Pulled(10)
Author: A.L. Jackson

I’d never traveled outside of Texas before and was amazed by the beauty of Colorado Springs. In Dallas, I’d been surrounded by skyscrapers built on flat plains.

Here I found myself surrounded by snowcapped mountains. Everything was green and lush, the opposite of Dallas. I loved it, though the fondness I felt for Colorado Springs may have been completely due to the people I’d met here.

I’d come for my dad, but it was here I’d found my life.

I loved old romance novels and spent my fair share of time fantasizing about love at first sight and being swept off my feet by my one true love, but I knew things like that only happened in my favorite books.

That was until I met Daniel.

Erin had been so nice the day I had started work at the little coffee shop. I’d been nervous, but she’d shown me around giving me advice, and at the end of our shift, she had invited me to her house to hang out the next day.

I’d had no idea that accepting her invitation was going to change the course of my life.

Something had stirred in me the moment Dad stopped the car. It had only intensified when I walked inside. It was as if the air around me was filled with a magnetism drawing me forward, urging me ahead. That call was met by hazel eyes, the outer portions lined in brown, melting into variations of green flecked in gold.

For an instant, I froze, my mind trying to catch up with what my heart was already racing toward. It was as if my heart jumped to life, not realizing it had lain dormant before that moment.

I was unable to look away while he remained motionless at the top of the stairs. His dark-blond hair was unruly, the loose, wavy curls coming down just over his ears and brow. He was tall and slim, every inch formed from the toned muscles showing on his forearms to his well-defined chin. He was perfect. But none of that would have mattered because his eyes alone swallowed me whole.

And I hadn’t been away from him for a single day since.

My heart fluttered again with thoughts of Daniel as I packed my bag for my sixteenth birthday. The rest of his family had gone to San Diego for the weekend, so we had the place to ourselves.

I rushed down the hall, preparing myself for Dad.

I hated lying to him.

“Hey, Dad.” He was on the couch drinking a beer, staring unseeing at the TV. He wasn’t dealing well with the divorce, and I was starting to really worry about him. Not once in my entire life had I seen him drink, and now he did on a daily basis.

Pulled from his thoughts, he turned to me and forced a smile, setting his beer on the coffee table.

“Happy birthday, Mel.”

“Thanks.” I felt nervous and was sure it was written all over my face. “So, Stacy’s picking me up to go watch a movie, and then I’m spending the night at her house. Is that okay?”

“Well sure, honey, you have fun.” He turned back to the TV and picked up his beer. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I raced out the door. Stacy was parked on the street, and I climbed into her car. “Thanks for doing this.” I smiled at her, feeling guilty for involving her in my lie.

“No problem. Just have a happy sixteenth, okay?” She pulled into the grocery store parking lot where Daniel waited for me.

I hopped out of her car. “Thanks,” I said. “See you Monday at school.”

She grinned and mouthed, “Have fun,” as she drove away.

“Hey, baby.” Two strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I turned to look at Daniel’s face. “Happy birthday, my love.” He kissed me and led me around to my side of the car.

“Ready?” he asked. I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, realizing the double entendre. Was I ready? I thought I was, but that didn’t make me any less nervous. I didn’t say anything, and I could tell the silence set Daniel on edge.

He reached over and brushed my hair behind my ear, tilting my face toward him.

“Hey, look at me. You know we don’t have to do this, right? I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready to do.” He brushed his thumb over my cheek, and I knew he meant it. He would never do anything to hurt me.

“Are you ready?” I hesitantly looked at him, already knowing his answer.

“I am sixteen.” He raised his eyebrow a little bit, and I knew exactly what he meant. He’d had a hard time holding himself back for the last seven months, but he’d never pushed. “But that doesn’t matter. I’d wait for you forever.”

That’s why I wanted Daniel to have this part of me. I knew he loved me, and he’d wait for me no matter how long that was. It wasn’t like we hadn’t talked about it and planned for this day, but it didn’t stop the butterflies.

We’d committed our lives to each other; now it was time to commit our bodies.

I smiled softly at him, took his hand, and folded it into my lap.

“No, I’m ready, just nervous.”

He nodded, and pulled out onto the road, driving toward his house.

When we arrived, he parked in the driveway and came around to help me out.

I couldn’t help but notice how his hand trembled against mine. He was just as nervous as I was. This would be his first time, too.

As soon as we walked through the door, he pulled me into his arms. We just stood there wrapped up in each other, neither of us saying anything. We didn’t need to.

He kissed me again and then led me into the den. A fire crackled in the fireplace, warming the chilly April air. Candles glowed around the room, and blankets and pillows were spread out in front of the fireplace.

“Come here. I have something for you.” He led me to the nest of blankets and sat me down. I took off my shoes and threw them to the side, crossing my legs under me.

Daniel knelt in front of me, handing me a small box. “Happy birthday.”

I unwrapped the gift, putting the paper aside and opening the lid to the black velvet box.

“Daniel,” I whispered. “How, how?” I couldn’t even get the question out. Emotions swirled, leaving me without words.

I had seen the necklace in an antique store on our first date, a flat gold pendant with delicate artwork etched on the front of it, but so worn, it was impossible to tell what it was supposed to be. I had fallen in love with it. It was at least a hundred years old, and I had felt its history the second I’d run my fingers over it. I hadn’t said a word, simply admired it with a smile and moved on.

“Do you like it? I saw your face when you first saw it in the store, and I wanted you to have it. I know it’s old, and I hope I didn’t ruin it, but I wanted it to have a part of us as well.”