by M. Clarke
When the sound of sirens echoed, I walked out to the front. I recognized Officer Thomas, my dad’s friend. His belly was hanging out and it seemed as though he had more white hair than the last time I’d seen him. Having him there gave me comfort in knowing he would do everything he could to find the bastards.
“Seth. Elijah,” Officer Thomas greeted us with a nod. “I’m going to find who did this.”
CHAPTER 27
Josie
After I had picked up dinner for Mom and some food to last her for a few days, I made sure she was comfortable. Dismissing all the anger and hurt, I tried to be the good daughter. I paid for her electricity, water, and her cell phone bill, making sure I could get ahold of her. Taking down her doctor’s information, I told her I would make the appointment for her. The sooner we got her mental health issues squared away, the better it would be for both of us.
After I got inside my car, I checked my messages. I felt bad for being short and to the point with Seth, but my emotions were all so whacked that I needed space. Scrolling down, I replied to Lexy, letting her know I was on my way home. Then, when I got to the third message, my heart leapt out of my chest and every nerve in my body shot achingly through my veins. Getting a text from Brad always did that to me.
Guess where I am?
The text was sent an hour ago. Even though every ounce of me told me not to reply, I did anyway. I wanted to know what that bastard wanted. Why I even bothered to ask, I had no idea. I already knew the answer anyway.
I don’t care, I texted back.
You should. I’m at your boyfriend’s shop, or at least I was.
What were you doing there?
His reply came back almost instantly: Having fun.
Don’t you fuckin’ touch him, I seethed.
Don’t worry. I won’t, but I’ll touch something else.
I wanted to kill him. Please don’t. I’m begging you. I’ll give you money.
You’re going to give me lots of money, sweetheart.
Tired of his shit, I stopped messaging him back. Surely, he wouldn’t go that far. He wasn’t that stupid. Was he? I shoved my phone inside my purse and took off. Just before I did, I looked over my shoulder to see the house that used to haunt me. Most people reminisced about their good childhood memories of the house they grew up in. Instead, I thought about all the yelling, hitting, and how I had felt worthless in that house. I remembered how I couldn’t wait to move out.
Feeling an awful knot twisting in the pit of my stomach from Brad’s text, instead of going to my apartment, I decided to take a detour to Seth’s auto shop. I knew I wouldn’t be able to see much since it was closed, but I couldn’t help my imagination from running wild: Everything on the shelves was thrown down and broken. Tires were slashed, oil cans were opened and poured on the floor, and damage was done to cars they had been servicing.
Oh God! I hoped it wasn’t as bad as what was swimming through my mind. But what the hell was I thinking, hoping it wasn’t as bad? Seth didn’t deserve this. In my wishful thinking, I was hoping Brad was bluffing and the board that was mounted on the door to cover the broken door was a coincidence. Having seen enough, I drove home.
Seth picked me up at six, just as he had texted he would. We were both wearing all black since we were going to serve Elijah and Alex and this was somewhat of a formal attire color most waiters wore at a fancy restaurant. Wearing black jeans and a black button-down shirt that framed his muscular chest, he looked edible. It was hard not to stare. I thought I looked pretty good too, with black pants and a black silk blouse, but he didn’t take notice. At least if he did, he didn’t say anything. His greeting was short and simple, not the kind I would’ve expected after what we’d done the last time.
I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but something felt different between us. The feeling of closeness and comfort was replaced by a thick layer of fog. We hardly spoke to each other during the drive to our destination, and I rarely made eye contact with him. I wanted to ask him about his auto shop, but I decided to wait for him to bring it up first. Telling him about Brad and my issues was the last thing I wanted to do right now. It was bad enough if for some reason I had to bring up the topic of my mother, but not today. It was supposed to be a happy occasion.
“How was work last night?” Seth asked, breaking the ice that seemed to get colder by the mile. Strangely, his tone was not pleasant. He sounded more like a drill sergeant instead of someone who was dating me. I’d never seen him like this before. Was he mad at me? Then I thought, what were we to each other?
“Fine,” I lied, feeling like crap for doing it. “What did you do yesterday?”
“Elijah and I went out to dinner.”
“That’s good,” I said.
I wasn’t sure if he was aware of what he was doing, but the tapping of his thumb on the steering wheel was bugging me as he continuously looked straight ahead. Occasionally, he would glance my way without a word, like he was expecting me to say something.
“Do you want to tell me anything?” His question sounded very suspicious. “You know you can trust me, right?”
Oh God! Did he know about Brad and Mom? Impossible.
“Yes, I know,” I replied.
He looked at me again before he turned right, maybe waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t, he inhaled deeply.
Then it was silent again.
Elijah greeted us when Seth parked his car. I thought he would look like a nervous wreck, but he looked calm, like it was just another ordinary day.
“You started without me,” Seth grumbled, taking large boxes out from the trunk one at a time. There were four of them.
When I reached down to pick one up, Seth placed a hand on me. “It’s heavy. Elijah and I got this.” When he spoke, he didn’t look at me. Something was definitely wrong. I brushed it aside, thinking maybe it was me. Being with my mom and going through a rollercoaster of emotions was enough to make me sensitive and shaky. And maybe Seth was too consumed in his thoughts of tonight. After all, one of his best friends was proposing. I was sure he would want to do everything to help, and his mind was too occupied by the task at hand.
We were back at the same hill, overlooking the gorgeous view. I stood there, watching Elijah and Seth open up the boxes. Elijah had already set up a white tent. It wasn’t the camping kind of tent, but rather more like something I would see in a magazine for a romantic getaway. With a table set for two in the center, and battery candles positioned in various places inside and outside the tent, I could already see how beautiful it was going to be.
White Christmas lights dangled from the branches of the surrounding smaller trees. Seth walked around placing more fake candles on the ground near the trees and then more surrounding the tent.
“Do you need help?” I asked, feeling like I didn’t belong there. When Seth asked me if I wanted to help, I had been ecstatic. Now, I felt like I wasn’t even there from the way he was ignoring me.
“Sure. Can you help me with this?”
I grabbed the other end of a long roll and followed him. Starting from the entrance of the tent that was wide open, he placed it on the ground and started to unroll it. We unrolled it together, creating a path for Alex to walk on. Then, following us, Elijah tossed red rose petals along the walkway. Inhaling the scent of the roses, I smiled at the thought of how lucky Alex was. She was going to be a complete mess of excitement. She was going to explode with all kinds of emotions. Then I found myself feeling a little bit envious. No guy had ever done anything like this for me. I was never treated like I was the most precious thing—well, Seth had, until tonight.
While Elijah set the table with pretty plates, elegant utensils, and wine glasses, Seth and I organized their dinner Elijah had catered. I could tell by Seth’s eyes that he was deep in thought, but was he deep in thought here or somewhere else? After we were done with that, we went back up the slippery hill to his car. At least he was a gentleman about it and offered his hand. If Seth even spoke t
o me, it was short and to the point, and only about the setup.
While Seth fumbled about in the car looking for something, I pulled out my cell from my back pocket and took a picture of this marvelous spectacle. Standing on higher ground gave me a clear view. I didn’t realize it was seven thirty until the solar lights around the trees and the tent gave a faint glow, and they would grow even brighter as every minute passed.
Seth finally got out of the car and stood next to me while looking at his phone. “Lexy and Alex are almost here.” Then he shouted out to Elijah, “They’re here!” It was so loud that it echoed around us.
Elijah walked about looking debonair. I had to admit, he took my breath away. Wearing a black tuxedo, he looked amazing from his hair to his shoes. With the tux conforming to every inch of his muscular, manly body, Alex was going to be dizzy with lust. He already looked good wearing nothing but jeans and a T-shirt, but this—wait until she saw him. Not an ounce of nervousness marked his face. He was Mr. Cool for sure.
A car pulled up. Lexy got out of the car first, smiling and dressed all in black like us. My heart pounded with anticipation, and it hammered even more when I saw the expression on Alex’s face—confusion and awe. She wore a beautiful silky, sleeveless red dress, which conformed to her womanly curves and complimented her long wavy blonde hair and her blue-as-the-sky eyes. She was stunning, exquisite, and breathtaking.
Alex’s hands went to her face for a second, and when she dropped them, I could see her eyes had welled up with tears. I didn’t blame her. I would’ve done the same. This wasn’t for me and even my eyes were filled with tears. Finally, Alex and Lexy waved to us.
“Surprise,” Lexy said.
“I thought you were taking me to a restaurant, but this is even…. What’s going on?” Alex’s eyes are still wide and full of question.
“Nothing.” Seth gave Alex and Lexy a hug, the hug he hadn’t given to me when he picked me up.
Elijah’s chest expanded with a deep intake of breath when he stood below us. “Hello, beautiful.” His words came off so smooth and sexy that it was difficult not to stare at him. Lexy had told me about Elijah and his reputation—the bad boy with a good heart. I totally saw that now. Though Seth wasn’t a bad-boy type, he could totally play that part if he wanted to.
“Hello, handsome.” Alex’s smile outshone the lights around us. The lights were more apparent now as the sun was almost set.
“Come to me. You’re mine now,” Elijah said hotly. He didn’t care if we were around. Actually, I was pretty sure once Alex arrived none of us existed.
Reaching his hand out, he swept Alex off her feet and carried her down the slippery section of the hill. After he kissed her tenderly on her lips, he placed her down. Her smile never left her face and neither did her tears. Gazing into each other’s eyes, Elijah led her down the white path, her heels digging into the ground and on the petals, all the way, until they were inside the tent and out of our sight.
“I think this should be in a book or a movie,” Lexy mumbled, breaking us out of our stare. “It’s too romantic. Elijah really outdid himself.” Lexy inhaled a deep sigh, as if she wished this night were hers.
“We helped,” Seth threw in, taking a step down the path. “We better get dinner ready.”
After Seth helped us down, the three of us acted like waiters. I poured the water, Lexy poured the wine, and Seth brought the dinner trays and placed them in front of the happy couple. When Seth opened the silver lids, the aroma burst into the air, making me hungry. Each plate held seasoned halibut, rice pilaf, and assorted vegetables—carrots, squash, zucchini, and broccoli.
“Thank you,” Alex said with a huge giddy smile. But I could tell her hands were a little shaky when she reached for the white linen napkin in her lap. I didn’t blame her; even my hands were trembling a little, feeling too excited for her. She had no idea what was coming.
In the corner of the tent, I saw a blow-up mattress, a blanket, and a couple of pillows. I guessed they were spending the night there. Awww, how romantic! After all was served, Seth spread out a picnic blanket by the tree. The three of us sat and ate our dinner. Elijah was thoughtful that way. He had dinner catered for us too. I had no clue until Seth pulled out a plate for me.
“I forgot to tell you about dinner,” Seth said to me. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I muttered, still feeling uneasy about what was happening between the two of us.
“I’m sorry,” Lexy squealed. “I thought I told you too, Josie.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I said and then changed the subject, “Do you know how Elijah is going to propose to Alex?”
Seth took a big bite of his fish and raked his hair back, chewing. He looked like he had something to say, but Lexy intervened, “I have no idea. I’ve asked him a dozen times, but he told me he didn’t know. I figured he wanted to keep it a secret, so it didn’t leak out. He knows me too well.” Lexy snorted.
Seth rumbled a laugh. It was the first time I’d seen him smile today. “That’s the truth, Josie. Don’t trust Lexy with anything important.”
Lexy lightly smacked Seth across his arm. “That’s not true. Take it back.”
He just rolled his eyes and shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth. After he swallowed, he said, “The ring is going to be on the cupcake, on top of the frosting. I have it. Do you want to see it?”
Lexy and I panted and drooled. “Yes,” we practically shouted in accord.
Seth reached behind him, set a plastic container on his lap, and opened it. Two red velvet cupcakes with swirling, whipped white frosting, were placed carefully in the center. On one, a white gold band with a carat-sized diamond sparkled against the glistening lights around us.
“Holy shit! It’s beautiful,” Lexy murmured with her hands clasped together.
Unable to say a word, I just stared at it with admiration. It was simple, yet elegant.
“Elijah has been saving up for it. He wanted the best for Alex. He bought it at Tiffany’s,” Seth explained.
“Seth.” We all jumped when we heard Seth’s name. It was Elijah. “It’s time.”
Seth closed the container and stood up. The lights dangling from the trees brought out all the angles of his fine features. He looked so dreamy that I could stare at him all day, against the backing of the twinkling city lights and the stars that became brighter as the sky darkened. The day had turned to night just as we were eating.
Elijah had taken Alex out of the tent so we could clear the dishes and set up his proposal. When I looked out to the city lights, I spotted Elijah holding Alex under the full moonlight. He was kissing her softly and tenderly. There was so much love between them that a part of me was a little envious. At one point, I thought maybe Seth and I could have that, but I didn’t know anymore. And I kept having wishful thoughts—thoughts I knew better than to have.
Everything about this place exuded peace, unity, and love. After we quickly set up, Seth cleared his throat and left. I guess that was his clue to Elijah.
“Well, I guess those two don’t need us anymore,” Lexy sighed, looking like she didn’t want to leave. “I want to stay and congratulate them right after he proposes. Do you think we can do that, Seth?”
Seth shrugged his shoulders. “Elijah didn’t tell me we had to leave. Let’s stand behind the tent, but make sure to stay quiet.”
“Do you think he’ll mind?” I asked.
“We’re like family. They won’t mind,” Lexy said. “What do you think, Seth?”
“I think it will be okay.”
We agreed and followed him.
“Elijah, there’s a ring on my cupcake.” Alex sounded stunned.
I could see a shadow of Elijah kneeling on the floor of the tent and Alex’s hands to her face.
“Alex, before you came into my life, it was dark and cold. I saw no purpose, no light. I lived every day just to live. Then you became my roommate. Never did I think I would find you. I loved you from the instant you walked int
o my life, letting us know you were Jimmy’s cousin. I loved you the moment your blue eyes captured mine. I have loved you from the day you thought I was gay.”
Laughter burst from Alex.
Elijah continued, “I loved you before I even knew it. You are my home, my wisdom, and my sanity. I am your moon and you are my sun. You are my clarity, Alex. And I want to live the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor, even though I don’t deserve you, and be my wife? I will love you to the moon and back forever.”
“Yes.” I heard a soft whimper and Alex’s sob.
Lexy and I were wiping our tears, and I was pretty sure Seth got emotional as well.
Focusing back to Elijah and Alex, I could see his shadow reach for the ring. After he wiped it, he placed it on Alex’s finger. Then he cupped her face and kissed her. Hearing whispering sounds, I stood still, wondering what they were talking about. What the hell were we doing spying on one of their most intimate moments? I wanted to leave, but just before I took a step, their shadows were gone.
“You can congratulate us now,” Elijah said, holding Alex’s hand.
Their sudden appearance caused us to jerk in surprise.
Seth ruffled the hair at the back of his head. “Sorry, bro. We—we’re so happy for the both of you, and you’re like family. We wanted—we couldn’t wait.”
Elijah and Alex opened their arms. The five of us gathered into a group hug. Feeling Seth’s body pressed to mine sent all sorts of funny tingling flips through me. We stayed there for a few long seconds and then we parted.
“Thanks for all your help,” Elijah said. “Now—go. Unless you want to spend the night with Alex and me?”
“No, thanks. Maybe with Alex, but not with you.” Seth arched his brows playfully. I knew he was joking, but the fact that he said those words tugged my heart in jealousy.
