Silent Love [Part 4]

by Kenadee Bryant

  ***

  Four rounds of Twister and two and a half hours of playing Monopoly later, and it was nearing midnight. Our game of Monopoly had taken forever, and one or two fights may have occurred. We played the electronic version of the game, so it was easier, but somehow everyone thought others were cheating by adding more money on their cards. On more than one occasion we had to bring out the instructions.

  You don’t really know your friends until you have played Monopoly with them. It brings out a different side to people. The quiet, shy girl you thought was harmless, turns out to be a hard, ruthless owner. Anna somehow put hotels on her spots, and of course they were the spots you always land on. So every turn you had to fork over two thousand dollars just to get by. Let’s just say lots of cursing happened.

  I learned that Gage always had something up his sleeve. He definitely was a pro at the game because he became best friends with Anna. The two of them joined together to bankrupt everyone. So every freaking turn, you lost money.

  Finally, we all just had to take a step back from the game. Tensions were high, and everyone knew if we kept playing, someone would end up flipping the board over or doing something stupid. There was only so much of that you could take.

  So now everyone was kind of doing their own thing. Dylan and Anna were sitting on the loveseat together, talking about something interesting because their heads were close together. Luke and Macey were in the kitchen doing God knows what, as they were giggling. Ethan and Amy were in an intense game of War over at the table. That just left Gage and I together.

  I was content to just sit there next to him all night long. The two of us were just watching TV and occasionally making comments about the others. Who knew Gage had such a playful side to him?

  “Hey,” Gage whispered in my ear, making me look away from the TV to him. “Want to go somewhere?” he asked.

  “It is thirty minutes to midnight. Where would we go?” I asked. It wasn’t like we could just leave now.

  “Just follow me.” He moved out from under me and I held back a groan. I was so comfortable! He held his hand out for me, which I took, and I let him yank me up from the couch. I had eaten so much I felt like he would have to roll me wherever he wanted to go.

  Gage tugged me out of the living room toward the staircase. I didn’t even bother telling anyone where we were going. They were all too caught up in their own conversations to even care. I silently let him lead me upstairs to my room. When we got there, I raised an eyebrow.

  “My room?” I questioned, looking around. There wasn’t anything special in here, believe me. Gage didn’t answer as he went over to the double set of doors that were off to the side of my room. Only in the spring and summer time do I have them open, and right now, with it being winter, they were firmly closed.

  Gage wasted no time in unlocking them and pulling them open, cold air immediately rushing in. When he went out onto the little balcony, I followed after him wondering what he planned on doing. I wrapped my arms around myself as the cold hit me straight in the face.

  “Gage? What are we doing out here?” The balcony wasn’t that big. Just big enough to have a chair in one corner—where I would read in the summer. There was also flower pot that would have flowers in it.

  Gage leaned back against the railing and looked up at the roof. I went to question him again, but what he did next surprised me. He made his way over to the railing and started climbing up it. Once he could reach the edge of the roof, he pulled and pushed off with his feet. He disappeared from sight a second later. I quickly went out there and looked up at the roof. I couldn’t really see anything because of the dark. I squinted hoping to see him.

  “Gage?” I called out. It was then a dark figure appeared and a hand stretched out toward me.

  “Come on up.” Gage’s voice drifted down to me.

  “Hell no. I am not getting on the roof.” I shook my head at the notion. “We could fall off and die or something.” I’d read enough books to know climbing on the roof is never fun.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked. I answered without hesitation.

  “Of course, but—”

  “No buts. Get up here. You won’t regret it.” I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was smiling at me. I looked around and up at the roof again, thinking it through. What if the roof collapsed? Or we fell? All the what-ifs went through my mind, but they were silenced out by Gage’s voice.

  “Trust me, Princess.” I knew then I couldn’t resist him.

  “Fine. But I am grabbing a jacket and a blanket.” I quickly went back into my room to pull on a thick jacket and grab a random blanket. When I went back out on the balcony, Gage’s head popped over the ledge.

  “I’ll take the blanket before helping you up.” I handed him the blanket before going over to the same side he climbed up on. I gulped, not believing I was really doing this. Because I had this balcony, I had no desire to get on the roof before. If I wanted to see the stars, all I had to do was come out here, not go up.

  “You can do it, Princess,” Gage said, coming back into view. His hand was extended, waiting for me to take it. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. I can do this. With that running through my mind, I placed my foot in a little cranny of the railing and started up.

  I got to the point where I could grab his hand and the roof with the other. With Gage’s help, I climbed up on the roof. I was on my hands and knees, too afraid to stand up in case I tripped or did something stupid.

  Gage had a firm hold on my right hand as he slowly led me to where he had placed the blanket. Surprisingly, it was pretty flat up here. I thought it would be more angled and that the possibility of falling would be greater, but it wasn’t. It was pitch black up here, but with Gage’s hand in mine, I felt safe.

  I carefully took a seat on the spread-out blanket. Gage took a seat beside me, staying close, where our shoulders brushed and his warmth wrapped around me. When I glanced around, a small gasp left my lips. From up here you could see the sky perfectly.

  There were no clouds in the sky tonight. The moon, in the shape of a crescent, shone brightly in the sky, and around it were little twinkling stars. This reminded me of the first real conversation I had had with Gage the night of that party. The stars weren’t as bright here as they were in that field, but it was still beautiful.

  I tore my gaze away from the stars and noticed I could see into the living room of one of my neighbors. They hadn’t closed their blinds, so you could see right in. They clearly were hosting a party, as tons of people stood around talking, laughing, and even dancing. They looked to be wearing party hats.

  Being up here, I felt like I was far away from everything. Like our friends inside the house were too far to be felt. Even though it was cold, it was refreshing being out here.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Gage breathed beside me. I looked over at him, the moonlight hitting his face perfectly so I could see him. He was looking straight at me.

  “It is.” My breathing hitched. “How did you know you could get to the roof from there?” I asked.

  “When I was in your room the other day I saw the balcony, but I didn’t really know we could get up here that easily,” he admitted.

  “What would you have done if we couldn’t have?”

  “We would have just sat out on the balcony, totally ruining the plan.”

  “The plan? And what is that?” I asked, leaning back a bit.

  “To get in your pants.” Gage turned his head and grinned at me.

  I shoved his shoulder. “Of course that is what you are thinking about.” I shook my head at him.

  “You know I am kidding,” he teased, his arm coming around and wrapping around my waist. He pulled me to him, and I immediately melted into his side.

  “I actually brought you out here because I wanted to spend the New Year with just you. Not your brother, Ethan, or anyone else downstairs. Just the two of us.” My heart fluttered at those words.

  “Would you re-do it if you could?�
�� I asked suddenly.

  “Redo what?”

  “Us. Meeting me. Would you redo how we met or how we got together?” I looked up at him. In my mind, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t change how we bumped into each other in the middle of the night, him snapping at me, but then coming around and helping me with Macey. I wouldn’t change him hating me at first and not even bothering to hide it. I wouldn’t change breaking down his walls, little by little.

  “I guess I would change a few things,” Gage said a minute later, his tone thoughtful.

  “You would?”

  “I would redo all the hateful things I said to you. I would redo some of the things I did before I met you, so I wouldn’t have been such an asshole to you. I would redo when I finally admitted my feelings and tell you sooner than I did,” Gage explained. I smiled softly as he spoke.

  “My grandpa used to tell me, ‘When you love something, you better hold onto it tight. Don’t ever let it go, or if you do you will someday wish you hadn’t.’ I never really knew what he meant until now.” He looked down at me. In that moment I wished it wasn’t dark, so I could see his face clearly. See those brown eyes staring down at me twinkling. Brown eyes that I had come to adore and love.

  “I wouldn’t redo anything,” I finally spoke when I felt like I wouldn’t cry. “I feel like everything happened for a reason between us. We just had to fight a little bit harder at first, but now nothing can break us.”

  I wasn’t sure if fate was involved or not. I was not sure if there was something bigger planned for the two of us. But whatever reason we came together, I didn’t care. I met Gage and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

  “Onto lighter topics now.” I cleared my throat and shifted in his arms. “What are some of your resolutions this year?”

  “Let’s see.” Gage was quiet for a few moments before he answered. “I’ll start putting my cereal on a higher shelf so you don’t eat it all. I’ll also teach you how to kick ass without you getting your ass kicked.” I rolled my eyes at his but couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I am definitely not perfect, but I resolve to be better. To be the guy you deserve,” Gage finished. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. His words made my eyes water, and I was holding back from crying. I dug my nail into the side of my hand so I wouldn’t. I couldn’t be a crying mess right now. I couldn’t start the New Year crying.

  “Those are some good ones,” I finally managed to say. Gage laughed beside me before pulling me closer and placing a kiss on top of my head. I closed my eyes and leaned against him.

  “How about you?” he asked a minute later. With my eyes still closed, I answered.

  “I want to focus more on my photography and art. Make it through the year without pulling my hair out. Make more time for family. And get an amazing boyfriend.” I said the last bit teasingly.

  “An amazing boyfriend, you say?”

  “Yeah. My current one is just plain weird and I don’t know how I can stand him.” I tried to act serious, but it wasn’t working.

  “Maybe I have to beat up this weird boyfriend of yours and show him who a real man is,” Gage teased.

  “Wouldn’t be hard. He isn’t really manly at all.” I exaggerated the last bit. I didn’t have any time to notice Gage moving until his hands were at my sides, tickling me.

  I yelled out, squirming in his hold. His fingers were relentless as he tickled up and down my sides. I laughed and yelled as I tried to get away.

  “Gage! G-Gage, stop!” I tried to say, but it wasn’t coming out. My whole body jerked backwards, which knocked Gage off to the side. He fell back and landed on his back, me somehow flying across his front.

  I landed on his chest as he lay beneath me. His hands stopped their tickling, and I was finally able to get my breath back. I had somehow landed perfectly, where I was hovering above his face. His arms were loosely gripping my hips, and my hands were pressed against his chest.

  We stared at one another, neither saying a word. Gage smiled up at me lazily. Even though it was freezing up here and dark, I didn’t care. I was so focused on Gage I didn’t care about any of it. He looked so happy that all I wanted to do was grab him and kiss him.

  “Gage…” I breathed out. As I did so, I suddenly heard yelling. I turned my head to the side to see where it was coming from. My eyes landed on the open window of the neighbors’ place. Everyone was gathered around and yelling, counting down to the new year.

  I turned back to Gage, a wide smile on my face. Gage’s arms tightened around me, bringing me closer to him. My head slowly started to lean down as the two of us heard the neighbors counting down the time.

  Inches away from him, I stared into his eyes. This up close I could see the moon reflecting in them. I had never seen such a beautiful sight. I sat there inches away from him as everyone around us counted down to the new year.

  A new year with new possibilities. A new year where if you wanted to change, you could. A new year where you can make a difference in the world.

  I stared down at Gage knowing I was going into the new year happier than I had ever been. Going into the new year with someone I could see myself still being with five years from now. The person in front of me was the person I wanted to spend all my New Years with and more. The person that made me feel like I could do whatever I wanted.

  The person that made me realize what true love was about.

  Just as the clock hit midnight, I spoke.

  “Happy New Year, Gage.”

  “Happy New Year, Carter.”

  Then we kissed.

  Chapter Nine

  Three years later…

  “Can believe it? In just two days we will officially be done here!”

  “That went by too fast,” I said, shaking my head.

  Macey and I sat in the 95 Degrees café, sipping our coffees and waiting for everyone else to show up. In two days we were graduating from Columbia University. Three years had passed since Macey and I first came onto campus, fresh-eyed freshman, with no clue what was going to happen but knowing it would be the start of something good.

  Now here we were, three years later, days away from graduating and becoming real adults. These last few years had flown by and I was actually sad to be done with school. So many great things happened here that leaving felt almost like we were leaving it all behind. I was excited to start something new, though.

  “We are going to the beach house for graduation, right?” Macey asked, sipping her coffee.

  “Yeah. We will leave the day after graduation because, let’s face it, no one is going to want to drive all the way there.”

  “We haven’t been there in so long! It will be fun.”

  Just then the ring of the door opening to the café made our heads snap toward it. In walked my boyfriend, my brother, Ethan, and Dylan. We waved at them from our corner booth, and they made their way toward us. When they reached us, Luke immediately went right to his girlfriend, kissing her deeply.

  My own boyfriend came up, grabbing my chin gently and tipping my head back so he could kiss my lips. When he pulled away, I grinned up at him.

  “Hello to you too.”

  “Hey.” He pulled out the chair next to me and sat down, his hand immediately grabbing my thigh. “How was your last class?”

  Gage, Luke, and Ethan graduated last year, but came onto campus to meet us for lunch occasionally. They all had been busy with their new jobs, though, so all of us getting together was nice.

  Three years of dating Gage Harper has made for the best three years of my life. Yes, we had fought…a lot, but we always made up and that just made our relationship stronger. I for one didn’t think we would last this long, and I think Gage thought the same thing. Somehow, though, we are still together and better than ever.

  “It was killer, but I think I passed.” I grinned over at him. My hand found his on my thigh and squeezed it. I was somewhat confident that I passed my final classes, but there was always that little fear that I didn’t,
and I wouldn’t be able to graduate.

  “How was work?” I asked.

  “Not bad. Busy, but I don’t mind.” Gage smiled at me.

  When Gage told me that he decided to work with Ethan at his family company, I was shocked. I never really saw Gage as the CEO type, but that was what he wanted to do. He had gone back and forth about doing it, but after a while, he said it just felt right.

  This past year he had been interning at G&G, learning the ropes and everything. Because he didn’t know much about business or the company, it was going to take a little bit for him learn how to do everything. However, he caught on quickly, and I knew in a year’s time he would be at Ethan’s level. I think the reason was because he wanted to feel like was a part of something, and being around his half-brother made him feel more involved.

  Ethan wasn’t CEO just yet. His father wanted him to work for a few years before he took over, or before he took that title. He needed experience first. Things between Ethan and his father were…tense. They didn’t get along. They never really did anyway, but after finding out Ethan and Gage were brothers, that was the last straw.

  Let’s just say that Ethan blew up on his father and didn’t talk to him unless he absolutely had to. After their huge fight, he ended up moving into our house officially before he moved out and got an apartment with Luke this past year.

  As far as I knew, Ethan’s mother was staying with her husband. We all found out she knew about the cheating ages ago, but she did not know that the woman had had a child. I had no clue why she stayed with the man for so long, but it was her decision.

  My own mother was so appalled by it all that my father literally had to hide her cell phone so she wouldn’t call Ethan’s parents. My dad also had to almost tie her up, so she wouldn’t go over to their house. She went all momma bear on Ethan, I tell you.

  “So, you girls excited to graduate?” Luke asked, bringing me back into the conversation.