Hold My Hand

“Don’t even think about it,” Jared chuckled as I gawked at Lilly. She looked even more beautiful than before, but I was ecstatic that her hair was the same blond I remembered. I could feel Shayla tugging on my jeans, but I couldn’t move my eyes away from her. “Garrett.”

I snapped out of it and looked over at Jared with stunned eyes, “What?”

“Stop raping my cousin with your eyes. If you touch her, you’re dead. She’s only seventeen, dude.”

“Almost eighteen,” I retorted.

“Doesn’t matter,” He smiled sweetly. “If I have a say in it, she’s still twelve to me. So hands off.”

I sighed and grabbed Shayla’s hand again, and then smiled down at her. She beamed up at me and held out her arms. I laughed, “Aren’t you getting too old to be carried?”

“That’s what Daddy always says,” She smiled. “But I think as long as you’re light enough, you have the right to fly like a bird.”

“You mind if I use that in a song?” I winked at her.

“I get twenty percent of the money you make off that song.”

“Deal.”

“Garrett!” I turned my head and smiled when I saw Lilly catching up with me. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you in a year!”

“I’ve been great. You?”

“Oh, you know. Just out and about. I just graduated.”

“And what about college?”

“I got in,” She beamed.

“You got in to Harvard?”

She nodded and I smiled, “I start in two months.”

“I’m happy for you,” I said politely.

“Who’s this gorgeous girl?” Lilly smiled at Shayla. “Is she related to you?”

“I wish,” I laughed. “Lilly, this is Shayla, Max Bemis’ daughter. Shayla, this is Lilly.”

“You’re pretty,” Shayla smiled shyly.

Lilly laughed, “And so are you.”

“Garrett thinks you’re pretty, too. He talks about you a lot.”

I could feel my cheeks turning red as Lilly smiled, “Does he? What about me?”

“How he misses you and never gets to see you because you live in Kentucky. And how pretty he thinks you are.”

Lilly smiled at me, only causing me to become even more nervous than I already was. After our little conversation, I saw her walk away with Jared, and I saw John walking toward me. Shayla was still on my hip and she was playing with my hair again. I walked with John silently while Shayla hummed a song. I knew it, but I forget the name and the words.

“I hope you know what you’re getting into, Garrett,” John sighed. “She’s great and all, but like Jared said, she’s only seventeen.”

“And I’m only twenty. Only three years, unless you think about the fact that she turns eighteen in two months.” I sighed and looked over at him, “You dated Alyssa when she was a freshman and you were a senior. So you can’t talk, John.”

“Yeah, but she wasn’t my best friend’s cousin. And she lived in Arizona, too, instead of Kentucky, all the way across the country.” John glared at me, “And don’t bring her up. You know I don’t like talking about her.”

“Sorry,” I laughed and set Shayla down once I saw Max walking toward me with a smile on his face. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Shay.”

“Alright, Gary,” She giggled and jumped on her father. “Bye John!”

“Bye, Shayla,” He laughed and looked over at me. “Come on. We’ve got a show to play, man.”

Though I knew it was wrong to even think about Lilly in such a way, I couldn’t help myself. Every night I wondered if she was a good kisser, and I wondered more about if she’d be great in bed; and I knew it was horrible, but like I said: I couldn’t help myself. She was so beautiful; I couldn’t take my eyes off her if someone pried them out. The way her hair blew in the wind; the way she looked down when she smiled; the way she bit her lip. She played with her hair and had that sparkle in her eyes, and the way she kept her arms behind her back when she walked, showing a sort of innocence. It was the way she smiled when I talked to her; like she was actually listening to what I had to say. She was different; I wanted to know her dreams, opinions, thoughts and emotions. I wanted to know everything there was to know about Lilly Adams. And I was going to do it even if it killed me.