Chapter Nineteen, Ring
Posted by DiF on Saturday, August 13, 2011
Title: Angels in a Cage: Chapter Nineteen, Ring
Rating: PG-13 [language]
Summary: Alyssa comes to a decision about Chris and he hasn't ever been this happy before.
Closing her eyes, his words tumbled around in her head, falling into her heart. This could not be happening, not to her, not at all. Chris was not falling in love with her. She was just a silly teenage coffee waitress. It was not love. It could not be love. But then why did she want to crawl into his lap and stay there forever?
Lips brushed hers a third forbidden time. He held the sweet kiss a bit longer, his long fingers still holding her chin. Alyssa attempted to fight off her rushing emotions, but oh how she was failing. The longer his lips remained pressed to hers, the more her resolve dissolved. He had to know it too. That had to be why he was not letting up. He wanted to break down her walls.
“Lyssie,” he muttered, his breath tickling her lips. “I’m falling for you.”
He kissed her again before requesting, “Fall for me, too.”
Her eyes opened and instantly looked into the most beautiful blue-green eyes she had ever seen before. As she stared into his eyes, she saw her future flash before her. Happiness, love, marriage, babies and everything in between glittered in his eyes. It was breathtaking and scary all at the same time. Puppy love did not come bearing such gifts. But true love did not come so quickly. It could not be… anything else.
“You feel it too,” he muttered, his other hand released hers so both hands could frame her face before he leaned in to kiss her once more. “Don’t you?”
“But, Chris…” she softly protested. “You’re married…”
“In name only. And I will change that as soon as is feasible,” Chris declared.
Her hands covered his and she closed her eyes again, “What if… what if what I feel is real? Then what?”
“Then we move mountains to be together,” he stated simply.
Her thumbs caressed the back of his hands before peeling them away from her face and holding them in her lap, “Chris, we’ve only known each other a very short time.”
“That doesn’t matter. This connection supersedes all that bullshit. I have never, ever felt anything like this before. It’s not lust. I know what that feels like. This is so much more. It is more than me just wanting to be near you or be around you all the time. It is more than me just wanting to kiss those lips first thing when I wake in the morning and last thing before I fall asleep at night. I want more than just to love you, but to protect and provide for you as well,” he explained.
Her eyes opened, wavering as she met his gaze, “But, Chris… everyone will say–”
“I don’t give a fuck what anyone else says. They don’t mean one damn thing to me. They can say whatever they want. I know what is in my heart is true. And I see it in your eyes as well. Tell me you don’t want to be with me. Tell me you didn’t come over here before we were scheduled to see each other because you feel the pull of this connection as well. Tell me you don’t want me, Lyssie…”
“I… I want you, Chris. I do. But… there are so many things that can go wrong. I don’t want–”
Chris quickly kissed her, “Then we will meet these things head-on together. We will move mountains to be together.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Nothing that was worth it ever was,” he countered.
She sighed, “I don’t think you understand.”
“Explain it to me then.”
Her eyes darted down to their hands briefly, “Besides the fact you’re married, there is another large obstacle in our way.”
“What is that?”
“Chris, I’m… I’m still in school,” she stated vaguely.
“I know that. You told me that before. And I know that means I can’t see you as often as I would like to during the week. I’m okay with that. And any rules you have to impose on us, I’m okay with them as well, especially considering I’m not an unknown in this city,” he responded. “Whatever needs to be done for our relationship, I will do it. I will.”
As she looked into his eyes, she found she could not tell him she was only fifteen years old. It was wrong, she knew it was, but in that very instant Alyssa decided to skirt the issue of age as long as she could. No one could know about them anyways because of Susan, so they would already be taking extra precautions because of that. She would hold her age close to her heart.
“Okay, rules…” she nodded. “You can call me between the hours of four and ten, unless I’m at work and I’ll tell you when that is. I do have my own line, so I’ll be the only one answering, but after ten could wake up other people. In public, you cannot kiss me or make any other forward actions that could be construed as romantic. You’re still married and I will not become the public reason for divorce. You can come and see me at work, but don’t come every time… no wait. I don’t… you know I don’t like leaving the café alone. But it might be a good idea to not always come in the café and be there for hours, you know?”
Chris nodded, “Of course. We will be the utmost discreet.”
“You can’t talk about me with your friends and I won’t do it either. At least for now,” she added.
“Anything else?”
“No saying the l-word.”
Chris blinked, “Why? If I feel it–”
“Because even if we have this amazing connection where I feel like I have found the other half of me, I’m not ready to say it and I’m not ready to hear it. So I’m placing a six month moratorium on the l-word,” she declared.
He thought it over briefly and nodded, “All right.”
“And don’t ask me for sex. Should we ever get to that point, I will let you know. But it is not a matter for negotiation at all.”
His brows knitted, “Can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“What did the fuck do to you before we met?”
Looking down at their hands, Alyssa sighed and bit her bottom lip, “He was… abusive, Chris. He was very controlling and… well…I was over at his house and we were… making out and he tried to make me… do more. Luckily, someone came home, he freaked out, and I was able to get out of there. I didn’t really have much to press charges against him on, so I settled for a restraining order. I haven’t seen him around but… I just don’t think he’s going to give up.”
Listening as much to the emotion in her words as the actual words, Chris squeezed her hands gently, “Lyssie, I swear to God or whoever else that not only will he not be a factor in your life ever again, but I will personally make certain you are safe. And neverwill I even push you to do something you don’t want to.”
Her eyes went back to his, “I know you will, Chris. I feel safe around you, instantly so, and I can’t say that of a lot of people who come in the coffeehouse. You were different from the very beginning. I wouldn’t be here now if you weren’t.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. Not only because I wanted to see you so badly, but because I think… no, I know, I feel closer to you right now than I have any other woman… perhaps ever,” he claimed. “So thank you, Lyssie.”
She smiled, “When is… when is Susan going to be back?”
“Sunday some time.”
Alyssa glanced away briefly, pulled her hands free and reached for her water bottle, “Then you’ll be home alone.”
“With the dogs.”
“With the dogs,” she added and took a sip. “If you want, I would like to see you again while she is gone.”
Chris grinned, “I most certainly would like that.”
“My only restriction is Friday night. I have to go to a concert, but I can see you afterwards,” she stated. I work Saturday morning instead of the evening shift and I never work on Sundays.”
“What about tomorrow?” he asked.
She shook her head, “I’ll need to work on homework so I’ll have the weekend free.”
“Can I call you tomorrow at least?”
Alyssa smiled crookedly, “We’ll see how the rest of the evening goes.”
Curled up on the couch, her head in his lap, Alyssa dozed. Chris’s long fingers gently played with her hair, his eyes focused on the movie displayed on the screen. He was hardly paying any more attention to it than she was. Instead, his thoughts drifted off into daydreams about the girl on his couch. While he supposed the actresses in the movie were pretty, none of them could compare to Alyssa’s natural beauty. Her body had more curves that Susan’s, making her instantly more feminine in his eyes. Her long hair felt as smooth and soft as silk in his fingers; Chris instantly expanded that sensation to her skin, whether or not it was true. He chased her hair in intricate patterns on her back, wondering if it sent chills up and down her spine.
Glancing down at her face, he smiled as he watched her eyelids vibrated slightly with what could only be dreams. He knew she had curfew and should probably wake her, but life seemed so perfect with her right there with him. He could not disturb an angel’s rest at all. She shifted slightly on the couch, her right leg falling over the edge. His eyes snapped to her leg, drawn by the action to the hem of her short skirt. Chris bit on his bottom lip, seeing just the hint of black panties covering the curve of her ass. As he felt his body react to the sight, he forced his eyes back to her face.
Fingers no longer chasing her curls, he gently touched her face, “Lyssie, sweetie.”
“Mmmm,” she muttered.
“Sweetie, you should probably get up. It’s getting a bit late and I don’t want you to get in trouble,” he stated.
“What time is it?” she mumbled.
“Almost ten.”
The girl abruptly sat up, “Oh fuck. Can I use your phone so I don’t get locked out?”
“Sure.”
Before Chris even bothered to tell her where it was, she hurried into the kitchen and snatched it up. He watched silently from the living room as she turned her back to him and spoke into the phone. Reaching for the remote, he clicked off the TV as she returned to the room. Though he expected her to immediately say goodbye and leave, Alyssa sat back down on the couch. She leaned over and kissed him softly.
“I bought myself an hour,” she stated. “So I need to leave in about thirty minutes.”
His arm settled about her shoulders, “I wish you didn’t have to leave at all.”
Alyssa kissed him quickly again, “Maybe someday we’ll get to that point.”
“I know. And I respect that you need to go, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still wish you were staying.”
“I’ll see you again on Friday,” she pointed out.
“Not soon enough.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll go write my number next to your phone,” she pulled away.
Chris watched her walk away again. Having no reason to think otherwise, he loved the natural sway of her hips. She moved the way a woman should, with fluid grace. It was a stark contrast to his wife. Susan walked… like a man, probably because she thought she was competing with men in the industry. His wife had no feminine aspects; Alyssa oozed it. That alone made him feel more masculine just by being in her presence.
The pretty girl plopped back on the couch next to him, likely unaware of how very much aroused he was becoming. She leaned over and kissed his mouth sweetly, but Chris would not be satisfied with that. His arms circled her and pulled her into his lap. Holding her in the kiss, he waited for her to invite him to deepen the kiss. A few seconds passed before her lips parted. Though he did not wish to scare her, Chris kissed her hungrily, his hands pressing against her back to bring her as close to him as possible.
For a few moments, Alyssa allowed the passionate kiss. While she did not feel fear creep into her soul at his actions, she knew if anyone was going to temper them, it had to be her. They could not jump too quickly. Already she worried about how fast they had moved.
Slowly disengaging from the kiss, her eyes met his, “Chris…”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “I know.”
“I need to go home.”
“I know.”
“I will talk to you tomorrow?”
His eyes opened, “Absolutely.”
Slowly his arms released her, allowing her to leave his lap. She leaned down and kissed him once more, nearly making Chris pull her back into his lap and never let her go. However, he restrained himself, took a very deep breath, and stood up. His eyes met hers fully, letting her plainly see his desire. For a moment, Chris thought he saw the same emotion reflected back.
“I need to go home.”
“I know.”
Pressing up on her toes, she kissed his mouth gently, “Walk me to my car?”
Nodding, Chris’s hand went to the small of her back after she picked up her purse and headed to the door. He quickly flicked on the porch light, unlocked the door, and opened it for her. The couple headed out of the understated brick house, slowly making their way down the few steps. Alyssa paused underneath the light, digging her keys out of the small purse. Once found she walked the last few steps and unlocked the black Neon. Pulling the door open, she turned around, her eyes meeting Chris’s. He quickly looked around to see if anyone was around at all. Satisfied that the neighborhood was vacant and the neighbor’s lights were off, he leaned in and kissed her softly.
“Drive safe,” he muttered softly.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Alyssa responded. “I hope you get some sleep tonight, Chris.”
“I’ll try,” Chris said. “Good night, Lyssie.”
“Good night, Chris,” she replied, kissed him once more, and quickly got into her car.
Remaining in the driveway until her taillights disappeared around the corner, Chris sighed. He was in love, completely and wholly head-over-heels in love.
He really doubted he would get any sleep that night.
Snatching her pen from her hand, David waved his hand in front of Alyssa’s face, “Earth to Aly. Come in, Aly.”
Her unfocused eyes slowly turned to his, “Hey.”
He plopped down in the chair next to her, “You planning on re-doing math this period or is the wall really that interesting?”
“Huh?”
David laughed, “Aly, the bell rang for class a minute ago. You’re supposed to be in biology.”
“Oh shit,” her eyes widened and she hurried to gather her things together.
“I’ll walk you,” he stated, picking up her textbook. “Mr. Campbell won’t even notice my absence, like he didn’t notice your presence.”
“Thanks,” she slung her backpack over her shoulder.
The two left the classroom just as the tardy bell rang. Alyssa did not seem to care too much and David never cared about things like that. He tended to drift in and out of classes whenever he wanted. Perhaps if he was not on track to be valedictorian, the teachers and administration would have cared, but they did not. In fact they even passed one of the vice principals who merely suggested they hurry along so Alyssa was not too late to class.
“Let’s cut,” David suggested.
“Huh?”
He nodded, “Yep. It’s necessary. You have never been this spaced out. Come on, Aly. Let’s go.”
She followed him to his locker and then to her own. Both times David opened the locks and fished out whatever it was he thought they needed, leaving behind all of their books. Taking her hand, he led her blatantly out through the front doors of the high school. Pausing briefly, he looked around before spying her car in its usual parking space and headed to it. David dug Alyssa’s keys out of her purse, ushered her into the passenger seat, and hurried around the car.
As he guided the car out of the parking lot, Alyssa suddenly snapped to attention, “Where are we going? Why are we going there?”
“Ah, there you are,” he teased. “What’s going on, Aly? Because whatever it is, that’s why we’re skipping the rest of school. That fuck hasn’t returned, has he?”
“Oh god no,” she instantly responded.
“Then what is it?”
“I just didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“How come?” he flicked on the blinker.
Alyssa’s eyes went to his briefly before he focused back on the road, “Well for one I didn’t get home until around eleven thirty and had to finish my English assignment.”
“Which you’re not even going to be handing in since you’re skipping that class,” he pointed out.
She shrugged, “I guess.”
“So what else kept you up?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she looked out the window.
“Is it your mother?”
“No, of course not. We get along great.”
“Not your stepmom, your mother.”
Alyssa looked away from the window, “You mean Emilie?”
He nodded, “Yeah.”
“She’s still in jail as far as I know.”
“So then what is it?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, David,” she repeated.
“Uh huh.”
“I don’t. Where are you taking me?”
“The park.”
They drove in silence for about fifteen minutes. Alyssa racked her brain, trying to find other things to talk about than the real reason she was out of it that day. She could not lie to David. Not only would he see through it, but she just did not have it in her. But just as she could not lie to him, she could not tell him about Chris. Not only would he not believe her, but they were supposed to be a secret. And that meant from everyone, including her best friend.
When they reached the park, parking discreetly where other teenagers who cut class did, Alyssa did not hesitate getting out of her car, knowing David would pull her if he thought that necessary. She watched as he locked the doors and stowed her keys in his jeans pocket. Without even a thought, she slipped her hand into his as he held it out. Silently they made their way to a secluded shore of the lake and sat on a fallen log. Freeing her hand, David reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass pipe. He quickly and expertly stuffed it before handing it and his lighter to Alyssa.
Accepting it, she lit the first toke and handed it back, fully aware precisely why he was doing that. He was hoping to loosen up her tongue by getting her high. They had been friends long enough that she understood him as well as he understood her. And his attempt would probably work too, considering she was already struggling to not tell him. She could not tell him.
“If I tell you, do you swear you won’t tell anyone?” she asked softly, her eyes going to his.
David nonchalantly dumped out the dregs of the pipe, “Of course I swear to it, Aly. Your secrets have always been safe with me. You know that.”
“I’m dating someone.”
“Congrats. Who is he so I can go and threaten his ass?”
Alyssa smiled crookedly, “You don’t know him.”
“Of course not. Is he some fuck you met at work?”
“He’s not like Zack,” she instantly responded. “Not at all like him.”
“Uh huh. So you met him at work. What kind of guy goes to a coffee shop and picks up the barista? A creepster, that’s who,” he declared.
“David,” she warned.
“No, Aly, listen to me. The last guy you met at work tried to force you to have sex with him. You can’t tell me that makes him an upstanding guy. You don’t take out restraining orders against upstanding guys. This guy you’re seeing now isn’t any different. He will–”
“He won’t,” she interrupted. “He’s different, really different. He’s not some high school kid trying to get laid. He’s not trying to get in my pants and he already agreed to let me pace us. He listens to me, David, and he’s not going to make me do anything I don’t want to. And he’s not going to keep me away from you.”
“Aly, I don’t care what he’s told you. He’s going to–”
“Chris isn’t like Zack! He is nothing like Zack at all! He respects me. You don’t have anything to worry about, David. I swear.”
“So his name is Chris?”
She nodded.
David looked away briefly, “And he respects you?”
“Yes, David. He would never make me do anything I didn’t want to. He would never hold me back. Really,” she assured him.
He sighed, “And you really like him?”
She nodded.
“I want to meet him.”
“David, things are complicated. I can’t just bring you to–”
“Until I meet him and he proves otherwise, I’m going to think he’s a douche and just using you, Aly. I want to meet him if you’re so serious about him,” Dave stated.
She sighed, looking at him sideways, “You really like to complicate the fuck out of my life, don’t you?”
“I care about you, Aly. I don’t want you to ever get hurt. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me when you were with Fuckhead? And my god when you called me that night after he… if I had access to weapons I might have just gone over and blown off his fucking head for even thinking half the things he did,” he spat. “I’m not trying to complicate your life at all. Your life just means an awful fucking lot.”
Alyssa looked down at the ground, her eyes instantly focusing on a little ant climbing over pine needles. It did not take a scientist to know that he meant well. She knew he did and she did appreciate it. He was one of her very best friends so of course he would care about things others did not. His opinion did matter to her and she knew he could keep a secret. She did want someone she could talk about her and Chris with as well, besides her little sister who would just keep encouraging her to kiss him and whatnot.
“Okay,” she looked up at him. “You can meet Chris. But not for two weeks.”
“Why? Why can’t I meet him now?”
“Because we just officially got together last night and I want some time with just him and me before I start introducing outside influences into the relationship,” Alyssa explained.
He looked at her for a long moment, “Okay. That makes some sense. I’ll agree to it. Let’s go get some nachos.”
Sitting on his back porch as the dogs romped about the grassy backyard; Chris could not help but grin. Alyssa had only left eighteen hours and fourteen minutes ago, but he was still filled with an odd ethereal glow. He had never felt this good in all of his life. Not when drinking, drugging, or singing. He was completely and totally high – naturally. That little girl was definitely an angel and she had come to redeem him. This was what life was supposed to be about, not all that other bullshit. This was life.
The large, brick-like cordless phone resting on the frosted glass-top table began to ring. For a moment, he decided against answering it, not wanting to break his momentary euphoria. However, he quickly decided nothing could break his mood, not even his wife, so he reached for the phone and answered without looking at the caller id.
“Hello?”
“I hope you didn’t forget to take the dogs out today.”
His eyes flicked to Jesse as he plopped down in the grass, “Of course I haven’t, Suze. We’re having a great time outside today. In fact the sun is even shining.”
“The sun doesn’t shine in Seattle.”
Chris looked around, over the brim of his sunglasses, “Sure it does, Suze.”
“Didn’t you learn anything from everyone we have already lost to drugs?”
Pulling the phone away from his ear, he stared at it, confused, before holding it back up, “I’m not on drugs, Susan.”
“Drugs, drinking. Same thing.”
His eyes went to the bottle of water on the table, “Unless they have started to spike the water, that’s a negative on that as well.”
“Then why are you so fucking happy?”
His mouth fell open. He knew he was happy, but how could he explain it to his wife? ‘Hey, honey, I have fallen in love with another woman. Have fun at work.’ That really did not seem like a good idea at all. He had no problems with lying to her, had been for some time he supposed. But right in that very moment, Chris could not think of any good lie in place of the truth.
“I just woke up in a good mood, I suppose,” he finally answered, which was in fact the truth.
“I don’t believe you.”
He shrugged, not that she could see that, “Why did you call, Suze?”
“To see if you let the dogs out.”
“Really? Do you really think I’m so irresponsible to not take my own dogs out?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck, Susan, really? Is that really how you feel about me?”
“If it wasn’t for me you would be–”
Chris hung up the phone and dropped it back on the table, a scowl on his face. His wifeclearly thought he was as capable as a toddler without her around. He had no desire to speak with her if that was how she felt. In fact, she was just giving him more ammo to ask for the divorce he wanted. Not unexpectedly, the phone rang again. Picking the phone up, he hit the end button, silencing the ringer and sending the call to the answering machine.
He was calling a divorce lawyer. Today.
Squeezing eye drops into her slightly bloodshot eyes, Alyssa sighed and looked up at the house. It was not the first time she had cut class to go somewhere with David; he just normally called in and got them excused from school. She could not remember that happening this time – but they had smoked a lot more than normal as well. She felt a pit form in her stomach as she headed up to the door with her backpack slung over her shoulder. She just knew as soon as she stepped through the door, her mom was going to be on top of her, asking where she had been, what she had been doing.
Stepping into the house, she closed the door as quietly as possible, hoping to sneak up to her room and shower before having to face any of her family. Of course, Judith has supersonic hearing and peeked her head around the corner from the living room. Placing her finger to her lips, she hoped her sister would not draw unneeded attention to her.
“Aly? Is that you?” her stepmother called, leaning out of the kitchen herself. “Oh good, you made it home for dinner. Your phone has been ringing upstairs every ten minutes since like four. Judith wanted to go answer it for you.”
Her eyes widened slightly, remembering Chris was supposed to call her, “I’ll go call him back now. How long until dinner?”
“Him?”
She nodded, “I’ll tell you at dinner.”
“It’ll be on the table in ten minutes.”
“Okay, thanks,” she responded and hurried up the stairs.
Bursting into her bedroom, her hazel eyes instantly went to the flashing light on her answering machine and she smiled. Locking her door behind her before Judith could slip in, she dropped her backpack and pressed the button on the small box.
“Hey, Lyssie. You said I could call after four and it’s after four… I miss you. Anyways, call me when you can. My number is…”
Quickly scrambling, Alyssa scribbled Chris’s number down on her desk. With a giddy smile, she replayed the single message. He didn’t sound desperate so she couldn’t imagine why he would call every few minutes. She would call him back and let him know they could talk more after dinner.
She dialed the number and felt her heart pound more strongly with each ring. After the fourth one, he answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Chris, it’s Alyssa,” she stated, sitting on her bed and reaching to remove her shoes.
“Hey, sweetie. Sorry to call so early. I was just thinking about you and waiting for the clock to click over to when you said you would be home.”
She smiled, “It’s okay. I hadn’t expected to be out after class. But you didn’t need to call every ten minutes, Chris.”
“Um, I didn’t. I called once and left you a message.”
Her heart froze, “You didn’t?”
“No. I know you would call me back as soon as you could. No reason to obsessively call every couple of minutes.”
“Oh no,” she groaned and got to her feet.
“What is it?”
Alyssa went to her window, stretching the phone cord to its maximum and peered out the window, “Can I… can I come over in about an hour?”
“Of course you can. What’s going on, Alyssa?”
“Hopefully nothing. I’ll see you soon, Chris.”
Hanging up the phone, she unlocked her door and hurried down the stairs. Marilyn looked up as the teenager washed her hands quickly and then set the dinner table without saying a word. Eyeing her carefully as Alyssa helped Judith pour drinks as well, she tried to read her stepdaughter’s body language. Something was wrong, that much she knew, but what she was not certain.
“After dinner I’m going to go over to Chris’s house,” she stated as the three of them sat at the table.
“Who’s Chris?” Marilyn asked.
“Her boyfriend,” Judith giggled.
“Is that true?”
Alyssa nodded as she chewed her mouthful of food, “He is.”
“And he called you repeatedly for the past two hours?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“I don’t know, Mom.”
Marilyn was quiet for a moment, “Do you think it was Zack?”
Her eyes went across the table, “Possibly. I can’t know because I don’t have caller id on my line.”
“I’ll call them tomorrow and get that changed,” she stated. “If he’s calling you like that, he’s in violation of the restraining order.”
“I know.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. Chris will protect Aly,” Judith stated.
Marilyn looked to the younger girl, “Really? How is it that you know more about her boyfriend than I do?”
“Sisters have secrets,” she answered and reached for her glass of milk.
“Daddy knows… some,” Alyssa offered. “I would have told you but I haven’t really seen you much lately.”
“Maybe if you came home more often…”
She frowned, “I’m sorry. Between Chris and work and school…”
“Speaking of school, did you cut classes today to be with this Chris?” Marilyn challenged.
“No. I was with David.”
“And what were you doing?”
“We went to the art museum,” she responded.
Marilyn stared at her, clearly not believing the girl’s claim.
“I have my ticket in my purse,” Alyssa said.
“I want to see it before I allow you to go visit your boyfriend.”
“Of course.”
“And I want his number.”
“Chris’s?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think I–”
“Then you can’t go see him,” she stated simply.
“Okay, fine. I’ll leave you his number.”
Pushing away from the table a few minutes later, Alyssa hurried upstairs to retrieve the museum ticket and Chris’s number while Judith helped clear the table away. It was an odd thing, but her father had approved of her skipping classes with David as long as they did something educational during that time. Alyssa figured it was because he could not tell her no, but did not want to seem like a pushover either. So whenever they skipped, the pair made certain to stop some place they could get a ticket from, whether or not they actually visited the institution. Her father would excuse her absence if he had such proof. Though it could have been easily exploited, Alyssa was careful to not do it all that often and only when she skipped classes with David. She never skipped with any of the girls and certainly had not when she was with Zack. Her parents still trusted her and she knew a great portion of her freedom came directly from that trust. She would not abuse it.
Running back down the stairs, slip of paper with Chris’s number and the ticket in one hand, her keys in the other, Alyssa stopped briefly in the kitchen. Turning away as she thrust the paper into her mom’s hand, she headed towards the door.
“Wait one minute, young lady,” Marilyn stated, following her out of the kitchen. “You need to be home no later than eleven – no excuses.”
“But–”
“I’m giving you an extra hour on your weekday curfew, so don’t argue with me.”
Alyssa nodded.
“And be careful, Aly. I know you’re a smart girl and would never do anything you aren’t ready for, but please be careful. I don’t know this Chris and I don’t know if I should trust him. But I trust you to make the right decision.”
“You don’t have to worry, Mom. Chris and I already talked about sex. It’s not going to happen. We’ve only been together for a couple of days and he already promised to not ask for it. It is all up to me,” Alyssa assured her.
“Be smart,” Marilyn kissed her forehead. “And we should talk about making you an appointment if you’re even thinking about sex.”
“Mom,” she sighed.
“We’re going to talk about it, whether you like it or not. Now you get going before I change my mind.”
Leaving the house, she stopped and looked around. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Alyssa hurried to her car and slipped in. Backing out of the driveway, she waved at her father as he pulled in simultaneously. He merely waved back, not indicating she should stop and roll down her window to talk to him. Instead, she turned on her stereo and headed to Chris’s house.
The drive to Chris’s house really was not long, but it was far more stressful than it should have been. Not only did her mother’s words hang in her head about sex, but she nervously checked her mirrors. A dark green car had been following her for some time. It could have just been a coincident, but considering the incessant calling before, Alyssa did not really believe it was. Deciding there really were few options to test her theory, she quickly turned down a street without throwing her blinker on. A minute later, the same car turned down the street. She did it again. Again the car turned as well. Her heart began to pound and she realized she was in Chris’s neighborhood, just not on his street. She was close to being safe – or so she hoped. But she did not think it safe to park in front of his house, not that she really wanted to walk far to get to him. However she pulled over about a block away and pretended to be looking for something as the green car continued on.
Grabbing her purse, Alyssa got out of her car, locked the doors, and hurried down the street to Chris’s house. Though the sun had not yet set, the porch light lit the front of the house. Rushing to the door, she ignored the sad, weed-choked flowers by the stoop, and quickly knocked. She looked over her shoulder as the same green car drove by again, slowing as it got closer to the house.
“Lyssie?” Chris muttered softly as he opened the door.
She bolted inside, “Chris, I think… I think he’s following me.”
Closing the door behind her and instinctively turning the lock, he turned to her, “Who, baby?”
“Zack,” she dropped her purse. “I think he’s the one who called me over and over again when I wasn’t home. And I think he was in that car that just drove by.”
Chris leaned to the window and glanced out, “Where did you park, Lyssie?”
“Down the street. That’s why I think he’s following me. He went pass me but then came down the street again,” she claimed, beginning to pace. “Chris, he’s going to–”
Turning back to her, he stopped her pacing by wrapping his arms around her and kissing her, “He isn’t going to do anything, if that was even him. I’m not going to let him do anything to do you, Lyssie. You’re safe. I promise.”
Rating: PG-13 [language]
Summary: Alyssa comes to a decision about Chris and he hasn't ever been this happy before.
Closing her eyes, his words tumbled around in her head, falling into her heart. This could not be happening, not to her, not at all. Chris was not falling in love with her. She was just a silly teenage coffee waitress. It was not love. It could not be love. But then why did she want to crawl into his lap and stay there forever?
Lips brushed hers a third forbidden time. He held the sweet kiss a bit longer, his long fingers still holding her chin. Alyssa attempted to fight off her rushing emotions, but oh how she was failing. The longer his lips remained pressed to hers, the more her resolve dissolved. He had to know it too. That had to be why he was not letting up. He wanted to break down her walls.
“Lyssie,” he muttered, his breath tickling her lips. “I’m falling for you.”
He kissed her again before requesting, “Fall for me, too.”
Her eyes opened and instantly looked into the most beautiful blue-green eyes she had ever seen before. As she stared into his eyes, she saw her future flash before her. Happiness, love, marriage, babies and everything in between glittered in his eyes. It was breathtaking and scary all at the same time. Puppy love did not come bearing such gifts. But true love did not come so quickly. It could not be… anything else.
“You feel it too,” he muttered, his other hand released hers so both hands could frame her face before he leaned in to kiss her once more. “Don’t you?”
“But, Chris…” she softly protested. “You’re married…”
“In name only. And I will change that as soon as is feasible,” Chris declared.
Her hands covered his and she closed her eyes again, “What if… what if what I feel is real? Then what?”
“Then we move mountains to be together,” he stated simply.
Her thumbs caressed the back of his hands before peeling them away from her face and holding them in her lap, “Chris, we’ve only known each other a very short time.”
“That doesn’t matter. This connection supersedes all that bullshit. I have never, ever felt anything like this before. It’s not lust. I know what that feels like. This is so much more. It is more than me just wanting to be near you or be around you all the time. It is more than me just wanting to kiss those lips first thing when I wake in the morning and last thing before I fall asleep at night. I want more than just to love you, but to protect and provide for you as well,” he explained.
Her eyes opened, wavering as she met his gaze, “But, Chris… everyone will say–”
“I don’t give a fuck what anyone else says. They don’t mean one damn thing to me. They can say whatever they want. I know what is in my heart is true. And I see it in your eyes as well. Tell me you don’t want to be with me. Tell me you didn’t come over here before we were scheduled to see each other because you feel the pull of this connection as well. Tell me you don’t want me, Lyssie…”
“I… I want you, Chris. I do. But… there are so many things that can go wrong. I don’t want–”
Chris quickly kissed her, “Then we will meet these things head-on together. We will move mountains to be together.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Nothing that was worth it ever was,” he countered.
She sighed, “I don’t think you understand.”
“Explain it to me then.”
Her eyes darted down to their hands briefly, “Besides the fact you’re married, there is another large obstacle in our way.”
“What is that?”
“Chris, I’m… I’m still in school,” she stated vaguely.
“I know that. You told me that before. And I know that means I can’t see you as often as I would like to during the week. I’m okay with that. And any rules you have to impose on us, I’m okay with them as well, especially considering I’m not an unknown in this city,” he responded. “Whatever needs to be done for our relationship, I will do it. I will.”
As she looked into his eyes, she found she could not tell him she was only fifteen years old. It was wrong, she knew it was, but in that very instant Alyssa decided to skirt the issue of age as long as she could. No one could know about them anyways because of Susan, so they would already be taking extra precautions because of that. She would hold her age close to her heart.
“Okay, rules…” she nodded. “You can call me between the hours of four and ten, unless I’m at work and I’ll tell you when that is. I do have my own line, so I’ll be the only one answering, but after ten could wake up other people. In public, you cannot kiss me or make any other forward actions that could be construed as romantic. You’re still married and I will not become the public reason for divorce. You can come and see me at work, but don’t come every time… no wait. I don’t… you know I don’t like leaving the café alone. But it might be a good idea to not always come in the café and be there for hours, you know?”
Chris nodded, “Of course. We will be the utmost discreet.”
“You can’t talk about me with your friends and I won’t do it either. At least for now,” she added.
“Anything else?”
“No saying the l-word.”
Chris blinked, “Why? If I feel it–”
“Because even if we have this amazing connection where I feel like I have found the other half of me, I’m not ready to say it and I’m not ready to hear it. So I’m placing a six month moratorium on the l-word,” she declared.
He thought it over briefly and nodded, “All right.”
“And don’t ask me for sex. Should we ever get to that point, I will let you know. But it is not a matter for negotiation at all.”
His brows knitted, “Can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“What did the fuck do to you before we met?”
Looking down at their hands, Alyssa sighed and bit her bottom lip, “He was… abusive, Chris. He was very controlling and… well…I was over at his house and we were… making out and he tried to make me… do more. Luckily, someone came home, he freaked out, and I was able to get out of there. I didn’t really have much to press charges against him on, so I settled for a restraining order. I haven’t seen him around but… I just don’t think he’s going to give up.”
Listening as much to the emotion in her words as the actual words, Chris squeezed her hands gently, “Lyssie, I swear to God or whoever else that not only will he not be a factor in your life ever again, but I will personally make certain you are safe. And neverwill I even push you to do something you don’t want to.”
Her eyes went back to his, “I know you will, Chris. I feel safe around you, instantly so, and I can’t say that of a lot of people who come in the coffeehouse. You were different from the very beginning. I wouldn’t be here now if you weren’t.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. Not only because I wanted to see you so badly, but because I think… no, I know, I feel closer to you right now than I have any other woman… perhaps ever,” he claimed. “So thank you, Lyssie.”
She smiled, “When is… when is Susan going to be back?”
“Sunday some time.”
Alyssa glanced away briefly, pulled her hands free and reached for her water bottle, “Then you’ll be home alone.”
“With the dogs.”
“With the dogs,” she added and took a sip. “If you want, I would like to see you again while she is gone.”
Chris grinned, “I most certainly would like that.”
“My only restriction is Friday night. I have to go to a concert, but I can see you afterwards,” she stated. I work Saturday morning instead of the evening shift and I never work on Sundays.”
“What about tomorrow?” he asked.
She shook her head, “I’ll need to work on homework so I’ll have the weekend free.”
“Can I call you tomorrow at least?”
Alyssa smiled crookedly, “We’ll see how the rest of the evening goes.”
Curled up on the couch, her head in his lap, Alyssa dozed. Chris’s long fingers gently played with her hair, his eyes focused on the movie displayed on the screen. He was hardly paying any more attention to it than she was. Instead, his thoughts drifted off into daydreams about the girl on his couch. While he supposed the actresses in the movie were pretty, none of them could compare to Alyssa’s natural beauty. Her body had more curves that Susan’s, making her instantly more feminine in his eyes. Her long hair felt as smooth and soft as silk in his fingers; Chris instantly expanded that sensation to her skin, whether or not it was true. He chased her hair in intricate patterns on her back, wondering if it sent chills up and down her spine.
Glancing down at her face, he smiled as he watched her eyelids vibrated slightly with what could only be dreams. He knew she had curfew and should probably wake her, but life seemed so perfect with her right there with him. He could not disturb an angel’s rest at all. She shifted slightly on the couch, her right leg falling over the edge. His eyes snapped to her leg, drawn by the action to the hem of her short skirt. Chris bit on his bottom lip, seeing just the hint of black panties covering the curve of her ass. As he felt his body react to the sight, he forced his eyes back to her face.
Fingers no longer chasing her curls, he gently touched her face, “Lyssie, sweetie.”
“Mmmm,” she muttered.
“Sweetie, you should probably get up. It’s getting a bit late and I don’t want you to get in trouble,” he stated.
“What time is it?” she mumbled.
“Almost ten.”
The girl abruptly sat up, “Oh fuck. Can I use your phone so I don’t get locked out?”
“Sure.”
Before Chris even bothered to tell her where it was, she hurried into the kitchen and snatched it up. He watched silently from the living room as she turned her back to him and spoke into the phone. Reaching for the remote, he clicked off the TV as she returned to the room. Though he expected her to immediately say goodbye and leave, Alyssa sat back down on the couch. She leaned over and kissed him softly.
“I bought myself an hour,” she stated. “So I need to leave in about thirty minutes.”
His arm settled about her shoulders, “I wish you didn’t have to leave at all.”
Alyssa kissed him quickly again, “Maybe someday we’ll get to that point.”
“I know. And I respect that you need to go, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still wish you were staying.”
“I’ll see you again on Friday,” she pointed out.
“Not soon enough.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll go write my number next to your phone,” she pulled away.
Chris watched her walk away again. Having no reason to think otherwise, he loved the natural sway of her hips. She moved the way a woman should, with fluid grace. It was a stark contrast to his wife. Susan walked… like a man, probably because she thought she was competing with men in the industry. His wife had no feminine aspects; Alyssa oozed it. That alone made him feel more masculine just by being in her presence.
The pretty girl plopped back on the couch next to him, likely unaware of how very much aroused he was becoming. She leaned over and kissed his mouth sweetly, but Chris would not be satisfied with that. His arms circled her and pulled her into his lap. Holding her in the kiss, he waited for her to invite him to deepen the kiss. A few seconds passed before her lips parted. Though he did not wish to scare her, Chris kissed her hungrily, his hands pressing against her back to bring her as close to him as possible.
For a few moments, Alyssa allowed the passionate kiss. While she did not feel fear creep into her soul at his actions, she knew if anyone was going to temper them, it had to be her. They could not jump too quickly. Already she worried about how fast they had moved.
Slowly disengaging from the kiss, her eyes met his, “Chris…”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “I know.”
“I need to go home.”
“I know.”
“I will talk to you tomorrow?”
His eyes opened, “Absolutely.”
Slowly his arms released her, allowing her to leave his lap. She leaned down and kissed him once more, nearly making Chris pull her back into his lap and never let her go. However, he restrained himself, took a very deep breath, and stood up. His eyes met hers fully, letting her plainly see his desire. For a moment, Chris thought he saw the same emotion reflected back.
“I need to go home.”
“I know.”
Pressing up on her toes, she kissed his mouth gently, “Walk me to my car?”
Nodding, Chris’s hand went to the small of her back after she picked up her purse and headed to the door. He quickly flicked on the porch light, unlocked the door, and opened it for her. The couple headed out of the understated brick house, slowly making their way down the few steps. Alyssa paused underneath the light, digging her keys out of the small purse. Once found she walked the last few steps and unlocked the black Neon. Pulling the door open, she turned around, her eyes meeting Chris’s. He quickly looked around to see if anyone was around at all. Satisfied that the neighborhood was vacant and the neighbor’s lights were off, he leaned in and kissed her softly.
“Drive safe,” he muttered softly.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Alyssa responded. “I hope you get some sleep tonight, Chris.”
“I’ll try,” Chris said. “Good night, Lyssie.”
“Good night, Chris,” she replied, kissed him once more, and quickly got into her car.
Remaining in the driveway until her taillights disappeared around the corner, Chris sighed. He was in love, completely and wholly head-over-heels in love.
He really doubted he would get any sleep that night.
Snatching her pen from her hand, David waved his hand in front of Alyssa’s face, “Earth to Aly. Come in, Aly.”
Her unfocused eyes slowly turned to his, “Hey.”
He plopped down in the chair next to her, “You planning on re-doing math this period or is the wall really that interesting?”
“Huh?”
David laughed, “Aly, the bell rang for class a minute ago. You’re supposed to be in biology.”
“Oh shit,” her eyes widened and she hurried to gather her things together.
“I’ll walk you,” he stated, picking up her textbook. “Mr. Campbell won’t even notice my absence, like he didn’t notice your presence.”
“Thanks,” she slung her backpack over her shoulder.
The two left the classroom just as the tardy bell rang. Alyssa did not seem to care too much and David never cared about things like that. He tended to drift in and out of classes whenever he wanted. Perhaps if he was not on track to be valedictorian, the teachers and administration would have cared, but they did not. In fact they even passed one of the vice principals who merely suggested they hurry along so Alyssa was not too late to class.
“Let’s cut,” David suggested.
“Huh?”
He nodded, “Yep. It’s necessary. You have never been this spaced out. Come on, Aly. Let’s go.”
She followed him to his locker and then to her own. Both times David opened the locks and fished out whatever it was he thought they needed, leaving behind all of their books. Taking her hand, he led her blatantly out through the front doors of the high school. Pausing briefly, he looked around before spying her car in its usual parking space and headed to it. David dug Alyssa’s keys out of her purse, ushered her into the passenger seat, and hurried around the car.
As he guided the car out of the parking lot, Alyssa suddenly snapped to attention, “Where are we going? Why are we going there?”
“Ah, there you are,” he teased. “What’s going on, Aly? Because whatever it is, that’s why we’re skipping the rest of school. That fuck hasn’t returned, has he?”
“Oh god no,” she instantly responded.
“Then what is it?”
“I just didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“How come?” he flicked on the blinker.
Alyssa’s eyes went to his briefly before he focused back on the road, “Well for one I didn’t get home until around eleven thirty and had to finish my English assignment.”
“Which you’re not even going to be handing in since you’re skipping that class,” he pointed out.
She shrugged, “I guess.”
“So what else kept you up?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she looked out the window.
“Is it your mother?”
“No, of course not. We get along great.”
“Not your stepmom, your mother.”
Alyssa looked away from the window, “You mean Emilie?”
He nodded, “Yeah.”
“She’s still in jail as far as I know.”
“So then what is it?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, David,” she repeated.
“Uh huh.”
“I don’t. Where are you taking me?”
“The park.”
They drove in silence for about fifteen minutes. Alyssa racked her brain, trying to find other things to talk about than the real reason she was out of it that day. She could not lie to David. Not only would he see through it, but she just did not have it in her. But just as she could not lie to him, she could not tell him about Chris. Not only would he not believe her, but they were supposed to be a secret. And that meant from everyone, including her best friend.
When they reached the park, parking discreetly where other teenagers who cut class did, Alyssa did not hesitate getting out of her car, knowing David would pull her if he thought that necessary. She watched as he locked the doors and stowed her keys in his jeans pocket. Without even a thought, she slipped her hand into his as he held it out. Silently they made their way to a secluded shore of the lake and sat on a fallen log. Freeing her hand, David reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass pipe. He quickly and expertly stuffed it before handing it and his lighter to Alyssa.
Accepting it, she lit the first toke and handed it back, fully aware precisely why he was doing that. He was hoping to loosen up her tongue by getting her high. They had been friends long enough that she understood him as well as he understood her. And his attempt would probably work too, considering she was already struggling to not tell him. She could not tell him.
“If I tell you, do you swear you won’t tell anyone?” she asked softly, her eyes going to his.
David nonchalantly dumped out the dregs of the pipe, “Of course I swear to it, Aly. Your secrets have always been safe with me. You know that.”
“I’m dating someone.”
“Congrats. Who is he so I can go and threaten his ass?”
Alyssa smiled crookedly, “You don’t know him.”
“Of course not. Is he some fuck you met at work?”
“He’s not like Zack,” she instantly responded. “Not at all like him.”
“Uh huh. So you met him at work. What kind of guy goes to a coffee shop and picks up the barista? A creepster, that’s who,” he declared.
“David,” she warned.
“No, Aly, listen to me. The last guy you met at work tried to force you to have sex with him. You can’t tell me that makes him an upstanding guy. You don’t take out restraining orders against upstanding guys. This guy you’re seeing now isn’t any different. He will–”
“He won’t,” she interrupted. “He’s different, really different. He’s not some high school kid trying to get laid. He’s not trying to get in my pants and he already agreed to let me pace us. He listens to me, David, and he’s not going to make me do anything I don’t want to. And he’s not going to keep me away from you.”
“Aly, I don’t care what he’s told you. He’s going to–”
“Chris isn’t like Zack! He is nothing like Zack at all! He respects me. You don’t have anything to worry about, David. I swear.”
“So his name is Chris?”
She nodded.
David looked away briefly, “And he respects you?”
“Yes, David. He would never make me do anything I didn’t want to. He would never hold me back. Really,” she assured him.
He sighed, “And you really like him?”
She nodded.
“I want to meet him.”
“David, things are complicated. I can’t just bring you to–”
“Until I meet him and he proves otherwise, I’m going to think he’s a douche and just using you, Aly. I want to meet him if you’re so serious about him,” Dave stated.
She sighed, looking at him sideways, “You really like to complicate the fuck out of my life, don’t you?”
“I care about you, Aly. I don’t want you to ever get hurt. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me when you were with Fuckhead? And my god when you called me that night after he… if I had access to weapons I might have just gone over and blown off his fucking head for even thinking half the things he did,” he spat. “I’m not trying to complicate your life at all. Your life just means an awful fucking lot.”
Alyssa looked down at the ground, her eyes instantly focusing on a little ant climbing over pine needles. It did not take a scientist to know that he meant well. She knew he did and she did appreciate it. He was one of her very best friends so of course he would care about things others did not. His opinion did matter to her and she knew he could keep a secret. She did want someone she could talk about her and Chris with as well, besides her little sister who would just keep encouraging her to kiss him and whatnot.
“Okay,” she looked up at him. “You can meet Chris. But not for two weeks.”
“Why? Why can’t I meet him now?”
“Because we just officially got together last night and I want some time with just him and me before I start introducing outside influences into the relationship,” Alyssa explained.
He looked at her for a long moment, “Okay. That makes some sense. I’ll agree to it. Let’s go get some nachos.”
Sitting on his back porch as the dogs romped about the grassy backyard; Chris could not help but grin. Alyssa had only left eighteen hours and fourteen minutes ago, but he was still filled with an odd ethereal glow. He had never felt this good in all of his life. Not when drinking, drugging, or singing. He was completely and totally high – naturally. That little girl was definitely an angel and she had come to redeem him. This was what life was supposed to be about, not all that other bullshit. This was life.
The large, brick-like cordless phone resting on the frosted glass-top table began to ring. For a moment, he decided against answering it, not wanting to break his momentary euphoria. However, he quickly decided nothing could break his mood, not even his wife, so he reached for the phone and answered without looking at the caller id.
“Hello?”
“I hope you didn’t forget to take the dogs out today.”
His eyes flicked to Jesse as he plopped down in the grass, “Of course I haven’t, Suze. We’re having a great time outside today. In fact the sun is even shining.”
“The sun doesn’t shine in Seattle.”
Chris looked around, over the brim of his sunglasses, “Sure it does, Suze.”
“Didn’t you learn anything from everyone we have already lost to drugs?”
Pulling the phone away from his ear, he stared at it, confused, before holding it back up, “I’m not on drugs, Susan.”
“Drugs, drinking. Same thing.”
His eyes went to the bottle of water on the table, “Unless they have started to spike the water, that’s a negative on that as well.”
“Then why are you so fucking happy?”
His mouth fell open. He knew he was happy, but how could he explain it to his wife? ‘Hey, honey, I have fallen in love with another woman. Have fun at work.’ That really did not seem like a good idea at all. He had no problems with lying to her, had been for some time he supposed. But right in that very moment, Chris could not think of any good lie in place of the truth.
“I just woke up in a good mood, I suppose,” he finally answered, which was in fact the truth.
“I don’t believe you.”
He shrugged, not that she could see that, “Why did you call, Suze?”
“To see if you let the dogs out.”
“Really? Do you really think I’m so irresponsible to not take my own dogs out?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck, Susan, really? Is that really how you feel about me?”
“If it wasn’t for me you would be–”
Chris hung up the phone and dropped it back on the table, a scowl on his face. His wifeclearly thought he was as capable as a toddler without her around. He had no desire to speak with her if that was how she felt. In fact, she was just giving him more ammo to ask for the divorce he wanted. Not unexpectedly, the phone rang again. Picking the phone up, he hit the end button, silencing the ringer and sending the call to the answering machine.
He was calling a divorce lawyer. Today.
Squeezing eye drops into her slightly bloodshot eyes, Alyssa sighed and looked up at the house. It was not the first time she had cut class to go somewhere with David; he just normally called in and got them excused from school. She could not remember that happening this time – but they had smoked a lot more than normal as well. She felt a pit form in her stomach as she headed up to the door with her backpack slung over her shoulder. She just knew as soon as she stepped through the door, her mom was going to be on top of her, asking where she had been, what she had been doing.
Stepping into the house, she closed the door as quietly as possible, hoping to sneak up to her room and shower before having to face any of her family. Of course, Judith has supersonic hearing and peeked her head around the corner from the living room. Placing her finger to her lips, she hoped her sister would not draw unneeded attention to her.
“Aly? Is that you?” her stepmother called, leaning out of the kitchen herself. “Oh good, you made it home for dinner. Your phone has been ringing upstairs every ten minutes since like four. Judith wanted to go answer it for you.”
Her eyes widened slightly, remembering Chris was supposed to call her, “I’ll go call him back now. How long until dinner?”
“Him?”
She nodded, “I’ll tell you at dinner.”
“It’ll be on the table in ten minutes.”
“Okay, thanks,” she responded and hurried up the stairs.
Bursting into her bedroom, her hazel eyes instantly went to the flashing light on her answering machine and she smiled. Locking her door behind her before Judith could slip in, she dropped her backpack and pressed the button on the small box.
“Hey, Lyssie. You said I could call after four and it’s after four… I miss you. Anyways, call me when you can. My number is…”
Quickly scrambling, Alyssa scribbled Chris’s number down on her desk. With a giddy smile, she replayed the single message. He didn’t sound desperate so she couldn’t imagine why he would call every few minutes. She would call him back and let him know they could talk more after dinner.
She dialed the number and felt her heart pound more strongly with each ring. After the fourth one, he answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Chris, it’s Alyssa,” she stated, sitting on her bed and reaching to remove her shoes.
“Hey, sweetie. Sorry to call so early. I was just thinking about you and waiting for the clock to click over to when you said you would be home.”
She smiled, “It’s okay. I hadn’t expected to be out after class. But you didn’t need to call every ten minutes, Chris.”
“Um, I didn’t. I called once and left you a message.”
Her heart froze, “You didn’t?”
“No. I know you would call me back as soon as you could. No reason to obsessively call every couple of minutes.”
“Oh no,” she groaned and got to her feet.
“What is it?”
Alyssa went to her window, stretching the phone cord to its maximum and peered out the window, “Can I… can I come over in about an hour?”
“Of course you can. What’s going on, Alyssa?”
“Hopefully nothing. I’ll see you soon, Chris.”
Hanging up the phone, she unlocked her door and hurried down the stairs. Marilyn looked up as the teenager washed her hands quickly and then set the dinner table without saying a word. Eyeing her carefully as Alyssa helped Judith pour drinks as well, she tried to read her stepdaughter’s body language. Something was wrong, that much she knew, but what she was not certain.
“After dinner I’m going to go over to Chris’s house,” she stated as the three of them sat at the table.
“Who’s Chris?” Marilyn asked.
“Her boyfriend,” Judith giggled.
“Is that true?”
Alyssa nodded as she chewed her mouthful of food, “He is.”
“And he called you repeatedly for the past two hours?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“I don’t know, Mom.”
Marilyn was quiet for a moment, “Do you think it was Zack?”
Her eyes went across the table, “Possibly. I can’t know because I don’t have caller id on my line.”
“I’ll call them tomorrow and get that changed,” she stated. “If he’s calling you like that, he’s in violation of the restraining order.”
“I know.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. Chris will protect Aly,” Judith stated.
Marilyn looked to the younger girl, “Really? How is it that you know more about her boyfriend than I do?”
“Sisters have secrets,” she answered and reached for her glass of milk.
“Daddy knows… some,” Alyssa offered. “I would have told you but I haven’t really seen you much lately.”
“Maybe if you came home more often…”
She frowned, “I’m sorry. Between Chris and work and school…”
“Speaking of school, did you cut classes today to be with this Chris?” Marilyn challenged.
“No. I was with David.”
“And what were you doing?”
“We went to the art museum,” she responded.
Marilyn stared at her, clearly not believing the girl’s claim.
“I have my ticket in my purse,” Alyssa said.
“I want to see it before I allow you to go visit your boyfriend.”
“Of course.”
“And I want his number.”
“Chris’s?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think I–”
“Then you can’t go see him,” she stated simply.
“Okay, fine. I’ll leave you his number.”
Pushing away from the table a few minutes later, Alyssa hurried upstairs to retrieve the museum ticket and Chris’s number while Judith helped clear the table away. It was an odd thing, but her father had approved of her skipping classes with David as long as they did something educational during that time. Alyssa figured it was because he could not tell her no, but did not want to seem like a pushover either. So whenever they skipped, the pair made certain to stop some place they could get a ticket from, whether or not they actually visited the institution. Her father would excuse her absence if he had such proof. Though it could have been easily exploited, Alyssa was careful to not do it all that often and only when she skipped classes with David. She never skipped with any of the girls and certainly had not when she was with Zack. Her parents still trusted her and she knew a great portion of her freedom came directly from that trust. She would not abuse it.
Running back down the stairs, slip of paper with Chris’s number and the ticket in one hand, her keys in the other, Alyssa stopped briefly in the kitchen. Turning away as she thrust the paper into her mom’s hand, she headed towards the door.
“Wait one minute, young lady,” Marilyn stated, following her out of the kitchen. “You need to be home no later than eleven – no excuses.”
“But–”
“I’m giving you an extra hour on your weekday curfew, so don’t argue with me.”
Alyssa nodded.
“And be careful, Aly. I know you’re a smart girl and would never do anything you aren’t ready for, but please be careful. I don’t know this Chris and I don’t know if I should trust him. But I trust you to make the right decision.”
“You don’t have to worry, Mom. Chris and I already talked about sex. It’s not going to happen. We’ve only been together for a couple of days and he already promised to not ask for it. It is all up to me,” Alyssa assured her.
“Be smart,” Marilyn kissed her forehead. “And we should talk about making you an appointment if you’re even thinking about sex.”
“Mom,” she sighed.
“We’re going to talk about it, whether you like it or not. Now you get going before I change my mind.”
Leaving the house, she stopped and looked around. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Alyssa hurried to her car and slipped in. Backing out of the driveway, she waved at her father as he pulled in simultaneously. He merely waved back, not indicating she should stop and roll down her window to talk to him. Instead, she turned on her stereo and headed to Chris’s house.
The drive to Chris’s house really was not long, but it was far more stressful than it should have been. Not only did her mother’s words hang in her head about sex, but she nervously checked her mirrors. A dark green car had been following her for some time. It could have just been a coincident, but considering the incessant calling before, Alyssa did not really believe it was. Deciding there really were few options to test her theory, she quickly turned down a street without throwing her blinker on. A minute later, the same car turned down the street. She did it again. Again the car turned as well. Her heart began to pound and she realized she was in Chris’s neighborhood, just not on his street. She was close to being safe – or so she hoped. But she did not think it safe to park in front of his house, not that she really wanted to walk far to get to him. However she pulled over about a block away and pretended to be looking for something as the green car continued on.
Grabbing her purse, Alyssa got out of her car, locked the doors, and hurried down the street to Chris’s house. Though the sun had not yet set, the porch light lit the front of the house. Rushing to the door, she ignored the sad, weed-choked flowers by the stoop, and quickly knocked. She looked over her shoulder as the same green car drove by again, slowing as it got closer to the house.
“Lyssie?” Chris muttered softly as he opened the door.
She bolted inside, “Chris, I think… I think he’s following me.”
Closing the door behind her and instinctively turning the lock, he turned to her, “Who, baby?”
“Zack,” she dropped her purse. “I think he’s the one who called me over and over again when I wasn’t home. And I think he was in that car that just drove by.”
Chris leaned to the window and glanced out, “Where did you park, Lyssie?”
“Down the street. That’s why I think he’s following me. He went pass me but then came down the street again,” she claimed, beginning to pace. “Chris, he’s going to–”
Turning back to her, he stopped her pacing by wrapping his arms around her and kissing her, “He isn’t going to do anything, if that was even him. I’m not going to let him do anything to do you, Lyssie. You’re safe. I promise.”
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