Here For You (31 page)

Becca started to cry, black stuff running down her face. She fanned herself and grabbed the camera from her dad’s hand. “Here, James, take our picture,” she said, handing me the camera.

She got up and sat on her dad’s lap. They were both smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck. This was
the
moment that would last forever. This would be the picture that Becca saw years from now and shed tears over.  You could feel the bond that they shared, all the years of blood, sweat, and tears. Father and daughter. There was nothing stronger. Becca smeared the black make-up coming down her face from the tears. Now it was on the sides of her face. She was still so beautiful. I snapped the picture.

She kissed her dad on the cheek. “I love you, old man.”

He smiled. “I love you too, Becca.”

Chapter - 17

Becca

Next in line was Grey. It was nice to see him here, even with what had gone down the other day at my house. James was keeping his distance from Grey, but I didn’t want Grey’s visit to be wasted if he didn’t get a chance to speak to me on my graduation. I walked past my dad and embraced him. Yes, things for us didn’t turn out right, but I’d always like to be friends. I knew that sounded weird, but not everything had to turn out bad. I mean, we were friends first so why not end like that too.

I wrapped my arms around his body. He smelt clean and warm. His breath wisped by my ear. “Congratulations, Becca.” I couldn’t help the goosebumps that laminated my body. Only he would know that they were there since his hands were on my arms. I could sense a smirk.

“Thank you for coming,” I replied, pulling back to look at him.

“No problem. My dad has this family thing I need to attend, so sorry I can’t stay, but can I maybe stop by tomorrow?” He looked past me to James I guessed, the testosterone suddenly radiant.

I thought about what it was we’d be doing tomorrow. I knew today they wanted to go get a bite to eat and I believed that James and I were going to be together the rest of the night, so today was out of the picture. But as far as tomorrow was concerned, my plans were simply to be with James. I was sure James would understand if Grey and I hung out for a little.

“Sure, that would be fine.” I didn’t know how this would go down with James but he knew that nothing was going on.

Grey just smiled that lovely smile. “Okay, so just text or call and I’ll be right over.” He kissed my cheek and walked away before waving goodbye to everyone.

There was this strange feeling that was in the pit of my stomach. I knew it was aimed toward Grey, but I didn’t know how to pinpoint it. It was nothing compared to the butterflies I got when James was around me but there was something there, for sure. Maybe it was just that I missed him, I mean, I used to be with him all the time. Yeah, I was sure that was it.

Just then, arms wrapped around my waist and a pair of lips found their way to my neck. Warm, wet lips. James kissed my neck before suckling. “Hey, sexy.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his words as they tickled my skin. “Hey, James.” I touched his hands on my stomach, leaving my hands atop his.

He placed his chin on my shoulder as he said, “Where to, family?” I looked at the scene before me. I had all the people that I loved. All the ones that mattered. Whether they had been in my life forever…like my dad. Or whether they had entered my life since I’d moved…like James and Samantha. I was truly happy where I was. These people came out to support me when I really didn’t want any support. There was also Grey and Emma who I would be seeing tomorrow, for sure. Bad things would happen, I didn’t want them to, and I couldn’t say I was ready, but right now, I was leaving those thoughts in the back of my mind.

My dad was the first to speak. “How about dinner?”

“Sounds good to me,” I said, breaking from James hold to intertwine our fingers together.

*

Dinner was absolutely delicious. We went to some new Italian restaurant that had opened up not too far from home. My dad picked it and I swore, after finishing my meal I couldn’t walk to save my life. I felt like I’d just eaten a person. When I ordered the lasagna I didn’t know it was made to share. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten the whole thing, but I just couldn’t stop. It was
so
damn good. The dinner table was full of laughter and kisses. James couldn’t keep his hands off of me and I didn’t complain one bit. I knew he would be leaving soon. But that was another thing that I didn’t really want to think about that. There were other things to think about, and stuff to do.

Like getting out of this dress, for one. James stopped by his house real quick to dress in normal clothes; basketball shorts and a t-shirt probably. It’d give me time to get out of this dress and breathe for a second. I was unzipping my dress when my phone rang. Reaching onto the counter, I grabbed it without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Hey, babes.” I heard James voice and I immediately smiled. It was what he did to me even when we weren’t together. “What are you doing?” I could hear stuff in the background and wondered what he was doing.

“I’m trying to get out of this damn dress,” I told him as I tried to unzip the back while turning in circles.

“I can come over and help.” I knew at that moment he was smirking.
Such a horndog.

“Haha, I bet you could.”

Finally, I got it.

“Yes! I got it.”

I can hear his mother in the background now. The phone was only filled with her voice. I’m assuming James was listening to her since he wasn’t talking. As I waited for him to answer I put my phone on the dresser, pressing the speaker button as I tried to find some clothes to wear. Reaching to my back to unclip the strapless bra, I heard something shatter. Dropping my arms, I ran to my door quickly, peeking my head out when I realized that I was only in underwear. I didn’t know how I could move so fast with a full stomach, but I did, somehow.

“Dad,” I yelled.

He was the only one in the house. When I came upstairs after we got home he’d gone to his room. He had a good time at dinner. He was quiet at times, just observing like he was taking everything in. He kept looking at me for a while, just smiling, I hated to say that it freaked me out a little, but for him to just be staring at me was a little off. I mean, what was he thinking about while he looked at me so intensely? I could only imagine.

But right now, right here at the door, my heart was at my feet. There was only one thing that kept going through my mind…my dad.

In those three seconds, all thoughts left me and I was out the door, fast. A slight breeze went over my half naked body as I sprinted down the stairs. Stopping at the entrance of the living room, I saw my dad’s door slightly open. I inched closer. It felt like my feet were sinking into sand with how slow I was walking. My heart was beating faster than the needles of a tattoo machine, harder than the flapping of a hummingbird’s wings. Something was urging me forward when all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole.

A lump formed in my throat and I froze. Fumbling for my phone, I noticed that I had barely any clothes on and my phone was upstairs.
James.

For some reason I wanted to run upstairs and tell him to get here, but I didn’t know what good that would do, so I moved closer to my dad’s door. All I had to do was go in, but something was holding me back. Something had pushed me closer and now it was holding me back. What the hell?

Pushing his door open, I saw that he was lying in his bed with the blanket over his shoulders and my heart simmered with relief.

His hand was hanging out the side of his bed and right on the floor was a shattered glass of water. My body relaxed seeing him rest, he really needed it. As quiet as I could, I made my way to the broken glass, stepping in a puddle of water. I was probably going to have to wake him just in case I scared him while I was picking up the glass with the noise, or worse, my scream after I cut myself; I was such a clumsy person. He was a light sleeper when he wanted to be.

Trying not to step on the glass, I placed my hand on his shoulder, lightly shaking him. “Dad?” I said, but he didn’t stir.

I shook him again.

Something didn't seem right. He was just there. He must have been in a deep fucking sleep or something. I looked down at myself. I didn't want my dad to see me in my underwear. It had been years since that.

“Come on, old man, I’m half way naked here and you’re freaking me out.” I shook him again, harder this time, but...

Nothing.

My heart beat erratically and I became short of breath. I knew that to check for a pulse you should put your pointer finger on the person’s throat over the vein.
God, please let him be okay.
I inched my fingers closer to him and placed it on his neck…

james

“Becca, are you there? Hello?” Taking the phone from my ear, I checked to see if she’d hung up on me. It seemed as though she was still there but there was no answer. I should go and see what happened.
If
something had happened that was. My mother had me changing this light bulb in the house that she couldn't reach. Out of all times to ask me, she chose this moment, when I’d only come home to change clothes before spending the rest of the day with my girl after her graduation. Let’s not forget the painting she wanted to add to her kitchen. I swore, whenever I came here I was her own personal handyman. I wasn’t complaining entirely, I just wanted to do this later and spend time with Becca now. I was going to have to leave soon and I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

“James,” I heard my mother call my name from down the hall.

“Yes, mother.”

“When you’re done with that can you help hang this up for me?”

She couldn't be serious? Hanging my head low, I answered, “Sure, but that’s the last thing I’m doing. I want to spend time with Becca.”

She came out of one of the rooms with her hand on her hip. “You will, James. We live close to her, silly child.” Shaking her head, she returned to her room.

There was no point in disagreeing with her. As I screwed in the last light bulb, I heard the doorbell. “Can you get that, James?” my mom shouted.

Dusting my hands on my pants, I made my way down the hall and opened the door. I was expecting Becca or someone around the way. The last person I expected in front of my mother’s house was Juliana. I knew she’d been blowing up my phone and sending text messages, but now I was thinking she hadn’t got the message at all. Like the shit wasn't clear enough for her to follow. The message of ‘I don't want to be with you anymore’. Now she was just being a fucking stalker and I was fucking pissed.

“Who is it, James?” my mother called.

But before she could appear I grabbed Juliana by the wrist and stepped out the door, slamming it shut. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked her.

Letting go of her wrist, I ran my hands through my hair. This shit just kept happening with her. I didn't want to deal with this right now. She fucking drove four hours just to be here?

“I said it’s fucking over. What the fuck do you want?” Normally I was a lot nicer to females but this chick was pissing me the fuck off.

“You think I’m here because I want you?” She had a look of disgust on her face. Last time I checked I had fucked her. What the fuck was she disgusted for?

“Then what the fuck do you want?” I asked her, trying to breathe. I needed to keep my voice down or my mother would come out and be nosey.

She paced back and forth a few times, stopping in front of me. “You haven’t text me back and you don't answer your phone.”

“I told you when I got back we could talk. Why did you come?”

She was biting her lip, nervous about something. “I needed to tell you that I…”

She didn't get to finish because I heard someone screaming my name, stopping the both of us in our tracks.

“JAMES!”

Looking out to the sidewalk, I saw Becca running toward my house. She was wearing a strapless bra and underwear. Normally, I would be turned on and probably pissed that she had left her house like this, but her face was red and her cheeks were wet. I didn't bother to look at Juliana as I ran down the steps toward Becca. She ran straight into my arms.

“James...help...come on!” she cried, but as I held her she felt limp, she wasn't going anywhere. She was pointing toward her house, out of breath. Her cries were hysterical. “COME ON!” She tried to remove her body from mine.

Her body was cool against me. “Calm down, Becca.”

She looked at me for the first time since she’d ran here, looking at me like I’d lost my damn mind. And I knew at that moment what had happened. I knew that the time had come and this was the part that we had to deal with. As I was about to wrap my arms around her she placed her hands on my chest and shoved herself off of me. When she was about to turn around I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into my house.

My mother showed up within seconds of hearing the screaming. “Mom, call 911,” I instructed her as I held Becca down on the sofa.

She was wailing, screaming, and kicking. I grabbed her by the wrist, straddling her to keep her from going nuts.

“Is there something I can do?” Juliana was behind us, just standing there like a sad puppy.

I turned around. "Just…go with my mom.”

I turned my attention back to Becca. She was looking at me, still trying to break free. “Please, James, we have to go. H-h-he needs help!” She turned her head toward the window.

“Okay, but you need to calm down first.” She closed her eyes and stopped fighting, but the tears were still lining her face. I leaned in next to her ear, feeling her breath against my neck. “Just calm down, I’m right here.”

I was hoping my words would calm her down. After a few seconds of nothing, I heard a couple of cop sirens. “We’re going to go over now. The ambulance is there.”