Sometimes, the wounds that words leave can be deeper than any cut a sword could make.
He kissed me. It was a sweet and brief peck on my lips, but a kiss nonetheless. Not on my cheeks nor forehead, but my lips! With his lips! I've never been kissed in my entire life, save for that night. Just the thought of it made my stomach flip. Go away.
Shaking my head from the thoughts of the night that still haunted me, I focused my mind on the present and the kiss. The feeling of his lips still lingered on mine even though it happened more than half an hour ago. It served as a brief reminder that all that was indeed real. He kissed me. Fuck! He actually kissed me!
At this moment, we were driving towards the mansion where the party was going to be held. It was really dark outside so there wasn't much to look at to kill my time. It's the whole reason why I've been thinking about that kiss so much. Melissa, Amy, and Ayden were rather silent on the backseat and I had a feeling that Blake would've killed me if I dared to take his attention off the road. So I was stuck with my own thoughts, which was rather dangerous for someone like me.
Since he had kissed me, I began wondering if he did that just because the situation gave him that opportunity or because he genuinely wanted to do it. That didn't help my wild imagination at all because I began to ponder on the idea of him actually liking me. You don't kiss someone unless you truly want to. Well, most of the time you don't.
"We're here," Blake said and I threw a quick glance at our surroundings. We were passing through the huge gate leading to what I believed was Blackburn residence and I couldn't help but be at awe it. It was an amazing, perfectly decorated garden with . . .
"Hold on, are those labyrinths?" I noticed them on both sides of the passage. I have never seen one in my entire life, and let me tell you that the view was breathtaking, more than you could see on the picture. The night that engulfed us brightened by those little lights on the pathways and few near the labyrinth. With my dress on, it made me feel like I was Cinderella from a children's fairytale coming to the ball to meet her prince, except my prince was here by my side, taking me there.
At that moment I just wanted to get out of the car right that moment and lose myself in those labyrinths, venturing and exploring it to the last corner because it was, what would they call, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Pretty much. Interesting thing about them is that they were all planned and designed by my grandfather personally. Down to the least detail," he replied with pride in his voice and I couldn't help but chuckle at his statement. He seemed like an awesome grandfather, I never met mine. I didn't know the reason, but my parents never talked or took me to my grandparents. And they left me so soon toâNo. Don't think. It won't help.
"Awesome!" Ayden exclaimed bringing me back to reality. "Can we explore them?" he asked excitedly. I've been losing myself in my own past way too much. It needed to stop before it fully engulfed me in it. Before I could no longer see my future.
"I'm afraid we can't. It's dark and dangerous now Ayden, maybe some other time. We'll be coming here often," Blake replied to his question and I silently thanked him for averting Ayden's attention from those labyrinths.
"And we're taking off." The car came to a stop right in front of the stairs that, by the looks of it, led to the entrance as Blake turned at us from his driver seat. "Wait, I'm a gentleman now, don't go out before I open your door," he said as I sighed. Melissa, on the other hand, already took off and proceeded to enter with her daughter by her side.
"So now I'm a lady, huh?" I asked him once he had got out and opened the doors on my side.
"Nope, but you look like one, so I will let it pass," he said, giving me his hand which I gladly accepted. Getting out of his gray Audi, I decided to go along with his joke. Back was the playful Blake I loved to talk with.
"Why thank you, kind Sir," I said, bowing a bit. He took my arm before planting a kiss on it. With those lips that were previously on mine.
"Shall we, milady?" he said, acting like a gentleman. Cinderella's prince, now that we're at it. I couldn't help but give him one of my biggest grins.
I was about to reply to him to keep our conversation rolling, but Ayden, with his young and confused mind, decided to join us.
"Why are you speaking so strange?" he suddenly asked in the middle of our act. Not knowing how to explain this to him, I just shook my head and smiled changing the subject.
He'd ask why we were acting like long dead people from the past if I tried to. He really loved to think logically.
"Well Ade, isn't this great? We're going to spend Christmas together. With Amy and Mel too," I asked and he smiled excitedly.
"What are we waiting for, let's go to them now," he didn't even waste a single second as he started running inside, both Mel and Amy have long disappeared from our sights.
"Ade, wait!" I tried to stop him but it was too late, he had already climbed inside trying to catch up to those two inside.
"I'll catch him, you come slowly. We don't want you tripping now, do we?" Blake said as he rushed to catch him. Good idea, leave me unattended because my premonition to disaster kicked in knowing that I was going to make some mistake.
There was no use in pondering about it now.
Sighing, I decided to follow with a slower tempo. I still couldn't forget his kiss, after all. Maybe it's for the better that I'm finally away from him, even if it's for a while, that I could breathe. After all that had happened, after all that "I should hate him" thing, or "I'll never see him again in my life," I never thought I would like him the way I do, or even enjoy the kiss we shared. Heck with it. I never even thought that I'd be kissing anyone after that night.
My hand moved on its own accord, gently brushing my upper lip. No matter how much I tried, there was simply no way I could forget the feel of his lips on mine, that was for sure. I was going crazy. That kiss probably meant nothing to him compared to what I felt about it. Even if it did mean something, it was probably a lot different than my thoughts about it. I was so entrapped into them that I didn't notice an elderly person coming my way until I managed to stumble into him.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you alright, not hurt?" I immediately asked, trying to see how big damage I made but to my surprise, the person just laughed.
"I'm alright, my dear," he said. "I didn't see you before, who did you come with? Only family and close friends are allowed here. Do you have the invitation?" he asked, making me frown. Invitation? Was I supposed to have one? Blake, where art thou? I'll weep without thee!
"Oh. No, I don't, but I'm with"âI tried to point to Blake with my finger but he was nowhere to be foundâ"him. Where did he disappear to? It passed barely a half minute," I mumbled to myself but the person probably heard me and he laughed.
"What's your name, dear?" he asked.
"Ka-Kaley. Kaley Evansville, Sir."
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm the host of this place, George II Blackburn, and I apologize if the person you came here didn't tell you, but if you're not family, you need an invitation." Well, if we're going to look at it that way, I was going to be a part of the family. "That aside, who did you come here with, again?" he asked and I sighed. What's the danger in saying it, anyway?
"With Blake. If I got it right, I'd say that he's your grandson," I mumbled, groaning. I really had a feeling that this night was going to end really, really bad.
"Oh, probably another one-night stand. You can leave now, girl. As my father said, 'only family,' not a partner for a night." Another guy that seemed around late thirties or forties appeared said that. I widened my eyes. He looked like an older version of Blake, but that wasn't the reason for my reaction. The fact that he had called me a partner for a night was what hit me the most. Suddenly I had the urge to cry because of the memories his words invoke inside of me, but before I could do or say anything, he grabbed my arm and started pulling me down the stairs.
"Lucas, stop! Don't be so rude towards the girl" George tried to stop him, but it was useless. He didn't even bat an eye as George came following after us.
Just as we reached the last steps and he was about to push me, a very angry voice of Blake resounded in the dead of the night.
"Get the fuck off her, before I break your arm!" Blake stormed towards us andâwhat I believed to be his fatherâmoved away from me. I was sure that it would leave some bruises, but at the moment my goal was to calm Blake down. He looked ready to kill and fear started to crawl up my skin.
It was quite amusing and terrifying at the same time, how the voice of a guy yelling affected me. I feared it. It's like my body prepared to engage in a fight I knew I'd lose after I heard some guy yell, and it didn't even matter if it wasn't pointed at me. And I'm sure that I wasn't the only girl that thought so.
Breath in. Breath out.
Once he got down here, he took my arm to inspect it, and with an angry glare towards Lucas, he told me to get inside. Not being sure if it was a good idea to leave him in this state with his father, I gently nudged him to come as well, resulting in his glare being directed towards me now. I gulped and lowered my head trying to shake away the fear that crawled in my skin as I decided to calm him the same way my mother used to calm my dad on this day.
"It's Christmas . . ." I mumbled and after some time of silent glares, he nodded doubtfully.
"Fine," was all he said as his left arm found its place around my back pulling me gently inside step by his. However, as we passed next to George, I lowered my head again remembering all the words they said about me, while on the other hand Blake just turned around and said:
"This is the last time I came here with him invited. Don't bother for the next year."
George said nothing. He just sighed. Lucas didn't even seem fazed by what happened as he took in some other direction.
Once we entered, I decided to start a conversation with Blake, to somehow make this night less awkward.
"Sorry. For having to see me like that," he said before I could even say something. For a second his words left me stunned in confusion before I realized what he meant. Gulping, I just smiled.
"It's alright, it didn't affect me at all," I half-lied and he glanced at me doubtfully, but probably decided that it was for the best to keep it at that. I did not know if that person was Blake's uncle or father, but it was certain that Blake had no good relationship with him. As someone whose aunt was more like a stranger than the boss of the place where I used to work, I understood him perfectly. So I didn't ask. Sometimes, familial bonds are shackles and curses.
My thoughts somehow wandered back to that night, and I almost puked when I realized that I also thought about the sacrifice I made for Ayden in a similar way. It seems, that night still haunts me for no reason. I was just not ready to talk about it with him, but I was trying. I was trying to move on but it was so fucking hard with all the things going on in my life.
"So." I needed to stop. "Where's Ayden?" I finally got to ask. Has he found him?
"Oh, I left him with Amy and other kids, we grown-ups decided that it would be for the best if they had their own space to play and talk," Blake replied as I nodded. That was a smart idea, no children loved to deal with adults talking about things too complicated for them to understand. "Come, some people are waiting for us."
The halls that were designed all too spacious were nothing compared to the living room where they came in. I had honestly begun to doubt that we were into a normal mansion because this looked like the place queen Elizabeth would come to rest at. Just how rich were they?
"My sister!" Melissa's voice boomed through the room as everyone turned their heads towards us. I blushed and froze with all attention pointed towards me and Blake as I wanted to kill Melissa because of what she did.
"You mean, my sister," Max said as he suddenly appeared behind me and hugged me tightly. Since when did I have other siblings? Also, shouldn't you pay attention to the guy next to me aka. YOUR BROTHER?
"She's dating Blake, so that means she's my sister now," Melissa protested and I sighed. This didn't seem like the night that was going to pass just peachy.
"No way, I was the first to claim her as my sister, go away!"
"Date and moment?" she asked him.
"Two years ago, February 14th, when she almost threw her plate on me because I was persistent and annoying." Ah, now I remember. Max tried to flirt with me when we met and despite having Melissa by his side, I then believed to be his girlfriend, he wouldn't back off. So, I wanted to throw his food all over him.
"Weren't you two on a date back then?" I asked, suddenly remembering the times when I met them at my workplace.
"Doesn't that make it even, then?" Blake joined as Max finally released me from the hug allowing me to breathe.
"Not a chance! And it was not a date!" They both answered at the same time.
"And what's all that with Kaley, what about me?" the man next to me asked, pretending to be hurt. I rolled my eyes at him. Child Blake reappeared, once again.
"I've been watching your face for twenty-five years now, I think that it's about time for a new face to come in our lives," Melissa mocked him, this was the pain of having a younger sister I didn't know.
"I totally agree," Max added, making Blake roll his eyes.
"Don't be so harsh, guys," I joined, trying to protect him. "If it weren't for Blake, I wouldn't be here, so he was of some use after all."
Well, trying.
"What thâ" He was about to flick my forehead again, but this time I avoided it in advance, and flicked his chest instead. He too was good at avoiding, it seems
"You're so weak, that didn't even tickle." He shook his head and I huffed. I was going to bite him if nothing else.
"How dare you hit a lady?" An elder woman said as she approached us with a smile. Melissa widened her eyes before coming closer to Max which I managed to see with a corner of my eyes as the woman weakly smiled their way before turning her attention to me and Blake.
"Trust me mother, this is no woman at all," he replied as she hit his other arm and I smiled. So she was his mother, then.
Fuck, she's his mother!
I immediately straightened my back.
"Still, she's a girl and that's no way to treat one." She continued and I hid my egotistical thoughts behind an innocent smile Blake only raised his eyebrow to. He could read me too well. I didn't care, I was trying to impress his mother, not him.
"Girl, ha!" Max added as I was done and started laughing.
"Blake, you know the rules for this party, right? I understand you have your needs, but keep your women for your dates not for family meetings," she said and my lips parted, was the problem in his family or was he just too big of a player? I didn't expect that from her, not after the little chat she just had with Blake.
What did Blake do to make them all misunderstand him?
Of course, I had no idea that he was innocent this time, and that those rumors were all lies made by someone in order to make girls stay away from him.
I tried to escape from him, but Blake only tightened his grip on me.
"I thank you for your concern, mother, but that is not really a way to speak to your future daughter-in-law." With those words, her lips parted as he only smiled before turning to everyone.
"Everyone, can I have your attention?" Immediately, the chatter died as they all turned their heads to look at us. Blake winked at me before going down on his knee and my eyes widened. I really wanted to curse again.
"Since everyone here is too eager to kick you out and I didn't have enough time to prepare for my speech, let's get straight to the point." Saying that, he got a little black box out of his pocket before proceeding to do the one thing I never thought I'd witness in my entire life. "Kaley, although I don't have a proper speech prepared or some trained chipmunk to bring you the ring, I only have two words to tell you, hoping for a positive answer: Marry me."
Honestly, the first thing I noticed wasn't the ring, it was how his mother looked like she's about to faint, or how Lucas dropped a glass of wine not too far from us.
Only then did my breath stop. I already knew that we'd get married. I was already prepared for him to put the ring on my finger, but this . . . Words can't express how speechless I was from his actions.
"Yes, say yes," Melissa cheered next to me as Max joined after her, making me blink a few times and bite my lips. Suddenly, a few more people repeated that as I couldn't help but smile at him.
"I can't say 'no' huh?" I joked and he nodded. "In that case, I will."
With that said, he took my hand before he put the ring on my finger.
Rising up, he picked me up before swinging me around a few times. The moment he stopped, he rested his chin on my head as choruses of applause continued in our background.
"Now, you're officially mine. No more chances for you to escape." He whispered and I grinned inhaling his cologne water. God, he smelled so intoxicating, I loved that smell.
"When did I ever say that I'd run, anyway?" I whispered back as he laughed.
"I'm pretty sure that it was the only thing on your mind when we met again. I was afraid that you'd be gone the same moment I removed my eyes from you," he said as I shook my head.
"Can't argue with that one."
To anyone watching, it probably seemed like we were having some type of lovers' conversation, but we were far from that.
"Wait, how come you're so relaxed over it," Max surely asked me as I removed myself from Blake.
"I already told her that I'll be marrying her. It was a jeweler's problem. It took him a few days to prepare the ring, it was just a matter of time," he said and I rolled my eyes, leaving it to Blake.
"I . . . I apologize for what I said. Kaley, was it?" His mother said and I nodded my head. "Sorry about that, I was on the edge the entire day so it clouded my judgment, but I truly apologize for saying those things in front of you," she said and I nodded.
"It's all right, I kind of understand. It did come out of the blue," Blake probably never brought a girl for a serious relationship before, if he even had one.
Just as I was about to say something else, in the corner of the room I noticed her with him next to the table with food as they talked with some other people. I immediately remembered all the calls I made trying to reach them when Ayden was in the hospital and how they said that they couldn't spend their money over something as insignificant as his life.
My aunt and uncle.
Or rather, Ayden and I's flesh and blood that turned their backs on us when we needed them the most.
What the hell were they doing here?
Why was it that we people cannot laugh from the bottom of our hearts when we achieve things that we so yearned for? Are those tears we cry at the end of everything really tears of joy? Or are they tears we cry from all the regret and pain we've been through that we only now got the strength to let flow once we had reached that end?
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Why can't the world be simple and happy? Why must have I written about so much drama????