I emerged five minutes later, my own surprise hidden in my pocket. As I approached the bench, Sunny came out of the shop, tucking a small pink bag into her purse.
I pretended not to notice. We could both keep our secrets for now.
I held out my hand. “Lunch?”
She rose up on her toes and kissed me. Caught in the moment of happiness, I lifted her in my arms, so her feet dangled in midair, and kissed her back. Firm, possessive, exactly the way I knew she liked it now. It was a kiss filled with joy and elation. One caught in sunlight and life, and born of knowing the girl I held was the girl I would love for the rest of my life. The thought settled into my head, no shock or surprise occurring, only an ease within my chest.
Sunny would be my life. Where she was would be my home. And I planned on telling her tomorrow.
I put her on her feet with a grin. “Ready for lunch?”
A black car went by, the windows tinted. It was slow in moving past us, and the sight of it made my stomach clench, but I didn’t recognize the driver, and there would be no reason for my father to be in this town. He worked in the opposite direction, and it was rare he went anywhere during the week except the office. His underlings did the legwork. He made the decisions and the money. I shook off the dread that rolled over me. I was being paranoid. I wasn’t used to being happy or carefree. It was simply a coincidence, and lots of people drove dark sedans like that one. I refused to let the ghost of him dampen this day.
I wrapped my hand around hers, dismissing my dark thoughts. “Let’s go.”5SunnyI was a bundle of nerves all day on Saturday. I knew what tonight meant. What was going to happen. I was ready, and I wanted to give myself to Linc, but still, I was anxious.
Linc was the first boy to kiss me. To touch me. He was my first everything. He was shy and sweet, and we had sat together on our first day of school years ago. He shared his crayons with me. Mine were from the dollar store—all my mother could afford—but his were the large, expensive box containing a rainbow of colors. He let me use the magenta and teal ones, and when I got home that night, he had put them in my box, keeping two of my cheap ones for himself—the orange and yellow, the two worst colors I had.
I fell in love with him right then.
We were the best of friends in grade school. When his mom died, he became quiet and withdrawn at school and with other people, but with me, he seemed happier. We grew closer but only remained friends. I was afraid to push beyond that, happy to at least have him in my life. I knew his father would never approve of me. The few times I saw him, his gaze flickered over me as if I were a piece of dirt beneath his expensive shoes. In town, he was a “big deal,” as my mom called him, but not well-liked. Feared, was more like it. I knew Linc feared him. I saw the bruises to prove it, but he refused to tell anyone.
He said it would make matters worse, and he made me promise not to say a thing to anyone. I promised him, because I loved him.
The day he kissed me and changed my life forever was one of my best days. By then, we were confidants, both of us anxious to leave this small town and start life fresh with no baggage. The feel of his mouth on mine, hesitant and gentle, changed everything. He became more.
We became more, and I knew I would follow him to the ends of the earth.
My mother and sisters adored him.
His father loathed me. I was horrified to find out he’d beaten Linc more than once, telling him to stay away from me. I was aghast at the lengths Linc went to in order to defy him. I hated sneaking around, keeping my face neutral and friendly if I saw him in town. At school, people were used to seeing us together, and we both worked hard to make sure they thought of us as friends—nothing more. I lived in fear of someone finding out and Linc taking more punishment.
I despised his father. He was a horrid, cruel man. Linc was nothing like him. He was protective, sweet, and kind. He tried to look after not only me, but my mom and sisters, which made me love him more.
I pictured our life together once we were able to get away from this town and the influence of his father. Linc assured me more than once, when he was nineteen, it would happen. He said he had money from his mother he could get to at that point, and we had to hold on until then.