Three weeks later...
I saw Kyle walking for the first time since the fight. I was helping my mom cutting some flowers for decoration. Kyle had a regular white shirt with sweatpants. He was holding Sam's arm for support. Even though he didn't break a leg or hurt his back, his chest might feel some pain when he moves.
As soon as my mom finishes picking out some daises, we go to the kitchen.
"I can't believe in three weeks you are getting married! You are not nervous mija?" mom asks. She is setting the flowers in a white vase for Ian. Today is his birthday.
"No, I just want it to be the day mom." I answer. I get a water bottle and drink away. Kyle suddenly comes in, "Hi Ms. Perez. You wouldn't mind getting me something to eat right?"
Mom smiles, "Of course not, sit down. I am actually making some fish in the oven, is that okay?"
Kyle just nods. He is trying to avoid seeing me. But I can't avoid myself from seeing him. His bruises are gone, and he has his dark brown hair longer. My mom takes the fish out and gives a plate of fish and rice. "Thank you," he says. He looks at me before he eats.
"Okay, well Alex here you go. I think Ian will like your present."
I force myself to go shopping for Ian's present. We haven't argued or talked either. We just hug and kiss when someone is close by. We pretend we are happy and the whole Kyle situation was a misunderstanding.
"Alex, your mom said to go and pick up the present." Kyle says. He looks at me like I'm weird. I hate it when I think; my eyes get big and I have a creepy stare.
"Thanks," I whisper. I get the vase and go to my room. I get the white box with a red bow in front. I breathe in and out slowly and walk to Ian's office.
"Can I come in?" I ask as I knock on his door. I hear him say yes and open the door.
"Okay, that is great Mr. Yang. I call you tomorrow to give you the exact date. Thanks," Ian says before hanging up the phone. He looks at me and tells me to come in.
"My mom created this arrangement of flowers for you. Happy birthday." I say. I put the vase on the desk and give him the present.
"Tell your mom thanks," Ian say. He smells the flowers and lightly smiles. Ian may hate me but he doesn't hate my mom. She helped him a lot with the situation and even at his work. She is a translator for him.
Ian stands to place the vase near the window and sits back down. "You aren't going to open my gift?" I ask. At least open it and hopefully like it. I wasted my own money on that stupid gift.
"I open it later, now leave I have lots of work," he says.
"Okay, whatever, my mom said she is baking you a cake. So can you please come downstairs later?"
He rolls his eyes, "Yes, tell her thank you."
Before I can turn around to leave, the door opens and Richard comes in.
"Happy birthday Ian!" he hugs Ian and kisses him on the cheek. "You are growing way too fast but I know you be one great man."
"Thanks dad," Ian says.
Richard turns to me, "How are you Alex?" I tell him I am good. I just brought Ian his present.
"Oh, what did you get son?" Richard asks Ian.
He is force to open my present.
I smile to see his face sincerely happy. "Oh my! This is so freaking awesome!"
I bought him two tickets to Linkin Park concert and a custom made t-shirt of the group. Ian loves Linkin Park. He might have more money than me but he couldn't get tickets.
"I am going to see Linkin Park!!" Ian yells. He shows the tickets to his Richard. Richard chuckles as he holds the tickets and smiles at me. I guess I did a good job.
Suddenly, Ian hugs me and twirls me around. He has his hands on my back, "I am going to see Linkin Park!" he presses his lips on mine.
He pulls away, "Wow, I going to make all my friends jealous." He lets me go and runs to his room with the tickets and shirt.
I am standing there in shock. Wow, imagine if I got him tickets for the Lakers? I turn to Richard, "He kissed me."
"And everything is back to normal," Richard says before he left.
..
That night:
We all sit in the dinner table: Jennifer, Johnny, Ian, Richard, my mom, and I.
We eat some fancy lamb meat with vegetables, and bread.
"Oh I remember my little brother in his super hero outfit," Jennifer says.
"For your information, I was an awesome hero," Ian says.
I kind of chuckled, Ian is being Ian.
"Thanks for the delicious dinner Lizabeth," Richard says. He cleans his mouth with the fancy white napkin and turns to me. "I can't believe you will be part of this family soon Alexandra," he says.
"Yeah, time went faster than I thought it will be," I answer. Ian is next to me so he gets my bread. "What the hell?" I ask.
He has his mouth full of bread and corn. "What?"
"Oh gosh, that is so disgusting."
"Agree sister," Jennifer says.
My mom chuckles and goes to the kitchen for the cake. "Okay! Let's sing happy birthday to Ian!" my mom yells as she comes in with a chocolate cake. She places the cake in front of Ian and kisses his cheek. "Feliz Cumpleaños mijo," she says. (Happy birthday son.)
We start to sing happy birthday. By then end Johnny starts telling him to bite the cake. "Come on! It is a Mexican tradition to bite the cake after the wish. You be part of our family as well hermano (brother)," he says.
Ian's head gets suck in the cake by Jennifer. I am laughing so hard at his face. He has frosty up his nose!
Richard gets him a napkin to clean his face up. He missed some frosty on his cheek.
"Why don't you give him a little kiss on the cheek?" mom says with a wink. Oh gosh, she is the only one who doesn't know what the hell is going on! This is so frustrating!
I clean his cheek with my finger, eat the frosty, and kiss him on the cheek. "Happy birthday," I whisper. His hand lands softly on my cheek and pulls me to him.
"Aw," mom yielps.
Ian lips feel so warm against mine and taste like chocolate. I pull away and question him with my eyes. He smiles to my mom, "Thank you for everything."
She hugs him, "No worries."
"Okay well we leave the love birds alone," Jennifer says. She leaves with Richard to his office and Johnny leaves with mom to the kitchen.
"I'm going to sleep now, night." Ian leaves to his room. I stand in the dinner room alone. This has been the scenario since the fight, me being alone at the end. I hug myself as I walk upstairs. I walk by Ian's room, since I am taking the long way to my room. I see him sitting down looking at a picture.
"I miss you," he whispers. He kisses the picture and puts it away.
Ian looks so depress. I see a big gray cloud on top of his head just raining down on him.
GO AND TALK TO HIM! MAKE SOME PEACE ALREADY!
Should I? I don't want to make things worse.
PLEASE YOU STILL LIKE HIM! HE IS HANDSOME SMART TALL RICH SEXY ETC! WHY NOT TRY AGAIN?
(Don't you hate it when your inner voice is being stupid or annoying?)
I decide not to but he sees me. "You okay?" Ian asks me.
I just nod. We stand there looking at each other until he loses the starring contest.
"Okay well night, tell your mom thanks once again. The cake was good," Ian says.
"Yeah I tell her that, goodnight."
I don't leave yet. I have my hands on my back rocking side to side looking at Ian. He gives me a crocked smile. "What in the world have you got today? You been so weird and nice and weird."
"So now I am twice as weird?" I ask.
"Yeah that is so sad," he answers.
"I thought you like abnormal things."
"I do, I think they are way more interesting," he smirks. Okay are we flirting? I shake my head and tell him night. Again he stops me from leaving, "You want to go with me to the concert? Gil can't go since he has work."
I step backwards and get in front of him. "You serious?"
He says yes. I chuckle, "Wow, yeah sure, you really want me to go?"
"Yes, I don't want to go alone."
"Cool, I go with you to the concert."
He gives me a smile that just melts my heart. He is so cute, but mean.
"You want to come inside?" he asks.
"Sure." I say without thinking.
I realize that I am inside his room. "You were kissing a picture. Who was it?" I ask.
"You saw that?"
I nod.
He takes out the picture out of his binder and gives it to me. "My mom remember?"
This is a different picture; she is holding Ian in her arms with Richard by her side. Ian looks like 3.
"You really miss her even though you can't remember her?"
I sit on the bed looking at his beautiful mother. He tells me he just wishes his mom would have been like mine. She will be nice, gentle and alive.
"Here," I give him back the picture. He sits on a shelf in front of the bed.
"Are you still mad at us?" I need to know how he really feels now.
"Kyle is dead to me and I don't know if I should take you out of my mind," Ian answers.
Wow, he wishes Kyle death?
"What do you mean?" I ask.
He leans to me placing his hands on the bed. "I don't know how I feel about you Alex. It hurt me what you did and the thought of being Kyle's woman just drives me mad. I really thought you and me will have something special."
"I am no one's woman. I never did anything with Kyle but just kiss him. I am not like Summer."
I stand, "I don't know what to say or do with you. I just want to be happy, maybe that is selfish of me but I just want to be. And I know you also want to be happy and not have that depression on your shoulders every day."
"Alex, what does Kyle have that I don't?" he asks.
"Is it not that," I say. He cups my face and looks straight to my eyes. "Then why? Why Kyle? I mean he isn't a bad guy but he is a driver. He doesn't even have a college degree and smokes a lot."
I move to the side, "Because he made me feel safe Ian! He didn't judge me when I came here. He was there to protect me and help me through with all of this!"
Ian sits with his head down. "People always choose him over me."
"I chose you remember? But then you became this jealous angry person," I say.
"You were with Kyle!" he exclaims. "How can I not be jealous and angry when I see Kyle looking at you? I knew something was up with you two."
"I didn't know what to do Ian! I liked you but I needed Kyle as well."
I kneel in front of him, "I didn't know if I was doing something bad since all of this is a contract. I thought since you were sleeping with other girls I could be doing the same."
"But I was trying to change. I wanted to try with you. I want to be with you in all the senses."
He kisses me so passionately. He stands me, pressing me into his body. He licks my upper lip before he pulls away.
"Please don't tell me you still like me," I whisper.
"Then I won't," he says before kissing me. He shows me that he still likes me.
I can't help myself but to kiss him as well. I feel like if I am going to melt into his arms. His lips are sending messages into my brain to enjoy the moment.
He pulls away, "Would you mind staying with me for the rest of the night?"
"I can't stay with you alone. We need to try fixing things that is what we need to focus." I answer.
"I understand, but just stay to talk. I don't mean anything else that you don't want," he say. I walk to the door. "Maybe another night, you have to talk to Kyle. I have nothing else to hide and you know everything you need to know."
I walk out and head to my room. I drop to the bed feeling so confuse and relieve. Ian doesn't hate me at all. He still likes me, wants me, and has a great desire to be with me. I liked his kiss as well. Maybe I am falling for him in a weird way.
But what about Kyle? I still have feelings for him. I think.
Oh gosh, is this just a rollercoaster? The up then downs then ups and downs again in my life.
I just wish the ride will be over with a happy result.