She figured it was Jess, so she threw the covers off her and climbed out of bed. On her way out, she ran into her brother, who she hadn’t seen too much of lately.
Reed scrunched his face up. “Man, whoever came to see you needs to run the other way. Did you even look in a mirror?”
Arielle ran her hands through her hair, then dropped her hands to her sides and shrugged. “I’m guessing it’s Jess anyway, but who cares. Whoever came to see me this early should expect to see me in my pajamas. Where are you going?”
He shoved past her to race down the stairs first. “Out. I’m meeting my buddy Clint and we’re going to work on some football passes.”
“Isn’t football over for the season?” Arielle chased after him, almost barreling into him as he stopped halfway down the steps.
He glared at her. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand, since you aren’t athletic or anything…but the reason we practice even when it isn’t football season is because we have to stay in shape for next season.”
Arielle laughed. “Yeah, I get it. You don’t want to sit around eating doughnuts and munching on chips so you get all tubby.”
“Exactly. No tubbiness allowed, or else everyone will start calling me Arielle.”
Arielle dropped her jaw, then ran down and caught up to Reed before he could make it down the steps. She launched herself at him, jumping on his back and rubbing her knuckles along the top of his head, a little noogie payback.
“Come on, Ari, stop it.” Reed laughed and flipped her off his back and onto the couch. She hadn’t even realized he’d carried her there.
“Stop.” She made her voice as whiny as she could. “Come on, stop. You’re such a sissy when it comes to noogies.”
Someone laughed from the front door and it wasn’t Jess. Arielle peered over and realized Blake stood there, watching her fight with her brother. Oh my gosh. I just got out of bed! I must look horrible.
Arielle took a deep breath. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t need to impress anyone. Blake is a friend…nothing more.
Arielle waved. “Hey. What are you doing here so early?”
Blake shrugged. “I wanted to ask if you had any plans today.”
Arielle shrugged. “I was going to help my mom cook.”
“Which translates to Ari doesn’t have a single plan for the day,” her mom yelled from the kitchen.
Reed chuckled as he walked away. “Dang, Mom said it before I could. She probably wants you to go so you don’t burn anything.”
“Shut it, Reed,” she snapped. Turning back to Blake, a smile worked its way on her face. “Guess I don’t have any plans at all.”
“Would you want to come and meet my parents? They’re here from South Carolina.” Blake’s cheeks puffed out like he held his breath, waiting for her to answer.
Arielle tilted her head to the side. “Sure, but I have to change first. I can’t meet them like this.” She held her arms out to her side so he could see her.
Blake chuckled. “You have twenty minutes.”
Reed patted Blake’s back as he stood at the door. “Dude, have you seen her today? She’s going to need way more than twenty minutes.”
Arielle ran for her brother, but he’d already walked out the door. Blake caught her as she tried to barrel past him. “Calm down and go get ready. Your brother will be there later for you to get revenge on.”
Twenty minutes didn’t seem like enough time. At all. But living with her brother, who primped more than any girl Arielle knew, had taught her a few things. She might thank him if he hadn’t left because she could get ready quicker than most girls.
She ran upstairs, grinning so much her cheeks hurt. Blake wanted her to meet his family. It gave her hope for a future with him. Maybe she shouldn’t have been thinking that way, but she couldn’t help it. She still had the biggest crush on him and she didn’t think her feelings would change anytime soon.
***
When Blake pulled up to his house, Arielle’s stomach dropped to her knees. She placed her shaky fingers over it, then took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves, but no matter what she tried she couldn’t stop her jitters. Giving up, she climbed out of the car, placing her palm on the roof to gain her ground and steady herself. She shouldn’t be so nervous to meet his parents since she wasn’t his girlfriend anymore.
Knowing Blake’s dad had come made her even more nervous. He might be mean to her or yell at her in front of everyone, and she didn’t think she’d be able to handle that. Needless to say, she didn’t really care if she ever met the man.
She shook her hands out in front of her, deciding not to worry about anything. Making a good impression was important, but just being there showed what Blake thought of her, so she would be herself and everything would work out okay. She hoped.
She wore her favorite dark denim jeans paired with a pink and black flannel shirt. She’d pulled her hair back into a low ponytail that hung down her back, and she’d even put a little makeup on for the occasion. Nothing crazy, but enough to make her appearance less haggard.
If his parents didn’t like her, oh well. She wouldn’t lose any sleep over it because she was who she was and she wouldn’t change, not for anyone. It had taken her a long time, but she now realized her worth and she wouldn’t accept anything less.
In all the months she’d known Blake, she hadn’t been inside his house. She took a few steps to the left, almost running right into a coat rack, and admired the large, open room with two flower-patterned couches. She wasted no time tugging off her thick winter jacket and hanging the black coat on the rack since she’d started to sweat already.
The floors were all a dark wood with a maroon throw rug over them. A line of shoes ran along the wall by the door. “Do I need to take my shoes off?”
Blake smiled. “Yeah. It’s a rule.”
She slid her white tennis shoes off and hoped her feet didn’t stink up the room. Why that popped in her head, she didn’t know. Even though she accepted herself, it hadn’t taken away her self-conscience thoughts. No, she still had a mind just like all the other girls her age.
“Gram, we’re here.” Blake stepped in front of her and Arielle followed.
A short woman with a pixie haircut stepped into the hallway in front of them. She wiped her hand on her vanilla-colored apron and grabbed Blake’s shoulders, all but shoving him aside to stand in front of Arielle. “It’s so nice to see you again, Ari. Welcome to my home.”
Arielle’s heart raced. “It’s nice to see you again too.” She peeked over the woman to meet Blake’s eyes, but he stared at the coat rack.
The woman smiled. “Please come inside. You don’t have to stand in the doorway all day.”
Arielle plopped her shoes by all the others and stepped inside a little more. “Okay. Thanks.”
Gram hugged her and then turned toward where the smell of noodles and cheese wafted from. “I have to get back to the kitchen. We are making homemade pierogis. I hope you have an appetite.”
Arielle shrugged. “Pretty much all the time.”
Blake followed Gram and Arielle followed Blake into the kitchen, where a large dining table took up most of the room. The wood matched the color of the hardwood floor. Another woman stood beside Gram. Her hair was a darker blonde, but cut in almost the same short style Gram had. She was short and a little plump, but in a pleasant way. When she turned, her smile was like a bad cold, and Arielle found herself infected, returning the smile with sincerity.
She came forward and reached a hand out to Ari, who shook hers back. “I’m Blake’s mom. Blake has told us so much about you, Arielle.”
Am I all he talks to his family about?
“Thanks. I’ve heard a lot about you too.” Arielle ran a hand through her hair and peered over at Blake, raising her eyebrows because she hadn’t heard much at all about his mom, only a few things when they had been dating. Maybe Arielle could get to know her better today.
Blake’s mom tapped him on the shoulder. “
Why don’t you take her to the front room and we’ll call you when dinner’s done.”
Blake nodded. “Sure. But where are Dad and Grandpa?”
“They’re down at the store getting a few last-minute things.” Gram chuckled. “Leave it to me to forget something on Christmas Eve.”
Blake grabbed Arielle around the wrist and tugged her toward the front room. He guided her to the two-seater couch and sat down with her. “So, now you’ve met my mom, and you already met my Gram.”
She nodded. “It’s nice to meet your mom and to see your Grandma again. But, you know, for someone who has told them all about me, you sure haven’t told me much about them, especially your mom.” And she remembered when she’d first met Gram, she’d said the same thing, so it did seem like he talked about her a lot. Which made excitement shoot through her.
Blake raised his eyebrows. “We haven’t had much time to talk lately.”
“And whose fault is that?”
He put his hands up. “All right. I don’t want to argue. I wanted you to meet my parents.”
“But why, Blake? Most of the time you bring your girlfriend to meet your parents and your family…I’m not your girlfriend. She’s in West Virginia. Why didn’t you bring her up here for Christmas?”
Blake stood up, wiping his palms on his khaki pants. “I’m not with her anymore.” His voice came out as a whisper and Arielle barely heard what he said, but her stomach flip-flopped at the words.
“What?” she asked, looking him right in the eye.
He raised his eyes from the floor and met hers. “I’m not with her anymore.”
There were no emotions on his face at all.
“What happened?” Arielle asked.
“She broke up with me because all I talked about was you.” He spoke as if it didn’t matter at all.
Arielle’s cheeks heated and she couldn’t seem to get enough air. She also had some fluttery stuff happening inside her chest, almost like the flap of a bee’s wings. She didn’t know what to say, though, so she kept quiet.
“Lunch is ready,” Gram yelled from the other room.
“Thank God.” Arielle slapped her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say anything out loud, so before Blake could speak, she stood and rushed into the kitchen, sitting down at the beautiful table.
Chapter 12
Christmas Eve
Lunch smelled great. Arielle had never had homemade pierogis before. These had real cheddar cheese stuffed inside with mashed potatoes and were covered in noodles, which happened to be her weakness in life. Any pasta dish she ate up faster than she could swallow it. As for pierogis, she’d always enjoyed the store-bought ones, but these looked so much better.
When she lifted her fork, she set it right back down and glanced around the table. Nobody had even touched their utensils. Maybe they were waiting for Blake’s Dad and Grandpa. “Should we wait?”
Gram grinned. “No. Dig in. If someone isn’t here to eat when the food’s hot, they can eat when it isn’t. That’s how this house is run and they all know it.”
But hadn’t Gram sent them to the store? Although, maybe they should have been back by now and they’d taken some sort of detour along the way. Oh well. She grabbed her fork and cut a piece of the pierogi, steam billowing into the air from the middle. She stabbed it and lifted it to blow on it before taking her first bite. She’d never in her life tasted something so heavenly.
“So, Ari, what are your plans for school? What do you want to study?” Blake’s mom asked.
She finished chewing the bite in her mouth, swallowed, and wiped her lips with the napkin resting in her lap. “Well, I haven’t really thought about it. My family wants me to go into something in the medical field, but I want to be a writer.”
His mom tilted her head to the side. “A writer would be a great job, but it would also be perilous. Going into medicine would be much more stable, but remember to always follow your heart. Some of the best things in life are the hardest to obtain.”
Arielle smiled. “You know, I kind of like you.”
“Good. I’m expecting to see you a lot when Blake comes home to South Carolina. I will have to meet your parents first so we can arrange some visits.” She paused, glancing at Blake with raised eyebrows, then she focused on Arielle again. “I know he won’t want me to tell you this, but he won’t be able to go long without seeing you.”
“Mom, come on!”
She grinned. “Well, it’s the truth and you know it, Blake. You can’t stop talking about this one.”
“Do you have a gun so you can shoot me now? Oh wait, you already hit me twice,” Blake said with a scowl.
Arielle giggled, noticing how red his cheeks had turned. They looked like a lobster—one of those big ones sitting in the store, ready to be bought. “Don’t worry, Blake. It wasn’t a secret.”
He tilted his head toward his lap and Arielle tried hard not to continue laughing. Inside, though, the happiness she felt left her fuller than she had been in a long time. Or maybe it had been the pierogis.
***
Blake’s Dad and Grandpa came in later. His dad stood tall with tanned skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes. Arielle chewed on her nails the moment she laid eyes on him. She could see why Blake had such a hard time because the sight of him intimidated her and he hadn’t even said anything yet.
“Hi, I’m Arielle.” She reached out with the hand that hadn’t been in her mouth. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He shook her hand with ferocity, like he might pull her arm right out of its socket, maybe even drop it on the ground. “Nice to meet you.” Then he dropped her hand and walked into the kitchen, not saying a single word to Blake.
A shorter man’s kind blue eyes shone at her. The top of his head was bald, but he had white hair sticking out from the sides. “Hi, Ari. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Seems to be the theme of the day,” Ari mumbled.
Blake shimmied past her. “I was just taking Ari home. She has a Christmas Eve party tonight with her family.”
Grandpa smiled, his white mustache touching the sides of his nose, making Arielle’s own nose itch. “So, I guess we’ll see you when we see you.”
“Well…” Blake started.
“Yeah, if it’s okay, I invited Blake to come to the party with me. As long as you won’t miss him.” Ari touched his hand and his eyes shone back at her. He didn’t have to thank her. Not with words. It would be nice to have him at her side, then she wouldn’t have to deal with her competitive cousin on her own.
Grandpa shook his head from side to side with a corner of his lips turned toward the floor. “Well, of course we will miss him, but I guess we’ll see him later when he gets home. Make sure you take good care of him.”
Arielle laughed. “I will, but I think he’s the one who takes good care of me.” She touched his chest and let her hand fall back down to her side, making sure not to linger too long. She hadn’t meant to touch him in the first place.
“Guess we’ll see you later, then, Gramps,” Blake said.
“Guess you will. Stay safe.”
Blake nodded, grabbed Arielle’s hand, and pulled her out the front door. “Thanks for inviting me tonight,” he said when he slid into the driver seat.
Arielle shrugged. “It’s not a problem. I think it might be kind of fun.”
Since Blake had taken the step to introduce her to his parents, she’d reciprocated by inviting him to join her family party. Arielle wanted to show she was still interested, but didn’t want to come out and say it because she didn’t want to get hurt again. She hadn’t gotten over him. Quite the opposite.
Blake no longer had a girlfriend, which meant she didn’t have to play it safe, but she would because her heart could still be broken again, and she had a feeling it wouldn’t recover as easily this time. Going down this road again with him might prove to be the stupidest decision she’d ever made, but making mistakes would teach her something, right? She had on
e life to live, so might as well make the most of it.
***
Blake and Arielle walked next door and beat her parents, who’d driven. Aunt Margie greeted them at the door. “Hey, Arielle. Oh, you brought a friend. Come in. Come in.” She ushered them both inside, peering out the door. “Where are your mom and dad? And Reed?”
“They’re right behind us in the car. And this is Blake.”
She turned around and smiled. “Thanks for joining us, Blake, but I have to shoo you guys away. This kitchen is too small and I have a few more things to cook.”
The kitchen really was tiny. The large table in the corner took up so much room, along with the fridge, stove and counters. Arielle and Blake had to turn sideways and inch their way through the space.
Her aunt had this house built, so it surprised Arielle that she hadn’t chosen a larger kitchen, but Aunt Margie didn’t cook much so it shouldn’t have come as such a shock. Since Arielle lived next door, she saw all the pizza and Chinese deliveries that came. She missed a lot of them, she was sure, but it seemed like a new delivery car showed up every night.
“Follow me, Blake,” Arielle said, leading him into the dining room. It was cold outside or she would have suggested sitting on their back deck, but instead she turned, walking past a large wooden hutch and into the upstairs sitting room.
Of course, she found her cousin Kim sitting there.
“Hey, Kim, this is Blake.” Arielle gestured to him. “My friend.”
Kim raised her bushy eyebrows. “Friend, huh? This the same guy who’s been hanging around your house all these nights?”
Arielle nodded. “Yup. Sure is.” She grabbed Blake’s forearm, yanking him downstairs to the living room where the TV blared. Nobody sat down there yet, so it remained semi-quiet.
“Sorry about Kim.” Arielle sat on the dark blue couch. “She’s kind of a pain. Which is kind of why I’m glad you’re here.”
“She’s your cousin?” Blake asked, sitting beside her.
It Starts With L (The Letters of Love Series Book 1) Page 10