Labeled Love (43 page)

She rolls her wide eyes. “Don’t you remember when he fumbled the football during the championship game his senior year in high school? He cost his team the title.”

“That’s just plain mean, Jules.” I walk to my closet as Beau peeks into my room. I hope he didn’t hear her. She can be so loud at times.

“Are you dressed in here?” he asks.

Jules spits out in irritation, “No, we’re totally naked. Get out!”

“Jules!” I give her the dirtiest look. She just sticks her tongue out at me. I turn to Beau. “Yes, we’re dressed. Come in.”

Beau glances cautiously around my room, his eyes landing on Jules first. She looks away from him, busying herself by glossing her lips in my floor-length mirror. I walk to my bed, laying out a couple outfits to choose from. “I just wanted to make sure you knew with all these parties you’re going to right now that you can call me if you need me. I’ll be in town all summer before I have to go back on location this fall.”

“Aw, the protective big brother,” Jules says sarcastically. He just looks at me, completely ignoring Jules, even though I’m sure he wants to tell her off.

“Thanks, Beau. I’ll be fine. I don’t really drink anything.”

“Okay, just don’t hesitate.”

“I won’t. I love you,” I tell him as he walks out of my room.

“You spray way too much of that stuff in here. I already have a headache from inhaling it,” he says, pausing to lean on the doorframe.

“What can I say? I love smelling like paradise.”

He shakes his head. “Whatever. Have fun tonight.”

Jules waits until she hears Beau down the hall. “Is he still dating Mila?”

With a frustrated sigh, I answer her, “I don’t know. He doesn’t bring her around here.”

She shrugs her shoulders. “So, what are we wearing tonight? This is the epic party of the year. The big send-off.”

“Yeah. The big send-off. Time to start our lives, right?”

“Yup, time to make some big decisions, Starkie.”

“Oh, I’ve made some big decisions.”

“What decisions are they?”

“You’ll see soon.”

I haven’t told Jules about the plans Jace and I have made about starting a career in music together, and I haven’t told her Jace asked me to marry him, either. He doesn’t want anyone to know until he’s ready to talk to my parents.

“You’re so damn secretive, Shay,” she says. I just laugh her off.

WALKING BACK INTO
the only home I’ve ever known, I see beer cans strewn across the table, an overflowing ashtray, and the ever-present smell of a dirty bar. I shut the door behind me, close my eyes, and lean back against the door.

“It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish,”
whispers in my ear, reminding me that I’m in control of my life. I push off the door and walk into Grace’s room to see if she’s in there. When I open the door, she’s sitting on her bed. “What are you doing, Grace?” I look around her room. She’s the only one in here. I take in a breath when she looks up to me.

“I’m… just… sitting here,” she slurs.

“I can see that.” She gets up and stumbles. “Where are you going?”

“I’m just getting my cigarettes.” She brushes past me. I tug at my hair. What will I do? I mean, how the hell am I going to be able to take care of her if I’m not living here anymore? What will happen to her? I turn and walk out to where she is.

“Mom, I want you to get help.” She lights her cigarette and blows the smoke toward the ceiling.

“What did you say?”

“I said, I want you to get help. You need to get help. I’ve tried… but you’ve never listened to me.”

“I don’t need help, Jace. I’m fine.”

“That’s the thing, Grace. You’re not fine, and you never have been. Do you think I’m going to live here forever? I’m not. I’m getting ready to start my life… I might be moving in with my girl before long. I can’t be here, and I don’t want you by yourself.”

“I’m fine on my own. I have been for a long time… No one has worried about me. It’s always just been me for so long…” she trails off.

I close my eyes, letting her hurtful words sink in. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve been right here with you. You’ve just never seen me.”

She brings her eyes up to mine. “I’ve always seen you, Jace. You’re my son.”

I swallow my emotion. All I’ve ever wanted was for her to see me, and maybe she has, but she’s never loved me. She looks down, as one single tear escapes my eye. “You’re an alcoholic. I want you to get help before it kills you,” I say as she butts out her cigarette.

I wait for her to reply, but she just stands there looking at the nasty carpet. After a few seconds, her demeanor changes. “Like I said, I don’t need any help, and if you want to leave me, go ahead. Everyone else did. Why should you be any different?”

“I’m not leaving you. I said I might be moving out… If things go the way I hope, I’m going to be living with Shay. We’re going to make music together. I’m going to start a life with my girl. Did you hear me, Grace? I’m doing something good with my life.”

Walking past me, she makes her way into the kitchen. Bitterly, she says, “I hope you didn’t make her promises you can’t keep.”

“You always think the worst. I love Shay more than anything in this entire world. I would never hurt her, ever. I don’t have to make promises. Everything I say and do has always been with her in mind.”

“Well, good luck with that,” she spits out, grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. She walks back to her room. I stand there in silence when I hear her door shut. She always shuts me out. I will never shut Shay out.

I grab the key to my bike, needing to get some fresh air. I can’t let Grace’s negativity ruin my excitement. She’s chosen her life, now I’m choosing mine. When I take off, I really don’t know where I’m going, but I end up at Runyon Canyon. I park my bike, making my way up the trail that Shay and I took. I just feel like clearing my head. When I reach the top of Inspiration Point, I sit on the wooden bench. My eyes roam all the names engraved in the wood until I find ours.
Jace and Shay Forever Love.
I run my fingers over our names, just like I did with Shay when I finished carving them that day.

“
Let’s make music together, baby. Maybe we can live here.”

Her voice echoes all over this mountainside to the valley below, sweet sounds of a life of love. “Hold on just a little longer, baby. I’m going to give you a life full of love.”

I walk up to the hillside. It reminds me of the mountain. You know, that one so long ago I would be willing to climb? I’ve been climbing. I look over the edge and see how far down the bottom is. It’s pretty damn far. There’s no way in hell I’m falling now. My girl is at the top, and that’s where I’m going to be. I make my way down the trail and head out to pick something up for Shay.

When I get home, I take a shower to get ready for the party where I’m meeting Shay. As I grab a white T-shirt out of my drawer, a folded piece of paper catches my eye. I take it out and unfold it.

Shit.

I forgot to send her this. It’s the letter I wrote her after we spent the night in her family’s condo. Damn, I wanted to give this to her. I throw my T-shirt on, grab the letter, and read it one more time before I seal it.

When I opened my eyes this morning, I thought it was a dream. Me, you, wrapped up together like a fairy tale come true. Words could never truly explain how I felt when I opened my eyes to see you there, looking back at me, holding you, you holding me. It’s all I’ve ever dreamt since the moment I laid eyes on you so long ago. I don’t ever want to know what it feels like to not be like this, especially now that we’ve experienced it.

With your scent all around me, I inhale your love, baby.

Complete and utter bliss.

From the moment I laid eyes on you, that’s all I’ve ever felt.

I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW I FEEL.

No matter where we are. No matter what we do. You will always be

everything to me…

I forgot to sign it, so I grab the pink pen I keep on my dresser and write my name.

I love you, baby. Love, your boy, Jace

I seal it with a big heart and the words
I forgot this one. I love you, pretty girl.
I’ll put it in the mail on my way out to the party. I call Landon, letting him know what time to pick me up. I hang up the phone, and for the first time, I really feel like I can be worthy of my girl, like our fairy tale is going to come true. Finally, we’re going to start our forever. I’m going to make her proud.

Of course, Grace isn’t home, so I look around one more time, turn off the kitchen light, lock the door, and leave the apartment behind.

WALKING DOWN
the long hallway leading to the kitchen, I briefly stop and look at the picture my mom just added to the wall. It’s from my graduation. The whole family is in it, including my boy. Jace has his arm around me, perfectly fitting into our family. Happiness. That’s all I feel as I walk into the kitchen.

I hear my mom’s voice before I see her. She’s by the door leading to the side yard, gathering a basket of oranges. “I just want you to know how proud we are of you, Shay. You really have grown up to be an amazing girl.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I grab a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

“What time is this epic party tonight?” she asks me over her shoulder.

“It’s kind of an all day event. I’m sure most people are already there. You know Jules. She has to be fashionably late.”

“Of course, she does. Well, your dad and I are going out with Uncle T,” she tells me, using Jules’ Dad’s nickname. “Tristan and Tatum will be at friends tonight, so have fun.” She grabs a few oranges, adding them to the basket. “Is Jace going to be with you?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure you two will have fun, and be careful.” She runs her fingers through her pretty light brown hair.

My dad walks into the kitchen. “Lets get going, Melody.” He walks over and picks up the basket for her before looking at me. “Make sure you are responsible with all these parties you go to.”

“We are always responsible,” I say. He smiles, and they walk out of the kitchen. Leaning against the counter, I inhale the entire bottle of water. I still have some time before I have to get ready, so I go lounge by the pool for a while to get some sun.