The Boy She Illegally Brought To The Lavender Field (bwwm)

Page 24

Annie heard tapping on her window and looked.

Daniel was crouching down and waiting for her to open up.

She went to the window and slid it open. Daniel climbed inside and quietly shut the window behind himself.

"Hey." he smiled at her.
She stared at the floor.
"What's wrong?" he asked and tried lifting her face. She moved it away from him and backed up.

"Where were you last night?" she wondered.
"Oh, that. I'm sorry. I got caught up doin' extra work."
"Is that what it was?"
He was confused. "Yes."
"I just think it's a little strange that of all the nights that a black man close to my family could've been made hangin' in an oak tree...it was last night. The one night that you just so happened to not be here. They found him this morning."
"And you think it was me?" Daniel asked, sadly.
"Well was it?"
"N-..." He reached for her and she backed away.
"No. It wasn't me." he answered.
"You and your friends have driven down this street before. You harassed my brother. How do I know you ain't take Robert too, huh?"
"Annie, I didn't do that, please believe me. I didn't even know there was a hanging."
She looked in his eyes.

He looked like he was being honest.
She sighed and looked away.
"Alright." she accepted.
"You believe me?"
She nodded, "Yea..."
"Good. I told you I wouldn't do that kind of stuff anymore and I meant it." He held the side of her face in his hand. "And I may have done some pretty bad stuff, but I never killed nobody before. Promise."
She nodded.

"I have something else to tell you." she stated.
"Alright."

She thought about telling him that Johnny was all better and her family wanted her to marry him, but she didn't want to make tonight any sadder.

"No, I'll save it for some other time." she stated.
"Really?"
"Yea. Let's talk about somethin' else."
She sat down on her bed and pat the spot next to her.
He sat as well.

"What'd you do yesterday?" he asked.
"I organized all my birthday presents."
"What else did you get?"
"I got some other jewelry. A skirt." She gasped and looked at him.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I got this really pretty lavender dress. It's beautiful." She smiled.
"Well show me." He smiled back.
"Not tonight. You'll have to wait until Sunday." she teased.

"Sunday?!"

"Shhhhh!" she commanded.

"Sunday?" he whispered.

"Yes, Sunday." she smiled.
"Why Sunday?"
"Because I save my best dresses for church on Sunday. So I'll show you then."
He sighed.
She laughed at him then kissed his cheek. "The wait will be worth it."
"That's why I wanna see it now."
"Well you can't see it now."
He laid back on her bed.
She laid back next to him.

The two stared at her ceiling.

His hand slid to hers and they held one another's.

"You got soft hands." he pointed out.
"Yours aren't." she admitted.
"Yea."
"But I like them."
"Why?"
"Tells me you're a hard worker. You're a mechanic anyway and you work in the yard, I'd be a fool not to think your hands would be tough."
"Hm."
"They're tough but you use them gently with me."
He turned his head and looked at her.
She looked back at him. "What?"
"Am I still not supposed to flirt with you?"
"That's right." She looked back at the ceiling and so did he.
"But I want to."
"Ain't allowed."
He sighed. "You're makin' it hard to keep that up."
She giggled.

"What if I can't see you on Sunday?" Daniel wondered.
"Why wouldn't you?"
"Well it's my dad's birthday. My mom usually makes it a big deal so she can try to trick him into loving her."
"Your daddy doesn't love your mama?"
"No."
"Why not?"
He snickered. "My mom's a bitch."
"Daniel!" Annie whispered.
"It's true!" he whispered back. "She complains too much. My dad says she's not even a real mother. She's always pushin' around your mama and callin' her all kinds of names. She always wants us to look perfect for other people. Like when me and my dad used to go to church when I was younger and when my dad does mayor stuff. She's annoying."
"Hm."
"Why does your mama let my mom be mean to her?" Daniel asked.
Annie turned her head and looked at him.
He turned his head and looked back at her.

"Because y'all would kill her if she didn't."
She faced the ceiling again but he continued looking at her in thought.

"My mama told me the story about her and your daddy." Annie said.
"What was it?"
"They used to be in love with each other. But they couldn't be together because your daddy wanted to run for mayor and that was gonna get in the way because my mama's a negro."
"Hm." He looked back at the ceiling.
"Yea."

"If it wasn't illegal..." Daniel began.
Annie looked at him.
"Would you be my girlfriend?" he wondered.

"Now? Yes. Before? No." She answered honestly after she thought about it.

He looked back at her. The two looked in one another's eyes.
"Does that count as flirting?"
"No. I'll count it as curiosity." she stated.

"When you show me your lavender dress, will we go to the lavender field?"
"You like it?" she smiled.
"Yea."
"Yea, we can go. I'd love to go."

She sat up with a gasp.
He sat up onto his elbows. "What is it?"

"We'll have a picnic." she smiled.
"A picnic?"
"I'll bring a blanket and some fruit, crackers, maybe even a few cookies if I can make any. Then we can go to the lavender fields. Doesn't that sound amazing?" she asked cheerfully.
Daniel sat up completely and kissed Annie's lips after wanting to do so for so long. She kissed him back and he admired how he'd never felt a pair of lips quite as soft nor as full as hers.

The two separated.
"I have to go back home. Work in the morning."
Annie nodded in acceptance.
He stole one more kiss before getting up and walking to her window.

He climbed out and closed it behind him.
The two made eye contact and she waved sweetly.
He gave her a wink before he walked off.

Annie smiled contently to herself and felt like hugging her pillow. She got up and locked her window before heading to bed.