Destiny (6 page)

“So
let me get this straight. You’re going off to college, and I have no other
realistic option other than to leave my school and go live with two people in
their late sixties. I have nowhere else to go, Catherine.”

“I
know how you must feel. Believe me. I don’t feel good about any of this. Our
parents are about to be imprisoned, and my little brother’s life is going to be
turned upside down. I haven’t even had time to consider how all of this is
going to affect me. This is chaotic, and I don’t know what to tell you other
than to say this. I promise that I’ll find a job as soon as I get back to
Miami. After I build up some money, I’ll get an apartment for us. You can move
back here with me then.”

“How
long will that take?”

“I
don’t know. A few months probably.”

I
sighed and looked down. Everything was changing for me. That wasn’t the worst
part, though. I was sixteen years old, and I should have been able to deal with
all of this better, but I couldn’t. Suddenly, I felt like a little boy again
who only wanted his mom and dad.

Finally,
I nodded my head in approval of my sister’s plan and hugged her. She was doing
her best. There was no need to put more stress on her. After she left, I lay
back and thought about my options. I loved my grandparents, but there was no
way I was spending the next two years with a couple of people I barely knew. We
only saw them twice a year, and I felt like I would be living with little more
than strangers. I had to think of another option. As I lay there, only one
thought popped into my head. I wished that I could talk to Olivia right then.
Her father had walked out on her. She knew what it was like to lose a parent.
Even if my parents weren’t walking out on me, I was still losing them. Somehow,
I just thought she could relate. Suddenly, I had an epiphany. Maybe there
was
another option other than living
with my grandparents. I had only met my aunt and uncle once, but we had kept in
touch. They seemed to love me. Would they take me in? I could be close to
Olivia then, and I had really enjoyed my time there. I should have been
focusing on my parents and sister in that moment and not trying to run away, but
I had to find something positive to hang onto. The thought of being reunited
with the girl of my dreams was an amazing one. It was a reason to keep living.
I grabbed my cellphone and called my uncle.

“Hey,
what are you doing up this early?” he asked.

“It’s
about Mom and Dad. I don’t know how to explain this, but I think you should
know what’s going on,” I said and told him everything.

At
first, he was in shock. Uncle Gary had always known that his brother loved
money and the things that came with a lavish lifestyle, but he never had the
slightest clue of just how far he would go to have the life he had always
dreamed of. After talking about everything for a few minutes, I finally decided
to ask him what I really wanted to know.

“I
know this might be a lot to ask, and you can say no. From what I’m hearing,
things probably won’t go well for Mom and Dad, and they’re going to get some
significant time. If that’s true, I’m going to be looking for somewhere to stay
over the next two years. I have the option of staying with my grandparents a
few hours from here, but they’re approaching seventy. I don’t think they really
want any more kids around the house, and honestly, I barely know them. I
thought that maybe if you didn’t mind I could . . . you see . . . I . . .”

“Eric, you’re always welcome here. You’re
my brother’s son, and that makes you important enough to take in. If things go
badly, we’ll come get you. Just say the word,” Uncle Gary said.

In truth, I think he probably had some
reservations about taking me in. After all, we had only met once. It said
something about the man he was that he did the right thing that morning. I had
another option. It wasn’t an option I ever wanted, or at least not that way,
but it was there nonetheless. Everything was changing, and I didn’t know what
to do with that change, but I held on to a small glimmer of hope that morning.
On the worst day of my life, I dreamed of being reunited with the one person
who might make all of this better. If only it had been that easy. Even if I
wanted her to be, Olivia wasn’t going to be the answer to all of my problems.
If nothing else, she was my hope when I should have had none. Back then, that
was enough.

Chapter 6

Reunited

Two
Months Later

After two long months of living with my
grandparents and receiving occasional phone calls from my parents, I finally
decided to jump ship. It was obvious that the situation with my parents wasn’t
going to get better, and Catherine was already settled into college, so she
didn’t need me. I had effectively ended any relationship I had with Chastity
simply by moving four hours away, too. There was no reason for me to stay. I
told my parents and sister where they could reach me and called my uncle. He
got me a flight going to Green Bay. For the first time in weeks, I was actually
excited about something. When he and Aunt Kristin picked me up at the gate, I
was grinning from ear to ear. I was in an entirely new situation where anything
was possible. Most importantly, I was about to be across the road from Olivia
again. Things were looking up.

After
I thanked them for taking me in, they led me out to the car, and we drove back
to their house. When I got out, I looked across the street to see something
that made everything feel like a waste of time. Olivia was still living across
the street, but the boy attached to her lips looked like he could serve as a
problem for my romantic reunion. She was giving some guy a goodbye kiss. What
was I supposed to do, though? It wasn’t like she was doing anything wrong. I
had dated while I was away. Shouldn’t she?

“Hey,
let’s get your bags inside,” Uncle Gary said, effectively breaking me from my
trance-like state.

He
had noticed the disappointment in my eyes as I watched another guy kissing the
only girl I had ever loved. In a way, he wanted to say something reassuring to
me. I had been through so much, after all. It would have been the proper thing
to say that Olivia was going to choose me over whoever that buffoon was. That
would probably be a lie, though, and I think he wanted to prepare me for what
was going to be a very complicated situation. As we grabbed the bags, he
quietly explained.

“I
know you and Olivia had something together when you were here before, but I
might pursue someone else for the time being,” he said.

“Why
do you say that?”

“That
guy she was kissing . . . his name is Richard
Burning
.
Do you have any idea who that is?”

“Nope.
Should I?”

“Probably.
He’s the number six recruit in the country in football. He can go to any
college he wants, and with his size and athletic ability, he’s a lock to be a
superstar defensive end at the pro level one day. Look, I always want you to
know your value, and you’re worth a lot, but guys like us don’t stand a chance
against someone like him. He’s got the kind of future that we can only dream
of. I’m talking about millions. Even if Olivia did want to choose you over him,
I don’t think her friends and family would allow it. He equals a future for
her, so if I were you, I would wait around for a while.”

“Why
would I wait? If he’s her future, then shouldn’t I try to mess that up now?”

“No,
that’s only going to complicate things. Give him some time to screw things up all
on his own. Then swoop in.”

“Won’t
I just be her second choice then? I’m not
anyone’s
second pick. I want her to be with me, not settle for me.”

“You
would
be her second choice, but I’m
going to teach you something today. Being second isn’t always so bad. It just
means that the woman you ended up with picked the wrong person first and found
someone so much better later on. Trust me. I’m so glad that I ended up with
your Aunt Kristen. There were girls who seemed more promising, but I was a
fool. I had to learn that before I could really appreciate her. Let things run
their course with Olivia and Richard. She’ll figure out that he’s just a jock
who doesn’t have much in his head other than football. Then she’ll find a guy
who really has something to offer. Just make sure you’re ready to be that man
when the time comes.”

I
nodded as if I completely agreed with what he was saying, but honestly, I had
no intention of sitting around and watching as she locked lips with some dumb
jock. I was going to get the girl, even if I had to step on some toes to do it.
For then, I simply carried my things inside and got unpacked, however. I
visited with my aunt and uncle for a while, but as it started to get dark, I
decided to glance outside. Olivia was sitting on the front porch. I had
decided. I was going to go talk to her just like old times. Even if my uncle
thought that Olivia and I weren’t going to pick up where things left off, I was
about to prove him wrong. I grabbed her necklace and walked out the door. She
looked surprised to see me. As I walked across the street, she stood and met me
in the yard with the biggest hug I had ever received.

“I
can’t believe you actually kept your promise,” she said happily.

“Of
course I did. I had to give you this back,” I said and handed her the necklace.

“Thank
you. Honestly, I didn’t think this day would ever come. How long are you in
town for?”

“I’m
here permanently. It’s a long story, but I would love to tell you about it
sometime.”

“I’ve
got time now. I mean, I’ve got school tomorrow, but we can hang out for a
couple of hours. What do you say we get into the car and head out to our old
spot?”

“That
sounds great. At least we won’t have to walk anymore.”

“Hey,
walking and talking with you was the best part. Let me get my keys. I can’t
believe you’re actually back,” she said and stepped inside.

This
was going amazing so far. She was happy to see me, and there was no indication
that things weren’t going to be the same as they used to be. When she returned,
we got into her car and drove outside of town. As night fell, we got out and
lay on the hood of the car. We stared up at the stars, and I told her all about
my mother and father’s arrest.

“Wow.
I acted like you needed to stop whining about your rich kid problems before,
but I don’t think I would want your problems now,” Olivia joked.

“Hey,
I’m not rich anymore. I’m just like anybody else. So tell me what’s been going
on with you since I’ve been gone.”

“Oh,
not much. You know, just the same old things.”

“Oh,
really? What about that football player I saw you locking lips with? What was his
name? Burning Dick?”

“Richard
Burning, but that’s very funny. Wait a minute. You weren’t
jealous
, were you? I mean, surely you haven’t been waiting on me in
Miami. You’ve had girlfriends.”

“Yeah,
I dated this one girl the whole time I was there. Her name was Chastity.”

“So
tell me about her, and I’ll tell you about Richard, or Burning Dick as you call
him.”

“Let’s
see . . . do you want the basic version or the tell-all story?”

“Well,
of course I want the tell-all version.”

I
told her everything. I started with how perfect Chastity was and then told her
how incredibly boring all that perfection grew to be. I even told her about
Chastity’s pledge to God that had left me celibate. I normally wouldn’t have
talked about something like that with anyone, but I just felt like I could with
Olivia. Plus, we always found a way to make things like that into a big joke.

“So
let me get this straight. You’re a virgin,” Olivia said with amusement.

“Hey,
I didn’t say that. I just said that
she
wouldn’t have sex with me. That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Unless
you’ve completely changed since I knew you, you did
not
cheat on that girl.”

“Okay,
you’re right. I’m a virgin. Is that such a bad thing, though?”

“No,
I just didn’t expect it. Who holds out after being in a relationship for that
long anyway?”

“That’s
what I said to her! It’s weird, right?”

“Definitely.”

“Thank
you!”

“I
do kind of envy her, though.”

“Why
do you say that?”

“Do
you promise not to judge me if I tell you about me and Richard?”

“I
would never judge you. What is it?”

“Let’s
just say that Richard is a very physical being. I don’t have the problem that you
had with Chastity. Sometimes I wouldn’t mind having it, though.”

“Okay,
first of all,
eww
! I really don’t want to think about
you with anyone, much less
that
guy.
Secondly, what do you mean? I can’t believe I’m asking this, but why would
being closer to him be such a bad thing?”

“Let’s
just say that a girl wants to know she’s loved for more than that. Guys like
him don’t say I love you, and they don’t seem to believe in grand romantic
gestures. Sometimes I think he’s just using me. Then again, I’m only with him
because girls like me are supposed to be with guys like him.”

“What
does
that
mean?”

“It
means that my friends love him because he plays football, and my mom wants me
to be with him because he’s probably going to be rich one day. In a way, I’m just
using him to make them happy. Just between you and me, he’s okay, but I don’t
think I actually love him. I want to, and I really want to enjoy our
closeness
as you put it, but I just
don’t love him. Plus, our
closeness
only last for about two minutes, so I barely have time to get used to the idea
of what we’re doing before it’s over.”

At
that moment, I burst into laughter. Sure, I was
creeped
out by the thought of her with another guy, but it wasn’t like I actually
expected her to be the perfect innocent girl after a year and a half. At least
she didn’t love the guy, and she was the same girl I had known before. She was
beautiful and kind, but at the same time, sarcastic and funny.

“If
you tell anyone I said that, there will be hell to pay,” she said while
pointing at me and smiling.

“Your
secret is safe with me. Why stay with him, though? It doesn’t sound like you
want to.”

“A
lot of other people want me to. They think he’s my ticket out of here, and
honestly, I wouldn’t mind a ticket out. I still haven’t decided if I could ever
love the guy, so I guess I’m just holding on to whatever it is that we have
until I can make up my mind. That probably makes me sound like a terrible
person.”

“Not
at all. I think you would be better off with someone who’s a little shorter and
more into stargazing than football, though.”

“Oh,
really? Do you have anyone in mind for me?” she asked with a grin.

“I
do. He’s really handsome, and he’s new in town. He’s had a hard few months, but
when he looks at you, he’s completely at peace with everything about his
reality because it led him back to this town.”

“Tell
me more about this mystery man.”

“He
believes that you deserve the greatest romantic gestures, and he wants to take
you on dates that you’ll never forget. I hear he’s a great lover, too. You
don’t ever have to worry about things being over after two minutes.”

“So
he can make it to three minutes then?”

“It’s
four, thank you.”

“Oh,
excuse me. I heard differently about him.”

“What
did you hear?”

“I
heard he was attractive but that he thought he was better looking than he was.
I also heard a rumor that he’s not nearly as smooth as he thinks. As a matter
of fact, I heard that he goes around bragging about his four minute time, but
he’s actually a virgin.”

“He
could totally prove it to you tonight if you didn’t believe him,” I joked.

“All
right, that’s enough of that. I think it’s time for us to go home. My dream guy
is turning out to be just like every other man around here,” Olivia said and
smiled.

“No,
what he really wants is just to look up at the stars with the first girl he
ever loved . . . the only girl he ever loved.”

“Eric,
I can’t be with you right now, but I think you deserve to know something.
What you had with Chastity . . . that’s what every girl wants.
Don’t ever change. See women for who they are and not what they can give you.
If you do that, you’re not going to have a problem getting any girl you want.”

“Just
not the only girl I actually care about, huh?”

“Why
couldn’t you have shown up six months ago when I was unattached? Things would
have been so much simpler.”

“I
wish I had. I can do complicated, though,” I said and grabbed her hand.

She didn’t pull away, so I decided to
take it further. I rolled over and wrapped one arm around her. Then I moved in
for a kiss. Olivia didn’t fight it. When our lips met, I felt a familiar spark
that had been missing since the last time I was with her. I couldn’t explain
it, but just one kiss from her sent shockwaves through my body. She immediately
transitioned our soft kiss into the most passionate one I had ever been a part
of. As we were finishing, she pulled back and bit my lip ever so slightly. Then
she simply lay back and stared at me with a look of complete wanting. She had
been waiting a year and a half for this moment just like me. Why couldn’t
things have been simpler? She wanted nothing more than to embrace me once again
and let the night take us wherever it wanted, but it felt wrong. We weren’t
supposed to be reunited this way. She wasn’t supposed to be cheating on her
boyfriend with me. I was supposed to come back and take her away from her
boring life. I would be the person she was meant for.
That
was her fantasy.