I let out a loud breath of relief. “So you like them?” I asked, laughing.
“I love ‘em, Sweetness.” He pressed a kiss to the crown of my head. “I’ll never take them off…” He pulled back so he could slip the chain around his neck and the tags rested over his heart. He held my face in his hands and his warm smile made any reservations I’d had vanish.
“Good!” I grinned. “I thought maybe for a moment you-”
“No other name I’d rather have close to my heart.”
Mum let out a snooty sort of scoff, but James cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at her before smiling kindly at the two of us. “That was a great gift, Baby Girl.”
Shay spun me around so I was seated on the floor before him, my back to his chest, and my legs stretched out before myself and he plopped a present in my lap. “Your turn, precious.”
I was given some clothes from my mother, a new black leather book bag from James, and when I opened the little box from Shay, I squealed with excitement at the sight of the ruby stud earrings. I had gotten my ears pierced last year and was finally able to change them out. The ruby was my birthstone as my birthday was July 1st. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him, thanking him again and again.
The rest of the day was spent in the living room while the turkey cooked in the oven, filling the house with its delicious aroma. I managed to persuade everyone to participate in several board games while we all listened to Christmas music. For a while, the house was filled with laughter and smiles again, and I prayed it would last.
It was later, when everyone was busy putting away their new gifts and setting up the kitchen for dinner, that I took the opportunity to sneak out of the house and hurry around to the back. It had been two days since I last saw Keenan, and though it was Christmas and he most likely had other obligations, I remembered how he had told me to check for his note. I didn’t bother to zip up my jacket as I hurried. I was too eager to see if he had kept his promise. When I reached the boulder beneath my window, I studied the frost covered ground for a moment until I noticed a small, smooth, blueish-grey stone near the wall of the house that looked new. I peered over my shoulder, making sure no one was looking for me, and hunched down on my heels. When I lifted the rock, I found a folded up piece of paper sitting beneath it. Quickly, I grabbed it and stuck it in my pocket, hurrying back inside. It wasn’t until later, while I lay in bed listening to Mum, James, and Shay move around the house, locking up for the night, that I unfolded the note to read.
Hey there, Sunshine,
A very Merry Christmas to you. I hope you got spoiled rotten, because you deserve it, Cutie. I want you to write and tell me everything you got this year.
Thank you again for helping me shop the other day. I ended up buying my mother that pearl necklace you liked and she loved it. I couldn’t take all the credit, though. I told her I had the help of a little Christmas Angel in picking it out. Is that too cheesy for you? Well, tough luck, kiddo. There’s more where that came from.
I giggled and kept reading.
Enjoy the holidays and when you’re back in school and dance classes, give it your all. You’re destined for better things than this place, darling. I can see you living in the big city, dancing for a company as their prima ballerina. I know, I know… I haven’t even seen you dance… but you have passion, Sunshine. I want to see you do great things.
Write me back, let me know how you’re doing, alright? Leave your note under the rock, and I’ll come check in a few days, okay?
From now on, when you write to me, call me by a cool nickname, like Stud Muffin, Hugglepuffer, or Captain Awesome… just in case this falls into the wrong hands.
Take care, Cutie.
XO
I burst out laughing reading his stupid nickname recommendations. It seems like Keenan was a bit of a dork, and I kind of loved it. I quickly shoved my blanket over my mouth to muffle my sniggering. When I’d calmed down, I folded up the note and buried it in the bottom of the messiest drawer at my desk. Later, I’d find a better hiding spot for my notes. I know he wanted me to be careful, and I would be. Most likely, he expected me to destroy them after… but the sentimental side of me couldn’t bear to destroy his words. They made me feel giddy and special.
As I curled up in my bed again and turned off the lights, I lay in the dark with a ridiculous, huge grin on my face as I reread the note in my mind again and again, and made a promise to pick the stupidest nickname I could think of to address him as from now on…
Present Day
Mina: Sixteen Years Old
June
I was lying in bed with every single light on in the house, feeling like I was a little kid again. Too afraid of the dark, and too afraid to sit in the main room alone in case whoever sent the attackers was going to send more to finish the job. Night had fallen about half an hour ago, I was alone in the house, and my blankets were fisted in my hands as I lay on my back, staring up at the wood panelled ceiling, my heart hammering in my chest and jumping at every little squeak and creak.
I bit my lip and fought the urge to cry. I was scared and pissed off. I was fucking furious with my stepfather and stepbrother. They promised me they wouldn’t leave me alone after dark. And especially tonight, which just so happened to be my Junior Prom. Instead of getting dressed up and riding in a limo with my friends, I forced myself to find a way around the kitchen while balancing on one good leg, so I could make the guys some dinner… a Mexican chicken casserole and garlic toast. But as I sat at the kitchen table drumming my fingers over the light wooden surface, my green eyes flitted from the clock over the stove to the gathering darkness out the windows, wondering where the hell they were.
The entire time I waited, my friends, Becca and Ashley, sent me endless selfies of themselves, wearing their pretty gowns, makeup professionally done, and photos of the gym all decked out for the event. It would have been so amazing to go, but with my head being loopy, my broken leg, and the feeling of paranoia constantly needling the back of my mind, there was no way I could handle it.
When it got to be so dark that I couldn’t see beyond the soft glow from the porch light, I moved as quickly as I could around the house, ensuring all the locks were in place, and double checked the new security system to ensure it was still armed. It was almost nine when I called James. The phone rang and rang until it went to voicemail.
“Hey, it’s Mina. Just wondering where you guys were. I’m guessing you had Church last minute, or something, and that’s why you didn’t bother to call or text to tell me that you’d be late…” I try to keep the snarkiness in my tone to a minimum, but I fail to hide the disappointment in my voice. “I made dinner for you guys, but I guess I’ll just wrap it up and you can have it tomorrow. Please call me when you get a chance…” I hung up and immediately called Shay, knowing that he, at least, would answer. But it just rang until eventually, it went to voicemail, too. I didn’t bother leaving a message for him.
I was hurt that he broke his promise so easily to me. Haven’t I always been there for him when he needed me? Was it too much to ask for some support in return? What were they doing that was so important that they would break their promise to be home on time? Maybe, maybe Shawn gave them some sort of an assignment? What if there was an emergency Church meeting? Maybe there was another one of those parties going on at the club, and they were drunk and fucking around with the sweet-butts.