by JL Paul
“Not hungry,” I mumbled, pulling my comforter over my head.
“Please, Bella,” she wheedled. “I want to see if Zach came through today.”
I rolled my eyes, which defeated the whole purpose since she couldn’t see me, and tossed my blankets to the foot of the bed. I huffed as I crawled out of bed and stumbled to the shower. I took my time, even though I felt guilty for making her wait, but I didn’t want to see all these happy couples making goo-goo eyes at each other.
We fought through the blizzard and made it to the cafeteria wind-blown and hair full of snow. Of course Zach came through and plied Annie with flowers, candy and a cute little stuffed frog. I concealed my frown as my mood darkened. As we were leaving the cafeteria, Mrs. Bartholomew, the ancient Admin secretary stopped us.
“Good morning, girls,” she greeted with a sweet smile gracing her wrinkled face. That woman knew everyone’s name at school. “Isabella, when you go collect your mail you’d better take Camryn or Ann with you. You’ll need help.”
“Sure, thanks,” I told her as I cast Annie a questioning glance.
“I’ll go with you so Annie can take her stuff to her room,” Cammy offered.
We hurried through the snow to the Admin building and checked our mailboxes. The only thing in mine was junk mail and more colleges trying to convince me to apply. I shrugged at Cammy, wondering if Mrs. Bartholomew had finally lost it when Cammy approached the desk and asked one of the volunteers if there were any packages for me. The girl grinned and pointed at a long white box tied securely with a pretty purple ribbon. My jaw fell as I gaped at it. I picked it up carefully.
“That one, too, hon,” she said, pointing to a plain brown box marked ‘FRAGILE’.
Cammy grabbed it and we hurried back to my room.
“That’s a florist box,” Annie exclaimed excitedly as we walked in the room. “Open it!”
Like I wasn’t going to anyway. I carefully slipped the ribbon off and opened the lid to reveal what had to be at least three dozen long-stemmed red roses. I gasped as my eyes grew. Annie and Cammy peered over my shoulder and admired them. I grabbed the card with trembling fingers and smiled. It was a standard florist card with little red hearts all over it and Happy Valentine’s Day printed on the top. Scrawled underneath in someone else’s writing was simply ‘love, Jake.’ I stared at it, caressing Jake’s name with my fingers, until Cammy nudged my shoulder.
“Open the other box,” she insisted.
I set the card carefully aside and wrangled open the other box. I sifted through all the packing and pulled out a square cut, crystal vase.
“He’s too practical,” I murmured. But it was beautiful.
“He must have spent a fortune on you, Bella,” Annie said in total awe. She took the heavy vase from my hands and turned it slowly in hers. Cradling it in her arms, she took it to the bathroom and filled it with water. When she brought it back, we arranged the roses and set the vase on my desk. I clutched the card as the three of us huddled on my bed and stared at the flowers.
Okay, so maybe V-Day wasn’t so bad after all.
Chapter Nineteen
I did attempt to focus on the movie in Literature class as the narrator droned on and on—about what, I wasn’t really sure. But it was Thursday afternoon, my last class of the day, and my four day weekend loomed before me – taunting me without mercy. I glanced at the clock and watched the hands tick off the seconds, counting down until I could touch Jake again.
I was fairly certain he was in town. He was driving down from Chicago to take me home so he could meet my parents. We would stay the night at my house tonight and tomorrow afternoon we’d head to his dad’s house. We’d spend the rest of the weekend there and sometime Monday, he’d drive me back to school.
I glanced at my teacher who was totally enraptured by the film and pulled out my phone. I had it set to silent while in class, but I was still able to text. Extremely anxious, I finally gave up on the movie. I typed out a quick message and hit the send button.
Where are you?
It didn’t take long for him to respond.
Eating a cheeseburger.
Yeah, I was going to have to hurt him. Horribly.
You suck.
I gazed around the room, making sure no one was watching me.
Have one for you.
I grinned. Okay, so maybe I wouldn’t hurt him.
You don’t suck anymore.
Aren’t you supposed to be in class paying attention and learning something?
A few giggles escaped my lips but I managed to turn them into a cough. A couple heads twisted in my direction but I looked at the television screen. After a couple of minutes, I sent another message.
Watching a film. Very boring.
Take notes. You never know when the teacher will spring a test on you.
I snorted and once again, earned a little attention. I covered my mouth and coughed.
“Allergies,” I whispered.
“Are you all right, Miss Ames?” Mr. Berent asked.
I crammed my phone under my desk and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He turned back to the movie. I turned back to my phone.
Gotta go. See you soon.
OK
I slipped my phone into my pocket and rested my head on my desk, eyes on the film but mind on four glorious days with Jake.
***
Jake met me in the Admin building and I waited, not too patiently, until we were in the parking lot before launching my body at him. He was startled but caught me nonetheless. I twined my arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around my waist. He pressed his eager lips to mine. His kisses were as fervent as mine as he leaned against his car and held me close to him. He pulled slightly away, his mouth still very close to mine.
“We have an audience,” he grinned, his warm breath brushing my face.
Twisting in his arms, I spotted Lance and Dean near Lance’s car, watching us without shame.
“They’re jealous,” I said, standing on my toes to peck him on the cheek. “They wish they could kiss you.”
He rolled his eyes, lips twitching on the ends. He picked up my bag and threw it in the trunk before opening the passenger door for me. “Let’s go, Iz.”
***
When we reached my house, it was close to dinner time, and I was a big ball of nerves. Although I was blessed with very cool parents, I was still a little anxious. I mean, I loved this guy. Of course, he didn’t know that and my parents didn’t know that but I still just wanted them all to get along.
Jake carried both our bags to the front door as I let us in and yelled for my parents. He raised a brow at me, amusement flickering in his eyes. I shrugged and told him to drop the bags on the floor just as my dad walked in the foyer.
“I thought I heard my sweet little Belle’s big mouth,” he smiled, hugging me tightly to his chest. “You look great, princess.”
I swam in this affection for a few minutes, absorbing as much as I could before standing on my toes and kissing his cheek. I stepped back and took Jake’s hand. “This is Jake Johnson.”
“Nice to meet you, Jake. I’m Rick Ames and this,” he pointed over his shoulder as my mother floated into the room, “is my wife, Rita.
My mom drifted over to shake his hand with a smile. She gave me a quick squeeze, patted my cheek and told me how pretty I looked. Typical Rita Ames. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as she looped her arm through Jake’s. “Are you two hungry? We’re making fajitas tonight.”
She gazed adoringly at Jake. “Do you cook?
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered with his crooked smile. “I used to cook for my dad and my sister all the time.”
“That‘s nice to hear,” she said, steering him out of the room. “Bella is hopeless in the kitchen.”
I gaped at my dad who slung an arm around my shoulders. “How are you, Belle? Seth said you were having some problems at school. He wouldn’t tell me what, but he did say he took care of them with Jake’s
help.”
“Yeah,” I said, biting my lip. I studied my shoes as I tried to fight back my tears. “It…um…” and then I lost my ability to speak.
Dad wrapped his arm around my shoulders and ushered me into his office. He shut the door as I sank to the handsome leather sofa.
I loved his office. The huge mahogany desk appeared foreboding as did the leather furniture, but I knew better. Even though a huge bookshelf loaded with law books dominated one wall and the rest of the décor was very masculine, I’d always felt comfortable here. It was so Rick Ames, and I used to sneak in here when I was little and swivel in his chair, waiting for him to come in and pretend to be mad. He’d end up tickling me until I couldn’t breathe and take me in his lap. As I grew older, I’d come to him in this very office and we’d have some pretty serious talks. I was closer to him than my mother, although I knew I could always go to either.
He sat next to me and took both my hands in his. His brow knitted in concern as I inhaled deeply to dispel my tears. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”
With a feeble smile, I began my story with how I met Jake and how close we’d become. I explained to him about Lance and the Fall Festival.
“So, Jake took you to this dance after this Lance fellow changed his mind?” I nodded. “I remember. You faxed me the permission form to allow Jake on campus, right? Then what happened.”
I took another deep breath and described the events after the Fall Festival. I told him how I started dating Lance and about the parties we always winded up attending. I couldn’t look in his eyes when I talked about my drinking binges. His body tensed beside me, causing my heart to crash at my feet. I hated disappointing him.
Finally I told him about Lance and Dean’s bet.
I chanced a glance at my father’s face and cringed. His lips were set in a straight, firm line and his face was a lovely shade of purple. “Did he win the bet?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head emphatically. “No, Daddy. I thought I loved him, but I wasn’t ready for anything like that. I told him that, and he broke up with me.” I ducked my head. “I was very embarrassed and I didn’t tell anyone, not even Seth. And things just continued to spiral down.”
He squeezed my hand and encouraged me to continue.
“Then I got into a huge argument with my friends, and they stopped talking to me. Lance broke up with me and when I came home for Christmas break, I was so lonely. Seth was gone. You and Mom were gone. Then Krysti called and told me about the rumors and what Lance did to her. I was devastated and I just packed a bag and left. Next thing I knew, I was in West Village where Jake and his band were supposed to be playing that week. I told Jake the whole sorry mess, and he just listened. He let me stay with him and we talked and he helped me figure stuff out.”
My dad had stayed quiet during my rambling. “And now you and Jake are dating?” I nodded, not looking at him. “How did that happen?”
He handed me a tissue as I sniffed then wiped my nose. “New Year’s Eve.”
I recalled the party and how my feelings for Jake changed.
“And has Jake treated you respectfully?”
I wasn’t expecting that question at all.
“Of course, Daddy. He always does. I did stay in his room with him, but we didn’t…you know.” My cheeks flamed and my voice turned hoarse. “He doesn’t expect that sort of thing from me.”
He tipped my chin and looked into my face. “You love him, don’t you?”
I tried to smile but failed so I nodded instead. “I do. Are you going to tell me I’m too young?”
Leaning back, he gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Not at all. I actually don’t think age has a whole lot to do with it. Maturity is the most important factor, in my opinion. I think you’ve matured a lot since Christmas.”
A curious, nostalgic smile appeared on his soft face. “Hell, I fell in love with your mother when I was sixteen.”
I sank into his side and heaved a sigh. “I made some pretty horrible mistakes.”
He stroked my hair. “You’re not perfect, Belle. You’re going to make mistakes. I always told you it was okay to mess up once in a while as long as you don’t hurt anyone and as long as you learned from it. Now, it looks to me like you’ve learned, and you’re trying to move forward. Am I right?”
I sat forward and twisted to face him. “Yeah. I know I got so wrapped up in Lance and his world that I neglected everyone and everything else. That’s something I won’t let happen again.”
He kissed my forehead. “I’m not proud of your actions, but I am proud of you. You’re an intelligent young lady, and I know that you’ll make the right choices in the end. Besides, I think you’ve beat yourself up enough about it. It’s time to put it in the past.” He got to his feet and offered me his hand. “Now let’s go find this young man of yours before your mother scares him away.”
I beamed, affection and love filling my heart to capacity. He had gently chastised me enough that I was properly ashamed but felt much better at the same time.
His hand rested on the doorknob but he didn’t turn it. “Does Jake know how you feel about him?”
I shook my head slowly. “I haven’t told him yet.”
He kissed my temple. “You will when the time is right.”
I blanched. It was nice that everyone had all this confidence in me—but I knew my uncontrollable, rambling mouth and knew I’d just blurt it out and embarrass not just myself but probably Jake, also.
***
The evening wasn’t horrible at all. When my father and I entered the kitchen, Jake’s beautiful blue eyes were filled with concern as they darted all over my face. My heart leapt and I smiled widely at him, assuring him that everything was fine.
Dinner was enjoyable. My dad and Jake talked about the upcoming baseball season nearly the whole time while my mom stared starry-eyed at Jake. They adored him, I could tell, and it set my heart off again.
Once dinner was finished, Mom and I cleared while Dad showed Jake to the rec room in the basement. He wanted to show off all the music memorabilia he’d collected with my mother. They had guitars signed by greats like Eddie Van Halen and Richie Sambora, autographed concert shirts and tons of ticket stubs. They had more stuff than I could ever name. It was pretty impressive. Seth and I grew up around music and inherited that love from our parents. My mother actually went into labor with me at an Aerosmith concert. And wouldn’t you know, she shared that story with Jake.
And Jake was impressed. He promised to send them stuff from his tour with Flyby and Society Lost.
After a while, my parents announced they were retiring to bed since they both needed to get to the office early. My mother inquired about our sleeping arrangements, and I blushed from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. Jake was no help; he chuckled lightly beside me. I calmly informed her that Jake would be sleeping in the guest room. With a knowing grin, Dad urged my mother up to bed. Once they were safely up the stairs, I threw my head back and groaned. I mean, I knew my mother was a free spirit and I knew I was a legal adult, but still.
Jake draped his arm on the back of the rec room sofa. “I love your parents, Iz.”
***
We left late the next morning for Chicago. Even though we had my mother’s blessing, we’d slept in separate rooms. But I’d been so tempted to sneak across the hall and crawl into his bed. I didn’t, though, because I hadn’t wanted to disappoint my father any more than I already had.
I snuggled into the leather seat of Jake’s Mustang, closed my eyes and listened to the radio. It felt so natural to be with him that all my nervous tension from the previous day seemed silly. Of course we were still miles from his dad’s place.
“Are you going to sleep on me, Iz?” he asked as he turned down the radio.
“Nope,” I smiled, eyes still closed. “Just enjoying being here with you.”
He took my hand and gave it a squeeze.
My excitement began when signs peppered the side of th
e road announcing Chicago exits. I’d been there many times but I still loved driving downtown and gawking at the skyscrapers. But Jake turned off the highway before we could spot so much as the top of the Willis Tower.
“I thought your dad lived in Chicago?” I asked, puzzled.
“Actually, he lives in the suburbs. But we’re not going there until tomorrow. He’s working right now and won’t be home,” Jake explained.
That didn’t clear much up at all. “So where are we going?”
Jake twisted his head to flash a quick grin. “I have to show you something.”
I wanted to ask what but I clamped my lips together and reached down into my stores of patience and borrowed a dollop. I watched the houses outside my window grow farther apart as we drove down a two-lane highway. The trees stretched across the street and I imagined in the summer they would be like a huge, green umbrella.
Horses huddled together behind barbed-wire fences, searching for warmth from the chilly breeze and traffic was scarce.
We drove for thirty minutes until he finally turned into a long, muddy driveway. Although it hadn’t snowed in at least a week, there was a fresh blanket on both sides of the plowed drive. He followed it through the bare brush and stopped in front of a medium sized, two-story cabin.
“We’re here,” he announced, hint of pride in his voice. He killed the engine and stepped out of the car.
I followed, a little more slowly. “Where’s here?”
He retrieved our bags from the trunk and walked around the front of the car to take my hand. “My house.”
My eyes widened as my mouth flew open. “Really?” He nodded. “I didn’t know you’d found one yet.”
He kissed my temple. “I didn’t want to tell you until it was all finalized. I signed the papers last week.”
He tugged on my hand, towing me up the wooden porch and to the front door. I could feel his excitement tingle through his fingers and enter my own hand as he produced a key and unlocked the door. He threw it open and gestured for me to enter. I did and gasped.
The living room was open and bright with a fieldstone fireplace taking up an entire wall. The furniture was old and more than likely came with the place. The wooden walls were bare and the windows covered with heavy, bland curtains. I raced to the French doors that opened to a deck overlooking a small lake.