Twisting Fate

by Charisse Reid

  "Only the best pair of heels money can buy.” She is dangling a large and fancy looking gift bag from her index finger. “Although, judging from your current state you won't be wearing them for a while. How is the bun in the oven?" I turn around as she starts walking toward me. The closer she gets, the more I notice that she's getting thinner. Presley is already thin...

  She pulls me in for a hug and she feels rail thin, frail. It breaks my heart in two. What on earth happened over New Years? Maybe I should have asked more questions. After that day in my room when she broke down, she never said much more and then they went to the New Years Eve ball together so I assumed they worked something out. By the looks of her I was very, very wrong. I pull away, but don't let go of her.

  "Bryce is fine, but we can talk about him later. How are you?" I lock eyes with her so I can tell if she's lying. Immediately, her eyes begin losing focus on me, and trying to look anywhere but in my eyes. She's hiding something. I know she is.

  "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Her pitch is higher than usual like she's trying not to break and this fake laugh comes out with the words. She's the worst liar I know.

  "Presley." She looks around the room, still not looking at me.

  "Presley, look at me."

  She hesitates at first, but finally looks at me. I can see it in her wet eyes: heartache. I know the feeling well. It finally makes sense why she's been in Italy for so long. Presley's family always travels a lot in the summer, but never a full month in one place. She has distant family there; family she's never been so interested in getting to know until she fled there right after graduation. She didn't even come see me before she left. I had no idea why, and now I feel so stupid...

  "What happened between you and Konnor? Don't lie to me either, Presley." She starts to back out of my grasp. Her sun kissed skin pales a little at hearing his name. She continues to walk backwards in the direction of the bathroom door. I follow her, but this only makes her speed up.

  "Why would you think something happened? Has he said something?" She stops for a moment like she may be a little hopeful.

  "No. Tell me what happened."

  She shakes her head and whispers so low I'm not sure I even heard what I thought she said correctly. "I hate him..." Hate is the strongest word and shouldn't be used unless it's meant in the most absolute form. I narrow my eyes at her as she stands in the middle of Preston’s room and mine. This is the worst thing that could possibly happen. This is not good at all. Presley is my best friend and Konnor is my brother. Our families are knit together too tight for something like this to happen. It's why I never wanted to be with Preston before.

  "Presley..."

  "Look, Kinzleigh, I need to go. I'll catch up with you later, okay? I just wanted to tell you everyone is getting together for that beach concert tomorrow night. It's kind of the last big thing before we all head off to college in a couple of weeks. Monday, I'm leaving. I'm moving to Miami." She turns and walks toward the bedroom door in what seems like a rush to get away from me, from here.

  Miami? What the hell is in Miami?

  I start to panic. "Why are you going to Miami? I thought you were going to school at UCLA. We've planned it since we were kids." She stops as she places her hand on the doorknob, letting her shoulders drop.

  My chest feels like it's being punctured with a steel blade. I'm losing everyone I care about. First, it was Breyson and now, it's Presley, the two most important people in my life. I thought she was going to be here to help me relearn happiness again. She has always kept me afloat, guided me through my adolescence, and taught me how to have fun.

  When I moved to Mississippi Adalynn took her place. I've never had to try and stand on my own before. What am I going to do now? I have a shy personality, meaning, I cling to myself unless someone else pulls me out of my shell. My love for cheerleading made it worse, keeping me from getting out there and trying to live fully. Now, I'm stuck without any of the things I love, learning to live a life without the things I let consume me before. I feel dizzy from the direction that my life has taken. There are too many changes, too fast.

  My eyes fill with tears as I lower myself to sit on the edge of the bed. I feel so alone. I thought we were going to school together. We had all these plans and now she is living without me. She looks back with her own set of tears present. "UCLA doesn't fit anymore. My reasons for going to school there no longer apply. I need to find my own way, Kinzleigh. If anyone could understand, it would be you. You had the chance to find yours and I let you. I know things have changed, but you know if Breyson were here you wouldn't be going either. No matter what you'll always be my best friend, but I need you to let me go. I love you, Kinzleigh. You'll always be my only sister, blood or not. I hope you show up tomorrow night. Once I leave I don’t know when I’ll be back."

  Without another word she wipes her eyes and walks out the door, leaving me in the silence of my room. The panic sets in and I begin shaking. Preston is all I have left and he's going to be so busy making his name in the company I'll have nothing to occupy my thoughts. That thought terrifies me. Being alone in my own head is never a good thing anymore. I haven't cried in a few weeks now, but that's about to change. I can't seem to hold it in. Screw it. I let them fall.

  The door opens and I look up to see Preston standing there. One look at me, and he rushes to my side; dropping to his knees between my legs. "What's wrong? What the hell did she do to you, Kinz?"

  "She's leaving." I blubber between sentences. "She's moving to Miami." He wipes the moisture that is drenching my cheeks. "Everyone is leaving me."

  He grabs my face between his hands and kisses my wet lips. "Kinzleigh, I want you to look at me and listen carefully." I do as he says, still a crying mess. "I will never leave you: ever. That's a promise. Do you understand me?" I nod my head and he stands, pulling me off the bed. "Come on. It's time for some good news. I like to see you smile. Right now, I need to see the happy Kinzleigh that I know is in there wanting to come out. Are you ready, or do you need a minute? Our reservation for dinner is soon."

  In the short time Presley has been here I forgot that Preston was taking me out tonight to celebrate, what I'm not sure. He won't tell me, and the suspense had me excited until Presley dropped that bomb on me. "Give me a few minutes to touch up my makeup and I'll be ready. I'll meet you downstairs?"

  He takes my left hand and brings it to his lips, kissing just below the large diamond on my ring finger. "Sure, baby. Anything for my fiancé." I can feel the smile form with his lips pressed against my skin. I have to have faith that I'll be okay.

  He turns and walks back to the door, pulling it shut as he exits. I read something a while back that hit home for me. Happiness isn't something that we find, but something that we choose, and the only person that can truly make us happy is ourselves. That thought gives me some peace of mind. I'm choosing to be happy.

  ***

  Dinner was a nice turn to what could have been a bad day. We ate at a small Italian restaurant in town that was tranquil and quiet. It was a place I had never been to and a drive, but Preston was adamant about me trying their food. He was convinced I've never had Italian food that was as authentic as this place. He said an Italian family opened it years ago, but it’s become one of the best restaurants around even though they don’t believe in marketed advertisements. The food speaks for itself, and a happy customer is a lifelong customer; that’s their motto.

  I must admit that he was right and I am in the physical state to prove it. I think my stomach grew slightly and not as a result of Bryce getting bigger. I couldn't eat anything more if I tried. Right now, I want nothing more than to curl up on the couch and watch a movie while Preston rubs my feet; our usual Saturday night ritual, but apparently dinner was not my surprise, so I must endure on. He looks too excited to do anything else. Who knows what he has up his sleeve.

  He pulls his car into the vacant parking lot of a large brick building. We haven't had a chance to have my car transported
from Mississippi to California yet, so we use his. There is no sign on the building to hint as to where we are. It's located in a nice part of town, but I've never been here before. "Preston, where are we?"

  He turns into the parking spot in front of the glass door, located at the front of the building, and shuts down the engine. The smile present on his face is contagious and I have no idea why. It's one of those smiles that take up the entire bottom half of a person's face, and when you look at them you can't help but to smile in a way that mirrors theirs. "That, sexy, is a surprise. You'll just have to wait and see."

  "Wait here. I'll come around and get you." He steps out of the car and makes his way around the front of the car in a sprint. Pulling the door open, he reaches inside for my hand. Placing one foot outside on the ground, I use his land for leverage and stand. He guides me to the door and pulls a key from his pocket. When he slides it in the lock and turns, it works.

  He has a key? What does that mean?

  He opens the door and links his fingers with mine. Walking inside, he pulls me along with him. As we cross over the threshold he flips a switch to the right hand side of the doorframe. Spotlights come on above a high, half moon shaped counter with built-in shelving in the wall behind it. The floors are marble and the rest of the room is empty. "What is this place? Is the company opening another office?"

  He is still grinning from ear to ear and starts shaking his head. "It's yours."

  Two words have me confused. I must be hearing things. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

  He laughs as if I told a joke. I really don't see what is so funny. "You're cute when you're confused. Come on, there's something I want to show you."

  We walk through the empty room and toward the back wall. On each side of the high counter there is an open doorway. As we walk through one of them, my breath catches at the sight before me. I take in my surroundings, slowly scanning each thing in the room. It's a wide open space with high ceilings. It's filled with mats, trampolines, harnesses, and everything I could possibly imagine. It's a cheerleader’s dream in here. It's also cruel. Why would he do this to me? He knows I have to give up that dream.

  The tears begin to fall. I thought I had buried that dream when I found out I was pregnant, but seeing all of this today tells me otherwise. I turn and look at him with tears streaming down my face. "Why would you do this to me. You know I can't cheer anymore."

  He pulls me into a hug and brushes my hair over my shoulder. Leaning in, he kisses me, and when he looks in my eyes I can see there is no malicious intent. His eyes are still smiling even with it absent on his lips. If he didn't do it to be cruel then why would he bring me here?

  "Do you remember when you were twelve and you stayed over at the house after you got back from your first big cheerleading competition? I think it was the one where you won first place for the first time at a national event?" I have no idea why this is irrelevant, but obviously he has some kind of point. I nod, still a little confused, and especially that he even remembers that kind of stuff.

  "Do you remember coming to my room to watch a movie because you were so excited you couldn't sleep and Presley wouldn't stay up with you?" Again, I nod.

  "Well, I remember everything about that night. I remember it was the first time you totally stunned me. It was the first time I wanted you the way a man wants a woman and not a boy that wants a girl because she likes to play forts and hang out like one of the boys, instead of being a prissy girl like Presley. That night you were so excited; all you could do was talk nonstop. Being a fifteen-year-old boy I didn't have a care in the world for cheerleading, but I was drawn to you. All I could do was listen." He looks me in the eyes as if he can't look away. For once, I realize just how long Preston has been my best friend, one of them at least. I can't speak. I want to hear what else he has to say.

  "You said something that stuck with me. You said one day you wanted to open your own cheerleading company and share your love for cheerleading with girls that were as passionate about it as you were. You have a gift, Kinzleigh. You found the one thing that makes you happy and that's worth fighting for. You may or may not be able to cheer in the NFL with a baby. Obviously, the money part isn't an issue, because if that's what you decide I'll support you until the end. It doesn't matter if it's nothing more than sitting in the stands holding Bryce while you do something you love, but no matter which path you take, you shouldn't give up your dream. I have the means to make it come true. Like I said before, this place is yours. Anything you need that isn't already here to make it run, just say the word and it will be."

  I'm completely at a loss for words. He has done more for me than I can even begin to comprehend right now. I knew Preston loved me that night in the hotel room, but I never stopped to think of how long or to what degree that love measured at. We've always been friends and I thought that it was just convenient for him to love me, because we've always been best friends. I never even fathomed that he could genuinely love me for me. I don't feel deserving of this kind of love once, much less twice. My hope is that one day I can love him as much as he loves me.

  "Say something," he says looking deep into my eyes. "If it's not what you want we can do something different. I just thought..."

  "It's amazing, Preston. It's, it's...why are you so good to me? You could have any girl you want at the drop of a hat with no baggage, someone that could quickly give you her whole heart. Why me? Why wait?"

  His serious demeanor breaks into a smile. He rubs his thumb along my cheekbone. "That's easy. I'm good to you, because I want you. I've wanted you since we were kids. I would go to any lengths to make you happy. I give you my all because I love you and I want to spend my life with you. I don't give you things expecting anything in return aside from you, baggage and all. When you find a rarity in the world, you wait around to obtain it if need be. You don't give up on it because there is the possibility it will never be yours fully, but you admire it and cherish it for the time in which you have it in your grasp. You, Kinzleigh, are my rare find. I will treasure you 'til the end."

  His words bring tears to my eyes, but a different kind this time; tears of joy and not sorrow. I feel blessed knowing this is the kind of man I can spend my time with, even if he's still in second place. Breyson will always be my first and my only one true love, my soul mate. I'll always love him first and foremost, but to have a guy that loves me unconditionally and will take in a child that isn't his, voluntarily, and raise it as his own; that's a real man. When I look at him now, it's a look of admiration.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and twirl my fingers in his hair. Pulling him down closer to my face, I begin to grin. "You know I don't know a thing about business, Mr. Dunagin. Whatever will I do with my own company?" He slightly bites the edge of his lip at my teasing tone.

  He nuzzles the tip of his nose along my jawline until it stops at my ear. "It's a good thing you're marrying an expert in the trade, Mrs. Dunagin to be. I think you'll be just fine." His voice is soft and seductive, making me hate my body right now. He kisses the lobe of my ear and begins pulling me in the direction that we came. "I have one more thing to show you."

  ***

  We are standing at the front door to our house as he unlocks the door and turns off the alarm system. "Preston, you don't have to do anything else for me. You've done enough."

  "Let me spoil you," he says as he pulls me inside and shuts the door, locking it behind him. "Besides, this one isn't for you anyway. He has a cheesy grin on his face. What does that mean?

  He grabs me behind the legs and back, cradling me. It took me by surprise, causing me to yelp out and grab him tightly behind the neck. "What are you doing? Put me down. I'm heavy."

  He raises a brow at me as if I just said something really stupid. "I think I can handle it." Kissing me on the cheek, he begins walking up the stairs, one by one. When he reaches the top he continues down the hall. I thought he was going to take me to bed until he stops in front of the door I haven't been allowed
to go in. I assumed he was renovating it into an office.

  Setting me down, I notice there is a bow tied around the door that was not present before we left. I know, because this door has to be passed in order to get downstairs. My curiosity is now in high gear. He stands behind me and places each palm over my eyes like a blindfold. "I've been working on this for a while. I hope you like it, baby. Keep your eyes closed," he says in a whisper outside my ear.

  I hear the door open and I can feel his body pressed against mine from behind. "I got you, baby. Walk inside." I do as he says and put one foot in front of the other. I have no idea where I am going or what I'm in for. It feels like forever, or maybe it's because I'm walking at a snail’s pace. I'm about to say something when he stops, stopping me with him. "This is only the beginning for us; for our family."

  He drops one hand at a time and I open my eyes. I gasp at the beautiful sight before me. My mind is overwhelmed with emotions from the night's events. Nothing could have prepared me for everything he has done. My eyes take in everything from the ceiling to the floor. It's more than I could have ever pictured or dreamed.

  I turn in his arms and link my hands behind his neck. I pull him down to kiss his lips. I can't begin to explain the way I feel right now. When our lips break free, I look him in the eyes. "You designed a nursery?"

  He searches my eyes with his own. "I did. Well, I helped design it. The interior designer did most of it. I just gave her the approval on each decision. Do you like it?"

  "It's perfect, Preston." I can barely speak. I smile and take it in again. The color of the walls is a cornflower blue. It's not the standard color blue for a boy, but that's what makes it more beautiful. The crown molding is thick and painted ivory as well as the baseboards. The furniture is the same antique white to match. The crib is placed inside a nook of built in shelving that is stocked with books and baby decor.