To Be Together (Interracial Young Adult Romance) SAMPLE

Chapter 1

Copyright © 2012 Nicole Mckoy

Cecilia P.O.V.

 Church had just let out and I was walking out to the parking lot to my car when someone grabbed me from behind pulling me behind the church building. “Hey baby,” his voice whispered against my neck. I turned around to see my boyfriend Tristan. Tristan and I had been together for a little over six months now. We had gotten together after he and his father helped with my dad’s church renovations. “Tristan what are you doing here,” I asked? Tristan wasn’t that much of a church goer he was a more praise from afar type person. “I came to see my girl,” he said. He gave me a light peck on the cheek. Tristan knew better than to come to my father’s church or try to kiss me in public. We lived in the small town of Easton, Alabama and our relationship was not a particularly accepted one. I being an African American young lady and he being a Caucasian young man we were to be no more than friends in our community.

 “I thought we were meeting at the lake later,” I said. Tristan was to busy checking me out I didn’t think he even heard me. “Babe eyes up here,” I said moving his head so he’d look at me. He had a huge smirk on his face. “What you know tight dresses and short skirts does it for me.” He moved his hands to my waist pushing me back into the brick wall. “Tris not here,” I said. Tristan chuckled moving his lips very close to my ear. “But later,” he whispered moving down to kiss my neck. Tristan and I hadn’t done more than make out but I knew he was starting to want more action. It all showed in his mannerisms.

“I can’t later. I’m actually glad you stopped by because my dad has me hosting a youth group this afternoon for at risk youth so we need to reschedule.” Tristan and I lived on opposite sides of town and came from very different backgrounds. He lived with his father in a two-bedroom apartment. I lived with my married parents in a huge mansion.

His father did freelance construction work and my father was a preacher. I went to private school and he went to public school. We had so many differences it was a wonder why we were even together. But as we came to find out we had a lot in common as well. We both wanted to go to college in Kansas. We didn’t want to go to the same colleges but our colleges wouldn’t be that far way from one another. We were both seniors as of now but college was only a few months away. 

“Can’t he just reschedule the youth group? They’re already at risk what’s couple more days,” Tristan said giving me a puppy dog pout. He always knew how to get me but it wasn’t going to work today. “Did you just hear yourself? They’re at risk which means help is needed as soon as possible not as late as possible,” I said. Tristan laughed backing up. “Fine I’ll just call you tonight and we can make plans to see each other tomorrow after school or something.” I nodded and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “No if I can’t see you this afternoon I need a real kiss Cecilia,” Tristan said. I gave in and let him have a real kiss. His lips pressed against mine. After about two seconds he started nibbling at my bottom lip wanting entrance but I pulled away. He looked at me disappointed. “Sorry but I’m not going to full on make out with you right outside of my dad’s church.” Tristan looked amused. “Always goody goody Cilia,” he said. Tristan always teased me about being the good girl. I didn’t know what he expected I was a preacher’s daughter I couldn’t do certain things.

Tristan P.O.V

After leaving Cecilia to her youth group duties I drove around for a while then went to my friends James house. I didn’t know how I was going to spend the day now that Cilia had other plans. Ever since that first kiss I laid on her we’d been insuperable. I couldn’t help but thing back to that day. 

We had been in her church’s new childcare room. We were repainting the room a light shade of blue. She had on some ungodly short shorts and a tight tank top. Her dark brown hair was in a high ponytail and she was wearing some black converse. Ever since my dad and I had started working on her father’s church’s renovations I had formed a crush on Cecilia. I usually helped my dad with his freelance jobs but with this job I jumped at the chance to help. I’d heard of Cecilia the innocent preacher’s daughter all around town. She was known for her good grades and caring personality. I hadn’t heard much about her dating life. But then again why would I have. I went to a public school with at risk youth and she was in a private school with rich kids galore.

All afternoon we painted that childcare room. I had turned on some music from my iphone. I mostly listened to rap and r&b but only the good stuff. The second the music came on Cecilia freaked out. “You can’t play that in here!” She had shouted. I had my phone hooked up to a speaker boom box and Cecilia ran over to it trying to turn it off. I quickly stepped in front of her stopping her form cutting it off. “What’s the problem everyone’s outside no one can even hear it?” I had argued. Cecilia had this cute pissed off look on her face. “You can’t play that kind of music in a church!” She was trying to get around me to cut it off but I still managed to cut her off from her destination. “Fine I’ll cut it off but first you have to tell me the name of the song.” She rolled her eyes and said “Rihanna featuring Chris Brown Birthday Cake Remix! Now cut it off!” I laughed. I knew she wasn’t as good as everyone said. “So the preacher’s daughter listens to real music not just hymnals,” I teased. She wasn’t pleased and found a way around me unplugging my phone from the boom box. 

She stomped off back to her side of the room with my phone in hand. “Hey give me my phone,” I said. She turned around and faced me. “You want your phone come get it,” she challenged. She slid my phone into the back pocket of her short shorts. I was surprised it fit.  

“You’ll get your phone back after we’re finished painting the room,” she said. I wasn’t having it. This girl wasn’t about to tell me what to do. So I just walked up to her on a mission to get my phone. But she turned around quickly and stopped me. “No you’re not getting the phone,” she said. She just looked so cute. I didn’t know what came over me but I just had to do something. I had spent all summer with this girl helping fix the church up to its new standards, I wanted a reward. I wanted her. 

Before she had time to react I moved in and kissed her. At first she didn’t react but once she registered my lips on hers she kissed me back. Her lips were soft and our lips slid against one another’s due to her strawberry lip-gloss. I began nibbling on her bottom lip wanting entrance to explore her mouth. She granted me my wish and I slid my tongue in slowly savoring the moment. I couldn’t help but love the feel of her tongue moving with mine. I moved my hands along her sides and down to her butt, where I found my phone. I slid my phone out of her back pocket with out her noticing and with out breaking our kiss and put it in my back pocket. She let out a soft moan when I picked her up laying her to the ground. There was plastic paper all over the hardwood floor so that paint wouldn’t get everywhere. Just as I was getting my hands under her shirt she moved them away. She didn’t break the kiss she just didn’t want me touching her unexposed skin.

We stayed making out for a good five minutes before she broke the kiss. We looked into each other’s eyes and she was trying hard to catch her breath. “We should finish painting the room,” she said. I got up helping her up as well. After that we spent the rest of the afternoon painting not saying anything leaving the room completely silent. When we were finished with the room and cleaning up I finally got the courage to say something. “Cecilia that kiss… I just want you to know…I’ve wanted to kiss you for awhile.” I didn’t know what else to say with out sounding completely lame. She blushed and looked down nervously. “Tristan I’ve wanted to kiss you too.” She said the few words I only dreamt of hearing then left the room in a hurry. 

 After that day we worked up to becoming a couple. She and I would sneak off for private make out sessions between shifts. It wasn’t until the end of summer when I finally just asked her to be my girlfriend. She agreed but we had to keep it quiet. Our town wasn’t really one that had mixed couples running around. And our parents weren’t ever going to accept us together that we knew. But still we wanted to give our relationship a shot. Now we’d been together six months and were going to college together in the fall. I knew Cecilia was the one. She had to be.