Holding a Hero

by Layne, Lyssa

  I was lying on my bed with tears rolling down the sides of my face. I was feeling discouraged and hopeless. The worst part was that I couldn't mope around all day, which was exactly what I wanted to do. Bekka and Levi had plans for me. They wanted to celebrate my twenty-second birthday.

  It was barely 8 am and I had a migraine coming on. I wanted to sleep through until the afternoon, but Bekka wanted to go shopping before lunch. Apparently, we needed new outfits for tonight. I was about to start sobbing, exhaustion was getting the best of me.

  I turned over and looked at Levi, who was still sleeping peacefully beside me. I settled my throbbing head over his heart. My favorite sound. I fell asleep again.

  "Rock Star... wake up. Nix... it's 2 pm... Babe? Are you okay?" Levi was trying to wake me up but the pain in my skull kept me from opening my eyes. I was afraid the light would hurt even worse.

  "My head..." My lips trembled. "Ask Bekka to get my medicine." It wasn't the worst migraine I’d ever had, but it hurt a lot, and I wanted my medication as quickly as possible. This birthday was proving to be lousy, so far.

  "Are you okay, Phoenix? You’re worrying me." Levi cupped my cheek with his hand.

  "My medicine, please?"

  I heard him call out to Bekka as soon as he closed our bedroom door. He sounded very concerned.

  I heard him telling Bekka I needed the medication and the only thing I heard in return from Bekka was her muttering in annoyance. DAMN IT! Why did it have to happen today? She’s got a migraine. I'll get her what she needs. Can you get a warm bath ready?

  The bedroom door was pushed open a few seconds later and Bekka came in.

  "It's not the worst one I’ve had." I tried to sit up. "I'll take my meds now, I don't want to ruin the day."

  Levi stood in the doorway watching us, cracking his knuckles and biting his bottom lip. "I’m okay, Levi, don’t worry. It happens when I’m too stressed or get really tired."

  "I got your bath ready. I added some of that lavender essential oil you like." I wasn’t sure about the oil, when I have a migraine all smells kill me, but I wasn’t about to tell Levi that.

  "Thank you, Angel." I calmly slipped my legs out of the bed until I hit the floor and Bekka helped me up.

  Each step toward the bathroom created waves of pain in my head. Bekka switched places with Levi when we reached the bathroom. I got undressed with the help of my angel, and despite the pounding in my head, every gentle touch and rub against my skin felt precious and soft.

  I stepped into the warm bath and instantly began shivering. Levi grabbed a towel and placed it beneath my neck, so I could lay back comfortably and relax. He placed his fingers on my forehead, applying light pressure as he started massaging my temples. God, it was perfect. Exactly what I needed.

  "I remember when my mom had migraines, my dad would do this for her and she normally felt better afterwards. I hope it does the trick."

  I managed a half-smile because it was the best I could do, but I was very grateful and I would make sure to tell him later how much I appreciated it. He massaged my head until I fell asleep.

  The water had cooled down when I woke up, and I found myself trembling from the chill. I got up and rinsed away the essential oil with hot water from the shower. The migraine wasn’t gone but I felt much better.

  The doctor had told me in the past that I could take only two of the migraine tablets in a twenty-four hour period, but I decided to take one more to make sure the migraine wouldn't worsen again.

  I put on my clothes and went looking for Bekka or Levi. I didn't know if they were still at home. The apartment seemed quiet, as I walked carefully through, avoiding any quick movements. There was no way I wanted the migraine to return. Especially not today, on my birthday.

  I found Bekka reading on the couch, in front of the muted TV. She lifted her eyes as soon as she heard the wooden floor creaking.

  "Hey, hun, how are you feeling now?" she asked, placing a bookmark in her book. "You look better."

  "I am. Where’s Levi?"

  "He had some errands to run." She smiled innocently. "I got your dress, we have a reservation at the restaurant at 7 pm. Are you feeling well enough to go?"

  "Yeah, I'm okay. What type of dress did you get?" Dresses weren't my favorite article of clothing.

  "Don't worry, it's only a simple black dress. I got you accessories too."

  "I'm sorry, I know we were supposed to do this together." I felt like I’d let her down and it wasn't in my nature.

  "Don't worry about it, it's not something you had any control over." She tossed her book on the couch and stood up. "I’ll show you your dress. Come on."

  I was surprised to see Tyler sleeping on top of Bekka’s comforter. I hadn’t even known he was here. She took the dress from her wardrobe and headed towards my bedroom.

  "See? It's simple, cute and sexy. Nothing to be worried about."

  "Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thank you, you rock." The dress was cute. It was a bit on the short side but I could deal with it. It was a baby doll design, and I liked it.

  "Here‘s the bracelet and necklace I picked out. They’re a gift from me and Tiff." I took the black rectangular box and opened it. The necklace was made of black and silver pearls with a pair of angel wings hanging from it as a pendant.

  "I’ve never taken Levi’s star off since he gave it to me. It's going to seem strange not wearing it." It felt a little scary to think about taking it off and I wondered, was I really that dependant on him? I guessed I must be.

  Bekka chuckled. "Hey, lovesick puppy, you can keep it on if it makes you feel better. You look like I just asked you to give me one of your kidneys."

  "Yeah. Sorry... I'm very attached to it." I giggled, turning towards the door. "I think I'll shower and start getting ready slowly."

  "You just spend two hours in the bath!" Bekka protested.

  "Yeah, I know, but my hair looks like I’ve turned into Doc Brown from ‘Back to the Future’."

  Bekka chuckled. "You are unbelievable, Phoenix Silverstone." She rolled her eyes at me.

  "What?" I laughed.

  Tyler and Levi were getting ready at Ty’s apartment, while us girls were getting ourselves prepared at our place. They’d planned a double date to celebrate my birthday and the idea thrilled me. I was positive the night was going to be great. Bekka and I were definitely looking forward to it. I missed Levi, but I knew that waiting until dinner to see him created anticipation.

  We caught a cab to the restaurant. When the taxi driver pulled up outside, I was completely stunned. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was one of the most famous fine dining restaurants in Seattle. I stared at the beautiful entrance, which reeked of expense. There was marble on the floor and dark wood decorated the walls.

  "This is way, way, way too much, Bek... I... It's... "

  "It was Levi’s idea," Bekka said, opening the taxi door and stepping out.

  I had fallen in love with him all over again, for what must be the most beautiful birthday surprise I’d ever received. Bekka and I walked in to the restaurant arm-in-arm and we were greeted by a maître d’ wearing a black suit. My eyes took in every single detail of the place, and my head swivelled from side to side, not wanting to miss any detail.

  A mini grand piano sat in the corner, a gigantic chandelier hung over the middle of the dining room. The bar was located in the back of the beautifully decorated interior. All the waiters were dressed in black and so were the waitresses. Levi had picked a top notch restaurant and it was surprising because he would normally opt for much simpler choices.

  Before me, I caught sight of a man wearing a dark grey suit, a black shirt and a black and grey striped tie. Our eyes locked in a heated gaze. His chin was freshly shaved and his hair was styled. I covered my open mouth with my hand, my jaw almost hitting the floor in surprise. Who was this suave gentleman? He was so gorgeous, I could barely believe my eyes.

  I stepped towards him slowly, until I was close enough to touch him. "
Angel, you are stunning. I... I don't even know what to say. There are thousands of words going through my mind, but none of them do justice to how I feel about you right now. I will never forget my twenty-second birthday."

  "You’re beautiful, Nix... smile for me," he asked, for the first time since the night we met. I had a huge grin on my face and my eyes swam in a sea of happy tears.

  "You make me so happy. When I thought I’d lost everything, you came into my life and gave me everything back and so much more. You are the best boyfriend in the world. I know we’re together for the long run."

  He kissed me and drew me into a quick hug. "I love you, Rock Star. I’m going to marry you someday. I know we’ll be together forever."

  I was giddy and couldn't stop smiling. Tyler looked just as good as Levi did. Every tattoo was hidden, there were no bad boys sitting at our table. They both looked like professional businessmen, rather than a tattoo artist and a bar owner.

  The night kept on getting better. A young pianist played pieces by Mozart and Frederic Chopin. The restaurant impressed me, it was so very sophisticated. I sat next to Bekka, facing my angel. I could get used to nights like these.

  Tyler ordered a white wine, which surprised me, because he apparently knew his wine well. He tasted it before agreeing to accept the bottle. He thanked the waiter and allowed him to serve us each a glass. Never in my life had I felt like a princess but, today, I was a queen. I thought I looked great in my cute little black dress and so did Bekka. We were both elegant and sexy. The men had transformed into Calvin Klein or Gucci models.

  My life’s dream was fulfilled.

  The appetizers were delicious. We decided to share our plates. This way we could taste as many plates as possible. I didn't try the raw oysters but Levi and Bekka both did. Tyler and I had calamari and artichokes. Oh, and we had crab cakes. My stomach was almost full already. I expected to roll out of the restaurant at the end of the evening.

  The clam chowder and spinach salads were so delicious, I vowed to only eat them for the rest of my life. I had lived in the city all my life and never thought of eating here. The night was such a wonderful surprise, I didn’t want it to end.

  When the main course arrived, I admitted that I had no idea how I was going to be able to eat it. I was full and a bit tipsy. I’d opted for the lobster tail. Levi and Tyler had chosen two different types of steaks; New York style and boneless Rib-eye Steak and both were still sizzling from being cooked. Bekka had crab fettuccine and her dish looked delicious.

  Levi ordered me a cup of tea before the dessert. I’d had way too much wine, or was it champagne? This was the best birthday ever. I would never forget how he had managed to make this night unforgettable.

  An old couple started dancing by the piano, they looked adorable together and I wanted to hug them. Levi slid his fingers in between mine and asked me for a dance. It was another first on this special night, I had never been asked to dance before. I agreed happily and the overwhelming feeling of enjoyment I already felt tripled.

  He placed one hand on the small of my back and held my other hand at shoulder level. We started dancing like we had never danced before. We flowed, we swirled and I had never smiled so much in my life. I didn't know Levi could dance, he’d impressed me. Again. He made me turn three hundred and sixty degrees and when he caught me again, he dropped me a few inches from the floor, caught me and pulled me close to his chest. I was flustered, blushing, and my life was beautiful. Bekka and Tyler joined us on the dance floor. The look on her face showed how happy and in love Bekka was. It was such a joy to witness.

  I couldn't wait for the dessert, I had to please my sweet tooth. I waited patiently for my chocolate soufflé. It looked awesome. We had all ordered the same item from the menu this time and none of us were actually hungry. It was pure gluttony which forced me to taste it.

  I remembered when I was younger, my mother forbid me to play with my food, but forcing each bite down my throat was beginning to hurt my stomach. The soufflé was delectable and it melted in my mouth, but after eating less than half, I decided I’d had enough and pushed the plate away. I would regret it, later, but I couldn't have possibly eaten another bite.

  "Thank you, guys, for planning this evening for me. It's perfect and it exceeded all of my expectations. I feel very blessed to have you in my life." I was getting teary eyed.

  "It was all Levi, Nix. If it wasn't for him, we’d have eaten dinner at home. He’s the one to thank here," Bekka admitted

  "You got my dress and helped me get ready. You’re always there for me. Thank you," I told her.

  Levi excused himself abruptly, saying he had to use the bathroom. It was bad timing because I hadn’t had a chance to thank him yet. Had I said something wrong? Was he upset? He couldn't be, because everything was perfect tonight.

  "Any plans for the rest of the night?" I asked Bekka.

  "Well, it's up to you at this point. If you want to go clubbing, we can, or we could hang out at the bar or the apartment. You decide."

  I didn't know what I wanted to do. Dancing with a full stomach wasn't really appealing, but the bar and apartment were everyday options. Maybe we should do something different.

  "I'll wait for Levi to come back and then we’ll decide." I smiled weakly, still a little worried that he was upset with me.

  Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned around in surprise. I didn't know who to expect, but I was faced with a huge bouquet of gerberas, in different shades of pink. It was an absolutely beautiful arrangement and from the most exceptional boyfriend. Levi stood behind the flowers with a handsome grin on his face. He was obviously happy.

  "Levi, my angel, thank you so much for everything. The flowers are incredible and the dinner was unforgettable. I love you. So much!"

  "I love you too, Rock Star." He kissed me and I heard Bekka ‘awwing’ behind us. I tried to ignore her, but I got the giggles.

  "Sorry." I kissed Levi one last time. "What do you want to do now?"

  "It's your birthday, you decide," he smirked. The suit he was wearing was only serving to make me weak at the knees. He was abso-freakin-lutely hot.

  "After everything you guys have done, I want all of us to have fun."

  "Okay, well, I would love it if I could go back to my comfortable jeans and t-shirt" Tyler admitted with a wry grin. "If you don't mind." He tugged at the collar of his shirt. “This monkey suit is driving me insane."

  We all laughed and Levi agreed he’d like to change. They had made the effort for me, and I appreciated it, but I knew they weren’t in their comfort zone. Even I would feel better in jeans and a tank top. I suddenly had an idea.

  "Why don't we head home, change and chillax a bit and then we can figure out if we want to do something else?"

  "Sounds good!" Bekka agreed and the boys nodded their satisfaction with the plan.

  Levi drove us home in his Mustang singing his own version of Happy Birthday. He was funny tonight, in such great spirits. I loved it. Ty and Bekka followed us home in Ty’s Porsche.

  I didn't know what else I wanted to do, but I decided the very best plan, was to let the evening plan itself.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  When Levi started plying me with shots of Jack Daniels, I knew we wouldn't be going too far from home tonight. I had already drunk a lot of wine and didn't expect my body would support much more alcohol. Bekka was already way past tipsy and Tyler seemed to think she was hilarious. He couldn’t stop laughing at her antics.

  We sat in the living room and the comfort of the couch was making it hard to stay awake. I had to be careful with the shots, if I didn't want to wake up with a migraine again in the morning. I slowed down and drank a few glasses of cold water, certain this was going to help.

  When half of the JD bottle was gone, Ty suggested we could hang out at the bar for a while and we all agreed. I finally got around to changing into something more appropriate and we left the apartment in a taxi.

  The bar was crowded and
the music was louder than usual. There were birthday balloons strung all around the bar and a big ‘Happy Birthday Nix’ banner with my picture emblazoned on it. I was blushing to the point where I could feel the heat from my face. They knew all along that we were going to end up here. As soon as Tiff saw me, she yelled out. "Birthday girl is in the house!" Everyone started singing Happy Birthday and they threw confetti all over the place. My hair ended up full of multicolor dots. It was such a great surprise, it blew me away. I loved my life.

  The regular customers offered me plenty of beers, shots and drinks. I wasn't even sure I remembered my own name less than thirty minutes after our arrival. The night had suddenly turned wild and completely out of control.

  "Star, I think you should probably slow down now. You can barely stand on your own two feet," Levi said, and I thought I’d heard him say the same thing once or twice already.

  I was dancing with Bekka and a bunch of complete strangers. Levi and Tyler were standing close by, probably waiting for the apocalypse to begin. I laughed, sang and danced until I was thirsty again. I couldn't remember the last time I had partied so hard and had as much fun.

  My vision was getting blurry and my brain wasn’t functioning normally. My thoughts and words didn't make any sense and Bekka was just as bad. We were drunk, so incredibly drunk. The last memory I could remember clearly, was when I climbed on the stage and grabbed a microphone to sing. I remember Levi covering his face with both of his hands. He apparently didn't know what to do with me.

  I sang ‘I'm a genie in a bottle’ by Christina Aguilera. I was surprised that I even managed to remember all the lyrics

  "I love you sister!" Bekka yelled into the microphone. I kissed her cheek and went back to my song. I had missed a few words and hoped it wasn't too noticeable.