Page 94 of Her Brother's Keeper

We left, and when we stepped out front it was to a classic red and white muscle car waiting for us. It was beautiful, and worth it to see the light in Nox’s eyes over it. He opened my door for me and I got in, murmuring my thanks.

“Anything for you, Angel. You should know that by now.”

He closed the door on me and went around to the front, getting in on his side. He started the engine with a feisty growl that settled into a dangerous rumbling purr and with a lot of cheering and applause, we pulled down the club’s driveway and onto the street.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going for dinner now?” I asked, curiosity killing me. He smiled and it held such love and so many secrets. I laughed, “You’re going to drive me insane,” I told him.

“Every intention of it, Baby. Just like I have every intention of pulling that dress off with my teeth.”

I felt my mouth drop open as he chuckled and accelerated, and I found myself laughing with him. I perked up when we turned down some familiar streets and a smile painted itself from ear to ear.

“It’s Filiberto’s, isn’t it?” I asked and he smiled.

“First place we had dinner out together and it’s your favorite. I thought it was as good a place as any.” He pulled us up smoothly to the curb.

“I love you so much for not putting me through the torture of some ridiculously fancy and stupid restaurant we’d need to go to McDonald’s for after.”

He laughed and said, “Filiberto’sispretty fancy as far as places that I frequent go; but yeah, at least we know the food is good and there’s enough of it to be satisfied. Don’t go anywhere, let me get your door.”

He came around and opened up my door and held out his hand to me, gallant, like the gentleman his rough exterior hid. I took it and stepped out onto the curb and he shut and locked up the car. He held out his arm and we strolled up the sidewalk to the restaurant.

We exchanged a look inside the door and had to laugh. We weren’t the only well-dressed couple waiting to see the hostess. It seemed that this may be a favorite spot for more than a couple of high schools having their prom tonight, because while I recognized a few of my classmates, the majority of the students here were complete strangers.

“Iloveyour dress,” a blonde girl in royal blue murmured and hers was pretty, too with her coloring. I smiled and complimented her while her date stared wide-eyed at Nox and his colors.

“Is that your dad?” she asked quietly and I laughed and smiled, used to it by now.

“No, he’s my boyfriend,” I responded and she colored lightly.

“I’m so sorry,” she stammered when her boyfriend elbowed her.

“Don’t be, it happens all the time,” Nox said and gave her one of his best, disarming smiles.

“Comes with the territory,” I assured her.

“Anyone with a reservation?” the hostess asked above the slight crowd and Nox raised his finger.

“Name?”

“Nox,” he said and she looked. He smiled and said, “It might be under Landon Fisher.”

“Ah! Thank you, here it is… right this way, Nox,” she said and when we looked back at the touchscreen at the hostess station we both laughed.

Displayed was ‘Reservation for two, second level, table nineteen, Mr. Landon Fisher – call him ‘Nox’ whatever you do.’

“What wasthat?”

Nox laughed a little and told me, “When I made the reservation, they kept asking for my name and I’d tell her ‘Nox’ she asked for my first name and I told her ‘Nox’ she asked for my last name and I said ‘no last name.’ She said she didn’t understand, so I finally said ‘Fine, Landon Fisher but call me Nox, dammit!’ I must have scared her.”

I laughed, “If they only knew how absolutely amazing you are, Mr. Nox,” I whispered and leaned up to kiss him on his cheek. He laughed and smiled and pulled out my chair for me, and I had to smile even wider… it was our table, the one on the second floor in the back.

We had a fine meal and being seated where we were, we had the illusion of privacy. Nox twined his fingers with mine and we spoke of the future. Of the plans I had for working at Soul Fuel and the possibility of further education. We slipped back to the conversation of making my dad’s old room my own, which I still hadn’t done, but had been slowly chipping away at storing things and getting comfortable with the idea of it.

It was a lovely dinner and I found myself both sated and relaxed without being over full. I fixed my lip gloss in my small compact, and stashed both items in the small clutch purse I carried with me.

He got my door for me once more, and we drove to my school. One of the very last times for me. Graduation was just days away, our prom late this year. He pulled into a space and we walked across the parking lot hand in hand towards the main doors.

The prom was held in the cafeteria in my school. Much preferable to the gym, as well as much easier to transform. When we went through the doors it was into another world. The theme this year was ‘Happily Ever After’ which wasn’t that ironic? Mine was guiding me with a hand on my lower back in front of a fairy tale themed backdrop for yet more photos of us.

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