Finding an Angel (11 page)

“Oh, shut up,
Echo
,” she sneers at Carmela, who flinches at the name. “I’m talking to the nut job here. Do you really think you can hold on to a guy like Hunter?”

“No,” I say before I can stop myself. Sadly, it’s the truth and it seems to throw Evie off her game. “I’ve never once thought that I ever deserved Hunter and have many times tried to get him to see me how you and everyone else here sees me. But no matter how hard I push, he won’t let go of me. The funny thing about love is that it’s not just one person holding on to the other and praying that it lasts. It’s two people holding on to the other and knowing no matter how bad one side gets love holds them together. See, I can push all I want, but it’s Hunter who’s holding on to me.”

“Yeah, you’re probably some hoe bag that has him wrapped right around your crotch,” she hisses.

“I’m none of that. As Carmela said, he chose me. I didn’t ask him to, he just did.”

She steps closer and into my safety bubble, belatedly realizing that I never had a problem with Carmela or Parker getting in. But as she invades my space my panic starts to rise and I can feel the blood start to drain from my face.

“Look retard, I don’t know what you’ve done to have Hunter so… I don’t even know. Maybe it’s because he feels sorry for the town reject. Or maybe that he’s having fun toying with the clueless freak. I don’t know, but if you continue to get in my way when it comes to him…” She steps even closer and my throat starts to clamp shut. Fighting, I’m fighting for each precious breath I’m able to draw in. “I’ll remove your ugly retarded ass from the picture myself. Do we understand each other?”

Mentally, I’m telling myself to nod my head yes, but it betrays me. Instead of nodding, my head shakes back and forth. Then even more shocking my voice, soft and a bit shaky fills my own ears.

“Hunter is mine. Until the day he walks away from me, from us, you’ll stay away from what’s mine or
I
will personally see to it that you suffer for every bit of pain you cause and inflict on others. Do
we
understand each other?”

Her eyes wide, she squeaks out a yes. I demand that she apologizes to Carmela and she does before scurrying off with her proverbial tail between her legs. My throat closes tighter still. Honestly, I’m shocked with myself. I don’t know how those words even came out of me, but they did. Carmela is talking about how proud she is of me and how she’s never seen Evie that scared, but I can’t focus. The room is now starting to spin. Knowing what’s coming, I need to get out of here before I give these people any more reason to think of me the way they do.

Hurrying across the room, I almost trip up the stairs as I make for the exit. Tears well in my eyes. Though tonight has been beyond magical, it’s also shown me why… Plan, I need to stick to my plan. My heart is already breaking for the loss that I’ll feel, but I know that it’s the right thing to do.

“Hey,” Hunter’s voice fills my ears before I’m turned around and pulled into his chest. “Why are you running?”

“I need… I need to go please,” I sob.

“Of course, but baby you just ran from me. Did I do something?”

“No,” I step back and reach up to wipe my tears away, but he beats me to it.

“Tell me,” he quietly urges me.

Just then Carmela and Parker run up all smiles. “Oh my God, Hunter! Your girlfriend is freaking amazeballs!” Carmela exclaims.

They go into tell him exactly what happened between Evie and I, all the mean and hurtful things she said, her threat, and my reaction and subsequent threat and then finally making her apologize to Carmela.

When his gaze meets mine, I see the concern in them, but behind that lies pride and of course love.

“I’m so damn proud of you for standing up for yourself and Carmela,” he says softly. “But it doesn’t explain why you were running.”

“She got in my danger zone,” I said softly.

His eyes widen and understanding lit his gorgeous eyes. He knows now that my panic attack has started and he turns to his friends. After telling them that we were going to go, he ushers me out to our limo and we head out to return home. The minute the car was in motion he starts kissing me. He kisses me with more intensity this time, so much so that I get lost in him, making me unaware of anything except for the spot where our lips are pressed together. Slowly, my heart rate slows and my throat doesn’t feel so clogged, but I’m panting. Panting now not because of the panic attack, but because of the kiss.

“Feel better,” he asks just a hairs breath from my mouth.

Smiling, I kiss him lightly. “I love you.”

It isn’t long before we pull up in front of my house. Slowly, we make the walk back toward our spot. Honestly, I’m excited to see what surprise they could have for us. Hunter is too. Soon, we round some trees and across the creek are lanterns surrounding a bunch of trees forming a circle. To the left is a table set romantically and a heater box sitting next to the table. But what shocks us both is we find a tent set up to the right where no flowers seem to grow.

We both look at each other and smile.

“Well, it looks like I finally get my dream,” he beams.

“Hey just because they set it up doesn’t mean I have to have sex with you, Mister,” I tease.

“Not my dream babe,” he kisses my lips lightly.

“What is then?”

“To be able to fall asleep with you in my arms and wake up in the morning seeing your beautiful eyes right away,” he explains softly.

“You’re too sweet to be real,” I tease then look down at my feet. “I’ll ruin my shoes and dress trying to cross the creek,” I frown.

Before she can do anything else, I’m sweeping her up in my arms and carrying her across the creek into our own little oasis. This place has always been special for Jessa, well, the both of us really, but after tonight – even if we don’t make love tonight – it’ll mean even more.

“I can’t believe you just carried me over here,” she says when I finally set her on her feet.

“Another dream partially come true,” I wink knowing that telling her I see forever with her right now is not a good idea.

“You check out what’s in the heater box and I’ll look at the tent,” she laughs.

Inside the box, I find a very nice supper of lasagna and garlic cheese bread. Not fine dining, but then again that’s not who Jessa and I are either. Pulling everything out, I set our table just as Jessa comes walking over holding a piece of paper.

“They left us a note,” she says confused almost.

Standing behind her, I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on her shoulder as we read it together.

To our children,

Seems there are a few things that we all take for granted that haven’t been awarded to Jessa as easily. Tonight, we give you those things. A romantic dinner for two, a radio to listen to music and dance the night away, surrounded by a beautiful surrounding. The tent is for tonight. We are allowing you the privilege to have a night together. However you spend it, well, that’s up to you. It’s been made aware to both of us that you dears want to fall asleep and wake in each other’s arms. We give you that. Remember, if you choose to move to the next step, be safe. You’ll find bags inside of the tent with changes of clothes for each of you and pajamas.  You also may spend the weekend here as long as you join us for meals so we know that you are both okay.

We love you both very much.

Your Parents

“Oh crap! We get to spend the weekend together. I get to fall asleep to you holding me again,” her smile was brighter than the lanterns that surround us.

Unable to think about tonight or the weekend nights, I ask the safe topic. “You hungry?”

As we sit there eating our lasagna, we talk about anything and everything. I’ve never seen Jessa so happy and carefree before. She is just truly radiant tonight. Once we were finished, we clear the table and she look nervous for the first time since we got here.

“Can I change into pajamas? These shoes are killing me, but we can still dance. I just want to be comfortable.”

“Of course. I’ll change after you.”

Once it’s my turn, I open my bag and pull out my flannel blue pants with a black shirt. That’s when I see them. A box of condoms. My face flames even if Jessa hasn’t seen them. My parents bought me condoms. How mortifying. Shaking myself from my thoughts, I undress and slip on my pajamas and join Jess out near the iPod dock.

“You got to pick a song. It’s my turn,” I grin.

As the song starts, Jessa smiles and I pull her into my arms. “This is your song to me.”

“Yup and we haven’t gotten to dance to it yet,” I smile as we dance to
When I Look At You
by Miley Cyrus. “What kind of Prom would it be if we didn’t dance to a song that means so much to both of us?”

“In that case, I get next pick,” she grins up at me.

All I can manage to do is smile at her. Even in her pajamas, she looks breathtaking. Her hair is fully down now and the necklace and earrings are gone. To me though, that was never her look anyway. I fell in love with the girl that could be covered in mud and still be the most beautiful woman alive.

When the song ends, she walks over and plays her song. Trying to listen to it even as she comes back in my arms and continues to sway with together. The lyrics fill me and I smile down with so much love in my heart for the woman in my arms.

“What’s this song?”

“
Lucky
by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat,” she speaks softly staring at my mouth.

“Perfect song for us. I can never get enough of your kisses,” I breathe right before claiming her lips with my own.

When that song too ends, she pulls back stares at me a minute and walks over to pick another song, she doesn’t come back over to me.

“This is
I Won’t Let Go
by Rascal Flatts. Your mom told me that you think of me every time you hear this song,” she smiles and turns toward the tent. “I’m ready for bed now. The song’s on repeat.”

My heart jumps in my chest a minute. For a moment, I’d completely forgotten that we get to share a bed tonight and maybe the weekend if Jessa wants to. Hell, I know I do. Following behind her, I enter the tent where a queen bed has been set up for us.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I breathe before I can stop it.

She lifts her head and smiles as she folds back the sheets and blankets. “Me either,” she bites her lip and I see the nervousness in her eyes.

So, I decide to remind her that we are friends that joke and play with each other too. Kicking off my shoes, I jump and land on the bed on my back.

“Well, Jess, looks like the great outdoors seems to agree with us,” I babble.

“What do you mean,” she asks still standing there.

“It is a great night for counting the stars, look,” I nod my head toward the top of the tent.

She kicks off her shoes and climbs on the bed, nestling in my chest she looks up through the roof of the tent and sighs. “It’s been a perfect night, Hunter.”

“Well, not exactly perfect, but hey perfect is an impossible goal now, isn’t it?”

She smiles up at me and both our smiles disappear. Shifting her to her back, I lean down and once again taste every inch of her mouth. We’ve kissed a million times before and every single one of them is committed to my memory. However, this is… this incredible consuming kiss is the best we’ve shared to date.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected our night to go beyond this, but Jessa never stops amazing me. Her hands push under my shirt and stroke my back with such tenderness, I feel myself sink further into the love I have for her.

Pulling back, I look into her eyes. “We don’t have to Angel. I’m not wishing we would when you aren’t around, or trying to jump your bones when you are. The time I get with you is all I need. We don’t have to do this right now.”

“I want to do this. I’ve wanted to for a while, but I don’t know… I just worry it won’t be any good and you’ll leave, but then I look in your eyes and all I see is love and I know. Even if it isn’t right, right now, that it won’t change us. After all, nobody’s great the first time around, are they?”

Smirking, “No, I suppose not. Are you sure, Angel? This is what
you
want?”