Parker's Island (22 page)

“I’m weak when I’m with you
,
”
h
e said, looking deep into my eyes.

I smiled up at him and he leaned down to kiss me, but stopped half way, looking hesitant.  “What’s wrong?”
I asked.

“Did you really say that you loved me?  Or was I
just
imagi
ni
ng it
..
.again?”

“I love you
,
” I said, and closed the gap between our lips.  As we kissed, I realized I did enjoy the taste of his lips and his warm breath.  I sighed
,
which made him
pull me closer to him and I could feel his desire and knew we had to stop.  But as I was about to pull away, my mother opened the door and said, “Come inside
,
Delaney!”

Brian pulled away from me then, embarrassed at being caught in such a moment by my mother.
  “Um, I’ll see you tomorrow
.  G
oodnight
,
”
h
e said, still out of breath.

“I’ll be right in
,
Mom
,
” I said, wanting to at least say goodbye in private.

“NOW
,
Delaney!” s
he said, leaving no doubt
as
to her meaning.

“I’ll see you tomorrow
,
” I smiled, apologetically.

Of course the lecture began the second I stepped into the house.  “I told you this morning that you two were getting way too serio
us.  You two shouldn’t be doing…
that and especially not in front of the neighbors!”
s
he said.

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t kiss my boyfriend?”

“Not like that!  I think you two
should
take a break from each other before things get too serious!”

“We only kissed
,
M
om!”

“Yes
,
I saw what you were doing
.  S
o did the neighbors.  It’s not proper and you weren’t raised that way!”

“We
kissed
.  W
e
didn’t have
sex in the front yard!”
I
said, raising my voice
.

She stopped and looked at me for a moment.  “Are you two having sex?”

“NO!  Not that it’s really any of your business.”

“Okay
,
”
s
he said, but I wasn’t certain I had convinced her.  “You are a beautiful young lady and I can see how Brian looks at you.  He’s a nice young man, I know that
, b
ut he is a young man and young men have…desires.”

“I have desires too
,
M
om, but I know where to draw the line.  He respects me and hasn’t asked me for anything.  So please stop worrying!”

“Dinner will be ready in a half an hour.  Maybe you should
…
wash up
,
”
s
he said, as if I should go shower now because I had kissed my boyfriend and I needed to wash away my sins.

I ran upstairs
to my room and
closed my door
.  I headed to my window to open it and get some fresh air.  I stuck my head out the window
to breathe in the cool air, and that’s when
I saw the car, Logan’s car.

It was parked across the street.  My heart started pounding, my breathing coming faster and faster.  He was here for me, I knew it!  He
had
changed his mind.  I was just about to run downstairs and into his arms when I noticed Valerie from across the
street heading toward the car.  She stood on the far side of the car, leaning into the window
,
and then finally she
headed back into the house a
s
the car
drove off. 

My heart fell
.
I was so sure that it was Logan.  I closed my eyes, holding back the pain when my mom yelled that it was time for dinner.  “I’m coming
,”
I called back.  I looked out the window again, and there was no sign of the car.  “You just wanted it to be Logan!  He’s not coming back for you!  Stop it!”
I told myself.  I knew I had to
go on with my life and I knew that I was happy with Brian.  I glanced out the window once more
, sighe
d
and then headed downstairs to dinner.

Over the next
couple of
week
s
Brian
made it a point to
kiss me any time we were alone.  “I’m making up for lost time
,
”
h
e said, kissing me again
. 

“Brian, I need to breathe
,
” I laughed, pulling away from him.  “So, wh
at do you want to do tonight?”
I asked, knowing it wasn’t wise to stay at his house with his parents out of town.

“I’m doing it
,
”
h
e said, kissing me again.

“Brian, I think we should…
” His lips were on mine again.  I wasn’t ready for this.  I needed him to stop, so I reminded him of his promise, “Brian, you said you would wait for me to be ready
,
” I said breathlessly.

He pulled back, “You’re right.  I’m sorry
.  You really just don’t make this very easy,
”
h
e said, standing up and heading toward the kitchen.

“Where are you going?”
I asked.

“I need a cold drink.  Do you want one?”

“I’m sorry.  I promise I won’t make you wait
..
.”
             
“I said I wanted a cold drink, not a cold shower.
  You don’t need to be sorry.  I
will
wait
Delaney
, as long as you need.  Forever
,
if I have to
,
”
h
e said.

“Forever?” I asked, grinning.

“If I have to,
”
h
e said co
mpletely serious, then added, “o
h, please don’t make we wait forever
,
”
l
ooking like he really
was
in pain this time.

I stood up and walked over to him.  “I just need a little more time, okay?  You’ve been very patient with me, I know that.  I also know this is very hard for you.”

“In more way
s
than one
,
”
h
e said,
and
then apologized.  “I’m
sorry;
it’s just that you really have no idea
what you do to me
.”

“I think I do.  I want you
,
to
o
,
” I said.

“Then why are we waiting?”
h
e asked
with a sigh and lightly stroked
my cheek.

“
I don’t know.  It just has to feel right and be the right time.”

“Okay.  You tell me when and I’ll be ready
; day or night, anytime!
”
 

I
laughed and
kissed him this time, exploring
his mouth with my tongue.  I was breathing hard then, and he pulled away from me.  “This is not helping!  I think you’re right
.
I think we need to go somewhere
else
…less private
,
”
h
e said, closing his eyes, trying to regain some composure.

“Um, yeah, I
agree
.  Let’s go to my house.  M
y parents will definitely keep us from doing
…
anything
,
”
I said,
r
olling my eyes.

“Well
,
that’s true.  Come
on
,
let’s go before I go back on my word.”

When we got to my house, I found a note on the fridge.

Delaney,

Dad and I
are going to
the Larkin
’
s house for dinner.  Seth is
spending the night
at
Jeff’s house
. We’ll be home around midnight.  Have fun with Brian, but be safe!

Love,
Mom

“It looks like there are no
suitable
Chaperones available tonight
,
”
I said.

“No, I guess not
,
”
h
e said, giving me a look that said we needed to go somewhere else
, right then
.

“You want to go to a movie?” I asked.

“Um, okay
,
”
h
e said, obviously not interested in a movie
.  B
ut
he also knew
that it would be too tempting for us to be alone.
  I knew he would wait as long as I needed him to, but I also knew that it was becoming increasingly
more
difficult
for him whenever we were alon
e
together.

“Okay, I better go get a sweater. 
The theatre is
always so cold.”  I headed upstairs and much to my surprise, Brian followed me.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I want to see your room.  I’ve never been
upstairs.
”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes it is.”

“No, you’ve been to the
upstairs
bathroom
,
once
,
” I smiled
,
laughing at the ridiculous rules my parents had imposed on us.

“
That’s only because the downstairs toilet was broken,
and the ‘house rules’ were lifted for a moment.
”

“
They certainly wouldn’t want you to pee outside!
  What would the neighbors think?
” I said, laughing.
  “The
ir rules drive me crazy.”

“They just want to protect your virtue
,
”
h
e grinned.

“Then they shouldn’t have left us alone tonight.”

We walked into my room and he said, “Wow, this is just what I expected.”

I laughed.  “That’s exactly what I said when I walked into your room for the first time
,
” I said, and grabbed a sweater out of my closet.

He was standing right behind me, very close.  I knew he had been exhaustingly patient with me
.  And
I really wanted just one kiss before we headed out again, but I wasn’t sure that was such a good idea.  

“What are you thinking?”
h
e asked
,
his breath warm on my
neck
.

“
I’m thinking that we better go now.”

He closed his eyes and stepped back.  “Lead the way
,
”
h
e said, doing his best to keep his promise.

I smiled at his obvious discomfort and said, “Brian, will I make you crazy if I ask for one more kiss before we go?”

“Delaney, you always make me crazy. 
Maybe
we should just go.”

“Okay
,
” I said and
started to
walk past him.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard, ignoring the obvious warnings.

I
kissed him back, but knew that this kiss was too deep, too passionate and as I was just about to pull away
,
I heard my name.

“Delaney Marie Miller!  What do you think you two are doing?”
m
y mom called from the doorway.

My mother’s voice immediately
brought us both back to reality.  “Sorry
M
om, I thought you were at the Larkin
’
s
.
”