Impossibly Forever: Two Books in One (Impossibly Duology) (8 page)

  
Momma got up, tightened her head wrap and made sure her long curls were all
tucked in. “I’m tired, baby. I’m going to bed.”

  
“You’re not going to finish watching the show?” I asked, giving her a quizzical
look.

  
Momma lowered and kissed me on the forehead. “I’ve already seen the episode.”
She stroked my cheek then headed out of the room.

  
I watched her turn down the hall somewhat in a hurried manner. Her body seemed
burdened. It could be she was only tired from years of working so hard—Lord
knows Momma worked hard. But something was off. Like, she was keeping secrets,
from me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Branden

  
After dinner on Sunday
, Ashton and I decided to shoot hoops out back,
especially since Mom had to run out to the store and wouldn’t be there to stop
us.

  
Ashton was the more skilled player, anyway. He could dribble much better than
me and even dunk!

  
“So, who was that girl, really? It was, ah, Moya, right?” he asked. It would be
a matter of time before they’d start asking about her.

  
“A friend.”
I left it at that as he prevented me from
passing him with the ball.

  
Eventually, he got it from my hands.

  
“Sure, little brother. That’s what you said last night. I get the feeling
there’s something else between you two, though.” He could read me like a book.

  
I stopped to take a breath, sitting on the bench at the side of the court. “I
know, but, I can’t. I can’t do that to her.”

  
Ashton bounced the ball while waiting for me to recover and I thought back to
last night, seeing Moya. I noticed the look in her eyes when she hurried over
to stop me from leaving. Moya liked me. She definitely did, and was probably
going to say it last night. Would she still want to be with me if she found out
my secret?

  
I shot to my feet and began to hassle Ashton for the ball to change the topic.

  
A loud shriek drew us to a halt. “What are you two doing? Ashton, you know he’s
not supposed to get this worked up.”

  
Mom rushed over toward us.

  
“Hey, Mom,” Ashton said, a sincerity in his tone that belied his light grin. He
bounced the ball against the ground, the loud sound drawing her worried gaze
from me and pinning it on him. “Come on. Ease up a little,” he added. “I’m not
going to push him too hard. It’s just a little fun.”

  
She shook her head and took the ball out his hands. “Branden can’t run around
playing sports the way you do, Ashton. That’s why he gave up hockey, remember?”
she scowled.

  
I held my hands up as I reminded her, “Branden’s standing right here, okay.” I
didn’t stop there. Her behavior had been driving me up the wall. “You know,
Mom, I can speak for myself and say when I’m tired, when I’m hungry, and when
I’m sick, all right. So stop treating me like I’m ten.”

  
“Are you finished?” Dad yelled out at me, aggressively closing the sliding
doors to the kitchen as he marched over to the basketball court. “Because let
me tell you something, Branden, I’m sick of all that’s going on, too. You’re
not the only one going through it. This damn atmosphere is suffocating me—”

  
“Oh stop,” Mom snapped. Her pitch heightened as she scolded Dad, still
clutching the ball. “What do you mean ‘not the only one going through it’?” She
widened her eyes with amazement as she asked, “What are you going through?
You’re not at any of the hospital sessions or sitting in the room as they
examine him over and over and take blood after blood. Then they prescribe all
these damn drugs that have no effect on his illness except make it worse. So
please, spare us this sudden need to express how you feel, Scott, because,
frankly, I don’t think you even have the right to say anything.”

  
Ashton grabbed the ball out her hands and tossed it to the side angrily. “Stop
it!” he blurted out, his words punctuated by sharp breaths as he looked between
Mom and Dad. “This is about Branden, not you two.” The ball bounced a few more
times as momentum carried it to the grass, the sound like thunder amid the
tense silence.

  
Helplessness flashed behind his eyes. Ashton’s shoulders rolled back in an
absent shrug. His voice fell to a soft whisper I had to strain to hear. “Think
about Branden for a change.”

  
Silence filled the air.

  
Mom lowered her eyes and released soft sobs. “It’s all so tiring,” she said, a
faint smile on her lips that did nothing to erase the concern in her eyes.
“It’s a little easy sometimes to get so caught up in the exhaustion that,” she
paused, looking towards Dad with a warning glance that she seemed to think I
wouldn’t recognize, “your father and I have said a few things we didn’t mean.”

  
I staggered back, feeling tired of their ongoing fights. “Well, don’t worry
then. Soon you won’t have to deal with me at all.”

  
All three glanced at me in sync with a grim look on their faces. I didn’t mean
to say that out loud. But I couldn’t stop the words from coming.

  
“Bran,” Dad shook his head, and Mom sobbed even more. She reached for my arm. I
moved out of her grasp, walking quickly into the house and without retracting
my words.

***

Later
that night, I heard a light rap on my room door as I lay exhausted in bed. I
hadn’t eaten dinner so Mom snapped into worry mode, especially after I threw a
fit earlier.

  
“Honey,” she called. “Can I come in?”

  
I nearly told her to go away, deciding against it after remembering what my
grandfather used to say when I was little. That some kids had none at all, so I
should always appreciate and respect my parents.

  
Getting up, I sat on the side of the bed and rubbed my bare feet against the
carpet. “Come in,” I replied.

  
Mom snuck her head halfway and reassured me with her earnest smile. She wasn’t
mad at me.

  
Stepping in further, she placed a plate of pasta on top of my end table and sat
down beside me. “You really should get something in your stomach, honey. You
barely had anything all day.”

  
I didn’t say a word. Nor did I look at her.

  
Mom cupped my hands into hers and continued, “I wasn’t blaming you for our
problems, Branden. That wasn’t my intention. I guess we’re all mad at the
situation and each other for not being able to do more for you.”

  
I looked at her then. “I’m sorry I said that. I know it’s not only me. It
affects you guys as well.”

  
She tipped her head and raised her hand to brush my cheek. “It’ll be all right,
honey. You’ll see.”

  
I doubted those words.

  
Dropping my gaze, I glanced over at the plate of pasta. “Mmm…smells good.” It
was my favorite.

  
Mom got up and walked over to the end table, picking up the plate. “You don’t
have to finish it. But it’ll make me worry less if you eat some.”

  
Reaching over, I took the plate from her hands, wrapping the fork around a
chunk right after.

  
Mom sighed in relief and turned to walk out of the room. Before leaving, she
swiveled with an afterthought, “Branden, who was that girl last night, really?”

  
I swallowed what I had in my mouth and answered, “A friend. I told you.”

  
She squinted with suspicion, brushing her long hair from the side of her face.
“Yes,” she said, questionably. “You’ve said that.” A coy smile appeared
briefly.

  
I went back to eating but Mom still had something to add. “She seems like a
nice girl.”

  
Not waiting for my reaction, she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

  
Was that a sign of her approval of Moya?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Moya

  
By Monday
, I was relentlessly searching every face that I past in hopes
of catching sight of Branden. I really wanted to see him to clarify my
complicated feelings. It was a decision I made after tossing and turning in bed
the night before.

  
Towards the end of the day, I concluded my best bet would be the library.
Scanning the area, from lounges to passages and between shelves, Branden was
out of sight.  There was only one other place left to look.

  
I walked down the path that ended out by Severn River, my heart racing the
closer I got. There, sitting on the grass watching the stillness of the water
as the evening sun created dazzling effects, was Branden as I’d predicted.

  
I stopped midstride as he turned and absorbed my features, a questioning look
developed in his eyes. “Moya…?”

  
He jumped to his feet as I approached.

  
“I never thought it was possible, I just…I thought if I stayed focus on
studying then I’d never get trapped into anything. But I can’t seem to stop
myself from wanting to be around you.” My voice came out rasped and completely
pure. Not to mention my heart was pounding inside my chest.

  
I leaned from one foot to the other, waiting for his reaction and nothing at
all, peering unabashedly into his captivating blue eyes. I had no problem with
the silence around us. Like he’d said when we sat on the bench in that little
park in downtown Berlin Heights, silence between us was indeed comforting.

  
Branden reached his hand out for mine, and without any resistance I slid my
fingers slowly into his palm. It felt strong, safe. Energy streamed through my
veins, sending jitters even down to my toes.

  
He guided me gently down on the grass. We sat close enough that our arms
brushed against each other. “I can’t stop thinking about you, either,” he
finally muttered.

  
I turned and glanced at Branden as he placed his hand on top of mine, squeezing
lightly. Branden gazed with affection back at me and I breathed heavily as
nervousness struck my whole body.

  
Steering away from his hypnotizing eyes, I directed my attention on the setting
sun instead, watching as orange-red colors painted the darkening blue sky,
bringing forth the soundless, peaceful night.

  
We sat in silence for seconds, minutes, hours, even, as the night got darker
and darker and there was nothing else to look at. The fireflies had left, and
the water was too black to pretend to observe. Then, suddenly, I found myself
leaning on Branden’s arm, resting my head comfortably on him.

  
He eased away slightly to wrap his strong arms around my body, pulling me in
closer. I’d never felt more safe than I did in that moment. Branden lowered
himself on the grass, and I relaxed further on his chest as he clutched me in
his arms.

  
No words spoken to interrupt, no excuses made to run away.

  
I closed my eyes and began to devour his intoxicating scent. I pressed my hand
against his heaving chest and listened to the melodious beating of his heart.

  
It was like a fight to keep at bay the rising feelings within my stomach—the
desire for Branden to gently place me beneath him, hover on top and stare
yearningly into my eyes. Then he would plant his soft lips on mine and take
what I’d been saving for so long: my first kiss.

  
Nothing happened.

  
We both lingered in the still of the night, lying tightly close together, until
finally I could fight sleep no more.