Love's Destiny (Love Trilogy #2) (5 page)

“Maybe it will be good for him to have Destiny come up for the summer.” My mom said

“I hope so.” Aunt Claire sounded like she wanted to cry.

I knew I shouldn’t be listening, so I quietly went back upstairs to my room. As I lay in bed trying to fall asleep I thought of the happy boy I remembered and the sullen teenager I had seen today. They were like two different people. I felt so sad for Tyler. I hoped I would be able to go spend the summer with them, I hoped I could help.

I hated Los Angeles. I hated my school. I hated our crappy little apartment, and I hated my parents for bringing me here. When they first told me we were moving I had decided to be angry. It had been easier than I thought, after a while it didn’t even take effort, I was just angry.

I went to school every day because I had to, but I didn’t talk to anyone. It was a huge school and people left me alone. I didn’t try out for any sports, mostly just to aggravate my dad. I came home every day and went straight to my room. I listened to music, lifted weights and watched TV to pass the time. Mom finally quit bugging me after a couple months. After the first year I guess my parents just accepted that this was who I was now, and I’d forgotten how to be anyone else.

Every now and then Mom would start in about how I needed some friends. Then I would remind her that I had friends, they lived in San Diego. That’s usually all it took to get her off my back. Dad didn’t bother me too much. He was too busy with his new job. That’s all he cared about anymore. We hardly saw him.

After a while it felt like I forgot how to be happy, forgot how to smile, how to laugh. Until the trip we took to San Diego. Destiny was having some sort of big violin recital that was supposed to be real important. Mom begged Dad to take the weekend off so we could go down for it. I was surprised that he actually did. Dad never took the weekends off anymore. This was our first trip back to San Diego in nearly three years.

It was strange, I thought I’d be excited, but I guess I forgot how to feel that way too. I don’t think I really felt anything anymore. It wasn’t until we met up with everyone at the concert hall that I finally felt something. When I saw her I felt nervous. I don’t know why seeing Destiny should make me nervous but she didn’t look like Destiny anymore. Not the tall skinny girl I remembered. Not the kid I had played with nearly every weekend for the first 12 years of my life.

This girl standing in the parking lot was beautiful. She was tall and she had curves I didn’t remember Destiny having. Her features were basically the same, but so much more mature. She had changed so much in three years. I was too nervous to say anything and since I’d spent the last two years not really talking to anyone it was easy to stick to my normal routine. I just hung back and kept my head low. I couldn’t help but look at her when I thought no one was looking, a couple of times she caught me.

That night after the concert we stayed at their house. As soon as I was given a room I stayed there. I didn’t have any interest in being a part of the happy reunion. It was only temporary anyway. Tomorrow we’d be going back to L.A., back to my own personal hell. But as I sat in
the guest room I couldn’t stop
thinking about her. I wanted to at least tell her how impressed I was with her violin playing. She really was a talented musician. I knew I would regret it if I didn’t talk to her at all. I really had no reason to be nervous, it was still just Destiny after all. We used to swim together in our underwear.

I decided to wait in the hallway for her to come to bed. When she did I almost lost my nerve, but just before she went into her room I worked up the courage to say something. We only talked for a few minutes but it was long enough for me to realize that she was still just Destiny. It was easier to talk to her in the dark where I couldn’t see her that well. It was less intimidating.

When we left the next day I left with a little bit of hope. If Destiny landed a spot on some youth orchestra then she would be coming to spend the summer with us. The idea of having a friend again had me almost excited.

A month dragged by before I heard anything and I was beginning to lose the small shred of hope I’d left San Diego with.

“Hey Tyler.” Mom said as I came in from school. I just nodded and headed for my room.

“I heard from Destiny today.” She said and that stopped me. I didn’t turn around but I waited for her to continue.

“She got the seat in the orchestra, she’ll be here next week as soon as school lets out.” Mom said and I could hear the excitement in her voice. It matched the excitement that I suddenly felt. I was smiling as I went into my room.

It was one of the longest weeks of my life waiting for Destiny to arrive. When the day finally came I couldn’t contain my excitement I even smiled in front of my parents. I heard Mom say something about it to Dad when she didn’t think I was paying attention. I didn’t care if they knew I was happy. It felt so good to finally really be happy again I didn’t even feel like hiding it.

“Hey Tyler!” Destiny exclaimed as soon as she got out of the car.

She was waving excitedly and it made my heart jump to see how happy she was to see me. She wasn’t as dressed up as the last time I’d seen her. She was just wearing a t-shirt and jeans with her long dark hair pulled into a ponytail, but she was still pretty. I felt that nervous edge again and wondered where it was coming from.

“Hey” I smiled back and ignored my parent’s excited murmurs over the small gesture. She ran right up to me and gave me a big hug. Immediately I had butterflies in my stomach. What was going on with me?

“Let me show you to your room.” I said grabbing her bag and leading her upstairs to our apartment.

Our parents followed behind us and I thought I heard my mom mumbling something about how this would be good for me. I tried to ignore them.

“You can have my room.” I told Destiny when we got inside.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’ll take the couch.” I told her carrying her bag to my room.

“I can’t ask you to do that Tyler. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch.” She said.

“S’okay I don’t mind, really.” I told her “I know you’re used to something a lot… bigger.” I said looking around my room.

“This is perfect Tyler, I really appreciate you guys letting me stay with you. But really I can take the couch, it’s no big deal.” She said and I realized she meant it. Even though Destiny had been raised in the lap of luxury she really wasn’t as spoiled as I guess I imagined her to be.

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you do that?” I asked her with a mock bow.

“Our son the gentleman.” I heard my Dad laugh behind us and I quickly spun around to face my parents.

My mom had a huge smile across her face and I had to admit I was a little glad to see it. I hadn’t really seen Mom smile much since we’d moved here and I realized I’d had something to do with that. I smiled back and knew that would make her day.

Uncle Mike and Aunt Katherine stayed for dinner and our parents did most of the talking while we ate. After everyone left it was already pretty late. My parents settled into their room and Destiny went into my room to get ready for bed. I changed in the hall bathroom and then hesitated on my way to the couch. I wasn’t sure if Destiny had gone to sleep. The door was closed so I knocked softly. If she were asleep it wouldn’t have been loud enough to wake her, but she opened the door.

“Hey wanna come in?” she asked opening the door wider.

She went over and sat down on the bed crossing her legs underneath her. With her baggy sweats and oversized t-shirt she looked a lot more like the Destiny I remembered. I walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed with her.

“So I guess I haven’t congratulated you yet on getting that seat in the orchestra, that’s pretty cool.” I said

“Yeah, thanks. I was so nervous waiting to find out! It’s a relief to know I’ve made it but now I feel even more nervous. There are so many talented musicians there.”

“You’re a talented musician.” I told her, and I think she blushed a little. I couldn’t remember her ever blushing before.

“I guess.” She shrugged. “But it’s going to be a lot of hard work.”

“What’s your schedule going to be like?” I asked.

“Practice three days a week, concerts every weekend.”

“That’s cool.” I said fidgeting a little. Why was I so nervous?

“So what about you?” she asked “What are you doing this summer.”

“Nothing. Just like always.”

“Is it that bad here?” she asked looking concerned.

I just nodded.

“Don’t you have any friends here?”

“Not really.” I mumbled.

She nodded like she’d expected my answer.

“Mom says you’re not playing baseball anymore.” She said.

I just shrugged.

“Why not?” she probed.

“I don’t know.” I said.

She didn’t say anything else, she was looking at me expectantly waiting for me to elaborate.

“I guess my first year here I didn’t try out for the team just to spite my parents. And now that I’m in high school it’s a little too late. All the guys on the team have been playing together for years, so I wouldn’t fit in. I’m out of practice anyway.”

“I can’t believe you’re in high school!” she laughed.

“I’m not that much younger than you.” I reminded her.

“No, I guess you’re not.” She looked at me intently for a minute, like she was just seeing me for the first time.

“You’ve changed a lot.” She said and it almost looked like she was blushing again.

“So have you.” I said staring at the bed.

Neither of us said anything for a minute and it began to feel a little awkward. I never used to feel awkward around Destiny.

“I’m glad you’re here.” I told her still looking at the bed.

“Me too.” She said and I looked up to meet her eyes. She was smiling at me, and it made me smile back. It felt good to smile.

“I’ve got a couple of days before my first practice, what do you usually do for fun?” she asked.

“Nothing.” I replied.

“You have to do something.” She insisted getting up from the bed and wandering around my room.

“Are any of these bands good?” she asked thumbing through my CD’s.

“I guess… Haven’t you ever heard any of them, they’re on all the major radio stations.” I wondered if she was just making conversation. My music collection was not that eclectic.

“Not really. I mostly listen to classical or whatever genre I’m studying. Don’t imagine there are many violins on…. Metallica’s latest album?” She asked picking the name off the CD she was holding.

“No, I guess not.” I laughed.

“I envy you.” She said and that took me by surprise.

“Why?” I asked.

I couldn’t imagine Destiny ever having the need to envy anyone. She had everything.

“It must be nice to be able to do nothing, to listen to music just because you want to. I always have somewhere to be, something to study. Sometimes it’s exhausting. You’ll have to show me how to do nothing this summer.” She said wandering away from my CD’s and fiddling with my weight set.

“You’ve come to the right person.”

“Wow this is heavy!” she said trying to lift one of my barbells from the rack.

“That’s kind of the point.” I laughed. It felt good to laugh.

“You have a pool?” she asked excitedly looking out my window.

“Do you have A.D.D. or something?” I joked.

She seemed so interested as she explored my room and I knew my life was not really that interesting.

“No!” she laughed “It’s just fun to be somewhere new. So do you swim?”

“No.”

“Why not?” she asked. “I’ve always wanted a pool!”

I wondered why she didn’t just have her daddy buy her one.

“I don’t know. I told you I don’t do much.”

“Well do you have a suit?” she asked.

“Well, yeah.” We weren’t that poor.

“Then we are going swimming tomorrow!” she said and she looked so excited by the idea that I didn’t argue.

She came over and plopped back down on the bed next to me.

She stretched and yawned as she lay back against the pillows.

“It’s pretty late.” I said, “I’m going to let you get some sleep.”

“You sure you don’t want your bed?” she asked. “I really don’t mind sleeping on the couch.”

“Naw, I don’t mind.” I told her.

“Kay, guess I’ll see you in the morning.” She said as she snuggled under the covers.

“Goodnight Destiny.” I said from the doorway.

“Night.” She said, she sounded like she was nearly asleep already.

The next morning when I woke up I could smell something fantastic. The wonderful smell lured me into the kitchen where I found Destiny and my mom. Dad was already gone of course.

“Morning sleepy head.” Mom said more enthusiastically than usual. “Destiny made us breakfast, wasn’t that nice?”