Jace sat down and pulled me onto his lap, cradling me in his arms. I glanced behind him and wished the boxes tied up in ribbons and bows were really for us. Not that I believed my wish would come true. Mama only ever gave us one present each, usually wrapped in a white plastic bag.
“Smile, Dani girl,” Jace said and grinned at the photographer, ignoring the laughs that came from some teenagers watching us from behind the railing.
I looked at Jace and knew that I had the best brother in the world. I smiled at the cameraman for Jace.
I smoothed my hand across his image forever frozen. Nobody could replace Jace. Not even Reece. Especially Reece.
But how many years had I spent trying to force Reece into the mold Jace left behind when he died?
I loved Reece, there was no doubt in my mind, but I’d let him think that I saw him as a brother, as a replacement for the one I’d lost. I couldn’t blame him for questioning my motives as much as I’d questioned his. Everything I did before homecoming had been with the intention of proving to him, to the world, how much like a brother I thought of him. Now, I was throwing away chances everyday to tell him, to show him how I really felt.
I closed the album and placed it on the table, swinging my feet to the floor. The desire to write drove me to my room. I flipped on the light and found my small notebook under a stack of papers on my desk. A song filled my head, and I frantically grabbed for a pen to write with before I lost the words.
The first touch of pen tip to paper ended in a scrawling line as the doorbell pierced the quiet of the house.
Chapter Thirty-Two
My first instinct was to hide under the bed, in the closet, anywhere. Then rational thoughts returned, and I realized how silly I was being. Chances were that Colin had come by to try to convince me one last time to go with him and Laura, but I’d seen enough horror movies that I wasn’t going to be that dumb girl who opens the door without checking first.
I walked quietly to the front door and picked up my cell on the way. I punched in 911, then let my thumb hover over the send button. I was being silly letting the stupid phone calls get me paranoid, but that didn’t slow my fiercely pounding heart as I pressed my eye to the peephole.
Reece’s head bobbed in the small hole. Quickly, I pressed clear on my phone and fumbled with the lock.
“You got my message,” I said even before the door was completely opened.
“Yeah,” he answered, “but I thought you’d already be gone.” He looked confused as he took in my black yoga pants and my thick Denver Bronco’s sweater.
“Gone where?” I asked, pretending ignorance.
“The dance.” His eyes rolled and he stepped into the foyer.
“Oh, I’m not going.” Turning, I shrugged my shoulder and headed back to the living room. He followed close behind.
“Why not? I thought you were going with Colin.” Eyebrows drawn down, he stared at me as I curled up on the couch again.
“He never asked, I never said yes and the guy I wanted to go with was waiting for me to ask and then took off before I could.”
The words rushed out of me and the moment they left my lips, I wanted to smack myself on the forehead. We were supposed to be just friends, right? I’d told him I needed space, but really, I hadn't wanted him to feel like he had to be dating me to have a place in my life.
The line between our friendship and whatever more we had was so wide and hazy I couldn't see where to cross. Maybe what he’d said in the cafeteria the other day was simply that. Him figuring he had to go with me. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to let myself take in his reaction. I’d read more into it than it really meant.
“How’s Gregg?” I asked, hoping to distract him from my verbal outburst.
“He’s going to be okay, well okay for a guy still undergoing chemo.” I could sense him still in front of me, watching me, but I kept my eyes closed. “He had a rough few days, but the doctor’s said if he makes it through this round he’ll get to come home in a few weeks. Why didn’t you ask me to go with you?”
He waited for me to answer and I knew I couldn’t avoid it anymore. I opened my eyes and focused on the album resting on the coffee table. Both of us needed to get this sorted out. We weren’t friends anymore, not like we used to be, but there was still something between us that we couldn’t let go of, that I never wanted to lose.
“I wanted to, but…”
“But what?”
“I was scared. I am scared. When I told you I couldn’t be friends with you anymore, well, it was the truth.” I glanced up at him then quickly looked away, embarrassment flooding me. “I love you, but not like a friend, and it’s too hard to pretend that I do.”
“Do you know why I said I wasn’t ready to be with you?” He crouched in front of me, forcing me to meet his gaze.
I nodded, feeling my stomach twist into a knot. “You don’t love me like that.”
“You’ve told me thirty-eight times that I’m just like Jace. That I’m like a brother to you. I’ve lost count of how many times you said that I was your best friend. Then all of a sudden, you were kissing me back. I didn’t know what to think.” He framed my face with his hands and kissed me gently. “I wasn’t ready to give up that one part of you I was certain about just because you were caught up in the moment.”
“You really thought I’d do that?”
“I didn’t know. I was scared to risk it, but you stopped talking to me anyway. Then Colin came along and you replaced me.”
I could barely hear what he was saying. Each breath I took, each beat of my pulse seemed to drown out his voice.
“He didn’t replace you. He never could. You're more than just my friend, even my best friend. I love you. I always have.” It wasn't as hard to say them and know that he finally understood what I was saying as I'd imagined it would be. I didn't feel embarrassed, just relieved that I had told him.
“And I’ve loved you forever,” he said.
This time I didn’t wait for him to move. I leaned towards him and pressed our lips together. It felt different this time. It was still beautiful and the heat still built up inside of me, but I felt safe. He loved me. Forever.
He pulled back before the kiss grew too intense. “Do you remember your sixteenth birthday?”
“Yeah,” I said confused.
“I asked you something that day, do you remember?” He looked so intent that I tried to pull the memory from all the other crap that had happened that day.
The day hadn’t started well. First off, it was a Wednesday, which meant school, Reece was home sick, then Dad tried to call collect. Like I was going to pay to talk to him. On top of that, it seemed like apart from Dad, everyone forgotten it was my birthday. It was almost dinnertime when Martha and Paul finally got around to wishing me a happy birthday.
The best part of the day came when Reece showed up. He’d been a little pale, but he’d come. He stood at the door, glancing over his shoulder to where Gregg sat in his car, his arm hanging out the open window and fingers drumming impatiently against the car door.
“Happy birthday,” Reece said and handed me a gift bag. It wasn’t all fancied up with ribbon and tissue paper, just a bag held closed by a piece of tape.
“Thanks,” I said, peeling the tape off. I reached in and pulled out a carved wooden jewelry box. It was the exact one I’d been saving up to buy. “Reece, this is perfect! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” I put the box back in the bag and wrapped him in a hug.
He blushed and I stopped gushing, even though inside I was still screaming my thanks. There was an awkward moment as we stood there facing each other. He shoved his hands in his pocket, probably fiddling with some loose change.
“I…I want you to know that I really do love you,” he said.
I forced my heart to slow down. As a friend, Dani, as a friend. I couldn’t let him think otherwise. “I love you, too. Especially after this!” I smiled a little too broadly, trying to hide my true meaning of those words.
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“Forever. You know that, right?” He looked so serious.
“Yeah. Why would you ask me that? You’re not moving are you?” Anxiety painfully filled my chest.
“I just...you’ll love me too, right?”
Had he figured it out? I always thought I’d done a good job of hiding my feelings. Was he worried that I wanted to change that? That I didn’t want to be friends anymore?
“Sure I’ll love you forever, Reece. You’re my best friend, only better. You’re like my brother.”
His fidgety stopped and he turned to look back at the car. “Great, yeah. Well, I gotta go. Happy birthday.”
I looked at Reece now, the memory clear in my mind. “You asked if I’d love you forever.”
He nodded, not saying anything, just waiting for me to finish.
“And I told you yes, that you were like my brother.” Again, silence. “I told you that, because I didn’t want you to know that a brother is the last thing you are to me.” I scooted to the edge of the couch and brought my feet to the floor, letting him rest between my knees. “I will always love you. I can’t imagine anything changing that.”
He glanced down and pulled a small box from his pocket. He gazed at it for a minute before holding it out for me to take. “I bought this for you. I almost gave it to you then. Hell, this is the fourth time I’ve tried to give it to you.”
I popped the lid open and smiled at what lay inside. Nestled on the white bed of satin was a necklace charm. A heart, full and complete, but it was the inscription on it was what meant the most. Reece’s heart. I picked it up and on the other side were the words I love you forever.
“It’s beautiful.”
I rose, grasping his hand in mine and pulling him along with me to my room. I went to my dresser and took a silver chain out of my jewelry box. I thread it through the hook of the charm then lifted it to put around my neck.
Reece stood behind me and took the chain from me, fastening it. When he’d closed the clasp, he let his arms circle around me and pressed his mouth just below my ear. His warm breath tickled my skin. I was tempted to close my eyes, to savor the feel of him and the wild sensations tumbling through me, but there was no way I was going to let myself miss even a moment of this.
I turned in his arms and found his mouth with mine. His hands shifted to my hips, bringing me closer, letting me feel him. I shifted in frustration as the stirring in me grew and he groaned. He sat on the side of the bed and I let myself fall against him, pushing him to lie back. Where we would end up in life I wasn’t sure, but I knew one thing with an absolutely certainty. He loved me, forever.
Chapter Thirty-Three
I didn’t know what woke me, but my nerves vibrated. The red neon lights of my alarm clock told me it was just after midnight. Reece lay beside me on his belly, one arm thrown across my chest. I shifted and his eyes fluttered open. I smiled, momentarily forgetting why I’d woken. He was even more gorgeous asleep. I still tingled from the sensations he’d ignited within me.
At some point, our shirts had come off, but we’d both pulled back at the idea of going any further. This was still so new that neither of us wanted to risk moving too fast. We’d waited eight years to be together, why start rushing now?
I was tempted though. He felt even better without clothes covering him. I ran my hand along his back, loving how the muscles bunched beneath my palm as he slowly rolled to his side. His half-opened brown eyes stared into mine.
“What are you smiling about?” he asked, his chest rumbling under my hand.
“Nothing,” I said, refusing to admit that I was starting to think just like the characters from one of those romance novels Martha was always reading. Rippling muscles, hot and sweaty bodies. He’d tease me to death about it. Not that I’d mind his teasing side to come back. He’d been so serious lately. I wanted to see his mischievous grin when he managed to get away with something.
He reached up and cupped the back of my head, pulling me in to him. Our lips met and I melted. The touch of him was so natural, how could I ever have thought he didn't love me?
A soft sound drifted to us and I remembered why I was awake. I tugged my lips from his, evading him as his mouth followed mine.
“I think my cell phone is ringing.” I pulled myself up and self-consciously covered myself until I could pull my tank top on. He may be comfortable without a shirt on, but this was a first for me and it was going to take a while before I was willing to start prancing around half-naked.
“Just ignore it,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I laughed and picked up a pillow and whacked him over the head with it.
“I can’t. It might be Martha. She was supposed to call earlier.”
I followed the ringing to the living room where I had dropped my cell on the end of the couch. Reece trailed behind me, tugging his shirt over his head, and then flopped into Paul’s recliner.
Colin’s face flashed across the screen. I glanced at Reece and debating answering, wondering how he would react, but I wouldn’t drop Colin simply because Reece didn’t like him. I pressed the talk button, determined to not let silly feuds dictate my life.
“What’s up?” I said, wandering over to the window.
“Are you okay?” His words rushed out in a panic.
“Yeah, why?” I pushed the blinds apart and glanced out. Colin’s motorcycle sat parked in front of the house. “Hey, what are you doing outside?”
“I’m not.”
“Colin, I can see your bike.”
“I took my mom’s car to the dance. Laura said there was no way her dad would let her get on it.” There was an odd sound as he must have been fumbling with the phone. “Did my mom come and talk to you tonight?”
“No, why?” Even as I said it, a knock came from the front door. Reece stood up and raised his brows in question towards the door. I nodded at him and he went to answer the knocking.
“She left a message on my phone and said you told her you didn’t want to see me again.” Confusion filled his voice.
“Well, someone is at the door now. Maybe she was confused.”
“I don’t know, Dani. She’s been so weird lately, talking about Dad and Keri. I’m starting to think that Dad might have been in contact with her.”
Reece looked out then turned to me. “It’s some woman.”
“Colin, this must be her now. Let me talk to her and I’ll call you back.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” he said, hanging up on me.
Reece unlocked the door and I went to stand beside him. Donna Delaney was shifting back and forth looking nervously behind her.
“Donna,” I said. Her head swung around at the sound of my voice.
She didn’t say anything, just nodded, and moved forward, forcing us back into the foyer. She closed the door behind her, and then glanced out the side window.
We waited for her to face us again. Her hair was slick with natural oil and she smelled like she hadn’t bathed in days. The paleness of her face and the frenzied way she was continually checking to see if she was being watched, in my mind confirmed Colin’s suspicions. Lance must be watching her. Lance was the one making the phone calls.
“It’s okay, Donna,” I said, lifting a hand to rest on her arm. “He can’t see you in here. Colin’s on his way and we’ll call the cops.” Reece was already going to get my cell from the windowsill where I’d left it.
“No!” she cried, flinging my hand from her. “They’ll ruin everything. He’ll ruin everything again, just like he did with you, and Keri, and even Samantha.” She shook her head violently causing wisps of hair to loosen themselves from her ponytail.
Something about her voice had me backing away from her. I could sense Reece coming up behind me and I wanted to shout at him to run. I wanted to run, but fear paralyzed me. I knew her voice. It had haunted me for weeks. Not only that, but I knew now why it was so familiar. Her normal tone, the sweet husky vibrations had become harsh and unforgiving. Just the way it had after
I ended up in the hospital.
I looked into her eyes, their pale blue irises carrying me back in time to the last time I’d seen her. A time that I had, until now, seemingly erased from my memory.
I was lying in a hospital bed, still quivering in reaction to the beating Colin had given me. Donna and Lance were outside the room talking with a police officer and then Carol. The officer and Carol disappeared from view and Lance turned to stare at me through the window. Eventually, he too vanished and only Donna remained. She opened the door to my room, a gentle smile filling her face.
It was that look that started me crying, releasing every bit of fear and confusion. The fear came from knowing Lance was right outside that door; the confusion stemmed from Colin’s attack. I wanted Donna to wrap me in her arms, to shield me from the world outside. Impulsively, I reached for her.
She stepped closer, but instead of giving me the comfort I craved, she slapped my hands away. The smile melted away, a sneer disfiguring her face, no longer putting on a show for anyone who happened to passed by. The transformation caused my stomach to cramp. This was not the woman who had welcomed me into her home, her family. The woman in front of me was as much a stranger to me as Mama had become.
“You little whore,” she spat the words at me. I didn’t know what it meant, but it was obviously not a good word. “You shouldn’t have said anything to Colin. Why couldn’t you have been a good girl?”
I wanted to scream at her that I hadn’t said anything, that I had been a good girl, but the words refused to form. Lance and Colin were the ones who hurt me. Why was I the bad one?
“We could have been a perfect family, Dani. But you ruined it.” She spun around and left, but long after I was alone again, I shook.
“You ruined it!” Her words brought me back to the Thompson’s living room. She was my caller. The person who had phoned earlier and threatened to kill me.
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