by Charity West
Chapter Ten
Tyler
I still couldn’t believe what I’d walked in on earlier. It baffled me that Hadley felt like she was holding me back, like it was a sacrifice for me to be with her. Things were different since she’d come home from the hospital, and I’d noticed she’d pulled away from me. I had thought she was just having a hard time, but I hadn’t realized she felt like a burden to me. I’d do anything for her, and I’d thought she knew that, but apparently I hadn’t conveyed my feelings as well as I’d thought.
The thought of her applying to University of Florida excited me. I wanted to accept the scholarship they’d offered, and knew I needed to let them know soon if I would be attending. If Hadley got in, then things would be perfect. I hadn’t told her yet, but Mom wanted to use spring break as a time to check out the campus and the housing nearby. She’d already been checking out apartments online, in hopes Hadley would go with me. If she didn’t, I would probably stay in a dorm.
Mom appeared in my doorway, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. I knew it would be white chocolate raspberry, her favorite.
“I wasn’t sure if you heard the news,” she said, stepping farther into the room. “Today was Alicia’s trial.”
“What was the verdict?”
“They found her guilty of attempted murder. The judge sentenced her to fifteen years with the option of parole after ten. Also, I heard Hunter is serving up to one year for vandalizing your truck, and he’ll be charged a twenty-five hundred dollar fine. His trial was last week, but you were so preoccupied with Hadley I didn’t think you’d really care.”
“I don’t. I mean, I’m glad he’s being punished for what he did, and that he’s away from Hadley, but I guess in the grand scheme of things, what Hunter did seems petty and small. Alicia tried to kill Hadley. If I had known how completely psycho she was…”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Mom said.
“Hadley said she doesn’t blame me, but I blame me. She could have died, Mom. I’d have lost her and all because I…” My voice cracked.
Mom sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Hadley is fine, Tyler. I know she’s having a hard time adjusting to her weakened eyesight, and I’m sure she’s frustrated and angry about what happened to her, but with you in her corner, I know she’ll succeed. I’ve watched you since the night you came home and told me you were dating her. There’s been a change in you.”
“I’m still an asshole, Mom.”
She smiled. “Maybe. And I’m sure you drive Hadley insane some days, but for once you’re thinking about your future, and it entails something more than never ending parties and girls.”
“Oh, I still like parties.”
She squeezed my shoulder. “I’m sure you do. You wouldn’t be Tyler if you didn’t, but I’ve seen you put Hadley first in your life. She’s a special girl, and I’m happy the two of you are together. I think it was a little soon to give her a promise ring. You’re only seniors after all, but when you asked, I supported your decision. As long as neither of you even thinks of getting married before you have a degree, then I won’t complain.”
“I just wanted her to know I love her and want to spend my life with her. I didn’t want her to think she was just like every other girl I’ve been with. You’re right; she’s special. And I wanted a way to make her feel special.” I sighed. “But tonight, she was having doubts about us. I went to see her and overheard her talking to Amber. She called herself useless and said I’d be better off without her.”
“Maybe … maybe she needs something special. Christmas is coming up. Why don’t you invite her family over for Christmas Eve? We hadn’t planned to have a party this year, but you could invite Colin and Robert. I’m sure your dad will want to invite the neighbors.”
“I’m sure Hadley would love that, Mom, but I think I have an idea. You can still do the party, if you want, but what if I created a special night for Hadley? She was right. It’s been a while since I’ve asked her out on a date. Think you can convince Mr. Mortenson to reserve a table for us at his restaurant? Best table in the house!”
Mom smiled. “I think I can manage that. When do you want to do this?”
“Tomorrow. I don’t want to give her time to back out. I’ll tell her tonight that I have a surprise for her and to dress up for the occasion. I’ll pick her up tomorrow and whisk her off to dinner, and then I thought maybe I could drive her over to the Christmas Village so we could see all the lights. Maybe she just needs a little holiday cheer, and for me to show her, rather than tell her, how I feel.”
Mom nodded. “I’ll help you make the arrangements. Now, why don’t you call your girlfriend and let her know she’s going on an enchanted evening tomorrow and that you won’t take no for an answer.”
Mom kissed my cheek then wandered out of the room, probably to call Mr. Mortenson. They’d been friends for years, and if anyone could get me a last minute reservation, it was her. My hands shook a little as I called Hadley, worried she might turn me down. She’d been so upset earlier, but when she’d called around nine she’d sounded better, almost optimistic. I just hoped I wasn’t calling too late. It was going on ten o’clock now.
“Hello,” a sleepy Hadley answered.
“Did I wake you?”
“Mmm … I was half asleep. Is something wrong, Tyler?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Red. I just have something special planned for tomorrow. At five o’clock, I want you dressed and ready to go, so wear your nicest dress.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“All right.” She yawned. “Five o’clock tomorrow.”
I smiled as I hung up the phone, folded my hands behind my head, and fell back onto the bed. A special night with Hadley sounded amazing. I’d take her to the restaurant, the Christmas Village, and then maybe I’d drive her to the bluffs to watch the river. I wanted to have a romantic evening with her. Well, as romantic as two seniors could have. It wasn’t like I could take her on a fancy vacation, just the two of us.
****
The next day passed slowly, and when it was finally time to pick up Hadley, I found that I was rather nervous. I hadn’t even been nervous on our first date, but there was a slight tremor in my hands as I put the truck in park in front of her house. When I reached her front door, I smoothed my tie, ran a hand through my hair, and rang the bell.
Mrs. Ryan answered and welcomed me with a smile. “She’s upstairs, Tyler. Come on in, and I’ll let her know you’re here.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Ryan.”
I stepped inside, out of the cold, and looked around. They’d put their tree up after Thanksgiving, but there wasn’t a single decoration anywhere else. My house look like a reindeer had thrown up in it. Lighted garland decorated the stair rail; the mantle was decked out with fake snow and a Christmas village; we had two trees—one in the front entry and one in the living room—and there were other little things like nutcrackers, mistletoe, and holiday candy dishes. Mom went all out. I wondered if the Ryan’s lack of decoration was normal, or had they just not bothered since Hadley wouldn’t be able to see most of it?
A noise at the top of the stairs drew my attention and my breath caught in my throat. I’d always thought she was beautiful, but tonight she was absolutely stunning. Her hair was pulled back in some sort of intricate knot with tendrils around her face. The dress she had on hugged her curves and made my fingers itch to touch her. If she’d dressed to drive me crazy, she was succeeding.
“You look beautiful,” I said. “But then, you always do.”
She blushed a becoming pink as she descended the stairs. I reached out and took her hand in mine, wanting to kiss her more than anything, but not daring with her dad one room away. I might have gotten away with it once before, but I wasn’t going to tempt fate. Mr. Ryan seemed to like me just fine, but I didn’t delude myself into thinking he was okay with me kissing his daughter.
“Are you ready for the fi
rst part of your surprise?” I asked.
She nodded eagerly.
“Goodnight, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan. I promise to have her home by ten o’clock.”
Mr. Ryan appeared in the doorway. “Don’t rush the night, Tyler. Hads has been looking forward to this all day. If you’re not here right at ten sharp, I won’t send the cops after you.” He smiled. “Just try not to keep her out too late.”
I shook his hand and led Hadley out to my truck. Her mom stood in the doorway, waving to us as we pulled away. My palms were sweating on the steering wheel as I drove to the restaurant. When I pulled up in front, I watched her eyes widen as she realized where we were. Mr. Mortenson’s restaurant was about the only fancy thing we had in town, and everyone ate here for special occasions … graduations, engagements, anniversaries. I wondered if she’d ever been here before.
“Tyler, we don’t have to eat here. It’s so…”
“So what? You don’t like it?”
“I love it,” she said softly. “But I don’t want you to spend so much money on me.”
“Relax, Red. Dinner is actually a treat from Mom and Dad. They wanted to do something special for you. What comes next is on me.”
She smiled and I walked her through the front door. I gave my name to the hostess and she seated us at a table in the center of the room. Hadley fidgeted when they handed her a menu, and I knew it was because she worried she wouldn’t be able to read it.
“You know, the few times I’ve come here with my parents, my dad has always ordered for my mom. Not because she can’t decide for herself, but she works so hard to take care of all of us that he wanted to take care of her for the night.”
She blinked at me. “You want to order for me?”
“Only if you trust me.”
She smiled a little. “I trust you. Just nothing with red sauce. I don’t want to mess up my dress if I accidentally spill anything.”
The waiter came by and I placed an order for both of us, and asked for an appetizer of fried ravioli, something I thought Hadley would like. She didn’t have to eat it with sauce if she didn’t want to.
Dinner went by almost too quickly and I paid with the cash my dad had given me, making sure I left a generous tip. Then I helped Hadley bundle up in her coat and escorted her out to my truck. I waited while she buckled in then leaned forward and brushed my lips against hers.
“Love you, Red.”
She smiled and kissed me again.
Once I was behind the wheel, I flashed her a smile before driving to our next destination. And the fates were smiling on me because just as I pulled into the entrance of the Christmas Village, it started to snow. Not a heavy snowfall, but enough to make it an enchanted evening, just like I’d hoped for.
Her eyes lit up when she saw all the lights, and she unbuckled and scooted closer to me. “Is this my surprise?”
“Well, the dinner was part of it, but yes … the Christmas Village is another piece of your surprise. We have one more place to go after this.”
She laced her fingers with mine and smiled brightly as we drove through the lights. It took nearly an hour to drive through the entire thing, but her excitement was worth every minute. Besides, I got to spend time with my girl, and that’s what was important. We arrived at the bluffs a short time later, and she leaned her head against my shoulder. I wasn’t sure how much she could see in the dark, but she seemed content.
We watched the snow fall in silence, only the sound of the heater blowing filling our ears. I hoped she’d had a nice night. I knew it was one I’d remember for a long time to come. Christmas was only a week away, and until this morning, I hadn’t bought a gift for Hadley. Nothing had seemed right. I knew Mom had bought her a sweater and some new gloves to match. But I’d wanted something more personal.
“Red, how would you like to spend Christmas Eve at my house?”
Her lips parted and her eyes widened. “But I always spend it with my family.”
“They’re invited too. Mom is going to have a party and invite some of the neighbors; Colin and Robert will stop by at some point, and she is going to ask your parents to come.”
“You really want to spend Christmas Eve with me?”
“I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with that night. I thought you could open your gift then, in case I don’t see you Christmas day.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I’ll be there, even if my parents can’t make it.”
My lips brushed against hers and my hand slid around the back of her neck. She opened to me and I deepened the kiss, wishing I could feel like this forever. Being with Hadley was amazing.
“I’d better get you home.” I couldn’t resist kissing her one last time.
“Thank you, Tyler. Tonight was perfect.”
“Every night with you is perfect.”
She smiled so wide, I worried she’d hurt herself.
Chapter Eleven
Hadley
The Christmas Eve party at Tyler’s house had been in full swing for over an hour when he took me by the hand and led me up to his room. I saw colorful lights in a corner in the shape of a tree and it made me smile. I wouldn’t have pegged him for the type of guy to have a Christmas tree in his bedroom.
“I put the tree in here for you,” he said.
“For me? You knew I would end up in your bedroom?”
“Well, I hoped you would. I figure we have about half hour before we’re missed, and I kind of wanted to give you your present in private. You have something downstairs from Mom that you can open whenever they do the gift exchange.”
“Mom mentioned something about a Secret Santa.”
“Yeah, my parents do it every year. It’s never anything big, but it builds suspense during the night. They usually open the gifts toward the end of the party.”
“I have something for you, but it isn’t much. I … I wanted to buy you something really special, but when Mom took me to the mall, I couldn’t see any of the things I looked at. Not well enough to make a gift decision anyway. I hope you aren’t disappointed.”
Tyler tugged me down onto the side of his bed and pressed his lips to mine. “Red, you’re the best gift I could have ever received.”
“I love you, Tyler.”
“Love you more, Red.”
I couldn’t help but smile. I dug into my purse and handed him the gift card and the envelope with his detail package inside. He handed me a small brightly wrapped package, but I didn’t open it right away. I waited to see what he thought of his gifts.
He laughed when he opened the envelope. “This is great, Red. But are you trying to say my truck is messy?”
“You mentioned the other day you hadn’t had time to clean it, so I thought I’d help. Maybe one day I can help you clean it for real, after I’ve adjusted a bit better. When they told me about my eyesight, I didn’t realize how difficult everyday things would be. I struggle from the moment I wake up until I go to bed at night, and if Mom didn’t help me with my clothes, I’d never be able to dress myself.”
“Hey, no sad thoughts tonight. I know you’ve had a hard time, and if I could change that I would, but I think you’re doing really well, Red.” His nose brushed against mine. “Now, open your present.”
I unwrapped the small box and dipped my fingers inside. They brushed against something silver and cool to the touch. I pulled it out of the box and realized it was a necklace, but I couldn’t make out what exactly it was. Looking at Tyler expectantly, I waited to see if he would describe it for me.
“It’s an infinity symbol in white gold and one side of the twist has your name on it and the other half has mine. Tyler and Hadley forever.”
Tears gathered in my eyes and I held it out to him. “Help me put it on?”
I turned so he could loop it around my neck and fasten the clasp. It settled against my collarbone and touched it reverently. No one had ever given me such a wonderful gift, and I knew I would cherish it always. A present like this definitely deserved a kiss.
/>
I tunneled my fingers into his hair and brought his lips to mine. Warmth spread through me as my mouth moved against his. When his tongue stroked mine, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. First, a wonderful present and then a wonderful kiss. I didn’t resist as he pulled me closer, but before things got too out of hand, his mother came into the room and cleared her throat.
Tyler pulled away, but it didn’t seem like he wanted to.
“We were just swapping gifts, Mom,” he said.
“It looked like you were swapping more than that,” she said with a bit of humor to her voice. “Hadley, your parents are looking for you. Your dad has been called in to work, and they need to leave early.”
I was disappointed I wouldn’t get to spend more time with Tyler, and it must have shown on my face.
“Mom, I could take her home after the party’s over,” Tyler offered.
“That’s up to her parents, but if you want to run her home later, I won’t object. You know we like having Hadley around here.”
I warmed at her words and took Tyler’s hand, letting him lead me downstairs. When we found my parents, he made his offer and Dad agreed. Mom seemed a little hesitant, but in the end Dad tugged her to the door and they left me behind. Of course, now that they were gone, I wasn’t sure what Tyler and I were going to do for the next hour or two. Unless he planned to take me back upstairs so we could pick up where we’d left off. That certainly had possibilities.
Instead, much to my disappointment, we made the rounds and talked with neighbors and friends. When it came time for the gift exchange, I thanked his parents for the sweater and matching gloves. Tyler opened something from my parents and I waited anxiously to see what he thought of it. Dad had picked it out and I wasn’t convinced a teenage boy would appreciate it.
