|
Coming Home
I sit here thinking maybe I made some sort of mistake. It’s Friday night and usually Tony would be sitting next to me with his arm around me watching a movie or we would be out to dinner. Now I sit here alone in the dark thirty-six hours after I lied to him and told him it’s over.
It was so unexpected when I found out I was pregnant eight weeks ago. Thinking back I know when our baby was conceived, but it didn’t dawn on me until the day the doctor gave me the news. For forty-eight hours I told no one, I didn’t know who to tell or what to say. I’m only twenty-one years old and still in college, Tony and I couldn’t deal with a baby. I know that I wanted this child though; I couldn’t do the unthinkable and abort it.
I was walking through the courtyard with Ali when it happened. The cramping was so severe that I fell to the ground. She took me to the hospital and that’s when she had found out I was pregnant. She held my hand when Dr. Jake Burton told me I had lost the baby.
I felt guilty for losing the baby I had kept secret, but Ali reminded me that things happen for a reason. Yet I kept it from everyone even the father and that is the one reason I began to drift away from Tony weeks ago.
A knock on the door of the two bedroom house pulled Paige away from the movie she was watching. She unwrapped herself from the blanket Charlotte had made, getting up off the couch, she walked to the front door through the darkness.
“Want some company,” Ali asked holding up a bag from the local market. “I thought you could use some company, I bought reinforcements – Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream.”
“When do you bother to knock, Ali, come on in,” Paige replied opening the door further to let her best friend inside.
“I see you’re getting over your break-up in a healthy style,” she said taking notice of the darkness and the movie on the television. “Sleepless in Seattle won’t cheer anyone up.”
“What do you have in mind,” Paige wondered grabbing the bag of ice cream from her friend.
“Glad you ask,” Ali stated watching Paige search inside the bag. Seconds later, Paige pulls out a movie that was also inside of the bag.
“Top Gun! Ali, Anthony Edwards dies in that movie, that’s depressing.”
Ali walked to the kitchen coming back with two spoons and a bag of M&M’s as Paige put the DVD in. Both girls sat down on the couch together wrapping the blanket around them waiting for the opening theme of Top Gun to begin.
“Hard to believe that Goose is the same guy who played Dr. Greene on ER,” Ali mentioned.
“What is hard to believe is how amazing Tom Cruise looked without a shirt?”
As the girls sat there watching the movie, the black mustang pulled up across the street. He had followed Ali to this address just like he had followed her the past thirty-two hours. He was beginning to find her quite interesting – becoming very fond of the tall blond who destroyed his life. Yes, she would definitely pay for what she did to him and he would enjoy every moment of it.
Ariel drove down the interstate towards the town she grew up in. It had been a months since she had been back to visit her family and friends. Now as she drove back to her hometown she remembered the fresh smell of Lake Michigan at night in Saunders Bay.
“So this is where you grew up,” Cooper said taking notice of the docks full of sailboats. “It’s like a miniature Chicago.”
“Exactly, without the museums, the art galleries, or anything to do with culture, this place is just like Chicago. Cooper, I left this place because they don’t care what is outside of the city limits. They don’t realize there is a whole world out there to see, these people care about money and power, and they will lie to get it.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice, Ari. You told me the stories of the Reed’s and Connelly’s. I’ve done my share of research on these people, remember?”
“I know and I thank you for that. Meg has helped me out a lot with finding about my mother, but you were there first,” Ariel mentioned as she turned onto North View Drive heading towards Juniper’s.
“I still believe you need to tell your sister about Benjamin Donnelly,” Cooper recommended. “He lied to her.”
“Charlotte made the right decision calling off the engagement,” Ariel stated pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant she grew up in. “Please, just drop it.”
The young couple got out of the white BMW convertible and headed for the entrance of Juniper’s. Ariel noticed the CLOSED sign in the window, but noticed the door wasn’t locked.
Cooper grabbed the door from Ariel opening it for his lady, as Ariel went inside. Cooper noticed several booths surrounding the far wall, and then the smaller tables on the inside of the floorplan, then he took notice of the long bar and the cash register next to the other wall. The restaurant was filled with bright colors from the table cloths on the tables to the pictures on the walls of the beaches and lighthouses on the lake.
“We’re closed,” yelled Charlotte who stood with her back against them at one of the tables.
“Even for your sister,” Ariel wondered walking towards her older sister.
“Ari,” Charlotte screamed turning around instantly giving her sister a hug. “What brings you home?”
“Mom,” Ari replied as her sister pulled away from her.
“Hi, I’m Charlotte, Ari’s older sister,” Charlotte introduced herself to Cooper changing the subject of their mother. “And you are?”
“Cooper Maxwell,” Cooper said shaking her hand. “I live with your sister.”
“Charlotte, she’s coming home,” Ari interrupted stepping in between her sister and her lover.
“This isn’t her home, it hasn’t been for over twenty years,” Charlotte pointed out. “Now if you only came here to warn us about her, then you can go back where you came from.”
“It’s not the only reason. I’ve missed you guys, how is my niece. How is Noelle doing in school,” Ariel questioned hoping to get on the good graces of her sister. “How’s Tyler?”
“Don’t you want to know how dad is doing? I know he’s tried to call you the past few days. You haven’t taken a single call from him in two weeks, Ari. Why is that? Are you more worried about the mother that left us than our father that stayed and raised all of us?”
“It’s not like that,” Ari pleaded. “Don’t you ever wonder why she left us? Why she hasn’t contacted us all these years? Of course I love our father, but she’s still our mother, Char.”
“She gave up that right when she left us,” Charlotte said. “Cooper, I’m sorry that you have to hear about our horrible family like this.”
“He knows about everything, even more than you do. See mother is heading back here with our sister,” Ariel mentioned hoping for some sort of reaction from Charlotte. “She has another daughter and she’s nineteen years old. Do you know what that means?”
“It doesn’t mean anything, Ari,” Charlotte answered. “Do you want something to eat or not? If not, I’ll show you to the guest room upstairs.”
“Char, her name is April, she was born eight months after mom left us,” Ari continued hoping to get through her sister. “Do you want me to go to dad about this or Paige for that matter?”
“Drop it, now, Ariel. Don’t you dare say anything to dad about this; and Paige has enough going on.”
“Charlotte, April’s dad is Charles Reed. He paid mom a lot of money to leave us. Don’t you get it, she didn’t want to leave, he made her leave us.”
“He didn’t make her stay away all these years. Ari, she never called, she didn’t call when grandma died, or when we almost lost the restaurant. She didn’t even make an appearance when her first grandchild was born – NOTHING.”
“Ladies, it’s late, and I’m pretty hungry and tired. So how about we pick this up another time,” Cooper recommended. “We should just get some rest.”
“You can help yourself to what’s in the kitchen, but just lock up,” Charlotte stated before heading towards the stairs near the back of the restaurant that led to the apartment upstairs.
Ariel watched her sister walk away defeated once again, Ariel pulled out the chair at one of the tables. She sat down putting her head down on the table. Suddenly the tears began to fall knowing that no one would understand her desire to find the truth. No matter what, Ariel knew that her mother loved her even though she was never there for her or his siblings.
“Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll get through this,” Cooper said putting his hands on her shoulders. He didn’t like to see her like this, he never did. He began to massage her shoulders hoping it would take some of the tension away.
“Everything will be fine once I talk to Paige and find our mother. I wonder if Meg has any new information,” Ariel wondered digging through her purse that was over her left shoulder looking for her cell phone.
“Baby, it’s late. How about you call Meg in the morning?”
“Fine,” she replied getting up from the chair walking towards the door. “I better get our bags.”
“No, just sit or grab something to eat. I’ll grab our bags, I just need you to relax a bit,” Cooper ordered grabbing her arm before she walked out.
Two hours later the young couple was in bed in the guest room just a few doors down from Charlotte. Cooper was fast asleep while Ariel laid there trying to remember the last time she had seen her mother. She couldn’t remember the moment which hurt even more than she thought it would. Ariel turned away from Cooper, curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep.
Later that night, Ali tossed and turned on the sofa at Paige’s house. She was cold and couldn’t find a comfortable position on the sofa. Ali sat up when she heard someone at the front door. It was three twenty Saturday morning and Luke hadn’t been home yet.
She pulled the blanket tighter around herself shyly as Luke strolled in like nothing was wrong. He could see someone was on the couch by the shadows of the streetlights outside, but he wasn’t sure who it was.
“Who’s there,” Luke asked throwing his jacket over the kitchen chair.
“It’s me, Ali,” Ali replied reaching over to turn the lamp on next to the couch.
He looked at the young woman with her tousled long blond hair and green eyes shining back at him. Time stood still for Ali those few seconds he looked at her, really looked at her, then she turned her attention elsewhere trying to hide what she was feeling.
“Movie night,” Luke asked noticing the empty movie case on the coffee table.
“Yeah,” Ali replied trying to avoid eye contact with him again. “I better try to get some sleep, Paige and I have to be at work by seven.”
“Well I’m really not that tired, I was thinking of watching Sports Center in here. You can join me if you like,” Luke said realizing that maybe spending some time with Ali wouldn’t be the worst idea he’s had.
“No thanks, I guess I’ll just head home then,” Ali stated taking the blanket off.
“Don’t do that, I don’t want to put you out, Ali. How about you take my room for the night? There is no sense you driving seven miles home when you need to be back over here in a couple of hours,” Luke explained. “My room isn’t that much of a disaster area right now and Ali just washed my sheets a few nights ago.”
Ali stood there in shock at Luke’s generosity. He was right; it didn’t make sense to drive all the way home when she had to be back in a couple of hours.
“Okay,” she mumbled standing up from the sofa. “If it’s really okay?”
“Yeah, it is,” he answered turning around to head down the hallway where the bedrooms were. Paige’s room was the first bedroom on the left, and then it was Luke’s bedroom with the bathroom separating the two bedrooms. “Come on.”
Ali stepped into his bedroom seconds later realizing she was in unguarded territory. She had never really been in a guy’s bedroom especially Luke’s. As Luke went over to his dresser, Ali took in her surroundings with the posters of scantily clad women and Luke’s favorite sports teams covering the walls. She walked over to the full-size unmade bed with the dark blue comforter and pillows to match and sat down at the edge of the bed.
“Here, take this,” Luke said handing Ali one of his t-shirts. “You’ll be much more comfortable in it than what you’re wearing. I mean, I don’t mean to say you’re not comfortable, it’s just I’ve slept in my clothes before and it’s not. You know what I mean.”
Ali couldn’t help to giggle at Luke’s ramblings. He didn’t get nervous around women that much she knew.
“I understand,” Ali said as she took the t-shirt from him. For a second their hands touched and Ali didn’t want to move her hand away. She knew what she was feeling and what could happen if he tried to kiss her. She had waited so long for Luke to notice her, to see her as a woman, now here they were alone in his bedroom.
“I better let you get some sleep,” he commented seconds later pulling away. The air in the room began to get real thick between the two of them and Luke’s body was starting to feel the effects of being this close to Ali. He had to get out of his room before he embarrassed her and himself.
Seven minutes and thirty-two seconds later Ali was curled up in Luke’s bed. She pulled his comforter closer to her body and inhaled his scent. The feeling of being this close to Luke sent shivers up her spine and made her feel hot in every sense of the word. For a few seconds she imagined what would happen if Luke came back into the room. She would welcome him immediately into her arms into his bed, inside of her soul. Ali shook the thoughts out of her head knowing that he wouldn’t be coming back tonight.
In the living room as Luke tried to concentrate on the scores that were flashing on the television screen, all he could do was think of the woman in his bed. He closed his eyes for a second realizing that she would likely be wearing his t-shirt and nothing else in his bed right now. Those thoughts made his body react even harder to her. He would do anything to go back in his bedroom and show her what it felt like to be with him. He knew about her past, how she claimed to be a virgin and that made him even more excited. He shook his head and opened his eyes realizing that this was wrong. He couldn’t be having these feelings for the girl he had met when he was eight years old.
“No, this is wrong,” he told himself before turning his attention back to the television.
At Juniper’s, the restaurant was having its normal Saturday morning rush, when Luke walked into the restaurant with his two friends and teammates.
“So how was the party after I left,” Luke asked his friend, Josh Green. Josh was 6’1 with blue eyes and wavy light brown hair and the star quarterback of the football team. Josh had girls throwing themselves at him, but he only had his sights set on a certain pretty lady – Paige.
“Good,” Josh answered looking around the crowd for Paige. “Why did you leave so early? You know I hate those parties without back-up.”
“What happened to Jeremy,” Luke asked looking at his other buddy, the wide receiver on the football team and the only guy that wasn’t born and raised in Saunders Bay out of the group of friends. “He was supposed to be your wingman.”
“I was busy with a little redhead,” Jeremy Trigger announced as the three men walked over to an empty table.
Paige walked out of the kitchen with a tray of two plates for table two when she noticed her brother and his two friends at table six. Ali was in the back of the restaurant at table twenty-three when Luke and his friends walked in. When they sat down at the table she sighed since it was her table for the morning. She didn’t have the nerve yet to confront Luke after what had happened between them hours earlier.
“Paige, can you switch with me,” Ali asked when she got back up to the counter where Paige stood.
“Don’t be scared of Luke, he doesn’t bite,” Paige replied. “But no worries, I need to talk to him anyway about last night.”
“Don’t worry about it, Paige. It’s no big deal,” Ali said as she watched Paige make her way to her brother’s table. “Never mind, I’ll do it.”
“Too late,” Paige snarled as she reached the table. “Hi, guys.”
“Isn’t this Ali’s usual table,” Luke wondered handing his sister the menu since he had it mesmerized from the age of ten.
“Yeah, I asked her to switch. I need to ask you about last night,” Paige stated.
“What? What about last night,” Luke stammered as he began to shift in his chair.
“Did you see anything when you got home this morning? Someone slashed Ali’s tires on her car,” Paige explained turning around to look at her best friend. “I’m hoping you saw something.”
“What,” Luke wondered watching Ali take a tray of food to a table near his.
“Ali is what my sister said true,” Luke asked grabbing Ali’s arm as she walked by the table.
“Yeah,” she sighed looking Luke right in the eyes trying not to fall apart. “When I came outside this morning to come here, all four of the tires were slashed.”
“Why didn’t you wake me,” Luke asked her taking her hand in his.
“You got in so late and I figured you wanted your sleep,” Ali answered as if they were the only two people around.
Paige stood there watching what was happening between her brother and best friend feeling like she was eavesdropping on a private conversation. Something had happened between them and she didn’t know what or when it had occurred.
“If I wanted to sleep I wouldn’t have had you sleep in my bed,” Luke pointed out before realizing what he had said.
“It’s not what you think,” Ali stated to Paige. “He was sleeping on the couch, Paige, you saw this morning.”
“I’m not saying anything,” Paige laughed at what had transpired.
“Can I get a refill, please,” someone yelled from the counter.
“I have to get back to work,” Ali told Luke before their hands fell to their sides and she went back to work. It was a busy morning in the restaurant and Ali needed this job.
“So you didn’t see anything,” Paige asked again putting her hands on her hips.
“No, I didn’t. I came home a little after three and didn’t see anything strange outside. I noticed her car, but didn’t pay much attention to it. Whoever did it must have done it after I got home,” Luke explained.
“Someone is supposed to come by this morning and take our statements, so you might want to stick around for that,” Paige said. “Now what do you want to eat.”
Twenty minutes later the three men had finished their breakfast and then they started to help clear some tables. Both Josh and Luke worked at the restaurant when they weren’t busy with school and football, Josh more so than Luke these days. Ali tried her best to stay clear of Luke at the moment since she was still a little uneasy around him.
As Luke cleared the last table, the other two guys sat at the counter with a couple of sodas. There were only a couple of customers left after an hour of the guys arriving. Luke cleared up the last table when a couple walked in that made Luke take notice.
“Hi, I’m Detective Spencer,” the tall dark-haired muscular man said to Paige who was standing behind the cash register. “I’m here to talk to an Ali James.”
“I’ll go get a table,” the blond blue-eyed woman that came in with the detective said.
“I’m Ali,” Ali announced coming up behind Paige.
“Wait, you’re Professor Spencer’s husband,” Paige stated turning around to watch the lady sit down at the table near Luke.
“Wow,” Ali mumbled.
“Yes, I am. The two of you must be in one of her classes,” the detective asked.
“I did last year, but this year Luke does,” Ali replied as she turned around to see the professor talking to Luke. Ali immediately noticed how close Luke and the professor were as she put her hand on his arm. Luke looked up at Ali and pulled his arm away instantly.
After the detective questioned Ali and Paige for a few minutes, he then got Luke’s statement about what he seen last night. Ali went to the backroom storage room to get some supplies as Paige served the detective and his wife about ten minutes later. Ali sat down in the storage room on the ladder putting her head in her hands.
She was there a couple of minutes trying to cope with what had happened to her in the past few hours when she felt someone put their hand on her shoulder. Looking up at the bluish-green eyes of Luke’s, Ali wiped her tears away and stood up.
“Are you okay,” Luke asked standing just inches from Ali.
“Fine,” Ali replied turning around to go out of the storage room.
“Something is bothering you.”
“Someone slashed my tires, Luke, wouldn’t you be upset,” Ali stammered turning to look back at him with her eyes full of anger.
“Yes, I would, but that’s not what is bothering you,” Luke pointed out. “I can tell when you’re upset about something and the tires, isn’t it.”
“You’re the student, aren’t you,” Ali asked looking up at him hoping that she wasn’t right.
“What do you mean?”
“I know about the affair with Professor Spencer. I overheard her on the phone the other day talking to one of her students. She said she was going to be home alone Friday night and for that student to meet her,” Ali explained. “You’re the student, am I right?”
“Ali,” Luke said suddenly not being able to look her in the eye. “Of course, I’m not. Her husband is a cop, what am I crazy?”
“I can tell when you’re lying you can’t look me in the eye. You do the same thing to your sisters. It’s none of my business anyway,” Ali stated before taking a few steps towards the door.
“It’s not what it looks like, I mean, yes, it’s true, but she’s not happy with him. He’s never there for her, so yes, it’s true I was with her last night.”
“I don’t have the right to judge you. I mean she’s your professor at school that alone is bad enough, but she’s also married. Marriage is supposed to be a sacred pact to each other, to remain faithful to one another. I can’t tell you what to do, you don’t answer to me.”
Ali grabbed the box she needed and walked out of the storage room leaving Luke standing there. Suddenly he felt like crap because Ali was right in so many ways. He left the party early last night to spend a few hours having sex with his married professor and then went home to invite Ali into his bed.
A few minutes later he walked out of the storage room knowing what he had to do. As he walked down the hall towards the restaurant he saw a sight for sore eyes.
“Ari,” he shouted seeing his older sister standing at the counter talking to Paige and Ali.
“Little brother,” Ariel said walking over to Luke giving him a hug.
As Luke hugged his sister, his eyes darted to Ali for a second then to the empty table where the Rick and Rory Spencer were sitting earlier then back to Ali. Ali turned her head away and walked towards the kitchen where Jack needed her help.
“When did you get into town,” Luke asked pulling away from his older sister.
“Last night, we stayed here last night, you missed us by ten minutes this morning,” Ariel announced.
“Why didn’t you tell me she was in town,” Luke asked Paige who was standing next to Cooper at the counter.
“You didn’t ask,” Paige answered before leaving the group and walking over to one of the occupied tables.
“Hey, Cooper, nice to meet you in person finally,” Luke told Cooper shaking the guy who he had only talked to on the phone a few times.
“You, too. I hear you have a game tonight,” Cooper said.
“We sure do,” Jeremy chirped in as he took a bite of his pie.
“We need to be getting to practice soon,” Josh said looking at his watch.
“True. I hope to see you at the game tonight, Coop, and bring my sister along if you can,” Luke stated putting his arm around Ariel. “I’ll see you later.”
A couple of minutes later all three football players left the restaurant as Ali walked out of the kitchen. She stood there watching Luke leave, shaking her head she wondered if he would do the right thing.
“What happened in the storage room,” Paige wondered coming up to Ali. “I saw you go in there and my brother follow a couple of minutes later. Ali, you look like you lost your best friend when you came out of there. Did my brother say something to you?”
“No, it’s nothing, I’m fine. I’m going to get going home to get some sleep. Heidi called and said she couldn’t come in tonight and I told her I would cover her shift. Your dad told me to go home and get some sleep. I’ll be back around five,” Ali said pulling her apron off and putting it in the bin next to the door leading to the kitchen.
“I thought we were going to the game together,” Paige asked.
“I’m not up for it like I thought I would be,” Ali replied walking towards the door. “I’ll call you later.”
Something did happen between my brother and Ali. Ali’s face usually lights up when Luke is around even though he never seems to notice. Since they walked out of the storage room, her face looked broken instead. I know Ali too well, nothing gets her down like this even when we found her car this morning she wasn’t so down. This look on her was different and she had never missed one of Luke’s games. My dad and Charlotte always made sure we had the time off to go cheer on my brother. Now she was volunteering to cover the shifts. I want to find out what Luke did to her to cause such a dramatic change in my best friend.
The young blond fell upon the bed frustrated that she couldn’t go outside. She was in a new place with tons of hot guys walking around. All she wanted to do was go for a walk down on the docks, but her mother told her not yet.
“It’s not like I’m going to run off or anything,” the young girl shouted to her mother. “We’ve been here for two days and I still don’t know why we’re here.”
“I told you before this is something I have to do. You will like it here once we get settled, I promise,” the woman with long blond hair and hazel eyes stated as she finished putting on her make-up.
“What about my father? Are you going to tell me who he is or am I going to have to guess,” April, the nineteen year old asked her mother. “I mean if I really wanted to I could leave you here and go out and find him.”
“Yes, you could, but you won’t. I know you April, I know no matter what you always come back to me. You run away and hours later you’re back telling me that you made a mistake. Kid, I taught you everything you know.”
“Yes, mother, but you’re not as young as you used to be. Men don’t want a forty-six year old woman with a daughter, no, the men want the hot looking daughter,” April announced standing up from the bed in her skin tight blue jeans and white tank top.
“The men around here aren’t like that, April,” she replied remembering the first time she met Jack Parker. He was so sweet and innocent; he was a true gentleman unlike many of the men since then.
“Mother, all men are like that.”
“Please, just behave for a few days.”
“Why are we going to this football game tonight?”
“Because someone will be there that I want you to meet,” Penelope replied hoping that she would be able to see her son play.
Five hours later the football game was in full swing with the score twenty-one to seven and Saunders Bay University was winning. Luke stood on the sidelines while the defensive line was in play. He turned around to find his family and noticed in the first row was his dad, Cooper, Ariel and Paige along with his baby sister, Noelle sitting there cheering on their favorite player, but he didn’t see Ali. Every game Ali was right there with Paige, it was a tradition for the two girls to come to his games and he knew it. A few rows behind his family was Rick and Rory Spencer, Rory smiled at him and he quickly turned his head away and his attention back to the game.
“I’m going to go get a drink,” Ariel stated to her family as she began to make her way down the row. “Anyone want anything?”
“I’ll come with you,” Cooper said following his girlfriend.
As the two made it down to the concession stands, Ariel linked her arm around Cooper’s.
“I’m glad we come here,” Cooper stated kissing his girl on the cheek.
“You mean the football game,” Ariel questioned.
“No, well, yes, I mean here in general.”
“I’m glad you came with me. It was about time you met my family,” Ariel replied putting her arms around Cooper’s neck and giving him a kiss then putting her head on his shoulder. Out of the corner of her left eye she saw a familiar face and quickly pulled away from Cooper to catch up with the woman.
“Ari, wait up,” Cooper shouted running after his girlfriend.
Finally Ariel stopped catching up with the woman, she grabbed her arm and suddenly Ariel was looking into her mother’s eyes. Cooper stopped a few feet away watching the reunion before him. He had seen pictures of Ariel’s mother from twenty years ago, but nothing compared to the real thing.
“Mom,” Ariel cried wrapping her arms around the mother who left her when she was a toddler.
“Ariel, oh my sweet, Ariel,” Penelope squealed hugging her daughter, the only girl that looked more like her father than anyone else. Penelope put her hand on her daughter’s head patting it like she used to years ago. Penelope couldn’t believe it.
“What’s going on here,” April wondered coming upon the two women hugging. “Mom, who is this?”
“Hi, I’m your sister, Ariel,” Ariel introduced herself grabbing April into a hug. “I can’t believe the two of you are here.”
Penelope stood there in shock at her daughters.
“How do you know about April,” Penelope asked as April pulled away from the petite brunette.
“What do you mean sister,” April questioned. “Mother?”
“I have some explaining to do, don’t I,” Penelope stated as she began to walk towards the empty about twenty feet away.
“You don’t know,” Ariel asked April. “There are four of us, well, five now, actually six, but you’re not related by blood to Noelle.”
“Noelle,” Penelope repeated sitting down.
“Oh, that’s dad’s daughter with Morgan,” Ari stated. “She’s here with dad and Paige.”
“My baby is here,” Penelope whispered wiping the tears away with the napkin in her hand. “I mean it’s something else to see Luke playing college football and running into you, but to see Paige.”
“She looks a lot like Grandma Parker, but she has your blond hair,” Ari commented.
“You have another family,” April said to her mother. “I thought I was your only kid.”
“How about we go somewhere and talk about all of this,” Penelope suggested realizing that this wasn’t the time or place to be discussing her mistakes.
“I’ll go tell dad that I’m leaving,” Ari told her mother.
“Ariel, please, don’t tell your father I’m here. I don’t want him to find out like this, I’ll come see him in a couple of days after I get some things figured out,” Penelope explained to her daughter.
Ariel shook her head in agreement then walked away from Penelope and April. Penelope knew she had a lot of explaining to do to both of her daughters, but it sounded like Ariel already knew more than April.
“So this is why we came to Saunders Bay,” April said looking down on the ground. “So you could reunite with your other family.”
“No, baby, it’s not like that. I mean it is in a way, but Jack and I have been divorced for years. Before you ask, he’s not your father, that’s the reason I left this town like I did.”
“How old was she when you left? I mean she can’t be much older than me, how old was she? And why didn’t you leave me with them. What made me so special,” April wondered.
“All in due time, sweetheart, I will tell you everything soon, I promise.”
Five minutes later Ariel returned leaving Cooper to finish watching the game with her dad and sisters. Ariel needed this time alone with her mother and the sister she just met. Ariel promised to meet Cooper back at Juniper’s later that night after she was done talking with her mother and April.
Ali was exhausted as she walked out of Juniper’s hours later. She knew working another shift today wasn’t the brightest idea since she didn’t get much sleep the night before, but she didn’t feel like going to the football game. She always liked watching Luke play football and if she had enough time in her schedule she would have enjoyed joining the cheerleader squad so she could be even closer to him. Now things were different and she couldn’t understand why, she knew about his past with other women, everyone did for that matter, the longest relationship he ever had lasted mere six weeks. Yet, she couldn’t help being in love with him.
Ali walked down the sidewalk towards the parking lot where her mother’s car that she had borrowed for the day was parked. As she walked towards the car she thought she heard footsteps behind her. It was late and many people were out celebrating the football teams win earlier in the day. She heard the footsteps get closer to her and she started to job towards the car that was just a few more feet away. When she reached the car she went to open the door when she suddenly felt someone grab her jacket and rip it off. She turned around to see Tony Sanchez standing there with his eyes full of rage.
“You’re going to pay for ruining my life,” he said as he pushed her down on the ground.
She kicked him in the groin before he had time to do the unthinkable. He fell to the ground instantly, but he couldn’t let her get away. Ali tried to get up and run away but Tony grabbed her foot twisting it. The pain shot up through her entire body as she fell in agony knowing full well that he had broken her foot. When she tried to scream he would slap her across the face.
“Now you are going to know exactly how it feels to lose everything and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it,” Tony told her as he ripped her t-shirt off of her body. She kept squealing underneath his body that was fifty pounds heavier than she was. He grabbed her hair and threw her head back against the pavement. She was out cold from the blow to her head as blood began to spool from her hairline.
He began to undo her blue jeans ready to take full advantage of the situation. For months he wanted a piece of her and now he would get it even if she was unconscious. His right hand cupped her left breast that was covered by the now bloody white lace bra.
A half a mile down the street Luke drove his father’s truck towards Juniper’s hoping to catch Ali before she went home. After the game he didn’t feel like celebrating with the rest of his teammates or friends, all he wanted to do was see Ali and explain his situation. He wanted to apologize to her, talk to her, and just see her. He drove up to the restaurant noticing the place was dark and began to drive towards the parking lot. As he pulled into the parking lot, he noticed the car near the back of the parking lot. He stopped immediately when the headlights from the car shined right on the figures on the ground. Luke honked the horn and one of the figures looked up into the light. Luke screamed when he realized who the man was on top of the other figure.
Tony jumped up seconds later and ran away leaving the beaten body of Ali James lying on the ground. He wanted revenge on Ali, but he wasn’t dumb enough to get caught.
Luke got out of the car running over to the lifeless body on the ground. He fell to his knees when he recognized Ali’s beaten and partially naked body. He took off his jacket to cover her then checked her pulse. She had a pulse he breathed as a sigh of relief. He picked her up in his arms and carried her back to his truck. He didn’t have time to call the police. He had to save her. He had too.
“You’re going to make it,” he told her as he drove as fast as he could towards the hospital. “You need to make it, Ali, please, for me.”
Luke couldn’t help himself from shedding a tear. All of these years she was right in front of him and it took one encounter for him to see that. He needed to tell her what she meant to him. Luke needed Ali to survive this ordeal.
End of Episode Two
Previous - Next
| |