"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" A boy around my height screamed before getting Ashton good across the face. His big golden brown eyes and messy brown hair got messed up as he started to flailing around when Ashton stopped him from hitting his face again.
Boy was he pissed.
"Ash!" I called out to see if he was alright but he seemed just as confused and shocked.
"Do you remember what you told me! You said you could date my sister but you'll never take her seriously?! How dare you flaunt your new boyfriend like this and announce your engagement so publicly?!" He yelled.
"Did I say that? Well, as you can see I don't like girls, I probably just said it to get rid of you trying to pawn your sister off on me," Ashton rubbed his cheek. The boy tried to swing again but Ashton quickly caught his arm and glared at him. "That's enough. Why don't you stop dwelling on past issues and move on already. And another thing, don't even think about messing with Dan. Let's go, Lovebug."
"Um, ok," I started to follow him but the boy got in front of me and in my face. "Um-"
"You! Break up with Ashton!" He demanded.
"What?"
"You saw how he spoke to me just now! You think this guy is nice to anyone?! Why can't you see what a piece of shit he is?!" His face started to turn crimson red. "Do you really think that he has feelings for you?! The truth is that he fools around with people and then he dumps them!"
"But why should I dump him?"
"He obviously gets around! He's a total man slut! He'll make you obsessed with him then he dumps you when he gets bored, just like he did to my sister! I bet there's a trail of people he's fucked then dumped! I can't imagine how many hearts he broke along the way! Ask anyone in senior year! It's been going around that he doesn't care if it's male or female, he'll flirt with anything that walks!"
"That's not true!" Ashton snapped.
"I'm telling you this for your own good! Don't fall in love with Ashton! He doesn't know the meaning of love! He'll do anything for you until he stops being interested in you! He doesn't care what people think! Do you really think he has feelings for you?!"
"Excuse me, but class is about to start, and you're making a scene," I tried to go past him to get away from the crowd this guy was attracting but got blocked. But he seemed to realize that he had drawn a crowd because he lowered his voice.
"He'll treat you great in the beginning, but then he'll disappear from your sight completely. He went on a few dates with my sister and then he suddenly told her that he didn't like her even though she was completely in love with him! I saw him talking to some other girl and laughing with her! Do you know what he said to me after I caught him cheating?!" He honestly looked as though he was about to explode. How old was this kid? When was he going to stop talking? "He said that he could-"
"Excuse me, the past is the past isn't it?" I shifted him out of my way. "It better left in the past. Besides, who are you to talk shit about my boyfriend, Freshman?"
"So what if I'm a freshman! Are you stupid or something!?" He punched my arm causing it to start throbbing in pain. "Didn't you listen to me at all?!"
"Ow."
"You ok, Lovebug?" Ashton managed to get around him and shove him out of the way. I nodded.
"Ugh! You'll have to find out on your own I guess! My advice just isn't getting through to you! Find me when he dumps you, I'm in the Freshman wing. I'll take you out for a drink! Just don't cry!" The kid poked his finger into my chest before stomping away angrily.
"He's a loud one," I shook my head. "A player huh?"
"I'm really not that type of guy! Two years ago, I just wanted to get some tutoring, so I asked a senior for help. In return for tutoring she asked for things and I bought it for her. I was only being grateful! But she took it as a sign that I liked her even when she knew I was gay. After I told her I didn't need her help anymore, she told people that I just used her and everyone just made their own assumptions as to what the meant. That's how the rumor started!" Ashton quickly explained. "Hanging out with Vincenzo and Martin didn't exactly help my image much either. If anything, it just confirmed the rumor for some people."
If there was really someone like that Freshman described, it certainly wasn't my Ashton. "Why do they think you're mean?"
"Because if I'm nice, girls might like me. There's no need for me to be nice to anyone but you anyway," he said. "And there is no trail to follow, you're my first time Lovebug, I swear."
"Relax, did you really think some random freshman was going to change my mind about you?" I checked his cheek but there was no bruise. It was like he wasn't even hit while my arm was throbbing. "You're just a cringy gay romantic."
"Cringey?"
Yeah, definitely not a player. "Yes, my Ashton is cringey."
He perked up when I said it this way. Adorable, but I couldn't believe he had an made such a boisterous enemy. It was also crazy how that girl twisted the story to make Ashton into a bad person when she clearly took advantage of his kindness.
Leave it to Ashton to just let rumors fly.
"Well the fact that you're the only one who knows that speaks volumes," Ashton said. "I won't be mean to you."
"Im not worried about that," I shook him off and entered class. As expected, all eyes were on us right now after that stupid kid made a huge fuss over some rumors.
"What's up, Casanova?" Sam greeted us. "I don't know who you pissed off but there's some Freshman on a warpath when it comes to you. I didn't even know you were capable of making enemies."
"Don't blame me, this is why I'm not nice to people in the first place," Ashton defended himself.
"That poor girl, to think she was just a pump and dump, you really hurt her feelings!" Sam teased, bursting into fits of laughter as Ashton's face turned red.
"I don't like girls!" Ashton whined. "I've never touched her. Why is this rumor even coming back up again?"
"Why else? Vincenzo dug it up," Sam said. "I called you both about it but both of your phones were off."
I coughed remembering not being able to reach my phone at all yesterday because of Ashton consistently banging me the entire time, only taking a break to meet his birth parents.
"I completely forgot that he was going against us over the weekend," I confessed. Then again, I hadn't much time to think about anything. My life had become consumed with animalistic sex and how far Ashton could push me. I guess spending a weekend bent over for him didn't do me any favors.
"Dude, Vincenzo doesn't seem like he's playing around. He pushed you down the stairs the other day and now there's this. Vincenzo took the time to look for that boy and tell him where you are, that's why he showed up here," Sam said. "The weird thing is that it feels like he got better, but worse at the same time."
"It's childish," I waved it off. "Ashton has taken over handling him, but I still feel like I should do something."
"You should still watch out for yourself, you never know what he's going to do next or just how far he's willing to take it," Sam said. "He's really going out of his way to bother you two."
"If my baby says it's childish, then it's childish," Ashton smiled at me.
"You two are being really naive if you ask me," Sam said. "He's not going to stop this anytime soon so I'm worried for you both."
"Well stop it, as long as we know we love each other, there's no way Vincenzo will get in between us," Ashton chuckled.
The day went on without any more unwelcome blow ups from other people. In fact, I found it really weird that I didn't hear one whisper about it from the usual gossiping crowds. It was probably because, like Ashton said, people don't care about him at school.
Lucky.
"Amazing, nothing really happened for the rest of the day," I sighed. "Maybe I should've left things to you a while ago."
"Lovebug, I'm an expert at laying low," he smugly chuckled at me. "Let's go on our date now."
That's right. We're due for a date!
When we arrived, I couldn't believe how packed the place was, and how close to my home it was. I shook my head at myself, annoyed at my own moment of cluelessness as I walked as quickly as I could to The Melting Pot, where Ashton was supposed to meet me after parking the car and speaking to the owner about a private table. I had never had much of a social life, so thinking along the lines of "weekday date" was still new to me - even though Ashton had been trying to change that a little ever since we started going out.
Tonight we were supposed to be having a nice dinner - a early dinner, but still. Early, because Teresa and my dad had a date at my house that had already started. Luckily my dad had given me a heads up this time so I had no chance of walking in on them again. That and he's been trying to get me out of the house more to find more things I could be confident in.
And confidence wasn't something I otherwise had a ton of - especially not in my personal life. To this day, I still didn't understand how I had gotten so lucky as to have landed one of the most gorgeous guys I had ever seen in my life. As I said before, I was a loser, through and through - and I wasn't exactly what one would call eye candy. Sure, I had a lean body and I worked out a little now, and I didn't look like a skeleton anymore, but I wasn't exactly a winning prize either.
My eyes were the only thing I had ever really liked about myself. They were a very distinct black gray- a color that you didn't see often, and though this set me apart, it also reminded me of Teresa. I had definitely inherited her eyes, and whenever I looked in the mirror, part of me always felt she was watching me, too. It was the only resemblance we really shared, and since she had just reentered my life, the only connection I really remembered having with her had strengthened.
"How the fuck did I get from being excited about work to feeling morose and remembering Teresa?" I muttered under my breath, shaking my head again.
My phone buzzed a bit as i waited. It was a text that I stupidly looked at. It was from an unknown number, but the message was straight to the point.
Break up with my son, or else.
Ashton's mother finding out my number wasn't anything surprising, but I couldn't deny the shiver that went down my back. I didn't know what I would get being on the receiving end of the Attorney Generals, and that fear of the unknown was enough to make me want to shit my pants.
Suddenly feeling cold, I looked around the inside to try to find Ashton among the sea of people. I had begun to give up when my eyes landed on him, and I felt myself smile and calm down just at the sight of him - he was standing at the bar, facing mostly away from the window, but he was apparently talking to someone, probably the owner, and I could just see his face. He looked happy and was laughing at whatever the other person had said. It wasn't until my gaze shifted to them that my smile faltered, and I stopped moving - I think I almost stopped breathing, too.
A tall, slender guy with long sandy hair that was tied in a low ponytail stood not a foot away from Ashton. He leaned in to whisper in his ear, effectively blocking my view of his face. The guy had closed his eyes when Ashton's hand came to rest on the man's shoulder. When he drew away, I saw the warm smile on Ashton's lips - it looked affectionate and it pierced my heart.
"Excuse me, young man. Are you going to just stand there all night?"
I blinked, turning around to face whoever had spoken as I felt myself blush. An older couple was standing behind me, both holding hands with a young girl between them, and I fleetingly wondered if it was their granddaughter. The woman was looking at me with impatience at first, but the expression quickly changed to one of concern.
"Are you alright, dear?"
I realized I had neither moved to let them pass, nor spoken to them. I stuttered, stepping aside and apologizing. "Oh...I...I'm sorry, here...go on, I'm...waiting...or something..."
I felt my blush deepen, and I had to avert my eyes as they passed me to go inside. I closed the door behind them, staying outside as I continued to look in. I saw the woman cast a worried glance over her shoulder before she leaned in and spoke to her companion. I didn't pay them too much attention, though, as my eyes sought out Ashton.
It appeared he and the mystery man were still happily conversing - that was the thing with Ashton. He was everything I was not even though he denied it. He's happy, outgoing, fun-loving, conversational, talented, brave- not to mention absolutely beautiful, both inside and outside.
Shifting my focus a little, I caught my reflection in the glass door and sighed. As I said, he was everything I wasn't. My thin face peered back at me, my eyes looked a bit ugly for the first time to me. My hair was everywhere, an unruly mess that gave me a wild look completely at odds with my stuffy school uniform. I wasn't one of those guys who could look cool in a suit, like I was comfortable and belonged. I was inherently a loser, a wall flower, introverted to a fault and shy as all hell. Despite what the reflection showed me, what my mind saw was an awkward, lanky boy who had yet to fill out his own clothes and wild that constantly fell in my face. If I lost a pound, I'd go back to looking like a skeleton.
What could he ever see in me?
I blinked and turned my attention back to Ashton, who had just thrown his head back and was laughing. The guy leaned in closer again, his hand comfortably on Ashton's shoulder as they continued to talk. They looked good together, complimented each other in appearance and, as far as I could tell, in demeanor.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, trying to suppress the tightness that was growing in my chest. I really love Ashton - in truth, I was completely in love with him - but seeing him with this guy just brought home that I might never be good enough or live up to him. I could never be as carefree as he was or as outgoing.
Before I realized I was doing it, I had already backed up several paces, and it wasn't until a car honked its horn that I was brought to my senses. I turned and walked away, gulping in air as I fought to stay calm. Ashton deserved someone better suited to him than me - someone who loved life as he did, and who wasn't afraid to face it head on and with gusto.
I'm still afraid of everything.
I hailed a cab - for once lucky when one stopped seconds after my first attempt - and gave directions to go home. We were halfway there when my phone started to ring. I glanced at the caller ID, my grip on my phone tightening and my eyes closing when I saw it was Ashton. I let the call go to voicemail, not wanting to risk talking to him right then. I didn't think I would be able to do so without my voice betraying me.
I waited to listen to the message until I had safely climbed in the window of my own room, where no one would be able to see or hear me.
""Hey babe, I wanted to check in, make sure everything's okay? I finally got the owner to empty out a place for us but you were suddenly gone! Did you get an emergency call from your dad? Call me, ASAP!!" He sighed, and there was a pause before the voice message ended, almost as if he had wanted to say something else but decided against it.
Rather than calling him back, I shot him a text message, claiming I wasn't feeling well and my dad got me, so I was sorry to keep him waiting for nothing. When he texted back asking if I would be alright and if I needed anything, I told him no and to just go out and have fun without me.
I turned my phone off after that, unable to handle the thought of more communication right then. My mind was absolutely going insane. I curled up my bed, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it to me tightly.
How unmanly was I to run away because I felt a little bit insecure after seeing Ashton laugh with someone else. They obviously have no other relationship but that of store owner and customer, but I still got so insanely jealous and scared. So jealous that I ended up picking myself apart and ditching Ashton on the date he was so excited for!
I was always preaching about being a man, but in the end, I'm still a pussy.
I would always be regular Danny - anxious, weak, and awkward. Just me.
Just me...
I closed my eyes tightly, attempting to control my emotions from spilling over. If I truly loved Ashton, then I could let him go so he could find happiness. The possibility that I might bring him down never even entered my mind before now.
It hurts to think about.
I startled at the sound of a knock on the window. Giacomo had gone back to Italy a while ago, so I wondered who it could possibly be. I briefly considered ignoring the knocks, but when they knocked again, I got up and opened my curtains. To say I was a little shocked to see Ashton standing in front of me - head down, one hand on the window frame and the other poised to knock again - would be an understatement. His head came up slowly as he realized I was watching him.
"Ashton? What are you doing here?" I knew I sounded as confused as I felt.
He straightened up, running his fingers through his mullet as his eyes searched mine. His voice was soft, curious, and perhaps a little hurt when he spoke. "Well, it seems like I got stood up tonight by this guy I really like...I was hoping to find out why."
I didn't know what to say, but I couldn't stand to see the hurt in his eyes, so I quickly lowered my gaze. I could feel my face burning again, and in that moment I wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow me whole. How could I ever explain myself to him? Admit that I had seen him with another guy and that instead of feeling jealous, I had felt inadequate and in the way?
"I...I'm s-sorry..." I stammered, and my hand lodged itself in my hair as I tugged at the ends in frustration.
A ghost of a smile flickered across his face, fading just as quickly as it had come as he climbed into my room. He reached his hands out to my face before cradling it in his hands. I felt my cheeks heat even more, my heart rate increasing at the simple gesture. He took a step closer to me, standing on the threshold, and I couldn't help feeling like it was symbolic.
We stood like that for immeasurable moments - I wasn't sure what to say or do, and I was nervous. I started chewing on the inside of my lip at the corner, as I always did when I felt uncertain. It was a habit I had developed over the years, one that had morphed from actually biting my lip - this was less obvious and most people didn't notice it. I felt...safer...that way.
Ashton, however, did notice, and he gently ran the pad of his thumb across my lower lip to get me to stop - it always worked.
"Baby, why did you leave?" He asked.
I closed the window, feeling as if I were moving in slow motion. I rested my palm flat against it for a moment, taking a deep breath to gather what courage I had before turning around and joining him for a seat on my bed - though I sat on the opposite end. As much as I wanted to be close to him, to feel his touch...I didn't feel I should - like I still had the right after what I had just done.
Apparently, Ashton didn't feel the same way, because he scooted over and shifted so that his leg was touching mine. He took my hand in his - hooking his thumb over mine - and again I felt my heart rate increase with just this simple touch. His hand felt comfortable, warm, and right in mine. I was focused on our hands, momentarily forgetting he had asked me a question, so when he repeated it, I looked up with a frown.
My mouth opened and closed a few times as I tried to explain, but I couldn't get my voice to work. I lowered my head, my eyes going back to our hands, studying the shape of them individually and together.
The minor distraction that gave me was enough for me to be able to let the words out. I told him everything from the moment I had arrived at the restaurant - well, almost everything...I couldn't quite bring myself to mention I'd received a threat from his mother- to the moment he had knocked on my door. He didn't interrupt me once, just letting me get it all out, knowing that if I was brought out of this stream of consciousness, I wouldn't be able to express myself again - I would be too embarrassed.
I couldn't bring myself to look at him, to see the confirmation of my thoughts, my fears that I was certain I would find there. It was one thing for me to know it of myself deep down...it was quite another to have him express it. For him to tell me I wasn't enough. I was so afraid that he would agree and say I was right that I didn't even take into account that he had come here. He had sought me out, had been concerned enough about why I had left to come to my house - that he was sitting on my bed, holding my hands while he put a finger of his free hand under my chin and tilted my head up, forcing my eyes to level with his.
"You really mean it, don't you?" he said quietly. For a moment, I was confused, lost as to what he could possibly be asking, and he saw it on my face. "You really think you aren't good enough for me?" he clarified.
I turned my eyes away, staring at the back of the couch but not really seeing the familiar stripes. I couldn't answer him. There was nothing more to say.
"Baby?" His voice was soft, beseeching. When I didn't acknowledge him - too afraid of what I might see, what I might hear - he tried again. "Danny, look at me, please."
I exhaled a sigh and clenched my jaw, squeezing my eyes shut before I opened them again. I didn't care about the tears falling down now. I had already fucked up.
Might as well get this over with.
As soon as my face turned to his, his lips were on mine. His kiss was chaste but hard, needy, and I couldn't help my little whimper of longing. I didn't even stop to wonder what he was doing. I just kissed him back, enjoying the feel of his lips.
Much too soon, his lips left mine, but he didn't go far. His forehead was pressed against mine, his eyes closed as he whispered, "Lovebug, you don't see yourself clearly...take a deep breath, slow your heart."
I swallowed, unsure what he meant, and he opened his eyes, though he didn't move away. His hand cupped my face, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheek. "You don't see how creative you are, what a great imagination you have..." When his lips brushed my forehead, I felt my heart react, speeding as I listened to his impossible words. This wasn't supposed to be happening. He was supposed to be agreeing with me, telling me he deserved more.
He was supposed to be leaving me because I couldn't match him.
Instead, his low voice murmured, "You don't see that you're caring...you're always looking out for other people, looking out for me." His blue eyes blazed with fervor, pinning me in place the way a cheetah's gaze freezes a gazelle. "You're loving..." He broke off, biting his bottom lip with a soft "mmm..." as he kissed me again. This time our lips parted, our kiss deepening as my desperation and confusion seeped in. His lips moved hungrily against mine before he reigned himself in, letting me feel his struggle to control himself.
I opened my eyes, watching him in awe.
"You're the most loyal person I've ever known. I don't think it would ever enter your head to cheat or be dishonest with me intentionally," He sat back slightly, his eyes on mine as his hands roamed my arms, my legs, my face, all innocent caresses as if he couldn't touch me enough. A smile flitted across his face as he gave a soft chuckle. "You're incredibly passionate...and not just about me, though I do love that."
I felt a thrill shoot through me at his casual use of the word love.
His fingers played with the hair above my ear, the wild poof ball that I could never tame. His voice was lower, somehow gravelly when he continued, "I love to watch you when you get start drawing or tattooing the fake skin. You forget the world exists. I think I could dance naked in front of you, and you would never notice."
I snorted, rolling my eyes, and he laughed. When he sensed my embarrassment, he shook his head, smiling at me fondly as he whispered, "Don't. It's adorable." He leaned in, brushing his lips against mine before he sat back once more. "You've got a quick temper, but it's all part of your passion, the way you care so strongly about so many things. Sometimes you're stubborn, and it can be hell to make you listen..." He grinned at the look on my face. "Like right now. But you always do listen, and you take things to heart, and I know that when I have your attention, there's nothing else in your world right then but me."
He kept talking, heaping praise on me, telling me so many things about myself that I just couldn't believe. Amazingly, I felt my eyes begin to sting worse than ever, and I swallowed hard, blinking several times. The person he was describing wasn't me...not the way he was saying it. That man might deserve him, but not me...not Daniel Cunningham.
Even if I had bits and pieces of what he saw in me, there was still the problem of how it was all put together, so to speak. Ashton was beautiful, stunning inside and out. And I was...just...not.
I bit at the corner of my lip again, and I heard him sigh. My eyes were on our hands when he took both of mine in his again and said softly, "Talk to me, please."
"Thank you," was all I managed because even if I didn't really believe what he was saying myself, it was so incredible to hear, and it told me that he at least cared enough that he didn't want me to be miserable.
That was something.
"Baby, what's the matter?" One of his hands left mine, his fingers brushing along my hairline before he cupped my cheek and turned my face to his.
My lips were dry, and I licked them, feeling the chapped ridges with my tongue before I took a small breath. "I saw-" I broke off, clearing my throat when my voice came out strangled. "I saw you with that other man tonight." I was vaguely aware of Ashton's breathing stuttering, but now that I was saying it, I wanted to get it all out. There was no accusation in my voice, only quiet resignation. "His hand was on your arm, and you were laughing, and you looked so damn happy. You looked good together, like you belonged, and I kn-know...I know I..."
I trailed off again with a shrug, unable to finish the thought but also unable to tear my eyes away from him. I was hurt and a little shocked when he began to smile.
"I'm sure Earl will be very happy to know that we make a great couple." His smile twisted into a wry smirk. "And that he looked like he was hitting on me."
At the sound of Ashton's cousin Rosalie's love interest's name, I groaned and pulled my hands away, burying my face in them. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath.
"None of that, now..." Ashton's hands pulled mine away, and he smiled at me tenderly, a strange sadness in his eyes. "When we finished at school today, it was getting late, so Earl called Rosalie and I, and she decided to meet us at the restaurant...we were hoping you'd finally get to meet them, and then they were going to take off for dinner on their own before heading back to Georgia. Only..."
He let the word linger between us, and I filled in the blanks.
Only I was an idiot and thought you were having an affair with your cousin's future husband. Awesome.
"Dammit."
"Baby, it's alright, after everything you've been through, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more," he kissed both of my hands. "It happened on our first date too. I can't say that I'm not a little bit disappointed though. Don't you know how I feel about you? Am I not showing it enough?"
It wasn't faith in him I was lacking. It was faith in me...in being enough to hold his interest forever. In being deserving of him. In being strong enough for us when I needed to be. In holding onto my resolve since I was the weak one here.
Again, he sighed, and I looked back up at him. "Ashton-"
"Shhhh, I need to educate you," he walked us over to my closet and opened the door reveling the full length mirror inside. "See, I'm not sure how you see yourself, but what you don't realize is just how cute you are, adorably sexy even. You're the sexiest little nerd I've ever seen. But it bothers me even more that you think it's a bad thing...you think that being you is something to be ashamed of...and that kills me. We all have things we don't like about ourselves, and we all had those awkward times when we looked a little worse than others. Regardless, it doesn't make me love you any less. You're so perfect that everyone around you falls for you at first sight."
There he goes, being too good for words again. He made it impossible to place any doubt on him. I suddenly couldn't help but feeling terrible for doubting someone who had done nothing but love me.
"Ugh, I ruined another date," I turned around and just leaned on him.
"Baby," he lifted my chin and kissed me. "You didn't ruin anything. They'll understand, I understand, it's all ok. Do you love me?"
"I love you," I answered quickly.
"I love you too baby, exactly how you are. And I love you the most," Ashton smiled. His lips crashed against mine, his weight settling on me fully as my hands moved to the small of his back. His thigh slipped between mine, and our kisses grew less frenzied, slower, more sensual as our passion smoldered.
He pulled away, his mouth moving to my ear, where he nibbled my earlobe as he whispered, "I want you..."
"I want you, too," I breathed, trying to pull his lips back to mine.
I felt him smile against my cheek. "No, I want you more," he said. "But i'd like to take you out first before I do anything else to you. As horny as I am, I'm a gentleman first."
He pulled away from me and went back to sit on my bed to continue to talk to me. What a way to get revenge, but I knew why he was doing it.
"Ashton....I'm sorry I ran out on you. I really overestimated my confidence and overreacted. I do know you love me, you show me all the time," I sat next to him.
"No problem, baby. Revenge sucks but I'm totally proving a point here," he said adjusting himself through his jeans. "Now let's have a nice long talk, no touching."
"Fine," I felt like he was suffering more than I was. I immediately changed the subject to something more serious. College.
That talk about college gradually turned into a tutoring session that we lost track of until my dad burst into my room suddenly in just his sweatpants.
"When did you get back?" He asked.
"I went in through my window, dad. Don't worry, we won't disturb you," I said checking over the math problems Ashton had just completed.
"It's getting late, Ashton. It's time for you to go home," dad sighed. "Do me a favor and leave from the window again. There's a bit of a mess out here."
"Sure thing Mr. Cunningham," Ashton said packing his thing up quickly. My dad finally left us alone so we could say our farewells. "It wasn't exactly a date, but I'm happy we were able to solve it, baby. I love you."
"I love you too, Ashton. Goodnight," I shifted myself into the tip of my toes to meet him halfway in a kiss. Ashton kept his body a few inches from mine despite the magnetic pull between us, his hand roaming up and down my back as we kissed. When we parted, he pressed his forehead to mine and murmured, "Do you see what I'm holding back? Don't test me."
"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow then," I leaned up to kiss his cheek before opening my window for him.
"See you, baby," he climbed out and disappeared into the night triggering the light in the front yard. I listened for his car to turn on and drive away before going back to my bed and laying down.
I'm too lucky was the only thing I could think of as I drifted off to sleep.
Waking up early felt nice this morning. I was in the kitchen eating my Cocoa Puffs in my school uniform, screwing around on my phone, when there was this loud knock on the front door.
"THIS IS THE POLICE!"
I just about shit my pants, you know? I knew dad had a joint or two around here. But I thought, there's no way they're coming to get us for a stupid joint. Weed is legal anyway. That would be absolutely nuts.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
Teresa was up in the shower right now, and dad had already left for work ten minutes ago. They kept on banging away at the door. I was scared as hell, but I didn't see that I had much of a choice. I got up and peeked through the side window there by the door and sure enough, it was the cops. Four of them. Four cops, banging away at the door. I took a deep breath and opened it.
"Calm the hell down, why are you banging on the door so early?" I snapped at them.
"David Callahan?" said one of the cops, a big massive dude that looked like he could crush me with one hand. The hand that was resting on his gun holster. "Step outside, you're okay now. Is Teresa Giordano inside?"
"Uh...my mom's up taking a shower. And I'm not David Callahan. I'm Daniel. Cunningham. Teresa is my mom."
This seemed to throw the big guy for a loop. He turned and looked at his buddies. Then a lady cop spoke up. She looked nice. Not nice enough for me to trust her, but nice. "I don't know what they did to you, David, but you're safe now," she said. "Come with me, your parents are waiting at the station."
I started to get a little dizzy then. "Dad's at work, mom's in the shower. What is this? Why are you guys here? You're at the wrong house."
I heard one of the guys in the back mutter. "Jesus," he said. "He thinks they're his parents."
The Big guy cleared his throat. "Step outside, son. We need to get in there and apprehend Teresa Giordano."
It was a struggle to think at all, but I thought back to all those cop shows and movies and whatnot. Then realizing that that was fucking stupid, I thought back to the last time I had dealt with the cops. "You guys got a warrant?"
One of the guys from the back thrust his hand forward, and there was a piece of paper there. I didn't know what the hell it said, but I figured it was a warrant. I stepped outside feeling my heart drop into my ass as i tried to figure out just what the fuck was going on.
"She's upstairs," I said. "She's probably... you know, naked, so be careful."
Lady cop took me gently by the arm and walked me down the porch steps and to one of the cop cars. I turned my head and saw the rest of them go in the house. "Am I in trouble?" I asked.
"You're safe now, David," she said.
I wondered who the hell David was and why the hell they kept calling me that. Why the hell they were arresting Teresa?"What about my father?"
"We've already apprehended Michael Cunningham earlier this morning," she informed me.
"Get in," said the cop, holding the back door open. Then, just like in the movies: "Watch your head." What was I supposed to do? I got in and we drove off. "You're not hurt or anything, right?" she asked.
"Nah," I said. "Just... you know, confused. Why are you taking my parents from me?"
"When we get to the station, you can see your parents briefly. But then we have a lot of questions for you. I'm sorry. I'm sure it's very painful and scary for you, but we have to get your version of events."
She was right that it was scary.
We got to the station and there standing by the front door were two people, a man and a woman. They were crying. I'd never seen them before in my life.
The lady cop opened up my door and said, "It's alright. You can go to them."
I stood up, but I didn't go to them. They came running over to me, and both of them wrapped me in this wicked bear hug which I struggled out of as soon as they tried it. "David," they kept saying over and over again, sobbing. I guessed they thought I was this David character too. But I wasn't.
I am Danny.
It was hard to breathe in that hug, but I finally choked out some words. "Who the fuck are you guys? Get off of me!"
They pulled away and looked at me in a sort of shock. "It's mom," said the man, "and dad." He gave the cop a questioning look.
"He, er, seems to be confused at the moment," she said. "That's why it's imperative that we get him inside and keep the investigation rolling. We'll have him back as soon as we can, Mr. and Mrs. Callahan." She took my arm again and we started walking down the pathway to the front door.
"Wait!" cried this Mr. Callahan. "Just... one second." He dug in his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. He opened it up and held it out to me, stepping forward. "Look, David, that's us." Behind a little shield of plastic, there was a picture of this guy with a little kid sitting on his lap. The kid was maybe, I don't know, five years old. Sure, he maybe looked a little like I did at that age, but the picture was small, and it didn't blow me away or anything. And the intense look in this stranger's face was starting to creep me out.
"Oh, yeah," I said. "Cool. Well, I better be getting inside now, right officer?"
"You don't remember this?" The lady asked desperately.
"I've never met you two in my life. I've been with my biological father, Michael Cunningham since birth! You can do a motherfucking DNA test! How did this shit even happen?!" I felt the weight of the situation start to hit me. My dad was in handcuffs right now! He might get taken away from me over something fake. "How old would your son be?" I asked.
"Seventeen."
"I'm eighteen! Just look at my hospital records! I was born in the hospital in this town! I went to school here all my life! I've never seen you before in my life! I'm not Kevin or whatever!" I snapped feeling frustrated that these cops didn't want to hear it at all. "You can't lock up my father! He didn't do anything!"
"The charges have been issued by the attorney general office and signed by a judge already. We must do our investigation," the lady cop told me.
"The attorney general?" I asked.
So this is what she meant by 'or else'.