Lia James
"Do you always have to wander in my house shirtless?" I asked my boyfriend, as he strode to me. I was sitting on the rug, holding my dinner in a plate while watching re-runs of Friends.
Aunt Alex and my father planned a night to go out and have fun, so us kids were stuck in the house. Andrew told me that he was getting sick of staying at Eli's, so I invited him over for dinner. Mason and Lina didn't seem to mind which had me extremely grateful. In fact, I think they're starting to like Andrew.
That's something I never expected to happen.
"I wouldn't have been shirtless in the first place if it wasn't for Mason pushing me in the pool like a little motherfucker." He growled at Mason, who was minding his own business getting his own plate of spaghetti.
Mason, Lina, Andrew, and I all sat on the rug, holding our plates in our lap while the TV created background noise for the night. I was happy. Extremely happy. My best friends and my boyfriend actually seemed to really be getting along.
It seemed like the beginning of something great. Even if it took almost losing them for them to realize that Andrew isn't all that bad. He's just a confused man in a confusing world.
Andrew sat down next to me, leaning up against the couch as he sloppily ate his spaghetti noodles. They dangled from his mouth as he carelessly slurped them.
He was such a messy eater at times.
"How is it?" I asked him, referring to his dinner. He gave me a thumbs up.
"Considering I've been getting take-out for a few weeks at Eli's, any home cooked meal is pretty damn good. You and Lina did a good job."
"Take-out for three weeks?" I eyed his muscly torso. "Didn't seem to affect you much."
"I train every single day for almost five hours. Of course it wouldn't affect me." He said, grabbing another forkful of noodles. I poke his ribs, and he flinched because of the coldness of my hands.
"Maybe I need to start training for five hours everyday. I need abs really bad."
"Oh, stop it. You're beautiful. You look beautiful." He peppered kisses on my cheek, and I blushed at his words.
"Thanks." I said, before turning to face him. "So, how was your day today?"
"Well, I finally went home after a couple of days. My Mom is the same, but she said 'hi' to me today which is progress."
"Babe, that's so great!" I nudged him. His mother might actually be coming around. "What about your Dad?"
"He's...still angry with me. It's so weird. For the last eighteen years of my life he's always been so loving and caring toward me. The first born son, you know? But after that night, it's like he wished I was never born. I just don't understand."
"He'll come around. People always have different ways of grieving. You grieved, and you came around. He will too. It just takes time."
"Yeah, but how much time?" He hung his head, curls falling in front of his eyes. "I guess I'm just confused. I always thought my father would want me to take over the family business. So, in a way, I thought he favored me more. But maybe what I was wrong. Maybe all this time he wanted Nick to take over the company and that's why he's so angry with me. That I crushed his only dream of seeing his son taking over the car business."
I carefully brushed the curls from his eyes, and he lifted his head to look at me.
Those brown eyes. I remember him telling me that his eyes had witnessed every bad thing he's done in his life and that he was living with a monster inside him. One that will soon be unleashed.
In that moment, I didn't care about what he said to me. Nothing would've changed my mind about us being together, even if it was just platonic at the time.
I had this silly idea that the boy with a hard exterior was just hiding behind the curtain, afraid to let people in. And boy was I right.
"Sure, that might be true. But it doesn't change the fact that his death wasn't your fault. You didn't pull the trigger. You didn't have the gun in your hand. You shouldn't be paying the price for what Julian did to your family."
"Well, Nick's dead. Julian's dead. So, all there's left is me. Because I'm the only person left to blame. It makes sense."
"So what if it makes sense. It doesn't make it right." I rubbed my hand on his shoulder. "Especially with Nick's funeral tomorrow."
"Yeah..." He was quiet for a second. "It's not that I don't want to go. It's just that my Dad is going to be there and probably won't even want to speak to me."
I put my head on his shoulder lovingly. "He's just lashing out. You used to do it when you were angry. Try and understand how he feels, Andrew. He just lost his son."
"Who's side are you on?"
I picked up my head, while simultaneously rolling my eyes. "I'm on no one's side. There shouldn't even be sides. We should be on one side: Nick's side."
He sighed heavily. "Tomorrow's going to suck."
"It's going to be sad, for sure. But you know what? Losing Nick and my Mom made me appreciate everything I have with me right now because tomorrow is never promised, you know? You never know what the future holds. Maybe we should learn to hold those we love closer than we were before."
"You're right." He said, pulling me closer. "I love you."
"I love you more."
"You can't one-up me." Andrew complained.
"I just did."
"Yeah? Well, I'm in love with you."
"I'm in love with you more." I fought back.
"Fuck." He cursed, knowing I won.
I smiled to myself, pressing a tender kiss to his cheek. When I decided I wanted more, I used my pointer finger to pivot his head so he was facing me. Instantly, I crushed my lips into his. When I pulled back, he came in for more.
My heart swelled.
He makes me so completely happy. And I never want this feeling to leave me, as long as I live.
When we pulled apart, we jerked our heads as puking sounds were being made in the kitchen where Mason and Lina were currently. They must've watched us, and decided to be complete idiots and ruin our moment.
"I was just about to come in there, but maybe I won't if you guys are too busy making babies." Mason yelled from the kitchen.
I blushed from having that intimate thought. Andrew just chuckled, not letting Mason's words affect him.
Lina comes over and sits on the couch, switching the channel to something she wanted to watch. When Mason sees that the coast is clear, he follows her and sits next to Andrew.
"Hey, man. I'm so sorry to hear about Nick. He was a good dude, even if I didn't know him that well."
"Thanks, Mason. It means a lot." Andrew and Mason bro-hugged, and Lina and I exchanged looks of excitement.
"I'm so glad you guys are finally becoming friends." I held onto Andrew tightly in excitement.
"Yeah, how exactly did this whole thing come about?" Lina asked while chomping on her noodles.
"I told Mason that I never slept with Shelby."
"You never slept with Shelby?" I repeated. "Wait. That makes so much sense. She's always complained about you guys never shagging up."
"Yeah, she actually trapped me in Mason's room that night he kicked me out of his house during the party. She almost took advantage of me, but then Mason came in and saw everything. I guess I just thought that him hating me was better than him liking me. But I guess I was wrong."
"Wait, but what about Eli? Wasn't he covering for you?"
"Yes, but not with Shelby. I accidentally threw up in one of his hallway closets because I was so drunk and thought it was the bathroom."
"That explains the weird smell!" Mason puts pieces of the puzzle together.
"Sorry about that."
"Well, I'm just glad we have a handsome man in our group. All the other guys are ugly." Lina joked, but Mason seemed to take offense.
"Hey!" He yelled.
"What about Cole?" I asked.
"What about him?" She shrugged. "What? I can't admit your boyfriends hot?"
"I mean, no..." I said. "But you're right. He is hot."
I earned a kiss on the forehead from Andrew.
"Okay, enough about me. This is all my ego can take. Tell me what's been going on since Junior year. What have you been up to?" Andrew asked the twins, while I idly sat watching them interact.
They went on and on about their lives and really got to know each other, since they're break-up junior year. They talked about life, sports, girls (which I didn't like hearing), and their street gangs. They really had a lot in common, and actually got along pretty well.
I couldn't help but feel responsible for doing this. I knew that there was a purpose for me coming to California. I was meant to bring two people, who despised each other, together again.
***
"We are gathered here today to celebrate a life that hasn't been lost, but has finally been found. By God. And that life is Nicholas Jonathan Price."
We all sat in chairs, holding out umbrellas as rain descended upon the eerie graveyard. The priest comforted us with his words and his grace, and we all listened silently. Not a sound heard.
Nick's coffin lied perfectly in between the audience and the priest. It was closed, for obvious reasons, and a white and navy arrangement of flowers were placed carefully on top of where Nick lied in peace.
I sat next to Andrew, comforting him as he tried his hardest not to shed a tear. He was meant to sit in the front row, but he didn't want his father to notice him being there...since they're still feuding, even after all this time.
Andrew had his hand on my thigh, while mine were wrapped around his bicep. Immediate family and friends were allowed under a tent, while those who weren't as close stood idly by with umbrellas.
It hadn't rained in San Diego in so long. I was so convinced that we were in a drought, but this day truly proved me wrong.
"It's hard to understand such a young life being taken away so suddenly. In fact, no one can truly know why God does this. But what we do know, is that Nick was meant to be an angel dancing among the stars, watching over us and protecting us. His destiny with God on Earth has been fulfilled."
"How are you doing?" I whispered into Andrew's ear. He didn't respond, but instead rubbed circles on my thigh. I took that as a hint, and didn't say anymore to him.
I looked behind me and saw Mason, Lina, Cole, Jace, and everyone sitting under the tent. I was so happy to see everyone here together. Not fighting. Just together, trying to figure out what more life has to throw our way.
After the priest had finished his heartfelt speech, it was Natalia's turn to present her eulogy.
When she walked to the podium, I noticed that the color in her cheeks were back. Or maybe she just put makeup on to try and mask how broken she truly was.
She took a folded paper from her pocket, and laid it so that she could reference it throughout her speech.
"Nicholas Jonathan Price was born August 16th, 2003. I remember telling my husband, Jeremy, that Nick was going to be special. When I was pregnant with him, it was so much different than all my other kids. Truth be told, we had trouble trying to conceive, but when Nick came into our lives it truly was a blessing. Looking back on the time we spent together, I wish I hadn't taken some of our time for granted. His first steps, his first words, his first 'I love yous' to me and Jeremy. I wish I would've bought a video camera and recorded it so I could look back on it and reminisce about how much Nick had grown." Her voice started to break. "I wish I could've known how much time I had left with him. I wish I would've kissed him goodnight that last night he was here with us. I wish I would've put my computer down and hugged him. I wish I would've picked him up from school. I wish for a lot of things."
"Losing a child is something so unforgettable. Often times I feel as though I can't breathe, and that even if I try so hard this feeling I have in the pit of my stomach won't ever go away. It breaks my heart to know that I won't ever see him bring home a girl, or see that look of love in his eyes. I won't ever see him get married, or have a baby of his own. I won't ever embarrass him with a speech at his wedding reception, or tell him how much I'm proud of him. Nicholas was the heir to the company. Celina and Andrew both had different aspirations that truly didn't align with what Jeremy's wishes were for the company. But Nick understood it. He was so intelligent, and inspirational. His ideas were unmatched. So, I don't know what the future holds, with the company, or our family."
"So, as I will watch my baby boy be lowered down into the ground for eternity, I remember of the times I had with him. And I will now know to never ever take the time I have with my children for granted."
"Goodbye, Nicholas. My youngest born. My second son. My miracle. Although I feel like I never truly got to know you, I know that you belonged up there." She pointed to the cloudy sky. "Among the stars. Looking down at us, laughing and smiling. I hope you're happy up there, baby boy. I know we'll see each other again."
"Goodbye, baby."
She left the podium, as the guests clapped at her emotional eulogy. I was a mess. My cheeks were stained with black makeup, and my lipstick was smudged from the incredible amount of crying and sniffling I had been doing while she was speaking.
Andrew noticed my sudden change in emotion, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. He didn't cry, but he comforted me as I put my head on his shoulder, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
Natalia sat back in her seat, putting the paper she had back into her pocket. Jeremy grabbed her and hugged her tightly in front of us, almost mirroring what Andrew and I were doing.
Jeremy comforted his wife, looking around at the audience that had gathered here to celebrate his son's life. As he looked in back, he posture suddenly changed.
He became more hostile, and I noticed Jeremy looking at Andrew.
Oh no. I thought to myself. He knows Andrew's here. This can't be good.
"What's he doing here?" Jeremy raised his voice, standing up and pointing at his eldest son.
Andrew released me from his grasp, as he struggled for words to say.
"I want you out, son. You killed Nick. You don't deserve to be here." The audience gasped around us.
"Jeremy!"
"Dad!" Celina yelled from the other side of him.
Jeremy snarled at his son, and his icy blue eyes lost their light blue color. They were navy almost black filled with hate and anger.
"GET OUT, ANDREW! NOW!" He pointed towards the graveyard gate.
"Mr. Price, if I may-" I tried to reason with him, but he just looked at me with hate.
"Oh, shut it, Lia. You're one of the reasons why we're in this mess. If you didn't move here, if you didn't date my...son, if you just minded your business we wouldn't have been at a funeral right now."
"Dad! Cut it out!" Andrew pushed his father.
"Jeremy! Enough!" Natalia yelled at her husband.
"Don't you push me, boy. Don't you dare." He pushed the foldable chairs back, so he can grab his son by the neck and drag him to the ground. Andrew struggled for air, and Celina and Natalia tug on Jeremy, but it was no use. I grabbed Andrew and tried prying Jeremy off of him, but again...no use. Jeremy is one strong man.
Mason, Cole, and Jace finally help us out and get Jeremy to release his son. After a few gasps of air, Andrew begins to cry. Mason, Cole, Jace, and I all pull him into a hug as he burst into tears. His own father hates him, his mother will barely talk to anyone, and he's been living at Eli's for the past few weeks.
It seems that everyone he loves is just abandoning him.
Eli comes over and adds to the hug. I pull back from them and look at Jeremy with disgust.
"He's your son, Mr. Price." I spat. "How dare you do that to him? He's in just as much pain as you are, regardless of who's fault it is. You need to set your priorities straight and be there for your family."
"Don't you lecture me. You know nothing about my family and how I feel."
"I don't know how you feel, huh?" I challenged and the boys all pulled away to see that I had to say.
"I lost my mother almost a year ago in a car accident. She was operated on all night until we lost her in surgery. I said goodbye through my tears as I held her hand one last time. I went weeks barely eating or drinking anything, spending all day in my room sulking and thinking about the 'what-ifs'. And you have the audacity to tell me that I know nothing about how you feel? Mr. Price, I thought you were a better man. But all the tabloids are right. You're selfish and careless. When you're family needed you most, you shut them out. Like a coward. You choked your own son at a funeral. Like a coward." I looked at Andrew, as he seemed taken aback by my words. "You should be ashamed of yourself and your actions. Come on, Andrew. Let's go."
I grabbed my boyfriend's hand and led him out of the graveyard.
"Thank you." He said through tears, as he reached for my hand to hold.
"For what?"
"For standing up for me. No one has done anything like that."
"You didn't deserve it. Your father needs to learn some compassion and strength because clearly he's lacking it."
"We should probably go back. The funeral isn't over." I stopped, once I realized leaving was wrong.
"I don't want to. Nick would hate to see our family like this, fighting and all. Going back there would only make things worse."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes. Let's get out of here."
"Okay. Where to?"
"Where else? The Cliff. The place where I can heal."
And.
We did just that.
~*~
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Sorry for another sad chapter. I promise things will start to be happy again for the finale. It's coming soon! Only three chapters left!
I can't wait for you guys to see the end.
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XOXO