You Don't Know..What you Don't Know

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Spring

Randy came back to the Home for the weekend, which meant we could meet up at the elementary school on Saturday and Sunday. We were never alone, though. The entire crew wanted every second they could get with him. Even Chris tagged along.

I couldn't stand Chris.

There was something about him that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He constantly sought Randy's attention, always watching him, trying to earn his approval. It wasn't admiration so much as obsession. He carried a dangerous edge I couldn't quite define, and I trusted my instincts enough to know I didn't like him.

Randy, on the other hand, was impossible to ignore.

From the day I met him, it was obvious he was the leader. The boys either respected him or feared him—sometimes both. He had a commanding presence that never required raised voices or threats. People simply followed. Arguments ended when Randy spoke.

Maybe that's why Chris wanted so badly to be like him.

Truthfully...I understood the feeling.

Hell, part of me wanted to be him too.

Sunday morning arrived far too quickly. We all gathered around the playground, laughing and pretending the afternoon wasn't coming. My stomach twisted tighter with every passing minute. In just a few hours Randy's sister would pick him up from the court, and then it would be months before I saw him again.

We'd write.

At least, that was the plan.

But I'd watched that promise fade before. Torri's letters and texts had started as an everyday thing before slowly disappearing altogether. Distance had a way of winning.

Randy reached for my hand, leading me a short distance away from the group until we stood beside an old parked car. He gently backed me against it before kissing me, slow and lingering, as if he could somehow make time stop.

"I'll write as soon as I'm back," he whispered against my lips. "Tia...I love you."

The words settled heavily in my chest.

I wanted to say them back.

God, I wanted to.

But every time I tried, I was pulled back to the day he'd disappeared from my life, the day he'd broken my heart without an explanation. That fear still lived inside me, refusing to let the words escape.

Instead, I kissed him.

One more touch.

One more memory.

I poured every feeling I couldn't say into that kiss. Somehow we always fit together perfectly, moving in effortless rhythm like we'd been doing it forever.

A chorus of whistles and exaggerated cheers broke through the moment.

I'd completely forgotten our audience.

Randy hadn't.

He only smiled, pulled me back into his arms, and kissed me again—harder this time, completely unconcerned with the crowd watching.

When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against mine.

"You'll always be mine."

A few minutes later he climbed into his sister's car. As it pulled away, he leaned out the window and waved.

I blew him one last kiss until the car disappeared around the corner.

I stood there for a second longer, trying to ignore the ache settling in my chest.