Lilac

“You don’t have to forgive them today,” I told him when he seemed to struggle with words, “or even tomorrow. But one day, when you’re ready, I think your parents would like that. I think you would like it too.”

Houston mulled it over for a moment before simply nodding. He was quiet when he fell back on the mattress and took me with him. He held me on his chest and in his arms while I listened to his complicated heart beat. We didn’t speak a word for the rest of the night, and we didn’t leave his room. Eventually, we fell asleep together, missing the dinner his grandmother had no doubt slaved over. Laine, Loren, and Rich must have known because no one had the heart to knock on the door.Houston was twenty-nine today.

For that reason alone, I was awake before dawn. I was planning to bake his favorite cake with Laine’s help, and I wanted it to be ready and back before he was up.

Birthday cake for breakfast sounded like a good way to start any Sunday.

We’d only been back in Portland for a few days, and it was eerie how quickly I’d adjusted to their surroundings. I wouldn’t dare say that out loud, though, and risk the conversation of me moving in returning.

They’d forgotten it for now, but I knew better than to think it wouldn’t come up again. We’d only been together six months and already had one break up under our belt.

I think my point had been made that it was too soon.

They wouldn’t care, though, so yeah…I was bracing myself for that argument again.

After kissing Houston’s lips gently, I carefully untangled myself from his arms.

He didn’t stir.

Last night, I had an ulterior motive when I broke my ban on sex. I knew they’d take all of their frustrations out on me. I knew they’d wear themselves out in the process. Even I had to fight my sore muscles and the fatigue begging me for a few hours more when I crawled out of bed. I was pressed for time, but when I stood, I couldn’t help but lean against one of the bedposts to watch them sleep.

My bad boy.

My vain princess.

My sad emo.

The three of them slept soundly. Loren had his face buried in Jericho’s neck as he spooned him from behind with a strong arm curled around his naked waist. It wasn’t how they’d gone to sleep, so the two of them must have found each other at some point.

I smiled.

Loren claimed he wasn’t one to cuddle.

Jericho and I had both proven him wrong.

After looking my fill at the three of them in all their naked glory, I turned to shower and dress as quietly as I could. I then tiptoed downstairs, lifted Houston’s car keys from the foyer’s entry table, and made my way to the detached garage.

As I was climbing inside his G-Wagon, I admired Jericho’s green and black bike. Maybe I’d convince him to teach me one day. I also put it on my mental checklist to ask why Loren didn’t have a car and why Houston and Rich never let him drive. To be fair, he never offered, and they seemed to be fine with that.

I plugged his grandmother’s address into my phone’s GPS since I didn’t know my way around yet before pulling out. The device attached to the visor opened both the garage doors and the front gate, so I was on the road just a few minutes later, and nearly an hour later, I’d arrived.

The street was quiet, and the sun wasn’t fully up yet when I climbed out of the SUV with my phone unlocked and in my hand.

Hoping Laine hadn’t forgotten that I was coming this early, I was debating whether to call or simply knock on her door when I heard my name softly spoken.

Apprehension rippled through me before I could even turn to face the person who’d posed my name like a question. I didn’t recognize the petite girl now standing in the driveway.

Where had she come from?

Even in the semi-dark, I could see that she was a few years older even though she looked young. And her hair wasn’t just platinum. It was stark white, a color that could only be accomplished with dye. She had pale skin and piercings in her nose and lips, but what gave me pause wasn’t that I didn’t know her.

It was yesterday’s eyeliner.

I knew because even though she’d applied it with a heavy hand, it had smudged and was starting to fade.

I couldn’t help my frown or care how it would be perceived.

Had she been here all night?

The dark hood she wore over her head didn’t conceal the evil intent in her eyes even as she smiled up at me with her hands behind her back.