by Lara Henley
Chapter 15
Misty
When Aunt Silvia and I left the diner we went car shopping. She told me she had narrowed her choices down to a new Lexus or BMW. She chose a newer version of what was now my new car. I was surprised when she wrote a check for the car. No financing. “Don’t look like that. We don’t believe in credit. We pay cash for everything,” she said to me.
We finally made it back home and I wanted so badly to talk to Drake and tell him about my day. When I finally spoke to him he seemed a little off. Maybe he was just having a rough day from finding out that his father had cancer. Deep down I felt like something was going on.
Pushing the thought away, I began getting ready for my evening with Drake. This would be our first real date or hanging out. I didn’t know what to call it. I was excited and nervous to see what was going to happen with him. I never paid much attention to boys. They were always so mean to me, said I was ugly and looked like a boy. I used to go home and cry for hours. My mother told me I would blossom into a beautiful butterfly one day. I missed her so much. I could feel that maybe I had, because when Drake looked at me I felt and believed I was beautiful. He made me feel like I was the only girl in the world. The only girl he could possibly have eyes for.
I put on some light blush and lipstick like the lady at the makeup counter showed me. I added a touch of eyeliner and mascara to finish off a natural look. I took out my best pair of jeans. The ones that I thought my ass looked good in and paired them with a sparkly tank top. It was really hot out and I didn’t know what Drake had planned for us. I put on the Toms shoes and looked at myself in the floor-length mirror. “Not bad,” I thought. I loved my new pixie haircut. It was so easy to manage. I ran my comb through it and it was ready to go. No more flat irons and curling irons for a while. I popped in a breath mint and waited for him to arrive. The closer it got for him to come over the more nervous I got. I wanted to look good for him. When I heard the doorbell ring ten minutes later, I leaped off the bed and ran down the stairs to the door. I was too late. Lizzy had it open and Drake was bent down whispering something in her ear. I heard her chuckle. In that instant I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. He looked up at me and we locked eyes. I followed his eyes as I made my way over to him. It was as if there was no one else in that room but the two of us. When I made it to the door Lizzy was still giggling.
“Lizzy, tell your mom I am leaving for the evening. I will send her a text later.”
“Awww, I thought we could play. It’s Friday and I have no school tomorrow.” She scrunched her little face up.
“How about tomorrow morning we have a tea party?” Her eyes lit up.
“Really? But no boys. No boys cause they are gross,” she said, looking directly at Drake.
“Your wish is my command. No boys. I have to go. Be good and I will see you tomorrow.” I bent down and kissed her cheek.
“Bye,” she said and ran off into the house.
Drake took my hand. “You are my favorite daydream. I have been dreaming about you all day.” He kissed the back of my hand and pulled me in for an embrace. We stood there hugging for a while before he let me go. I could feel some tension in him but I wasn’t going to ask. I wanted tonight to be special.
“You look good enough to eat, Peaches.” He smiled a devious smile as we walked toward the car.
“Where are we going?” I asked with a nervous stomach.
“I am taking you to one of my favorite places in the world.” Drake helped me into the truck and closed the passenger side door. Then he climbed in and started the car.
“Seat belt please.” I fastened my belt and we pulled off.
“Wait, I wanted to show you something. Go back.” He put the truck in reverse, backed up and shut it off. I jumped out, dug the keys out of my purse and I hit the garage door button. As the door rose, I ran in and hopped into my car. Drake followed me, looking puzzled.
“What are you doing?”
“Showing you my new ride! Aunt Silvia and Uncle Russ gave it to me. Let’s take my car. I am itching to break it in.” He shrugged and got in.
“This was really nice of them. You need to be able to get around, especially since you got a job.” He looked around the car. “Very nice. A chick car.”
“What’s a chick car?”
“It’s a car only a chick would drive.” I busted out laughing and I guess I was laughing too hard because he laughed with me.
“Hold on a second.” Drake jogged over to his truck and pulled something out of the back. He threw it in my back seat.
“Why do we need that?” I asked.
“We will need it for where we are going,” he said smugly. I wasn’t going to argue.
“Come on, pull out and turn to the left.” I followed his directions. I was wondering where we were going. He kept giving me directions until we pulled up to an old water tower.
“Get out,” he said, getting out of the car and closing the door. I followed him.
“What are we doing here?” I was confused.
“This is my thinking place. I come here when I need to think. I wanted to share it with you.” I looked around and looked up at the rusty old tower. The view was nothing to be desired.
“Climb up. When you get to the top you will see why I love it here.” We both climbed up to the top and the view swept the breath from my lungs. Drake came up behind me and laced his arms around me.
“You can almost see the entire county from here. It is quiet and you can actually hear the city.” We didn’t speak. I could hear children playing and a mother calling her children in for dinner. I heard a lawn mower going. In another direction I could hear cars passing and dogs barking. The sun was setting and I could see the town lighting start turning on. I understood why he loved it.
“I can see why you like it here. I could spend all day up here thinking.”
“I could spend the rest of my life up here as long as you are with me,” he said against my neck. I felt the vibration on my skin.
The warmth I was feeling for him was intensifying. Drake spun me around and kissed me deeply. “I love you, Misty; so much I can hardly breathe without you.”
“Drake you are my dream come true. I didn’t know what life was until I met you. You saved my life physically and emotionally.” With those words he began to kiss down my neck.
Drake’s kisses put me at ease. He made me feel sexy, beautiful, like a woman. I was sick of feeling like a kid. I wanted to grow up and be the woman that he wanted and needed.
“Hold on,” he said as he moved back down the stairs to my car. I saw him pull a blanket out he had put in there earlier. He climbed back up.
“Here, let’s lay on this. I don’t want to mess up your clothes.” He was always thinking ahead. Was I really about to give myself to him?
He wrapped me back up in him. “Baby, I love you so much. I never thought it could be like this.” I took his face into the palms of my hands and looked deeply into his eyes. I could see myself in them.
“I love you too. More than you will ever know.” I pulled him in and kissed him hard and long. I kissed him like these were the last moments left in the world. I kissed him like it was my dying wish. I loved him and I wanted to show him how much.
Drake eased me down onto the blanket. He breathed into my neck and I was sure my heart stopped beating for a moment.
“Do you want this, Misty? We can wait. I want you more than you will ever know, but I can wait.” He makes me so happy, and the way he looks at me makes me want melt. The love that we share is pure and whole and nothing will break it. I wanted this, I wanted to be with him and show him just how much I truly love him. He was becoming the missing part of me that I had been searching for. He knew me better than I knew myself and for that I would never love another. Drake has ruined me for any other man.
“I want this, Drake. I want you now and forever.” He took my shirt off and began kissing down my neck. This was it; I was giving myself to him.
I trusted someone for the first time in my life other than my parents. I was so happy in this moment.
The places Drake took me to were beyond words. We just laid there wrapped up in each other. Wrapped up in our love. Was this what love was like? I could feel our hearts beating as one. I had Drake, a family who loved me, a job, a car, and most importantly, a future. I still couldn’t believe what God had blessed me with in just a short amount of time.
“What are you thinking about, Peaches?” Drake looked relaxed and satisfied with himself.
“I’m thinking I can stay like this forever. I can stay wrapped up in you and only you. I love you.” I replied contently. I couldn’t help but to keep saying those words. They were what would keep me going and alive.
“I love you more. You make me feel so alive and make me want more out of life than I thought possible.” He always had the most beautiful words to say to me.
I guess we fell asleep because the next thing we knew there was a bright light flashing up in our faces. I saw a slender man behind it. I couldn’t make out who he was. The loud speaker came on. It startled me because Drake and I were naked under our blanket of love.
“What are you two doing up there?” OMG, a cop! Were we seriously being caught by the cops! How did they know we were up here?
“It’s ok officer Thomas. We are just hanging out.” Drake covered my body with his. He was protecting me from the officer seeing me naked. Oh, this was so embarrassing. I lost my virginity and was going to jail for indecent exposure. I could see the headlines now: Girl Who Loses Virginity Is A Public Nuisance.
“Drake Mitchell, is that you?” Officer Thomas finally moved the light away that was piercing my eyes.
“Yes, it’s me. I was hanging out with my girlfriend and we fell asleep. I am sorry we lost track of time. We will leave as soon as we get our stuff together.” I didn’t think Officer Thomas was too pleased.
“You two hurry along. You shouldn’t be up there in the first place.” He hopped back in his car and drove off. I immediately started to laugh.
“Well, that was a close call,” I said while I was still giggling.
“Yeah it was. Let’s get out of here before he comes back and arrests us both.” Drake tossed me my pants and shirt. I still had my bra on. I slipped my clothes on. I watched Drake in all his naked glory get dressed. He was even more beautiful naked than dressed.
He caught me staring at him. “See something you like?” There was a devious look on his face as though he wanted round two.
I put my hands behind my head and gave him a wicked grin. “Yes I do.”
In an instant he was on top of me. “You can’t talk to me like that or I will have to take you again right here and right now.” I loved the way he said it. It made me hot for him all over again.
“We can’t. The officer is going to arrest us if he comes back and we are still here.” I giggled under my breath and smiled. Drake finished dressing and pulled me up from the blanket. My ass and back were hurting. It wasn’t the best place to have made love and then fall asleep. I wouldn’t change it for the world though because it was romantic to have made love in front of the city lights. We got ourselves together and made our way back down to the car.
“Are you hungry?” Drake asked. I looked over at the clock on the dashboard of the car. It was only ten p.m. “Maggie’s is open. We could drop in for a quick bite or head over to Riverdale to Denny’s.”
“I am starving, Maggie’s is good.” I was starving. Drake and I had worked up a great appetite.
“Great, give me the keys. I am driving. I love you but your driving skills suck.” He got out and yanked open the driver side door for me to get out. I climbed over the middle area and Drake took us to Maggie’s. All in all this had been the very best day of my life.
Chapter 16
Drake
Making love to Misty had to have been the highlight of my life so far. We were so in sync. I couldn’t believe it actually happened. I wanted it since I met her, but I wasn’t sure she felt the same until she told me she loved me too. I had just planned to take her here and spend some quality time together. I never expected to make love to her. Being caught by Officer Thomas was hilarious and frightening at the same time. The man detested me. I was sure he was going to arrest me. Ever since I accidently hit his mailbox when I was seventeen, he has had it out for me. Of course my parents paid for it, but nonetheless he still hated me. The mailbox was ugly. It was in the shape of an eagle and everyone in town hated it. He had built the thing himself and to me it looked like a lopsided monkey. Kyle dared me to hit it. I did it just to shut him up. I didn’t think I would get caught, but I did and my parents were furious that I hit it. I knew they would forget about it and they did. Life couldn’t get much better. I had my parents back in my life, a girl that I TRULY loved, and I was going after a career I so desperately wanted.
When we pulled into Maggie’s, the smell of hamburgers made my stomach grumble more than it already was. All I had to eat that day was beer and some stale ass chips. Misty and I walked into the diner hand in hand. I stopped dead in my tracks. In the corner was the gang from the party. What were they doing here? I tried to turn around and leave without being seen, but Kyle looked up and I caught his eye.
“What up Bro,” he yelled across the room. Kyle got up and moved over towards us. Misty looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“It’ll be ok. These are some of my friends. Let me try and get us out of here,” I whispered into her sweet earlobe.
“Bro, why did you leave? The party was jumping. The pussy was great.” He was talking as though he didn’t see Misty on my arm.
“I had some things I needed to attend to. Kyle, this is my girlfriend Misty. Misty, this is Kyle, my best friend.” I knew I was throwing her out there; I just didn’t want Kyle to say anything else stupid. I was surely going to kick his ass later.
“Dude, you just had Sara. Talk about moving fast. Hi, Misty, I’m Kyle, this assholes better half.” He held out his hand. Misty was hesitant but she took it.
“Nice to meet you, Kyle,” she whispered.
“Ahh, you got a shy one huh? Come over and join us. We’re getting a bite and then moving the party over to the lake,” Kyle stated.
“No thanks. We came to get our food to go. We are heading back to my place to watch some DVD’s.” I was lying out my ass, but I didn’t want her around them.
“Bullshit, anyway you can at least come over and say hi. We haven’t seen you in a long time.” I looked over at Misty and she nodded in approval. We followed him over to the table to the same gang from high school. They were all smashed into a corner booth. I remembered sitting in this very same booth making fun of people and giving them a hard time for no apparent reason. I was surprised that Sara wasn’t here. Thank the heavens because I wouldn’t have a clue how to handle that.
“Shove over for Drake and his new girlfriend,” Kyle said sarcastically, and the bullshit began. Some of Sara’s friends where there; Colleen and Whitney, some of the most vicious girls I have ever met.
“Wow, Drake, you move quickly. You just broke up with Sara two days ago for this?” She gestured over at Misty. “She is so heartbroken. She can’t even get out of bed,” Colleen said.
“Not my problem. It was coming for a while.” Misty tucked herself under my arm. She was trembling. I didn’t know if it was out of fear or out of anger. The table was quiet while listening to our transaction.
“You need to go see her. I always knew you were an ass, Drake, but I never thought you would treat her like this. How could you be so cold?” Whitney asked. She leaned over to the other side of me and spoke directly to Misty. “You better watch him or he will do the same thing to you. He will find some girl on the side of the road and leave you for her.” That was it. I snatched Misty up and put my arm around her.
“She will never be bitches like you. She is better than you. She is the love of my life and I would never do anything to hurt her. Tell Sa
ra I will be talking to her. She will not be spreading lies.” I took Misty’s hand and we left the diner.
“I’m sorry. I was trying to avoid that. They are assholes, spoiled rich kids that don’t know the value of anything.”
“I was trying to hold my temper Drake. You just broke up with your girlfriend? Was it because of me?” Before I could answer I saw Kyle coming over towards us. What the hell did he want? I pushed Misty behind me just as I did with Officer Thomas. I would punch him if he said something stupid, even though my hands still hurt.
“Dude, I’m sorry. I didn’t think they would be like that.”
“Don’t apologize to me. You need to apologize to her.” I moved out of the way for him to say something to her.
“I’m sorry Misty,” he said as he looked down and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“It’s ok.” Misty turned and walked over to the car. I guess she had had enough.
“I love her, Kyle, more than I loved Sara. If you won’t accept her then our friendship is over.” I didn’t let him respond. I clicked the car doors to unlock and we got in and left.
“I’m so sorry, Misty. I did break up with her because I loved you from the minute I saw you. Our relationship had been over for a long time. We were hanging onto something that was no longer there. I hope that you see that. I didn’t want to hurt her. But I couldn’t keep stringing her along.” I said pleadingly. Misty didn’t say anything for several minutes.
“I believe you, Drake, but I don’t like this. I work at that diner now and it is going to be awkward if they are regular customers,” she whispered.
“They won’t bother you, I promise. I will handle it.” I would move heaven and earth before they gave her any hell. “Would you like to go to Denny’s or do you want me to take you home?”