by Clark, Bekah
“I’ll try not to embarrass you by talking about books. But, I could have sworn you said she was smart and reads.”
“Yeah, but…”
“But, you want to make this big impression on her. Don’t worry about it. If she really likes you, nothing I say or do will change that.”
Kyle sighed. Lyssa really wasn’t the type to judge him based on the people in his life. If she had, she would have broken it off when she learned he’d gone out a few times with Tori.
Speaking of Tori, he didn’t know how Lexa had pulled off that stunt with coloring everything in her locker, but when Lyssa had told him, he almost applauded. That is, until he realized Lyssa was angry with Lexa for doing such a thing. It was weird too. Lyssa seemed worried that Lexa pulling such a prank would have extreme consequences. Beyond what was normal. He kept his mouth shut and no consequences happened.
The doorbell rang and he sprang to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he went to the door and opened it. She was standing in the moonlight, staring up at the stars. Her blond hair was like a halo, shimmering around her. He wanted her so damn much.
When she turned to him, he realized he wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Her gray-blue eyes were wider than normal, she seemed a little jittery, and not in the way she usually got around him. She smiled up at him and he wanted to just kiss her and run off to be alone.
“Is that her?” his father called from the living room.
Lyssa’s cheeks turned cherry red. Cute.
Stepping aside, he held open the screen door, “Come on in.”
With short quick steps, she came inside and waited for him right by the door. They were out of sight, so he kissed her brow and said, “You look beautiful. Come on.”
Taking her hand, he led her to the living room and his father stood up with a smile sparkling in his green eyes, “So, Lyssa. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s so nice to finally see you in person. I’m Tim Adams.”
His father shot him a “way to go, son” look while he extended his hand. Lyssa smiled and said politely, “Mr. Adams. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Kyle’s mom bustled into the living room, her blond curly hair in a bun on her head, and smiled brightly, “You must be Lyssa, I’m Clara.”
Lyssa took her hand and said softly, “Mrs. Adams.”
“Well, I must say, my son has taste,” his mom said, much to his chagrin, “you’re lovely.”
His mom shot him a wicked grin and he felt the skin on his cheeks heat. Leave it to his mother to say something embarrassing right off the bat. Lyssa was not blushing however. Apparently, only he made her blush. That was good to see.
“Thank you,” she said graciously, “Something smells delicious.”
“I’m making lasagna and garlic bread,” his mom beamed with pride.
“I love Italian.”
There was an awkward moment where they all stood there silently, and then his mom smiled before heading into the kitchen. Kyle and Lyssa made their way into the living room where they sat down. Lyssa suddenly noticed his father’s book. She looked at Kyle excitedly.
“Is that your copy of Hitchhiker’s Guide?”
Kyle’s eyes rose to his father who was behind her. His father gave him a smirk. Everything in his dad’s gaze said I told you so. Kyle fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he shook his head.
Kyle’s father chimed in, “Nope, it’s mine.”
Lyssa turned to his father with a grin, light sparkling in her eyes. His father blinked a moment and then smiled as she gushed, “I love that book. It’s so funny!”
After that, the two of them launched into a half-hour long discussion about the book which eluded Kyle. Apparently, there was a series of books. The two got into an almost heated debate about which book was best and which was worse. Maybe he should read it, too.
When his mother called them for dinner, Lyssa sat to his left. She got nervous again now that the sci-fi discussion was over. He reached under the table and took her hand. He held it for a moment, until her eyes met his. He gave it a soft squeeze and she smiled. His dad cleared his throat and Kyle released her hand. Lyssa blushed and looked over to his father who was planning to serve her some of the lasagna.
“Oh, dad, give her more than that.”
Lyssa blushed deeply and his dad arched a brow, “Uh, Kyle, girls…”
“Trust me, dad, I know my girlfriend’s appetite.”
“I…I don’t want to cause a problem. Besides, your family is probably going to eat this again tomorrow.”
Kyle’s dad grinned, put the plate in front of his mother and took another plate. He cut off a good healthy sized portion for Lyssa who was blushing, “Nonsense. I’m just used to girls who eat less. What do you do to stay in shape anyway?”
Still blushing, she nodded as he placed the plate in front of her and he gave her a large piece of garlic bread. She replied, “Well, most days I get up early. I have a punching bag that I hit for thirty minutes and then I practice some various martial arts for an hour. Then I run on a treadmill for another thirty minutes. At night, I do some cardio and lift weights.”
Both of his parents looked at him, looked at Lyssa and then looked at her arms. They were muscular, not overly so, but you could tell she was strong. His dad cut another piece of garlic bread and put it on her plate. Lyssa blushed again and looked at him.
“Want something to drink?” His mom asked softly.
“Red wine would go perfectly with this meal,” she grinned mischievously, her voice playful, “but I’ll have water or soda since I’m underage.”
His parents laughed. Lyssa rarely joked, so he loved it when she did. He was relieved his parents realized she was joking and were cool with it. He understood that that could have gone really bad.
The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Lyssa gushed about how good his mother’s food was to the point his mom blushed. But, she was so genuine in her praise, it wasn’t overdone. When they finished eating, Lyssa got up and helped clean. He could hear her chatting with his mom. He went to help but his father dragged him into the other room.
“I see why you like her. She’s beautiful.”
“She’s not just beautiful.”
“I didn’t mean the way she looks. She’s charming, kind and very intelligent. Don’t let her go. Maybe you two could go to the same college or something.”
Kyle grinned, “Am I allowed to give her a tour of the house now?”
His dad rolled his eyes, “Yes, but if you bring her to your room, keep it PG. Got it?”
Shaking his head he sighed, “Yes, dad.”
Kyle led Lyssa around the house, which was fairly large, but average for his street. He showed her the pool through the picture window that overlooked the back yard and then led her upstairs to his room. She poked around his room. If his parents weren’t home, he would definitely be trying something that was not PG.
He had decided today was the day he was going to kiss her. Nothing too passionate, not yet. He wanted to save the real passionate stuff for their next big date. Every time they made some progress, he liked to tease her with what was to come. For the moment, he just watched her as she poked around his comics. Eventually, she sat on his bed and just looked up at him cutely. Dammit.
He walked over and sat next to her, slow and deliberate. He didn’t want to spook her. But, as he looked into her eyes, he realized she didn’t quite get the danger she could be in with him. He was her first boyfriend, so maybe the idea of sex never really occurred to her. Or, maybe it did but she didn’t realize that he wanted it.
He wanted it, but he was going to wait. Wait as long as it took until she was ready. It surprised him how willing to wait for her he was. But, he also wasn’t going to wait while doing nothing at all. He tilted his head and softly stroked her cheek. Watching in amazement as her blush followed his touch. He smiled. She returned his smile, her blush deepening. Leaning forward he gently brushed his lips over her brow, her temples, her cheeks and he
was about to kiss her lips when there was a knock on the door.
“Come on down for dessert,” his mother said softly. She was probably hoping to stop anything before it started. That was fine. He had promised himself he’d give her a real kiss at the right time. His bedroom with his parents downstairs was not the time.
“We’ll be right down.”
Lyssa stared up at him, blushing brightly. For a long moment, he just stared into her eyes. His hand gently caressed her cheek and she smiled up at him. Softly, she ran her fingertips over his mouth. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his shyly, unsurely. Damn if he didn’t want her right then and there. His parents downstairs and all he didn’t care. Instead, he kissed her gently, tenderly. Then, he tore himself away. If he didn’t he would give her the kiss he wanted to give her after their next real date. This was just her meeting his parents. If he hadn’t been forced to reschedule the date, they might be in make out territory now. He’d wanted to make faster progress. And yet… and yet, every moment with her was fascinating. Everything with her was brand new.
He stood up. If he didn’t, he’d kiss her again more deeply. This light kiss didn’t count, he assured himself, the real kiss he wanted to give her was far more intense than that. He held out his hand and the two of the made their way downstairs. She paused to look at the family photos on the wall.
“You were so adorable,” she said, “What happened?” she added with a wicked grin.
He elbowed her gently and she giggled and then paused in front of the photo of his younger brother. She looked at him for a long moment and then turned to him.
“Kyle?”
With one word, the way she said his name, he realized she had instantly understood. Understood and was leaving it to him to decide whether he wanted to explain or not. He tucked a strand of her straight honey gold hair behind her ear.
“He died three years ago, just before he turned twelve.”
She squeezed his hand as tears sprung to her eyes, she very gently asked, “What was his name?”
“John. He was a little monster. Would follow me around. I was awful, I’d tell him no all the time. That day if…” Kyle closed his eyes. He opened them when he felt her burrow into his side, clinging and offering tender support.
“He was following me. I hadn’t realized he’d left the house to follow me. He was being quiet so I wouldn’t send him home. He was crossing the street…”
She squeezed him tightly; he didn’t need to go on. She knew, she understood and he realized she was giving him whatever warmth he needed. He kissed her brow.
“I wish I could have known him.”
“Me, too.”
“You do realize that it isn’t your fault?”
Kyle laughed softly, bitterly, “Most days.”
She nodded and they continued downstairs. In the living room, they ate warm apple pie and ice cream alone and in silence. Sitting as close as she could, from time to time she’d gently touch his hand. Finally, he started to tell her about John. About how he’d been jealous when John had been born. How his dad used to play ball with the two of them. Little things about his personality and how he’d sneak into his room during thunderstorms. She curled into his side and he felt tears come to his eyes. He hadn’t really spoken about John to anyone outside his family in three years. Most days he tried not to think of him at all. It just hurt too much. Yet, while speaking with her, he realized a weight he hadn’t understood he was carrying was suddenly gone.
Walking her to her car, he stood there and watched how the moonlight reflected in her honey gold hair and he smiled. Stroking back a loose strand, they stared at one another for a long time. She glanced at his lips and he knew she wanted to kiss him. Pulling her close, he pressed his lips to her brow. He knew she wanted more, but he wanted to wait. When they did finally have that first intense kiss, he wanted to blow her mind.
Chapter 13
It was a Saturday in mid-October and Kyle finally had the day off. They planned on going out for the day and Lyssa worked quietly on packing a lunch for them. He had said something about Concord. Lyssa had never been. Since moving to Bedford, however, the girls had both come to love what they had seen of Massachusetts. Lyssa, of course, tended to like the more traditional and colonial parts.
After she finished, Lyssa quickly dressed in comfortable clothing. Kyle had emphasized jeans and sweaters for the day. She even put on her Doc’s that she’d bought not long after they first reached Earth. She tied them all the way up to her knees over her skinny jeans. The boots were black with a pattern of pink roses all over them. She grinned because they were delightfully garish. Pairing the outfit with an oversized fuzzy pink sweater, which was another old favorite, she checked herself in the mirror. When they moved from place to place, there were certain items she always kept. Certain books were some and these two were part of the others.
Once she had woven her hair into a long Dutch braid, Lyssa set on doing some light make up. She was just putting on her pink bubblegum lip-gloss when the doorbell rang. Downstairs, she could hear Lexa answering the door. Worried what her sister would say, Lyssa came out of her room and headed for the stairs. At the top, she could hear them talking.
“So, you’re taking my sister out again, huh?”
Kyle’s smooth voice ran a tingle up Lyssa’s spine as he replied, “That’s the plan.”
“I know I’ve said something to you before but, seriously…”
“You don’t need to say anything, Lexa. I’ll take care of her.”
“Why?”
And there was Lyssa’s cue. She bounded down the stairs, loudly so that the conversation would stop. It did, thank goodness. Kyle’s eyes perused her body and she looked away, feeling her cheeks flush. He always had a way of doing things to her, even when he wasn’t trying. She would just react. She wanted to get it under control. Yet, at the same time, she hoped she’d never get it under control.
With deep red cheeks, she said softly, “Morning.”
“I like the boots. Flowers, huh?”
“I like roses,” Lyssa said with a little voice. Kyle grinned and grabbed the large soft sided cooler Lyssa had packed.
“What the hell do you have in here?”
Grinning, Lyssa walked out the front door and held open the screen door for him. She’d have to change that soon to the storm door. Kyle walked out and headed to the car. Lyssa gave Lexa a grin. She knew her sister was going to Anna’s for the afternoon. Hopefully, both of them would have fun. Winking at Lexa, she turned headed down the porch steps.
“I’m serious, woman, what’s in here?”
Laughing, Lyssa replied, “Food, for one thing. Drinks for another.”
“This is a lot of food.”
“We both eat like pigs so we need a lot of food.”
“If we were still hungry, I could have picked something up,” Kyle said as he put the cooler into the trunk of his Beamer.
Lyssa walked over to the passenger’s side and leaned against the back seat door waiting for Kyle to unlock it. As she was wondering why he only popped the trunk, he came to her side and placed one hand beside her. Leaning, he looked into her eyes with his fathomless chocolate ones, the gold flecks gleaming in the sunlight. For a moment, she was transfixed. Staring up at him, she yearned for the touch of his lips. His hand softly stroked her cheek.
“You look beautiful. I like the crazy boots. Just relax and have fun today.”
“If our last real date was any indication, I can leave myself safely in your hands.”
Kyle leaned to whisper in her ear, his lips barely brushing against her ear and she felt a shiver run straight down to her toes. A fire started at her inner ankles and ran right up through her, she could barely concentrate on the fact that he was speaking.
“Oh, I’ll handle you safely.”
She turned to look at him, but he was already leaning away and holding the now opened passenger door. Lyssa slid in and knew she was bright red. Dammit. How could he get und
er her skin so easily? She’d have to be more cautious or she’d let herself do things she otherwise wouldn’t.
Her skin was still hot with a blush as he got into the car and gave her a wicked grin.
“Knock it off,” she said, “you aren’t that amazing.”
He laughed, “I’m not? Maybe. But, I’ll bet you think I’m amazing.”
“Shut up!”
He laughed and turned onto the main road heading towards Concord. The trees, which lined the street, were colorful. Two years ago, the sisters had lived in New Hampshire near the Mass border and they had fallen in love with New England in the fall. Lyssa’s favorites were the maples that turned vibrant red. Lexa’s were the orange ones that she said were like fire.