Searching for Sweetness

Chapter Two - Gone with the Wind

After Adam took me home I was having trouble breathing.  It might have had to do with my asthma, but then again it could have been what happened minutes before.  He had me seated on his lap, whispering beautiful things in my ear.  I guess one thing led to another and my lips were on his.  He continued his whispering, however, and it's like the words were transferred into my being until they settled into my core.  He did take my asthma into consideration, and I had a few moments to breathe, but I didn't want to stop.  I took Adam by surprise with my eagerness.  Usually I let him have control because I didn't care, but tonight I wanted it.  I wanted him to know how much I loved him without saying it.  I was still afraid to utter those petty words.  I wished I could just get the words out, but they got caught in my throat like always.

          "Are you okay?" my sister Anabelle asked in that innocent voice of hers.  I leaned on the wall for support.

          "'Course I am, squirt."  I ruffled her blond frizz.  Unlike me she had naturally blond hair.  I dyed my hair before she was born, so she didn't actually know I had brown roots.  Ana was always telling me she wanted to be like me one day.  I said a silent prayer that she wasn't.  If she was like me, then she would be like Paige, and I didn't want that for her.  I loved Paige and everything, but I also had my little sister's best interests.

          "Is Paige coming tomorrow?"  I found her question ridiculous.  Paige showed up at my house unexpected all the time; what would keep her from coming over when she was actually invited?

          "Why wouldn't she, Belle?"  I put my hands on my hips as if to prove my point.

          "Because she called ten minutes ago whispering about how she wouldn't be around for a while.  She sounded scared, Maddie."  This was low even for Paige.  Scaring a six-year-old?  That's out of character for Paige.  She knew not to mess with Ana.  Although the look on Ana's face indicated she was really worried.  I sighed.

          "If I call Paige in a little while will that make you feel better?"  Ana smiled real big, nodding.  "All right.  Shouldn't you be in bed, squirt?"  I cocked an accusing brow.

          "I was waiting for you," she mumbled.  Then she looked up at me.  "Is Adam going to steal you from me?  He's really nice, and I know I annoy you sometimes."  She looked so ashamed of herself.  I wanted to laugh.  Adam wasn't going to steal me.  I wasn't ready to leave my family yet; I wasn't even finished high school!

          "Not anytime soon, Belle.  Why would you think that?"  I smiled at the downtrodden little girl.  She stared down at her sock-clad feet innocently.  She must have given this some thought.  Ana looked up at me with those bright green eyes of hers.

          "You're never home anymore.  You're always out with Adam.  You aren't running away, are you?"  She looked at me skeptically.  Why did she think Adam wanted to keep me from her?  Adam loved Belle.  He was always telling her how pretty she was going to be when she got older.

          "No . . . of course not," I stammered.  Anabelle let out an overdramatic breath of relief.  Maybe she would be like me.

          "Good.  You can't get married to Adam until I'm at least ten," she ordered.  My face flushed a pale shade of red.

          "What are you talking about?"  She had me flustered.  I hadn't thought about marriage since I was eleven and was convinced I wanted to marry Zac Efron.  Most of the female population was in love with that boy—and quite possibly still were.  That's beside the point, though.  I'd never thought about a life between Adam and me once during our blissful relationship.  The fact that my little sister already predicted my future left me confused.  Adam and I worked, but I didn't know how long we'd last.  "I'm not marrying Adam," I finally got out.