Chương 2: "SUMMER IS OVER!"
"I do!"
"I do!"
The bride and the groom kissed each other and he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him, and wrapping his hands around her waist.
I could not help but part my gaze from the screen and look at him. He was sitting holding his little sister, laying on his lap on the floor, eyes on the screen.
But the moment his green orbs were directed toward me, I looked away in a hurry, afraid not to be caught.
My heart raced against the confinement of my ribcage. It felt as if it would come out of my mouth.
"Your fairy tale with my brother would not happen unless you tell him about it..."
She whispered it against my ears, making me caught off guard, tilting my neck to stare at Maples, sitting right beside me.
"...you know."
She winked at me and before I could react, the lights were turned on in the hall.
"What is going on here?"
It was Mrs. Randall and her husband behind. Her mouth hung open when she ran her eyes over the place.
"Surprise Mama and Dada!"
Kitty rolled away from her brother's lap and ran up to them. Mr. Randall picked her up in his arms. She was just four years.
"Happy anniversary Mom and Dad!"
The kids cheered, coming upfront. I stood behind watching them. Mrs. Randall and Mr. Randall looked at each other and back at their kids, being emotional.
"Did you not like it mum? You ask not to go overboard so..."
Maples started and Tinsley shook her head, saying that she had no complaints.
The couple had thought that they would keep a low-key this year and spend the time going out on a simple date.
"We love it, kids!"
Kian stepped in, ruffling Maples's head, making her groan out that he had just ruined her hairstyle.
"Where is Ava?"
Tinsley questioned and before we could answer, she appeared from the kitchen with my mother and the cake that they had both prepared together.
"Here!"
"Your big daughter was persistent to help in baking the cake."
My mom grinned and the cake was placed on the glass table and we all gathered around.
The uneasiness on Tinsley's face was right away recognized by her son as he pulled out the six candles from his pocket and lined it around the cake, lighting it all up.
Six candles signified them...their completely happy family, the two of them and the four children.
It had become like a tradition and I knew it because I had been there through all of it.
My mother and I stood together with them as we clapped our hands as the couple cut the cake together and before feeding each other, each fed it to their children instead.
Of course, Kitty was the first one. She was the center of their attention being the youngest and still a baby.
"Now please feed each other. I need a picture to post on my Instagram."
Maples chimed, standing in front, ready with her iPhone. Shawn rolled his eyes at his sister, who was obsessed with her online social life.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me?"
"If I roll them it's because last time I checked, they are my eyes!"
Shawn retorted back and before Maple could throw another sassy remark at her brother, Ava stepped in.
"Just get it over you two! Not right now."
She was for real acting like the eldest sister and eldest of them all. It was always like that.
And even though being the same as her, I could never become close to Ava but found my friendship with Maples instead, even though she was two years younger than me.
Meanwhile, they were all awed when the couple kissed each other right in front of everyone without a care as if it was an everyday occurrence at that point and they had grown with it.
"Mom and Dad, it's too much!!"
Maples yelled out dramatically, turning off the camera. Her father gave her the wittiest reply.
"Don't get between when I'm kissing my wife, baby girl!"
"DAD!"
We all burst out laughing and my mother excused herself and called out to us to assemble in the dining hall to eat.
The rest of the evening was spent eating, throwing away jokes, reminiscing the past, and the love birds narrating the story of their lives.
And in the midst of it, I could not help but observe my mother, who was happily listening to them.
Even after being friends with them since before my birth, I could never tell how she could get out of there and never feel the loneliness seeping in.
"Baby we can watch it in our room...come on!"
Mr. Randall called out to his wife who was staring at the largest television screen I have ever seen in my life, a big whole one and forty-six inches.
Their wedding was held more than a decade ago, still, the most talked about one all over Richmond.
He married her and they kissed for the first time. It was the epitome of being romantic.
"We would be leaving too. It's already too late."
My mother intruded, picking up her purse from the sofa and it meant the end of the evening.
She and Tinsley hugged each other and Mr. Randall asked to be careful on the road.
"Della, come on!! You have school tomorrow."
She called out to me as I still stood in the middle of their enormous living room.
It was only then I realized that the summer was over and it was time to go back home.
I bid my farewell to Maples, even though feeling uneasy about it. We would be meeting back at the school tomorrow yet parting felt difficult.
This summer and all the other ones were spent here together with her. Now going back to your own home felt like an alien feeling.
With slumping shoulders, not finding him to say goodbyes, I walked out of the house and towards my mother's Chevrolet on standby.
All summer he had been away and I could not even get a close look at him. Things have changed so much since the last three summers. He would always be away for soccer.
"Hey, Adella..."
I stopped on my track right away, a smile appearing on my face. There was only one person in this entire world who still insisted to call me by my full name.
"You forgot your clips!"
I turn around, not realizing that he was so close. It made me skip my breath. Gone was the time when we would be of the same height.
Now I had to look up at him every time we would be having a conversation. He handed me the tiny hairpin.
The slight brush of our fingers did not lose to create desirable friction in my heart.
But the honking of my mother's car interrupted the moment, I had been dreaming of for the entire summer.
I glared at her and then look back at him composing myself but even he could feel that the moment had gone and long evaporated from the face of the earth.
"See you tomorrow then!"
I nodded. My eyes onto his green ones. As he walked backward and I stayed on my spot.
"Yeah! See you tomorrow."
"The sun will come up, Della!!"
I stomped my way toward the car and got inside. She started the engine and the automated gates opened on their own.
"Summer is over!"
I did not understand why keep reminding me of that. It was hurtful but Mom would never understand that.
The coldness of the night street started to make its way inside, just like life was back at home.
But then being reminded of him and his sly smile made my heart at ease, melting away the coldness.
"I want you to do good at school this time, Della."
I turn to look at my mother, whose eyes were on the road before her. She repeated it.
"I mean it!"
I had no words, not understanding the need for it. She would say that it was what would make me not end up like her.
But what she did not get was that I would never end up like her. She was so 'all about work' that she had forgotten what life was like with love.
I wanted that...I wanted what Mr. and Mrs. Randall had. And I wanted that with him.
______________________________________________
If then my heart had broken through the seeking cold of the night, my heart had been frozen for a long time now.
Five and a half years later, driving on the same cold road in my mother's old Chevrolet, I did not know if I wanted that at all...or had any desires for one.
_______________________________________________
The 2nd chapter is up guys!
Comment your thoughts about it. It motivates me to become regular and be more active. Vote to show support.
The first book is over and this will become my focus if it gets more love and support than others.
The editor will mark the previous book complete after I upload the bonus chapters too.
For now, what do you think about the characters?
Please check out my fantasy romance too and remark on how good it is:) need feedback.
Do join the discord server to get frequent updates on the story and discuss about how the plotline will go.
Thank you!
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
chayasreedeka
chayasreedeka Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me!
I tagged this book, come and support me with a thumbs up!
Like it ? Add to library!
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
Sequel to CEO & ME!
Check the standalone sequel, support, vote & add to ur library
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực