Summerfield (5 page)

I shrugged, trying to shake off the feeling. "Nothing."
And I didn't say much after that.
---
"Well, that's some storm out there." Joe commented, looking out the
living room window where we had gathered to watch a movie. I was only
slightly aware of what was playing. I mostly just knew that it was a
comedy because about every minute or so someone would get hit or fall
comically
"It's turning out to be." Dad agreed, looking with concern as he
opened the front door to observe the storm itself. I knew he wouldn't
open the door. He never would when it rained. "Maybe you three should
stay here tonight." Dad said, turning back to Joe and then glancing at
Cynthia.
"We don't want to put you guys out." Cynthia explained, but looked a
bit hopefully. I was guessing that she wasn't looking forward to
driving home with the fain falling as rapidly as it was. Not to
mention the incredibly loud thunder and the nearby lightning.
Joe nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll be just fine making it home."
Dad shook his head, looking stern. "No, you'll stay here tonight. Ella
can bunk with Mara Belle and you guys can stay in the guest room. Ben
can stay on the pull out couch."
Cynthia and Joe shared a look and I figured that we had company for the night.
"Thank you Darren. We would really appreciate it."
---
I groaned as I tossed once again. Sleep was impossible. Everyone else
in the house seemed to have fallen asleep though. Ella, who lay
beside me, was fast asleep. The Stanley's were comfortable in the
guest room, Ben snug and warm down stairs, and Dad and Lance...well, I
didn't know how they were doing. Lance had bunked with Dad in his
room, but they preferred if one of them slept in the bed and the other
slept on the cot. Because honestly, it could be a little awkward for
two grown men to share a bed. I had told dad that it made more sense
for Lance to just stay with Ella, but he disagreed. He thought it
might be setting a bad example for me.
Please, I watch cable television. I know how it goes.
Maybe it was the thunder that never seemed to stop. Maybe it was that
I wasn't use to sleeping next to someone. Maybe, just maybe, it was
the fact that Ben was right down stairs.
Let's go with the third one for sake of conversation.
Ben Stanley, the boy had known as a kid and now knew as a teenager and
the boy that I had easily fallen head over heels for. Well, maybe that
was the wrong way of putting it. I was really more of a flip-flop
person compared to heels.
I sighed deeply. I had given up on sleep about an hour ago. I rubbed
my sleepy eyes, taking a look at the clock that now read 3:47.
I hate this.
Giving up completely I gently rose from the bed, being sure not to
wake Ella and making my way downstairs as quietly as possible. I
need fresh air and I needed to think. Not that I didn't so enough of
that already. But I might as well think outside as I watch the rain.
I spotted Ben squirming in his sleep. The covers of the pull out couch
were all over the place and he moved about every two seconds to switch
his position. I figured it as either the storm or lack of comfort. I
wasn't sure if he were awake or asleep, but his eyes weren't open so I
decided it was best I go ahead and just go out the porch with as
little noise as possible. If he were sleeping, I didn't want to wake
him.
I opened the door silently, glancing towards Ben in hopes that I
hadn't woken him. He shifted again, turning his back to me and I
sighed quietly in relief.
I made my way outside and shut the door with as little noise as I had
opened it with. It was much better that no one knew I was out here.
With the storm raving like it was they would most likely just tell me
to go back inside.
But I needed this. I needed to sit out on the porch at almost 4am with
no one awake and just watch the rain.
I wanted to sort out my feelings for Ben. My feelings about being back
home. My feelings about everything. Though partly, I wasn't sure I
wanted to figure it all out.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to fall in love with Ben. I would just have
to leave again. And there was the issue of my father you might have me
committed just to keep me away from boys.
I wished more than anything that I had Mom here. She always knew what
to say and what to do to help me or to make me feel better. I had
always been able to depend on her for support.
To me, she was like an angel. Ella once said after she passed
away that Mom was an angel. My angel. She had told me that Mom had
been sent to have me, to teach me live, love, learn. And the more I
had thought about it, maybe that was true. Mom was my angel. She
always had been.
I wondered what she would think of Ben. Would she approve, disapprove,
give me advice. She always had before.
I really missed her.
"Hey." Ben's sleepy voice brought me back to Earth as he stood at the
door, looking a mix between worried and curious.
I subconsciously swept my bangs away from my face, looking down to
hide the slight blush that had crept to my cheeks. He looked so cute
when he first wakes up. "Hey."
He shut the door quietly, much like I had before and sat next to me,
his eyes on the storm that continued. You really couldn't see anything
unless the lightning struck, but I could feel the gentle breeze and
bit of the rain on my face occasionally.
"What are you thinking right now?" He wondered, his eyes flickering to mine.
I avoided eyes contact. As childish as it sounded, I didn't want to
tell him the truth. How was I going to say that I had come out here
because I couldn't sleep and I needed to think about you and my mom.
It didn't really work like that. "I don't know."
"You don't want to tell me or you don't know?"
I smiled a bit. "What do you think I'm thinking?" He shrugged, unsure.
"What are you thinking?"
He gazed at me again, but this time was a bit different. His eyes were
clouded, his features soft yet conflicting. He seemed to be debating
if he should tell me or not. He sighed after a moment, looking back
into darkness, thunder clashing in the distance. "I like you."
I was sure I hadn't heard him right. He had been mumbling, so I was
almost certain I hadn't. I had already decided with myself that he
couldn't like me. He was so out of my league. He was beautiful and
incredible. My father loved him, I loved his family, and we connected
and I was comfortable with him.
It was simply too good to be true. Like most things.
"Are you going to say something or should I go ahead and crawl into
some kind of hole?" His voice brought me right back, his tone unsure
and uneasy.
"What did you say?" I whispered, the surprise was evident in my voice.
"I like you." He repeated, clearly this time.
There's no way I could have mistaken that. I slowly turned to look at
him, a shiver running through my body as the cold wind came in contact
with my bare skin where my t-shirt and shorts left exposed flesh. He
looked anxious and a mixture of a few other things that I couldn't pin
point out. "Why?"
I hadn't exactly meant to say it, but how could I not? Here, this
gorgeous guy that was way too perfect to be true was telling me he
liked me. I needed to know why me when he could have his pick of
pretty much any girl out there.
He chuckled softly, no really sign of amusement in his voice. "Because
I do. You’re beautiful, sweet, fun to be with, I’m comfortable around
you. I’ve never met anyone I could really be so much myself with." His
blue eyes met mine again, which only seemed to slow my breathing.
"Truth is , I'm kind of crazy about you."
That seemed to stop my breathing all together. Realizing that I
wasn't, I drew in a long breathe which only seemed to catch his
attention and keep my heart beating a bit longer. "I think...I think I
forgot to breathe."
His laughter filled the silence and I felt my lips tug for a smile.
"Can I ask you something?"
I shrugged, my mind and heart still racing. "Okay, but if I turn blue
remind me to breathe."
He chuckled again, his voice a bit tense. He had been looking at the
ground, but this time his eyes were set right on mine and I didn't
have the heart to look away. Actually, it may have been impossible for
me to. "Do you like me too?"
All I could do was nod. All of my other systems seemed to be shut down
completely. I seemed to have very little control over my senses at the
moment.
I saw a smile tugging at his lips, his blue eyes shining brighter than
the sky when lightning would strike. "Would you push me away if I
kissed you right now?"
I shook my head. "No." I whispered. I was totally, completely, and
utterly caught up in this boy.
He leaned over, his surprisingly warm hand on my cheek, our lips only
centimeters from each other. "Will your dad shoot me if he sees us?"
He whispered, his eyes flickering from my eyes to my lips. Just like
my eyes were doing to him.
"Most likely. You think it's worth it?"
He smirked a bit, leaning in fully, capturing my lips with his. I
wasn't even sure how to describe it. I wasn't sure I was even thinking
at all. It was like the rest of the world had faded and the only thing
around was just him and I. I didn't know how it felt to fly, but I'm
sure this kiss could come in to a very close second with that feeling.
Yes, I know, I sound sappy and cliché and I'm fully aware, but quite
honestly the only way I could have described it was with one word.
Perfect.
I wasn't sure just how long we had been kissing, but when we parted I
was very aware of how out of breathe I was. I felt intoxicated.
"You breathing?" He murmured with a grin as he pressed his forehead to mine.
"Not very well."
"For the record," He began as he twirls a piece of my hair, his
forehead still against mine. "It would have been worth getting shot."
I was never going to get to sleep tonight. That hope was long gone now.
---
I was grinning like a total idiot by 5:00am when I had gotten back up
to my room. I slipped under the covers and turned to face my wall,
still smiling. I couldn't help it.
The fresh memories were still replaying in my mind for maybe the tenth
time since I had told him goodnight. Which had only been a couple
minutes ago.
He had kissed me. He had confessed his feelings for me. He had even
asked me to officially be his girlfriend. But there was one issue to
this. My father.
I couldn't just casually bring it up that I was now dating Ben. The
boy he thought of as a son. Probably the last boy in the world Dad had
thought would make any kind of move on me. Someone he trusted. If I
was going to be with Ben it would have to secretly. I didn't like the
whole idea of sneaking around but it appeared as if I really have no
choice. Dad would never allow me to date Ben. He wouldn't allow me to
date, period.
"Belle?" Aunt Ella's groggy voice and sleepy voice questioned from next to me.
I turned my head back to glance at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake
you up." I whispered, not totally sure why.
"It's fine." She said, waving it away with a smile. "Where have you been?"
I tried to look casual as I shrugged. "I was just on the porch."
Ella smiled. Even her eyes looked like they were smiling. "Your
mom use to love doing that too when it rained."
I smiled in remembrance. "Yeah." I turned back around, thinking the
conversation was over.
"So Belle," Ella said, I could tell she was grinning and her tone
was slightly amused and knowing. "When are you planning on telling me
about you and Ben?"
I laughed a bit to myself. Of course she knew. She always did. "I'll
tell you all about it in the morning."
"Okay. Belle?"
"Yeah?" I yawned.
"How was the kiss?"
I grinned. "Better than flying."