Beginning with Forever

by Lan LLP

  “Okay, I’ll leave from here,” he unwillingly agrees. He lays my body back on his bed and lowers his over mine. Our lips meet, and we kiss and cuddle until the jet lands.

  ____________________

  Amelia and Owen exit first to give us some privacy. I hate good-byes; hate seeing people I love walk away from me. He takes my hands and cuts the silence between us, “I’ll see you in two weeks. I have a prior obligation next weekend that I can’t break. Promise me you’ll stay healthy and drink your tea until your stomach heals.” He looks sternly into my eyes with his strict orders.

  “I will.” I keep my response short. My shaky voice is not reliable.

  “Good girl. I’ll be thinking of you every minute that we’re apart.”

  “Me, too,” I feebly reply, feeling potential tears coming. I have to end my struggle now, or he’ll see that I’ve been acting all this time. “We should go before it gets late,” I rush him. He takes my hand, leads me towards the exit and down the metal steps of the jet. There’s resistance in our walk, but we continue bravely. Carson has his arm tightly wrapped around my shoulders while we wait for Owen to bring Amelia’s car around. The tension of our separation anxiety is palpable. Owen pulls the car up to us, steps out, and leaves the passenger door side open for me. Carson helps me in, gives me one last kiss, and shuts the door for me.

  “Good-bye, Lily.” He waves his hand. I blow him a slow kiss, and Ame drives us off the tarmac. I watch his reflection from the side mirror grow smaller and smaller as we drive further away from him. It feels like my heart left with him and only my body is here with me. Amelia and I watch Carson’s jet ascend and disappear into the air before we head back to our school. I know he’ll be back soon, but the distance makes it seem so much more permanent.

  “How are you doing?” Amelia asks me sadly. It could’ve been worse. My eyes are slightly moistened, but no sobbing tears.

  “As expected, I guess,” I solemnly reply.

  “You’ll be fine. He’ll be back before you know it and don’t forget you still have me.” She flashes a supportive grin.

  “Thanks, Ame. I have a secret to unload on you, but you have to swear on your great grandmother’s grave you won’t tell a single soul.” I get right to the point because this secret has been boring a hole in my mind, and I need to let it out. Amelia looks over at me, concerned, but hastily nods her head and crosses her heart with her finger.

  “I think I might be pregnant, but Carson doesn’t know it yet,” I nervously tell her while checking her reaction. She swerves the car off the road and then back on from my shocking news. Her fingers are trembling on the steering wheel. “Holy shit Ame, keep your eyes the road!” I scream frantically, fearing for our lives. We both hyperventilate loudly and heavily from our near death incident.

  “Is this why things have been awkward all morning with you two? Why the hell didn’t you tell him when you had the chance? He has the right to know, Lily.” She sounds surprisingly upset with me.

  “I’ll tell him after I confirm it with a blood test. I just found out myself. I’m still in shock. In my defense, Jean-Pierre declared my pregnancy with a pulse reading,” I attempt to justify my decision.

  “Lily, your life gets more interesting by the day.” She shakes her head with a smirk. “Okay, we won’t stress about it until you get your results back. Let’s pick up a pregnancy test on our way home. I’ll buy it so no one will suspect it’s for you, especially the damn paparazzi.”

  “Thanks, Ame. You’re the best.” I just want to squeeze her so tight for helping me settle down and making the situation seem more manageable.

  ____________________

  As soon as we get back to the dorm, Ame immediately urges me to take the pregnancy test, but I refuse to. I’m not ready to face the truth even though it’s ready to face me. I know it won’t change my outcome whether I take it now or later, but psychologically, it makes more sense to me. She gives me until the end of this week. If my period miraculously decides to come before then, I won’t have to worry about it, but if it doesn’t, Saturday will be my deadline. I pinky swear to Saturday with Ame.

  The next item to be checked off my list of things to do is call Isabella. It rings once, and she’s already on the other end. “I’m sorry I missed your calls. I was in St. Lucia with Carson. What’s going on?”

  “First, of all, I thought something really bad had happened to you because you never fail to return my calls ASAP. Secondly, holy laughing Buddha, I’ve been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’ll be walking the runway for Fashion Week in New York!” I hear her loud shrieks in the background as she attempts to complete her news. I have a clear mental picture of her fanning herself with both hands and jumping up and down with excitement.

  “Belle, I’m super excited and happy for you. I wish I could be there to see you flaunt your stuff.”

  “Me too, Lil. The best part about this gig is I love the fashion line that I’ll be modeling for. Have you heard of Sorte’s Trendz n Glitz?” she excitedly asks me. My heart skips several beats the second I hear Sorte. Does Bianca own a clothing line? I know nothing about her besides the fact that she wants Carson back, and that she’s confident he’ll return to her in a few weeks. “Hello…Earth to Lily?” Belle attempts to grab my attention.

  “Sorry, I’m here. I’ve never heard of that clothing line, but then you already know what a fashion-loser I am,” she giggles loudly in response.

  “St. Lucia with Carson—how romantic! Everything must still be hot between you two.” She says ‘hot’ in a high-pitch voice with exaggeration.

  “Yes, it is. He’s a really great guy.” I want to tell her more, but I’m leery of Bianca’s motives. Why hire Belle? Is it coincidental or does it have anything to do with getting Carson back? I wish Belle all the best, praying that she’ll be safe in the big city, in Bianca’s world. My gut tells me something isn’t right. I hate to think about her being used because of me. She’s young, beautiful and unbelievably naïve. People can easily take advantage of her. I want to protect her, but what can I do from here? And then suddenly, Hayden comes to mind. He gave me his business card at the lymphoma charity. Where did I put it? I dig through my closet to see if I can find it. I think he lives and works on the East coast. After searching high and low, I find his card in the clutch that accessorized my couture dress, which I no longer have, because Carson ripped it into pieces. My body shivers from the memories of that intense night. I recall Carson’s sexual domination, remembering how much I didn’t mind him taking control of me and forcing me to yield to him. What am I doing? Carson is distracting my focus again. Imagine that.

  I need to get ahold of Hayden. Thank goodness he gave me his personal cell phone number. “Hayden, this is Lily Ly. Will you call me back when you get a chance?” I leave him a brief message, hoping he’ll call me back as soon as he gets it.

  I’ve been completely distracted and absorbed in the Isabella crisis that I’ve totally forgotten the time. Crap, it’s already 8:14 p.m. Carson has already landed several hours ago. I look at my phone and see six missed calls within minutes of each other and a text message from Carson.

  Disappointed!

  I didn’t hear my phone while I was digging around for Hayden’s business card. I tap his name on the screen and brace myself for a 9.5 Carson shock, comparable to the Richter Magnitude Scale, as I return his six missed calls. The phone rings three times before he picks up.

  “Yes, Lillian,” he curtly answers. Lillian, instead of Lily or Lil. Yep, he’s really pissed at me.

  “Carson, how was your flight?” I attempt to cut through his heat. There’s a gap of maddening silence, and I know immediately that I’m in for an aftershock effect as well.

  “Fine, and why haven’t you answered any of my calls?” His tone is completely sulky and jagged. I’m glad I can’t see his expression because there’s no doubt in my mind that it would be frightening.

  I hate lying to him, but it’s necessary again. “
I left it in my room,” I skittishly reply. I can’t really tell him that I think his ex-fiancée is using my friend to get to me to get to him, and besides, it’s only a crazy hunch anyways.

  “Where have you been?” More distrust is weaved in his tone.

  “Studying on the beach,” I retort. “I’m not sure I like what you’re implying or your tone, Carson.” He’s beginning to bug me with all his doubtful questions. There’s more annoying silence between us. I assume he’s still adjusting to having a challenging girlfriend. At least I hope he is because I don’t back down easily.

  “Lil, we can’t start our first day apart like this. I need baby steps.” His tone softens and so does my temper. Impressive, he’s backing down and reaching out to me. This is monumental for Carson because submission is not a vocabulary word he’s familiar with, especially at his CEO level.

  “I’m sorry. I just lost track of time studying. I’ll try to remember to bring my phone with me, so you can reach me whenever you need to.”

  “Thank you. I hated the flight back to Boston. I thought I could sleep the hours away, but your scent on the bed kept me up. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” Hmm…this brings back memories of the time he taunted me with his scent on my bed, a bitter taste of his own medicine.

  “I see, now I understand your urgency.” The jaggedness of my voice smoothens as I realize his rotten mood is the result of him missing me. “Should I wear your white shirt tonight or save it for another time?” It’s impossible for me to stay mad at him, especially when he makes me feel so hopelessly in love with him, too.

  I think the vision I just gave him of me wearing his shirt without panties altered his breathing rate, it’s faster and deeper. “I think we should wait for now, but I’ll let you know if I change my mind later tonight.” His sulky tone is more mischievous. He’s so lucky that I’m slowly adapting to his fickle mood because this hot and cold temperament is enough to drive a sane person insane.

  “Are you positive?”

  “Not really, but yes,” he sighs.

  “You have a long day ahead of you. Get a good night’s rest and have a great day at work tomorrow. I’ll be thinking of you.” I blow a kiss into his ear.

  “Sweet dreams, Lil,” he replies and ends our call.

  Less than a second later from disconnecting with Carson, Hayden calls me, and I’m happily relieved. “Lily, it’s a nice surprise to hear from you. I hope it’s not too late to return your call. By the way, what time is it there?” he considerately asks.

  “Hi, Hayden. Thanks for calling me back and no, it’s not too late,” I hesitate a little bit. I haven’t seen him in years, and the last time I saw him I practically gave him the cold shoulder, and now, I want a huge favor from him.

  “Good. How are you doing since I last saw you? You disappeared so quickly that night that I didn’t get a chance to say good-bye or ask you for your contact information. I wanted to check on you as soon as I saw your face on every gossip magazine,” he hesitates for a second. “I know the real, sweet Lillian. It’s just a shame those magazines don’t.” His response is heartfelt, knowing that he has high regard for me.

  “Thanks Hayden. Things could be better. I’m sorry about running out on you that night. As you can tell, my bland life is now suddenly spicy and flavorful to many people, especially Bianca Sorte. This is why I’m calling you. I need to ask a huge favor of you. I think she’s up to something shady and is somehow using Isabella Ellis in her scheme.” There’s awkward silence between us. My mind wonders if he knows more about her background than what he’s confided in me.

  “Are we talking about Isabella from Homestead High? How does Bianca know her?” He’s baffled.

  I inhale a deep breath. “Belle is an aspiring model slash actress, and Bianca is a fashion designer, I think. I have no freaking idea how Bianca got in touch with Belle from Indiana. Now can you understand why I’m concerned?”

  “Yes,” he replies and hesitates before continuing, “Between me and you, I don’t care for Bianca. She loves her men filthy rich and always gets what she wants. If you really care for Carson, you need to keep a tight grip around him. She was able to persuade him to marry her when no one else could until you came along. She won’t give him up easily.” His warning sends a chilling shiver down my spine. “Now how can I help you with Belle the model?” His tone is more playful.

  “Belle will be in New York on Thursday. Is there any chance you can keep an eye on her for me? I’ll make something up about you wanting to meet her. She’s absolutely gorgeous, and you know how naïve she is. It’ll give me peace of mind if I know that she’ll be in good company.”

  “Lil, it must be fate because I’m actually flying to New York for business on Thursday. You have my promise to keep Belle from Bianca’s grasp the best that I can.”

  “Hayden, I owe you big time. Thank you so much,” I excitedly tell him. With Hayden’s reassuring promise, the anxiety of what may happen to Belle lessens. I’ll be able to sleep better tonight.

  “Lil, don’t think anything of it. We’re all friends, and besides, I don’t consider babysitting a beautiful model a torturous job. It’ll be my pleasure. Belle’s a -10- now, huh?” I giggle after his comment.

  “Don’t you even think about taking advantage of her, Mr. Carter or you’ll have to answer to me!”

  “Trust me, I wouldn’t dare attempt to. I know how cantankerous Midwest women are,” he teases while laughing.

  Carson Bradley

  All I need is just two weeks to get me through these baby steps. Owen has made all the arrangements. His friend, Luke, is an ex-military undercover agent whose been linked to top secret operations in South America and the Middle East. It’s a bit extreme, but Owen takes his responsibilities quite seriously. Owen has an impressive MBA business background, and formerly served as V.P. to CureAll Oncology. They’re one of the leading and most successful organizations in advanced treatments for cancer. This is why I recruited him. Owen has been a valuable asset to me throughout these years. He strives for perfection and doesn’t accept or understand failure. To this day, he still beats himself up for losing me in the storm after our emergency landing. I’ve assured him many times that it was a blessing in disguise or else I would never have met Lily, but it doesn’t matter. It’s still a failure to him.

  Owen has arranged for me to get a full Lillian report at 0800 every morning for the next two weeks. Pictures will be provided if there’s suspicious foul play. I know I should trust her, but I’m more afraid of losing her. My fear of being alone is getting the best of me. If the report indicates an inappropriate situation, I’ll be able to handle it immediately, and she’ll never have to know. Luke, if that’s even his real name, will disappear after two weeks and each report will be destroyed as soon as I finish reading them.

  It’s only 6:30 a.m., and I’m wide awake, anxiously waiting to receive my first official MLR1-10242013 for yesterday. I already ran six miles on the treadmill, showered, dressed, had my first cup of coffee and read the business section of the paper. Owen is on his way up to brief me on today’s schedule. This was usually the highlight of my mornings before Lillian conquered my world and became my obsession. Now, all that seems to be occupying my mind is her.

  Owen lets himself in with his own personal set of keys. Besides my parents, he’s the only other person that I trust wholeheartedly to have access to my place. “Good morning, Mr. Bradley. Can I get you a cup of coffee before we get started?” he considerately offers while walking directly into the kitchen, his daily routine.

  “Morning, Owen. No thanks, I already had one. There’s a fresh cup waiting for you on the warmer. You know where the cream and sugar are. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be in my office.” I grab my newspaper and ignore the shocked expression on his face. Yes, I’m capable of making my own coffee and his, too. Of course I had to figure out where everything was and then YouTube how to use the coffee machine. The damn thing is one sophisticated piece of equipment and is
quite user friendly after I stumble upon the correct places to press for my coffee preference, espresso. I had ample time this morning since I couldn’t sleep pass 4:00 a.m. I tossed and turned in my bed before then.

  Owen walks into my office with an iPad under his arm, absolutely satisfied after enjoying his morning cappuccino prepared by his boss. “Owen, is Luke reporting at 8:00 a.m. our time or St. Croix’s time? There’s an hour difference.” I do my best to impassively ask him, so I don’t come across overly excited. It’ll be in my favor if it’s St. Croix’s time because they’re an hour ahead of Boston. I’m too damn antsy.

  “I believe it’s our time, Mr. Bradley. Are you ready for me to go over your schedule and a quick synopsis of the past month?” He sounds all business and methodical.

  “Sure. Let’s get this over with.” I seem to be concerned with only one thing, getting my first Lillian report. I hope I’m not too apparent.

  Bradley Corporation continues to function successfully under Mr. Owen Chandler’s one month guidance which is impressive. His commendable merit is worthy of a promotion, I make myself a mental note. This will be advantageous for me because I’ll be able to work less and spend more time with Lily once I shift some of my responsibilities over to Owen.

  My schedule is hectic and packed with appointments like every other day of my life. I fast forward all the minor details in my head, a skill I’ve acquired over the past ten years. Did I hear that right? “11:30 a.m. appointment, Ms. Bianca Sorte,” Owen rattles off.

  “Who approved Ms. Sorte’s appointment? I don’t want to see her today or any other day if I can avoid it.” My voice is louder and more astringent than I intend for it to be. I thought I’d made it clear to her that things were over between us. There’s nothing more I want to hear from her.

  “Sir, Evelyn did. Ms. Sorte confirmed the appointment with her. She said you had agreed to see her when she had dinner with you at your parents’ last week.” Shit, I had forgotten all about that. She trapped me into seeing her because I didn’t want to keep Lil waiting for me at my parents. She told me she had something important she wanted to share with me. Well, it better be important because this will be the absolute last time I’ll agree to see her. I promised Lil that I’ll avoid Bianca whenever possible, and I intend to keep my promise.