A Step to Love
Hiding
After Jake’s weird scene with Brody, I had hit him on his arm hard enough for him to whine and the whole mystery and protective side go away.
We were now at the restaurant and Brody still looked at Jake curiously which made me crack up in the middle of the table. “Sorry,” I whispered as I realized how ridiculously loud and embarrassing my laugh sounded. “He was only kidding, Brody. You can stop now.”
Suddenly, his frown turned into a smile. “I’m sorry,” he said, and then leaned down to take a sip from his spoon.
Pat sat next to him, rubbing a napkin softly against her cheek. “Jake is my weirdest child, so you will only see that kind of behavior from him.”
Brody put took his spoon and set it on the table before speaking. “Now that you mention that…” He turned to me. “Lilly, I don’t think you have mentioned anything about your family before. Do you have any brothers, or a dad perhaps that I should worry about?” he asked, laughing, but the rest didn’t follow the joke. Not even Jenny, which surprised me a bit.
I didn’t know what to say.
How could I forgotten to mention the biggest thing about a my life to my boyfriend?
My dad’s death—the main reason as to why I was living with Pat in the first place; because of that event, my mother had fallen into shock (at least that was her physiologist had said).
The movement around the table went into a stop and it wasn’t until half a minute of Brody laughing that he noticed I was staring with my eyes wide open. He immediately stopped laughing. “Did I say something wrong?” For a moment, he looked like he realized something. “Is that…the reason why you live there? I didn’t ask you before, I’m sorry.”
Pat sighed. “We ju—”
“Actually, no,” I interrupted, giving Pat an apologetic look. “You’re right, I didn’t you tell. I must have forgotten.” I paused to take a sip from my soda. “My mom and Pat are best friends and, well, she had to move along with my dad to Spain because of work, so she told Pat to take care of me.” I looked down, trying to grasp a little of what I had just said.
I had told the truth in a way. Only, it was another person in my family who had to go Spain because of work, not my parents.
I didn’t want him to know about my mom and dad yet.
Even so…we had been together for nine months.
I didn’t understand. I just didn’t want to tell him.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized for the second time. “I didn’t mean to scare you or anything with my laughter, but hey, it’s good to know at least. I’m glad how that works out. I mean, your mom and Pat are best friends and you and Brit are best friends. That’s great.”
“Yeah,” I said, keeping my eyes on the food. I was afraid that if I looked up, the look the others were probably giving me would make burst out the whole thing. And I could only tell by the silence that stood until all of us finished our plates.
~*~*~*~*~
“What was that all about?” Alex whispered next to me once I got into Pat’s van.
Well, I thought it was pretty obvious at the time that I didn’t want to go into further explanations about my family. Was a full description of my life that necessary?
Of course I stood quiet. He didn’t pressure me into saying anything else, but it didn’t look as if it was because he didn’t care—it was more of a reflection of pure understanding.
It took us a few hours to finally get home and I noticed that I had unconsciously fallen into a deep sleep once I opened my eyes to the stop of movement. I then, realized I was laying my head on Alex’s shoulder and immediately separated as far as I could. Again, he didn’t say anything; he just got out of the car with the numerous gifts he had received earlier.
When it was my turn to get out, I saw Pat walk by my side with the house’s keys on hand. She shot me preoccupied glance before reaching the small gate and pulling out the right key.
We were now at the restaurant and Brody still looked at Jake curiously which made me crack up in the middle of the table. “Sorry,” I whispered as I realized how ridiculously loud and embarrassing my laugh sounded. “He was only kidding, Brody. You can stop now.”
Suddenly, his frown turned into a smile. “I’m sorry,” he said, and then leaned down to take a sip from his spoon.
Pat sat next to him, rubbing a napkin softly against her cheek. “Jake is my weirdest child, so you will only see that kind of behavior from him.”
Brody put took his spoon and set it on the table before speaking. “Now that you mention that…” He turned to me. “Lilly, I don’t think you have mentioned anything about your family before. Do you have any brothers, or a dad perhaps that I should worry about?” he asked, laughing, but the rest didn’t follow the joke. Not even Jenny, which surprised me a bit.
I didn’t know what to say.
How could I forgotten to mention the biggest thing about a my life to my boyfriend?
My dad’s death—the main reason as to why I was living with Pat in the first place; because of that event, my mother had fallen into shock (at least that was her physiologist had said).
The movement around the table went into a stop and it wasn’t until half a minute of Brody laughing that he noticed I was staring with my eyes wide open. He immediately stopped laughing. “Did I say something wrong?” For a moment, he looked like he realized something. “Is that…the reason why you live there? I didn’t ask you before, I’m sorry.”
Pat sighed. “We ju—”
“Actually, no,” I interrupted, giving Pat an apologetic look. “You’re right, I didn’t you tell. I must have forgotten.” I paused to take a sip from my soda. “My mom and Pat are best friends and, well, she had to move along with my dad to Spain because of work, so she told Pat to take care of me.” I looked down, trying to grasp a little of what I had just said.
I had told the truth in a way. Only, it was another person in my family who had to go Spain because of work, not my parents.
I didn’t want him to know about my mom and dad yet.
Even so…we had been together for nine months.
I didn’t understand. I just didn’t want to tell him.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized for the second time. “I didn’t mean to scare you or anything with my laughter, but hey, it’s good to know at least. I’m glad how that works out. I mean, your mom and Pat are best friends and you and Brit are best friends. That’s great.”
“Yeah,” I said, keeping my eyes on the food. I was afraid that if I looked up, the look the others were probably giving me would make burst out the whole thing. And I could only tell by the silence that stood until all of us finished our plates.
~*~*~*~*~
“What was that all about?” Alex whispered next to me once I got into Pat’s van.
Well, I thought it was pretty obvious at the time that I didn’t want to go into further explanations about my family. Was a full description of my life that necessary?
Of course I stood quiet. He didn’t pressure me into saying anything else, but it didn’t look as if it was because he didn’t care—it was more of a reflection of pure understanding.
It took us a few hours to finally get home and I noticed that I had unconsciously fallen into a deep sleep once I opened my eyes to the stop of movement. I then, realized I was laying my head on Alex’s shoulder and immediately separated as far as I could. Again, he didn’t say anything; he just got out of the car with the numerous gifts he had received earlier.
When it was my turn to get out, I saw Pat walk by my side with the house’s keys on hand. She shot me preoccupied glance before reaching the small gate and pulling out the right key.