(ELLAH)
"You and that dress is something else."Emily and I were in the bathroom of the reception getting ready. Emily lifted up the strap of my dress and made sure my breasts look revealing under the v-neck cut out. I was so nervous to step out and see everybody on the dance floor parading around like wild animals. I could already hear the questions my family will harass me with.The only time we'll see each other is if there's family events. The typical family agenda.
The party is so alive, you can literally hear the crowd shouting for joy. I have a pretty big family so it wouldn't surprise me if someone had a disagreement and a physical altercation broke out. Most of my family members come from my fathers side, the rest is Drew's aunts and uncles and a few cousins from Europe who later moved to the U.S during his high school years.
It's Lonnie and Angie's wedding anniversary and to be honest this is my first time actually feeling proud of them. A lot of people doubted Lonnie and Angie's relationship because of the whole step-mother and step-father alteration. A lot of people thought they would last a year and divorce, but that wasn't even an option for Lonnie and Angie. They've been strong since two-thousand-three. They've been keeping the knot tied for twelve years and raising two beautiful children, Drew and I of course.
As much as I hated the whole step thing, having the warmth and comfort of family made me feel complete. I always had my dad to myself so I wasn't used to letting someone one else get his attention. Our father and daughter moments slowly died when Angie came in the picture. I didn't hate her for that, I just couldn't stand why my dad would just forget the real woman who gave birth to me.
I had to learn to accept a new lover in my fathers life. Sure, it did hurt me when my father replaced my own mother with someone else, but nothing made me happier when the wedding day came and the biggest smile stretched across his face like the Golden State Bridge. He told me he cried when my mother left, but I never saw so much tears on a wedding day. That day I knew my dad wasn't letting her go. I hoped so.
My dad really loves Angie and I don't want to get in the way of that and jeopardize their love for each other. Their whole marriage changed our lives forever. My father and I were no longer sitting on his grandfathers post-war couch. We weren't playing camp anymore in the backyard. We weren't buying pizza and all that unhealthy junk anymore. It was time to grow up and be mature. I hated the package of moving in another home. I felt like I was forced into Drew's family. I was taken away from my own childhood, but at the time I couldn't do nothing about it because my youthful words weren't enough to prove how angry I was. A child must stay in its place.
Like any other kid, I just went with the flow. But as you get older you realize maybe somethings are meant to happen. Maybe Drew is meant to be in my life. Everything about him and his family is meant to bring us together I guess.
Or maybe restore what was broken in my dads life, our life.
I'm looking at myself in the mirror now, going back in time and thinking about how far I've come; how far I've gotten here and the way things turned out great for me over the past couple of years.
"Don't just stand there," Emily quickly brushed some mascara on her lashes, one stroke at a time, carefully, not trying to ruin her eye shadow. "Let's get out there and shake some fat ass." She looked at me up and down through the reflection of the mirror and winked.
"Right behind you sister." I replied. She walked out, head first in front of me leading the way to the dance floor.
"Oh there's Drew!" She said with excitement.
Then there was this sudden urge of flutter in my stomach. My whole vibe changed. I didn't feel the same. My body went from flight response to almost catching a panic attack. My body was beginning to react impulsively right before I can grab a drink and dance my life away. I was starting to think twice about the party. I was this close to changing my mind to go home.
The way Emily said Drew's name made me shiver. It's like his presence put a spell over me from a distance without standing next to him. He was like a spirit that followed me. A shadow. Emily chatted with him for a while then separated herself. I remained quite for a second standing next to him. He looked so good that I could lick him. Ever since he came back, he smiles more and is very active. He gained a lot of muscle and his jawline looks so sharp than it ever did. His tall frame shook with mirth. I couldn't believe for a second that the man standing in front of me was my step-brother. His hair color appeared more dark brown and trimmed. Prior, he had untamed curly locks blocking his hairline where his sideburns end.
He looked like Napoleon Dynamite with a tremendous makeover that looked like it took hours with way cuter full lips any girl would kill to kiss.
He smiled at me, looking at me with joy in his eyes. I could tell he was happy to be here and spend some time with family. He didn't have to say it, it was all in his body language. He complimented me here and there. A little conceited I am.
He slithered his hands down my forearm pulling me onto the dance floor where everybody else is having the time of their lives. We received a couple catcalls from the crowd but ignored them.
"You have an obsession for dancing with me don't you?" I said aloud in a low tone making it impossible for him to hear me over the loud noise. He looked at with with a confused expression on his face. I repeated myself one last time.
"Yeah I actually do." He poked my nose with his index finger and laughed at me joyfully. I couldn't laugh. All I did was smile. He was shining like a God. I couldn't believe he looks so handsome.He should dress very professional more often.
"Shut the fuck up." He'd spin me around frequently. I didn't mind getting dizzy at first, but now it's getting annoying.
"Drew slow down I might fall and break a heel." I said to him in my seductive voice. I don't know why I did that.
"I'll try not to ruin you're perfect shoes Ms. Belle." He pulled me in roughly, holding me tighter than ever before. The way he held me is different. This dance isn't the same like all the others. It was much more relaxed and intense. Has he been practicing like I told him to?
I inhaled his manly cologne off the tip of his shoulder and closed my eyes. I never felt to warm in my life. I felt like sleeping on him and never coming off. He made me feel protected. I was his beauty and he was my big beast.
He pulled back within' minutes of moving slow during a slow song. I picked my head off of his shoulder and stared at him blankly in the eye. All I could see was his mouth move, but I did not hear a thing.
"What?" I asked.
"I have something to tell you." He pulled us away from the crowd. We stood outside the main hallway where the exit doors led the way to the outside world. It was a little chilly, but I can feel the warmth of April creep it's way through the open doors. He stopped moving. He stopped looking at me in the eye and looked down at the checker board pattern marbled floor.
"Speak." I ordered him.
"Ellah, Ellah, Ellah," He kept saying my name with a smile on his face. What's going on?
Then I remembered what Deion told me about Drew's father. Is he now coming clean about that? Did he even go on a so called business trip? I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to hear what he had to say first. If we were on the same page of course.
"Ellah I've been feeling strange about something."
OK?. . .
"How strange?" Oh he's finally going to tell me what really happened on this 'business trip'.
"Very strange!" He rubbed the back of his neck giving off a sad expression on his cute little face. His face has so much classicism. So much Hollywood Glamour to his handsome appearance that I can see the invisible spotlight shining over him as a band of angles hold up a golden halo over his head.
So precious it killed me. I wanted to bow down, pray, and idolize him.
"I don't see where this is going." My eyes followed the folding pattern rising from the surface of his slacks. He pulled me further, closer to the emergency exit fading in the dark in a distance at the end of the hallways a couple doors down from the restrooms. I was starting to panic. His behavior affected my mood quickly.
"See I ---" he choked on his words. He took my hands and opened them. He tickled his fingers on my palm, grabbing them with force interlocking our hands together.This is getting. . . weird! "Remember when, you know, we were young and stuff happened?"
"Umm. . ?" I'm so clueless.
"Alright see, I've been having these feelings for quite sometime now. Well actually a very long time." My eyes lifted from his slacks, automatically meeting with the the window to his soul, his eyes.
"Okay." I mumbled under my breath.
"Fuck it, I'll just come out and say it." He stepped closer to me now, looking down on me like I was some kind of prey. A lion crawling in the night waiting to catch it's target unnoticed. God that look is killing me softly.
"Drew ---" he cuts me off with words I never in my life imagined him saying. Those words hushed me. I was completely silent. He leaned in for a kiss but I immediately declined his request.
"Yeah that's right. I'm in love with you." Yikes!
So who's going to volunteer to punch me in the face with a rock as hard as they can?