Trailed

by Naomi Niles

  His smile dropped from his face. “Oh? Okay. What is it?” He put his arm on the back of the couch and positioned himself towards me. I looked straight ahead as I folded my hands on my lap. “Sweetheart, you can tell me anything. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide something from me. Whatever it is, I am sure that I can handle it.”

  I thought about my days as a stripper, but skimmed past that. “I have an ex. I um,” I took a deep breath, trying to block out the pain I felt from those days. “He used to abuse me. Physically, mentally, emotionally. I mean, every way that a woman can be abused, he did it to me.” Sadness enveloped his countenance. I could feel his empathy without him saying a word. I hesitated to continue until he put his hand on my back and rubbed it in a circular motion. “It was the longest period of my life. It had gotten to a point where I had to get a restraining order against him. I mean, he would show up at my house in the middle of the night and bang on my door. One night, he kicked it off its hinges.”

  I wiped a tear from my eye as he scooted closer to me. “And he came into my room, yelling and cursing at me. I knew he was drunk, but he’d acted the same way when he was sober, so I knew it wasn’t the liquor. The liquor only made things worse.” I wiped another stream of tears from my eyes. “Anyways, he hit me that night. He hit me a few times, and from there, I got another restraining order. But, that still wasn’t enough. He would show up and bang on my door. He didn’t care if he got arrested, and even if he did, he would only stay locked up for a few days. I don’t know how he got out so quick, but he did. This was all in Richmond, VA. Well, after that, I packed up and moved out here to Roanoke. In the middle of the night, I grabbed what I could and just left. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

  My cheeks were damp from tears as he wrapped his arm around me and kissed me on the forehead. I felt safe in his arms, but at the same time, I didn’t want him to get into any danger because of me. “So, I am telling you this because I think I saw his car the other day when I was shopping with April. I don’t know if it was him for sure, but I remember what kind of truck he had a couple of years ago, and it looked the same.” I looked directly at him. His image was blurred because of my tears. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t know if he changed or not, but I know that he used to be a violent man. I like you a lot, Gavin, but I understand if you feel like you can’t continue with me. I hate that it seems like he just won’t leave me alone, but it is what it is.”

  He rubbed my shoulders as he sat next to me, quietly. I had no idea what he was thinking, but in my mind, he was already gone. The risk was probably too high for him, especially with Vinny around. In the past, my ex was unpredictable, and I assumed that not much had changed. “What is his name?”

  “Anthony. Anthony Carter.”

  “And when did you see him?”

  “Last weekend when I was out with April. I mean, I don’t know if it was him because it was just a similar vehicle, you know? But that’s what I saw.”

  “Okay.” He put his hand on my thigh, “We won’t jump the gun, then. We don’t know if it was him for sure, so we will leave it at that. Listen, Bethany, I really like you a lot, and I know that we all have had certain problems in our past. Certain things that we wish that we didn’t have to go through, but I know that those things make us better. If you didn’t go through that, you wouldn’t be here right now, and I would’ve never met you. You would’ve never made the impact in the Roanoke school district that you’ve made thus far. Everything happens for a reason, and one crazy ex is not enough to keep me away from you. Okay?”

  His words lifted weights off my shoulders. I didn’t expect him to say that, but his words were so comforting to me. I put my arms around him, and he held me tighter. “Don’t worry about that, okay? Right now, it is just a vehicle, and I’m sure that they made more than one model of his truck. Until then, don’t worry, because I won’t. Even if it is him, I still wouldn’t worry because no man is going to keep me away from you. If need be, I will handle it one way or the other.”

  “I don’t want to–”

  “Bethany, sweetheart, let’s not worry about that right now, okay? Right now, we have a date to go on, and I am not going to let a ‘what if’ situation interrupt our time together.” He stood up and extended his hand towards me, “Now, will you please accompany me to the movies? I believe we might miss the original showing, but another one starts at 6 pm. We might just have to grab a bite to eat before the movie instead of after.”

  “Okay.” I smiled. “Just let me go upstairs and freshen up since I’ve smeared my makeup with all those tears.”

  “No problem.”

  Before I could walk away, he grabbed my hand and gently tugged me closer to him. He pressed his lips softly against mine and held the back of my head with his hand. “I should’ve done that a long time ago,” he said after he released me.

  “Yes. I agree.” I walked away from him, and our hands were the last thing that released from each other. “I will be back.”

  “And I will be here.”

  I walked to the bathroom and reapplied my makeup. It felt good to have a real man by my side this time around, and I knew it wasn’t going to be anything like my last relationship. The way he treated me with care and respect already set him apart from all the other men I’d come across in my past. I hoped that what we had together would translate into something long-lasting. I saw a future between us, and I prayed that he saw the same thing. When I came back into the front room, he stood up.

  “Just when I thought you couldn’t possibly look any better, you completely prove me wrong.” I blushed as he kissed me on the lips. “Shall we, my dear?”

  “We shall.”

  He took me to a restaurant not too far from the movie theater. The night was filled with laughter, especially since the beginning of our time together was filled with a bunch of sad stories from my past. It wasn’t hard for him to make me smile, though. Maybe it was the fact that I was already drawn to him and the smallest thing he said or did would send a grin flashing across my face like a hazard light. Occasionally, he would reach across the table and place his hand on top of my mine. I felt that our souls touched each time he did. After our meal, we went straight to the movie theater.

  “Wow. The Breezeway. I’ve been wanting to see this movie ever since it came out in the theater.”

  He smiled as we stood in line. “Good. Oh, and no, Vinny did not tell me that. I kind of just guessed that you would want to see it.”

  “Guessed?”

  His smile remained, “Yes, I guessed. No, you are not taking this one away from me! I was observant and just put two and two together.”

  “Well, Mr. Observant, you did well.”

  He looped his arm as I slid my hand on his bicep, then we walked into the movie theater. I scooted as close to him as I could as the lights dimmed and the box of popcorn sat on his lap. I felt his hand on my thigh and at that moment, I knew how hard it was going to be to keep my legs closed for the first two months of dating. He was attractive, and not only that, but he treated me like a woman. I loved everything about him, and as his hand tightened around my thigh, I could feel my vagina pulsating below my waist. I’m not going to make it for two months, I thought to myself as the movie started. I looked at him. The lights from the movie screen flashed onto his soft lips, sending an urge to want to lean over and plant mine on top of his right in the movie theater. I restrained myself, but couldn’t help to wonder if he was thinking the same thing.

  Chapter Fifteen

  GAVIN

  “Hey, Dad, are you going to wear that?”

  I looked at my clothing in the mirror while Vinny sat on my bed. “Yeah. Why? What is wrong with what I have on?”

  “Um,” he chuckled, “nothing. I mean, that’s if you’re going to do something active. I think you should wear something a little more formal.” He walked into my closet and grabbed another shirt from the hanger. He held it up as he came out of the closet. “Like this. Thi
s white shirt would go better with that.”

  “This one?” I held it over my chest as I looked into the mirror. “Well, it does seem to go a little better with these pants. Alright, kid, you won. I’ll change.” He smiled, then climbed back onto the bed as I switched shirts. “So, it’s been a month since me and Bethany started dating. Do you still feel the same way about her?”

  “Yes, I do. I really like her, and that hasn’t changed. She hasn’t changed the way she treats me at school, either. Sometimes, I think people would try to be nicer to a kid in this situation, but she hasn’t. Not that she has started being mean or anything, but she has been the same nice woman that she has always been.”

  “Good. I am happy to hear that. And I know you love hanging out with us from time to time.”

  “Yeah, I do. I love that the most. She always invites us to do fun things together. I think this is the most time I’ve spent with you since I can remember.”

  As he continued talking, I thought about all the time that the three of us had spent together for the past month. Bowling, skating, trampoline parks, and miniature golf. Wherever we went, Bethany always made sure to include Vinny, and that was a load off my shoulders because I rarely had to balance time between the two of them. Hanging out with them both was like killing two birds with one stone. “Yeah, I know, Vinny. I’ve had fun, too. I love that we are all getting along with each other.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, when is your mom coming to pick you up?”

  He looked at his watch, “She said she would be here at around 3 pm.”

  “Okay. Well, it is 2:35 now, so you should be getting your things ready. Are you excited to see her?”

  “Yes. It’s been a few months, so I'm anxious. I’ve missed her a lot.”

  “I know you have.” Before he left my room, I called out to him, “Oh, and Vinny? Don’t mention Bethany to your mother, okay? If she asks if I have been dating anyone, just tell her to ask me. I don’t want any problems between us while she is here visiting, okay?”

  “Got it, Dad.”

  “Alright.”

  As he left the room, I thought about Karen. She moved to Philadelphia a while back after she lost the custody trial. She had gotten another job out of state and wanted to take Vinny along with her, but I couldn’t stand the fact of my son being miles and miles away from me at any given moment. Looking back, I realize that if he did to go Philly with her, then not much would’ve changed since I hadn’t spent that much time with him to begin with. Thanks to Bethany, that was all going to change. But, I had to admit that Karen still had a special place in my heart. I felt that if I’d just gotten things right with her, then we would still be together today. I mishandled her, and that was the reason we split.

  I didn’t know how I was going to react once I saw her, but if I could be honest with myself, I was just as anxious as he was. After I finished getting ready, I walked downstairs. Gavin had his bag packed for the weekend with his mother. He sat on the couch with his legs swinging back and forth when I came downstairs. “Well, kid, it’s 3 pm, and if I know your mother like I do–” the doorbell rang before I could finish my sentence. I smiled as he stood up and put the strap of his bag onto his shoulder. “Right on time.”

  I opened the door, and as soon as I saw her, my heart skipped a beat. A breeze caused her hair to flutter as she stood in front of me. She wore prescription frames now, much different from the contacts that she wore earlier. Even still, she was as beautiful as I remembered her. Her brown eyes seemed to magnify behind her lenses. Her eyebrows were arched and looked sharp enough to poke someone and sent a trickle of blood down their finger. She wore jeans and a tight-fitting t-shirt, and when she folded her arms beneath her chest, her B-cup breasts sat up perfectly. I had to force myself to look away from them. “Hello, Karen. It’s good to see you.”

  Vinny sprinted past me and into his mother’s outstretched arms. “Hey, Vinny!” She kissed him on the top of his head as he held onto her like he was on the edge of a cliff. She smiled and kissed him again. “I missed you too, son.” Slowly, her eyes fell onto me, “It is good to see you, too, Gavin. I see you’ve done well for yourself.”

  “Yeah.” I glanced down at her wrist. A diamond encrusted bracelet shone brightly in the sunlight. “And I see you have done well, too.”

  “Thank you. Yes, business has been great out in Philly. I am here on business, but I got everything out of the way so I could spend some time with Vinny. The summertime just isn’t long enough for us, you know? He is growing so fast.”

  “Yeah, he is.” An awkward silence festered between us.

  Vinny finally spoke up as he released his mother, “Mom! You look good. When did you start wearing glasses?”

  “A couple months after you left last summer. I hated putting those blasted contacts in every day. It took too much time, so I just went with the frames. Do you like them?” She posed with her hand on her hip.

  Vinny laughed, “Yes, mom. You look, um, refined.”

  “Refined, huh? Why, thank you, my good sir.” She reached for his bag. I tried to grab it before she could, but she waved me off, “No, I got it, Gavin. I’ve learned to do a lot on my own since we went our separate ways. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  I was a little disheartened that she didn’t allow me to take the bag to the car for her. “No problem. A lot has changed since we last saw each other. I’m not the same guy anymore either.”

  She smiled, then put her arm around Vinny. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. You enjoy your day, alright? Oh, and if you don’t mind, I am going to hold on to him until Monday evening. My flight leaves that night, and I want to soak as much time up with him as possible. Missing one day of school won’t hurt, will it?”

  “Oh, um. No. No, one day is fine, Karen. You two enjoy yourselves. And Vinny?” he turned to me as I kneeled, “Remember what I told you, alright?” I pretended that a zipper was on my lips and with that, he copied my movement. I rubbed my hand through his hair, “Alright. Have fun. Love you, son.”

  “Love you too, Dad.”

  I watched the two of them walk to her BMW. I knew she didn’t drive that here, so I wondered who it belonged to. Maybe a guy that she was seeing out this way? No. I shut the door before my mind had the chance to fill in the blanks and drive myself crazy. I walked back to my room and grabbed my cell phone. Bethany was the only woman who could get Karen out of my mind. “Hey, sweetheart. Vinny just left with his mom, so I am on my way to your house.”

  “Okay. I’ll be ready when you get here.”

  I rang the doorbell as soon as I got to her house. When she opened the door, she looked completely different from what I was accustomed to. Her curly hair flowed down to the bottom of her neck. Her red lipstick was a change up from the normal thick coat of gloss. Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings each time she blinked, and her nails were painted and shaped to a point. My eyes roamed over her body as a smile slowly escaped the corner of my mouth.

  “What? Is it too much?”

  “Too much?” I asked quizzically as my eyes circled her breasts. “No. Not too much at all. Just right, if you ask me.”

  “Really? Because April decided that it would be a good idea to take me out and get a makeover. She treated me like I was her life-size Barbie doll. I hated it at first, but she said that you would love it, so I took her word for it.”

  “Well, she was right because I love it.” I kissed her on the forehead. “You look stunning, and I am proud to have you as my date today. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes. Let’s go.”

  I took her to an orchestra concert. She said that she had never been to anything like that before, so I wanted her to experience some of the finer things in life. We sat on the upper balcony, which provided an excellent view of everyone beneath us. The conductor snapped his arms in the air to each section, ordering the flute and base players to stop and start at his whim. I glanced at Bethany as she held onto my arm. Her eyes were glued
to the front of the room, seemingly immersed in the beautiful music they played from their instruments. I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled, then repositioned herself in her seat as the music played on.

  After our date, I took her back to her house. “Gavin, that was so,” she searched for the words, “so elegant. The music. The way everything was conducted. It was just… I can’t explain it. I enjoyed it, though. I didn’t think that I would, but I was open to it.”

  “Yeah. I figured that we could try something new together. To me, you’re like an open book. I am just reading you to figure out what you like and don’t like.”

  “Well, if I am an open book, we will call this chapter ‘The Symphony.’”

  I smiled. “That sounds good to me.”

  After I sat down on the couch, she scurried into the kitchen and came back with a small tub of ice cream and two spoons. “Now,” she said as she plopped down beside me, “it is time for something sweet.” As she handed me the spoon, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at her breasts. They sat perfectly beneath her dress, seemingly begging me to press my lips against them. I couldn’t push the envelope, though. If she wanted to go there with me, I was going to allow her to make that choice. I grabbed the spoon from her hand.

  “Sounds good. Red Bee? That is my favorite brand.”

  “Mine too! Wow. So, we have something else in common. I should’ve known.”

  We dug our spoons into the ice cream. I caught her eyes gazing at me from time to time as we ate. “Is something wrong?” I asked with the spoon just leaving my mouth.

  “No,” she said bashfully, “I wouldn’t say ‘wrong.' Um…” suddenly, she got up, “hold tight, I’ll be right back.” My eyebrows wrinkled together like an accordion as she hurried to the kitchen. When she came back, she had chocolate and strawberry syrup in her hands. “I can’t believe I forgot these,” she said as she took a seat next to me again. I watched her snap the top off the strawberry syrup, then coat her lips with it. She turned towards me and, without saying a word, she moved in closer. Her strawberry flavored lips smashed into mine like a gentle accident.