A Reason (A Reason, Season, Lifetime Series) (10 page)

“
No, I haven’t. He was my friend, I didn’t really see him as a real boyfriend in that way. I don’t know, television and teen magazines? Do they have like kissing courses or something?” I giggle and he tickles me.

“So we’ll just settle on that we fit each other perfectly and the kissing is an awesome added bonus that just works, and works well.” Ryan says.

“Yeah, I guess we just really fit. So what about the drinking?” He laces our fingers together, holding my hand while still looking at me.

“Oh, the drinking story. Again, same guys, same stupid weekend as the condoms. They decide they are bored and Jared knows his neighbor keeps extra beer in his shed so it’s always cold. So he goes out, sneaks next door, because we’re at his house for the night, and he brings back a big case of Bud. They decide we’re going to play drinking games, and about an hour later we’re all puking. It wa
s awful, I won’t do that again anytime soon. Beer tastes like piss.”

“And you’ve drank piss before to compare it to?”

“Ha, ha, no, smart ass. It’s just, gross. Have you ever drank?”

“Um, yeah, all the time. My father is a drunk
, so we have alcohol in just about every room of the house and in the garage. When we go hunting, fishing, or doing yard work he’ll toss me a beer or a wine cooler. I prefer the wine coolers. Bud does taste like piss or something nasty, but the Ice beers aren’t bad, some of them. I’ve had Irish whiskey, and Scotch whisky. Did you know Irish and American whiskey have an e but Scottish whisky doesn’t? Yeah, those Scots have something against the e I guess. I don’t get it. Black Velvet with ginger ale is decent when I have a bad cold, he’s given me that several times, and ginger brandy too, for a cold.”

“Wow, you’re so little. A few sips must have you about drunk.”

“Um, no not really. I’ve been drinking with him since I was pretty young, so I have a decent tolerance I guess, but two beers and I’m feeling it.”

“Favorite music?” Ryan asks me.

“I love a little bit of everything. My father likes oldies like the Beach Boys and that kind of stuff. My mom likes country music, things she can sing to. I love Bon Jovi, obviously, Steve Miller Band, Aerosmith. I have a mix of tastes depending on my mood. If I have time to just relax and veg out, I know this is weird but I like James Taylor and Reba. What about you?”

“I tend to change my music with moods too. A lot of those same bands. You’ll have to go through my music collection in th
e morning I have a lot of music, my mom spoils me, and I have a monthly check since my dad died that gives me a lot of spending money.”

“How does she handle this big house and everything on her own with a government job?”

“Well, Dad left a lot of money behind with his Insurance, and there was also a settlement. His death was a bad accident and, well, financially we don’t have to worry about anything, probably ever.”

“Favorite sports teams?” I ask him, wanting to change the subject.

“Yankees, obviously as you can tell by my room and most everything I own. For football I tend to stick with the Giants and basketball the Knicks. What can I say, I’m a New Yorker through and though.”

“Where did you live before you moved here?”

He rests his head back on his pillows, and lifts his arm so I can lay in his arms. It feels amazingly comfortable, like we were made to fit each other.

“We lived down in the city. I had a good private school I went to, but it was still rough. It was good for dad’s job, but it was rough. Dad wasn’t just a normal cop, he was a special detective and did some dangerous work. His work ended up killing him, but NYPD takes care of their own.
My parents were smart enough to get really great life insurance, so the house is paid for and we’re taken care of. Though I would rather have my dad, I’m glad he was smart enough to take care of us and plan ahead.”

“That is really great that he planned ahead just in case. He obviously loved you both a great deal, and he died a hero. I’m not surprised that your dad was a hero, considering everything you’re doing for me. Is it crazy that just over twelve hours ago you walked in and told me you knew and wanted to help me, I was
dating your best friend and now we’re in bed together, as if we were always meant to be here, together?”

“No, not weird. I think
it’s called fate. We fought it because we didn’t want to hurt a friend, but we eventually found where we needed to be, which is right here. You fit so perfectly in my arms, in my life, what else could it be other than fate?”

I snu
ggle in closer to his chest, putting my ear against his heart, listening to it beat. I kiss near his heart, then lay my head back and close my eyes. “I took a long nap, but I feel so comfortable in your arms, I could sleep again.”

“Then sleep, my puzzle piece. I’m not going anywhere.
It worries me that you’re so tired, so obviously you need the rest.”

“Well, nights when I know he is in a bad mood, I often sleep on the floor in front of my bedroom door. I can hear what they are saying the best that way and I would keep him from storming in our room and catching us off guard, which he did once. He came in one night, grabbed Eva by her hair and dragged her out in the hall. I don’t even remember what set him off that time, but I don’t want that to happen to her again.”

“I wish you never had to go home. You’re seventeen, both of you, can’t you leave and be emancipated or something?”

“Probably, but then that leaves my mom to get beat on. I’ll leave when she does. When I know she’s out safe too.”

Ryan kisses the top of my head and wraps his arms around my tighter. “Then I guess that’s what we have to work on. Getting you all out at one time. Sleep now, I’ll hold you all night, your mom is safe in the hospital, Eva is safe here. You don’t have anything to worry about tonight.”

“But I like hearing you talk. We’ve wasted a lot of time being stupid, I don’t want to stop talking yet.”

“Then you relax and I’ll talk. How about I tell you some of my favorite memories of you since I’ve known you?”

“I don’t know if I want to hear about myself.” I reply, very sleepy sounding.

“Well I already talked about the first time I saw you and hoped you weren’t Danny’s. What about the first time you came to one of my wrestling matches? You were there for Danny and the guys too, but wow I almost lost that match because I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and trying to catch a glimpse of you. You were wearing this light pink fuzzy sweater, you looked so soft, so beautiful. You have no idea the effect you have on me. I swear half of the guys there were staring at you in those little tight jeans and that sweater. You would stand up to cheer or move just the right way and the sweater would lift and give a tease of your skin. I thought I was going to have to call the match so I didn’t embarrass myself in my stupid tight outfit.”

We both laugh, though mine is a quiet chuckle with my eyes closed.

“When I won and you were able to get to me, when you gave me a hug and my hands touched your bare back, your soft skin, it was heaven. I could smell your shampoo and a light scent of some sort of body spray, it was torture. I didn’t want to let go, but you were with Danny.”

“Love Spell.” I answer.

“What?”

“I was wearing Love Spell. It’s by Victoria Secret, in a purple bottle. That’s what I was wearing for a body spray that day. It was my favorite. I got it once when I went shopping with the girls at a big mall about an hour from here. I accidentally dumped it one day, that’s why I don’t wear it any more. It’s too fa
r for me to be able to get more, but I really love it.”

“Love Spell, huh? Yeah that sounds about right. You put a love spell on me. Is it okay that I don’t mind much?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Sleep now, Emma.”

~Chapter 3~

“What the fuck? You dump me yesterday in front of the whole school and now you’re in bed with my best friend? I didn’t know you were a fucking whore, Emma. You barely even kissed me.”

I open my eyes and I’m still in Ryan’s arms, which are now pushing me to the side so he can get up. “Ryan, don’t fight with him.”

I try to hold onto Ryan and talk to Danny.
“We just slept. In case you forgot, I had a really bad day yesterday. I was tired, but I have had a hard time sleeping lately because of my nightmare of a father. Ryan made me feel safe so I could sleep. Nothing happened. And how the fuck did you get in here?”

“The front door, like he always does. I don’t usually lock it, but he also knows where the extra key is. Get the fuck out of my room, Danny. And if you say another word about her like that again, you’ll be swallowing your teeth. We both know she isn’t like that.”

“We broke up yesterday and you two are in bed together! How is she not like that? I can fucking see!” Danny yells, his face red with anger.

“You know you two weren’t a real couple. You were friends and you pushed for more. She loved you enough as a best friend to not want to hurt you by telling you no.”
Ryan tells Danny.

“Boys, what is going on? Oh, good morning, Emma. I hope you slept well, sweetie?”

Great, Ryan’s mom. And of course Grant is now behind her. “Good morning, Eva.” I yell to her.

“Hi, sis. I can’t see past Grant. I take it you slept in that waterbed again?”

“Again? Fucking again?” Danny yells.

“Danny, honey, let’s go have some pancakes and we’ll talk. She fell asleep after hurting her legs during practice yesterday. She walked in the house and crashed on the first bed she saw. I am sure all they did last night was sleep. We can talk this out. I have extra chocolate chips, how about I make you your favorite pancakes and we all just talk this out?”

“No thanks, Ma. I’m not eating breakfast with a whore.”

Shit, that was stupid. I can’t hold on to Ryan, he’s off the bed so fast. Grant moves Ryan’s mom and puts himself in front of Ryan’s mom and Eva. Ryan reaches Danny and they both are on the floor in seconds, fighting each other. They are both yelling at each other and hitting, and I just lose it. I’ve had enough hitting for one lifetime. I start crying and Grant is suddenly pulling the guys apart. Ryan’s mom comes over to me on the bed to hold me while I cry, and Eva is right behind her.

“You two fucking idiots are making her cry! All she needs right now is help, to be protected. If you can’t turn the hormones off long enough to do that, then both of you can back the hell off! Danny, look at her. She’s completely dressed and I think we both know she isn’t that girl. She wouldn’t jump into bed with Ryan this fast, no matter how much he’s in love with her. She isn’t that girl, and it’s too soon. Go home, and shake it off. She needs her best friend right now, not another controlling asshole.” Grant has Danny by the back of his jacket and shoves him towards the door. “Ryan, grab some clothes and take a shower. Give us all some time.”

“But, I don’t just want to leave, she’s crying.”

“She’s crying because instead of holding onto her and telling him to leave, you jumped past her and started beating on him. Don’t you think these girls have enough hitting in their lives? You hormonal idiots. Go take a shower, we’ll clean up your mess. Danny if I catch you back in this house this weekend, and I’m staying the whole weekend, I will take you outside, far enough away from these girls and beat your ass myself, and then tell your mother what you did.”

“Are you okay, sweetheart? Ignore the boys for a moment. Let Grant smack their heads together. No more tears, you are perfectly safe here. Look at me now.” Ryan’s mom says to me.

I look up at her and she wipes my tears from my cheeks. “I know my son well enough to know he just wanted to let you sleep and feel safe, I don’t even need to ask what happened last night. Boys overreact and the testosterone goes to their head, making them act like animals sometimes. No one is going to hurt you here. Do you want a shower first or do you want to come to the kitchen with me and get messy making a bunch of amazing pancakes?”

“P
ancakes do sound really good, Ms. Wow I can’t even remember what your last name is.” I say through sniffles while trying to stop crying.

“Call me Ma, everyone does, and I have a feeling we’ll be quite close. Let’s go down to the kitchen while the guys shower. Bacon or sausage boys?”

Grant yells for bacon from his room, I hear the door slam from Danny leaving, and Ryan yells sausage from the bathroom.

“Okay, both then. The joys of having more kids in the house. I love it when Ryan has company. Come girls, I will show you how to make the best pancakes ever.” Ma grabs our hands and we follow her downstairs. We get to the kitchen and I sit at the table. Eva sits next to me
and brushes my hair, while Ma starts getting everything out on the island.

“So, you’re wearing his clothes and you slept in his room. You two are finally together. It’s about time is all I have to say.” Eva says.

“You knew and you never said anything? Why is it everyone seemed to know but me?”

“Oh honey, everyone knew because you two could never stop staring at each other, but you both fought it so hard. I think no one wanted to hurt Danny and we all just figured it would come out eventually. Danny wasn’t the guy for you. You didn’t love him like that. It’
s a small town and we have limited television stations, watching you guys struggle was kind of our own soap opera.”

“Thanks, Eva. Well at least I’m not the whore Danny says I am. Then it would be our own episode of Jerry freaking Springer.”

We all laugh at that. “Okay ladies. I prefer Jiffy for my pancakes. Do we want chocolate chips or anything in them?”

“Um, we made chocolate chip cookies to go with our movie last night, I don’t know if you have any left, Ma.” I answer her.

She kisses my cheek and gives me a little hug. “I love that you just fit right in. Okay then, plain pancakes with apple butter syrup. I have bacon from the smokehouse so let’s pop them and the sausage in the oven. Eva, you triple that recipe on the Jiffy box, we’re feeding growing guys here. Emma, you grab me some foil from that little mini cupboard right there next to the stove and line two cookie sheets for me while I get the meat ready.”

We all work together to get the food started. When it’s time to make the pancakes she shows us that she
uses a small frying pan and fills the bottom with pancake mix. It makes one big fluffy pancake with crisp edges.

“You have no idea how bad I want to eat an edge.” I tell her and laugh.

“Well, the cook can taste test everything, it’s one of the perks. That one looks ready to flip now, sweetheart.”

I flip the pancake and Ryan walks in. I turn to look at him and he’s already staring at me. “Ouch, crap!”

I burned the side of my hand on the frying pan when I was staring at him. “Oh, the fireworks with you two! Come on, dear, you run your hand here under cold water. Ryan, make yourself useful and flip the pancakes. Oh, who am I talking to? You can’t flip without breaking them and making a mess. You help her with her hand so I can cook please.”

Ryan walks over to stand next to me at the sink. “You um, forgot something in my bathroom. Tweety.”

I feel myself blush and realize I’m not wearing a bra, it’s hanging up in his bathroom. Oh, how embarrassing. I’m a c cup no less, so it’s probably noticeable, though his really big t-shirt may help, a little.

“I brought you a sweatshirt I thought you might be cold.” He has a Syracuse Orangemen hoodie over his arm.

“Okay, the burn isn’t too bad. I’ll dry my hands and put it on now. Thanks.”

He puts a hand on my face and looks into my eyes. “I’m really sorry.
I was just so happy to be with you, and know you were safe, that I didn’t think ahead of time that there was a possibility he could walk in and see us. I will talk to him later, with Grant, to make sure he doesn’t tell anyone else. I don’t want the whole town thinking you jumped into my bed.”

“Wow, most guys would love for people t
o think that. I’m a lucky girl to have you.” I kiss him lightly and put the shirt on, then he pulls me back to kiss me more.

“Oh, to be young and in love. Aren’t you two adorable? Alright let’s start eating before the pancakes get cold. Ryan
, grab a mitt and get the meat out of the oven please. Grant, darling, can you get out the plates right there in that cupboard, please? Eva sweetheart, grab the juice from the refrigerator. Apple and orange.  Oh, how I love having a house full.”

We all sit down to eat, and this is the best pancake ever. The apple butter syrup may be my new favorite thing. Living here in small town New York, we are all about apples. We have a huge apple picking orchard not far from our school.

“So what’s on the agenda today?” Ma asks.

“Some basic blocking and self-defense restraints I think? They should know how to defend before they know how to fight.”

“We have a basketball match to cheer for tonight. I totally forgot about it. We didn’t have Emma hurt her ankle yet, so we’ll need to try to do that today to get the plan in action. Maybe have her fake a fall tonight at the game, to give her more training time?” Eva says.

“Yeah, the sooner the better. I need to memorize all of those lines of Romeo and Juliet, learn to fight and defend, take some time to relax my sore muscles, keep my grades up for nursing school and spend time with my new boyfriend. I’m going to be really busy.”

“Especially with your make-out sessions.” Grant says with a chuckle.

“Oh yes, what was all that about virginity and my school bus magnet last night?
” Ma asks. I end up with apple juice coming out of my nose when I choke.

“I have a vent that is over in that corner near the fridge that is also in my bedroom. I can hear louder conversations from the kitchen. Good thing I trust my son to be a gentleman with our house guests. Though I am truly happy you two have finally gotten together, he’s been crushing over you for m
onths, I do hope my kitchen does not become the um, place for that to happen. I do rather enjoy cooking. Keep it in your bedroom and keep it safe. I will thoroughly enjoy my grandkids someday, but I am not in a hurry.”

“Oh God, she’s talking Grandkids. You’re going to make her run away screaming, Ma.” Ryan says with a roll of his eyes.

“No way. I’m not going anywhere. We’re not in a hurry either, Ma. When we’re ready, we’ll be careful. Someday. Don’t worry, Ryan has condoms in his bathroom. The guys made him buy some once.”

It’s
Ryan’s turn to choke, and the rest of us laugh. “I never did like that Danny much. He just seems nice one minute and too quiet the next. And yes, I know dear. I clean his bathroom, so of course I knew. I appreciate the fact that they haven’t been opened yet.” Ma says.

We are all laughing and finishing breakfast. “I really love being here. We have never had a family meal like this. We’re not allowed to talk at the table at home. This is really nice.”

“Ma, I
really was just talking to her last night. We really did just talk until she started snoring in my ear.” I pinch his thigh and he jumps. “Ouch! You brute, that’s going to leave a bruise!”

“Good thing it isn’t shorts season.” I say with a big toothy smile.

“Oh, you two make me miss my husband so much. Being so playful and the best of friends, you’ll be happy a long while. I take it that was a pinch to the inner thigh? Yeah, soft skin there.” Ma says with a laugh. “So, Emma, you’re going to nursing school here locally? What about you, Eva?”

“Well I’m between teaching and nursing. I really love to read, and I’m loving my early childhood courses.
” Eva answers.

“You can take that at the local college as well now. We should talk about taking this to a state level. We can bypass the local police and get the state police involved. I know several of them. Your mom is already out and safe. We can try to do this now and quickly, so you never have to go back, or we wait and catch him next time, though I hate the thought of you going back there.”
Ma says.

“My mom has family that ask us all of the time to come and live with them. But this is senior year, I hate to move schools senior year.” Ryan squeezes my hand tightly, and we look at each other. We finally get together and now I
may have to leave?

“Well, you know we have more than enough space here, and looking at the two of you, I know you don’t want to separate. The problem with that is you will be close to your father, so we need to make sure he does jail time to keep you safe here. Let’s make some calls. One, to your mother, or we can go see her, and the second to a few state police friends and see who is working today. We’ll get you through this
sweethearts. I promise you, I will do everything I can to make sure you are never hurt again.”

I look at Eva
, I can feel her emotions since we’re twins, so I already know what she wants. We both nod our heads at each other in agreement. We’re going to get showered and dressed. Can you see if your friend can meet us at the hospital?” I ask Ma.

“Absolutely, sweetheart. Go ahead and get ready while I make the calls. The boys can clean up the kitchen.”