Swift

by Heather London

  “Um, sure. I’m alone in the house all the time.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I’m talking for a few days. Maybe like five or so.”

  He glanced over at me, I guess to measure my reaction. I really had no reason to care. It was not like being alone for that long would be much different than what I was used to. More than anything, I was just curious to what he was up to. “Sure, Jack, it’s no problem. What’s up, though?” I asked, hoping I was not prying too much.

  “Well.” He paused before continuing. “I’m going to ask Rose to marry me.”

  My mouth dropped open. I stared at him for a moment in total shock, and then I couldn’t help but mirror his smile. Finally was the first word that popped into my head. They had been dating for three years by that point and were practically married, except for the whole living-together thing. And I’m guessing that had been for my benefit—Aunt Rose trying to be a good role model and all.

  “That’s great news! I’m so happy for you guys,” I said.

  “We’ll see. She still has to say yes.”

  On the inside, I rolled my eyes, knowing that Aunt Rose was probably going to say yes before he even finished asking. Scream it, even.

  “But I don’t understand. Why would you be gone for that many days?” I asked.

  “Well, the few times we have talked about marriage, we agreed that we would want a quick and simple ceremony and a really nice honeymoon.”

  “Sounds like her.” I nodded, still not able to wash the smile from my face.

  I could barely contain my excitement, knowing that Aunt Rose was about to get the life that she had always deserved. Her entire life had been uprooted the moment she moved into my house to take care of me. Aunt Rose never really had an opportunity to date, get married, and then have a family. And even though she had a choice in taking care of me, there was no doubt that she had sacrificed because of that decision. And recently, there were times where I had felt guilty, knowing that I would be leaving her after that summer and she would be all alone in the house. But now she would have Jack … and who knows? Maybe they would start a family of their own. Butterflies filled my stomach in anticipation of the life that I hoped she would have.

  We pulled up to the library. I opened the car door and stepped out, thanking Jack for the ride and wishing him luck with the proposal. It was hard to concentrate at work, given everything that was on my mind. I was preoccupied with the news that Jack had just told me. And I couldn’t forget about the events that had happened the night before; they haunted me all day. A part of me wanted everything that had happened the previous night to be a dream. I did not want to believe that I was capable of sleepwalking. I mean, that’s for crazy people, right?

  I kept thinking about Blake, longing to see him again. All day my eyes were focused on the doors, hoping that Blake would eventually walk through them. But much to my dismay, he never showed. Maybe he is trying to avoid me, I thought. Maybe he realizes that I am some sort of freak and he wants nothing to do with me.

  When work ended, I pulled my purse and backpack out from under the counter before telling Ms. Donaldson goodbye.

  “Would you like me to drive you home, dear? The sky still looks pretty dark, and I would hate for you to get stuck in the rain.”

  “No, thanks. I should be fine.” The rain had been on-and-off all day. I hoped that it would remain off for just fifteen more minutes so I could get home. My feet still ached from the last night’s excursion, but after standing all day I was somewhat used to the pain.

  When I walked outside, I turned and saw that I had someone waiting for me on the bench. My heart began to flutter as Blake’s eyes met mine and he began to walk toward me. A part of me felt as though I should be embarrassed in front of him, but there were no such feelings. The only feelings I had were anticipation of being close to him again.

  “Do you mind if I walk you home? I want to make sure you get there okay and don’t end up in the next town or anything.” He smiled as he got within a few feet of me.

  I glared up at him, but I was also able to appreciate his humor. It was nice to have someone to joke around with since Roger had been gone.

  “Sounds great. But where were you this morning? It would have been nice to have my personal bodyguard then, too,” I joked.

  “But this morning you had a ride to work, right? With Jack?”

  I stared at him, shock crossing my face. “How did you know?” I asked.

  “Don’t get too excited. I’m not a psychic or anything. I came over this morning and had every intention of walking you, but then I saw Jack pull up and you run out.”

  “Oh.” His thoughtful and flattering response threw me. Could he really have cared so much that I made it to work safely?

  We began to walk, and it was hard for me not to stare at him. I searched my brain for something to say, but nothing came to mind.

  Before I could think of anything, he began asking questions. “So I hear that you are leaving soon?”

  I looked at him, shock crossing my face again. How did he know everything?

  “Relax. My sister told me.” He laughed.

  Then I remembered talking with Abby about that when we were painting at their house.

  “What do you think you are going to miss most about leaving Marblehead?” he asked.

  “My family—my mom, dad and sister, and of course, my aunt,” I said, sighing. “I know it seems weird that I will miss my dead parents and sister, because they are not really here—”

  “Doesn’t seem weird at all,” he interrupted.

  “I honestly love going and talking to them.” I continued to talk, surprising myself at how easily the words flowed out of me when I was with him. “Some people think it’s not healthy to go visit them as often as I do, but it really helps to remember. This is embarrassing; I don’t know why I’m talking to you about this stuff.” I looked down toward the ground, trying to hide the crimson color I felt burning in my cheeks.

  “Embarrassed? Why?” he asked. “I just think that proves how much they meant to you when they were here. You should never be ashamed of that.”

  It’s crazy, I thought. I feel like I could tell him anything and he would know just what to say. “This is so strange,” I said. “I never open up like this. My best friend and aunt don’t even get this much out of me. It’s weird how comfortable and safe I feel when I’m around you. I feel like I can tell you anything.” It was also crazy that I had just confessed to him what I had just been thinking.

  “So, are you saying that I have some sort of hold on you? That could be interesting. I don’t think I have ever had a hold on anyone before.” I turned to see him grinning, revealing the dimple on his left cheek that I loved so much.

  We took the long way home, and I tried to draw out the walk as long as possible. It was near dusk by the time we stopped in front of my house.

  “Thanks for walking me and making sure I didn’t end up in the ocean, drowning or something,” I said.

  I was not sure what kind of trouble I was getting myself into. My plan was to leave town in a few weeks. It was not the time to get wrapped up in some guy, especially one who was just going to ditch town in a few weeks, anyway. Why did this mysterious, charming, cute guy have to come into my life now? Why not any other summer?

  “You’re welcome. My services are always available,” he replied, smiling. “You are different than I expected. Quite a nice surprise.”

  “Same here,” I admitted. And that was the absolute truth. Blake had done a complete 180 degree turnaround from the first time we had met. He did not even seem like the same person who had stared me down at the crosswalk in town or the guy who had glared at me before storming off. Those days seemed so long ago, and yet it had only been a couple weeks.

  “I wish the night wasn’t ending,” he said as he looked into my eyes.

  It was such a relief to hear him say those words. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was becoming this clingy, falling-for-a-guy
-I-just-met type of person.

  “But I guess I better be going,” he said. “I’m sure you can make it the next few steps without getting lost. Or should I stand guard and make sure?” he said in a sarcastic tone.

  “Would you like to come inside?” I blurted out, not really sure where that had come from; I’d never invited a guy into my house ... well, except for Roger. I assumed that Aunt Rose was still out with Jack and probably wouldn’t be home for a while. And he seemed harmless; I mean, if he had wanted to hurt me, he had had the perfect opportunity the night before, right? I just didn’t want to be away from him.

  “Um … I don’t know if that would be the best idea,” he replied.

  I swallowed hard, mad at myself for even asking. I should’ve known better. “Oh, okay.” I shrugged. “I understand.”

  He nodded. “Well, goodbye.”

  I turned and began walking toward my house, feeling like something was missing, kind of a hopeless feeling. The desire of wanting him close to me was unbearable.

  “Meredith,” he called after me.

  I smiled at the sound of his voice calling my name. But I tried to hide my enthusiasm as I turned around to face him. “Yes?” I hoped he did not hear the eagerness in my voice, but he would have to have been deaf not to. I was hoping that he had changed his mind and decided to come inside.

  “Can I see you tomorrow?”

  “That would be great.” I would settle for seeing him tomorrow. It was better than nothing. When I turned back around, I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.

  “Meredith, is that you?” My aunt’s voice called from the kitchen as I walked through the door.

  “Yeah, it’s me.” I wondered what she was doing home. I threw my stuff down on the floor by the stairs and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Guess what?” Aunt Rose squealed in excitement the moment I saw her. She looked like a balloon being squeezed to its limits, likely to explode at any moment.

  By the tone of her voice, I had guessed that Jack had proposed, and if I had any acting skills, I needed to use them now. “What?” I asked, trying my best to look clueless.

  She took in a deep breath before answering. “Jack asked me to marry him!” Then she squealed so loud that it hurt my ears, but I didn’t let on that it had in any way. Instead, I screamed in excitement and wrapped my arms around her, telling her congratulations and demanding to see the ring. It gave me goose bumps as I looked into her eyes and saw pure happiness. I had never seen her so happy.

  “When did this happen?” I asked, trying my best to act mystified.

  “We just finished up dinner, but I couldn’t wait to come home and tell you. Now, I know it seems soon, but we’re thinking about next week.”

  “Next week!”

  “Well, there’s no time like the present.” She smiled tentatively. “We just feel like we’re ready, and I don’t want him moving in until we’re married first. How do you feel about that?”

  “That doesn’t bother me. I don’t care if you all live together before marriage.”

  She laughed. “No silly. I mean what do you think about us getting married next week?”

  “Oh. I’m cool with that, too.” I mean, it seemed quick but who was I to judge? They had been dating for years, and I knew how badly Aunt Rose wanted it.

  “Great. I just wanted to make sure, because I want you to be my maid of honor,” she said, trying to keep her voice from reaching its highest pitch.

  That would entail wearing a dress again, no doubt, but how could I resist? “I would love to be your maid of honor.” I smiled, and I didn’t even have to try that hard. Wearing a dress was like taking medicine, but if it was going to make Aunt Rose’s special day a better one, then I would do it. There was nothing I wanted more than her to be happy. She had done so much for me.

  “Here, take a look at the pictures of the resort. We—or I should say I—already started to plan our honeymoon. Bahamas!” she shrieked as she bent down to pull something up on her laptop.

  “Wow, that place looks amazing,” I said, bending over so I could see the pictures more clearly.

  We talked for the next hour. She gave me all the details: the way he’d proposed to her at their favorite restaurant, the way she cried when he asked her, and the way the whole restaurant applauded when she said yes. We both decided to call it a night when neither of us could stop yawning. I gave her one last hug and headed upstairs.

  “Oh, Meredith,” she called, stopping me about halfway up the stairs.

  “Yes?”

  “We start dress shopping tomorrow.”

  I nodded and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Just as I had finished washing my face and brushing my teeth, there was a faint knock at the bathroom door.

  “Meredith?”

  “Yes?”

  “There is someone at the door for you. He said his name is Blake.”

  My heart stopped. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and cursed under my breath.

  “Um … Okay. Tell him I’ll be down in a minute.” I tried to keep my voice even, hoping that I hid the excitement and confusion that I knew it held.

  I tore the rubber band out of my ponytail and used my hands to comb through my hair. Looking down, I realized that I had already changed into my pajamas, but there was no time to worry about that. I didn’t want to leave Aunt Rose and Blake in the same room for long. Who knows what they could be talking about? I tried to remain calm as I skipped down the stairs, my heart fluttering with each step.

  “Blake … Hi.”

  When our eyes met, I couldn’t help but smile. I turned to Aunt Rose, and she gave me a questioning look, but I ignored it and looked back toward Blake.

  “Let’s go outside. I won’t be out long, Aunt Rose.”

  “Take your time,” she called after me as I took Blake’s arm and pulled him out the front door.

  “Hope I didn’t get you into any trouble,” he said as we walked toward the large tree that was centered in my front yard.

  “Um, it’s fine,” I answered as I leaned back up against the tree facing him. I wondered what he could possibly want that couldn’t have waited until tomorrow. “Did you need something?”

  He nodded. “You.”

  A shudder ripped through me, and I didn’t know how to respond. My whole body felt weak. “Me?” I asked, holding his eyes.

  “It’s harder than I thought. I can’t get you out of my head, and the desire to be with you is greater than the consequence.”

  I swallowed hard. “Consequence?”

  “It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters right now is you—and me.”

  So many emotions were swimming around inside me, it was getting more and more difficult to keep my breathing under control. I felt him move forward, closing the small gap that was between us. His eyes never left mine as he inched closer to me, moving slowly, allowing me too much time to think about what was about to happen. I inhaled a large breath, taking in his scent. Then gently, his lips brushed mine. I could feel our bodies meld together, and his weight pushed me back against the tree. It was out of my control. My body took over, and I ran my hands up his chest and around the back of his neck, pulling him closer to me, crushing his lips into mine. I felt his hands graze over my back, then up and around my neck. He began to withdraw and I fought to keep him near me, not wanting the moment to be over, realizing that I had wanted this for a while now.

  When he pulled away, he kept his hands around my neck, his thumbs caressing my cheeks as he whispered into my ear, “That couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”

  I breathed in deeply, knowing that I was in big trouble. The feelings in my stomach that burned like fire when he was near could only mean one thing: I was really falling for him. And as much as that thought excited me, I also knew it held dire consequences. Consequences. This must be what Blake was talking about. The reality was that we would both be leaving Marblehead in just a few weeks, and we were both stupid to be having
these types of feelings.

  His eyes found mine, and it took all of my power to keep his gaze and not concentrate on his lips. I wanted to skip the uncomfortable conversation that was about to occur and just keep continuing our previous one.

  “About tomorrow,” he began. “My family and I would like to invite you over for dinner.”

  My mind was still swirling from the kiss, and it was difficult to think about anything else. “Dinner? Tomorrow?” I breathed.

  “I’ll be here at seven.”

  I nodded. He bent down and lightly pressed his lips to mine again for the briefest moment. Then he was gone.

  I walked inside in a daze, not able to wash the smile off my face. Aunt Rose was sitting on the couch, pretending to read a magazine, but I knew the real meaning behind her staying up.

  “Blake?” She drew his name out as she raised her eyebrows in interest. “Even though I don’t know him very well, I already love him. Anyone that can put that kind of smile on your face is a winner in my book.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Rose.” I blushed.

  It was difficult for me to sleep. There were so many emotions running through me. My stomach was coiled up so tight that I feared sleep would never come. But somewhere in between thinking about our kiss and the excitement of knowing I would see him tomorrow, I drifted off into a deep slumber.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning Aunt Rose woke me early, announcing in a very chipper voice that we would be leaving for our dress-shopping marathon in an hour. I rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom to get ready. After a quick breakfast, we jumped in the car and drove into town. There were only a few dress shops that would have wedding-type dresses, so I took comfort in knowing that we would be done by six or so. I didn’t mention my dinner date to Aunt Rose yet, so she wouldn’t feel rushed.

  After six long hours of trying on every wedding dress that Marblehead had to offer, we were on our way back home. Aunt Rose had picked out a beautiful silk, cream-colored dress, and I had chosen a very simple, navy blue gown.