Exposed (Free Falling)

by Raven St. Pierre

  “Need anything before we get on the freeway?” he asked.

  Squeezing his hand tighter in mine, I smiled up at him. “Nope…I’ve already got everything I could ever ask for.”

  *****

  Despite the fact that I’d slept most of the way, I managed to wake up as soon as we crossed the border into Virginia as if I could sense how close we were. Once back within the Fairfax city limits, I started to get excited about seeing my parents soon, not nervous about being back in town like I’d anticipated. Aunt Lisa and Uncle Todd were coming in sometime that night, too, with Angel and Lamar. They’d all be staying in a hotel this time, so AJ and I were my parents’ only houseguests. Surprisingly, even with Lamar being Jason’s brother, he and AJ had somehow managed to get along. They weren’t friends by any stretch of the word, but they got along well enough to keep Angel and me from feeling awkward about it.

  AJ was ending a conference call with work when we pulled into my parents’ driveway. When he was finished, he grabbed our bags from the trunk and followed me to the door. As expected, my mother totally overdid it with her greeting.

  “My babyyy!!”

  I laughed and let her make a fuss over me like she always does. As soon as she let me go, AJ was her next victim.

  “My other babyyyy,” she crooned, kissing him on the cheek.

  I stepped out of my boots and looked around while the two of them chatted about our drive down from New York. A new chandelier, new carpet going up the steps, and my father had stripped the wallpaper from the foyer and replaced it with a coat of cocoa-brown paint. Things were quite a bit different than the last time I came home, but still, there was a sense of comfort being within these four walls. I hadn’t yet finished studying all the changes when I slipped my scarf from around my neck and heard my father’s voice.

  “Baby Girl,” he said with a warm smile as I finished hanging my coat on the rack beside the door.

  “Hey, Daddy,” I said back. He pulled me into a warm hug and I closed my eyes. It really did feel good to be back.

  “How’s it going, Son,” Daddy said, greeting AJ next.

  AJ smiled politely and gave my father a firm handshake. “Pretty good, Sir. I can’t complain.”

  My father nodded in AJ’s direction and it never got old seeing the look of genuine affection in his eyes.

  I thought back to the conversation I had with my parents, explaining to them how AJ and I had come full-circle and somehow found one another again. My mother was perhaps the most shocked, wondering how and when Jason and I had broken up without her knowing it. My father, who never really cared for Jason in the first place, surprised me with how open he was to AJ and I being together again. I mean, before I ended things between us in college, my father had grown to accept that AJ was who I loved. He liked him well enough, and even respected him, but I never imagined that they’d be as close as they were this time around.

  Every Sunday evening, like clockwork, either Daddy would call AJ or AJ would call Daddy, and they’d talk sports, business, and whatever else guys talk about for no less than twenty minutes. This was all without me and my mother’s interference. My eyes shifted back and forth between the two of them, and I couldn’t hide the smile on my face.

  “Well, come on and bring your bags upstairs,” my mother instructed, taking the lead as we climbed the steps. We came to my old bedroom first and she flipped the light on. My once pink walls were now a pale shade of yellow that complimented the white, linen valance over the windows. My bed was still in its usual place, but the comforter on it was new.

  “You like it?” my mother asked. “Daddy and I made a few changes, but we tried to make it something you could live with when you came home to visit,” she said, sounding as if she knew that one day, I’d be strong enough to make it back here.

  I nodded reassuringly. “I do, Mom. It’s perfect.”

  Next her eyes shifted to AJ. “And as for you,” she said with a smile. “The guestroom’s all made up. I even put an extra blanket at the foot of the bed for you because that room gets a little drafty. Sorry about that, but we’re not replacing the windows on the second floor until the weather breaks again.”

  I shook my head and looked away, embarrassed that my mother was treating us like kids.

  AJ, on the other hand, chuckled openly and nodded at my mother, replying with a very polite, “Thank you. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  When Mom left us to head downstairs with my father, AJ and I unpacked our belongings…in our separate bedrooms. He came back just as I was tossing my empty suitcase into the back of the closet. I plopped down on the edge of the bed and sighed. The smile on his face let me know that he already knew what I was about to say.

  “Sorry about –“

  “It’s fine, Sam. I don’t mind the sleeping arrangements. Seriously.” He kissed my nose and then my forehead, causing me to crack a smile as I wedged myself beneath his arm.

  “Are you happy you came?” he asked.

  I looked around at my room, remembering how it used to look, taking in the familiar smells, and nodded. “I am. Feels nice to be here with my parents, and to have you here, too.”

  I kissed his lips once, which turned into twice, but he stopped me when I came in for a third. “Slow down…separate beds, remember? We have three whole days to survive,” AJ promptly reminded me. Instantly, I put a few inches of distance between us and let out a frustrated sigh.

  “Happy birthday to me,” I sighed.

  Laughing as he stood from my bed, I watched as AJ pushed the sleeves of his white, thermal shirt up to his elbows. “Well, while you sit here and pout, I’m gonna go talk to your dad for a while.” I continued to frown when he leaned in and touched his lips to the top of my hair and then disappeared down the stairs.

  I fell back on my bed and pushed the last of my unladylike thoughts aside and became nostalgic. It was in this very spot after homecoming that AJ and I first acknowledged the chemistry between us. Being honest with myself, it was that night that I fell for him. After I snuck him over to my house that next day, it was a done deal. He had me hook, line, and sinker, even if I wasn’t ready to admit it to myself. And now, here we were, six years later, still in love. More in love.

  “What’s got you over there looking like you’ve got a winning ticket in your pocket?” my mother asked from her post in my doorway.

  I sat up and laughed. “Just thinking,” I replied. “Life’s funny, isn’t it?”

  While pondering her answer, she walked over to my bed before sitting beside me. “At times. Yes, I suppose it is.”

  I leaned on her shoulder and grinned when her cheek rested on top of my head.

  “It’s so good to have you home,” she said softly, touching her hand to my cheek for a second.

  I nodded. “It’s good to be home. I won’t stay away that long again.”

  “Promise?”

  I smiled again. “Yes, Ma. I promise.”

  She patted my thigh and nudged me a little. “Good. Now come downstairs and help me get dinner together.”

  Laughing a bit, I did as I was told and followed her down to the kitchen. Everything was mostly done, she just needed me to test the iced tea to make sure it was sweet enough and I buttered the tops of the rolls.

  “Go get AJ and that father of yours,” she said, setting glasses out on the dining room table.

  I returned the butter to the fridge first and then traipsed across the foyer and through the living room to get to my father’s den. The door was open and I could hear him and AJ talking quietly until they heard me approach. All conversation ceased which made me suspicious. I raised a curious eyebrow at their behavior.

  “Time to eat,” I finally announced.

  My father smiled at me and AJ just kind of smirked. These two were definitely up to something.

  “Okay. Be right out,” Daddy replied.

  They continued to sit there, unmoving, so I shot them another weird look and retreated.

  “You
r husband’s being strange again,” I said to my mother when I joined her in the dining room.

  She smiled. “And yet…I’ve never loved him more.”

  I laughed and shook my head as I sat down beside her. It wasn’t until maybe two minutes later that the men finally decided to grace us with their presence, still sporting those questionable looks on their faces – like they were fighting back a smile because letting it out would get them caught. My mother wasn’t paying much attention, but I was all over it.

  We finished our meal and AJ volunteered us both for dish duty. My mother happily accepted his offer so we were posted at the sink for a half hour before I finally dried the last pan.

  “What do you say we go for a drive,” AJ suggested as I was folding the towel to set it on the rack.

  I frowned. “But it’s cold outside.”

  Rolling his eyes, he smiled and took both my hands in his. “What if I promised to keep you warm? Would you come with me then?”

  Well…when you put it like that.

  “Where’re we going?” I asked.

  He pulled my arms around his waist and then hugged me. “Just for a drive,” he repeated.

  I rested against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart, and agreed. “Fine, but I’m holding you to your promise.”

  He chuckled. “I fully expected you to. Get your stuff on so we can go,” he added.

  One more kiss just for good measure and then I hurried upstairs to throw on a sweater over my shirt because I was sure that the temperature had dropped quite a bit since we arrived. I met AJ in the foyer where he helped me into my coat and we were on our way.

  We hung a right at the corner, and despite the fact that I knew he wouldn’t answer, I asked, “Where’re we going?”

  A faint smile turned up one corner of his mouth and I sighed.

  “Fine…don’t tell me,” I pouted playfully.

  AJ gripped my hand in his and forced me to ride in silence all the way to the edge of town. When we pulled up to our spot in the clearing, I was grinning from ear to ear. This spot held so many memories for us. We’d snuck out of the house on many occasions to come here as kids. In fact, this was the exact spot where I’d lost my virginity to him. When I laughed, AJ’s eyes were on me.

  “What’s funny?”

  “Just thinking about how reckless we used to be.”

  “Used to be?” he shot back, prompting me to smack his arm lightly.

  “Watch it.”

  With the car in park, he leaned across and forced me to hug him when I pretended to be offended. I knew he was right, though. We’d always been reckless when it came to our love for one another, but clearly it was all for a reason.

  Turning my lips to catch his, I welcomed the warmth of his mouth as it contrasted the cold outside. “I love you,” he said in between kisses.

  Backing away to look into AJ’s eyes, I touched my hand to his cheek. “I love you too.”

  Truer words had never been spoken.

  AJ bit down on his lip and fought a smile. Nodding toward my window, he drew my attention to the falling snow – the first of the season. Not enough had fallen yet to blanket the ground, but I was entranced, watching the large flakes float down from the sky.

  When I turned to AJ, thinking he was watching winter put on an early show for us, I found him watching me instead. There was a look of contentment behind his eyes that was contagious.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

  I smiled and forced myself not to look away from his gaze. When I didn’t answer, AJ turned to open his car door and stepped out into the cool air awaiting him.

  “What’re you –“ was as far as I got into my question. I watched as he rounded the front of the car, passing in front of the headlights, to come around to my side. When he opened my door and held his hand out for me to take it, I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “Are you crazy? It’s freezing out here!” I protested as he gently coaxed me out of my seat. Ignoring my logic, AJ pulled my hat down over my ears so that they weren’t exposed.

  As if completely unaware of the weather conditions, which had quickly worsened and taken visibility down to about a mile, AJ stood before me and waited for me to focus less on how cold I was, and more on him. “What’re you up to?”

  That one side of his mouth hitched up again and I knew that I was right; he was up to something.

  “We spent a long time trying to make our way back to each other, Sam.”

  I pursed my lips and nodded, agreeing.

  “And I don’t know about you, but…this is all I’ve ever wanted. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”

  A smile flickered across my face and then faded when shock overcame me. Right there, beneath the curtain of snow that fell, AJ got down on one knee. Instantly, my hands went to my mouth as I stared, trying to fight to see him through the blur of tears that filled my eyes.

  He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a beautiful ring – the details of which I paid very little attention to. The size and value of the stone meant nothing. All I cared about was what it symbolized. That thin circle of precious metal was, to me, a gateway into the future that I almost missed out on – a future filled with love, laughter, and family – all with the only person on this planet that I would ever want to experience any of that with.

  AJ was sporting a smile so big that it made me smile despite the fact that I was now sobbing. Here, in a place we’d claimed as our own years before, he removed my gloves and tucked them beneath his arm, holding my left hand in his.

  “Samantha Lynnise Kelley…” he began, his smile growing even wider, “…Say that I can have you forever.”

  Tears spilled from my eyes and I decided to let them. If ever there was a reason to cry, it’s the moment the love of your life makes it clear that he’s just as determined to spend his life with you as you are to spend yours with him.

  Before a syllable left my mouth, I was nodding my head and pulling him up from his knee to embrace him. With my arms locked around his neck, I gave my answer.

  “Yes, AJ….Yes!”

  And there it was; after all the heartache, all the loss, and all of the difficult lessons that we learned along the way, the finish line had finally come into view.

  AJ released me only long enough to slide the ring on my finger, and then scooped me up into his arms again.

  How did I ever manage to find someone so perfect for me?

  And how did I manage to think for even a second that I’d make it without him?

  AJ stared back at me with the same love and adoration in his eyes that fills my heart every time his name even comes to mind, and then his lips gravitated toward mine. It wasn’t lost on me how lucky I was that our story concluded happily, considering the road we’d traveled. I reveled in the warmth of his embrace and let it finally sink in.

  This man was going to be my husband……

  ~Epilogue~

  The FinalChapter

  Two Years Later…

  Sam

  Maisha leaned across the table to set down a five of diamonds on top of AJ’s four. She and I had been whooping his and Terrell’s butts in spades for the past two hours and they just kept coming back for more. Deanna handed out a round of bottled waters from the fridge before sitting beside Karl on the couch again, smiling at Terrell’s frustrated sigh as he watched me trump his King with an Ace.

  AJ leaned back and glared at his partner across the table while Maisha and I pursed our lips to contain our smiles. He and Terrell had been struggling the whole time. Between Terrell reneging twice, to AJ bidding blind-nil in an effort to catch up, only to be set in the third round the last game, Maisha and I may as well have been playing against children.

  “Dude…you’re killing me,” AJ said to Terrell under his breath, amused by how badly they were losing.

  Terrell shrugged and I covered my mouth with my cards to keep from laughing.

  After I laid down yet another Ace, AJ tossed his
cards in and decided to put himself and Terrell out of their misery early.

  “Alright, I think I’ve had enough of you two ladies’ brutality for one night,” he announced, rubbing his hand down his face. “And I’m sure you’re pretty tired by now, too,” he said to me, making this assumption because, lately, I was always tired. On cue, our son kicked me hard enough that I had to place a hand on my stomach, attempting to rub the tender spot that he’d been pummeling all day.

  “Same side?” AJ asked.

  I nodded and he gently moved my hand out of the way, replacing it with his own. I rested my head against the back of the chair and took a deep breath while AJ stroked in slow circles.

  “Only two more days, hun,” Deanna said consolingly – or at least that’s how she meant for it to be taken. Truthfully, I was scared to death about what was to come. Due to the baby being breech for the past several weeks, my doctor took the initiative to schedule me for a C-section to avoid complications during the delivery. Just thinking about having to cope with major surgery and getting used to being a mother made me terribly nervous.

  AJ saw me zone out and gave a sympathetic smile. He really did feel bad that I was about to go through this procedure, but we had an understanding – whatever it took to bring this baby into the world safely, we were willing to cooperate.

  I looked around at the faces of our closest friends who’d all traveled quite a long distance to be here for AJ and me during the delivery. Being in control of the timing was about the only bright side to going this route. Maisha, Terrell, Dee, and Karl had been here two days already – helping AJ and I get things together around our new house before I went into the hospital. Moving to a two-story home on Staten Island six weeks before the baby came wasn’t the smartest thing in the world, but we needed much more space than what we had in our loft with our new addition coming soon. I’d done what little unpacking I could while AJ was at work and he always helped when he got home, but getting settled had been a slow process even with Angel coming by to assist me a few times. However, with our friends here these past few days, everything was now put away and organized right down to the storage room in the basement. Karl and Terrell helped AJ paint the baby’s room and put his crib and changing table together. Dee and Maisha helped me put away every stitch of his clothes and put up the decorations when the guys finished. These four had truly been a blessing. My mother and father checked into their hotel that evening, too, so I had everyone and everything I needed…except the courage to get me through the delivery, that is.