Read The UnKnown (A Novel) Online
Authors: Lara Henley
“Hold on,” he said as he moved back down the stairs to my car. I saw him pull a blanket out he had put in there earlier. He climbed back up.
“Here, let’s lay on this. I don’t want to mess up your clothes.” He was always thinking ahead. Was I really about to give myself to him?
He wrapped me back up in him. “Baby, I love you so much. I never thought it could be like this.” I took his face into the palms of my hands and looked deeply into his eyes. I could see myself in them.
“I love you too. More than you will ever know.” I pulled him in and kissed him hard and long. I kissed him like these were the last moments left in the world. I kissed him like it was my dying wish. I loved him and I wanted to show him how much.
Drake eased me down onto the blanket. He breathed into my neck and I was sure my heart stopped beating for a moment.
“Do you want this, Misty? We can wait. I want you more than you will ever know, but I can wait.” He makes me so happy, and the way he looks at me makes me want melt. The love that we share is pure and whole and nothing will break it. I wanted this, I wanted to be with him and show him just how much I truly love him. He was becoming the missing part of me that I had been searching for. He knew me better than I knew myself and for that I would never love another. Drake has ruined me for any other man.
“I want this, Drake. I want you now and forever.” He took my shirt off and began kissing down my neck. This was it; I was giving myself to him. I trusted someone for the first time in my life other than my parents. I was so happy in this moment.
The places Drake took me to were beyond words. We just laid there wrapped up in each other. Wrapped up in our love. Was this what love was like? I could feel our hearts beating as one. I had Drake, a family who loved me, a job, a car, and most importantly, a future. I still couldn’t believe what God had blessed me with in just a short amount of time.
“What are you thinking about, Peaches?” Drake looked relaxed and satisfied with himself.
“I’m thinking I can stay like this forever. I can stay wrapped up in you and only you. I love you.” I replied contently. I couldn’t help but to keep saying those words. They were what would keep me going and alive.
“I love you more. You make me feel so alive and make me want more out of life than I thought possible.” He always had the most beautiful words to say to me.
I guess we fell asleep because the next thing we knew there was a bright light flashing up in our faces. I saw a slender man behind it. I couldn’t make out who he was. The loud speaker came on. It startled me because Drake and I were naked under our blanket of love.
“What are you two doing up there?” OMG, a cop! Were we seriously being caught by the cops! How did they know we were up here?
“It’s ok officer Thomas. We are just hanging out.” Drake covered my body with his. He was protecting me from the officer seeing me naked. Oh, this was so embarrassing. I lost my virginity and was going to jail for indecent exposure. I could see the headlines now: Girl Who Loses Virginity Is A Public Nuisance.
“Drake Mitchell, is that you?” Officer Thomas finally moved the light away that was piercing my eyes.
“Yes, it’s me. I was hanging out with my girlfriend and we fell asleep. I am sorry we lost track of time. We will leave as soon as we get our stuff together.” I didn’t think Officer Thomas was too pleased.
“You two hurry along. You shouldn’t be up there in the first place.” He hopped back in his car and drove off. I immediately started to laugh.
“Well, that was a close call,” I said while I was still giggling.
“Yeah it was. Let’s get out of here before he comes back and arrests us both.” Drake tossed me my pants and shirt. I still had my bra on. I slipped my clothes on. I watched Drake in all his naked glory get dressed. He was even more beautiful naked than dressed.
He caught me staring at him. “See something you like?” There was a devious look on his face as though he wanted round two.
I put my hands behind my head and gave him a wicked grin. “Yes I do.”
In an instant he was on top of me. “You can’t talk to me like that or I will have to take you again right here and right now.” I loved the way he said it. It made me hot for him all over again.
“We can’t. The officer is going to arrest us if he comes back and we are still here.” I giggled under my breath and smiled. Drake finished dressing and pulled me up from the blanket. My ass and back were hurting. It wasn’t the best place to have made love and then fall asleep. I wouldn’t change it for the world though because it was romantic to have made love in front of the city lights. We got ourselves together and made our way back down to the car.
“Are you hungry?” Drake asked. I looked over at the clock on the dashboard of the car. It was only ten p.m. “Maggie’s is open. We could drop in for a quick bite or head over to Riverdale to Denny’s.”
“I am starving, Maggie’s is good.” I was starving. Drake and I had worked up a great appetite.
“Great, give me the keys. I am driving. I love you but your driving skills suck.” He got out and yanked open the driver side door for me to get out. I climbed over the middle area and Drake took us to Maggie’s. All in all this had been the very best day of my life.
Chapter 16
Drake
Making love to Misty had to have been the highlight of my life so far. We were so in sync. I couldn’t believe it actually happened. I wanted it since I met her, but I wasn’t sure she felt the same until she told me she loved me too. I had just planned to take her here and spend some quality time together. I never expected to make love to her. Being caught by Officer Thomas was hilarious and frightening at the same time. The man detested me. I was sure he was going to arrest me. Ever since I accidently hit his mailbox when I was seventeen, he has had it out for me. Of course my parents paid for it, but nonetheless he still hated me. The mailbox was ugly. It was in the shape of an eagle and everyone in town hated it. He had built the thing himself and to me it looked like a lopsided monkey. Kyle dared me to hit it. I did it just to shut him up. I didn’t think I would get caught, but I did and my parents were furious that I hit it. I knew they would forget about it and they did. Life couldn’t get much better. I had my parents back in my life, a girl that I TRULY loved, and I was going after a career I so desperately wanted.
When we pulled into Maggie’s, the smell of hamburgers made my stomach grumble more than it already was. All I had to eat that day was beer and some stale ass chips. Misty and I walked into the diner hand in hand. I stopped dead in my tracks. In the corner was the gang from the party. What were they doing here? I tried to turn around and leave without being seen, but Kyle looked up and I caught his eye.
“What up Bro,” he yelled across the room. Kyle got up and moved over towards us. Misty looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“It’ll be ok. These are some of my friends. Let me try and get us out of here,” I whispered into her sweet earlobe.
“Bro, why did you leave? The party was jumping. The pussy was great.” He was talking as though he didn’t see Misty on my arm.
“I had some things I needed to attend to. Kyle, this is my girlfriend Misty. Misty, this is Kyle, my best friend.” I knew I was throwing her out there; I just didn’t want Kyle to say anything else stupid. I was surely going to kick his ass later.
“Dude, you just had Sara. Talk about moving fast. Hi, Misty, I’m Kyle, this assholes better half.” He held out his hand. Misty was hesitant but she took it.
“Nice to meet you, Kyle,” she whispered.
“Ahh, you got a shy one huh? Come over and join us. We’re getting a bite and then moving the party over to the lake,” Kyle stated.
“No thanks. We came to get our food to go. We are heading back to my place to watch some DVD’s.” I was lying out my ass, but I didn’t want her around them.
“Bullshit, anyway you can at least come over and say hi. We haven’t seen you in a long time.” I looked over at Misty and she nodded in approval. We followed him over to the table to the same gang from high school. They were all smashed into a corner booth. I remembered sitting in this very same booth making fun of people and giving them a hard time for no apparent reason. I was surprised that Sara wasn’t here. Thank the heavens because I wouldn’t have a clue how to handle that.
“Shove over for Drake and his new girlfriend,” Kyle said sarcastically, and the bullshit began. Some of Sara’s friends where there; Colleen and Whitney, some of the most vicious girls I have ever met.
“Wow, Drake, you move quickly. You just broke up with Sara two days ago for this?” She gestured over at Misty. “She is so heartbroken. She can’t even get out of bed,” Colleen said.
“Not my problem. It was coming for a while.” Misty tucked herself under my arm. She was trembling. I didn’t know if it was out of fear or out of anger. The table was quiet while listening to our transaction.
“You need to go see her. I always knew you were an ass, Drake, but I never thought you would treat her like this. How could you be so cold?” Whitney asked. She leaned over to the other side of me and spoke directly to Misty. “You better watch him or he will do the same thing to you. He will find some girl on the side of the road and leave you for her.” That was it. I snatched Misty up and put my arm around her.
“She will never be bitches like you. She is better than you. She is the love of my life and I would never do anything to hurt her. Tell Sara I will be talking to her. She will not be spreading lies.” I took Misty’s hand and we left the diner.
“I’m sorry. I was trying to avoid that. They are assholes, spoiled rich kids that don’t know the value of anything.”
“I was trying to hold my temper Drake. You just broke up with your girlfriend? Was it because of me?” Before I could answer I saw Kyle coming over towards us. What the hell did he want? I pushed Misty behind me just as I did with Officer Thomas. I would punch him if he said something stupid, even though my hands still hurt.
“Dude, I’m sorry. I didn’t think they would be like that.”
“Don’t apologize to me. You need to apologize to her.” I moved out of the way for him to say something to her.
“I’m sorry Misty,” he said as he looked down and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“It’s ok.” Misty turned and walked over to the car. I guess she had had enough.
“I love her, Kyle, more than I loved Sara. If you won’t accept her then our friendship is over.” I didn’t let him respond. I clicked the car doors to unlock and we got in and left.
“I’m so sorry, Misty. I did break up with her because I loved you from the minute I saw you. Our relationship had been over for a long time. We were hanging onto something that was no longer there. I hope that you see that. I didn’t want to hurt her. But I couldn’t keep stringing her along.” I said pleadingly. Misty didn’t say anything for several minutes.
“I believe you, Drake, but I don’t like this. I work at that diner now and it is going to be awkward if they are regular customers,” she whispered.
“They won’t bother you, I promise. I will handle it.” I would move heaven and earth before they gave her any hell. “Would you like to go to Denny’s or do you want me to take you home?”
“Denny’s, I am still hungry.” She winked at me and chuckled under her breath.
“I’m starving for much more than food.” I winked at her and licked my lips. I saw her turn a bright red.
“Stop it, Mr. Mitchell, or you won’t be getting any more of this loving.” He voice was shaky and seductive all at the same time. She was so freaking cute.
I made our way to the Denny’s in Riverdale. I couldn’t believe that Kyle had acted like that. He knew I didn’t hook up with random girls. I was a one woman type of man. I would never cheat. I saw how that tore Kyle’s family apart. His dad cheated on his mother when he was sixteen years old. They went through a messy divorce. It caused Kyle a lot of pain because he got shipped off every other weekend. He went through a huge depression and I tried to be there for him, but he wasn’t having it. He was sleeping around with different girls and even had a pregnancy scare. The girl claimed Kyle was the father. He had to go after the baby was born to try to prove he was the father. It turned out that he wasn’t. After that scare his father threatened to cut his money off and Kyle straightened up. He graduated a year early and at the top of his class. I wished him all the luck because if he couldn’t be on board with me dating Misty then I would never talk to him again. I hated the thought of that; it made me sick but I could live with it because I loved her more than life and I would protect her.
We pulled up to the Denny’s and I got Misty out of the car. I wanted to make everything ok. We greeted the waitress and ordered. I just wanted to go back to that water tower and hold her all night long. I would settle for feeding her. A healthy Misty was a good Misty. I hoped she truly trusted me.
“Baby, I want us to be together. I don’t want to take this slow. I want to keep you as mine. I don’t want anyone to even think of having you. The thought of that drives me completely mad.”
“I’m ready. I thought I wasn’t but I am. I can’t stand the thought of you with someone else. Let’s do this.” This was the happiest day of my life.
“You have just made my so happy. Trust me, I will always protect you.” And I would. This was going to be the beginning of our lives. So far we had survived and together we could survive anything. Our order came and Misty and I ate. We talked about our dreams and what we wanted out of life. I knew we would last. She wanted to be married with two kids. She wanted a nice home and a loving relationship. I believed I could be the one to give her these things and more. I would give to her until my last dying breath.
Chapter 17
Misty
I couldn’t believe I was in a relationship. It was all happening so freaking fast. But I guess love doesn’t wait. I loved everything about him. He wasn’t completely honest with me, but I hadn’t been forthcoming with my past. He didn’t know about what happened with Miss Donna. I didn’t know if I would ever tell him. Nobody needed to know that portion of my life; I just wanted to put it behind me. I thought he would think of me as damaged. I was not damaged, but I still needed to heal. I also needed to face what happened in that bathroom. It was burned into my head and I didn’t know how to move past it. On one hand I was so happy and on the other I felt depressed. I felt like I was going crazy with emotions. Maybe I would speak to Aunt Silvia. I couldn’t keep this bottled up. I hoped she would be able to help me. I hadn’t opened up in a really, really long time. Drake was never going to find out because I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me. I didn’t want him to look at me like everyone else looked when they found out.