The Heir

by Eshbaugh Kayla

  “Well, are you not fashionably late?” I asked, popping a chip into my mouth to disguise my breathlessness.

  “Yes, sorry about that. I had to take care of some things for work.” He pursed his lips. I looked at him, confused.

  “Oh yeah, where do you work?” I asked, grabbing another chip from the bowl.

  “It is a family business, kind of like a detective agency. I mostly file paperwork and do office tasks—it helps pay for my gas. I guess I should have texted you. That would have been the proper thing to do.” He looked irritated at himself, and I could not help but smile.

  “You have a swimsuit on under all that?” I asked motioning to his body.

  “No, I wasn’t able to change, I came straight from work, actually. Are you going to swim?” he asked, looking at my cover up dress.

  “Yes. And you should go back to your house and change; it won’t be much fun without a suit, and I mean a swimsuit.”

  He smiled wide, “I assure you, Emma, I am already having plenty of fun.” He winked at me, and I tried to stop the heat that was rising in my cheeks, but I knew it was there, and I could not hide it.

  “Well, swim or not, but I have to get in; it’s so hot.” I walked past him and headed for the pool where Ryker, and Ash were, hanging with a few other kids.

  The water felt cold and fresh as I dived in. I popped up in front of Ryker, and he splashed me in the face.

  “Hey,” I said, splashing him back. Ash swam over to me.

  “Ryker said your pool has colored lights at night,” she said with a grin.

  “It does.”

  “Maybe, when all these people leave, we can stay a bit longer? You know, because we know the hostess?” Ash asked.

  “You are more hostess than me.” We swam and played a few games for a while. I forgot my worries and felt like a normal person. Knowing that Shad was just sitting a few feet away brought such peace to my soul.

  People started to leave around five. I assumed they went home for dinner as we had ran out of food. I got out of the pool and wrapped a towel around my waist, and I noticed there were only a dozen people still there. I glanced around the yard and saw Shad sitting at the picnic table. He leaned back just a bit in the chair, one foot was over his knee and his fingers spun a cup in his hand on the table. I heard his song in my head again, the one I made up for him and wanted to sing along to it, but thought better of it, because I needed to keep my sanity, of course. Instead, I grabbed myself a water bottle and made my way over to him.

  “Hey, having fun?” I asked. He didn’t look up, just kept watching his cup under his fingertips.

  “I missed you,” I thought he said. I could barely hear it because he seemed to whisper it, or had I imagined him saying it? I shook my head.

  “What?” I asked, taking a sip of my water.

  “Oh—” He started, still not looking at me, which seemed odd because I always seemed to catch him watching me. “Looked like you were having fun,” he said, peeking over at me. He smiled and looked at me from head to toe before clearing his throat and widening his eyes. Then I watched as something washed over his face, and he darted his eyes away as if he didn’t want me to notice that he had noticed me standing in front of him in a bathing suit. Who on Earth is this boy?

  “You would have had fun, too, if you had your suit on,” I said with a smile. “And again, I don’t mean a business suit.” I smiled playfully as he looked at me, his eyes searching mine. “We are turning the pool lights on; it will be dark soon,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “You should at least take your shoes off and roll those pants up and dip your feet in,” I suggested, tilting my head to the side, trying to beg him with my eyes.

  “I could probably manage that,” he agreed, and he rose up from his chair and undid the knot in his tie. I watched as he folded it with care and precision and placed it on the table. Next, he unbuttoned two buttons from the top of his shirt, and I could not help but let my mouth hang open. My cheeks burned, and I could not help but feel embarrassed at how I always reacted to him. I gulped down another sip of my water as I watched him fold back the sleeves of his shirt, take off his shoes and socks, folding his socks into his shoes, then folding up his pant legs. I stared at him. I wondered if his father was in the military. It had to be the reason he was so formal, so put together, and so in control. I wished I could be more like that, but I always felt like I was falling apart. He seemed to know exactly what he wanted to do. He held out his arms. My pulse quickened, just thinking about embracing him. I cleared my throat.

  “This good?” He asked, smiling at me with a mischievous grin. I nodded because words escaped me. While he looked more casual than I had ever seen him before, he was still one-hundred percent put together. How? How does someone do that?

  The sky changed from blue to pink, and then the stars appeared. I sat at the edge of the pool with Shad, our feet dangling in the water.

  “So, where did you move from?” I asked, looking at him as he watched the night sky with a frown on his face.

  “East Coast,” he answered.

  “Wow, that is far.”

  “Yeah, traveling is something my family likes to do.”

  “We traveled in the summers, but I’ve lived in this house my entire life.”

  “How wonderful,” he said in a low whisper.

  “What?” I asked looking at him.

  “—That you have always been here, in the same place. Having a home is special.”

  “I always thought it was the people who make home, home,” I shrugged.

  “That is very true.” I watched as Ryker swam to the other side of the pool. Ash and Ryker were talking, and I was happy that it distracted him from keeping me from Shad. I wanted to know who Shad was, and everything about him, especially why he wore dress clothes every day of his life. I wondered if he even owned a T-shirt. I laughed at myself, of course he does, he probably sleeps in one.

  “What are you thinking about?” He asked. I looked at him and he seemed amused.

  “Do you own one T-shirt?”

  “A T-shirt?” He asked, seemingly baffled.

  “It’s just—you always wear this,” I said, motioning to his clothing. “And I wondered if it’s all you have in your closet.”

  He chuckled.

  “I have a few T-shirts, but I used to attend private school as a boy, and I have to wear business attire for work.” He paused, touching the sleeve of his shirt. “Formal wear is just comfortable to me—feels like me, you know?”

  “Comfortable?” I questioned.

  “Yes, what about you, what clothing do you feel the most like yourself in?”

  I thought about it. I didn’t have an item of clothing that made me feel like me. I loved my sun dresses, and I loved my pajamas, but that sounded boring. “I like sundresses. They make me feel pretty.”

  “I don’t think you could ever not look pretty, Emma.” he whispered my name, and his face was next to my ear, his lips almost touching my skin, and his breath caressed my skin like a soft touch. I leaned into him, his chest against my back, and the electricity pulsed through me as I turned my head and looked at him. He sat still, staring at me.

  One moment, I was staring into golden eyes; then the next moment, it was as if I was someone else entirely, looking at myself. I saw myself sitting beside the pool, looking into my own green eyes. Feelings erupted through me, and I tried to catch my breath. Words like: perfection, wonder, beauty, mine floated through my mind, but they were not my own thoughts, not my own words. I blinked, and then I was looking into Shad’s golden eyes once more. I turned away, and I wondered if I was losing my sanity for the thousandth time.

  Shad

  “OUR NEIGHBOR ASKED if I could hang out at his house after school. He can give me a ride home. Is that okay?”

  “A him?” Mary asked with both curiosity and what I assumed to be discomfort.

  I rolled my eyes. “Just a friend in my math class—his name is Shad.” Did her eyes just
widen? What is wrong with her today?

  “Of course, you can. Just make sure his parents are home, and don’t get too attached to anyone. You know—high school doesn’t last forever.”

  I was confused by her comment. Didn’t she want me to make new friends, have a life?

  “I am sure his parents will be there,” I said, feeling embarrassed.

  “What are the plans?”

  “He wants to show me a collection or something.” I could not say a ‘rose hobby’ because it sounded weird, and she was acting strange about the entire situation.

  “Oh, sounds interesting. We’ll, have fun, but not too much fun—be safe, and don’t forget to text me when you get there.” She bit her lip, then smiled.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, why? Are you fine? I am most defiantly fine. Did you ever finish reading your parent’s letters?” she asked me.

  “No, I totally forgot. I will, though. It’s just hard to see a love so perfect. I am not sure I will ever find anyone who loves me like dad loved mom.”

  “You will, Emma. You will. Everything will be alright,” she nodded, hesitating for a moment as if she were trying to convince herself. Well that is assuring.

  “Did you want to meet him first?”

  “NO!” She said, then cleared her throat, “No—no, Emma, that is okay. Please, have fun,” she smiled a fake smile and walked into the living room.

  “Okay? Bye!” Now that was the strangest conversation I have ever had with Mary.

  That day in Math, I tried desperately to keep my eyes off of Shad. We didn’t even get to talk the entire period because our teacher was lecturing the entire time. Then, even if I wanted to just say hello to him, he bolted out of class, and I wanted to cry—which I knew was way over-dramatic. Finally, though, the bell rang for the end of school, and I was free. Shad had not been in my last period, which was odd. Had he forgotten our plans? I did not know if I could really handle him breaking the plans we had made. I needed to see him, talk to him, maybe finally figure out what his hair feels like in-between my fingers. Was it soft and silky? I shook my head as I put on my backpack and headed out the door of my last class.

  But there he was, standing across the hall, leaning against the brick wall, looking right at me. He smiled a tight smile as if he was holding something back. His tie was undone and hung around his neck, his collar unbuttoned, and his sleeves pushed up. He looked so unbelievably attractive. I stood frozen in the hall, our eyes connecting, the music inside me blaring to life. He quickly pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to me.

  As he reached me, the look in his eyes spoke of need and want. Could he possibly be feeling this attraction, too? Could he really be interested in me? I knew, that the look in my eyes had to be just as clear.

  “Hello, Emma,” he spoke softly as he stood before me in his perfection.

  “Hi,” I whispered as if speaking any louder this happy perfect bubble would burst between us forever. His hand touched my cheek, and I thought, I have never felt anything this wonderful before. It could not be real. He isn’t real.

  “You ready?” He asked, tucking a hair behind my ear. How could he breathe? How could he speak? I could only nod. “Well, let’s go,” he said with a side smirk as if he understood his effect on me. I wondered again if he was affected by me as much as I was by him.

  This is your car?” I asked Shad in astonishment as he stopped in the parking lot.

  Focus, Emma. Finally, school was out, and Shad was about to drive me in his extremely nice sports car to his house.

  “Yes, is there something wrong?” he asked, looking concerned as he took my backpack from me and placed it on the back seat.

  “Oh—no, I mean, it’s just a really expensive car, and I have never been in such a nice car before. I was not expecting it, maybe like an old pick-up truck or your mom’s old commuter car, but, yeah, not this.” I bit my lip; I was rambling again.

  He smiled at me. “Well, I do not like trucks so much. They are rather loud and waste energy. My mother doesn’t have a commuter car, so that wasn’t an option for me either. I did, however, love the look of this car and it’s leather interior, and my guardian decided to buy it for me,” he shrugged.

  “Wow, that was really nice of your guardian?”

  “Yes, I do not live with my parents, sadly. I have a guardian, but I am well taken care of.”

  I nodded; didn’t he say he worked for his family business? Why didn’t he live with his family?

  “Shall we?” he asked as he opened my door. I sank into the leather seat which was very comfortable. I smiled, rubbing the soft leather. It smelled like mint and leather, and I liked it. I tried to memorize the moment, the feelings, and all the smells. Shad sat down and started the engine.

  “Wow, this is a sweet ride.”

  Shad chuckled.

  “I am glad you like it, Emma.” He drove through town toward our neighborhood, and I could not help but look at him as he drove. It was a manual, and he drove the car so effortlessly. I envied him; I could not drive a manual to save my life. We pulled into his driveway, and he asked me to wait a moment as he got out of his car and walked around to my side and opened the door for me. My heart fluttered. Why did Ryker think he was like other guys? He was a complete and total gentleman.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  He nodded and grabbed both of our backpacks from the back seat and carried them with him as we walked to his front door.

  “Is your guardian home? My aunt wanted to make sure we were not home alone. It isn’t like anything is going to happen or—but she just said that because we are young, and we need to make sure that we are—” I stopped myself by covering my mouth with my hand. Shad laughed playfully and touched the hand I used to cover my mouth with his own, tugging it away.

  “Of course, I understand, and, yes, my guardian is here.” He set the backpacks down by the door, and I tried to take deep breaths to stop myself from spouting off more nonsense.

  “This way, Emma,” he said, pointing in front of him, down the hall. It was an average house, just like mine—a different layout but tidy and simply decorated. As we walked into the living room, there was a man sitting on the couch, reading a book. He had dark brown hair, glasses that covered up his eyes, and a smile on his face as his eyes met mine.

  “You must be Emma; it is truly an honor to meet you, my dear.” He held my hand and did a little bow, and I looked to Shad in confusion. He shrugged.

  “It is great to meet you,” I said with a smile.

  “This is Keil, my guardian. Keil, this is Emma.”

  “I hear that Shad is going to show you his roses?”

  “Yes, I believe so,” I answered.

  “Yes, Keil. We will be down in a little while. We will be in the study.”

  “Yes, of course. Have a good time,” he smiled and sat back down as we headed upstairs. It turned out that the study was a very large room, probably the master bedroom with every wall lined in books. In the center of the room sat a large table and some chairs. In one corner, there was a computer, and in the other, a stack of paper, and other office supplies.

  “Wow, you have so many books,” I partially whispered in awe as I traced the letters with my pointer finger down the spines of a few books as I walked past.

  “Keil enjoys reading.”

  “You don’t?”

  “I do, but these are mostly his collection. I keep mine in my room.” He motioned me to the table. I sat down, and he pulled out a small leather-bound book. I watched as he opened it to the first page. There in beautiful cursive letters, it read: “My search for the rose.” I traced the beautiful writing with my finger.

  “It is beautiful,” I looked up at Shad. He looked at me, his eyes intently watching as if he were curious about my reaction. I turned the page. There were about twenty pages that were bound together at the beginning of the book. I wondered what they were.

  “Oh, those first few pages, they are just
some journal entries, boring stuff really.” He reached down to turn the pages. He stopped when he reached the desired page. There was a single rose pressed into the paper, some of the color from it bleeding onto the page from I assumed, being partially damp when it was pressed in order to preserve the blossom. It was absolutely beautiful. As I flipped through the pages, I noticed that written across each page was the name of a city or town where the flower was obtained. I turned the pages, and each one was the same: dozens and dozens of roses, all beautifully preserved in that book.

  “This is incredible. You did this?”

  “When we move, which as you can tell is often, I find a rose and press it into this book.” I turned to the last pages which were all blank.

  “You still need a rose from here,” I said, looking at him. His eyes were so intently focused on me that I could scarcely draw breath. He touched my hand and smiled softly. I loved the feel of his hand on mine. Electricity pulsed between us, and again, I wanted more, wanted to really touch him. I wondered then what it would feel like if he entangled his fingers with mine. Heat came to my cheeks, and I cursed my fair skin.

  “I plan on going by a shop I know to collect that missing flower, after I decide on the right color.” He smiled, and I dropped my gaze. I turned the pages again, examining the flowers closer, naming them each as I went. Shad went to the opposite table and brought back a pen.

  “Why roses?” I asked, touching a pressed pink blossom.

  “They are beautiful flowers.” He shrugged as if he could have made the same book from daisies. I doubted that.

  “But only roses?” I asked, flipping through more pages. “You could have had some variety, peonies for example are very beautiful as well.”

  “Yes, but only roses would do, they had to be roses, Emma.” His voice was husky, and I felt his breath near my ear. I tried to steady my shaking hand by grasping his book.