Page 168 of One More Kiss

Phoenix

WHEN TORI OPENEDUP TO me, I felt like I was the king of the world. Her tongue tasted like the milkshake we ordered from ‘Two Bites’. I wanted to suck the juices and continue kissing her but knew we couldn’t because we were out in public. There weren’t many places we could go to be alone. Thankfully, we had a small window at the park where we got to savor one another.

On the ride back, I was torn witnessing Tori break down. I hated to see a girl cry, especially someone I had strong feelings for. I knew she had self-image problems from the get-go, but it didn’t deter me from wanting her. After the crying subsided and I pulled back onto the road, I vowed I would do everything in my power to show Tori how amazing she truly was.

No person should go through life thinking the worse of themselves, especially not someone you were connected with. It was a downright shame, and those who bullied should be punished. That’s how I always felt. I never took my anger out on anyone else, even if others saw me as popular. I wasn’t that kind of person and never thought I was better than others.

I observed my surroundings as I pulled into the driveway of Tori’s home. There was another truck in the driveway, and this one was just as beat-down as the rest of the house.

“Who’s that?” I asked after parking and getting out of the Bronco.

Tori glanced at where I was pointing. “Oh, that’s my uncle. He’s cool. In fact, I’m surprised you haven’t seen him before considering you both visit all the time.”

“Are you close to him?” I asked, walking her toward the door.

She shrugged. “Nah. Not really. He’s my dad’s brother. I do like his wife though. She’s really nice and brings us snacks all the time. Half the time she’s the one that bakes them. She’s also a good baker.”

I smiled as I watched her face lit up talking about her aunt. I didn’t have many people I was close to. I preferred to keep them at a distance. I loved my mom and I cared about my stepdad, but we didn’t really spend time together. My stepdad always worked, and my mom was always on the phone talking to her best friend.

Spending time with Tori was a breath of fresh air. It didn’t matter that I had my own friends and we always hung out. Tori was different, she was beautiful and when she talked, it was all passion.

“Come on,” Tori grasped my hand. “We could sit on the swing and talk, or we could go inside and sit on the couch. But, if we did that, we’d have to listen to boring adult talk.”

I laughed. “Boring adult talk? I’m eighteen, so does that make everything I say boring? I mean, I am an adult after all.” I knew I was baiting her, but it was all fun and games.

Chuckling, she said, “nah. You’re not a boring adult at all. If anything, you’re the only adult I like being with.”

Then the epic blush happened. It seemed Tori was embarrassed every time she gave someone a compliment or received one. She was so adorable with the redness coating her cheeks.

“I could live with that. Knowing you’re okay with me being an adult and not boring.” I leaned in, wanting so badly to kiss her and chase away the blush on her face, but I knew I could do no such thing.

Tori leaned back. I knew it wasn’t because she didn’t want my lips. It was because we were probably being watched like hawks by her parents. I had to tread carefully, but little did Tori know. I had a pact with her father, a secret that would be revealed soon enough. I just hoped she was okay with my motives.

The rest of the day and the week flew by. Tori and I spent every waking moment together. Her parents never brought her to my house. I figured it was because they couldn’t afford to, but I had no problem driving to hers. My parents complained saying she was using me because she didn’t meet me halfway. I nipped that shit in the bud. No way would Tori be using me. I knew from experience and talking to her that they honestly could not afford to travel outside of their hometown.

If things progressed between Tori and I, that’s the one thing I would remedy on top of many others. I wanted to show Tori the world. I wanted to expand her mind with things she never thought she could accomplish. She was worth the chase.

Friday, after leaving Tori’s home. I made a promise to pick her up at four in the afternoon the next day. I couldn’t call and tell her, so I told her before I left. She agreed she would be ready and waiting to go with me, not even knowing what my plans were. Homecoming was one of the major dances. This year, Prom was canceled due to some senior prank. I wasn’t entirely sure what the issue was, so everyone was making Homecoming the new Prom. We also found out there wouldn’t be another dance in the future.

Not only that, but there was just a month left of school, so many of the students wanted to go out with a bang. I wouldn’t lie and say I wasn’t one of them. This was going to be the night Tori would remember regardless if our plans to stay together failed. Though I would try with all my might for things to succeed. That’s just who I was.

It was Saturday morning; the day of Homecoming and I was running around getting all sorts of things done. I had to make sure the vehicle was up to par, with a tank full of gas. I had to make sure our matching corsages were good and ready to go. I bought the ones with white flowers and blue decor to match our attire. I made reservations to eat before the dance.

I knew Tori had only one experience of eating out, but never in a nice place. So, I chose one close to the school, but more high-end than the burger joint a few days ago. I wanted her to feel like royalty as she walked into every building I brought her to. She deserved so much, and it sucked knowing she never had that option. Tonight was Tori’s night, I would make sure of it.

Not only did I make reservations to a nice restaurant, I also made reservations to get professional pictures taken of us. Yeah, I knew the dance had the option to purchase tickets, but this was something I wanted to do, my mom helped me out with the funds. It wasn’t like I needed it considering I had my own job, but she wanted to pitch in. Her words were, “I love you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime dance before graduating. I want to make sure you have an amazing time.”

It made me happy because that meant I could spend the rest of my money on the things Tori might request or need. It wasn’t like she would ever ask for anything though. I practically had to force her to accept my generosity. It’s one of the things I loved about her. Yep, I said it. Love, the big L word, and I wasn’t against admitting it. I just hoped that when I finally revealed my feelings, she would reciprocate them, or at least be close to feeling what I felt.

I was standing in front of the mirror of my bedroom closet when my mom knocked. The mirror hung on the inside of my closet door, covering the entire length of it. I wanted to make sure the white tux was good with the blue tie, black belt, and shoes. A student usually wore white for Prom but since that was out the door, Homecoming it was.

My mom hesitated before walking into my bedroom, but since the door was ajar, she probably figured I was already dressed, which was right.

“Here, let me help you with that,” my mom said. She took the blue tie from me and started to fix it. “Wow, you look absolutely handsome. What happened to you and where did my little boy go?”

I chuckled as I stared at my mom. We partially resembled one another if you looked at our eyes. Both were hazel and small, but that’s where the resemblance ended. I had a large and wide nose, while hers was short and small. Her lips were thinner than mine, and her skin was darker, showcasing the Indian blood in her. I had the same genes, but I was much paler.

“The little boy has been gone for a long time now,” I replied.

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