Forever Red (10 page)

Distracted didn’t begin to describe my behavior as I drove home. As much as I had looked forward to tonight, I was now dreading it. Ditching Nik seemed like the only good option because I needed to be with Lia. It felt like we hadn’t had any time in days and I was definitely having withdrawals. As I drove, I searched my mind for an excuse that might be believable, but nothing came to mind.

Everyone was in the kitchen when I got home, sitting around the table the way we used to do back home. They stopped mid-sentence, turning their attention to me, full of praise for my role in the game. I leaned against the counter, half-listening, and half-trying to find the best lie that would convince my sister to stay home when my dad made a comment that shocked me to the core.

I stood up a little straighter. “What?”

My dad looked around the room as if he wasn’t sure whom I was talking to before glancing back at me. “I said that it’s a shame y’all didn’t win that trophy. You and Mike make a great team, but without you I don’t think they’ll make it as far next year.”

I had heard him correctly. “Without me?” My stomach sank. “Why would they play without me?”

One of Dad’s eyebrows rose as if he couldn’t tell if I was being serious or not. Nikki swallowed and looked away, avoiding all eye contact. Mom only gave me an annoyed look.

Dad glanced at Mom before meeting my eyes again. “Son, you knew I only took a temporary position. We’re going home as soon as the school year is over.”

I changed my outfit four times. For me, that was three times too many. And then I restyled my hair twice. What should have taken me fifteen minutes took me an hour and a half. I knew they were going to be here any minute, but I couldn’t resist the urge to run back to the bathroom to try to fix the mess that was my appearance.

“Fuck. Damn. Shit!” And, suddenly, I’d developed Tourette’s.

My mom leaned against the bathroom door, watching me as if I had lost my mind. “What is goin’ on with you, girl?” She shook her head, at a loss at how to react to my strange behavior. “You look beautiful. Just like you did the first forty times.”

I rolled my eyes at her in the mirror. “I can’t make this do anything!”

She stepped up behind me and cool hands moved onto my scalp, pulling my hair from the scrunchie and fluffing it a little. “Who are you, and what have you done with my daughter?” She sounded horrified – as if I’d become someone she didn’t recognize.

I shook my head as much as I could with her hands holding me still. “I just want to look perfect tonight.”

She smiled. “That boy would think you look amazing if you washed every ounce of your makeup off and answered the door in PJs.”

Thinking about the night I’d done just that, I looked away from her reflection.

“His sister won’t care how you’re dressed. The only thing she’s going to see is how Neil looks at you. And that, my dear sweet girl, speaks volumes.”

My mom had only met Neil a handful of times, and never spent more than five minutes with him, but she was convinced she’d seen more than enough to “worry.” Whatever the hell that meant. In fact, she stayed home this weekend because she wanted to “talk” to me. I hadn’t known she was going to be here, or I’d have pushed back this date. Too late now.

The knock on the door had me rushing into the living room, only to remember I’d forgotten his present, causing me to hurry back to my bedroom before practically running to the door. I yanked it open, throwing myself off balance. He was standing on the other side, all alone, with a look on his face that made me feel instantly nauseous.

“Hey, Red.” He looked up, offering me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry I’m late.” Neil’s eyes shifted over my shoulder just as I felt my mom come into the room behind me. “Ms. Merrill.” He offered her a nod. “I’m sorry to steal her away like this, but my sister is waiting for us at the restaurant.”

I turned, grabbed my coat, and gave my mom a quick hug. “I don’t know how late I’ll be,” I murmured. “Don’t wait up.”

For a split second, my mom’s eyes narrowed at me, but then she offered us both a smile. “Have a nice night, kids.”

Neil held open the truck door for me and, as usual, double-checked to make sure my seat belt was tight before he closed it. I watched him walk slowly around the hood, the headlights highlighting how nice he looked in gray dress pants and a dark sweater under a leather jacket. I couldn’t remember seeing him look so out of my league before.

He didn’t say much on the way to the restaurant, other than to tell me he just needed to be alone with me for a few minutes so he dropped Nikki off early. He held my hand, pulling it to his lips a few times, and gripping it tight the rest of the way. When we pulled into the last open spot in the crowded lot, and he didn’t let go, I faced him.

“Okay. Spill.”

He looked up, clearly distracted, his thumb moving in circles on the back of my hand, but he didn’t answer.

“I’m sorry you lost the game.” It was the only thing that I could think of that would be causing him to act so out of character.

He shrugged one shoulder. “It was a good loss; it could have gone either way.”

“Are you feeling okay?” I lifted my free hand to his forehead, but he wasn’t hot. The gesture made him sigh and tip his head back away from my hand.

Blue-green eyes met mine in the little bit of streetlight that filled the car. “Little girl, this next week is gonna be crazy with my family. Not sure how much time I’ll have with you, and right now, I just want to be with you.”

How can a girl argue with that? I smiled, unbuckling and leaning over to kiss him softly. I’d let him off the hook – for now – even though something was bothering him. “Well, when you put it like that…” I gave him another peck before leaning my head onto his shoulder. His arm came up around my back and he pulled me into the middle seat, holding me close.

The air in the truck had just started to get a chill when Neil cleared his throat and pulled back. “We should probably get in there. Before she thinks we stood her up.”

The woman who stood at our approach was not what I had pictured. There was no denying that this was Neil’s big sister – she looked just like him, but she looked so much more grown up than she had in any of the pictures I’d seen. Those photos also lacked the elegance that she had oozing out of her pores. She seemed more New York City upper crust than the country bumpkin I’d pictured.

She threw her arms around me, in a very unexpected but welcoming hug, and then held my hands. “I am so happy that I finally get to meet you!” She smiled from me back to Neil as she let me go and gracefully sank into her seat. “All I hear about, whenever my little baby brother calls, is you. I feel like I’ve known you for years.”

If she thought it was weird that her brother had dropped her off and then disappeared to get me, or that Neil was being eerily quiet and staring at his glass of ice water, she didn’t let on. Instead, she filled the silence with comfortable small talk. After the waitress took our order, Neil excused himself, abandoning us before I could try to stop him.

I felt my eyes grow wide in surprise as he abruptly stood and stalked off toward the bathroom. I turned in my chair, watching him walk away, debating between following him and demanding answers or staying with his sister and trying to pass everything off as all right. Nikki made the choice for me.

“No. It isn’t you.”

I turned back toward the familiar blue eyes that were watching me far too closely.

“That’s what you were wonderin’, isn’t it?” She sipped her iced tea. “And no. He doesn’t usually act like this.” She shrugged as if she was unsure she should say more. “He had an argument with…” She trailed off, eyes darting behind me.

“Your mom.” I finished for her. It made sense; Nikki was only home for a few days and I had stolen both her and Neil for an entire evening. I sighed, looking over my shoulder to see if my date was coming back yet. He wasn’t. “I wish he’d said something. We could have canceled.”

Nikki chuckled. “I thought he was going to take off without me.”

I stared at her for a minute, not sure what to say, but wishing I had something to take Neil’s mind off the fact his mom hated me. Then I remembered his card. Pulling it out of my coat pocket, I slid it onto the table. “This should help,” I said and Nikki arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “It’s his birthday present. With everything going on, I think he forgot what we came out to celebrate.”

Seconds later, a very moody Neil slid into his chair next to me and I put the card in front of him. “Happy early seventeenth, old man.”

He smiled – the first actual one I’d seen all night – and then ripped open the flap. Taking time to actually read the silly verse on the front, he did a double take when he opened the card and tickets fell out. He picked one up, scowling as he read the fine print. Then his head snapped up and he gaped at me.

“Patriots tickets?”

I nodded, smiling. “You said you’d never been to a NFL game.” I shrugged. “I wanted your first to be here.”

He held up the tickets to show his sister. “Three?”

“For you and your parents…”

“Or you, me, and Carson?”

I glanced at his sister out of the corner of my eye before nodding. “Or you, me, and Mike.”

He grinned and leaned over; grabbing my chin with his thumb and finger, he kissed me. “It’s the perfect present, thank you,” he whispered against my lips before pulling back slightly and dropping a quick kiss on my forehead.

The waitress chose that moment to bring out our food, and as Neil leaned back into his own chair, he gave me another lopsided grin. His mood had completely turned around, and the rest of dinner was full of laughter as the two of them entertained me with embarrassing stories from their childhood. We took our time, even ordering coffee and dessert, and spent the next few hours just enjoying each other.

When it was time for us to leave, Nikki pulled me in for a tight hug. “You’re good for him,” she mumbled, almost inaudibly. Pulling away slightly, she met my eyes. “I like her, Nate. Don’t screw this one up.”

Neil stepped into me, his hand finding mine as Nikki stepped away. “I don’t plan to.”

My mom was awake when they dropped me off, and she’d left almost every light in the house on. It was a little nerve-wracking to walk into a house when you knew someone was waiting up for you, as if you’d done something wrong and your parents stayed up only to lecture you. Neil walked me to the door, as usual, but even he mentioned how weird it felt.

“If I look over at the window right now, is your mom’s face gonna be giving me the death glare?”

“What? No!” I leaned back, glancing at the window just to make sure my mom’s face wasn’t pressed against the glass. My overactive imagination kicked in, and I half expected to see a ghostly white face, shivering, even when there was nothing there.

Neil watched, laughing at me, and pulling me into him before backing me against the door. Bracing his hands on either side of my head and leaning into me slightly, he pressed his forehead against mine. “Thank you for the present, Red.” He moved his head, capturing my lips with his, making me forget everything. He groaned and pulled away slowly. “Of all the nights for your mom to be home…”

I could only nod because it would figure that the one night I wanted him to do nothing more than stay with me, my mom would decide to stay home. He bit his lip as his eyes trailed over my face, and then, just before he turned to go, he kissed the tip of my nose. “I’ll call you in the morning.”

I didn’t open the door until he was back in the truck and had started it up. My mom was lying on the couch, watching a movie I didn’t recognize, but she sat up as soon as I backed into the room. “Have fun?”

I nodded, heading straight for my room. She might be home for the first weekend in months, but I wanted nothing more than to sink into bed and pretend Neil’s arms were around me. “Night, Mum.”

“Cecelia Marie!”

I paused mid-step, turning on my toes. “What?”

A single eyebrow rose at my very clear attitude, but I’m not sure which of us was more surprised. Her face remained carefully blank, probably from years of dealing with my dad, as her eyes surveyed my face. They narrowed for just a moment before she offered a small smile. “You’re tired. It’s been a long day. Get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.”

I nodded and retreated into my room.

I woke the next morning to the smell of coffee and the sound of bacon frying. I stumbled from bed, confused; my mom hadn’t made breakfast in years. She wasn’t just cooking, she was humming to herself as she danced around the kitchen. I stood in shock, watching the scene as one would watch a car wreck, definitely confused about what in the hell had happened to my mom.

She only grinned when she looked up and found me watching her. “Mornin’!”

“Good morning?” I poured a cup of coffee and folded myself into the recliner. “You’re in a good mood.”

She only answered with a smile and piled food onto two plates, “Hungry?” Not giving me a chance to answer, she carried them into the living room and set them on the coffee table. Leaning onto her knees, she met my eyes. “Tell me about Neil.”

I frowned at her. “I already told you all about him.”

She shook her head. “No. You told me about the new friend you’d made. Then you told me about the boy that you kinda liked. But I think that you need to tell me whatever it is you haven’t.”

I took a long sip of hot liquid, hoping the caffeine would ooze its way into my blood stream and help me understand what in the hell was going on. “We’re seeing each other.”

“Seeing each other?”

“Yeah. You know, like dating.”

“Dating?”

“Dating. It isn’t that big of a deal, Mom. Most girls my age have a boyfriend.”

“You aren’t most girls. Considering how you feel about teenage relationships, it’s a little shocking. Don’t you think?”

“Neil’s not like most guys, either, Mom. It’s…” I searched for words to try to explain that Neil and I weren’t just two stupid high school kids that only wanted to party and have sex.

“I thought your dad was different, too.”

I groaned in disgust. “Jesus, Mom! Neil isn’t Dad. I’m not you.”

“No. But are you really that different?” She gave me a nasty look. “There was a time when all I wanted to do was escape, and your father was the one boy that I knew could help me do just that.”

I couldn’t believe she, of all people, was comparing herself to me. She’d wanted the happily-ever-after fairy tale, finding a boy that would be her knight in shining armor who would rescue her and carry her far from here, only to work hard and give her the life she’d always wanted. I just wanted to get the hell out; no boy in rescue mode required. Plus, at my age, she was already pregnant.