Destined to be?

Chapter 49

Sarah

Today was the day.
The day my best friend was leaving.
Wiping my hands over my eyes as I twist onto my back in my bed.
These past couple of weeks have flown by.
Mostly because I was spending them with you and amara considering that she still thought it was necessary to tag along and partly because these were our last weeks together, in person anyways.
My parents thought that it would be a good idea to do a cookout in the backyard and have a little going away party.
Which means that Brayden will be there and I haven't had much of a chance to talk to him since that day at the park. Though it's not like he's made it easy since he keeps on ignoring my phone calls and texts.
Was he going to try and ignore me at the party too?
You'll be there.
Thinking with a smile on my face as butterflies flap crazy against the barrier of my stomach.
Amara likes you so that was great but my parents were a different story.
What were they going to think when they see you? Of course they would notice that you are older, not like that was much of an issue considering that I am legally an adult. Though I don't think that they will be thinking that way.
Parenting one o one.
Don't let the daughter date an older guy.
If I had chosen to go to college then there would be plenty of older guys on campus, in my classes but it's not like this. At least in that situation I would have had space and the choice to not tell my parents about the flings that I was having.
Besides, I'm sure that they will start to become suspicious as to why i want to be out of the house so much and with the party going on and with them entertaining everyone that will be showing up i figured this would be a lot less main attraction.
Or at least I hope so.
In just a couple more hours everyone will be here. I of course told you to show up a little later to make sure that there was a crowd.
That was the last thing I needed. To throw my parents off before the party would even start. At least while it's going they would have something else to pay attention to. Distractions.
It's not like I don't think that my parents will like you, it's just that.
Well, I just think that this will take time for them to fully accept.
Not to mention how weird I'm going to feel during the whole conversation.
I mean I am going to be introducing my kidnapper to my parents.
The man who took me away and locked me in a basement and i was going to lie to them yet again about how I met you.
It's crazy but in some way I keep on thinking that someone is going to see through us. That they are going to call me out on who you are.
Maybe that's why I haven't REALLY been trying to talk to Brayden.
I keep on thinking the same whenever we are around my best friend. Like she's going to see how you look at me and know that there is something more behind that.
Out of everyone I feel like she would be the one to notice those deeper details.
Yet every time when we leave from one of our chaperoned dates she can't stop talking about what a smart, sexy, interesting guy that you are.
Lifting up my phone already knowing that there is going to be a good morning beautiful text just like there is every morning. I swear you found some way to automatically send me that message and yet they are always from different times.
Sometimes as early as four in the morning but never later than seven.
You always were a morning person including those times you stayed in bed just so you could be next to me waiting for me to wake up.
Those were my favorite.
Groggily coming too all warm and snuggly on your chest as you brushed your fingers through my hair before grazing me with your sexy deep voice.
I never wanted to get out of bed on those days.
Those were so vastly different from the times that you watched me sleep used to send terror rushing through my veins. Always worried about what you could do or could have done to me. Chained in the semi darkness that was inside of those concrete walls.
Shivers splayed over my shoulders, not the good kind as I tried to push that memory to the back of my mind.
Telling myself to think of lighter things. Like how I needed to take a shower and help with the set up.
I will have plenty of things to keep myself occupied enough to not fully spiral out into my thoughts and what if scenarios.
Like what if my parents dont like you.
What if they tell me that they don't want me seeing you.
Of course they wouldn't just say no. They would at least give you a chance first, get to know you before they place a banishment.
Right?
Shaking my head as I undress and get into the steam filled shower losing myself in the warm pressure like i always do.
The party starts in ten minutes and yet I feel like I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off, still trying to make sure that everything is where it needs to be.
Plates set up, napkins out but secured so they won't blow away, all the chips are in place, bread for the hotdogs. Mustard, ketchup, mayo out for the toppings though i have no idea who puts mayo on a hotdog.
"Honey, you've got to stop. Everything is where it needs to be to just relax and enjoy the party." Mom says as she places the jar of relish down on the table and I internally cringe at that disgusting condiment.
"Just want to make sure that everything is good, don't want to be missing anything when people start to show."
"Awww sweety. You know you don't have to do that. Amara's leaving today and that's a big change for all of us."
"Yeah who's going to raid the fridge and eat all the leftovers that neither one of you touch." Dad says casually as he brings out a big plastic tub filled with dozens of hotdogs as he opens the lid to the grill to check on the fire.
"Hey, I eat leftovers."
Giving me a raised side brow as he sets down the meat filled bowl.
"Sometimes." I finish my sentence with a shrug. "Hey I can't help that the food tastes way better when it's fresh, that's just common knowledge."
"Yet you will eat three day old, straight out of the fridge, pizza." He says with a chuckle
"That's different. Pizza is always good."
Hearing the sizzling of the meat as he adds them onto the grill before following mom back inside.
"Are you happy that this party isn't also a goodbye for me as well? I mean I know how hard it's hitting me that my best friend is leaving today."
"Oh sweety." She says as she pulls me into a hug and I lay my head against her shoulder. Even though i know she took a shower this morning i can still smell the fumes of paint that seems to cling to her skin and i take comfort in that. "You may not be ready for college yet but someday you will be and of course i'll be sad when you leave but i will also be so proud as well. Knowing that I helped in raising a strong and beautiful woman who will always be my little girl no matter what."
Smiling as she lets go and plays with the bit of hair that's hanging over my shoulder.
"I know that she's going to be far away but I'm sure that the two of you will be on the phone talking and messaging non stop anyways."
"Well you did get me the unlimited plan, might as well put that to good use."
"A plan that I hope you use at least a little bit for dear ol' mom and dad when you do decide that you're ready for college or for whatever it is that you would like to pursue."
"Of course I will." Watching as she walks over to the fridge pulling out the giant bowl of dip that dad had made yesterday.
Walking over to a drawer I pull out the serving spoon and pass it over to her.
"There's something else that I need to talk to you about."
"Oh." She says, using her finger to swipe off some of the dip that had made its way onto the outside of the bowl and depending that into her mouth.
"Well." I'm dating my kidnapper. Words itching at the tip of my tongue, ready to come out and I shut my mouth and bite down on my lips.
"What is it, sweaty?" Starting to realize that this was something more serious her attention came fuller onto me and a slightly worried look on beginning to work at the corners of her eyes. "Is it bad? Is it something that."
"No, no, no. Nothing like that." I say waving my hands in a hurry. "It's just that. I. I met someone and I kinda have been dating him the last couple of weeks. With amara. Amara was there and she likes him and."
"Honey, slow down. It's okay." A look of relief on her face as she continues on with her task. "So where did you meet?"
"At a coffee shop that Amara and I were at, he came up to us as we were leaving and asked if he could take me out."
"What's his name?"
ok. She seemed completely alright with this. Even with the fact that I was keeping my dating him a secret from them.
"Eli." I say slowly. Waiting for the whole, be careful around strangers, why didn't you tell me earlier, speech.
"What's he like?" She asks just as nonchalantly as if she was asking me what kind of drink that I wanted.
"Well he's really great, he technically runs his own business building furniture and doing fix it jobs on other peoples houses and he makes me laugh and he likes to draw and cook."
"Well he sounds like a nice young man."
"He's twenty four." I blurted out noticing the slight pause after she picked up the bowl ready to take it out but setting it back down on the counter. Yup there it was. The little piece of information that I knew would get them thinking.
"Alright. When will I get to meet this man of yours?"
"Wait, you're not mad?"
"Why would I be. If you had gone off to college you would have had the chance to meet people of all different ages and you were going to be bound to date one of them. Besides, age isn't that big a deal, look at your father and I."
that was true they had a few years between them as well.
Looking past her at where he was still hovering over the grill turning over the hotdogs so that they wouldn't burn. He also wasn't alone.
"Looks like you can meet him now."