Secrets (17 page)

AJ

Aside from Angel and her parents, all the other guests had cleared out.
I stayed behind to help clean, which also gave me an excuse to be around Sam a little while longer.  It was nearly midnight and there was still a lot left to do.  Sam and I decided to tackle the dishes because that was the biggest job. 

My mind was on autopilot as I replayed the conve
rsation between Mr. Kelley and me.  I’d waited months for him to even let me inside his home without there being hostility, and now he treated me more like a son than my own father.  When he pulled me aside it was because he didn’t want to embarrass me by chastising me in front of Sam.  He explained that, because of my career plans, marking my skin in such an obvious spot wasn’t ideal; however, after that, he went on to say that he understood what I’d done. 
Why couldn’t my father have reacted like that?

Sam and I finished cleaning the
entire kitchen and I knew I couldn’t put off going home much longer.  Her parents would want to lock up before going to bed, which meant that I’d have to go.  Sam decided to walk me to my car despite the drastic drop in temperature since I arrived.  We stopped at the corner once we were out of view from her house. 

“Thanks for coming tonight,” she smiled
sweetly.  “…And for staying to help clean up.”  Her body warmed mine when we embraced. 

“No problem.  Can I see you tomorrow?”  I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Duh.  Angel and I have an appointment to get our hair done late in the morning, but after that, I’m all yours.”

I smiled at the way that sounded
.  “Just call me when you’re done.  I’ll be around.”

She nodded once and then stood on the tips of her toes to kiss me.  I grabbed her tight and turned what she intended to be a
quick peck into a full-on make-out session that didn’t show signs of slowing for a good five minute.  Giggling, she pressed her hands to my chest to separate us. 

“You’re
gonna get us
both
in trouble.  It’s bad enough we barely skated by with these tattoos.  Don’t push it,” she warned halfheartedly as I got to her lips once more.

I continued to hold her close to me and glanced down at my watch.  “Happy Birthday,” I said with a smile.

“Hm…I guess it is officially the 23
rd
now, isn’t it?”

I nodded and looked her over.  She watched me watching her until she blushed and had to turn away.  “Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?”  I asked.

She pretended to be giving my question some real thought.  “Almost as much as I love
you
,” was her responses.

I smiled as I leaned in to kiss her again, and this time she didn’t protest.  Eventually I let her get back inside and out of the cold, shooting her a text once I made it home safely. 

My house was quiet, which I was grateful for.  Quiet meant that I didn’t have to keep anyone company or pretend to like being a part of this family.  Quiet meant I’d have the rest of the night to myself in peace.  I thought back on Mr. Kelley’s reaction to what Sam and I had done and I even thought over the lecture that he gave afterward.  No, I didn’t like that my actions disappointed him, but I couldn’t get over the way it felt to be dealt with by a parent who treated me like a human being, not a pawn in some big elaborate game of greed and deceit.  Sam’s father was a good guy and I honestly envied her a little. 

I had a lot on my mind when I dozed, but felt refreshed when I got up the next morning.  There was
again the aroma of home-cooked food lingering in the air, but this time I wasn’t as tempted.  I learned the hard way that the price of a good meal in this house is that I’d have to eat at my father’s table with him being…well…
him
.  I decided to pass.

Hours had gone by
since I got up and showered, but I still hadn’t ventured beyond my bedroom door.  I texted Sam for a while, dozed again, and listened to the radio to pass the time.  Finally, at around noon, a knock at the door got me out of bed.

My mother’s expression was one of concern.  “Are you feeling alright?”  She asked.

I gave shot her a puzzled look, unsure why she’d ask that.  “Yeah…fine.  Why?”  I asked with a shrug.

She couldn’t believe that I had to ask. 
“Because no one’s seen you all morning!  You never came down to eat or speak to our guests, of –“

“Dad’s guests,” I sighed, bracing my shoulder against the doorframe.

She fell silent for a moment.  “Well…either way.  They’re staying in
our
home and we need to do everything we can to make them feel welcomed.”

I took a deep breath and waited for whatever favor my mother was getting ready to ask of me.

“The twins are getting restless, and –“

“Aww, come ON!  They aren’t my problem!  Why do you and Dad keep pushing them off on me?”

After checking over her shoulder to make sure no one overheard my complaint, my mother pressed against my shoulder until she’d shoved me back inside my room, shutting the door behind her for privacy.

“One more day,” she hissed.  “
That’s it, Anthony. 
One
more day.”  I stared at her, seeing the fresh dousing of desperation in her eyes.  “You have
NO
idea what it’s like knowing that your child is hundreds of miles away while all of this is going on,” she said just above a whisper.  “One more day, and if all goes well, it could all be over.”  She breathed unevenly, never breaking her stare.

I lowe
red my head and considered her plea.  “Today’s Sam’s birthday; even if I
wanted
to, I can’t be here all day.”

“I’m not asking you to be.”

I met her gaze, waiting for her to explain.

“Just take them to the movies, the mall, to lunch…
something
.  After that, bring them back and you’ll be free to go on about your day.”  She touched my arm.  “The less distracted your father and Mr. Tanaka are, the better this will go for
everyone
.”

Like my father, my mother knew how to appeal to
me.  Money, status, material possessions…none of that had ever moved me.  All I wanted was a promise to have a normal life where Sam and I could be together and have a fair shot at our
‘happily ever after’
.  With that, I gave my mother a nod.

“Tell them to
be ready in ten,” I said, turning to walk back toward my bed.  Before exiting she smiled faintly and thanked me.

“Yeah….whatever,” I replied under my breath when she was gone. 

I lay back on my bed until the last possible second.  Because I knew I’d be going to Sam’s as soon as I was done with Reina and Kira, I didn’t go dressed like a bum like I originally intended to do.  After pulling on a dark pair of jeans and rolling the sleeves of black button-down just below the elbow, I found my shoes in the closet and stepped out into the hallway. 

Reina and Kira
were at the bottom of the stairs waiting, already wearing their waist-length, leather jackets and knee-high boots.  Their similarities started and ended at their tendency to dress alike and their looks.  Reina kept her hair long, almost to the elbow, while Kira kept hers cropped just past the shoulder in layers.  She met my gaze with a smile and I returned the gesture just for the sake of being polite.

“Ready?”  I asked with zero enthusiasm.

“Yup.  Shotgun!” Reina announced, prompting Kira to sigh and scowl in her sister’s general direction.  They followed me to the garage and Reina leveled a devious smile at her sister just before climbing into my car.

“Where
’re we going? The mall?”  Reina asked.

I started the engine and glanced down at the time. 
“Nope.  Mc Donald’s,” I replied, not really caring about the complaining that was getting ready to go down.  “Before you start, I have plans in a little while and I’m only doing this because my mom says you guys wanted to get out of the house.”

“Yeah
to shop, or hang out…not to grab a Quarter-Pounder with cheese,” Reina sighed, folding her arms over her chest as I backed out. 

“Whoa,” I laughed. 
“With
cheese
?  Hope you brought extra for that.  I was thinking this was more of a Dollar-Menu kind of situation.”

Reina’s frustration brought a smile to Kira’s face in the backseat.  “Relax, Reina.  At least we’re getting a change of scenery.”

Kira’s rationalization prompted Reina to turn around and face her sister.  She didn’t say a word, but if looks could kill…

After the silent standoff between the twins, the rest of the ride was quiet.  They weren’t talking to each other
or
me.  I couldn’t have been happier.  The car had barely come to a stop in the parking lot when Reina climbed out and slammed the door.  She was off and practically inside the restaurant and my seatbelt wasn’t even off yet.  Kira blew a long breath from her lungs and watched her sister behave like a child.

“She always
like this?”  I asked, using the remote to lock my car behind us. 

“Please, she’s by far the most dramatic person I’ve ever met in my entire life.  The only time she
isn’t
complaining is when she’s asleep,” Kira replied.

I shook my head.

“I’d like to tell you that she has at least
one
redeeming quality, but you and I go back too far for me to lie to you.”

I laughed and watched a car pass in front of us before continuing on toward the sidewalk. 

“And the worst part is, we have to share a space now ‘cause we’re roomies.  All our lives we’ve had our own rooms, and now that we’re in college, we all of a sudden have to start –“ Kira managed to state before her right foot caught a patch of ice and she nearly dropped to the concrete.  If I hadn’t been there to grab her, she would’ve gone down.  She cursed loudly enough to offend the elderly couple walking to their car, but she was laughing before I could even ask if she was alright.

Trying to steady her feet while cracking up at herself, Kira clung to my arm for dear life.  I walked her to the door until she was on clear ground again, only to find Reina waiting there with a scowl and folded arms.  Kira didn’t let her sister’s stare kill her mood.  In fact, she pretty much ignored her
and bypassed Reina altogether to go order her lunch.

We sat, ate, and talked a little, finishing just
as Sam texted me to say that she’d made it in from the salon.  After the short drive home, I pulled back into the driveway to drop the twins off.

Reina climbed out after mumbling a dry ‘
goodbye
’.  Kira shot her a look and shook her head at Reina’s incessant immaturity. 

Kira put one foot out of the car and onto the driveway.  “Thanks for taking us out.  And don’t worry about Reina.”

I’d already forgotten about her.
  “No problem.”

Kira
smiled a little, looking as if she might say something else, and then followed after her sister, disappearing inside the house.  Just as I was preparing to pull off, my mother descended the front steps and approached my car. 

I watched as she checked
to make sure that my father wasn’t at the window.  She clasped my hand and slid money into it.  I wasn’t sure how much, but it was a decent sized wad.

“You mentioned that
it’s Samantha’s birthday and I know that you’re low on money,” she said sympathetically.  I looked at the cash in my hand and then back at her.  “I know this hasn’t been easy for you being away from her, and the security issues that we’ve been facing make it nearly impossible for you to work and earn your
own
money to visit her right now, so I hope that this makes up for some of that.  Go out and show her a good time tonight,” she concluded.

“Thanks
, Mom…I really appreciate it,” I replied, knowing how much she hated going behind my father’s back.

“Go on, now.  Have fun,” she smiled.

I watched until she disappeared inside the house and then made my way down the street feeling a sense of relief.  Now that I had a little money to work with, there was not only a birthday to celebrate, but an anniversary to make up for as well.  Just because I didn’t have the funds before, didn’t mean that I hadn’t already imagined what I’d do for Sam if I did.  The plans I’d put to the back of my mind until an undecided later date were now about to come to pass thanks to my mother and a very well-timed bail out.  Sam would love it and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.  However, I couldn’t pull it off on my own on such a short notice.  I’d have to call in the reinforcements. 

“Karl?  I need you and Dee to help me out.”

*****

Sam

“Maybe he just remembers that it’s your birthday.  That’d make sense.”

Even with Angel’s rationalization, I wasn’t about to pick up for Antonio.  He could have whatever conversation he wanted to have with
me
with my voicemail.  His call came in about fifteen minutes ago and Angel was still talking about it.

“I’
m not saying start picking up for the guy
all
the time, I’m just –“

“You’re just nosey,”
I interjected with a smile.  “You’ve been wanting to know what he’d say since I told you he called a couple months ago.”

Angel shrugged, not caring that I’d called her out.  “Can’t blame me for wanting a little entertainment; it’s boring around here.”

I shot her a look.  “Gee…thanks.”

She waved me off.  “Not you, but it’s just much quieter here than I’
m used to at school.”

I smirked at her reflection while finishing my makeup. 

When AJ called a few hours ago to say that we’d have to get started later than we planned, I didn’t let on that I was disappointed, but I was.  Knowing that he’d be leaving to go back to Westwood in the morning, I figured he had a few last minute loose ends to tie up first.  No big deal.  Despite the fact that we’d just seen one another the night before, I still couldn’t wait until he got here; we had two whole months of time apart to make up for. 

“I’ll get it,” Angel announced, hopping down from my bed when the doorbell rang.  Our parents had gone out to do a little Black Friday shopping,
which turned into an all-day event.  So, unfortunately for Angel, she’d be home alone for a few hours until they made it back. 

I could hear her talking to AJ while I grabbed my purse off the knob of my closet door.  Stopping in the mirror one last time, I smiled at myself, thinking he’d like the gray
, off-the-shoulder sweater and black skinny-jeans that I chose.  Zipping my boots before heading down, I smiled at AJ when I saw him standing at my front door holding a dozen pink roses.

“Happy birthday, again,” he whispered when we embraced.

I was beaming from ear to ear.  “And thank you, again.”  My eyes wandered over the flowers and pretty crystal vase.

“I’ll take these to the kitchen,” Angel offered.

I mouthed a thank you and she waved me off with a smile before disappearing around the corner.

“Ready?”  AJ asked. 

Grabbing my coat, I followed him out to the car where he held the door open while I climbed in.  Once he joined me, I asked what he had planned.

A slow smile crossed his face.  “You’ll see when we get there,” was all he would say.

“Nah, last time you said that we ended up with tattoos and, quite frankly, I don’t think my mom is ready for anything like that anytime soon.”

He laughed.  “No tattoos. 
Promise.”

I settled into my seat and interlaced my fingers with his.  We hopped
on the freeway and I decided to stop trying to figure out where he was taking me.  He seemed excited which left me curious about what we’d be doing tonight.

Half an hour had passed and I had to ask again.

“Can’t you give me just a little hint?”

AJ shook his head. 
“Nope.  We’ll be there in less than five minutes.  Just be patient.”

With a sigh and
an smile, I sat back and waited like he asked me to.  Not even two minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of a large domed building.  Two cars sat parked at the very back of the lot, but I didn’t pay them any attention.  I was too busy trying to figure out why AJ had just brought me to the planetarium to celebrate my birthday.

“
Ummm…this is….interesting, “I said, trying to maintain the same enthusiasm that I had when he first picked me up.

He knew I was faking, but smiled anyway.  “Just stop trying to figure it all out and come on.”

I undid my seatbelt and waited for him to come around to open my door.  When I took his hand, I shook my head at him being all incognito.  We approached the door and my stride slowed.

“I’m pretty sure this place is closed.”  All of the lights were out
, there weren’t many cars, and it was nearly eight o’clock.

“It is,” AJ said, confirming my suspicions.

I shot him a questioning look that only made him smile harder.

“Come on.”  He walked me the last few feet to the door, and to my surprise, it wasn’
t locked.  We stepped inside the nearly pitch-black lobby and I looked around.  The gift shop to the right was dark as was the directory that stood in the middle of the room.  The only light we had was that of the red exit signs and the signs over the bathroom doors.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to be here,” I reiterated.

AJ laughed.  “It’s fine.  Trust me.”

With a sigh, I followed behind him and was surprised to hear the sound of faint music playing as we drew nearer to the doors of the planetarium.  AJ met my gaze just as I looked his way.

“What’d you do?”  I asked.

Instead of answering yet another one of my questions, he pulled the door open and took my breath away like he always manages to do.  The dome of the planetarium was lit up like the night sky as the stars gently swirled
around the ceiling in slow motion.  My eyes fell to the middle of the room near the control center to where they stopped on a blanket and candles already set up.  AJ held his arm out for me to take.  My heart sped up as I let him lead me inside.

“How’d you do all this?”  I asked.

He shrugged nonchalantly and laughed.  “I know a guy.”

“Yeah, but it must’ve cost –“

“Not a dime; I told you I know a guy.”

I stared up instead of at the aisle
while I walked.  When we came to the blanket, AJ took my hand and helped me down to sit on top of it.  Stepping around the half-wall of the control booth, he came back with a black, cloth bag filled with something that smelled good enough to remind me how hungry I was.  I blushed seeing all the trouble he’d gone through. 

“I’m…I’m speechless.”

He smiled that beautiful smile of his and made me fall in love with him all over again, replying,  “Mission accomplished.”

I took him into my arms and embraced him the second he sat beside me on the blanket.  “This is perfect.”

He kissed the side of my neck, but our moment was interrupted when a young guy came into the planetarium with keys jingling in his hand. 

“Place is all yours,” he said to AJ with a smile.  “Just lock up when you leave.”

AJ nodded once and thanked the man before turning his attention back to me. “Hungry?”  He asked.

I nodded, watching as he removed containers of food from the bag he’d retrieved.  “I ordered from
that place you love downtown; Dee and Karl picked it up and brought it here.

I smiled when he ha
nded over my meal, feeling hungry, but a little too excited to eat as much as I typically would.  I got through as much of it as I could before opting to set it aside for later.  My eyes danced over the candles while the soft music consumed me.  AJ cleared the food away and pulled me into his arms while I stared up

I shook my head at him with a smile.  “
I can’t believe you did all this for me.”  And that was the honest to God truth. 
How did I end up with someone as perfect as him?

While I stared up at the stars, the feel of AJ staring at
me
commanded my attention.  “What is it?”  I asked quietly, getting lost in his eyes for a moment.

“I was planning to wait until later to give you your gift, but…”

My eyes followed AJ’s hand to his pocket when he retrieved a small box.  The breath hitched in my throat as I watched him pull it open, revealing what was inside – a solid, white-gold band with the inscription
‘Today. Tomorrow. Always.”
engraved around the band.  The expression on my face reflected my shock and confusion. 

“It’s a promise ring,” he explained as
he slid the cool metal down my finger, instantly solidifying our already unbreakable bond.  He kissed the back of my hand and lifted my chin so that our eyes met.  The love and adoration in his expression overwhelmed me to the point that a tear slipped down my cheek.  “There’s not one person on this planet that I love more than you – not even myself.  I want you to have this to show you that I have
every
intention to spend the rest of my life with you, Sam. No matter what happens.  No matter what we have to face.”  He smiled a little before adding, “We’ll say this is a placeholder for the real thing.”

I didn’t respond; words escaped me at the moment.
  My eyes danced over the inscription on the band as I digested their meaning.  Images of our past, present, and the possibilities of the future, all danced inside my head.  Our love was the forever kind and I’d known that from the beginning.  AJ was so deep in my system that I was pretty sure that, without him, I’d cease to exist.  We were soul-mates in every sense of the word, and now…I had the ring to prove that he felt the same way about me. 

“I love you, too,” I finally forced out.

He leaned in and kissed me long and slow, undoing my nerves and making my body melt into his.  The energy that was always present between us was turned up to a thousand.  I felt like I’d stop breathing if he stopped kissing me.  His hand sent a chill down my spine just by caressing my cheek.  My whole body was ablaze.

Our clothes practically took themselves off
as AJ laid me down on top of the blanket.  The stars circling above entranced me while he kissed a slow trail from my lips, to my neck, chest, stomach, and beyond.  A deep sigh left my lungs and the breath didn’t return until sometime later.  I gasped at the feel of his tongue exploring the void between my thighs, reminding me of yet another reason that I was so deep in love with him.  I licked my lips and became drunk with ecstasy as he pleasured me so thoroughly that I shed a tear.  My fingers tugged gently at his hair as he held my hips firmly in place and made me come so hard that my thighs clenched against the sides of his face.

Breathless, I stared down my naked body and into his eyes.  Pulling him down onto the blanket, I climbed on top without hesitation.  His large hands gripped my breasts w
hile I rode him gently at first and then harder as another orgasm came into view.  I moaned and lifted my eyes to the stars moving about the ceiling, feeling lost in them as if I wasn’t even on solid ground anymore.  I lowered my gaze to AJ as he stiffened and arched forward, making it easier to devour his lips while he groaned and came just as hard as I did.  The movement in my hips didn’t cease until he pulled his lips away and his head rested back against the blanket with a relaxed expression on his face. 

I pushed my hair back and when I lowered my hand to AJ’s chest, I caught sight of the ring he’d just given me.  Was I really going to get to have him forever?  Would we really be this happy years down the road?  I smiled down on him and placed another kiss on his lips, believing in my heart that this would be the case.

“I love you,” he said once more, leaving me with the impression that he couldn’t quite say it enough.

“And I love
you
,” I replied, praying that he could feel how serious I was.  These weren’t empty words.  They weren’t just a response to his statement.  They were the truth, from the bottom of my heart. 

AJ took the hand that now held a physical representation of his feelings for me, kissing it once before adding, “
Today.  Tomorrow.  Always…..”