Always (Bold as Love)

by Lindsay Paige

  “Jake,” I barely breathe.

  He looks up at me from his current position at my stomach, a smirk playing on his lips. “Yes, Sweetness?”

  “If you tease me for another second...” a moan escapes before I can finish my sentence as his tongue kisses the inside of my thigh. I open my eyes to find Jake hovering over me, his eyes serious as he settles between my legs. The next hour is amazing.

  While I was gone, Jake took Drake to a friend's. It's getting even later in the afternoon and it is time to go pick him up. Standing in one another's arms by my car, Jake says, “I think it's time you go home and face your dad.”

  “Agreed.”

  Jake kisses me gently and then kisses my forehead.

  “I love you, Sweetness. Always.”

  “I love you too, Jake.”

  Leaving Jake behind, I go home. There's no denying the comfort that oozes from the house. Dad's sitting on the couch and turns with a smile, saying, “Hey, hon.” With a flop, I'm sitting beside my father. I don't even get a chance to say anything before he starts lecturing.

  “I know you love him, honey, but do you think marrying him right now is the best thing to do? If y'alls love is as strong as it appears to be, waiting won't hurt anything. You two are just beginning your lives and the last thing y'alls relationship needs is more of a burden that this will cause. Marriage may strengthen your relationship, that I'm not denying, but it just isn't the right time.

  “Not to mention that you are just learning to stand on your own two feet and learning more about yourself in respects to the real world. How can y'all marry when you don't know enough about yourself to do so? You need to be comfortable in your own shoes before you step into a marriage.”

  Dad is satisfied with his talk, but now it's my turn. “Dad, I don't doubt that you know what's best for me. However, you don't understand where we are coming from. Jake would love to get married right this second, but he's waiting for me to make that call and he wants to respect your wishes. While I would love to marry Jake, I'm not ready just yet. Jake will even tell you that I felt similar to you. Daddy, it'll most likely be a while before we marry.”

  He wraps an arm around my shoulder and hugs me to him. “Good.” Relief is evident in his voice and body language. I kiss his cheek and say goodnight as I'm exhausted.

  22

  Jake

  Drake and I are ready to go. All we have left to do is to pick up Emily. As far as Drake knows, we are going to a wedding up in Jersey. We told him that Emily had family up there and one of her cousins will be tying the knot and we were invited. That way, he won't question why we are getting dressed up.

  “Wait a second,” Drake says, leaning forward from the back seat as Emily enters the car. “What time is this wedding?”

  “Three,” Emily answers easily.

  He groans. “I'm going to miss the Draft! Are y'all sure that I can't just stay here with Dad?”

  Emily gives me a pity look, which I ignore. I wanted my dad to come, but he's too drunk and back to bathing in grief to care. At least now, our cover story still works. “We already told them that you were coming. It'll be fine. You can see the results once we get back.”

  “It's not the same,” he grumbles, falling back into his seat to effectively pout.

  Drake asked earlier this week why Mike wasn't going. The answer? It is family from her mom's side. That seemed to satisfy him and I'm glad. We are flying up today, staying the night, and then arriving tomorrow for the Draft. All that paperwork I've done and the camp in Canada is finally paying off. I still can't believe it. It's mind boggling. We're leaving from Raleigh and flying into Newark. Drake mumbles the entire way there.

  “This is so unfair.”

  “Who has a wedding on Draft day?”

  “That's like having a wedding during the playoffs.”

  “Crazy psychos.”

  I resist the urge to smile every time he speaks. He's going to flip when he finds out where we are actually going. Everything seems to be speeding by as we find a parking spot at the airport and unload. While we wait inside for us to board, Drake seems distracted. He's looking around and his leg is bouncing slightly. I know what that means. I've seen Emily this way too many times not to know.

  “What's up, Drake?”

  “I've never been on a plane before.”

  “Me either,” Emily tells him.

  “It's pretty fun. Almost like a calm roller coaster.”

  “I don't like roller coasters,” Drake says worriedly.

  “Me either,” Emily repeats.

  “There's nothing to worry about you two. You'll be fine.”

  “What's it like though?”

  How does one describe a takeoff and landing? That's the biggest part of it. Lord help me if there's turbulence. I keep looking back and forth between Emily, who is on my left, and Drake, who is on my right. Slightly frighten eyes are on each side of me.

  “The flying part is just like a car ride. There might be a couple of bumps, but it is pretty smooth. It's pretty fun to takeoff, though. We'll coast for a bit until we're in position to fly and then we'll build speed and ta-da. We leave the ground and that's pretty much it.”

  That satisfies them both for now. Emily takes my hand and holds it in her lap. We wait in silence, watching the people around us rush to their terminals, play on their phones, and type on their laptops.

  Finally, we are called to board. The line moves smoothly for the most part as we make our way to our seats. With the anxiety these two are feeling, I'm glad we have seats close to the wings. It's smoother there. However, this is a rather small plane compared to the one I took to Canada. There are two sections, one with one seat and one with two seats. Emily is sitting across the aisle by herself. I know that she's not thrilled about it, but since Drake is nervous too, she rather he sit with me.

  Drake loves to fly by the time we are in the air. Emily, on the other hand, not so much. She keeps fidgeting in her seat, clutching her stomach.

  “You okay?” I ask as one of the flight attendants walks by.

  She glares in response.

  “Isn't this fun, Emily?” Drake questions, leaning forward to look at her.

  She manages a smile. “Tons of fun, buddy.”

  Drake leans back and looks out the window, fascinated by the view of ivory clouds dominating the sky. Emily has hers closed. Sweetness is looking over at me with such gloom. I reach over, take her hand, and tug. She leans towards me, her mouth slightly parted, and her breathing slowed.

  “How much longer?” Sweetness whispers.

  The flight is roughly an hour and a half long. We've only been on the plane forty-five minutes. “About forty-five minutes.”

  She closes her eyes and collapses in her seat. I'm still holding her hand, which is clammy. The flight attendant is making her way back up the aisle, and I have to let go. Her hand slinks into her lap, and she pushes into her seat, keeping her eyes closed. Carefully, I watch her for the rest of the flight. When we land and are able to get off the plane, I'm half expecting her to kneel and kiss the ground. She doesn't. Sweetness simply relaxes with a sigh as if that releases all of her tension.

  After we grab our bags, we head outside to grab a taxi. Emily's in the middle as we sit in the back seat, and I tell the driver which hotel we are staying at.

  “I need a nap,” Emily says, sneaking a peek at me.

  “That sounds good. We can catch a nap and eat supper afterwards.”

  That's just what we do too. We ate at some Italian restaurant down the road and then watched Cars 2 back at the hotel. Once the movie is over, I tell Drake that he needs to go ahead and shower. It's just me and Emily on the bed now and her head is resting on my chest.

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  “Yeah. I'm just not a fan of flying is all.”

  “Still thinking about that?”

  “Yep and about how we have to fly back home.” She shivers.

  I chuckle and she looks up at me with
a glare. “You'll be fine.”

  “Are you excited about tomorrow?”

  “I feel like I'm dreaming. I don't think life could get any better right now.”

  And it couldn't. Life is too sweet for it to be any better. I have everything I need. Emily and Drake. I guess I was right when I said that Dad wouldn't get any better. Being better for a while doesn't mean much when he so easily gives in when opportunity arises. He has Drake to think about and he doesn't want to try for his own sake, much less for Drake's. How could he do well all this time and then slip without a second glance?

  “I'm going to change while he's in there,” Sweetness says, getting off the bed and going to her suitcase. I watch as she pulls out some blue shorts and a white t-shirt representing our school. She quickly changes as she hears the water shut off and climbs back into bed with me. Once Drake comes out, he says goodnight and gets into his bed. Emily and I head into the bathroom and get ready for bed ourselves. By the time we've brushed our teeth, I've changed, and we're all ready for bed, Drake is asleep.

  While laying in bed, trying to sleep, my thoughts turn to tomorrow. It's going to be one of the biggest days of my life. After an hour, I turn off the TV to see if that will help. Emily's body seems too hot as she is covering over half my body. I touch her forehead with the back of my hand and she does feel a bit warm. With ease, I slip out of bed, change my clothes, and sneak out of the room. I can't have Sweetness waking up sick tomorrow. She would not be one happy camper. I would bet money that she'd be beyond pissed in fact.

  When we went to the restaurant earlier, we passed a drug store. That's where I'm headed. It only takes twenty minutes for me to pick up a temperature reducer and get back to the hotel. Now, how can Emily scold me for being awake if I just did this for her? That's right. She can't. I slip the room key into the slot and the light gleams green, granting me access. I use my phone to light up the way between the beds and turn on the lamp. A chuckle rips through me at seeing Sweetness sprawled across the bed.

  Gently, I shake her awake. She rolls towards me and blinks several times.

  “Jake? What's wrong?”

  “Sit up.” Once she has, Sweetness becomes more alert and tilts her head at me.

  “Love, why are you dressed? What's wrong?”

  I take a seat next to her. “Nothing's wrong. How do you feel?”

  “Tired.”

  “I couldn't sleep and you were clinging to me like a leech,” I start.

  “A leech? Did you just call me a leech?”

  “That's not the point. You felt like you had a fever, so I went to the drugstore down the road and bought you something. I figured you didn't want to wake up sick in the morning.” I tear open the box storing the medicine, and I'm thankful that it came with a little cup to measure the liquid. I pour the appropriate amount and hand it to her. She downs it quickly, and reaches over me to set it on the nightstand.

  “Come to bed, love.”

  “Yes, ma'am.”

  I change and then climb back into bed with Emily. She reaches and turns off the lamp since it's on her side. Once again, she embraces me and after about five minutes, she tells me to go to sleep. Smiling, I hold her close and do just that.

  I awake to hear water running. Turning my head, I see that Emily is no longer in bed. She must be getting a shower. Laying in bed, thoughts of today rush through my head. The phrase “This is it” keeps repeating itself. I try to quieten the roaring sentence, tamper down my squeamish stomach, and relax to the sounds around me. Drake is snoring slightly. The water that I'm sure is effortlessly flowing down Emily's body is creating a tune of its own as it collides with the tub. Sweetness' movements are alternating the melody of the assailing liquid.

  Because of my familiarity, I picture the little quirks of her showering routine. Based on the length of time I've been awake, I'd assume that she's shaving by now. She starts, oddly enough, from the knees up. She's careful to get every little hair with such an intense gaze even running her lean fingers over the freshly shaven spot to be sure as her wet hair falls to cover her face. Sweetness takes her time as she guides the razor along her skin and then moves to the rest of her legs.

  Afterwards, I can see, clear as day, as she pours her strawberry scented shampoo into the cup of her hand. Washing her hair is always the second to last thing she does. Next, she'll wash her face. I've seen it many times to know that she'll rinse her face three times, just because. As if in tune with my mind, the water shuts off. I might as well get out of bed and take my shower too. A glance at the clock sitting on the nightstand tells me that it's ten in the morning. I grab everything I'll need and knock two times swiftly to let her know that I'm coming in.

  “Who is it?” she asks.

  “Me,” I answer since a twist of the knob tells me that it's locked.

  “Oh,” she says.

  I open the door after hearing the soft click and walk into the bathroom.

  “Lock it back so Drake doesn't accidentally come in,” she orders and proceeds to watch me do so. “Morning, love,” Sweetness greets as she puts on her strapless bra, leaning towards me to sweep her lips across mine.

  “Good morning.” I set my things down on the counter. “How are you feeling?”

  “Great. Are you ready for today?”

  “Absolutely.” I move around her to turn the shower back on. Pushing back the compulsion to secure my arms around Sweetness, I undress quickly and step into the shower. In a low tone that carries over the water, Sweetness is singing, but I can't make out what exactly.

  “Whatcha singing?”

  “Back at One by Mark Wills.” Sweetness continues singing, and I listen. She repeats it twice before stopping. “Do you need anything ironed?”

  “Nope.”

  “Alright. I'm going to see if Drake does.”

  A couple of minutes later, I turn the water off and dry before wrapping a towel around my waist. Grabbing my razor and shaving cream, I get started on that clean-shaven look. The hotel room starts to get the feel of a bunch of chickens running around with their head cut off as everyone continues to get ready. Mostly, Emily though. She didn't want to dirty up her dress so she's wearing pajamas for now. As it gets closer to the time for us to leave, she comes to pass me to go into the bathroom to change. I catch her by the elbow.

  “Sweetness, relax.”

  Her eyes dart back and forth between mine before she lets out a flutter of breath. “Sorry. I'm just a little nervous.”

  “Everything's going to be fine. It's a good day, remember?”

  Sweetness nods in affirmation, and I kiss her forehead before releasing her elbow.

  “Yeah, because having a wedding during the draft is a good day,” Drake mutters to himself.

  I roll my eyes and watch myself in the mirror as I put on my tie then the jacket that goes with the suit. Drake's wearing dress pants and a light blue button up dress shirt. Lastly, I sit beside Drake at the foot of the bed and we both put on our shoes. We're watching TV when Emily steps out of the bathroom.

  “Alright, y'all ready?”

  Wow. Sweetness is wearing black heels and a white, one shoulder dress that is knee length. Standing, I walk over to her, sliding my hands down her arms.

  “You look stunning, Sweetness.”

  A blush creeps from her neck up to her cheeks.

  “Thank you.”

  “I thought only the bride could wear white,” Drake questions from behind us.

  “Her theme is black and white, so it's okay,” Emily answers quickly. Her eyes return to mine. “We should grab a bite before we get there.”

  “They aren't feeding us! This wedding is just getting worse and worse.” Drake is officially unhappy.

  “Aren't you hungry now?” She asks, stepping around me to kneel in front of him while he's still sitting on the bed.

  “Yeah...”

  “That's why we're eating. Weddings can take a long time so we're going to eat a little before we go.”

  “
Fine. Whatever.”

  “Cheer up, Drake,” I easily order.

  Emily doesn't want to carry a purse, so she hands me her phone and a few other things for me to stick in my pockets. To keep Drake from knowing where we're going before we get there, I leave ahead of them to call a taxi. Emily and Drake aren't but a couple of seconds behind me, so I have to make it quick. Once we are crammed into the back seat, we leave to officially begin one of the best days of my life.

  23

  Emily

  “Hey, that's where the draft is being held!” Drake points, excitedly as he sees us coming up on the arena

  “Driver, could you stop here?” Jake asks.

  “What? Aren't we going to be late to the wedding?”

  “It'll be okay.”

  The taxi stops and Drake is utterly confused as we walk into the building, but then he decides that it doesn't matter. He's too excited to actually be here than anything else. However, it's once we take a seat, and he realizes we're going to miss the wedding, that he starts asking questions.

  “Emily and I lied. There's no wedding. We wanted to surprise you and bring you to the draft,” Jake explains.

  “This is so awesome! Thank you, Jake!”

  He hugs his big brother and the sight warms my heart. The order of which we are sitting is me, Jake, and then Drake. This place is buzzing with anticipation as everyone waits for the procession to begin. I don't know why, but I'm extremely edgy. My mindset feels like we're here for this wonderful day and something is going to ruin it. Shatter the picture that will forever remain in our hearts. The picture that should be entirely perfect.

  This is the day that will forever change our lives. This is the day that we will remember always. Then why am I dreading it? Today is Jake's first leap towards accomplishing his dream. There's not a soul who doesn't want this to happen. The impending doom feeling needs to give it a rest. Today is a happy day. With a shaky deep breath, I urge my nerves to ease.

  Jake gives me a smile full of pure bliss as he reaches over and takes my hand. His heated touch smacks the tension away. As if that wasn't enough, my love brings those lips to my ear and whispers.