Pierced Love (26 page)

“Yeah sure, real quick though. I need to get changed and head into the hospital. I have a few surgeries this afternoon and then I have to make my rounds,” he says taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

I look around to see where mom went.

She comes walking into the kitchen with an arm full of laundry.

“There you are; do you want a sandwich too?” I ask as she walks past me and into the hallway toward the laundry room.

“That would be great,” she hollers.

Dad takes over and starts to make our sandwiches and I grab each of us a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Mom comes out of the laundry room and walks down the hallway.

“Lunch is served,” dad says.

“Great, thanks you two. I needed to get the guest room sheets freshened up for Zeke and Allie since they are spending the weekend.”

I look up from my plate and toward my mom.

“How come?” I ask

“Well they’re having stuff done at the house and we want to go through the last minute details for the engagement party next weekend. I figured it would be easier and we do live in between their house and the Clarke’s. It just made sense.”

“Okay,” I reply.

“Do you have plans with Loudon tonight or tomorrow?” She asks.

“Oh shit, I was supposed to text him when we got out of the doctor’s office. I’m not sure what’s going on yet, but I’m sure I’ll see him sometime this weekend.”

I take a bite of my sandwich and watch as my parents communicate with their facial expressions.

“Umm, hello. I’m right here. If you want to talk, just do it,” I say.

“We just don’t want to pry. You’ve gone through a lot lately and I’m more than grateful that you have Loudon. We just don’t want to see you get too attached or hurt.”

“I’m fine, mom. I never thought I’d feel this close with anyone like I do with him. I can be myself with him and he doesn’t judge me. I honestly think that is what drew me to him from the start.”

“If you’re happy then we’ll be happy too,” she says, putting her arm around me and pulling me into her side.

“I am happy. I know going back to school next week won’t be easy, but I’m ready for it. I have a lot of choices to make and a few changes that need to happen for me to break free. I’ll just take it day by day and see what happens. It’s my senior year, if I’ve made it this far I can make it until the end.”

All I need to do is keep telling myself that and it will all be okay, it has to be.

A ringing sound pulls me from my sleep. Feeling a bit groggy, I don’t want to open my eyes quite yet, instead I search around the bed for my phone. Grabbing it, I slide my finger across the bottom of the screen and bring it to my ear.

“Hello,” I say, placing my head back down on my pillow.

“Hey, doll,” he says.

The sound of his voice perks me right up and my eyes fly open.

“Hey, Loudon,” I reply, sitting up on my bed.

It’s almost impossible for me not to smile.

“Did I wake you up sleepy head?” He asks.

“Yeah, but it’s okay. I guess I fell asleep. After we got home from Dr. Reynolds’ office, I ate lunch with mom and dad and then came up to my room to read,” I explain with a yawn.

“Couldn’t have been anything too good then, huh?” He says with a laugh.

“Nope, just some last minute stuff I needed to catch up on. Luckily, I got the rest of this week’s homework all done. I just wanted to get a bit ahead for next week,” I reply.

“Well now that you’re all rested, are you up for some company tonight or would you rather get out of town and come up here?” He asks.

I really could care less what we do as long as I get to see him.

“I think your parents are coming down here tomorrow to go over some last minute engagement party details with Zeke and Allie. Why don’t I come up to you tonight? It will be nice to get out a bit and see a change of scenery. You can be my tour guide and show me around Ames.”

“Ok, cool. When do you think you’ll make it up here? I’m just on my way to the track for practice.”

I pull my phone from my ear and look at the clock on my screen.

“It’s almost three now so it will probably be around five by the time I get to your house.”

“Ok sounds good, we can just meet at my house and then go grab something to eat.”

”Perfect, I’ll see you soon,” I tell him, feeling more excited than I’ve been in a long time.

“See ya soon, Zar,” he says and disconnects the call.

I touch the end button and toss my phone on my bed. Throwing myself back down on my bed I grab my pillow and let out a scream. I can’t believe I have such a great guy in my life. I won’t second guess him or us, but at times it feels as if none of this is real.

I pull the pillow from my face and lay it down next to me on the bed. I only have two hours to get ready and meet Loudon at his house. I seriously need to get moving.

Hmmm, what the hell should I wear tonight?

Shit, dating involves a lot more thought than I’m used to. I never really took too much time trying to get myself ready for anyone else other than me. I mean, I did dress up for the first time Loudon came over, well and maybe for the football game. I just want to look good…no I want to look pretty. I want him to look at me and smile.

Getting up and out of my bed I walk toward the closest. En route, I glance in the mirror attached to my dark wooden dresser. My hair is a rat’s nest in the back and my shirt is all scrunched up.

Shit, I definitely need to change.

I pull my shirt up over my head and pull my jeans down and I kick them off of my legs.

Rummaging through the clothes hanging in my closet, I pull out a cream and black colored three-quarter sleeve top and a black pair of leggings. I bend down and scoop up my wedge boots and make my way toward my bathroom.

I toss the clothes on the counter and take a quick shower. I don’t have too much time to mess around, but I want to look and smell good. Nothing like waking up from a quick nap and heading out the door to meet your boyfriend.

The hot water feels good against my skin and the smell of my shampoo brings my senses to life. Once I’ve washed and rinsed I shut off the water and reach toward the wall rack for my towels. Stepping out I quickly glance at my phone and see that I only have an hour and a half until I need to meet Loudon.

I pull on my robe and go to town drying my hair, applying my makeup and getting dressed.

Before walking out of the bathroom I give myself one last look, run my fingers through my long hair and straighten out my shirt.

Perfect! All set to meet my guy.

I grab up my messenger tote, shut my bedroom door and walk down the stairs.

I hit the last step and can hear the television on downstairs. I walk toward the kitchen and see mom making up some snacks.

“Hey, Zar. Are you hungry?” She says looking up at me.

“No thanks, mom, I’m actually going to head to Loudon’s tonight. We’re going to grab some dinner together and he’s gonna show me around Ames a bit.”

“Sounds great. Allie and Zeke will be over after work so I’m just fixing up some snacks for later. Zoe and the girls are downstairs and planning on a sleepover for the night. So if you need anything, we’ll all be here.”

“I’ll be good,” I reply with a smile.

“I know you will sweetie, tell Loudon we say hello,” she replies with a smile of her own.

I walk over to the counter and lean over to give her a hug.

“Thank you for everything mom, I’ll be sure to tell him.”

She sets down the knife and cheese and wraps her arms around me.

“If this boy keeps that smile on your face, we’ll need to continue to have him around more often.”

A giggle slips past my lips and she pulls herself away from me.

“Especially if I get to hear you laugh. You have no idea how good it makes me feel to hear and see you like this sweetheart. I know the past is the past and it’s behind us now, but Zar, moving forward I want to see this girl, the one standing in front of me more often. No matter what struggles you face, I want to help you get through them.”

A tear falls from her face and I can feel my heart ache for her sadness.

“I know mom and I agree it is in the past, but there’s going to be a lot of hard times ahead. No matter how strong I want to be, there will still be moments of weakness. The good news is that I have my family and Loudon to help me through it now.”

“That’s right sweetie, don’t ever forget that,” she says, pulling me in for another hug.

This moment, right here, is a breakthrough for her and I. I’ve never doubted the love my mother feels for me, but something just seems different. It’s as though she can see and feel the pain. I know, as a parent, she will do whatever she can to make it go away, but this moment has truly bonded us.

She releases me from her embrace and we can both see the emotion and tenderness this has caused. Mom moves her hand to wipe away my tears and then does the same for herself.

“Well now look, I messed you all up for your night with Loudon. Let’s get you in the bathroom and clean up your face. I don’t want you going over there looking like you’ve been crying.”

“It’s okay, mom, I’ll get it. I can guarantee I’ll be crying a lot more. It comes with the emotional territory that surrounds my life. The good thing is that they are mostly happy tears now and not tears of sadness anymore. Thank you for being here, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Zar.”

I walk out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Looking into mirror I can see the tears that have caused my mascara to run down my face. I grab a wipe and clean off my face. I don’t mind these tears, like I told mom…they’re happy tears now.

Throwing the wipe in the trash I leave the bathroom and head back out towards the kitchen.

“I’ll see you later tonightm mom,” I say as I walk past her.

“Have fun,” she replies.

I speed walk through the hallway into the garage. I’m more than anxious to get to Ames and it’s not just for the different scenery.

I shut the hallway door into the garage and hit the button for my bay door to open.

I hop into my bug. Ahh, it feels good to be in my car again. I haven’t driven myself around for the past few days and there’s just something about being behind the wheel that gives me a sense of control. I plug in my phone and set my music to play while I’m on the road.

Thankfully, the trip to Ames isn’t too bad. It’s a hike, but all the same, it’s worth it.

As I merge onto the highway, I open the sunroof and draw down the windows. The wind ripping through the car feels good running through my hair. I stick my hand out the window and let the gust of air pull my hand back and forth.

I crank up the volume to the stereo when the next song comes on.

This is a song I’ve heard a million times, but today...right now, I can’t get over how it’s causing a swarm of butterflies to whirl around in the pit of my stomach.

I hit the back button on the screen and listen to each word, taking in the pure meaning of the lyrics and how it fits so well with the relationship I’ve developed with Loudon. I sing and hum along to the chorus and the few words I do know with the band.