Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)(18)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

I smiled; there was no way he was going to guess this. “Trust me, you won’t.”

“So there is a guy?” he asked, studying my face.

“I didn’t say that.” I didn’t want to lie, but I wasn’t sure how to tell him the truth.

“But you didn’t deny it either.” He winked. “I’ll figure it out eventually, but for now, go get yourself some breakfast.”

In the kitchen, I grabbed a banana and a glass of juice. I was getting ready to go back upstairs when Monty stopped me.

“I almost forgot to ask, how did you get home last night? Did you get in when Kevin did?”

“Oh, I walked home with a friend,” I said quickly.

“Which friend?”

“James.”

“The same James who took you to the library to study?” Monty gave me a sheepish grin.

“Yeah,” I responded, not liking where the conversation was going.

“Just checking,” Monty said, still smiling.

I gave Monty an annoyed look and continued upstairs with my breakfast. I ate the banana quickly and then took a long shower, probably using up all of the hot water. I pulled on some clothes and danced around my room for a while thinking about the amazing night I had. I finally stopped, realizing that if I didn’t calm down, Monty would pull the truth out of me somehow.

The day dragged. I practiced my cello, worked on my history report, and then zoned out listening to music. It worried me that Monty had picked up on the change in me so easily; I tried to stay out of sight as much as possible, but it wasn’t always easy. I went through the motions, but all I could think of was Calvin.

Kevin went out on a date later that night, and I stayed in to watch a movie with Monty. Luckily, Monty didn’t question me further. I had the feeling he didn’t want to push his luck. We ate pizza and made ice cream sundaes, making me feel like a little kid again. Still feeling the lack of sleep from the night before, I went to bed early. I dreamed of Calvin.

I woke up in an amazing mood and started counting down the hours. I spent most of Sunday in my room finishing homework and staring at the clock. I didn’t even leave the house other than to go for a short walk along the water. By evening, I was bubbling with excitement. I was worried that Kevin and Monty would notice at dinner, but they seemed oblivious as they talked about basketball.

Both Monty and Kevin went to bed early. I had pretended to go to bed and even turned off my light, but nothing could have made me fall asleep; I was too excited. I looked through my closet trying to decide what to wear. Clearly, my clothing had stood out last time, so I settled on a long, sleeveless navy dress. It was probably the most conservative dress I owned, especially when paired with the cream-colored cardigan sweater I put on, but it was also really flattering. I put on a pair of comfortable flats and slipped out of my room and down the stairs, careful to be as quiet as possible.

I walked through the garden quickly and inserted my key into the gate. The gate swung open, and I walked through, closing it behind me. As I tried to let my eyes adjust to the light, I felt a pair of arms come around me.

“You came back!” Calvin exclaimed.

“Of course.” It felt so good to be back in his arms.

“I’ve been standing here for an hour, terrified that you would not come,” Calvin admitted.

“You said the same time as last time.” I suddenly worried that I was late.

“I know, but I did not want you waiting on me. This is not a place for a woman to be wandering alone.”

Calvin took my hand and led me through the garden, across the open field, and back into the forest we had been in last time. Once under the cover of the trees, he pulled me to him and kissed me again, this time with even more intensity. Once again, I was left breathless, leaning against him for support.

“I have missed you so much, Charlotte,” he breathed. “It was only two days, and I missed you. The coming months will be hard.”

“Do you have to go?” I asked.

“Yes. I wish it were not so, but if we want any chance to be together, I need to keep my position.”

I felt a lump in the back of my throat, and my stomach hurt as I thought of not seeing him again, but I refused to ruin the time we had together. “But we have today,” I whispered.

“Yes, we have today.” He gently touched my cheek.

Suddenly, Calvin looked nervous. “I was hoping I could take you to meet my family today. Would you be interested in seeing my home?” He watched me carefully, waiting for my reaction.

I was shocked. Was he really going to bring me home to meet his family already? Of course, I felt the same intensity of feelings for him, but it seemed like such a monumental step. I had never even been on a date before, let alone met a boy’s parents. I also knew that telling him no was not an option. I could see the hopeful look in his eyes, and I found myself agreeing. I was really glad that I had decided to put on a dress.

We continued through the forest, then suddenly turned and came out into a small village. When I say small, I mean small; there were less than a dozen buildings. Calvin then led me into a large field. He pointed out several small structures and additional fields and told me it was all part of his father’s land. He explained that the crops really hadn’t been good the last few years, but that the rain from the other day had helped a lot. We eventually came upon a farm house, and without Calvin telling me, I knew we had reached his home. We were just nearing the house when the door swung open, and a woman, probably in her forties, came out smiling. A young girl, probably around ten, shyly followed her.

“Charlotte,” Calvin said, dropping my hand, but placing his hand on the small of my back to urge me forward, “please meet my mother and my sister Rebecca.”

I nervously accepted his mother’s outstretched hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Charlotte.”

“We have already heard so much about you, dear. Please come in.” She gestured toward the house.

Calvin led me through the door with his mother and sister following. We entered directly into a kitchen with a roaring fire in one corner and a large wood table in the center of the room. I looked around at the simple but warm kitchen and immediately felt comfortable. A man and two boys entered through a back door. The man, tall and broad like Calvin, smiled when he saw me and immediately introduced himself.

“You must be Charlotte. I am Calvin’s father, Harold Boyd. We are so pleased that you were able to join us for lunch,” he said, before encouraging the two boys to move forward. Calvin introduced me to his younger brothers, Nathanial, who looked to be about fourteen, and Jacob, who was probably twelve.