Dedication to @AshleeMay for the amazing new cover! <3
Recap from chapter twenty-five: David promises to help Lyn in order to retrieve her stolen image from Taylor, but he has one condition. Now, after meeting up with David after school, she has no clue where they're going or what reason David has for his actions.
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I Spun the Bottle: Chapter Twenty-Six Pt. One
Song for this chapter: "Best I Ever Had" by Gavin Degraw
To it bluntly, the car was dreadfully quiet. All that filled my ears was the sound of cool air blowing through the small AC vents. For the last three minutes or so, I seemed to be able to keep myself occupied by twiddling my thumbs and counting all the trees we were zooming past.
David and I hadn't spoken since we entered the car. Occasionally, I could feel his gaze overlook my features, and I tried earnestly to pretend I didn't notice. I was still hurt because of his actions earlier in the day, so I was fixated on giving him the silent treatment.
Childish? Definitely. Did I care? Not really.
I was doing this one condition to get that one picture from Taylor. That being said, I was still very curious as to where we were going and why David insisted on making me go with him. For some reason, being in the car with David today made me feel uneasy...well more uneasy than normal. Suddenly, dark, ominous thoughts clouded my mind.
What if he's going to kill me? Maybe he's taking me to a far away town where no one will ever be able to find me. Then he'll murder me and chop me up into itty bitty pieces! And then he'll....he'll freeze dry my tiny pieces and add them as garnishes to his meals!
The demented thoughts continued, and I could feel my heart rate accelerating from the overwhelming sense of panic. And then the sound of David clearing his throat yanked me out from the bleak thoughts.
"You alright?" David asked, causing me to look away from the window, up to him. I realized he was sending me a rather strange look.
I could feel my body stiffen, slightly from humility but mainly from paranoia. "Uhm, yeah," I paused to clear my throat, since I sounded odd. "I'm fine. Why?"
He shrugged, turning his eyes back onto the road. "You just seemed like you were in another world for a minute. You stiffened and turned really pale."
"Oh," I managed to say. It was then that I realized I was being delusional. Although David was a jerk and...a tease, I knew that he wasn't a heartless murderer. "Sorry, I was— uh...just thinking about this project that I have to do...I uh...stress a lot when I have to do projects. Because I feel like I'm rushed when I-I do projects. And I think I might be slightly OCD about having everything turn out...well. Y-you know?"
I closed my eyes after my rant and prayed for my mouth to stop moving. My horrid lying skills were seriously at an all time low. I didn't want David to know that I was just thinking that he's some psychopathic killer.
In response to my lame lies, David chuckled, while shaking his head slightly in the process. "Sometimes, I just don't get you, you know that?"
I puffed my cheeks slightly, from the sound of his teasing voice. "Well the same goes for you."
"Really now? What don't you get about me?" His voice appeared genuinely intrigued.
"I...uhm," my voice wavered as I tried to compose myself. I shouldn't have said what I did because now I didn't know how to reply to him. I mean, yes, I really didn't get David. One moment he's rude, obnoxious and a jerk, but then, sometimes he's unbelievably nice and caring. It was like he was bi-polar. Or worse— like he was a girl going through some severe pre-monthly issues. Sucking up my pride and ignoring the growing thickness in my throat, I decided to ask him. "Why're you nice to me one moment...and then so jerkish the next?"
I eyed him cautiously, looking for any signs of emotion. I examined his face thoroughly as he processed my question. If David was feeling anything, he was hiding it quite well from the outside's view. I folded my arms underneath my chest and tried to appear not as anxious as I truly was.
After a couple minutes of silence, I started to think he wasn't going to answer, but then he slowly opened his mouth.
"We're here," he announced in a leveled voice, almost as if we weren't just having a conversation.
My eyebrows knitted together for a split second, trying to figure out why he didn't answer me. But then, realizing that we finally arrived at David's destination, I let my disappointment slip to the back of my mind, and focused my attention on our surroundings.
The first thing that captured my eyes was the large, cottage house we were driving slowly towards. The enormity of the three storied house amazed me. Its walls were made from dark, cobblestones, which matched with the cobble stoned driveway that we started driving onto.
As we drew closer, the shadow of the large house, intimidated me, while still somehow giving off the vibe of cozy and welcoming. Dark green, ivory vines tightly hugged the walls, leading to the dark, shingled roof.
Pulling my gawking face away from the large mansion-like house, I noticed that in the background was an extensive lake. The dark blue, sparkling water expanded in width for at least a couple of miles, and the only thing on the other side that I could see was a cluster of towering trees.
"Wow," I breathed, breathlessly. The view was gorgeous to say the least.
"It's nice, huh?" David said, as he slowed the car and eventually cut the engine. "This is my parents' lake house. I haven't been here in years, but this place holds so many of my childhood memories."
I examined David, noticing that he wore a nostalgic expression. As I unbuckled my seatbelt, I queried, "So what exactly are we doing here?"
"It's my Dad's birthday...probably his last one," David explained, turning his eyes towards me. After noticing my curious expression, he continued. "He's been fighting Leukemia for the past five years, but lately it's gotten worse. We've taken him to numerous doctors, even bringing in some from out of the country, but they've all pretty much said the same thing to us." He suddenly looked very distant, almost as if he floated to his own world. "They say that it's just a matter of time at this point."
I didn't know how to respond. I wasn't used to hearing sad stories, especially from David. Since I've started talking to him, I realized that he's never really talked much about his family life. But something...so distressing was happening in his life, right now.
If he didn't tell me...I wouldn't have ever guessed it.
"I'm sorry, David," I replied, sending him a meaningful look. Those were the only words that came to mind.
He subtly shook his head. "It's not your fault, Lyn, so don't apologize. He's staying strong for us, and I'm just trying to be the same for him." He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it seemed more like a tormented one. It was the first time I really saw an expression like that on him.
David removed his hands from the steering wheel and balled them up into fists, letting them rest onto his lap. He was so good at hiding his emotions usually. Seeing him like this made my heart ache and my stomach churn uncomfortably.
I was so used to seeing him like a jerk that I had forgotten that he may have issues of his own too.
Something came over me...honestly, I don't know what, but without thinking it, I reached my hand over and took his right, tightly clenched fist into my palms. My face burned as I understood what I was doing, but at the same time, I knew that he needed to be comforted.
Lowering my head, I said in a barely audible voice, "You're doing a good job, David. But you know, sometimes, it's good to let your emotions go. You should let people see how you truly feel sometimes. It's not only healthy for you...but for them too."
The car stayed quiet again, for a few minutes, and I didn't know what to do. I shouldn't have opened my mouth. Saying those things was out of line. Just as I was about to retract my hand away from David's I suddenly felt his hand uncurl from its fist, and he gripped my hand lightly.
From that action, I slowly tilted my head up to look at him. Although David's expression was still pained, his lips held a smile. The smile was small, where only the corner of his lips moved in an upward position.
I could my heart pound for that smile. It was so genuine...so honest.
"Thank you, Lyn."
A thank you? From David? Wow.
Before I could fall further for this tender side of David, I withdrew my hand from his. "So, uh," I paused, sweeping a couple of stray strands of hairs behind my right ear. "Can we go in?"
"Yeah, let's go," he replied, sensing me change the subject.
I opened my door and exited the car. The cool, breeze felt welcoming against my still flushed face. And the scent of the woodsy surroundings somehow calmed my edginess. Shutting the door behind me, I noticed David coming from around his side of the car.
"Wait, I'm kind of confused," I stated, as a puzzling question came to mind.
"About what?"
"Why did you need me to come here? I mean, you made it seem like this was so important. But couldn't you have taken Taylor? Or just go by yourself?" I asked as we started climbing the stairs that led to the front door.
"I could have," David confessed. "But my parents don't really like Taylor. They think she's rude."
"Really? I didn't notice that." I scoffed, not even trying to disguise how I truly felt about her.
He ignored my comment and continued. "Well, my dad never liked her. So, I planned on going alone, but when you talked to me today, I decided I should just take you. I knew he'd approve of you, along with mom. So it was a win-win situation."
I frowned. "How is this a win for me?"
David rang the doorbell, as he leaned across the cobble stoned wall. "Well you get free food and you get to hang out with me."
My frowned deepened. David was definitely back to acting like himself. "Well, I'll take the free food," I grumbled lowly.
Within a couple of seconds, the door opened and a petite, older lady appeared behind it. Her hair was dark, like David's, but I noticed hers was beginning to gray at the roots. The longer I looked at her, the more similarities I could see between her and David. They had a similar face structure, although the lady's expression was bright and cheery, while David's was smug from the earlier comment.
"David!" She exclaimed, clearly happy to see him. She smiled and reached out for a hug. "I've missed you, hun. You're early too."
"Yeah, traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."
"Well you can help set up cause we're running behind a little bit."
"Sure thing, Mom," David said, hugging her back.
"Oh! Who's this?" She said, bringing her gaze to me. She smiled cheerfully.
"Hi, I'm Lyn," I told her, trying to match her grin. "It's uhm, nice to meet you."
"Lyn's such a pretty name. And it's nice to meet you too, dear! I'm David's mom, but you can call me Jenna." Before I could respond, Jenna moved forward and pulled me into a hug. Shocked from the sudden movement, I stood there motionlessly for a moment, but eventually I brought my arms up and returned the gesture. The smell of her light perfume seemed to be able to soothe and calm me.
As Jenna pulled away, I was puzzled to see how this lovely lady was related to David in any way. She seemed so loving and caring, and didn't even have a single rude bone in her body.
"Come in, come in," she beckoned, moving to the side.
I smiled as I entered the house, and David followed me closely. The interior of the lake house looked just as beautiful as the outside. The pale white walls were decorated with stunning paintings and pictures of people, who I assumed to be David and his relatives.
"Where's Dad?" David asked abruptly.
I noticed Jenna's face darken just the slightest, and her voice reached a sudden seriousness. "He's sleeping in our room right now. He's going to rest until the party starts. Do you want me to wake him up?"
"No, it's fine. I'll talk to him when he gets up. He needs to sleep anyway," he denied quickly.
David and Jenna started small talk, which mainly revolved around how David was doing and how school was. I only half-listened because I was too busy admiring the interior of the house.
The living room was spacious, filled with decorative and welcoming furniture. I let my eyes travel down the halls, trying to see what I could see from slightly ajar doors. Eventually, we reached the kitchen and I saw that an assortment of foods were in the process of being prepared.
When David said I'd be getting free food, I wasn't expecting this kind of magnitude. There were oversized bowls whichwere filled with potato salad, mac n' cheese, chicken wings, an assortment of bread and other salivating food items.
Along with the food, I noticed there were a few people loitered around the kitchen. Many of them were older women, helping to prepare the food, while a few men sat in the chairs, reading the newspaper or chatting to others around them. Once we were in their view, we quickly gained their attention.
"Oh my, is that David?" One of the short, grey-streaked haired ladies commented, pushing aside her large bowl of mashed potatoes. A thin, proud smile slid onto her face.
David grinned, taking a step towards her with open arms. "Hi Grams," he greeted, pulling her into a hug.
"Now, now," she chastised, while returning the gesture. "What have I told you about calling me Grams? It makes me sound like such an old lady."
That only made David's smile grow wider. "Sorry, Auntie."
I laughed quietly. For some reason, I always got a kick out of things when grandparents always told their grandkids to not call them grandma or grandpa.
"You've gotten so big! The last time I saw you was when you were graduating middle school. I remember you were this tall." She brought her right hand up to her chin. "Now look at you. You've gotten so tall and handsome."
David laughed, clearly amused by his grandma's nostalgic rant. Then, almost as if David's grandma just noticed another person was also in the room, her eyes transferred to me, and her face lit up even more.
"Oh my! Who's this? Your girlfriend? She's so pretty!" she announced loudly, causing all the people in the kitchen to turn their attention towards me. She just about shoved David aside and made her way towards me.
I flushed bright red as she pulled me into a hug. I realized David's family was filled with hug givers. "I—uhm. I'm not his—"
"Yeah, this is Lyn," David announced, suddenly draping his arm around my shoulder.
My eyes widened and I could feel my body stiffen. Why is he lying! Rigidly, I tilted my head upward and gawked at David, unsure of what I should do.
"What happened to Taylor?" Jenna suddenly interceded, seeming slightly surprised.
"I broke it off with her," he replied simply.
Those words...for some reason made me...happy. Although I knew it wasn't true, I could feel myself really believing him. The thought of David being free from her grasp made my stomach flutter.
"Finally!" Jenna grinned happily. "I did not like her. She was so rude and mean. I just couldn't stand her. I mean, she didn't even know how to treat anyone with respect. Lyn, you've only been here for less than ten minutes and I know you're already so much better. I'm so glad David found someone like you."
David shot me a I-told-you-so look. "I know Mom. You've told me that about a hundred times."
I didn't know how to respond. I was most definitely not dating David, but if I told them that, I was sure I wouldn't be able to handle a disappointed frown from Jenna. I mean, she was already in the process of losing her husband to Leukemia...I doubt she needed to know that her son is still dating someone like Taylor, not to mention lying about it too.
Deciding that I'd go along with this façade, I smiled shyly and attempted to not open my mouth. If I opened my mouth, I could only imagine what kind of nonsense would spill out.
David and I stayed in the kitchen for about ten minutes, before Jenna asked us to gather firewood for the bonfire they were planning for the night.
As we entered the thick, green forest, I gazed at the view before me. Thin strips of light penetrated through the dense forest tops, creating a serene scene. I found myself often gazing at the lights as they twinkled onto the moss ridden ground.
Once I decided David and I were far enough into the forest, I frowned at him.
"Why're you looking at me like that?" he queried, raising a brow.
"You lied. You told them I was your girlfriend!" I huffed, whipping my arms around in a dramatic motion.
He laughed lowly as he bent down to pick up a stick at his feet. "Well, duh. If I brought another girl aside from Taylor, they'd be suspicious, so I just thought this would be simpler."
"Oh." That was all I could manage.
"They seem to like you though. My mom was very happy."
"Yeah...I guess." I averted my eyes away from him, locating more sticks. "What're you going to do when they realize you're still dating Taylor?"
David shrugged in response. "They probably won't figure out for awhile. I'll just keep Taylor away from my parents. It shouldn't be too hard since they live kinda far."
"Oh yeah, I forgot you live by yourself in that apartment. Why don't you live with them?" I asked, debating whether or not to grab a few more oversized twigs, or if what I had was enough.
From my peripheral vision, I noticed David shifting uncomfortably. His movements suddenly seemed too thoughtful, almost like he wasn't expecting that question from me.
Realizing that the inquiry was probably too personal, I said, "Ah...you don't have to respond if it's too personal."
"We used to live near here actually, but sophomore year my parents moved to San Diego because of my mom's job transfer...but I didn't want to go. So for a few months I stayed with my Aunt until sophomore year ended. And then my mom bought me an apartment when this year started, so I've been living there since," he explained. David appeared to be purposefully avoiding some facts, but I didn't want to pry. "Technically my Aunt lives with me for legal reasons, but she usually stays at her own place."
"Don't you get lonely?" I blurted out curiously.
"Honestly, sometimes, but I dunno. I have a lot of friends and the freedom's pretty cool too."
I gazed at David, seeing that he seemed to compose himself, although he his mind seemed to be elsewhere. He was thinking about something, but I couldn't tell what exactly.
"We should drop these off and then get another load," David suddenly said, turning his eyes down to the load of sticks in our arms.
I nodded. "Okay."
We silently walked back to the house. As he walked in front of me, I caught myself staring at his back. I watched as the cool breeze mussed his dark, brunette hair. I noted that I learned a lot about David today.
He wasn't just a selfish jerk. I mean, he was a jerk, but there was more to that. Much more.
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Woohoo. An update. :)
Thank you to everyone that's been following this story, even with it's irregular updates! :)
Sweetdreams31 (: