Sweet Becky… she too had lost so much in her young life, suffered so much sadness of her own. Yet the thing was, she still had hope in her heart. He had recognized it from the day he crashed into her, to the night she showed up on his front door and begged him, with those big green eyes, to let her stay. Hope is what drew him to her, compelled him. It called to him. And if anything ever threatened to shake it from her, he would do whatever necessary to crush those doubts and keep hope alive.
“Ready, love?” He took her hand when she turned to him. When all she could do to keep from falling apart was nod, he tugged her in close for a much-needed hug.
“Let’s get out of here, Kelley.”
“Now, I want nothing but smiles for the rest of our stay,” he said, taking her hand.
“Me too for you,” she agreed, putting on a brave face.
“Deal.”
Chapter 52
Becky and Kell spent the remainder of New Year’s Eve celebrating the event amongst the multitudes of people crowding Nathan Phillips Square. A giant bandshell was set up for the festivities and many bands were lined up to perform. While it was standing room only, Kell, looking the way he did, had no problem intimidating everyone on his way to the front of the stage.
“Such a scary Goth,” Becky teased, staring up at him from the fortress of his arms. “If only they knew the truth.”
“They do. I am scary. Only you don’t get that.” He cracked a smile at her.
“Is that right?” she challenged, taking a moment to look at him through everyone else’s eyes. Indeed, he was scary and intimidating in his militia inspired goth gear, his features cold and hard. With that scowl on his face, she could understand why he had easily cut through the crowd. To the outside world, he was quite the force to be reckoned with. But she knew better. To her, he was Kelley, sweet misunderstood gothy goodness all wrapped up in one glorious package. Best of all, he was hers and she was glad for that.
“Shut up, you, and enjoy the show,” he said with a devilish wink.
After a night of festivities, followed by countless romps of shameless sex action, Becky woke up feeling incredibly awesome if not a wee bit sore in certain areas of her body. She turned on her side and opened one eye to find the cause of that delicious ache staring back at her with an equally euphoric look on his face.
Such a beautiful creature, he was. Those red streaks of hair framing that gorgeous face. It shouldn’t be allowed, really. For a man to be so beautiful. It was a good thing he had that hard edge to balance him out, to keep others at a distance in case they might steal him away.
“What in the world are you thinking with that face?” he finally asked, leaning in for a kiss.
“That I have died and gone to heaven,” she said, laughing at the ridiculous cliche but it was also the truth. Heaven was waking up next to Kelley Keele.
“Keep talking like that, looking at me that way, and we’ll never get out of here,” he growled into her ear. “What do you think of that?”
“Lock me up and throw away the key!” she sputtered, grabbing hold of his head.
“Greedy little git.” He chuckled, settling in between her thighs, giving her butt cheeks a hearty squeeze.
Locking him in between her knees, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on tight. As her body gave way to his steely length, she sighed content. With slow, languid thrusts of his hips, he once again took her to that galaxy of orgasmic bliss. His magical moves splitting her into the tiniest fragments of stars. After floating around for an unmeasured amount of time, she came floating back down to earth, to the heaven that was Kelley’s arms.
“Could you be any sweeter?” he asked, planting kisses on her dampened brow. She hadn’t heard him, though. She was still in that happy place. He couldn’t help but smile. While he’d gone there with her, she always seemed to linger and that was perfectly fine with him. He loved nothing more than to watch and wait for her to land. In fact, it just made him want to take her there again and again.
As much as she would have liked to prolong their time away, Becky was eager to get back to the House of Goths. It was incredible, really, how much she looked forward to seeing her housemates. While Kelley wasn’t in such a hurry, he too, looked forward to getting back and jamming with his bandmates. The band would have to get practicing. They had gigs lined up all over the place, enough to keep them busy until Spring Break.
“Why are we stopping?” Becky asked as Kell pulled off the highway.
“For pie,” he said with a crooked smile, parking the car.
“Oh, I get it! The Big Apple!” Becky clapped her hands. This was turning out to be the best road trip. The Big Apple was a quirky yet well known touristy stop along the highway between Toronto and Kingston. Its crowning glory, being a huge structure in the shape of a red apple that doubled as a museum. There was a petting zoo on the grounds, and of course, a restaurant, boasting record apple pie sales.
“I thought you might be hungry.” He cracked up when she nodded enthusiastically. The girl certainly loved her food. She made no secret of that. “What could be better than a freshly baked apple pie?”
“A stop at the Teddy Bear Picnic Tea Room?” she quipped, following him out of the car.
“Not on your life.” He chuckled, putting his arm around her. “That was a one-time deal.”
After stuffing their faces with fresh apple pie and hot chocolate, Becky sat staring out the window at the snow-covered hills.
Sitting across from her, Kell couldn’t help but wonder what she thought about. “Earth to Becky,” he said with a smile.
“Oh, sorry, food coma, I guess.” She sat up and turned her attention to him.
“Where’d you go, love?”
“I don’t really know,” she said pensively. “I was just thinking about the future.”
“The future?” he repeated.
“It’s silly, really. But every now and then I suppose I worry about it.”
“It happens. We’re at that stage in our lives when all we do is worry about the future. But it’s important to come back to the present.”
“The present is perfect,” she blurted, reaching across the table for his hand. “It’s exactly as it should be. All of us, together at the House of Goths.”
“I used to worry about the future,” he said softly. “Not so much anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it kind of just dawned on me the day before Christmas Eve.”
“The day of our wine tasting trip?”
“Yeah, you know, when I got all moody on you.”
“I remember.”
“Yes, I was driving along, wondering how things would work out.”
“Anything in particular?”
“Everything, actually, like what would happen when we graduate. Will we go our separate ways? Will the band still be a band? Then, of course, there’s me and you.”
“And?” she asked, nervously awaiting his answer.
“I simply decided not to worry about it,” he said with a smile.
“That’s it?”
“Yes, because all we have is the here and now. We’re young yet, all of us. We should enjoy this time in our lives.” He gazed into her eyes. “You and me, we’re together now. Today, I want you in my life forever. Today, I am happy.”
“But what about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is just another today. I know when I wake up tomorrow it will be as it is today.”
“Today is our tomorrow,” she said with a wistful smile.
“Yes, you get it now,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “All I ever want is for our tomorrows to be like today.”
“Wow, that’s beautiful,” she said with a smile. “You could be a poet. Oh, Kelley, I want us to stay together forever. I can’t imagine not spending my life with you.”
“You and I will always be together,” he confirmed, gently stroking the promise ring on her finger.
“What about the others? What do you think th
ey will do?”
“They are welcome to stay as long as they like.”
“I wish we could all stay as we are now. But I suppose one day they might go off on their own. Perhaps if things progress between Dorian and Heather, they might want to get their own place. Maybe even get married.”
“A little early for all that but it’s possible. Although, you and I will probably beat them to the altar.” He quirked an eyebrow, watching her face light up.
“Really?” she gasped breathlessly.
“God, yes,” he said, leaning in and sealing it with a kiss.
After a brief pause, Becky finally found her voice. “Kelley, are you proposing to me at the Big Apple?”
“Of course not.” He burst out laughing. “Give me a little credit.”
“Oh, okay… I would say yes, though, in case you were wondering.”
“Aw, Becky, you’re killing me.” Hearing the sincerity in her voice, he nearly lost it. He might even have gotten down on one knee if it weren’t for the group of touring seniors staring at them from the next table. “All in good time, love.” He kissed her once more. “It might happen sooner than you think. In the meantime, even if everyone else moves on. We will always have each other.”
“Until then, we should enjoy what we have, all of us,” she added dreamily. “I love my home at the House of Goths. Besides, I would miss them, worry about them. As with you, I consider them family.”
“I feel the same way. But don’t worry so much. We still have plenty of time together. Years yet before we graduate. Lots of time to get on each other’s nerves.”
“What happens in the summertime?” she asked absently. “When classes are over for the year?”
“Oh, yes, I suppose you weren’t made aware,” he said with an inspired smile.
“Aware of what? What happens in the summer?”
“Well, we go on our yearly cross-Canada tour. It’s what we do every summer. Think of it as one big road trip, the five of us.”
“Really? Me too?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t leave you behind.” He laughed at the thought.
“Yay! How exciting!”
“It has its moments. With you along for the ride, it will be even better.”
“Wow, Kelley, I’m so excited. I had no idea.”
“Way too early to get excited about the summer when we haven’t even had spring yet.” He gave his head a shake.
“That’s true. One day at a time.” She gave his hand a squeeze.
“That’s right. Now come along, let’s get a pie to go. They guys will love it.”
“Let’s get a half a dozen!”
Chapter 53
Kell hadn’t even come to a complete stop before Becky fought with the lock on her door. “Settle down, love,” he said with a smirk. “You’ll see them soon enough. Besides, you’re starting to give me a complex.”
“What about?” She stopped and stared at him.
“I know you like them. So do I, but you needn’t be so enthusiastic about it. We’ve only just arrived back.”
“Aw… Kelley, I still love you the most.” She cracked up, realizing that he was only pulling her leg. He would have to be a fool to doubt her commitment to him. Kelley was anything but a fool.
“Go on, get out of here.” Leaning in, he stole a kiss before unlocking her door.
“I’ll grab the pies. You bring in our bags,” she said as she scrambled out of the car.
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave his head a shake.
It was amazing, really, how her mere presence altered the atmosphere. At the sound of her voice, the great cloud of doom that had lingered over the house instantly evaporated into thin air. Without hesitation, both Dorian and Keegan ran to greet her.
First at her side, Dorian reached out and took the pies from her arms. Next, Keegan came along and helped her with her coat. She was talking a mile a minute, hugging and kissing them both. As glad as she was to see them, she couldn’t help but wonder why Crispin hadn’t greeted her at the door.
Kell came in next, greeting everyone with a smile on his way upstairs. Moments later everyone dispersed, carrying on as normal. Dorian returned to the kitchen, Keegan to the television room to finish watching his movie.
Standing at a loss, Becky made her way into the kitchen and sat at the table. She quietly observed Dorian, fussing over the stove.
“You’re just in time for dinner,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Won’t be long.”
“What are you making? she asked while the question that weighed heaviest on her mind went unspoken.
“Turkey, of course. It’s New Years Day. I figured since we’re back to classes tomorrow, we might as well have one last blast.”
“Oh, wow, Dorian, that’s very thoughtful of you,” she said, perking up a bit. “We brought apple pies for dessert.” She looked around but didn’t see where he’d put them.
“I noticed. That’ll be perfect. I set them down in the dining room.”
“The dining room?”
“Yeah, I figured we’d eat in there tonight. You’re always going on about how nice a table it is.”
Before he finished his sentence, Becky ran into the dining room and turned on the lights. That’s when her jaw dropped in awe. The table was beautifully set. Someone had arranged it as though it had hopped out of a magazine, a gothy one albeit, but still, it was more than she could have ever dreamt it could be.
Looking up from the couch, Keegan paused his movie. “Not bad for a bunch of guys, is it?” The clever Goths had even opened the connecting French doors between the two rooms.
“It’s gorgeous!” she gasped with her hands up to her face.
“That’s what we were going for,” Dorian quipped, stepping in behind her. “In hopes that you would be so impressed, you’d never want to leave us again.”
“Thanks a lot, man,” Kell said, stepping in behind Dorian, having overheard him. “As it was, she barely tolerated being away for two nights.”
With a pat on his shoulder, Crispin finally appeared, resting his grey eyes on Becky’s face. “Oh, I’m sure you kept each other distracted well enough. I did offer to loan you the handcuffs if she gave you any trouble.”
“Like I would ever need them,” Kell quipped, sucker-punching him in the ribs.
“Of course, you wouldn’t,” Crispin scoffed, looking from Kell to Becky with an odd look in his eyes.
“Hey…” Becky blushed profusely at all their talk.
Without another word, Crispin disappeared from the room. At the frown on her face, Dorian was quick to explain. “He’s been a miserable sod ever since you went off.”
“Aw, he’ll get over it,” Kell said, unbothered. “Call me when dinner’s ready. I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
“Once again, Keegan returned to his movie while Becky followed Dorian into the kitchen. “What did you mean by that?” she asked, looking out through the window, seeing Crispin entering the garage.
“Never mind, Becky, it’s just the way he is. He gets attached to people even though he pretends not to care. I suppose it comes from how he grew up. He’s afraid to get close because, in the end, people have always let him down.”
“I understand what you’re saying but what has that got to do with me?” she asked cluelessly. As far as she was concerned, she had no plans to ever let Crispin down.
“I suppose when you went off with Kell, these last couple of days…”
“Oh…”
“Yes, you get it now. Even though he knows in his head that you were coming back, the whole thing makes him question his existence.”
“Wow, Dorian, you’re very perceptive.”
“I’ve known him longer, that’s all,” he added pensively. “Keegan thought it was just because Gracie dumped him. But I know better. This goes deeper than that.”
“I should talk to him.”
“That’s a good idea. If he bites your head off, don’t be surprised. It’s how he copes.”
&
nbsp; “That much I know,” she said, putting on her coat and boots.
Chapter 54
Taking a deep breath, Becky entered the garage. She found Crispin there, sitting in the dark, gently playing his unplugged electric guitar. He paused for a moment in acknowledgement of her presence and then resumed his idle strumming.
Here it comes. The moment he had been dreading. The moment of truth had arrived. His plans were to distance himself from her, from everyone, but especially from Becky. It would be a true test of his will. He figured it would be easy enough to distance himself from the others because, well, they were guys. They might not even notice. But with Becky, it was going to require a lot more to stay away from her. He would have to basically cut her off, emotionally and physically. No more cuddles, no more playful tussles, no more nothing. The quickest and kindest way to accomplish his goal was to be cruel.
“Don’t you have anything better to do?” he all but groaned when all she did was stand there in front of him, staring at him with those eyes.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt,” she said, digging her hands into her coat pockets. All the way home in the car, she had pictured running into the house, right into Crispin’s arms. In her imagination, he would have been first to greet her. While she liked all of her housemates equally, she felt a special kinship with Crispin. Perhaps because it had been so hard to win him over in the first place. Perhaps it was because he was so beautifully tragic and she like many a girl would love nothing more than to save the beautiful broken boy from further sadness. Yet in her heart, she knew it went deeper than that.
“I wanted to see you,” she said, purposely ignoring his venom.
“Whatever for?” He continued strumming.
“Because I missed you,” she said, gingerly approaching his side.
At that, he snickered and gave his head a shake. “Why in the world would you do that?”
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