He shook his head. “You must never ask how much the guy spent on your date…and this is a real date, cherie. So you can’t ask me how much the bill was, either.”
We stood up from our seats and he led me toward the exit.
“It was a lovely dinner, Travis,” I said to him. “But shouldn’t a normal teenage date usually involve going to the movies or something? Because I will be dating normal guys. And you’re not really in that range, Travis.” I stared up at him, my eyes laughing.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Who said I wasn’t planning on taking you to the movies?”
He drove to The One Hotel, which is one of the high-end hotels and shopping destinations in the city. He led me toward the back and we reached the entrance to a stadium.
He handed two tickets at the entrance, which meant that he’d already purchased them beforehand.
“Are we going to watch a game?” I asked him. “I thought you said you were going to take me to the movies.”
“The purpose of first dates is usually to find something in common,” he replied instead. “Now, I know that neither you or I have patience as one of our virtues.”
I rolled my eyes.
“And refrain from rolling your eyes so much. It will intimidate the guy. Unless you’re not aiming for a second date,” he said.
I sighed. I didn’t ask questions anymore. Travis would not answer any of them. He was taking this educational date seriously. Maybe I should, too, I thought. This is for me anyway.
It did look like we were going to a movie theater. Travis opened a door and motioned for me to go in first. But when I stepped in, I was surprised to find that I had stepped outside into an open area. There were knee-high tables with candles in the center and beanbags on each side of them with a large projector screen in the middle. It was like a restaurant, but instead of chairs, you had comfortable beanbags to sit on.
“I told you I was going to take you to the movies,” he whispered into my ear. I could feel his breath against my neck, and I actually shivered.
“Movies Under the Stars,” I breathed. I had heard about this, but not many of the kids my age actually went. Not many of us could actually afford it.
We were led to our table. I found the beanbags were more comfortable than they looked. It was very relaxing. A waiter approached us to take our orders.
“I’m still full,” I said.
“A soda? Nuts? Popcorn?” Travis asked.
I smiled. “Pepsi and nuts will do.”
“Macadamia nuts and two diet Pepsis,” he told the waiter.
We waited for the movie to start.
“This is really nice,” I said to him.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “Enjoying your date so far?”
I nodded. “Although, if it wasn’t you, I might feel intimidated.”
The waiter served our orders and told us to press the button on the table if we needed more services.
“Why?” Travis asked after the waiter was gone.
I shrugged. “This is all too…surreal.”
He gave me a crooked smile. “Then it’s exactly how your first date is supposed to be,” he whispered.
The lights dimmed suddenly, marking the start of the movie.
“What are we watching?” I asked him in a whisper.
He stared at me mischievously and said, “Ssshhh…”
It took me a moment to realize what movie is going to be shown.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw Drew Barrymore’s name on the screen.
“Ever After,” I whispered and I bit my lip to keep from crying. Because this gesture was far too touching. And it was the very last thing I expected from Travis Cross.
We watched the movie in silence. Even though I almost had every scene memorized, watching it under the full moon and stars only made it so much better for me. It was perfect!
“Do you like it?” he asked.
I stared up at him and nodded. “Yes.” I reached out for his hand across the table and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you, Travis.”
He nodded and turned his hand over to intertwine our fingers. Then he looked back at the screen. I smiled to myself. This was the first time I’d held hands with a guy. Travis may have been the guy I hated the most, but now I thought we were in a much better place than we had been in before. Because now he was the guy I knew would always mean well for me. And now, on my sixteenth birthday, he was the only family I had to celebrate with.
Travis was still holding my hand when he led me toward the exit. I didn’t feel self-conscious. Instead, I felt comfortable and safe…assured that an ally was within reach.
I looked at our intertwined fingers. “So I guess it’s okay to hold hands with my date.”
“I leave that up to you,” he said. “Although, next time, let him initiate the act.”
I looked back at him. I realized I was the one who’d reached out for his hand. Immediately, I started to withdraw my hand from his.
He laughed, tightening his grip on my fingers and preventing me from letting go of his hand. “I know, cherie,” he said. “Your initial intention for touching my hand was to thank me.”
I glared at him. And I made a serious effort to withdraw my hand from his. Finally, he let go. But then he put an arm around my shoulder. “Now, I initiated this. Happy?” he asked, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
I did feel better.
He chuckled. “Your temper is cute,” he said, and then he kissed the top of my head.
He didn’t release me until we got to his car. Before he opened the door for me, he said, “I seriously hope Tom didn’t intend to give you a lesson on kissing, too. Because one, that would be very weird. And two, I’m not up to give you that lesson.”
I raised a brow at him. “No. Because one, my brother and I weren’t perverts. And two, I wouldn’t ask you for that lesson even if you were up for it.”
He chuckled. “Then it’s good we got the air cleared.”
He drove me home. It was ten minutes to midnight; he pointed at the digital clock on his dashboard. “Your parents may not always be around, but I hope you remember that twelve o’clock is your curfew.”
“And who set that?”
He shrugged. “For the time being, me, your designated guardian.”
“You’re the same age as I am!” I protested.
“I’ll be seventeen in a couple of months. I’m almost a year older than you,” he argued.
I grunted in my seat.
He took something out of his pocket. “Happy birthday, cherie,” he said, handing me a box with a ribbon tied around it.
“What’s this?”
“Looks like a birthday gift to me,” he said.
I raised my brow at him, and then untied the ribbon and opened the box. My mouth dropped when I saw the gleaming necklace with a large heart-shaped purplish-red pendant. The pendant was surrounded by clear diamonds.
“Wow,” I breathed. “This is beautiful. What stone is this?”
“Alexandrite,” he replied. “You’ll probably prefer its color in daylight. It will turn emerald green.”
I blinked back at him. “But…Travis, this is rare.”
He shrugged.
“You shouldn’t have!” I said. “You didn’t care about my birthdays before!” That was true. In the past, Travis didn’t even wish me happy birthday. Not even after I blew out the candles on my cake. And now, he was making everything perfect!
“Maybe the necklace is for all the other years I didn’t wish you happy birthday,” he said quietly. “Back then, I didn’t have access to my own money. And I didn’t want to spend my father’s money on you or your family.”
“You have money that didn’t come from your parents?”
“Yes. My grandparents from my mother’s side named me their heir,” he replied. “Maybe Grandpa knew I would not sit well with my father’s ways and decided to treat me like an adult three years earlier.”
“Well, your Grandparents
must have loved you.”
“Love died in my life the moment they did,” he said sadly.
I reached out to touch him in the cheek. “Hey…we were here.”
He looked up at me. “Tom was. But not anymore.”
“I’m still here,” I said.
He smiled ruefully and nodded. “Yes, cherie. You’re still here.”
I looked at my necklace again. “This is beautiful,” I said to him. “And so is everything else. Thank you for making this birthday count, Travis.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome. And I promise, I’ll make all your birthdays count from now on.”
And that promise warmed my heart for the first time in many months after Tom passed…
Chapter Four
“How could I have my period now?” Cindy groaned as she dragged me along with her into a supermarket close to the beach.
We were headed toward a beach party that afternoon. I was a junior and dating a guy named Liam. He was the latest football star and had a strong chance of being captain when he turned senior.
“It’s only your first day. It won’t be that strong, so don’t freak about it,” I told her. “But let’s go buy your tampons.”
I was heading for the feminine hygiene section when Cindy stopped me.
“Don’t be in such a hurry!” she hissed. “Be discreet! I don’t want people to know I am having my period underneath my string bikini!”
I laughed. “Then I’ll buy them for you. I only care about what Liam will say anyway. And I can always tell him the real story. He won’t tell on you.”
“But still…let’s pretend we’re looking at some other stuff,” she said. She took me to the chocolate section and I took a bag of M&M’s. “You’re not seriously going to eat that, are you?” she asked.
“Why not?”
“Okay, that is just unfair! How could you manage to be so slim and yet attack chocolates and desserts?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. It could be the emotional stress. I live alone, remember?”
“Anyway, how are you getting home tonight?” she asked. “I might go somewhere else with Ben.”
“I’m sure Liam can give me a lift home,” I replied.
“Nice to have steady boyfriends!” she giggled.
Finally, we went to the section where all sorts of feminine stuff were located. There was a couple there making out in front of the pregnancy kits. It took me a moment to realize that they were familiar to me.
“Liam?” I asked in disbelief.
They stopped kissing and looked up at me. Liam blinked back, and then he shoved the girl away from him.
“Ahh…Brianne…this…isn’t what you think?”
“Oh, really!” I rolled my eyes.
“It was a spur of the moment—I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
“Oh, come on!” the girl behind him complained. She looked at me apologetically. “Don’t believe him! We’ve been fooling around behind your back since last week!” She looked back at Liam. “Spur of the moment? You slept in my bed last night!” Then she gave him a push in the shoulder.
Liam looked at her. “Look, can we sort this out later? I need to talk to Brianne in private.”
“So you can fill my head with more lies?” I asked sarcastically. I looked at the girl, whom I recognized as one of the cheerleaders. “He and I are over. Although, I suggest you don’t stick around with a guy who denies you in front of people. You’re too pretty for that.” I turned to grab a box of tampons next to me, and then turned to Cindy. “Let’s go.”
But Liam wouldn’t let it go. He ran after me, yanking me by the forearm. His grip was so strong I actually got hurt.
“I bruise easily, Liam!” I told him coldly, looking at his tight grip on my forearm. “And if you leave a mark on me, there’s one person who will not be happy about it!” I looked at him haughtily. “And he would hunt you down and turn you black and blue!”
He took a step back and released my arm. “I…thought you weren’t seeing anyone but me.”
“I wasn’t. But looks like you were! Now leave me alone!” And I turned on my heel with Cindy.
She ran to the counter to pay for her tampons quickly, not caring anymore who would see her with them.
Then we rushed out of the supermarket and hopped inside her brother’s car.
“Whoa! What happened with you two?” Cindy’s brother asked as he backed out of the parking space.
“Do you want to go home?” Cindy asked. “Because I’m cool. I’m worried about you.”
I shook my head. “No. I won’t spoil your fun.” I looked back at her. “I’m upset because he was cheating on me. Not because I was head-over-heels in love with him and I’m heartbroken right now.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I don’t want Ben to be disappointed when you don’t show up or if you show up late. I’ll be fine.”
Back at the party, I tried to mingle with the others, tried my best not to bother Cindy and Ben that much, although they were clearly sympathetic with me.
I giggled. “I’m okay, guys. I’m just pissed. But I’m fine.”
By the end of the afternoon, I wasn’t sure I was fine anymore. News had probably spread around already, and Liam came with the same girl he was making out with. They continued making out in plain view now. I could tell some people were looking at me and whispering behind my back. In the end, the curious looks on their faces were bothering me more than the sight of Liam and that girl making out, which made me want to vomit.
Apart from Liam’s cheating escapade, I was worrying about how I would get home. I couldn’t bother Cindy and Ben. I knew they wanted to enjoy the party. They’d been talking about it all week. Cindy’s brother dropped us off and headed off somewhere else. Most of the other girls in attendance either had boyfriends or were flirting with some boys. Originally, I had planned to catch a ride with Liam because I knew Cindy and Ben had other plans later. Now, it was either I impose on them or go by foot and by myself. Both options were less than enticing.
I sat on a bench in a secluded area and watched the sunset.
I’m not going to cry! I told myself. If I do, people might know it’s because of Liam, and he’s not worth any teardrops at all.
I fished my cell phone from my beach bag.
Please don’t be in Paris! Please don’t be in Paris! I silently prayed as I dialed a number.
“Cherie,” he answered after two rings.
“Travis!” I was glad to hear his voice. “God, I hope you’re in town.”
“Why?” he asked.
I sighed. “Because I need a ride home.”
“What happened to your boyfriend? Lost his wheels?” he asked. That was not very encouraging. He knew I was dating Liam. I could tell he didn’t like him.
“He…lost me, actually,” I replied.
Travis didn’t answer. But I could tell he was waiting for me to tell him more.
“I caught him…making out with some girl on my way to the beach party.”
“Stay where you are,” he said in low, quiet voice. And then, before I knew it, he had already hung up.
What does he mean stay where I am? Is he coming to get me? And I silently prayed he would.
I went back to the beach. It was dark already. The party organizers had lighted torches around the area and the smell of barbeque was everywhere, reminding me that I had not eaten anything since the morning. Some couples were dancing, including Cindy and Ben. My eyes drifted to one secluded corner and found Liam staring at me, with his other girl in his arms. The moment he caught my eye and saw me looking at him, he tightened his grip on her and nuzzled her neck.
“Was that for your benefit?” I heard somebody ask behind me.
I spun around and found Travis behind me, staring at Liam murderously.
I sighed. “I guess.” I looked up at Travis. He was wearing a pair of black and red board shorts, a white shirt, and a cap over his head.
Slow music
played. I felt him touch my waist and I looked up at him. “Dance with me,” he whispered.
I smiled at him, tears starting to well up in my eyes.
“Don’t,” he whispered softly. “Not here, cherie. I will give you time to cry all you want later. When we’re alone. But for now, you need to show everybody that you are delighted to be in my arms, instead of his.”
I giggled humorlessly. I gave him a hug. “Travis…” I whispered. “Believe it or not, I am crying because I am delighted to be in your arms. Not his.”
He hugged me to him and we swayed to the music silently. I didn’t care anymore if Liam was still devouring that girl. I was really happy to let some of my defenses down and lean on Travis. Here with him, I could be weak for a little while. Because I knew he would always be strong for me.
He caressed my forearm, and I flinched at the little pressure he gave. I realized Liam’s grip was too hard and rough. I did bruise a little.
I heard Travis’s harsh intake of breath. I pulled away so I could look back at him.
“What’s wrong?”
He closed his eyes for a while. He was turning a little red and I could tell he was trying to control his temper.
“Travis…” I whispered.
When he opened his eyes again, I could see that he was furious.
“He did this to you, didn’t he?” he asked.
“What?”
“Your arm,” he replied.
I bit my lip. I couldn’t lie to Travis. He was good at reading my expressions. He narrowed his eyes and then he looked around, scanning the area for Liam.
“Travis…please,” I whispered. “I don’t want trouble here.”
He looked back at me again. “He hurt you. There’s not much I can do for the emotional pain, but…I can’t let the physical one pass!” he said, his anger seething between his teeth.
“Travis…” I pleaded. “I bruise easily. He just grabbed my arm.”
“Too roughly?”
“I don’t want trouble here,” I said in a desperate tone.
When Travis realized this, his expression softened a little. “Ssshhh…” he said. He pulled me to him and gave me a hug. I heard him sigh. “Okay, cherie. As you wish. Not here.”