Page 39 of Reckless Youth
I wasn’t sure what my future would hold or where I’d end up, but I knew one thing for certain – if I were to ever be a wife and mother, I wanted to be like my mother. She had shown me how a woman can carry strength and dignity through the love she projects to her friends, family, and neighbors. And to my best friends, Sage and Cam.
“Would it help if I talked to Sage? Told him that we are his family and we’ll be out there in attendance, cheering for him?”
“Ah, momma,” I sighed, leaning up to kiss her cheek, a watery smile across my mouth. “You are so sweet. I’m sure he’d love to hear that, but it won’t change his mind. But I’ll invite him over tomorrow and you can tell him then.”
I stood up and wobbly-stepped into my high-heeled shoes, turning in a circle to show off my dress.
“Oh baby, I’m so proud of you and the young woman you’ve become. And I love you to the moon and back. And just make sure that boy of yours is respectful and treats you well.”
We finished up with a hug and then went downstairs to find my dad already sitting in the family room with Grady, talking to Cam.
A low whistle escaped my brother’s lips and I rolled my eyes, waving him off with a flourish of my hand.
“Stop it, you idiot.”
He and my dad chuckled, as Cam stood and turned to face me, his eyes popping wide, jaw going slack and his mouth dropping to the floor.
I blushed at his expression. “Wow, London…you look…you look…”
My brother, momma, and daddy all helped him out.
“Beautiful.”
“Like a girl for once.” This from my brother.
“Untouchable.”
The last comment was my daddy’s and I couldn’t even look at him for fear that he’d know exactly how much Cam had already touched me over the last month. The blush across my cheeks was probably a dead giveaway.
I sucked my lower lip between my teeth, with my momma scolding me to stop.
“London, you’ll smear your lipstick. Now, come and stand next to Cam so I can take pictures of you both by the fireplace.”
She ushered me over and Cam, seemingly still struck dumb at the sight of me in a gown, gave me his arm and we stood shoulder to shoulder in front of my family. Posing for pictures that would last a lifetime and would someday be cherished memories.
But it all felt so incomplete without Sage. Like a phantom limb, it was a painful memory of what was missing at my side tonight.
My life had always been filled with moments where they both were next to me. If one pulled in one direction, the other naturally gravitated.
They were my bookends. My anchors. My compass.
And right now, I felt unbalanced. Off kilter.
Doing my best to give a natural smile, I looked up into Cam’s eyes, who gazed down at me. And in his own wan smile and simmering blue eyes, I saw the mirror image of my own thoughts.
Cam bent down and whispered in my ear. “I miss him, too, baby. But we’ll see him later tonight. I promise.”
I nodded and reached up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek, hearing the snap of my momma’s phone as she caught the moment.
“Ah, you two look so adorable together. Don’t they Lee?”
My daddy grunted, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his worn jeans and giving Cam the death glare that clearly stated, “don’t mess around with my daughter.”
We finished off the photos, stepping out into the garden for a few more before we finally left for prom.
A piece of our hearts was missing as we went through the motions of enjoying our senior prom together.
All the while, something in my gut kept sending me warning signals. Roadside flares to alert me of danger. A shift in the universe that told me something wasn’t right.
