Chapter 9

I'm on the ground shaking. What did Eric mean when he said those things about Brunos Dad? What did he mean about Phil. That just made me wonder, what other secrets are out here that I don't know about. I felt a hand on my shoulder and flinched.

“We're gonna take you home” Maria said

She held her hand out but I shook it off. I might be crying but i'm not weak. Phil opened his Baby Blue Mercury door and I got in.

As we drove to my house, I started to remember the first time I meet them. All in the car laughing and singing. I wonder what happened to Ce -lo and Ne Yo.

“what ever happened to the other two?” I asked

“they started their own group but I’ve meet this other cat who's real good with the keys.”

“oh”

I looked out the window. Wondering where Bruno went this time and if he wasn't at the house, he had 3 days. I love him to death but i'm going to waste my time with a man who'll always doing the Houdini on me. Someone already disappeared on me once, I don't need another heartache.

We get to my house and Maria, Phil, & Alisia helped me out the car. They all gave me a hug and went on their way. When we walked inside, all I could smell was cinnamon and my heart did butterflies. He didn't leave, God yes, he didn't leave me. Alisia didn't have a ride home so I let her use my phone to call up one of her boys.

I walked upstairs to see him sitting on the roof, with that acoustic guitar of his singing a song.

“I been working hard so long, seems like pain has been my only friend, my fragile heart been done so wrong, I wonder if I'll ever heal again, oh just like all the seasons, never stay the same, all around me I can feel the change, I will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me, leave the past behind me, today my life begins, a whole new world is waiting, it's mine for the taking, I know I can make it, today my life begins”

I walk to the window and crawl out to him. He wrapped his arms around me. I looked down and I seen Alisia get in the car. I waved goodbye as a guy came over to open her door. He was gorgeous, Blond wavy hair, greens eyes from what I see from up here and a beautiful smile. I didn't like him. He was too greasy for me but he was gorgeous so he was her type. She drove off and I looked at Bruno. The sun was setting on his golden skin, making him glow even more. God and when he opened his eyes, they glowed brown with flecks of gold, it was like Just beautiful, but even though his eyes glowed. It was sadness glowing from them.

“you mine as well ask me” he said

“we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to”

He closed his eyes “my father is a musician, was a musician, he made a deal with a guy to get famous. I don't know what the deal was but all I know is that pop didn't get enough gigs to get the money, so he had to work for the guy”

“who just happens to be Eric's dad”

“pap pap”

“damn that's horrible”

“yeah so now pops is stuck making instruments at Mickey’s Music”

I locked my hands with his “ and what about your...”

“we don't talk about her”

I laid my head on him and he stroked my hair. “why were you crying when I sang to you” he asked

I sat up and put my hand around the locket around my neck. Squeezing the locket around. I started to shake. I got light headed and sweaty. Talking about my father is the hardest thing for me to do. Not even Maria or Alisia bring him up, every so often mama brings him up but only out of anger.

“ I don't think i'm ready for that yet”

From a distance I heard the phone ring. I let go of his hand and go downstairs. The phone was still ringing when I grabbed it.

“hello?”

“hey lish where's Pete,”

“hold on...Bruno!”

He didn't come downstairs so I went up to go get him. When I got in my room, he was looking at the picture on my dresser. My fathers picture.

“is this him” he asked

I didn't say anything but he didn't turn his head away from the picture.

“you have his eyes you know and his same hard expression” he looked at me

“...yeah I know”

He put the picture down and walked towards me and put his hand on my face. I look at him while he smiled at me.

“who's on the phone? Phil?” he asked

I shook my head yes

“tonight is the night” he said

He ran downstairs and grabbed the phone. What did he mean by that. I followed him downstairs. He grabbed the phone and started to talk. Went to sit next to him, he put his feet up on me and smiled. This boy lost his mind. I pushed his legs off of me and he just put them back on. I stood up and crawled on top of him and started to tickle him. He started to laugh.

“hey.....phphphil imma.....call you later.....yeah bye”

He hung up the phone and flipped me on my back to start to tickle me. I was laughing so hard. I almost peed my pants. He kissed my neck and flipped me over and started to kiss my neck. I pulled him away.

“your such a horn dog”

“so why don't pet this dog, it pleasures me”

“nasty nasty”

“you like nasty nasty but I got a shindig to go to and I want you to come, so get dolled up.”

I kissed him and grabbed his hand. We took a shower together, dried off, did out hair, was about to get dressed but he was going through my closet. He pulled out a all red dress with the black buttons.

“ can you to wear this.please?, red is my favorite color”

“ok”

I put on the dress. It was a little tight but I liked it. I put on my black flats with the gold ear rings. Bru put on a white shirt with his black jeans and leather jacket. I looked at his neck and I felt like something was missing. I ran over to my dresser drawer and pulled out a black box. It was my fathers chain her wore. He mailed it to me 2 days after he left. I had a feeling that I was going to give it to him today. I grabbed my purse put the chain in my pocket, grabbed my sweater just in case it got cold, hopped on his bike and was on our way.

We go to the place and it was jumping. We went through the back and thats when we seen Phil, maria and 4 other guys.

“Bru, this is Phred, he's the key master.”

They shook hands and said there hellos

“ fellas this is My girl Alicia, baby this is Eric, my bro on the drums, Kenji on the guitar and Jamareo on the Bass and this is Phred a newest member.”

“you name is really eric?”

“yeah just call me E”

I said hi to the guys and there was a guy that said they was going on in 5. Maria came over and held my hand. She was so excited to see them perform and that made me remember when we first seen them perform.

They went on stage and performed a song called Run Away. Man that song was so crazy good. They had the whole house rocking. They we're so great. Energy was so big that it made you excited, made you want to dance.

“do you see my baby!?!?” maria said

“yes I see our babies” I said with a smile

They slowed it down and played a song I couldn't recall because girls was screaming but it was about love making for the first time. It made me think of us and how he makes me feel. I started to get a little hot and bothered. Man I couldn't wait to get home.

There was a roar when they were finished. When Phil came back, Maria jumped on him and he carried Maria out the back door.

“Well we all know where they're going” E said

“you guys did a good job, i'll give my boss a good word.” some guy said

The guy left and the guys looked at each other all excited about what that guys said. Everyone left but Bru stayed.

“lets stay here and enjoy the party” he said

He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the crowd of the party.

We got to the dance floor and began to dance. I started to laugh. He certainty wasn't a dancer but he danced just for fun. He grabbed my hands and danced with me. He spun me around and around. He started to sing along with the song while he was dancing with me.

After all the fast songs a band came out and played a slow song, talking about the moon. We slowed danced for a minute then He took my hand.

“come on, I wanna show you something”

He pulled me outside. It rained a little so he put his jacket on the seat. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and we drove off

We were driving for a long time but we finally stopped. He got of the bike and took my hand. I looked around and we were in a field of something and there was a barn. We got to the barn door and he opened it. He put on some type of light and then covered my eyes with his hands. I could tell he took me back outside because of the wind blowing in my ears. We were walking an then we stopped.

“open your eyes”

I opened them and.......oh my goodness. I started to cry. I was standing in a field of purple Orchids. When I looked over there was a blanket with a platter and two plates. I turned to him and gave him a hug.

We walked over to the blanket and when he lifted up the platter and I just smiled. It was a hoagie cut in half and two cokes. We both sat down and ate in silence. I was thinking and you could tell he was thinking too. He was done before I was and kept fidgeting with fingers. Nervous I guess. I was just as nervous about what I was about to do. So I took a breath and went with it.

“ I feel like this is the right moment” I said

I dig in my pocket and pull out daddy's chain

“this was my dads, he mailed it to me as a gift from him to me for my birthday and I want you to have it., my father left us when on my 18th birthday. He........ cheated on my mom and she found out. I....i dont. Know how she found out but she did. Ever since then, I haven't been able to fall in love. I always had one night stands but never love, until I met you Bruno. When you leave me, I get headaches because I hurt when your not with me, I was like this when my dad left me so this is how I know your special”

He bent down and I put the chain around his neck. He grabbed my hand and kissed it. I waited for him to get up but he didn't. He fumbled around for something and then I felt something slip on my finger. My ring finger. I put my hand to my mouth. Speechless. I ….i didn't know what to say. His hands were shaking. He looked at me.

“I know, that it hasn't been long and I know I’ve made you cry a lot and I know that i'm not a perfect guy but I try, I wanna be the best cat here for you. I wanna hold you every night knowing that when I wake up, you'll be there. I wanna make love to you morning, noon and night. I just want to show you more than one way that I love you, tell you more than one way that I love you, express more than one way that I love you. Alicia you have shown me that forgiveness is real after all that I did, you forgave me and took me back and this is how I know putting my grandmothers ring on you is the right thing. I’ve done somethings in my past i'm not proud of but...i'm proud of this”

He stood up and held both of my hands and kissed me. As tears fell from my eyes he kissed each and every one of them.

“i hope those are tears of joy” he said

“yes” I kissed him and we made love right there under the stars.

See love doesn't have a time limit. You could fall in love in 5 seconds with a person or 5 years,Love topples all and clears away your fears, Love is an emotion that you more than feel, your hearts beats for it because you know it's real, love is a song, and when my father left I thought it was gone, but it came back like never before, love found me but added a little more, love game me a special someone, this love is real because in my heart, mind, & soul, I know for me Bruno is the one.