Sudden Hope (5 page)

“Stop!”
I’m screaming, “Danny, stop!” I don’t think he can hear me. “Danny, please!” I urge. “Baby please, I love you!” He freezes in mid swing and swings his head towards me. I’m standing there looking at him with my hands clamped over my mouth. I just called him baby and said I love you, in front of everyone, yelled it even.

Jenny drops my arm, Lea is crying, and Danny, he
is just smiling. The sexiest smile I've ever seen from any man. I am standing there not able to move, lost to what just happened. Matt is lying on the ground bleeding everywhere. Everyone is staring at me and Danny is coming towards me. It is strange how everything can go from light speed to super slow motion in a blink of an eye. He looks at me and suddenly all of the adrenalin is gone from his eyes. He is calm, completely collected. You would have never known he was just beating the hell out of someone, except for the bruise that is starting to form on his jaw and the scrapes on his knuckles. He is standing two inches from me staring straight into my eyes. He says nothing, just stares. I can’t breathe. Everything else around me goes quiet, so incredibly quiet. I can only hear my heart beating. My palms begin to sweat, a hot wave of air brushes over me like I am in the middle of the Sahara. He reaches his hand to my cheek brushes it ever so gently. Then just like in a romance movie, he grabs me by the nape of my neck, leans in and presses his lips to mine.

I could never imagine kissing him would feel so right. It is like we are meant to be together. I part my lips inviting him in. He is so sweet and gentle. He wraps his arm around me rests his hand on my lower back. A bolt of electricity hits me and I shudder. The good kind of shudder,
this is like a dream. A dream I never thought would happen but always wanted.

Danny releases his lips from mine but doesn’t let me go. I am staring into those deep blue eyes watching them sparkle as if I am
looking into them for the first time. Time seems to standstill, we are the only people who matter, the only people in the universe, until Chris begins to speak.

“Are you kidding me? I thought you were my friend? Screw you both!”

I look away from Danny to see Chris standing there staring at us. He has tears in his eyes. I knew he liked me but I never thought I would break his heart like this. In the next moment he is storming off. He is mad, no, he is pissed.

“Chris, wait!” I yell, but he doesn’t turn around, with his back still to me, he thro
ws his hands in the air and flips me off.

This is not how tonight was supposed to be. We were supposed to go to the Hideout and have fun
. Danny and I would have a serious talk on the way home when we were alone, and try to figure this all out. I had it all planned out, now everything has fallen apart. I have to find a way to fix this and fast.

Chapter Six

I wake up groggy due to the lack of sleep from freaking out all night. I decided with everything that happened it would be best if Anthony drove Danny home. They needed to figure out what to do with Chris. Jenny drove Lea home. I didn't know where Chris went but someone said that he got a ride from one of the other hockey players. I went home alone, which was not good for my thoughts. Now it’s morning and everything seems so wrong. I need to do damage control and quick.

I call Jenny, “Hello?” She is still sleeping.

“Hey, I’m coming over!” It isn’t a question, it’s a demand.

“Alright
, I'll make coffee.” She knows I will need it.

“I'll be there in ten
, Chickie.” I hang up the phone and run out the door before anyone can notice I am leaving. Not like it matters. They probably don’t even know I came home.

I pull up to Jenny's incredibly oversized house. It is a beautiful three story colonial. The tan brick front is outlined by an earth yellow wrap-around front porch, it has the most extraordinary stonework and there
are three roof dormers to adorn the exterior. A white wicker swing and small wicker table are placed at the far end of the porch, giving it the welcome and warm feel.

W
ith the cast iron doorknocker, I knock. I like using that instead of the doorbell. The door swings open before I can let go of it, and I practically fall inside.

“Why was your phone off all night?” It is more a statement than a question, and boy does Jenny look pissed off.

“I couldn’t deal with the parade of questions that I knew were going to be thrown at me every second.” In exasperation, I throw my hands in the air.

“Twenty six missed phone calls, see what I mean?” I shove the phone at her. “LOOK!” I snap.

“Well what do you expect after last night? I have had Chris calling and demanding me to tell him if I knew about you and Danny. Lea freaking out because Matt's face looks like a train hit it. Danny calling wanting to know if I’ve heard from you. And really, CC, you could have told me if you and Danny were dating.” I blush at that last remark.

“Are you finished yet
, Jenny?”

“No I'm not done. I can’t believe you didn't tell me about Danny.”
I know Jenny and she always has to vent a little before we can really talk, but I think she is a little hurt right now.

I lower my voice to a whisper. “Are you done now,
Chickie?”

“Yes, but you’re not
, missy.” She points her perfectly manicured finger at my chest and pokes it twice.

“Let’s get some coffee and I’ll tell you everything
,” I say while heading for the kitchen.

“You better
,” she mumbles.

“I will.” I laugh.

I explain everything that happened at dinner at Bella Vita's, even the part of me spitting water like a six year old. She gets a good laugh at that one. Then I tell her about what happened at the Hideout with Matt. I thought she was going to cry.

“I’m so sorry
, CC. I should have gotten you out of there as soon as I knew he was there.”

“I should have left when I saw him or maybe not have gone at all. It's not your fault
, Chickie.” I nudge her shoulder and smile. Then I tell her about my infatuation with Danny. She gives me the biggest smile reaches all the way to her eyes.

“I knew it!”
she exclaims. “I’ve seen the way you look at him, the way your cheeks turn crimson every time he looks at you, but I'm a little insulted you didn’t tell me. We are best friends, right?”

“Oh my God, Jenny
, yes. How could you ask that?”

“I don’t know
, you’ve been distant lately. It seems like things are changing.” She is staring at her feet, clicking her heels in that Dorothy kind of way, as if she doesn’t really want to be having this conversation. I grab her hand and stretch it up to the sky.

“Jenny. We’re sisters through and through and we will be forever.” I hug her like I imagine a sister would, it is the exact same way I always hug her.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what am I going to do about the Chris-Danny situation, Chickie? Because this could be bad. I don’t want the group to have problems.”

“I know
,” she says. “Let me think. Go to work before you’re late and I'll think of something. Stay here tonight and we will discuss, alright?”

“Alright!”
I agree.

I work for Ms. Gina. She is a sweet old lady with horribly dyed red, almost orange hair. I think she came off the boat from Italy because she still speaks in that broken Italian accent. Her eyes tell a story of loss and heartache. She
knew my father and when he died she was like a grandmother to me. I clean her house every Saturday to earn extra money. She overpays me but there is absolutely no use arguing with an Italian woman holding a wooden spoon in her hand.

“Hi, Ms. Gina
,” I call as I walk in.

“Miss CC.” She said. “Come
mangi.” That is the first thing she always says to me or,
“You look too thin, come eat.”
Either way this woman is always trying to feed me.

“Ravioli
parmigiana, your favorite, CC, come.” She sits a plate down on the table and pats the chair.

“Always, Ms. Gina
, you’re too good to me.” I said as I grab the fork and tear a piece of still hot Italian bread. It is mouthwatering as usual. I finish eating and then got to work.

I go about my list of chores Ms. Gina has assigned for the day. Cleaning and organizing a closet is exactly what I do not want to be doing at the moment. My mind is in a completely different place and I think Ms. Gina knows it. She always seems to be able to read my emotions no matter how hard I try to hide them.

“What is the matter, Celeste?” She is looking at me from across the room.

“Nothing I can’t handle
, Ms. Gina. Don’t worry.”

“You know, Hun
, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. I’ll be here for you no matter what.” I know she will always be here no matter what it is I need, but this is not something I can talk to her about. She is so much like a Grandmother to me. I love her.

“I'll be fine
,” I say with a small grin. She doesn’t believe me but she doesn’t press it anymore.

It seems like the day just won’t end. All I can think about is what I am going to say to Chris. What might he say to me? Is he going to be mad or understanding? W
ill he even talk to me again? The thought brings tears to my eyes. I check my phone and there are six messages. Lea, Danny and Anthony have all called, but not Chris. He has never gone a day without calling me. Hopefully Jenny was able to speak to him.

I finish everything and hug Ms. Gina. She kisses me on both cheeks and hands me my pay.

I get to Jenny's around eight. She is dressed in her usual go out attire, tight jeans and an even tighter top.

“Shit Jen, where are we going?”

“OUT.” is her reply as she pulls me in the bedroom.

“But first things first
, let’s get you ready,” she squeals.

“Who’s going to be there, where are we going and why do you look so happy?” I am shooting questions like rapid fire
but she just smiles. She looks way too happy given what took place last night. I plop down on the bed.

“I am not getting ready or going anywhere until you tell me where we’re going, what we’re doing, and who is going to be there
,” I say as I cross my arms and start to get very aggravated.

“Oh, calm down
, CC.”

“No!” I shout. “I can’t calm down
. Do you remember what happened last night? Do you remember Chris storming away all pissed off, and Danny and me and THE KISS?” I throw my arms up in the air as I stand up and start pacing the room. Jenny starts laughing hard, tears are streaming down her face.

“Touchy aren’t we?” She smirks.

“Worried,” I retort.

“It will be okay, we’re just going to get Lea and go out, just the girls. After last night I think we need to take a break from the guys. I told Danny I would have you call him later and...” she trails off looking down.

“What?” I snap.

“Matt is in the hospital. Danny broke his jaw. Lea said he looks like a car hit him.” I want to be concerned, but I am really not.
Then it dawns on me! “What about Danny?”

“Oh, don’t worry
. Lea told me she explained everything to her parents about what happened and they are more pissed off at their son than with Danny. Her mom was so mad she wouldn’t even look at him. She didn’t raise him to treat women that way.” She shrugs her shoulders and smiles. “She said she would have hit him herself if his jaw wasn’t wired shut.” I can’t help but laugh.

“I talked to everyone today
, okay. Relax a little would ya?”

“I can’t. Do you realize what I've been thinking about all day? How much I have been stressing out. Danny has been calling all day. I’m so confused I really don’t know what to say to him. Oh, and by the way, how’s James?” I said with a smirk.

“We will talk about him later.” She is turning red. “So my dear, what do you want to do about Danny?” Her eyebrows are raised up in an exaggerated pull.

“I don't know
. I'm so scared about losing a friendship and Chris, what do we do about him? He probably hates Danny and me right about now. Have you heard from him?”

She simply shakes her head. “No, no one has.”

“Great!” I grab the pillow and fling my body back on the bed.

“He’s been in love with you for years
, CC. I don’t know what he’s going to do. Danny is his best friend and he probably feels betrayed right now.”

“Why do you think I've been freaking out all day?” I
ask as I stare at the ceiling. “I just destroyed a friendship, ruined our group and all I want to do is be happy. Why does everything have to be so difficult?”

“Do you love him?” She tilts her head at me.

“Yes,” I say with conviction. “I always have.”

“It’s not that difficult then, is it?” I love when Jenny is actually right.

Chapter Seven

Lea is waiting outside when we pull up. I jump out of the car and run to her
. On the way here I had it perfectly planned out in my head, what I would say when I saw her but the only thing that falls out of my mouth when I reach her is, “I'm so sorry.”