I couldn't stand being at that house any longer. I didn't understand, why were there so many people there. Why did everyone hate her and then suddenly care when she disappeared. The fucking bitch Brandi was there, she never cared about Allie, Taleah appeared about an hour ago to offer support and so did her little stupid pink posse. The whole football team came as well. I was grateful my team mates were offering my family support but seriously? It was all so fake. Did they just want to be apart of some state news? Or were they doing it out of their kindness?
Everyone was cooperating with the police, there were people crying, my mom especially. I guess she kind of deserved it, after all those time she treated Allie. Dad was strong but I knew he was hurting inside, afterall Allie and him had been close, she was his little girl. Untill everything turned around and Allie became so distant, until she was such a disappointment. Reece and Brad were on the net doing everything they can to get a clue about her whereabouts. And Jackson he was listening intently on the police's calls and information. Me? I grabbed my car keys and drove into the night, to the only place I know I would get any comfort.
I remembered this driveway all too clearly, one left turn here, go straight and another turn to the right and a few more ways down the road and there it is. There was one light on and I knew it was her room, her grandparents would already be asleep. It was late. I parked the car and turned the ignition off. I sat there for a while longer before taking a deep breath. My head leaned onto the steering wheel and I turned to look at the little house. The memories I've had in there, with her. All those times we laughed and just enjoyed each other's company. With all the guts I could muster I got out of the car and quietly shut my car door before walking down the little path to the front door. I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots a little and finally knocked on the wooden door.
I looked around the dainty neighborhood, there was no answer, and for a second I wanted to leave. I had already turned my back to the door when I heard a muffled voice from the other side asking who was there. I opened and closed my mouth, would she open it if she knew it was me? I guess I'd have to take my chances, I was about to reply when the lock turned and the door opened.
There she stood in all her beautiful glory, her dirty blonde hair falling in curls to her waist, her glasses perched on her button nose, her lips as full as I remembered them and her eyes, damn her fucking eyes. As blue as the bluest ocean in the world.
"Brody? Wh-what are you doing here?" Her voice came out. She was in a large Mickey mouse sweater, it reached down to the middle of her thighs, she was gorgeous but she was looking at me with an unsure frown.
"Shayze, I-"
"You don't get to call me that Br-" I cut her off before she could say anything else.
"Shaye, please, please just listen to me. I don't know what to do, I-" My voice broke. I couldn't say anything else, I felt like a little girl and small tears began to pour out of my eyes. I clasped my hand over my mouth to avoid making some horrible sobbing noise. And that was when I felt her arms around me, she was cooing at me, trying to make me stop my trembling. Her hand ran through my hair and started to comfort me.
"Shaye I just need you right now please- I-" She hushed me and gave me a peck on my forehead.
"I know, it's your sister isn't it?" She pulled back and looked at me in the eyes, I gave a little nod. "Don't worry Brod, everyone's looking for her. She'll be back before you know it, I bet it's those amazing cupcakes she makes that you're missing?" Shaye gave me a gentle smile and half-heartedly I gave another nod.
"I fucked up, I fucked up big time. I should've protected her, like you told me too. I'm such a piece of shit." I cried into her sweater as her hands continued their gentle caresses, weaving and entwining my hair.
"Brody, come inside. It's late alright?" Shaye took hold of my hand and gently interlaced her hands in mine tugging me into her little humble abode. Shaye brought me into her room, the vanilla smell I remembered all too clearly still lingered throughout the area. There were painting equipments on her bed and droplets of color everywhere. On the stand beside her bed was a large canvas with a grayscale painting of a wolf running, and soon the wind behind it evolved into rainbow colored dusts of blue-green tint.
"That's really good Shaye" I piped up, I was now sitting beside her on the bed. In an instant a red blush formed on her face and she shifted her head downwards so that her hair was covering her face. I leaned towards her and moved her hair away with my fingers barely gazing her delicate face. I couldn't take not being any closer to her so before I could even think of what I was doing I gripped her hair gently and leaned in before I gave her the most passionate kiss I ever had in a while. Shaye responded for a while and for a moment her hand snaked up and rested on my neck before as if she touched fire she pulled back and pushed herself to lean her back on the headboard.
"What do you think you're doing?" She gasped out.
"I-I, Shayze I've always wanted to be with you" I pleaded.
"I told you, you can't call me that"
"I didn't mean for it to happen, no, that came out wrong. I didn't mean to let you go. It wasn't supposed to end like that. It wasn't supposed to end at all... Shayze it's always been you for me." Shaye put her hands over her ears and shook her head 'no'.
"Stop, stop, stop. Stop playing games with me Brody, I don- I don't deserve this okay?"
"Shayze I know, I know you don't. I don't deserve a girl like you but I need you, this isn't a game. It never was, it never was a game with you" I moved over so that I was sitting cross legged on the bed in front of her. I took hold of her ankle and tried to pull her towards me but she didn't budge.
"Then why has it taken you this long to see me? Why do you always just come to see me when there's something going on in your life. I can't always be here for you okay? I'll have to move on one day, I can't be waiting for you all the time." Shaye refused to look at me.
"I know, I was stupid. I don't know what I was thinking, I-"
"Was it because I was some stupid girl, some naive girl who you could just fool? That you could just place a bet on? And then leave?" She nervously tucked a stray stand of shiny blonde hair behind her ear. "You can't just keep coming back, after that bet. I don't even know why I'm letting you in- I-I think you should leave-"
"Don't push me away, don't make the mistake I did- I keep coming back, I keep coming back because in the end of that bet I realized I need you-"
"No, you don't Brody. Brody I'm just dragging you down, you don't need me, you never did. You just needed me at one point in your life so that you could win the title of being the biggest player, you just needed me when you didn't have anyone else, and I can't have a guy who-" Her words poured out of her mouth and a pained look crossed her face.
"I love you-"
"What?" Her head snapped back to me, and her eyes widened.
"I said it, I love you. I fucking love you Shaye, okay?" I sounded desperate but I didn't care. This time I couldn't let Shaye push me away, I couldn't lose her again.
"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. Is this another one of your bets? Is this another bet? I can't, you need to go" Shaye scrambled off her bed and was prepared to walk to the door when I grabbed her and pushed her onto the bed as gently as I could. I straddled her before she could try to move away.
"I'm not playing, Shaye, believe me okay? I love you, I do, please? Trust me?" I kissed her all over, and she had started sobbing a little, trying to get me off of her. I held on tight to her hands so that she would stop pushing me and throwing little punches to my chest, I wasn't going to give up. Her glasses had fallen off in the midst of our struggle.
"Shayze? Please? Please, let me in again... Trust me, this time I won't hurt you. I wouldn't think of it. I need you with me, we'll stay home every weekend and we'll do whatever you want. I'll do whatever you want Shaye."
"I can't, I can't, I can't. The last time I did-"
"It's different now, after my sister ranaway it made me realize. Hang on tight to those you love, and keep them close. I want you Shaye, I want you and only you...Please?" By the last word, my last plea, my voice came out in a whisper, Shaye turned her head and didn't respond. I sighed before I began to pull away from her, I guess I've hurt her more than I realize. But just before I could move another inch Shaye had her hands in my hair and she tugged on my roots pulling me back to her, with tears in her eyes, she kissed me like her life depended on it.
I turned the both of us around so that my weight was off of her, and for the first time in a long time I felt like I was safe. That I had someone who cared and loved me enough to see past my mistakes, someone who was always there for me. We didn't do anything past kissing, we cuddled and kissed all night long. Shaye was resting on my shoulder and I had my hand around her, it was a comfortable silence, the sound of crickets outside and Shaye's little dim bedside lamp on.
"So when did you come to love me?" She piped up. Shaye rolled over so that she was on me, her frame resting on mine. She played with my hair and then wrapped her arms around my neck. I smiled, I felt so content and I didn't want this moment to end.
"It was when you came to our final football game of the year, you were wearing my jersey with your cute little ripped shorts stained with paint, your hair in pigtails and your beaten up sneakers. It was when I made the final touchdown, and at the end of the game you ran up to me and jumped onto me. You hugged me as if I was your teddy bear and right there you didn't care, you were so carefree and you gave me my winning kiss, it was the first time you've kissed me in public. You didn't care if Taleah saw, you didn't care that I was so dirty. That was when I knew I needed someone like you in my life. That's when I knew I needed you." Shaye gave me a peck on my lips and grinned, a smile that lit up her whole face, my hand rested on her waist.
"When did you?"
"When you sneaked up on me, in the art classroom" She giggled "And you ruined my canvas project, but I didn't care. Then you stayed with me, you stayed with me and skipped your football practice just to make sure I got my work done," I remembered that day, I had scared her so bad that she jumped out of her seat and knocked over her painting. "But I fell out of love, I never actually did. But I tried to hate you, when I figured about the bet. I hated you, but when I really really fell in love with you? It was just then, when you told me you needed me." Shaye nuzzled her face into my neck as if she was embarassed about what she had just revealed.
"So what about this painting? Can I ruin it too?" Shaye laughed out loud,
"NO!"
And just like that we continued our restless kissing throughout the end of the night, catching up on all those nights and days that we've missed together. I was just happy that I had my Shayze in my arms. Tomorrow, tomorrow we'll talk about Allie, but tonight, Tonight was just about me and my Shaye.
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Author's note:
Hi guys, thank you for the comments, votes and reads in the previous chapter! I really appreciate it. So, I know this chapter wasn't about Alabama but I just wanted to show you guys that while Allie had her problems the other characters in this story do too, but the main focus is Allie. Hope that made sense :) and Shaye will play quite a role in this story but not too big. Hope you enjoyed reading it! Love you all!