Page 38 of Reckless Youth
She smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, leaning in as she placed a sweet kiss on the tip of my nose.
“You’re going to be the most beautiful girl that Lancaster High has ever seen. And wait until Cam gets his first look at you.”
A sudden sadness swept over me, even though I should’ve been thrilled for the night’s events ready to take place. My senior prom had finally arrived, a rite of passage I’d waited so long for. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be attending with both my boys.
I wasn’t happy about the way things had turned out for tonight’s events, but Sage insisted that he had to work and couldn’t attend the dance. We’d agreed, though, that since Cam was the Prom King, he would take me to the dance and we’d meet up with Sage later that night at the hotel room Cam had booked over in Williamstown, the town next to Chester Fork.
Sage’s excuse for not attending was financial limitations. He’d said there was no way he’d be able to afford a tux rental if he was going to be able to have enough money to move to Nashville after graduation.
How could I argue that?
Although, I did try to loan him the money from my college savings, Sage flat out refused and there was nothing I could do to change his mind. I tried to remind him how fun homecoming was, but he argued that things had changed too much and if anyone got a whiff of our situation now, it would cause an uproar in the town.
I begrudgingly agreed, only for the sheer fact that I knew things were not going well at home between Sage and his dad. All I wanted was for him to get out of town as soon as he could. The dance wasn’t as important as Sage’s happiness and well-being.
Momma lifted my bent chin with her finger, eying me suspiciously.
“What’s wrong, sugar plum? Aren’t you happy that Cam’s taking you tonight? You two look so good together.”
I nodded, smoothing down the gorgeous blue taffeta gown that flared out from my hips. It was a strapless dress that hugged my upper body like a glove, with the top being satin and sequence. I knew Cam would die at seeing my cleavage peeking out from the top and that thought brought me some joy.
“I am. Of course, I am, momma. But I hate the idea of Sage missing out on this night. I wish he could come, too.”
My momma had no earthly idea what had been going on under her nose over the last few weeks between Cam, Sage and me. If she knew, she’d have locked me up and gotten out my daddy’s shotgun herself.
My body had become a sensuous wonderland with the new territory being explored and mapped out each time I was with Sage and Cam. We’d made a promise together after my birthday camping trip that we would be faithful to one another, and if any one of us weren’t around, then we’d remain chaste.
It was a tough promise to keep because we were hungry for each other all the damn time. Just a look from either one of them in class or across the school cafeteria or the brush of a hand against my skin in the hallway made me wanton and itchy for more. I was in a constant state of arousal and I wanted them all the time.
All I had to look forward to was prom night. When we’d get to spend the entire night together – the three of us – kissing and touching and fucking. I was so excited I could barely stand it, had it not been Sage not attending the dance with us.
“I just don’t understand why he didn’t ask someone to go with him. He’s such a sweet boy, any girl would be lucky to go with him.”
She sat down on the edge of my bed and patted the spot next to her.
Reaching for my hand as I snuggled into her shoulder, she clasped mine tightly with hers, wrapping her other hand around it.
“You know how important it is for Sage to move out as soon as possible, so he really didn’t want to spend the money on this. You know him. These traditions are frivolous and mean nothing to him. I don’t even think he plans on showing up for the graduation ceremony.”
You’d think someone had just slapped my mother across the face with the force of her gasp.
“What? Why in the world not?”
I gave her the look that implied, “are you serious?”
My parents…well, anyone in town who knew about Sage’s home life shouldn’t be surprised that Sage wouldn’t be there to accept his diploma. It wasn’t just the pomp and ceremony that Sage detested, but it was for fear that his dad would show up drunk and make a scene.
In fact, over the last few weeks, since we’d returned from our camping trip, Sage’s dad had been thrown in jail several times for drunken and disorderly conduct in public, as well as threatening to kill one of the local bar owners who refused to serve him one night.
And truth be told, I was worried for Sage every single day that he lived in that house. He claimed it was nothing and that he could take care of himself, but I saw the bruises on his arms and neck in the past. I knew how important it was for Sage to get out of that house as soon as feasibly possible.
Luckily, Sage was at an age where he could finally stand up for himself and wouldn’t take a lickin’ if he could help it. The last time it’d happened, Sage just shrugged and said, “The old man has bad aim when he’s fucked up.”
“Momma, you know his life isn’t like mine. And I won’t push him to do it if it makes him uncomfortable.”
My momma thought about this for a moment, strumming a thumb over my hand. I stared down at our joined hands, seeing the similarities but differences between them.
Her’s were roughened and aged from years of raising children and working in the kitchen and outdoors in her garden. Mine, still soft and feminine, were unfamiliar to the exposure of weather and conditions. Sure, I’d worked with my dad’s horses and livestock since I was just itty-bitty, but I hadn’t raised three children or taken care of a home and family for nearly thirty years.
