Chapter Nineteen: "A Family Affiar."
Akira:
The rest of the night, I couldn't take my eyes off Chresanto. I would stand beside him, a glass of wine in my hand. His arm stayed wrapped around my waist, while he spoke to people. Sometimes I would listen to what they were speaking about, but I was trapped in my own thoughts.
Chresanto and I are together now? Like....for real? It took a while to sink in. I stood there silently, having Chresanto look at me with concern.
"Are you alright?" He whispered into my ear. I nodded, smiling slightly.
"Do you want to head home? It's already a quarter past 12, plus we have to get ready for the family reunion." As that thought entered his mind he suddenly became irritated.
"I didn't even think about the reunion. We have to pack and also get up early." He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tightly. I couldn't help but chuckle, which seemed to snap him out of his moment. He grinned at me, a questioning look in his eyes.
"May I ask what is so funny?" He inquired, only making me chuckle a bit more.
"You stress out so easily." I observed, patting his shoulder, "It's alright. Let's just head home now and pack when we get there?" I stepped out of his grip and set the glass of wine down on a table near by. As I was doing so I met eyes with someone.
"Oh, hey Justin." I chimed smiling slightly. He gives me such bad vibes, but it is the dudes birthday. I'm not gonna be rude to him on his birthday. I glanced behind me to see Chresanto speaking to a business partner. I looked back at Justin and he grinned. He picked up the glass I just set down, half full, pouring it into his own cup.
"If I heard correctly," Justin began staring down at the wine in his cup, "You're leaving?" He kept his eyes down on the wine, shaking the glass around a bit. I nodded, though he couldn't see me at this moment.
"Yes," I answered, "We have somewhere to be tomorrow so we can't be out too late." Justin looked up at me and bobbed his head slowly, clearly thinking deeply.
"Well, thank you for coming Akira. Tell Chresanto I said thank you."
"No problem, thank you for having us." I waved awkwardly and walked back towards Chresanto.
*~*~*~*
"So you guys are a thing now?!" Kyle almost screamed as he threw his suitcase into the truck of Chresanto's car. I looked down at the ground, my cheeks heating up.
"Finally! I was getting really tired of the games you two were planning." He commented, shutting the truck of the car. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. He looked over at Chresanto, a serious look taking over his young features. He looked almost a few years older. He took slow steps towards Chresanto who was just as confused as I was.
Kyle set a hand on Chresanto shoulder, looking up at him with a small grin.
"Now listen to me here," Kyle started bringing his voice down many octaves, "You take care of her, ya'hear?" I bit down on my lip to keep in the laughter that was going to leave my lips at any moment. As Chresanto glared at Kyle, who showed an unwavering smile. I rolled my eyes, moving away from the scene and around the car to the passenger's seat. I opened the door and slid in, closing the door behind me softly. It wasn't long before I heard two more doors opening and closing.
Chresanto has been trying to hide his fear when it comes to facing his family, but he hasn't been doing the best. I noticed the small things, like how he would tap the steering wheel repeatedly as he waited for everyone to get buckled. He bit his lip a lot , along with zoning out at breakfast. Of course he's gonna be nervous, what else is expected. We had quite a way to go. His family lived in the southern area of New York.
The car ride was pretty quiet most of the time, having the radio play some of my favorite songs. I'd hum along, causing some remark from Kyle.
"Akira, you can't even hum on pitch." He retorted, hiding his laughter. I turned around to face him, staring at him with piercing eyes. He flinched back, putting his hands up. I giggled as I turned back to the front, glancing over at Chresanto who was clearing his throat.
"Akira is actually a really good singer," Chresanto began, "I heard her singing in the kitchen." He glanced at me for a second and then turned his attention back to the road.
"I'll believe it when I hear it!" Kyle called out, punching his hand in the air. That was till it hit the ceiling of the car, making a thud noise. Kyle quickly retracts his hand, hissing intensely.
"That's what you get!" I shot back, turning my body as much as I could to wave my finger in his face. Kyle scrunches his face up, mocking me. I laughed, turning forward to the road again. We were driving on the highway, cars speeding past us. It seemed like we were going a bit slower than we should.
"Are you alright?" I questioned, looking over at Chresanto. He nodded, his grip on the steering wheel tightens, once again. I sighed, not sure what to say. I feel a bit, awkward around Chresanto. Ever since what happened yesterday, I felt so boxed around him. I'm even more nervous than I was before.
"So," Kyle began, clicking his seat belt off so he could lean forward and put his head in between our seats.
"Are you guys gonna get married for real?" He questioned. My eyes widened at the thought and I turned around to look at him.
"What?" It almost came out as a whisper, "What did you say?"
"I said are you two going to get married for real?" He repeated, seeming a bit annoyed. I couldn't help but glance at Chresanto. Chresanto didn't even glance our way. He kept his eyes on the road, face straight. His eyes wouldn't leave the road for anything. He acted as if he didn't hear a thing that was said.
I looked back over at Kyle, shrugging. Marriage? Chresanto and I? Could we do this for real, or would we just crash and burn? He must be thinking the worst. He was sitting so stiff and rigid. He looked almost statue like. I looked towards Kyle, shaking my head quickly and mouthing for him to be quiet. Chresanto isn't comfortable with the topic at hand. I found myself staring out the window, taking in the various neighbors and buildings we passed. It wasn't long till it was just forest.
The drive was taking much longer than I expected and I think Kyle was falling asleep in the back.
"How close are we?" I asked Chresanto, looking over at the clock on the dashboard.
"We're literally 15 minutes away. That sucks for Kyle, he just looked like he was getting comfortable." Chresanto replied snickering.
I laughed, agreeing with him.
"Oh, Akira." Chresanto began. I looked over at him curiously, waiting for something to be said.
"Justin is smarter than you think. There is no one at the company named Matthew. He tricked you as you were trying to trick him." Chresanto informed. I sighed, throwing my head back in the seat. I knew it was all too easy. I bit down on my lip as I thought over the whole conversation again. Justin isn't as stupid as I thought. Though he seems like a 10 year old in a grown man's body, his mind is up to par.
I wonder how Chresanto is feeling right now. We're pretty close to the destination if I'm correct. I peeked over at him, watching his straight face as he took a sharp left turn. It seemed like he was driving slower and slower as we went on. He's nervous for sure. He must have sensed my worried gaze on him. He leaned back in his seat, letting one hand fly off the steering wheel. He was now looking relaxed, yet stiff. I looked down at his hand that was resting on his thigh, and up at him. His one hand grip on the steering wheel worried me.
I reached over, grabbing his hand, and holding it tightly for a second. He looked over at me for a moment, before I placed his other hand on the wheel.
"Stop trying to hide your nerves, it only makes you look more tense." I told him, making him chuckle.
"Is it that obvious?" He questioned as we soon pulled into a small two way road. Both sides were covered by forest and the road was vacant. There were so many trees I felt like I was in twilight.
"Where exactly is the family reunion being held?" I asked, leaning towards Chresanto's window to see if there was anything different on his side.
"My lake house, that's where they hold it every year." He explained. I leaned back, a bit confused.
"Lake house?" I questioned with wide eyes, "How big is this lake house of yours that it can hold a family reunion? I remember Kyle telling me that your family is pretty big."
"Let me say that again then. It's more like one house...with 2 wings?" He sounded like he wasn't sure how to say it. I stared at him with big eyes. I really forget that Chresanto is rich like he is. Sometimes it just hits me like a brick.
"Why are you looking like that?" He asked, honestly confused. I leaned back in my seat and shook my head.
"I just forget who you are sometimes. Just wake me up when we get there." I chimed about to close my eyes.
"I wouldn't even blink cause we're here." He stated as we pulled up to a huge house. My jaw almost dropped from the size of it. I now understand why he couldn't explain the place.
He parked in one of the two garages. I took off my seatbelt and opened the car door, slowly stepping out the car. I didn't close the car door right away. I poked my head into the car and yelled till Kyle's eyes flutter open. He groaned, wincing at the sound of my voice. He slowly picked his head up, his whole body stretched out on the back seats.
"We're here already?" He questioned, slowly sitting up. I nodded my head, before looking over at Chresanto who seemed a bit frozen.
"Are you alright?" I inquired curiously.
He nodded his head vigorously, shutting the engine off and opening his door. He quickly stepped out, closing the door behind him. Chresanto went around to the trunk. At that moment, is when I became aware of the other cars that were parked around. Chresanto's family doesn't know he's coming do they?
Kyle slowly stepped out the car, closing the door behind him. He stretched his arms out and groaned roughly. I giggled, because he stretched out like a cat.
"What's so funny?" Kyle questioned, raising an eyebrow at me. I shook my head, waving it off. He grumbled something but didn't go any further on the subject.
"Akira, go knock on the door while Kyle and I get the bags." Chresanto ordered as I walked towards the trunk.
"I can help too, my bag is in there you know." I protested, crossing my arms over my chest. He scoffed at my statement before brushing me off. Without a word I spun around on my heels and headed towards the door. I walked up to the nice gravel steps, admiring the garden on both sides of me. There were many flowers planted nicely.
I reached the nice wooden door, a doorbell set at the side. I pressed it firmly, standing there quietly. I felt my nerves bubbling up. I'm gonna meet Chresanto's family. My heart began to race at the thought. What if they hate me? What if this whole weekend goes badly.
I could hear voice on the other side of the door, followed by footsteps. I prepared myself as I heard the locks being opened. The door opened quickly to reveal a female. She looked like she could be in her early 30's. She had nice black hair, that was cut at her shoulders. She had straight bangs across her forehead and her eyes were a light brown. She looked a lot like Chresanto.
"Hello," She said seeming a bit confused. She looked me up and down, and proceeded to ask who I was.
"I'm Akira, I'm Chresanto's fiance." I spoke softly. Her brows furrowed for a moment before her eyes widen.
"Is....is Chresanto with you?" She asked, her voice almost trembling. I nodded, a small smile making it's way to my lips.
She looked really shocked. She stared at me like I was some type of ghost. She gawked at me with a dropped jaw.
"Please, please come in!" She urged, opening the door wider for me. I slowly stepped in and was greeted by a type of warmness that was hard to describe. The house itself was warm, but the vibe of the whole place was very calming. I could hear various voices from another room, which made me a bit nervous.
"Was it your work?" The woman suddenly asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Mhh?" I replied, a bit confused by what she was implying.
"Was it you who convinced him to come to the reunion? I know it couldn't have been my son's doing. His attempts always go ignored." My brows furrowed. Her son?
"Your son.....Kyle?" I guessed narrowing my eyes. No wonder! Kyle is Chresanto's nephew, which means he had to have another sibling. She and Chresanto could be twins. Now that I really look at her, I see the resemblance in Kyle too. A very good-looking family.
"Yes, that's my son. He came with Chresanto I'm guessing. He basically lives over there with him." She spoke in a sweet voice. I nodded my head slowly, agreeing with her. That's when I heard another knock on the door. I looked toward Chresanto's sister who looked at the door.
"That must be them huh? Well, if you keep walking straight, you'll find yourself in the living room. That's where everyone is." She gave me a gentle shove in the direction. She quickly turned back to the door, walking to open it. I took slow steps towards the room, the chatter getting louder. I slowly stepped in the room, peeking my head in first. There had to be about 15 people in there, plus about 6 kids and about 5 teenagers. Second I waltzed into the room the talking seized. They all looked at me with curious eyes.
"Who are you?" A woman said, standing up from her spot on one of the couches. She wore a pretty sun dress. It was bright yellow with a bit of purple mixed in there. She was thin, seeming very fit. She had long hair that was in a pony tail on her head. She had to be Chresanto's mother. They looked so alike. Right next to her was a man who didn't bother to get up. His eyes were stuck on me. He narrowed his eyes at me. That had to be Chresanto's father, they have the same eyes and mincing stare.
"Excuse me," Chresanto's mother repeated, not rudely, rather sweetly. "May I ask who you are?"
I opened my mouth to speak but I was quickly interrupted, "She is Chresanto's fiance." Kyle said as he strolled into the room past me. A few people called his name, happy to see him. That's when the attention slowly fell onto me again.
"C-Chresanto's fiance?" The man, who I'm guessing is Chresanto's father, questioned.
"Yes, that's me. I'm Akira, thank you for having me." I've never been so nervous before. I began to fiddle with my fingers, their gazes putting a sort of weight on me. I looked down at the wooden floor for a moment. That's when I sensed a presence behind me. I picked my head up, almost freezing. The scent of the person told me who it was. It was clearly Chresanto standing behind me.
I knew it was him for certain when a warm hand grabbed mine. I turned around to looked at him. He was looking at me, he was staring straight ahead. I followed his gaze. He was looking at his mother who stared back with the same blank stare. I watched as his mother looked him up and down. She hasn't seen her child in almost three years, and it can show on her face.
Chresanto's father slowly stood up as other family members gawked at him. Chresanto's grip on my hand tighten. I looked up at him, watching his face carefully. He looked....scared. He looked genuinely afraid.
"C-Chresanto," His mother stuttered.When I looked back towards her, her light eyes were filled with tears. I felt my heart aching. Chresanto looked away from his mother at me. I returned the gaze, smiling at him for encouragement. That's when I noticed the tears in his eyes. I almost gasped at the sight. I've only seen Chresanto cry once.
"Mom, Dad." He spoke, his voice trembling. No one would move and no one would say anymore. I decided to take this into my own hands. I squeezed Chresanto's hand pulling him forward with me. His steps were stiff, but he followed. I kept walking till we were right in front of his parents.
I managed to slip my hand from Chresanto's death grip. I pushed him forward a bit and took a few steps back.
"You look so healthy." His mother spoke, beaming at him.
Chresanto chuckled, "That's only because Akira has been taking such good care of me."
After a few moments of silence tears fell from his mother's eyes.
"Chresanto, is it so hard to call?" She spoke, small sobs escaping her lips. Without a word she pulled Chresanto into a tight hug. He had to bend slightly, seeing how much shorter his mom was. He was hesitant at first, but he finally wrapped his arms around his mother. He returned the hug as quiet sobs echoed throughout the room.
It was so touching I found myself in tears. I turned around to wipe them before facing the scene again. Once his mom released him, he was pulled into a hug by his father who was holding back tears.
That's when his sister walked in, leaning against a wall not too far from me.
"Finally." She mouthed, wiping her own tears. I giggled, catching her attention. She looked my way and flashed me a smile. When Chresanto pulled away from his father hug, he sniffled.
"Aww, is Chresanto crying?" A booming male voice spoke. Chresanto scoffed, his eyes a bit red.
"I never cry!" He retorted, wiping his face with his sleeve. Family members laughed and soon others got up to greet him. some hugging him, other patting him on the back and so on. I was so busy watching that I almost didn't notice his parents walking my way.
"You said your name was Akira?" His mother said smiling widely at me. I nodded my head, smiling back.
"It's so nice to meet you." I said sticking my hand out for a handshake. She looked down at my hand before pulling me into a tight hug. I was taken by surprise, but hugged back.
"Don't be so formal!" She exclaimed, "You're practically family!" She released me from the hug and I was just pulled into another one by his father.
"I was worried that he'd be so caught up in his work, that he wouldn't find someone." His father muttered as he gave me a brief hug. His words sounded so sincere. When we separated from the hug I met eyes with Chresanto who was staring at me. I smiled at him, causing him to realize that I noticed him staring. He ducked his head down, looking away.
It wasn't long before other family members were pulling me into hugs and asking questions. I met many of his aunts and uncles. I met some nephews, nieces, cousins and more. Turns out he has two more siblings. An older sister, Tammy, who is Kyle's mother. I found it a bit hard to believe. Tammy had Kyle when she was 16 years old. Kyle now being 19 years old, she is 35 years old. Chresanto is the youngest. Tammy is the oldest..
Tammy was born and 4 years later, Jerome was born. Another 7 years later, Chresanto was born. Chresanto's mom told me to call her by her first name, Ester. Ester couldn't stop her tears if she tried. She walked around with a tissue in her hand the first hour we arrived. Every time she'd glance at Chresanto, tears rose in her eyes.
The reunion is over the course of the weekend. Nathan, Chresanto's father, said that we should get ready for a cook out. Chresanto wasn't lying when he said this place was big. After going up the stairs, and following Chresanto through various hallways, we finally got to our room. He opened the door to to reveal a very nice white room. The walls were white, the carpet was white and so was the bed. Along with the curtains that covered the double doors. Behind the double doors was the balcony. The bathroom was on the adjacent wall, along with the closet. Chresanto held both my bag and his in his hands.
"Well, I think it's even better than a hotel." I muttered walking in.
"I'm pretty sure it is better than a hotel." Chresanto jeered, setting our bags down near the door. He shut the door behind him, walking over to the bed and plopping down on it. He laid there on his back, hands folded over his stomach. He exhaled, closing his eyes. I've never seen him look so peaceful. I slipped off my sneakers, walking towards the bed. I stood there for a moment before climbing onto the bed. He didn't waver, and his eyes didn't open. I laid down beside him.
I also closed my eyes, not bothering to say a word.
"Thank you," He uttered.
"Why are you thanking me?" I questioned back.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it was. I'm glad I came."
"You had to face your family sooner or later. I just made sure that it was sooner. Plus, it's pretty clear that they all missed you." I responded, "You looked so happy, so I knew it was a good thing we came here."
I felt something soft press against my cheek. I opened my eyes just in time to see Chresanto getting up from the bed.
"Did you just kiss my cheek?" I sat up, putting my hand to my cheek. My face was heating up, and I had butterflies.
"So what if I did?" Chresanto jeered, "What are you gonna do about it?"
He walked to me, standing at the side of the bed. I moved onto my knees and leaned forward, kissing his cheek. I kept my face close to his, his eyes looking into mine. I watched his eyes drift down to my lips. He looked back into my eyes before leaning forward and kissing my lips quickly. A quick peck. That alone was enough to make my heart race.
I stared at him, not sure what to say.
Chresanto smirked, "If you keep looking cute like that, I'm gonna have to kiss you again." I averted my eyes, looking down at the white bedsheets. I feel like I'm in high school talking to an crush of mine. My cheeks were turning red for sure. Chresanto found this amusing. He snickered, walking away from me.
"You go ahead and take a shower first." He said nodding towards the bathroom. I agreed, ready to hop off the bed when he suggested something else.
"Or we could take a shower together?" He said, raising an eyebrow.
I nodded, "OKay."
He gawked at me, "Really?"
I laughed, "No, we're not there yet Mr. August."
"So what you're saying is....we'll get there at some point?" He muttered. I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," I said spoke sarcastically.
--------------
Comment!
Vote!
Follow!