Kade
Evelyn is wearing a tight, short, silver dress. It clings to her like a second skin and looks nice against her porcelain skin. In the auditorium the lights are changing color every few seconds, and her silver dress reflects the lights changing her dress from purple to blue to red. I wasn’t going to go to prom, but my mom forced me to, telling me that prom night only happens once in a young man’s life. Evelyn was only too happy to oblige even though I asked her only two days before prom. “Wear a black tux and I will buy you a silver tie”. This was her only command.
She is extremely clingy tonight. She pulls my arms over her shoulders as we walk up to a group of mutual friends. I glance around and see Ryan, Laura, Kayla, Nathaniel and Alex dancing in a circle. Alex is smiling, her eyes closed. She looks really happy. Evelyn pulls me towards them and she greets Ryan and Jon with a hug. I am taken aback when I see Alex up close. She is beautiful. I always loved her in red. Her hair is styled so that a few tendrils are framing her face – her lips are a pouty red. Out of habit, I feel myself moving towards her, but I force my body to stop. I feel her watching me, but I ignore her eyes. I greet the boys good-naturedly and inconspicuously pull Evelyn’s hand and lead her towards an empty table. It was hard enough being in the same room with Alex, much less being forced to see Nathan’s arms moving all over her as they danced.
With Evelyn I don’t have to talk much, and soon a swarm of her friends come to our table. Evelyn tells me that she is going to get us something to drink and she leaves with the group. I look at her as she is walking away and I see a few heads turn in her wake.
“Kade?” I look up and see Alex standing in front of me.
“Hey,” I say but it comes out as a whisper. “You look beautiful tonight, Alex.”
She gives me a sad smile. “Listen … I’m sorry. I hate that I feel that I can’t talk to you. I don’t know how this happened. Can we talk after this? I miss you.” I hate the sad look in her eyes, and hate myself even more to be the cause of her sadness. She looks so much more at ease when I am not around.
In that instant as she is looking down at me, worry apparent in her eyes, I make a decision. I couldn’t put her through this any longer. I could not force her to feel more for me than she did. This is my burden to carry. I will let her go.
“When we got to college …” she continues.
But I stop her quickly. “Alex, I need to talk to you about college…” I trail off.
“What about college?” she questions worriedly.
“I’m thinking that Fort Place will be a better fit for me.” My voice sounds cold and detached.
I hear her gasp. “What?!” What are you talking about, Kade? We have been planning going away to college together for years! Fort Place is in a completely different state. Why are you doing this?” her eyes are brimming over with tears.
I tell myself not to reach out to her. This is for the best. I force my voice to be calm and collected. “Alex, Nathan is going to St. Junes too. You will have company. You will be fine. I don’t want to be the third wheel.” I say. I am surprised at my acting abilities. I say the words with a straight face and act like every word coming out of my mouth isn’t killing me.
“Third wheel? Are you kidding me?!?” she shouts. I see Nathan coming towards us. I don’t want to cause a scene and I really don’t think I can control myself if Nathan so much as speaks to me.
“Calm down, Alex. We will talk later.” I walk away as Nathan reaches the table.
As I am walking away from her, Evelyn comes up behind me wrapping her arms around my waist. I turn to her, wishing that I could feel more for her – for anyone other than Alex. She leads me to the dance floor. A sad love song is playing, and I pull her neatly into my arms. She looks up at me, smiles and kisses me deeply on my lips, and I kiss her back.
When I look back towards the table Nathan and Alex are no longer there. My eyes sweep the room and I see them leaving the dance hand in hand. I almost run after her. But the realization that I am making the right decision stops me in my tracks.
Chapter 11
Alex
“I’m happy that you asked to leave early, Lex.” I hear Nathan saying as he is driving out of the high school parking lot. “I have a surprise for you.”
I don’t answer, tears threatening to spill unto my cheeks. I was angry at myself. Angry at Kade. We were supposed to be best friends. He promised that he would never leave me. That nothing could ever come between us. I couldn’t even imagine not seeing him every day.
Nathan leans over and takes my hand as he drives, rubbing his thumb softly over my fingers. I look over at him and I can see excitement in his eyes. He continues driving and soon we turn into a driveway and I can see a tiny cabin hidden by some large trees. I recognize the cabin immediately. We had been there once before. It belonged to his cousin, James, who was away at college. His cousin was barely ever there. I noted that James’ car was absent from the driveway and I shiver as Nathan opens my car door and a cool blast of wind washes over me.
“C’mon,” he says softly, taking my hands and leading me into the house.
We walk in and I am surprised to see red flower petals all over the floor.
“I am so excited about our future, Lex,” I hear Nathan murmur as he wraps his arms around me from behind. He starts kissing my neck softly. I shudder.
This feels all wrong. He is kissing me too softly. I wanted rough kisses – Kade’s kisses. He turns me around to face him and I stare up at him. He is tall, but not tall enough. He takes my hands and places it on his shoulders, but his shoulders are not wide enough. I look up into his eyes but they are blue – not onyx. When he bends down to kiss me again I smell cologne, he smells nothing like cinnamon! I step away quickly. Nathan looks at me confused.
“What’s wrong?” he questions concern in his eyes.
“You don’t smell like cinnamon,” I reply. I close my eyes, and all I can see is Kade. What am I so afraid of? The least I can do is give Kade and I a chance. I can’t be afraid of my feelings any longer. I have to tell Kade how I feel. I have to let him know that I feel the same way that he does! I almost run out of the house immediately, but I stop when I see the hurt and confused look in Nathan’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry Nathan, but I can’t do this. I should have been honest with you a long time ago.” I hear myself saying as I put some distance between us.
He stares at me confused before going to sit down on a large couch.
“You are a great guy…” I continue as he lays his head in the palm of his hands, “but my heart just isn’t here right now.”
I hear him sigh loudly as he lifts his head from his hands. “You don’t need to say anything else, Alex. Your heart hasn’t been here for weeks now. I’ll get over this.” He rises from the couch walks towards me and gives me a lingering kiss on my forehead.
“Thank you for being honest with me now.” He continues pulling on his jacket.
I really didn’t deserve his understanding but I was grateful for it all the same.
I reach up and give him a kiss on his cheek. He is really a great guy and will make another girl very happy. He asks me if I need a ride back, but I don’t want to ask him for any more favors so I reach for my cell phone and dial Kayla’s number.
I don’t want to stand around the cabin any longer and I just can’t keep still so I wave goodbye to Nathan and begin walking. I know that Kade’s house is some ways away, but I can get a head start, I tell myself. My heart is beating rapidly in excitement and I almost begin jogging. But after five minutes of walking, my feet are throbbing. These heels are not meant for long distances. I bend down to take off my shoes, when I see Kayla pulling up beside me.
I can see Ryan, Jon, Kayla and Laura inside a van and I rush inside squeezing in beside them.
“We came to rescue you,” Ryan says seriously and Laura elbows him with a chuckle.
“Is he still at the prom?” I question. They know without asking that I am talking
about Kade.
“No,” answers Kayla. “He left right after you walked out with Nathan.” Her eyebrows furrow worriedly.
“Can you take me to Kade? I really need to talk to him. I really, really need to see him,” I say my heart beating rapidly.
I feel four pairs of eyes staring at me.
“Well it’s about damn time,” Ryan laughs putting the van into drive. Kayla and Laura squeal in excitement. “I was getting sick watching this whole thing play out.”
I swallow down my nervousness as they pull up in front of Kades’. Memories of Evelyn’s butt came into my mind but I brush them away when I don’t see her car in his driveway.
I step out of the van and Kayla gives me a tight hug.
“Everything will be okay, I promise.” She says. I look on as they drive away, giving me thumbs up signs and blowing kisses.
I swallow hard and begin walking towards his house.
Kade
As soon as I saw Alex leave prom, I told Evelyn that I wasn’t feeling well and had to head home. I rushed out leaving her visibly upset and drove home.
I meet Jacob and one of his random girls sitting on the hood of his car.
“What’s up, man? Aren’t you supposed to be dancing the night away?” he asks jumping off of his car and walking beside me as I head towards the guest house.
“Shut the hell up.” I reply as I turn my keys, slamming the door in his face.
“Touchy, touchy,” he laughs and walks back to his newest conquest.
I crawl into my bed, wanting to disappear. I reach for my phone wanting desperately to dial Alex’s number. Where had she gone with Nathan? What were they doing? Suddenly I hear a knock on my bedroom door. I am going to beat the crap out of Jacob.
“Go away!” I shout staring at the door. I hear it creak open and I angrily look up into fiery golden eyes.
Alex is standing by the doorway, wearing her beautiful red dress and … no shoes.
“Alex?”
She walks slowly towards my bed. Still lying on the bed, I feel paralyzed. I can’t move. My throat aches. I can’t even speak. Suddenly she is right in front of me. Before I can react, she is on top of me. She straddles me holding my face in her hands.
“Alex,” I sigh, almost sobbing as her lips crushes mine. Her kiss is angry at first, but not as angry as mine. I mold her body into mine wanting to touch and kiss every part of her. I flip her over on her back and she gasps.
“I need to tell you something.” She says simultaneously kissing my neck and unbuttoning my shirt.
I can barely breathe as I look down at her. She is at the last button and she bites her lips staring at my chest.
“I am in love with you,” she says sliding the white shirt from over my shoulders.
I lean over her, my chest bare and my hand travels under her dress and up to her thighs. She is trembling.
“Tell me that you love me too. That you are in love with me.” She says it as a demand. But her lips tremble slightly.
“Alex,” my voice comes out harsh. “I am in love with you.” She murmurs something unintelligible as she kisses me deeply. Between kisses I hear myself saying. “Every time that I am not with you, I am thinking of you.”
“How do you know that you love me?” she asks as she unbuckles my belt.
I reach behind her to unzip her dress. I can’t stop touching her. “When I am driving I find myself smiling for no reason.” I say as I stare humbly at her almost naked body. I can’t get enough of the taste of her lips – her skin. Like heaven.
“I go to sleep thinking of you.” I continue to taste her and she is gasping. I am guessing that I cannot stop talking as a result of months of keeping my feelings inside. But she doesn’t seem to mind.
“You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up.” I continue, removing her dress completely and she greedily slides down my pants.
I settle in between her legs. I shudder for the first time in my life as I enter her warmth.
And still I continue to speak to her. “I pray for you. I cry for you.” The more I speak the more she cries out. I feel my body pushing in and out of her. The moment is entirely surreal. I bite down on her neck when I feel her body convulsing beneath me and she screams out as if in pain, my own shout following right behind hers.
I look down at her, trying to catch my breath. Her lips are swollen and her previously perfectly styled hair is wild all around my pillow. I fall down to the bed and gather her into my arms. She is mine.
I hear a loud knocking on my bedroom door and my eyes fly open. Please tell me that that wasn’t a dream. I look down and my heart aches looking down at my Alex. Her lips are slightly parted, her leg thrown over my waist. I reach down and touch my finger to her soft hair. I sniffed at it, a bad habit I had picked up from Alex. Mmm … raspberry.
My bedroom door flies open and in walks Jacob.
He stares at me and Alex in my bed and I glare at him. I didn’t want him to wake Alex. She looked so peaceful.
“Get the F out!” I mouth to my idiot brother, pointing at the door behind him.
He grins at me and practically shouts, “Well, well, well! Isn’t this an interesting development!” Alex’s eyes immediately fly open and she jumps up, the white sheet that was around her slipping from her shoulders.
I quickly grab her and pull her back into my arms, not wanting Jacob to get even a slight glimpse of her naked body. If I thought that I was overprotective of her before last night I realize that I had been dead wrong.
“Get out!” I roar. Most guys would have run off, but Jacob simply grins down at us.
“Calm down, Mr. Caveman” he laughs, “Mom asked me to come check on you. It is almost lunch time. But, don’t worry I’ll tell her that Alex is in here with you looking as beautiful as ever I might add.”
I don’t know where the book came from that I hurl at his head but he ducks neatly and walks out of my room laughing loudly.
I hear Alex giggling sweetly beside me and I look down at her.
She looks up at me biting her lips nervously.
“Hey,” I smile down at her.
“Last night was … amazing.” She breathes the words out tracing my lips with her fingers. “I meant what I said. I want to be with you…” she trails off.
“I know you did. And I meant every single word that I said.” I bend my head down to hers kissing her lips gently. She reaches up behind my neck bringing me down to the bed. The afternoon sun is peeking through the windows and I remove the heavy sheets from around her body so that I can stare at her just a little bit longer.
A few hours later, Alex is showered and ready to head back home. She is wearing one of my T-shirts. I thought that her prom dress was sexy, but there is something primal about her tiny body in my oversized shirt.
“I hope you know that this means that you can’t go sticking your thing in everything that can walk anymore,” Alex says as I drive her back home.
I grin at her.
We had a long conversation after we had both taken showers. She explained that she had been afraid of falling in love with me, starting a relationship and then our relationship ending. She was afraid of losing the friendship that we had built all these years.
If she only knew that there was no way in hell that I could ever let her go. I had already imagined her in a pretty white dress on one of those beautiful beaches in Belize – the ones that are always showing on the Travel Channels. I didn’t want to scare her off so I said instead:
“I will never hurt you. Trust me.”
After dropping her off, I walk back into my room, a silly smile on my face. I swear, it will take me weeks to stop smiling. I have never felt so complete in my entire life. I had my best friend, with extra perks. Lots of extra perks. I grin as I think of Alex’s kisses and her body moving over mine. I should have kept her captive until tomorrow.
As I slip into my bed, I notice some scribbling on one of my walls. I get up, moving closer to inspect it. The sha
pe of a heart is outlined with a black magic marker. In the center of the heart, the words “Alex Loves Kade” shines.
She must have drawn it when I was taking a shower. No wonder she looked so mischievous before we left.
I smile as I trace my fingers along her perfect heart with my fingertips.
She loves me. All of these weeks of drama had been worth it. We would go to college together, we would be roommates. We had so much to look forward to. So much more to grow. With Alex by my side, anything was bearable.
I can’t wipe the silly grin from my face as I dive back into my bed, the smell of Alex enveloping me.
The End
Kade Loves Alex Page 6
