesitates to hold my hand or put his arm around my waist while we’re with our friends or even with Luke and Claire. With the exception of when I went shopping with the girls, he always kisses me on the cheek, never the lips, in front of anyone. In fact, he continues to be a perfect gentleman in private as well. We’ve shared a few beautiful kisses by the lake but nothing passionate. I receive one single soft and gentle kiss before he leaves me at the end of our time together. I’m probably over thinking it, but I can’t help but wonder if I’m doing something wrong. Aren’t I supposed to be beating my boyfriend off with a stick and telling him we should wait? But, in all honesty, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Will provides the safety and security that I have longed for and I can’t imagine anything better.

  We’ve just ended one of our long walks and I’m making dinner. I’m experimenting with some southwestern seasoning and Claire is making what she makes best, salad.

  “I thought I’d mix salsa and the seasoning together, coat the chicken with it, and grill it like that. How does that sound?” I wasn’t asking anyone directly, just taking a poll.

  “That sounds delicious! I’ll get the corn started,” Claire says. She pulls the corncobs from the freezer and sets them in the sink. They thud and clank loudly as they hit the huge stainless bowl.

  Luke enters the kitchen, dread painting his face almost white. All three of us notice but Claire is the first to say something. “Luke, honey, what’s wrong?” she says.

  “I just got off the phone with your father, Will. He’s invited us all to dinner tonight. He said he’s especially interested in getting to know Layla,” he says. Gregory Meyer’s invitation isn’t really an invitation. Invitations are something you have the option to decline. No, this invitation is an expectation of our presence.

  No one is saying anything until I frantically ask, “What does that mean?”

  “It means he’s not stupid. Can I talk to you outside?” Will says as he walks out the back door to the patio.

  Luke steps forward to intervene but I hold my hand up and tell him it’s ok with my eyes and follow Will outside. The sun is setting and a red evening glow hovers around us. It’s such a beautiful sky. I’m afraid it’s about to be ruined.

  Will is pacing and breathing deeply. He’s fuming. It’s worse than the day of the bar-b-q.

  “Will?” I try to get his attention. “Will!” I say louder and he finally stops. “Talk to me.”

  “Layla…this is…this isn’t good. He knows. There’s no other reason for him to express such an interest in you.” Will is visibly shaken.

  “Maybe he’s just testing the waters. Maybe he thinks something is going on, but he’s not sure. We don’t have to tell him anything.” I’m not confident in my theory at all, but want to be hopeful.

  “He’s not testing the waters, he’s testing us. We can say nothing or tell him whatever we want about our relationship but he’s still going to know. All he has to do is spend five minutes with you and he’ll know you’re everything he detests about women. You’re smart, independent, and ambitious. He’ll put it all together and know that I’m in love with you.” Will is pacing again and doesn’t realize what he just said.

  “What?” I ask needing to clarify the words I can’t believe my ears just heard him utter.

  Will stops pacing and loosk at me realizing he’s just declared his love for me. He steps forward and puts his hands on my hips. “I love you, Layla. This isn’t exactly how I had hoped to tell you. I actually had this whole plan, but…there it is. I love you. Say something. Please.”

  I stare at Will in disbelief. All I can think is that I’m going to pass out in this surreal moment. “I love you, too. More than anything and with all my heart, I love you.” My mouth is moving and I hope that sound is coming out. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for – my moment of redemption when I’m finally allowed to have something good, something so wonderful as Will’s love.

  The words have barely left my lips when Will is kissing them.

  He kisses me like never before. He’s more passionate this time, like he’s driving home a point. Our lips moved together and I can feel the heat from his breath mingled with mine. His right hand holds the back of my head while his left arm pulls me closer to him by my waist. My heart races and my breathing becomes deeper as my arms reach behind him and up his back and I’m kissing him just as passionately.

  Will pulls away just as forcefully as he embraced me and it’s over all too soon. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, not like that,” he says, catching his breath.

  “Why are you sorry?” I’m only sorry he stopped.

  “I just don’t want…I can’t get carried away,” he says.

  “Is it me? Did I do something wrong?”

  “Oh my gosh, Layla! It is you, but not the way you think. You do everything right. It would be far too easy for me to get carried away with you. I don’t want our relationship to turn into that. I love you too much to let anything, even how much I want you, ruin this.”

  “Oh…ok. I see.” I understand, but it doesn’t seem to make me feel much better. It’s a strange feeling to want Will the way I do. I want to be as close to him as I possibly can. I want to feel his hands on my body pulling me to him. It’s in those moments that everything, every tragedy of my life, slips away. My past is gone and Will is my future.

  “I think you should fake an illness,” Will says turning our conversation back to the issue at hand.

  “Will, we can’t hide from him forever. I can do this. Let me help, please.” I look into Will’s eyes and fall into them immediately. I start to think of a strategy and wonder if there isn’t any kind of pleasant resolve to this. “Isn’t there any reason he would like me?”

  “My dear, sweet, Layla,” Will says, his words penetrating my heart. “There are infinite reasons for him to like you. Unfortunately, the only reason he cares about is absent from your profile. You lack the shallowness necessary to live a life obsessed with money and power.”

  “Oh…well, is there anything I can do or change? Don’t you think I could make him like me?” I’m good at adapting to meet the need of the circumstance. I did it for five years with my grandparents,
and I’m willing to do anything if it will make things easier for us.

  “Are you kidding me?” he smiles and takes my face in his hands. “Layla, there is nothing about you that should ever, ever change. You are perfectly desirable just the way you are.”

  “So what are we going to do?” I ask, realizing all my hopefulness isn’t going to make this situation anything other than what it is.

  Will takes a deep breath and says, “We’re going to face him. We don’t have a choice. We’ll be as elusive as possible. Lie if you have to, but know that he’s going to question you without you even knowing it’s happening. Choose your words carefully. Luke and Claire will jump in where they can and I’ll do as much of the talking as I can. I’m here to rescue you, remember.” Will’s smile at the end of his instructions only partially works in relieving my fears.

  While I agree to his terms of how to handle our dinner with his father, my mind can’t help but continue to run wild. Maybe if I pretended to be the airy, indifferent girl he prefers he’ll back off and let Will and I be together. I know that won’t work. I can’t do indifferent, and I’m certain I can’t pull off airy. Then I think that maybe what Mr. Meyer would like is if I lay the adoration of him on thick. This is crazy! I tell myself. I decide that my best approach is to trust Will and follow his lead.

  I run upstairs to my room and make an attempt at finding something suitable to wear to an interrogation. I don’t have a lot to choose from, so I put on my light blue dress, the one I wore to Gramps’ funeral. It seems appropriate. Claire is dressed in a casual floral skirt that hits just above her knee and pink top, so I don’t feel out of place.

  The four of us stand in the living room, silent for a few long minutes. No one has anything to say. There is no way to know exactly how tonight will go. We just know that we are unified in our front, which is the best thing we have going for us.

  “Thank you, Mr. Weston. Your support means a lot to us,” Will says as he shakes Luke’s hand.