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Our feelings for each other began to steamroll our common sense as Adonis and I continued touring with the band over the next few months. Any chance we got, we snuck off to be alone together. Adonis had no problem saying to his mother and father, "Selena's coming to the store with me for a few minutes," or, "Me and Selena are gonna go get some food. We'll be back."
Abraham would always say, "Alright, you two come right back," and off we'd go.
The minute that Adonis and I were out of sight, we would act like any normal couple, holding hands or walking with our arms around each other, or even chancing a breathless kiss during our precious few minutes of alone time, away from Abraham's watchful gaze.
We were always on the down low around his parents, but as the weeks turned into months, we gradually stopped caring about who else in the band knew about us. Everyone in the band had personal lives and secrets; we all had to figure ways around Abraham, who was a conservative man, a devout Jehovah's Witness, and a traditional father. We all knew how to keep secrets from him because nobody wanted to unleash his temper.
Besides, Abraham simply didn't see me as a candidate for Adonis's affection, and Adonis and I were so young that I'm sure most of the band members thought that our desire for each other would burn itself out and the relationship would end before long. Nobody realized the enduring bond we were forming as we fell in love-including Adonis and me.
Adonis usually took the lead in demonstrating our affection openly. I was too nervous about his father finding out to take much initiative. In fact, he used to love teasing me, knowing how anxious I was. I'd be hanging out in the back of the bus with Joe or Diane, or even with Mercedes, and he'd just come in and say, "Hi, baby. What's up?" and kiss me. Sometimes I'd be talking and he'd just walk in and come up behind me, wrapping his arms around my body and breathing into my neck, while his thumb would softly caress my stomach, taking advantage of the fact that I was almost always wearing a crop top.
That kind of display terrified Joe, because he didn't want to upset Abraham, but it was usually Mercedes who would say something.
"Adonis, why you gotta do all that in front of us?" Mercedes might ask, but Adonis would crack up. Like most pesky little brothers, Adonis loved getting a rise out of his big sister.
Between shows, Adonis and I saw each other as much as possible. I learned more about him as time went on, yet the more time I spent with Adonis, the more often he managed to surprise me. Once, for instance, we went horseback riding on the beach around the bay in Virginia Beach, out near Mustang Island, with a few friends. The horses were calm as we rode away from the barn, and we went at a nice little pace. It all felt very romantic as the horses cruised along the shoreline while Adonis and I chatted with our friends.
On the way back, though, the horses went crazy. The animals knew when they'd hit the end of the trail and could turn around; at that point, they practically wheeled in place to gallop back to the stables for feeding time or whatever.
Our friends were shouting, "Oh, shit!" as the horses raced back to the barn, terrified out of their minds. I could tell that Adonis was scared, too, but of course he was too cool to act scared in front of me, though. I, too, was a little startled, but I was afraid that if I panicked, my horse might run even faster, too. We still had fun though, and I watched as he loosened up, and I reassured him when he constantly asked me if I was okay and if I was having fun.
Often when I saw Adonis, he would bring me white roses, which were technically his favorite flower, but I always told him they were very pretty. We were also always on the phone with each other. We wrote love letters and cards to each other constantly. I still have boxes of cards-he saved every card I sent him.
Adonis wrote such sweet notes to me that it's bittersweet to read them, especially because he dated every one and I can remember what we were doing on those dates. "I love looking back to where we were, seeing us at the beginning of everything," he wrote once, "then slowly looking through the memories that we've made together that have brought us to where we are today."
