by L. K. Kuhl
“Maybe you should…chase me away, I mean. I shouldn’t have even intruded tonight, but…I can’t stay away, either. And I wanted to see you for your birthday.” His eyes pierced me with his hurt. “But we can’t continue on like this forever. You’re living in an emotional roller coaster, and I don’t want that, Ladybug.” He coddled me, kissing the top of my head. “As much as it hurts, it would probably be best for both of us.”
I rubbed my temples, gathering my jumbled thoughts. “Then you’d be gone forever.” The gloom, once again, engulfed me.
He hesitated, his jaw tightening. “You do what’s best for you.”
“Do you know how much time you have left?”
He deliberated for a moment. “The way I got it calculated, I think I have a little less than six weeks.” A peculiar tone stuck to his answer. “You’ve been doing a good job at keeping me here longer. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing.”
“At least I know.” I closed my eyes and swallowed, breathing him deeply into me. “What about the Livids? Are they always after you?”
“They come around, but not as often as you’d think. Lidia is doing a good job. I’m not the only one, they have many ghosts they are trying to capture.”
I lay there, quiet, wrestling with my turbulent thoughts. It wasn’t long before Tate drifted off to sleep and started snoring. This was the first time in over ten months that he slept like a real person.
I didn’t ask him how long the life of the roses would last in him tonight, because, just like always with Tate, I juggled around the truth. Instead, I closed my eyes and snuggled into the curl of his body, inhaling the smell of his shaving cream and enjoying the warmth and sound of a living, breathing body beside me.
* * *
The next morning I woke up late, my head throbbing, squinting at the light that had infested my room. I flew up in bed and ran my hand over the cold place beside me, crumbling at its emptiness. Tate was gone, only the sweet smell of his shaving cream lingered in the sheets and my memories of last night. Then it hit me, today was my birthday.
I got up and walked over to my desk to admire the roses that still sat on my desk.
A sharp breath cut at my throat, and my hand flew to my mouth.
The roses were black, their crimson color gone and their wretched heads wilted, hanging down and sorrowful. I reached down, touching them, but the frozen, rock-hard coldness of them wrenched my hand back. Each and every petal of the fifteen that were left were covered in shimmering ice crystals. Even though I barely touched them, they crumbled beneath me, their black pieces littering the floor.
I picked up the crystal vase. A large crack ran down the side of it. My chest tingled as I smoothed my fingers down the length of it, inspecting and trying to understand what had happened. Had someone come into my room sometime through the night and destroyed it? Maybe Aaron had been here and in a fit of jealousy, broke it.
I heaved it into my pink trash can, and it shattered into a million pieces, the flowers disintegrating into nothingness. At the exact moment the vase shattered, a pain ran through my head and down my entire body, rippling like a lightning bolt zigzagging through me. At first, I was sure a shard of crystal had pierced me, but there were no signs of blood. The pain left as fast as it came, so I never thought anything more about it.
I dusted off my hands and left my room, closing the door behind me.
Chapter 26
Later that afternoon, Aaron called. “Dress in your finest, Sophia. I’m taking you to one of the swankiest restaurants in Great Falls. Be ready in two hours.”
Aaron had been staying with Dave Timbers since he came back this last time. He said he felt awkward being under the same roof with my parents when we weren’t married.
At seven sharp, Aaron stood on my doorstep. “Are you ready to go?” He grabbed my arm to pull me closer and kissed my cheek. Then looked me up and down, a scowl drawing his face tight. “We have to hurry, I’ve got seven-thirty reservations. You look a little plain for where I’m taking you. I was hoping you would have dressed better.”
He looked me over again before I opened the door and lowered myself down into the leather seat of his sports car. The ivory party dress I wore hit right above the knees. Its low neckline accentuated a string of pearls softly displayed around my neck, and a black cardigan sweater was draped over my arm. I carried a black leather clutch that I had bought last night at the mall.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, keeping my face stable, and closed the car door.
When we pulled into the restaurant parking lot, Aaron grabbed my phone off the console. He thumbed through it, glancing at my phone calls, contacts, and texts. “Looks good.” An amused smile slanted across his face, and he tossed it back to me before he opened his door. “Maybe you were a good girl last night.”
I looked at him, squinting my eyes, hoping to keep my annoyed look from smudging my makeup, and followed him inside. A black-tied waiter led the way to a quiet table in the corner of the quaint restaurant. Classical music played in the background, and for a fleeting moment, sadness washed over me, blurring my vision.
Aaron ordered his glass of sherry, and I ordered a glass of iced tea with lemon. “This place looks nice.” I glanced around, watching the fancily dressed people, the aromatic smell of seafood wakening my nose.
The waiter took our order of filet mignon and crabbed stuffed prawns while the candle flickered in the center of the table, making Aaron look older as he rested his chin on his steepled hands. “So, how much school do you have left?”
I snickered, smoothing the white linen napkin in my lap. “I’ve just gotten started, Aaron, you know that.” I took a drink of my tea. “I’m only a little over a month into it.”
“I know, I’m teasing. It’s just that I think I’m more anxious than you are for wanting this last year of school to fly by so you can graduate. You know I want you as my partner.” He finished off his second glass of sherry as the waiter brought our food.
My silverware clattered together as I picked up my knife to cut my filet mignon. “That’s not possible, no one’s as excited as me.” I stuck a piece of steak into my mouth. “Time always moves at a snail’s pace for me when I’m waiting for something big to happen.”
After we were done eating, the waiter brought a sterling silver plate cover over to the table. “Dessert, madam?” He poised the plate above the table, a sly smile glinting on his thin lips.
“No, thank you, I can’t eat another bite.” I shyly dabbed at the corners of my mouth with my napkin. “It was delicious, though.”
“Set it down here, sir.” Aaron motioned, clearing a place in the middle of the table. “She might change her mind.” He gave the waiter a quick wink and looked at me from the top of his eyes, throwing me a sexy smile.
I looked at him curiously, wondering what he was up to.
The waiter gave Aaron a tight smile, turning to go. “Very well, sir.”
“Sophia, you know how much I love you, don’t you?” Aaron sedated me with his burning eyes.
“I think so.” I looked down and fiddled with my fingernail.
“And you also know that I’m planning on you being a partner in my firm, right?”
I nodded my head. “If I’m smart enough to make it through college.” I blushed and let my hair brush over my face, the self-consciousness making me wonder if I really was smart enough.
“But did you also know that I want to be with you for eternity?” My heart jumped at the word eternity. That word was only reserved for Tate. “Happy Birthday, my love. Will you marry me?” He pulled the silver dome lid off of the plate to reveal a five-carat diamond engagement ring perched in a glass case, a small light shining down on it.
My chin trembled. “Oh, Aaron.” He gently placed my quivering hand in his and slid the glittery, scintillate stone onto my fourth left-hand finger. “I don’t know what to say…it’s beautiful.” I sat staring at it, stunned.
“You don’t
know what to say?” He gave me an astonished look, digging for an answer. “How about, yes?”
“Oh…yes…yes I will! I’m just so overwhelmed. I had no idea this was coming.” My face grew hot and my stomach fluttered with a thousand butterflies. A scalding heat radiated through my chest.
But the thing that stunned me the most was my thoughts of Tate…there weren’t any. He never did enter my mind. I was filled with Aaron and our future together.
After I said yes, a black tuxedoed quartet gathered around our table as a violin played and they sang us a beautiful love song. When they were done, the rest of the patrons clapped and congratulated us. The night went by in a blur, and for a minute, I thought it was just a dream.
* * *
Before I climbed into bed later that night, I brought out my journal from my desk drawer. I opened it, my hands shaking. The diamond ring glistened from the light of my ceiling fan, the prism colors catching my eye as a sob escaped my lips.
I flipped through the pages. My last entry had been July twentieth. Oh, how things had changed since then. In my last entry, Tate and I had had our fight at Party Cove, and we had broken up because I thought that Tate didn’t love me and had a zillion other girlfriends. Wow, was I way off base. Today was September twentieth, a whole two months later and a world of difference between then and now.
September Twentieth,
In the time it takes for one heartbeat to beat, my life has changed. The last time I wrote in you, I had just broken up with Tate. Since that time, I learned that he, Mandy, and Matt were all three killed in an automobile accident and were ghosts. As crazy as it seems, I wasn’t all that affected by it. Some people probably would have went crazy, but me…the only kind of crazy that I went…was crazy in love. Tate was my world, but in the end, there was no way I could keep him.
So, I’m writing in you tonight to tell you that I did find another love. It will never compare to the one that Tate and I shared, but then again, there will never be anyone that can compare to Tate. I must move on and progress with my future. My grade-school crush, Aaron Stuart, asked me to marry him tonight. I didn’t hesitate, I said yes. And for the first time in a long time, Tate stayed on the back burner of my mind. I’m thinking that finally…finally, I can put him to rest.
Sophia Bandell (soon to be Stuart)
Aaron and I set our wedding date for June twenty-first. I would graduate on May twentieth, so I would have a month to put the final touches on my fairy-tale wedding.
* * *
The next evening, Aaron, Josh, Kristy, and Meyer joined Mom, Dad, and I for a Sunday dinner. Aaron and I had decided to wait and announce our big news at the dinner table in front of all of them. It killed me to keep secrets, I didn’t do well, and I found it hard to contain my excitement. The slow wait to announce the news managed to drag the day down to a ponderous crawl. When the time came and everyone sat down around the dining room table, I perked up again. I sat on my hands to keep them from shaking in anticipation.
Earlier, Mom had taken off the checkered tablecloth and replaced it with one of her Sunday linens from the hall closet, spreading it out on the long table. She pulled gently on one end to even it out. “This will be a nice touch to celebrate your birthday dinner.”
I smiled at her, placing two gold candelabras, complete with tall red candles, in the center of the table. Little did she know that this dinner would consist of more than just a birthday meal, I was going to make mouths drop.
I patted her shoulder. “It looks nice, Mom.”
After we’d finished our meal, Kristy got up to tend to a fussy Meyer sitting in his bouncy seat on the floor beside her.
Clearing his throat, Aaron stood up, tapping his fork on his wine glass. “Can I please have you sit down, Kristy? I need everyone’s attention. I have an announcement to make.”
A small gasp escaped Mom’s throat. She sat her lemonade down on the table, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. “What is it, Aaron?” Her face contorted with a quizzical expression.
Aaron took my hand and pulled me up to stand beside him at the table. He groveled in his front pants pocket, searching for the ring, keeping it hidden. “As you all know, last night Sophia turned eighteen, and oh, what a birthday it was.” His eyes twinkled as he looked at me. “But what you didn’t know was that I asked her to be my wife.” Gasps and startled comments came from everyone around the table.
“And I said yes!” My smile, too big for my face, crinkled my eyes into thin slits when Aaron slid the brilliant ring onto my finger. I became lightheaded. It happened each time I saw the massive size and beauty of this radiant ring, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
“Oh my, Sophia.” Mom jumped up from her chair and ran over to take me in her arms. “I can’t believe it! Married? This is absolutely wonderful! Let me see that ring.”
Mom’s tears rushed down her cheeks, and she pulled my hand to her, admiring my ring. Dad, Josh, and Kristy gathered around us, too, each taking their turn to congratulate us and to admire the big stone.
“So, when is the big day?” Dad sat back down and lifted his coffee cup to his lips. That was about the extent of his celebrating.
Aaron brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “We’ve decided on a month after Sophia graduates. That is, if I have your permission, Mr. Bandell.”
“Why of course, Aaron. I couldn’t ask for a finer son-in-law.” A slight catch hooked in Dad’s voice, but he grinned large at the two of us.
Mom gathered us both in for a hug. “Oh, Sophia and Aaron, I’m so happy for the both of you. Let’s all have some cake.”
* * *
Monday morning dawned, and I flew out of bed. Claudia, Jenny, and Laura were going to collapse at the sight of my huge rock. I was going to ask them to be my bridesmaids. Claudia, of course, would be my maid of honor. My sister-in-law, Kristy, would be a bridesmaid, too.
I pulled my car up right beside Claudia’s in the school parking lot. “Claudia, wait up.” She plodded her way up to the school doors, and I jumped out of my car, running to catch up to her. Not wanting to brag, I wasn’t going to bring up my ring or engagement. I’d see if she noticed.
“How’s it going? Did you recover from your birthday?” She looked straight ahead, never noticing.
“Sure did. It couldn’t have been better…. Uh-hum, but you’ll never believe what happened.” Who was I kidding? I couldn’t go two minutes without telling someone about my happiness. I flashed my hand in front of her face, wiggling my ring finger. “Aaron asked me to marry him!”
“He did?” Her voice filled with reverence. “Wow, you’re going to get married?”
“Yes, and I want you to be my maid of honor.”
She grabbed my hand to get a closer look at the ring. “It’s big, looks expensive.”
Just then, Jenny and Laura came over to our lockers. Jenny grabbed a book off of her top locker shelf. “What up, girls?”
Laura let out a curdled scream like she had just seen a spider, then threw her hand over her mouth, looking around to make sure she wasn’t in trouble. “Where did you get that boulder on your finger, Sophia? It’s amazing.”
“Aaron asked me to marry him. On June twenty-first, I’ll be Mrs. Aaron Stuart.”
Both girls gathered around to admire it, while I beamed, my face flushing, unable to contain my happiness.
Chapter 27
The pages peeled off of the calendar faster than a sunny day in summertime, faster than I ever thought possible. It was now April—prom and graduation weren’t far off, and after that, it would be my big day.
When Claudia and I weren’t busy preparing for graduation, we spent every free day getting ready for the wedding. We used a whole day picking out the wedding dress, the cake, the church and all of the decorations. The invitations were written, sealed, and mailed off. It was now just a short time before we could put the final touches into place.
Aaron bounced back and forth between Cascade and Denver, juggling his b
usiness, wanting to spend as much time as he could with me.
Something struck me one afternoon, bringing a dizzying effect swirling to my head, making the room spin. I sat down on my bed to steady myself. At that moment I realized I hadn’t thought of Tate in months. It seemed as if ever since that Saturday morning when I threw the broken vase of frozen roses into the trash, and the pain shot through my head, that Tate had ended our relationship right then and there.
The broken vase was a symbol of our frozen love. I didn’t know if he had the power to do it, but something seemed different. He’d made sure he would be out of my mind for good so he would no longer interfere with my future, and Aaron and I could get on with our life together. It was either that, or the glistening boulder on my finger that had pushed him away from me.
Aaron came to pick me up about an hour later. “Are you ready to go?” He had a wry smirk dirtying his face and led me out the door to his car. “I’ve made some plans that I think you’re going to like.”
I slid over next to him in the front seat, grabbing his hand and planting a kiss on his unshaven face. “Well, are ya gonna make me suffer, or tell me where we’re going?” My eyes played with his when he turned to look at me.
“I guess I can tell you.” He glanced at himself in the mirror, rubbing on a tooth, before turning to watch the road. “If I’m going with you to this prom thing of yours, I don’t want you looking like an indigent teeny bopper. You need to play the part and look like a lady if you’re going to be on my arm and soon taking the Stuart name. So…I’m taking you to buy the finest gown possible. I know there’s no way your family can afford the kind of gown that I must have you in, so I will buy it for you.”
I bit my lip before I said something I’d regret. My mouth salivated, itching to blurt out that I had thirteen million dollars sitting in an account. But I planned for this to be my wedding gift to him. It would be for both of us and our future together.