"I want to give you all the love you deserve."
___
Hadley Carter has struggled with her sexuality ever since childhood. She keeps her feelings hidden out of fear of judgement and not being accepted by oth...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The faint gleam of a streetlight casts an orange glow upon the door before me. I hesitate once I've climbed the front porch steps, wondering if this is a bad idea. I realize that I'm already here, so there's not much of a point in turning around. Plus, it was a long walk.
Inhaling a deep breath, I form a fist and rap my knuckles against the wooden door. I hear the sound echo, accompanied by a muffled voice and approaching footsteps. The door soon opens to reveal no other than the person I was hoping for.
My heart falls to the pit of my stomach as I take in her confused expression. This definitely wasn't a good idea. I should have sent a text or called before just showing up like this. Yet I didn't know where else to go, and I really wanted to see her face.
"Hadley?" Devon questions with an inquisitive stare. Her gaze shifts past me, seemingly wondering how I made it to her place with no vehicle. "What are you doing here? Did you walk?"
"Uh . . . yeah," I admit. "I'm sorry, I just—"
"Are you okay?" Devon cuts me off. She opens the front door a little wider as she adds, "Don't you know it's not safe to be walking alone at night?"
"I needed to see you." My lip trembles as I croak, "I needed you."
Devon's features soften as worry shines brightly in her dark irises. "Come on in."
I step past the threshold of her home, entering the foyer to be greeted by warmth and the scent of vanilla. Devon closes the door behind me, joining my side. Just her presence is calming to me, allowing my nerves to slowly fade.
"Who was it, Dev?"
I don't recognize the voice that asks the question. Before Devon has the chance to answer, the owner of the voice enters the foyer. I raise my eyebrows as I realize the woman who has just walked in is Devon's mother, and this is the first time I'm meeting her. When I have shown up to her house, uninvited, late on a school night. What a great first impression.
"Um . . . Mom, this is Hadley," Devon introduces the two of us. "Hadley, this is my mom."
Devon's mother's expression lights up. Her dark eyes beam, closely resembling Devon's. "Hi, Hadley!" Ms. Parker greets, flashing me a warm smile. It's clear that Devon inherited her looks from her mother, as the two could be twins. Ms. Parker has the same dark hair, brown eyes, and olive complexion as her daughter. The only striking differences are their heights and the air of wisdom that seems to hover around Ms. Parker. "It's so nice to finally meet you!" she continues. "I've heard quite a bit about you from Devon."
"Mom," Devon groans as her cheeks tinge pink.
I can't resist smiling to myself. My cheeks flush as I realize Devon has talked to her mother about me.
"Hi," I manage to choke out. "It's really nice to meet you, Ms. Parker."
"Please," Devon's mother says, "call me Robyn. Now, don't mind me! You girls go have fun. I was just heading out."
