“Now that was a thing of beauty,” he said right before he kissed me.
How do you go back to a funeral after that? I’ll tell you how. With a suppressed smile on your face.
We made our way around the food table and I did end up eating, which made me feel better. Three hours later, we left my mom’s. She and I would have a meeting in two days with the attorney and go over everything in dad’s will. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be too painful.
On the way back to Justin’s, we swung by my house so I could load up on more clothes. He didn’t want me staying there and I really didn’t want to either.
I loaded up another duffle with some more panties, and other things and we were heading out when I decided to check things around the outside of the house. There were some things out back that looked suspicious. Like perhaps someone had tried to get in the back door. There were markings around the jamb, like maybe they had tried to use a screwdriver or something. I grabbed onto Justin’s arm so tight I’m sure there would be permanent finger marks on it.
“Should we call the police?”
“Yeah.” Justin was already on the phone.
When they arrived, they were none too friendly. I suppose my little outburst and calling them morons was responsible for that. Nevertheless, they inspected all around the exterior of the house and couldn’t find anything, so there wasn’t much else to do.
On the way home, I kept rubbing my clammy hands on my skirt. Justin finally picked one up and held it in his hand.
“I’m sorry. My hands get all disgusting when I’m scared.”
“Don’t be scared honey.”
“Justin, I know that was Preston at the cemetery today. I know it. Please believe me. I wasn’t seeing things. Our eyes locked. I swear it was almost like he was trying to tell me something.”
“I believe you Terri, but I want you to stay clear of him. I don’t trust him not to hurt you, okay? Drug addicts are desperate people and will go to any lengths to feed that habit. I don’t want you to take any chances no matter how small they seem to you. Promise me honey.”
“I promise.”
He gave my clammy hand a squeeze, but held it tightly all the way to his house.
When we got inside I undressed and we relaxed by watching TV.
Justin hit himself on the head and said, “I almost forgot, next Saturday is the Heart Ball. We don’t have to go, but we have tickets. It’s up to you.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot all about it too. I think we should go. It could be a fun diversion. Besides, that was our first official date. Remember?”
“Remember? How could I forget? You had on that red gown and I couldn’t tear my eyes off of you. There was only one thing I wanted to do and that was bring you right here, unzip that gown and discover, inch by inch, what was hidden beneath it. But I didn’t dare do that because I was trying my damnedest to impress you with my incomparable gentlemanly ways. I was even pissed off at myself for kissing you the way I did, but hell, Terri, when I started, I could hardly force myself away. You managed to do things to me and my libido that I couldn’t explain. You still do, you know.”
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Get all sexy on me and say things like that? I’ve just blown through another pair of panties.”
“Sweetheart, I told you to give them up. They’re overrated anyway.”
I smiled at him and then his expression changed into something more serious as he looked at me. “I think I knew it then. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, I knew I would fall in love with you. That’s why I tried so hard to be the gentleman with you that night. It’s why I blamed myself for your accident.”
I went to stop him from saying anything else, but he held up his hand, his palm facing toward me.
In a deep voice laced with emotion, he continued, “It’s why I was so messed up afterwards and why I tried to hide the truth from you. It was wrong but my heart was involved already only I wouldn’t admit it. There are so many different kinds of love Terri, and I can say this to you. You have all of mine.”
My heart was in my throat, it was so filled with my love for him, and I couldn’t do anything but smile as my eyes spilled their tears. I crawled over to him and wound myself around him. If I could have crawled inside his body, and put my heart next to his, I would have.
It took me quite a while before I could even say anything, but I had to tell him my feelings too.
“Justin, you’re not the only one who felt that way.” I looked up at him and took his hand and put it over my heart. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, even when I told myself I hated you. You were always there. And here.” I squeezed my hand to show him what I meant. “You’ll always be here. Always Justin. I love you.”