“Yeah, I doubt that will happen” He has me blushing right now. The way he says it is so natural.
“So, what is your favorite color?” He asks me the most basic question ever. I’m glad. I would like to start this off easy.
“Um, I don’t think I have one. I’m always in between colors. I guess it’s whatever looks best on me.” He chuckles. “You?”
“I have three; blue, red, and black.”
“Of course the basic boy colors.”
He chuckles again.
“What’s your favorite fruit?” I continue.
“Pineapples, they are the best.”
“Mine are Mangos.”
“Mangos huh? That’s not a typical normal favorite fruit you hear from people.”
“Well, I’m not like many people.” Nice Claudia. Show your confidence or pretend you are.
“This is true.” He grins at me and gives me that gaze that’s so intense and sexy. We probably continue staring at each other for about twenty seconds.
I finally snap out of it and continue with the questions. “What about favorite vegetable?”
“Tomato?” He asks and gives me a silly look, showing he is unsure of himself. “I’m still confused if a tomato is a vegetable or a fruit.” We laugh together. He has a nice laugh. Hell I’m still confused about what a tomato is too. I think it’s a fruit. I won’t get into that though. “My mom had this garden one time before we moved back to the city. She grew these huge tomatoes that were so good. ”
“Really? My mom use to grow those in her garden too.” I instantly flash to the times I use to help my mother with her garden when I was younger.
“She stopped?” Great, he just had to ask for detail. I didn’t want to tell him depressing news about me.
“Yeah, she died when I was nine.” His face falters into clear sadness at me.
“Jesus. That really sucks.” Hm. Usually people say they’re sorry. He closes his eyes and curses under his breath. “I’m sorry, it’s just when death happens I always find it weird to say I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Actually, I’ve always hated when people said I’m sorry.” I really did. All through my mother’s funeral people told me how sorry they were and how they understood what I was going through. I felt like slapping all of those people. No one knows what you’re going through until it happens to them. I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure most of those people at the funeral didn’t lose their mother’s before they hit puberty.
“Yeah, I guess it sucks when people ask and then you have to tell them that.”
“Yeah it does, but I get over it. I have nothing but good memories of her how she was sweet and funny and …”
“Beautiful” He interrupts. I pause, mesmerized at the simple word he speaks. I mean now a days people use beautiful easily, but the way he says it, it’s with conviction. “I mean she had to be because you are, obviously.”
“Smooth, real smooth.” I’m calling him out, but blushing at the same time.
“I’m serious.” I know. “You are and you seem sweet, funny, and spontaneous given the no name situation. You’re very interesting.”
“Thank you. So what about you? What’s so interesting about you?”
He pauses for a second and shifts his eyes and brows, trying to figure out.
I don’t even know why I’m asking this. I’m really not that interesting myself. Daughter of well-respected Henry Stonem, class president every year, straight A student. Little miss perfect is what they call me and I’m tired of it.
“I don’t know really” He says.
How about the fact that you look like Brad Pitt in his younger years, not that he isn’t hot now.
“Well, you seem very interesting to me”
He glances at me with that intense gaze again. Funny thing is I feel myself doing the same thing to him now.
“Well, I guess my family makes me interesting.” He shrugs.
“How?” I ask.
He pauses again. “Um, well my dad’s business isn’t really well loved.”
“Really, what does he do?” Why am I being so nosey? Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it, Claudia.
He pauses again.
“Um, he’s a defense attorney, meaning he defends the bad guys.”
“Well that’s not that bad.” I mean it isn’t really.
“Oh so it’s bad?” He is laughing at the fact that I said not that bad.
“No! What… I mean…What I mean is… really we can’t be judged by what our parents do. I mean as long as your dad is a great dad, who cares.”
The intensity in his eyes calms down. It’s interesting. It’s like maybe it’s been a while since he showed his calm side. It makes me happy that my words are comforting for him.
“So, what else should we talk about?” I ask changing the topic.
He looks at me with curiousity in a goofy, sexy grin.
“What’s your greatest fear?” He asks.
“To end up like the people that have surrounded me my whole life.” Why I said it so easily? I really don’t know. “You?”
“To never figure out what my purpose is.”
His confession cause something to awake in me. It cause me to want to reach out and hold him. It’s like I can tell that he is someone who keeps things hidden, just like I do. I can tell all this from that confession. He is lost. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.
We we’re probably talking for about an hour. He told me how he loves his family, but didn’t tell me much about them because of the no name thing. I told him about my mom and how she was the coolest and how I love my dad, but he can be too pushy for my liking. He said he loves his dad, but he can be a little tough on him also.
We talked about movies, music, even books. He said his favorite book was The Count of Monte Cristo and The Great Gatsby except he hated the character Daisy. I’ve never read the other one, but last semester we read Gatsby and I loved it. Also that Daisy pissed me off too.
The more we talked the more things just clicked. I felt it through every word he spoke. It’s like this fire inside of me just started burning brighter with every smile he gave, every flirt, and every stare. He stares at me like I’m amazing or something. A girl would give anything to be looked at like that by a guy they actually like… and I like him. I like him a lot.
We are startled by people yelling inside. We quickly stand up to see a group of people running outside. They tell us that the cops are here and shutting down the party.
“I have to find my friend” I say, knowing Jade cannot get arrested again, her mother would kill her.
“Wait, I don’t know your name.” He says.
“Give me your phone”
He takes out his cell and hands it to me. I step back so he won’t see me enter in my number. I go to his contacts and add my number and my name. I also check to see if he had any other Claudia’s in his phone. He doesn’t.
“Here” I pass him his phone back. “When you get home tonight, you go through your contacts and when you see the name you don’t recognize it’s me. You’ll know my name then.”
“You’re serious?” He seems intrigued and shocked.
“Yep, and when you call me just say your name. I’ll know it’s you,” I can’t believe I’m doing this.
He smiles and in that moment I decide to do another bold move without even contemplating it.
I lean up, grabbing his shirt and press my lips onto his. His lips are soft as I thought they would be.
As I start to release from the kiss he grabs my face with both hands, and kisses me back. This time the kiss is passionate and slow. Before I know it, he slips his tongue through the seam of my mouth, guiding it slowly and softly inside.
I rarely participate in French kissing. My first French kiss was Bobby Mason and he was horrible. I never really used my tongue after that. Yet with this guy, I need to show him every move I have.
I explore his tongue with mine and it’s…. damn. Well he i
s definitely not Bobby Mason. I didn’t even know I had this in me. He presses his hand against my lower back. I slide my hand around his neck, gripping it tight, as the kiss deepens. This has got to be one of the hottest kisses I have ever experienced.
So, this is it what my mother described. This is passion. This is the real spark.
Chapter
2
“Forever”
Donovan
That was amazing.
She smiles at me after our kiss and runs off. I watch her as she goes back inside. I seriously need to find out who she is now, screw the waiting.
I grab my phone out of my pocket only to see that I have five missed calls and a text message from Christian.
I run through the house noticing the police escorting people out. Everyone is scattered around trying to get to their cars. I see some of the police officers doing breathalyzers. Yeah, let me get the hell out of here. I walk along the long driveway towards the street.
“Donovan!” I see Christian across the street standing by his car. He stamps toward me looking very pissed off. “Where the hell have you been?!” Christian says grabbing me by the arm. “There are cops all over the place.”
“I know. I’m sorry. My phone was on silent. Where’s Ella?”
“She’s getting a ride from Dina. I left early, but then she called me and said she couldn’t find you so I told her to go and let me find your sorry ass. Come on we need to go.”
While sitting in the car all I can think about is the girl and how I had to refrain from telling her who my father really was because I didn’t want to scare her away. However, based on the answer she gave when I lied, maybe the truth wouldn’t scare her. I’m going to wait until I get home to find out who she is. Boy, I can’t wait. I can’t wait to know her name. I bet it’s as beautiful as she is. She was extraordinary! I know this is crazy, but I think she is the thing I have been waiting for all along. I don’t commit, but I would definitely consider committing to this girl.
“What the hell is wrong with you, huh?!” Christian snaps at me while his hands tremble on the steering wheel. “Something could’ve happened tonight and you were nowhere to be found.”
“Chris, are you okay?”
As I continue watching his hands tremble on the steering wheel, I glance at his face to see him sweating and looking like he saw a ghost or something.
“I don’t even know.” He answers me.
“What are you talking about? Why did you leave the party early? Obviously you didn’t go home.”
“Listen there is a lot of shit going on alright? I just had to go somewhere and think.”
“Okay, what about?”
He remains silent while driving probably 80 miles an hour.
“Christian, what’s wrong?!” I really hope he can give me a damn answer.
“There’s a lot going on. I found out some stuff tonight and I don’t really know what to do with it.”
“What? What stuff?” Now I’m getting nervous.
“All we have to do is get to dad. He will know what to do.”
“Okay man, but seriously now you’re starting to freak me out. Just tell me.”
He glances at me than back at the road.
He sighs. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”
We are blinded by bright headlights pulling behind us.
What the hell?
“Shit” Christian says.
“Christian, who is that?”
“Put your seatbelt on.”
“Christian who the hell is that?!”
“Damn it Donovan, put your seat belt on!”
Suddenly the car is slammed by the vehicle behind us. I adjust in my seat and try to buckle up the seat belt.
The car speeds up beside us. I can’t see who it is due to the black tinted windows. All I know is that it’s a black truck. The front passenger windows roll down.
“Get Down!” Christian grabs my head and pushes me down.
I hear gun shots as Christian’s window shatters over us. Before I know it, the truck rams the side of the car. Christian holds on to the wheel trying not to lose control of the car.
“There’s a gun in the glove compartment!” Christian tells me.
I quickly reach in there and grab it.
“Shoot them!” Christian orders me.
I quickly raise the gun as Christian ducks down to give me enough room. I pull the trigger, aiming for the passenger side of the truck. I want to kill these bastards. In fact, my adrenaline rush is activated as I pull the trigger. I keep firing until the truck rams us again. I fall back into the seat, hitting my head against my window as the car does a 360 in the middle of the street before coming to a complete stop.
I glance at Christian as the truck’s bright headlights come towards us shining on his face, causing his green eyes to glow.
Claudia
“So, did you have fun tonight?” Julia asks me as I walk in the house.
All I can do is smile. “Yeah, I did.”
Donovan
I open my eyes.
All I see is a blur. I blink a couple of times before gaining a clear view. I see the street where we live. It’s a block away. We’re almost home. I move my hands and feet just to make sure I’m okay. I think I’m okay, but my head hurts like hell. I turn around and see Christian looking at me with his eyes wide open and blood running down the side of his face. His chest is rising slowly...
“Donovan” He says so quietly that I can barely hear him. “Donovan”
I look past him to see a hand. It has a silver ring on it with a red ruby in the middle of it. It’s located on his middle finger. That’s a male ring for sure on a male’s hand. The hand reaches into the back of his pants and pulls out a gun and points it at my brother.
Christian slowly turns his head to see the gunman. The look Christian gives, it’s as if he isn’t scared. He isn’t afraid to die. I can’t let this happen. I can’t let him do this.
I look down and see the gun on the floor. I reach down to pick it up and fire at the gunman’s hand three times until the gun is empty. I hear the guy scream as he drops the gun and grabs hold of his hand. He picks the gun back up and stumbles to the front of the car and I am able to get a clear view of him now. He has on a black ski mask and a black leather jacket zipped up. His eyes widen through the mask at the sight of me. He raises his gun with his other hand and points it at me. I quickly pull Christian down with me. Along with the extreme sound of gunshots I feel pieces of glass cutting into my arm that I have covering over my head.
The gunshots suddenly stop. “Shit!” I hear the gunman curse. I look up to see him looking into his chamber. He’s out of bullets.
“Come on!” I hear a voice coming out of the black truck.
The guy runs back and hops in the truck. They speed off leaving us.
Love and Hate (The Pierce Family Trilogy) Page 4