by Niles, Naomi
Alan and I had only been together for about six months, but there were years packed into some of the moments we shared. I remembered moving out of my parents’ house right after the Olympics. I had been a little nervous because I’d had no idea what living with a man would entail. Quite apart from that, I was nervous that Alan and I wouldn’t gel once we were living on top of one another.
A week in and all my fears had completely dissipated. It was easy with Alan. We fit together perfectly, and our lives had blended as though we were a couple with years behind us. Langdon and Winnie had officially become a couple a few months ago, after months of drama, and no one was more relieved than I was. It was nice to have a couple to hang out with, too.
When the girls emerged fully dressed, I waved them off and then headed into the private rooms reserved for coaches. I had a leisurely shower, slipped on the striped blue-and-white dress I’d brought for our restaurant dinner that night, and headed home.
Alan and I had chosen a cute little loft house that was about twenty minutes from where my parents lived. The first floor was an open garage for Alan’s car and everything else was located on the second floor. I could see the lights on in the windows as I made my approach and I walked up the stairs excitedly.
I pushed open the door and walked into our compact living room. There was a door on the right that led to the spare bedroom and a door right in front of me that led to the largest area in the house, a massive kitchen that opened out onto a huge balcony. I had a feeling that Alan had set up our romantic dinner there.
As I was setting down my bags, I heard music come through from the kitchen. I walked slowly through from the living room and came to a stop at the threshold when I realized that our open-plan kitchen and part of the balcony was filled with our family… Alan’s and mine. My parents were standing in front with Winnie and Langdon to their side and Alan’s brothers in the back. Fairy lights and flowers were everywhere, and I felt as though I had just stepped into a scene from one of my favorite love stories.
“What is this?” I asked in shock.
“Welcome home,” Alan said with smiling eyes. He was dressed somewhat formally in dark pants and a white, long-sleeved shirt. He looked unbelievably handsome as he stood there, staring at me as though I were the only person in the room.
“Alan,” I said. “What is going on?”
“I had a question to ask you,” Alan replied, taking a step forward. “And I wanted our friends and family to be here for it.”
“A… a question?” I stammered, my heart fluttering uncontrollably.
“Yes,” Alan said. “A very important question.”
“All your brothers are here,” I said as my nerves whizzed up.
Alan laughed. “Yes, they are. They drove in this morning.”
I smiled at all of them and then turned back to Alan. “What is this question, Alan?” I asked with my heart pounding in my chest.
Alan took another step forward and then he got down on one knee. My breath caught at the gesture and even though I knew what was about to happen, it felt like a shock. I was vaguely aware that Winnie was recording the whole thing on her cell phone and my mother was taking pictures with her camera, but I tuned them all out. I focused on Alan’s blue eyes and nothing else.
“Jessica,” he said with a small, secret smile.
“Yes, Alan?”
“These last six months living with you have been the best of my life,” Alan said slowly. “And it’s made me realize that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed, trying to keep the tears at bay. I didn’t want to miss a moment of this.
“Jessica Winters,” Alan continued, as he reached into his pocket and took out a small Tiffany box. “Will you marry me?”
As he asked the question, he opened the box and offered me the ring. Cushioned in the center was a brilliant oval diamond, set between two bright-blue sapphires that matched the color of Alan’s eyes.
“Of course I’ll marry you,” I murmured as I reached for him.
Alan got to his feet and grabbed me as the room burst into applause. He tilted my face upward and kissed me passionately, uncaring of our audience. When we finally pulled apart, he looked just as happy as I imagined I did.
“I can’t believe this,” I whispered to him.
“Well, believe it,” he laughed. “I finally got you your rock.”
I laughed as Alan slipped the ring onto my finger and we were officially engaged. He kissed me again before we were scooped up into the bosom of our families. Mom and Dad hugged and congratulated me, Winnie salivated over my ring, and I got a special hug from each one of Alan’s brothers. Once the jubilations were out of the way, we sat down at the beautifully decorated table that Alan had set up on the balcony for our celebratory dinner.
It was a spectacular night, but the best moment came at the end, when everybody had left and it was just Alan and I once more. We stayed out on the balcony with a blanket wrapped around the both of us, sharing a glass of wine.
“Did you suspect anything?” Alan asked.
“I had no idea,” I replied honestly. “I had hoped that you were thinking about marriage… but I never imagined it would happen so soon.”
“It feels like I waited too long to ask you,” Alan said.
“Well, I’m glad you asked me when you did,” I said. “Everything was perfect. The girls are going to freak out when I tell them.”
“The girls?” Alan asked in confusion.
“Nothing,” I laughed. “I’ll explain later.”
Alan nodded and kissed the top of my head. “Are you ready for the next chapter of our lives?”
I looked up into Alan’s intoxicating blue eyes. “I’ve never been more ready.”
Get my next book. Click here to continue.
Get my never released free book Boarded for a limited time.
Click here to get your free book
BLIND LOVE
By Naomi Niles and Erin Wes
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Erin Wes
PART 1
Chapter One
Dylan
“Why are these houses so far apart?”
I sighed. If I was going to find the right car to steal, I knew I had to find the right house. So far, no one had left the keys in the car. Maybe rich people never did that. Poor people did because they didn’t expect anyone to take their crappy cars.
Needing a new computer and with my mother getting fired once again, I knew that I had to take desperate measures. With a new computer, I could do my programming homework at home instead of school. The computers at school were crappy, and I could never get enough time on them in class.
I spied a Mercedes. That could get a good price. My cousin boosted cars and he’d shown me where I could sell it to get cash. That would be one sweet computer.
My stomach rumbled. Right. I hadn’t had dinner and the low income lunch had been hours ago. The night was turning chilly, and I needed to get this done. I hadn’t brought a jacket because I had no idea where it was. Knowing my mother, she sold it.
I looked around. No one on the street. Being twilight, everyone was probably having dinner. Something I might have to skip tonight – unless I found some ketchup packets in the refrigerator.
I sighed. This life sucks and with that computer, I can make a better one. I didn’t feel bad for stealing the car because they had insurance. They could buy another one.
I thanked my luck that the car was in the driveway instead of the garage. A silver Mercedes E-class. I’d bet it had all the bells and whistles. It would be a sweet ride to the chop shop. The porch light on the McMansion turned on, so I froze standing behind a tree. There was a light on i
n a front window, but I couldn’t see anyone in the room. No one came out of the house.
I stalked up to the car, then pulled on the handle to the driver’s side door. It was unlocked, but the dome light came on and the car dinged. The key was inside.
Sweet. I hopped in and slumped down. If anyone looked out, they wouldn’t see me. There was no movement, from what I could tell. I had just let out a breath I’d been holding, when the passenger door opened.
My heart raced, but I froze instead of jumping out of the car. A hand clamped onto my arm, which should have energized me, but it didn’t.
I looked up into the stern face of the man who probably owned the car.
“Son, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
My lips moved, but I could form no words. I’d been caught doing petty stuff. My life as a criminal had not been smooth. Ever. Auto theft was big deal – this was real jail time.
“Uh.”
“That’s all you got?” he said.
He’d probably already called the cops, so I’d better run, but the man had a strong grip and I couldn’t pull free. “I’m sorry.”
The man chuckled. He was laughing at me? It wasn’t a maniacal laugh, but it sent chills through me, anyway. “Oh, son. I’m guessing you’ve never done this before.”
I shook my head. Maybe the cops would be lenient on me since it was my first large offense. Never mind that I’d shoplifted and stuff like that.
“No, sir.”
“Sir, huh. Now you get manners? You try to boost my car and you call me sir? How old are you?”
“Eighteen, sir.”
He nodded. “You go to the local high school?”
“Yes, sir.”
The man must be waiting for the cops to arrive. My stomach took that moment to rumble. A loud and long sound that was unmistakable. The man’s face softened. “You hungry?”
“Yes, sir.”
Well, what was I supposed to say? My stomach had just sang a song if its people, so I couldn’t deny it. “What’s your name?”
“Dylan.”
“You got a last name?”
“Cabot.”
I licked my lips. I had no idea how I was getting out of this situation. Fuck. Shit. This had been stupid of me. If my mother was even awake, she was going to be pissed. I bet she’d let me stay in jail all night.
“Dylan Cabot who is hungry and trying to steal my car. Well, Dylan Cabot, it’s your lucky day. I haven’t called the cops and I won’t call the cops if you do me a favor.”
Shit, I’d do anything at this point. “Sure.”
“Let me take you home. I’m sure someone is worried about you.”
I shook my head. “No. No one.”
“We’ll get takeout on the way so you have something to eat. If I let go, are you going to run? Remember, I know your name, now.”
I shook my head, the lure of food pretty strong. If I had enough food, I’d eat all the time. “No.”
He let go of my hand and my better judgement prevailed because I didn’t run.
“Now, let’s switch places, and I’ll take you home,” the man said.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Rob Dean,” he said, holding out his hand.
I shook it then we both climbed out of the car. I looked at him for a moment, unsure if he was joking. I had tried to steal his car and now he was buying me dinner and driving me home. What bizarre world had I stepped into.
“Buckle up,” Mr. Dean said when I climbed back into the car.
I really expected Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell me that I’ve been punked.
“It’s okay, son. You care what fast food we stop at?”
“Uh, no sir,” I said.
I’d eat garbage at this point, which was probably what would have happened. I’d have gone dumpster diving behind the burger joint. Now, I was actually getting food from it.
But tomorrow I’d wake up hungry, so I might as well enjoy this meal now.
***
When we got closer to my house, I turned to Mr. Dean. “You can let me out here.”
“No, I’m taking you all of the way. I’m not going to tell your parents what you did.”
I clutched the bag of food he’d bought me while I searched for a way to get him to stop. He didn’t need to see the trailer I lived in. He didn’t need to see my mother in her bathrobe, assuming she was even awake. If she lost her job today, she would be drinking. Among other things.
I couldn’t have been more embarrassed. “No, really. I need to get out here. My driveway is rutted and it’ll do damage to your car.”
“No go, son. I take you all the way there or I take you to the police station.”
Shit. I frowned at him and didn’t say anything until we reached the driveway.
“See. It’s a mess. You don’t need to damage your car.”
Mr. Dean eyed the driveway then pulled off the road. “Then, we’ll walk the rest of the way.”
I looked at his nice pants and dress shoes. It had rained this morning. “You’re going to get muddy.”
“Everything is replaceable.”
Spoken like a man with a big paycheck. I climbed out of the car. At least, I could find a path that wouldn’t be so muddy.
The trailer I lived in was at the end of a long driveway. A rotted car sat to one side of the driveway. My mother said it had been hers, but it broke down and she couldn’t get it fixed. She’d been relying on rides from coworkers and several had let her down. That’s why she was fired. She hadn’t shown up for a few shifts this week.
I would have to apply for food stamps again, posing as her online, but I needed a computer for that. I had figured out how to get internet. A neighbor hadn’t secured their network and I could use it if I stayed at one end of the trailer.
“Is anyone home?”
“I only live here with my mother. She may already be asleep.”
“This early?”
“She works odd hours.”
Or in this case, doesn’t work. Mr. Dean nodded. “Okay, but I’d like to meet her.”
“I’ll see if I can wake her.”
I opened the front door. The smell hit me. She hadn’t cleaned. I hadn’t cleaned. In weeks. I tried to spend as little time here as possible, but I knew that sometimes my mother needed me to take care of her.
My mother was passed out on the couch when I turned on the light. Mr. Dean pulled out his phone. “Go check her. I’ll call an ambulance.”
He was barely inside the house and I could see he was wrinkling up his nose. I checked my mother. She was still breathing. “Mom.”
She didn’t stir. I blinked at her then shook her harder. “Mom.”
Mr. Dean put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Dylan. The ambulance is on the way.”
The police arrived first, but there was nothing they could do. She wasn’t responding, but she was breathing. Then, the paramedics worked on her.
“Let’s go outside, Dylan,” Mr. Dean said.
He stood with me while the cops asked me questions. He kept his hand on my shoulder and for that moment, someone had my back. No had ever had my back. Not in my entire life.
“You came here and just found her like this?” the officer asked me.
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Does she drink?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t look him in the eye. I could tell he was viewing me with pity. I didn’t want anyone’s pity. I wanted a hand out of this place, but that was never going to happen. I was eighteen – too old to be put into the system.
I was on my own having been dealt a shit hand.
“Does she do drugs?”
“Yes, sir,” I said.
Always nice to have one’s life laid out for strangers. I wanted to eat my burger and go to bed. Forget that this all happened. Or figure out another way to get a computer. Anything but stand here while these two men dissected his life.
“Okay. I need to talk to the par
amedics. Do you know what drugs she does?”
“No sir. I never paid attention.”
My mother had taught me call all adult males sir. It was probably the only thing good thing she taught me. When I glanced up at him, the officer nodded, but he didn’t look as if he believed me.
I wanted to shout that I had bigger plans for myself than a trailer in the woods. Maybe I’d go into the military or to trade school. I just had to figure out how to get out of high school alive.
The paramedics took my mother out of the house. She still hadn’t woken up yet. If she died, I was going to have to quit school to make money. Otherwise, I’d have no place to live. Shit. Shit. Shit.
I wanted to punch something. Mr. Dean squeezed my shoulder. “Dylan will come home with me.”
“He’s eighteen, he can do what he wants,” the officer said.
The both stared at me. I still had the sack of burgers in my hand. I really just wanted to eat them.
“How about you eat your dinner, then you can decide. Hard to think on an empty stomach,” Mr. Dean suggested.
I nodded, then followed him in. I didn’t look at the couch. I just sat in the kitchen. I could hear Mr. Dean moving around in the living room. He finally sat down with me as I finished my food. I did feel better.
“You are free to do what you want, Dylan, but I suggest you come home with me. I have a bedroom for you and we can figure out what’s next.”
I nodded. It was the best offer I’d gotten in awhile.
Chapter Two
Taylor
Mom had picked me up and told me that Dad had been out. I loved my mom, but I enjoyed the time in the car with my dad. He was much more laid back than my mother and I could talk to him about so much.
I could ask him about boys and he wouldn’t get upset or tell me that I couldn’t date certain boys. I was eighteen, and he respected that I needed a little more freedom. My mom was all about the appearances – what I looked like and who I hung out with.
It was so annoying. All I wanted to do was go to school, cheerlead, and hang out with my friends. Why do I have to be bothered about what I look like? People like me. I’m smart, sort of. I get so disgusted by her.