Love and Sacrifice (7 page)

Chapter 10

“Go with It”

Ella

             
“Hey,” I greet him as he comes up his steps.

             
“Hey,” he answers. “What are you doing here?”

             
“Waiting for you.”

             
“How long have you been here?”

             
“After you texted me back and told me that you were on your way home and didn’t feel like having company.”

             
“And I don’t,” he answers with an attitude.

             
“Yeah, and I took that as a let me stay away from the girl I like type of thing.”

             
“Listen Ella ─ ”

             
“See, I used to be a real bitch. Still can be sometimes, but I used to not care about the whole boyfriend thing.” I stand up and walk down the steps to him. “I have finally graduated high school and I am happy. I have great friends, great parents, and I’m happy. But when I got to know you, I realized that there is a missing piece. I’m not talking love or anything, but I really like you Tommy. And I want to explore that. And I can probably explore it with any other guy, but I want to explore it with you. I get that you have baggage, but don’t we all?” I shrug. “I just wanted to let you know that because after two weeks of knowing you, I already know how you kind of think.”

             
He shakes his head to himself and looks up at me. “So what are you asking me, Ella?”

             
“To go with the flow. What’s the worst that can happen?”

             
He arches his brow and smirks to himself.

             
“I also wanted to know if you wanted to go break into my high school with me?”

             
“You do know I went to prison, right?”

             
“Yes, but I swear, if we get close to getting caught, I will serve your time for you. So, come on.” I pat him on the chest, which feels nice and firm and walk over to my car, hoping he will follow.

Tommy

            
 
“Go with the flow,” easy for her to say that. She doesn’t have any idea what the hell is going on.

             
We stop down the street from her high school and walk to the side door of the building.

             
“So, cat woman, what now?” I ask her. She bends down and removes a key from under a rock.

             
“One of the security guards is a frequent customer at my father’s casino. My dad doesn’t know this, but he asked me to put in a good word for him because he owed the casino a lot of money, so I had him make me a copy of the side door key in exchange.” She lets out a bright smile and opens the door. I follow her in.

             
“Why?”

             
“I was failing Algebra, so I would come here and steal the answers to the tests and have this kid, Ryan Wheeler, genius in math, take them for me so I could have the answers.”

             
I follow her through the hallway. “And here I thought you were an innocent human being.”

             
“I am my father’s child,” she says cheerfully.

             
“So, what are we doing here?”

             
“Going for a swim.” I stop in my tracks and stare at her, just to make sure I just heard her correctly. She turns around and smiles at me, only this time it’s a very seductive smile. Before I can take it in, she takes off her top, revealing a black bra.

             
Shit.

             
I follow her through the hallway, then to the gym. She leads me through the locker room and showers and pushes open a red door, revealing the inside pool. I’ve only swam in the city pools and they were never as big as these. The pool is so huge, I’m completely distracted by it so that I almost forgot Ella is undressing in front of me. I focus on her and there it is, that same bright smile. She kicks off her sandals and unbuttons and unzips her shorts, slowly pushing them down to her ankles, which causes the heat inside my body to get hotter. She kicks them off and I take in her body, black bra and panties. She has that type of body that is so perfect you don’t even want a paper cut to ruin it. She laughs at my reaction and jumps in the pool. I quickly remove my t-shirt and jeans, revealing my boxer briefs, and jump in the pool, quickly, so she won’t witness my hard on. Girls don’t do that to me. They don’t make me nervous, but this one does.

The water is so nice and warm that I stay below the surface for a couple of seconds longer. Once I finally come up and wipe the chlorine from my eyes, I see Ella swimming toward the shallow end. I swim until I reach her, landing my feet on the ground and standing up straight. The water ends at my waist.

“Enjoying the swim?” she asks flirtatiously.

I nod my head while slowly waving my hands against the surface of the water.

“I always wanted to break in here and go swimming. Stupid, I know.”

“No, it’s not,” I assure her.

“You know, me and high school didn’t mix. I didn’t really do a lot. I didn’t join any clubs, didn’t attend any sporting events. I went to parties of course, but it was nothing. Those parties were full of kids, whispering about me.”

“What about dances?”

She laughs harshly. “I went to one dance with Dina. It sucked. I didn’t even go to prom.”

“Why? Don’t even say you couldn’t get a date.”

“Oh, yes, I got offers. I got offers from guys who expected a grand time afterwards. My mom was worried that I was sad about it, but I shrugged it off.”

“Well, were you?” I tilt my head to make sure she looks me in the eye. “Were you sad about it?”

She sighs. “Yeah, I don’t admit it, but I would’ve liked the normal high school experience. But Pierces, we don’t get normal. This thing with you is probably the closest thing I got to it.”

“Really?” I laugh a little.

“Yeah, all things considering. I met a guy, he’s cute, mysterious, and funny in his own way, and I like him. He’s not some son of a mortal enemy or the son of a Republican.” She laughs at her joke and I smile and shake my head at her.

“I’m just saying, I’ve always just been okay. That’s it. I hope one day I can be more than okay. You get what I’m saying?”

“I get it.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do. Ella, I do. I’ve always been okay too. I’ve been used to the bullshit and at some point in my life, I became okay with it.”

I know I shouldn’t be telling her this. Shit, don’t do it, man.

“But… since I met you, I’m starting to look forward to having more.”

Fuck.

She gives me that bright smile again. I really like that bright smile. I use the word “bright” because it’s that smile that has so much light and shine to it that if you stare at it too long, like I am right now, you become blinded by it. I’m too blinded by it right now to stop myself from doing this.

“Come on.” I reach my hands out to her.

She looks at me confused. “What?”

“Let’s dance.”

“Here? In a pool? You want to dance with me in a pool where there isn’t any music?”

“You didn’t get to go to your dance, right? Well, let’s just imagine, okay? I’m in a suit. You’re in a beautiful dress. I picked you up in a nice limo and I even got you one of those flower things.”

“A corsage?” she laughs.

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, whatever, just imagine we’re at the dance and I bow.”

I put my hand behind my back and bow a little. She does a goofy curtsy.

“And I take your hand and hold it like this,” I say, taking her hand and locking my fingers into hers. “Then I take my other hand and put it around your waist. Then you put your arm around me.” She does exactly what I say. “And then we dance.”

We glide through the water, slowly. I’m just coming up with slow songs in my head right now to keep me from tripping over her.

“This is kind of awkward, but sweet at the same time,” she laughs.

“Yeah, I know.” I laugh with her. “I’m trying here.”

“Why do I get the feeling you will regret it?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because of the way your eyes squint. They squint like you’re dwelling on a good thing.”

“Who says this is a good thing?”

“I do. Let’s make a deal. You don’t hurt my feelings, and I won’t hurt yours.”

“People can’t make those promises, Ella.”

“Well, they have to at least try, right?”

I stop the dance and I lean into her, touching her face with my wet hands. I just want her to stop talking… and I want to kiss her. I brush her hair back and stroke her bottom lip with my thumb. I’m going to regret this later, but right now I don’t care. I press my lips into hers and take her all in. She wraps her arms around me and we deepen the kiss. And I mean we go in very deep. It’s slow, deep, and passionate. It’s better than all the other kisses we have shared. I take my hands and touch her lower back and press her against me. She makes this whimpering sound that causes me to kiss her harder, allowing my tongue to lick her bottom lip as she leans back to look at me.

Before I know it, she smiles and hops up, pushing me down below the water. She comes down with me and presses her lips against mine. In this moment, I wish everything was different. I wish I was another person. A person who deserved to be with Ella like this.

Chapter 11

“Who Is He?”

Ella

            
 
“That’s so sweet,” Claudia says to me, over the phone.

             
I told her everything that happened between me and Tommy two nights ago. “It was sweet.”

             
“Sounds like you really like him.”

             
“I do,” I sigh, still thinking about the kisses we shared in the pool. “So, what’s been going on with you? Still think my brother walks on water?”

             
She laughs at my comment. “Shut up. I’ve just been taking this summer writing class, volunteering at this center for kids, and yes I am still madly in love with Donovan.”

             
“So, when are you guys coming back here?”

             
“Well, your mom called and told us that she is throwing something for your brother’s birthday.”

             
“Christian?”

             
“Yeah, I think that’s pretty cool.”

             
“Yeah, it is.”

             
“You should invite your new boyfriend.”

             
“He’s not my boyfriend.”

             
“Well, you want him to be. That’s obvious.”

             
“We’ll see. He’s not a label type of guy. To tell you the truth I never thought I was a label type of girl.”

             
“Obviously.”

             
“Shut up.”

             
Claudia laughs. “Listen, I got to go meet Jade at the gym.”

             
“Since when do you go to the gym?”

             
“Since the freshmen fifteen arrived to wreak havoc on my body.”

             
“Oh, please. Alright, I’ll talk to you later.”

             
“Bye.” I push the end button on my phone and lay back on my bed.

             
“So, you have a new friend, huh?” I jerk up at the sound of my dad’s voice, coming out of nowhere.

             
“Jesus, Dad! You’re spying on me?”

             
“I was walking in the hallway of the house I am paying for and I heard my daughter speaking about a boy she is becoming serious with.”

             
“And your point is?”

             
“Daughter and boy. That’s all you need to justify it when you’re a parent, kid.” I roll my eyes and shake my head at my father’s logic. He walks in, pulling out the chair from my desk and sitting in it.

             
“So, what’s going on?” he asks. This is the thing about my dad and dating, he is the typical dad when it comes to his kids and the opposite sex. When Donovan and Christian discovered the female species, he was ecstatic. When I first hung up a Justin Timberlake poster on my wall, all hell broke loose.

             
“I met a guy.” I try to keep it short.

             
“And?”

             
“And he’s nice, funny, and handsome.”

             
“How old is he?”

             
“Twenty.”

             
“That’s pretty old, don’t you think?”

             
“Dad, that’s not a big deal. I’m eighteen.”

             
“Where is he from, where did you meet him, why haven’t you told me and your mother about him?”

             
“I told Mom already.”

             
“Really? But you didn’t want to tell me?”

             
“Well, let’s not rehash the Ricky Sloan incident, okay?”

             
“I knew that kid was no good.”

             
“We were fourteen! You pulled out your gun while giving him the sex talk.”

             
“Ella, I don’t ever want you to get hurt.”

             
“Dad, I get that, but you can’t stop me from getting hurt.”

             
“I can try.”

             
“All I’m saying is that I like this guy.”

             
“What’s his name?”

             
“Tommy Dumas.”

             
“The waiter from your party?”

             
              “Wait, you know him?”

             
He sighs. “Tommy Dumas, twenty years old, was first convicted of murder due to insanity when he was twelve years old. At eighteen, arrested for assault and possession, sentenced to two years in upstate prison.”

             
“What?”

             
“I do a background check on every person that steps foot in this house.”

             
“Dad!”

             
“Ella,” he stays calmly. “I have the right to make sure we are safe here.”

             
“I thought we were good now because you’re not involved in the big stuff anymore?”

             
“We are, but if there is one thing I have learned from my life, especially these past two years, is the biggest effect of it all is that I have to always keep my guard up. I have always looked over my shoulder and I will protect this family the best way I know how to.”

             
I smile at him. “I know, Dad.”

             
“One of the reasons why I want you and Donovan to go to college and have a different life is so you won’t have to worry about someone coming after you.”

             
“I know, Dad.” I shake my head. “So, since you know everything about Tommy, what now?”

             
“I don’t know the kid. I see the last year he has been clean, but no, I prefer that you don’t date someone with that much baggage.”

             
“Dad, you have always taught me to never judge a book by its cover. You only know the basics about Tommy.”

             
“Well, tell me what else I need to know.”

             
Okay, I don’t want to blab all of Tommy’s business, but right now for my father’s sake, I need to.

             
“Well, do you know the guy he killed when he was younger?”

             
“Officer Tony Sorelli.”

             
“Yeah, well that guy was his dad. His mother was having an affair with him and he used to beat her and Tommy. Tommy’s mom was finally going to leave him, but he wasn’t going to let her go. He killed her and Tommy found her and went after him. They couldn’t link Tony Sorelli to his mom’s murder, of course, because he was a respected cop. Dad, you understand this. Tommy was raised on pain and grief. He has made mistakes, but right now he’s just trying to figure out how to be better.”

             
“And you want to help him with that.”

             
“I don’t know. Like I said, it’s not that serious,” I lie.

             
“I want to meet him.”

             
“Okay, you will. In a couple of weeks you will.”

             
“Before the end of the month, Ella.”

             
“Okay.”

             
My dad gets up from his seat and kisses me on the forehead as he leaves the room. I know my dad; he’s one of the most accepting people that I have ever met. He’ll like Tommy, I know he will. Shit, I hope he will.