A Missing Peace (20 page)

Caleb and I both laughed. “What did you do?” I asked.

“Nothing special. Well, Morgan did all the work. I sponsored it. I haven't even seen what I paid for.”

“Am I going to have fishnet hose and wings?” I asked.

“No,” Caleb answered.

“I was forbidden. But I still got cool stuff. You ready to go? We don't have that much time.”

“Okay.”

We walked to Morgan's car, and I didn't have to worry about being seen because she was there.

“Mirriam has shotgun,” Morgan said. I felt bad because I got in the back seat with Caleb. I rested my head on his shoulder, and he slipped an arm around me. That moment was perfect.

Morgan's place was in the only rich neighborhood in Killeen. Her house was three stories high and built of white brick. The front porch was massive, and three columns stood in the front, pretending to support the structure. It looked like a replica of the White House. The house next door was nearly identical, except for the pink convertible parked in the driveway.

“You live next door to Kailee Hill?” I asked, thinking this was probably a bad idea.

“Yeah, we used to be best friends,” Morgan said as we walked in. “Before the whole hooker hose. She bought a pair, too. We went shopping together. We agreed to wear them together. She forgot and everyone made fun of me, so she called me Hooker Hose and never mentioned her pair.”

“What a bitch!” I said.

Caleb's silence made me uncomfortable. Was he worried about seeing Kailee? Did he want to defend her? Why wasn't he talking?

Morgan grabbed my arm. “We're going to my room, and Caleb is staying down here.” She tugged me toward the stairs.

In her room, two dresses hung from hooks on her closet door. One was a black sequin ball gown and the other was an elegant A-line black dress with a silver belt.

“Do you like it?” she asked.

“Which one?”

“Guess!” She laughed.

“I like the plain one.”

“I know. You didn't seriously think I would wear something that plain did you?”

Not really.

“We don't have much time, so I'm going to go with simple.”

Thank God.

She pulled my hair up into a bun and left a strand out on each side in the front. She bit her bottom lip. “I would curl them, but your hair is curly enough.”

She glossed my lips, powdered my cheeks and touched my lashes with mascara. “Perfect, now you need to get dressed.”

I looked down at my flip-flops. “Can I borrow shoes?”

“I bought matching shoes because I am that awesome.”

Yes, you are.

Morgan frowned. “How do we get your shirt off without messing up your hair? I should have thought of that.”

“I don't know.”

She grabbed a pair of scissors from her desk and touched the bottom of my shirt with them.

“Oh my God. Morgan, don't. If I come home in a different shirt, Abrahem will grill me.”

“It'll mess up your hair.”

“Umm, I'd rather have bad hair than have my brother kill me.”

Morgan sighed. She picked up an aerosol can and sprayed all over my head. “That will keep it in place.”

I had no idea how she guessed the size right, but the black dress fit me perfectly. When I came out of her bathroom, Morgan was in the sequin ball gown. “Could you help me get those wings on?” She pointed to the folded black and turquoise wings on her bed.

“I'll try.” It took me a few attempts, but I succeeded.

Caleb stared at me as Morgan and I walked down her staircase, and when we reached her living room, his eyes scanned me from head to toe. “What?” I asked when he didn't look away.

“You're beautiful.” He grasped the handle of a decorative cane and pushed himself up. I walked toward him, and he met me halfway. He placed a hand on my face. “I've got something for you.” He pulled a black and white corsage with silver beads out from behind his back and slid it over my wrist.

Standing here, staring into his big brown eyes with the slightest hint of a green twinkle, I was glad to be in America. For all I'd lost, I'd gained Caleb.

Caleb leaned in, and his lips met mine.

“Aww!” Morgan squeaked. “Pictures.” Caleb moved his arm in front of my face to block me from the camera, and I giggled as he kissed me.

There was a knock at the door.

“That's the limo,” Caleb said.

Caleb

The dress Morgan selected for Mirriam hugged her in all the right places. There was something perfect about the way she looked. The golden M she usually had to hide under her clothes fell at the top of her cleavage and above that was her golden cross.

I took a second to kiss my girl when we got out of the limo. Morgan said something about needing to make an entrance and bounded off with her wings fluttering behind her. I was thankful for the time alone with Mirriam.

“What's the plan?” she whispered as we walked in.

“Stand around and talk I guess. I thought it would be nice to get out.”

“It is. Thank you, Caleb, for everything.”

“You're welcome, sweetheart.”

When we walked in, Josh and Matt stood in the hallway with Farrah and Lacey.

“Hey,” Matt said, “didn't expect to see you here.”

“Damn,” Josh moaned. “So much for the new Xbox.” I racked my brain trying to figure out what he was talking about.

“You're getting around better,” Matt said.

I shrugged. “Nothing like I used to.”

“Hey, you're doin' good for a guy that got hit by a car,” Josh said.

Farrah squeezed Josh's arm. “We're going to the ladies room,” she said.

“We are?” Lacey asked.

“Yes.” Farrah glared at Lacey. “Mirriam, would you like to come with us?”

M looked at me as if to ask why Farrah would want her to come, but her guess was as good as mine. “Uh, sure,” Mirriam said.

Farrah took off with Lacey on her heels. Mirriam spotted Morgan at the punch table, and they exchanged a look. My girl followed behind Kailee's minions playing with her cell phone, and Morgan came around to meet them.
Good. Mirriam has back up.

“Well, you win,” Josh said.

“Win?”

“The bet.”

Oh shit!
After the stuff with Gade and the military, I'd forgotten all about that. Mirriam brought it up once, and I was trying to figure out a way to tell her about it, but after Gade killed himself, I forgot a lot of things.
And she left with Farrah and Lacey.

“I don't want the money,” I said.

“You're turnin' down twelve hundred bucks you worked so hard for?”

“It wasn't work. I want the girl.”

Josh laughed. “Suit yourself.”

“What did Farrah want with Mirriam?”

“I don't know. Girls always go to the bathroom in packs,” Josh said.

“It's kind of weird,” Matt added.

“Right.” My voice trailed off as I turned my head in the direction the girls went. They never made it to the bathroom. They stood a couple of yards from us in a triangle with Mirriam as its point. Morgan was right behind her, reaching out to grab her arm.

Mirram caught me watching them. The expression on her face was more pained than the day she saw the picture of my dad. Her look knocked the air out of me. I could try to deny it. Tell her it wasn't true. She had no reason to trust anyone else we went to school with except Morgan, who couldn't have known. M's face hardened, and my eyes gave me away. No question about it. She knew.

Mirriam ran for the exit with Morgan following. I limped toward them. I'd only made it a few steps when Mirriam passed me. Morgan came to a halt. “You promised me you wouldn't hurt my friend. You involved me in this.” She punched me in the stomach. She had a good arm for a girl.

The guys laughed behind me, but I couldn't worry about it. I didn't have time to respond to Morgan. Only one thing mattered. I had to get to Mirriam.

“Mirriam?” I called.

She whipped her head over her shoulder. “Don't talk to me.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“Take the limo.”

“No.”

“M—”

“I survived a war zone. I think I can navigate Killeen, Texas.” She passed the parking lot. She was way ahead of me, but I kept limping behind her. “If you follow me, I'll have Abrahem re-break your legs and your ribs.”

Not for the first time I watched Mirriam walk away when I wished she would stay. I hadn't made it far from the door, and when I looked behind me, Josh and Matt stood in the entryway with their arm candy. Morgan was beside them, glaring at me.

“Dipshit, I'm taking your limo. If you need a ride, I suggest you get one of your jocks to drive you home.” She came out the door. I expected her to walk past me, and she did. But then she turned back. “You really are sorry. She's been through hell, and it's not like she was exactly chasing you. You had to put some effort into this. I hope it was worth the energy.”

“I love her.”

Morgan laughed. “Good luck convincing her.”

She stomped off.

“If you ever wanna see that girl again, you better go after her,” Josh said.

Farrah elbowed him. “Or you could call Kailee.”

“Give me a ride?” I asked Josh.

“It's prom night.”

“I didn't take the money.”

“Our limo is out front. Take it. Just send it back when you're done. The driver can call me if he needs to. And dude, you got it bad.”

“Which one is yours?” I asked.

“I'll walk out there with you.”

We walked to the parking lot as fast as my cane could go. Josh opened the back door. “Take this man where he needs to go,” he said.

I stepped in and shut the door.

“Did you see a girl go running past here in a black dress?”

The chauffer laughed. “That was your girl?”

“Go the way she went. If you see her, stop.”

“You're the boss,” he said still laughing.

In a few blocks, we caught up with Mirriam. I slid my window down. “Wanna ride?” The stride of her steps never changed, so I wasn't sure she heard me. “Wanna ride?” I asked again. She didn't look back. “Mirriam?” She kept walking.

“Silent treatment,” the driver mumbled.

“Will you mind your own business and shut up?” I snapped.

We followed her all the way home, and I sent the driver back to school. I figured I could make it across the street on my own. I knocked on Mirriam's shut door. I wasn't surprised when she didn't answer.

Mirriam

Zmal.
I forgot to lock the door, and that jerk let himself in. I was lying on the couch crying. I sat up, wiping tears from my face and screamed, “Get out!”

“No.”

“What do you mean no? This is my house. Get out.”

He wobbled to the couch, and I wanted to get up and help him. I wouldn't though.

“M, I won't leave you like this. I'm sorry.”

“Fine. When my brother gets home, he'll probably bash your head in for being here alone with me. He's not working tonight.”

“I'm not worried about that.”

“You will be when he bashes your head in.”

“I'd like to bash my own head in.”

“Why are you here?”

“Because I love you.”

“Twelve hundred dollars worth, huh? After the dress and the corsage you made a profit. Congratulations, Caleb. You're a business man.”

“Mirriam, stop it. I told Josh to keep it. The day I met you, you went off on me in front of everyone. You were a total bitch.”

I gasped. I was not a bitch. I merely pointed out the truth, and even if I were, he didn't get to say that.

“That same day Josh more or less dared me to take you to prom. If I had known you like this then, I would have kicked his ass for it. Yes, Mirriam, I volunteered to be your government partner on a dare, but every second we spent together was real.”

I was sobbing. I pulled the “M” off my neck and threw it at Caleb.

“I gave this to you. I don't want it.”

“Neither do I,” I forced the words out through tears.

“Come on, Mirriam. After all we've been through, you can't walk away from this.”

“All we've been through was a lie. I was a bet you won.”

“From the first time I saw you, I knew you were special.”

“Yeah, right. You're such a player, Caleb.” I didn't know if I used that word right. “I'm sure the back of my head told you a lot.”

His forehead creased. “Do you think when you were standing in front of me in line that day was the first time I saw you?”

I rolled my eyes. “When else did you see me?”

“Nearly being hit by a car to save a turtle.”

“Someone left him on his back in the parking lot. It was cruel.”

“Yeah, well, most of the girls I've dated wouldn't dart down in front of a car to save a turtle from becoming soup, so you got my attention. My bad attempt at a pick up line was supposed to make you talk to me.”

“I did talk to you.”

“No, you talked
at
me.”

“Sorry. I hate it when guys openly flirt with girls they don't know. So shallow.”

“I
was
shallow before I met you. You changed my life. You changed my whole world, and I'm not letting you go.”

He reached out to put an arm around me, and I didn't move away. Instead, I scooted in closer, lay my head on his chest, and cried. He closed his arms around me. “I'm so sorry. Mirriam, I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too.”

He stroked his fingers through my hair. I tilted my chin up and moved my lips toward his. He cupped my face and pushed his lips down to mine. His mouth was soft. His tongue pushed against the part of my lips. I opened my mouth, deepening the kiss, and locked my fingers in his hair. I held on to him as tightly as possible. Every second, the kiss moved faster—deeper—than the moment before. Every second, I became more consumed. For a moment, I'd thought this thing we shared was over and knowing that loss made this kiss sweeter than all the times before.