him to call, but he hadn’t. I was worried. I wanted to call him, but I was afraid he would get in trouble. It occurred to me that Kai was over eighteen, and he could leave anytime he wanted. Yet, for some reason, he stuck around and let his mother treat him like crap. I didn’t understand that. I knew I would be there for my mother, but then again, she didn’t treat me so miserably.
I finally managed to finish my homework around ten-thirty, and I put my stuff in my backpack. I washed my face and brushed my teeth more slowly than normal, but still he didn’t call. I put on my nightshirt and brushed my hair, but my phone did not ring.
I placed my phone on the nightstand and climbed into bed. I hadn’t slept in nearly two days, and I was thoroughly exhausted. I lied there staring at my phone for a while, and I finally drifted to sleep.
About two-thirty in the morning my phone beeped. I had a text message. I fiddled with my phone, and I finally got the message opened. It said:
“I love you.”
I stared at the message in disbelief. My heart thumped so hard I could feel it in my throat. Why did he tell me this via text message? Could he not call? I wanted to call him, but I was afraid of what might happen. What if I set his mother off?
I typed a message back:
“Can u call?”
I pressed send and waited. A few moments later he sent:
“No. :(“
So I wrote back:
“Wanted 2 talk in person.”
A few seconds later he said:
“Check ur email.”
I threw back the covers and walked over to my desk. I flipped open my laptop and loaded my email client. I had an email from him. I didn’t even know he knew my email address, and then I remembered he’d helped me add my email account to my phone. I opened the email and read it.
“Alice, I miss you more than I can stand.
Mom is drunk, and she’s acting crazy again. She said the only way she’d stay home is if I stayed with her, and I didn’t want her out driving drunk again. I’m sorry. I want to talk to you so much, but if she hears me talking to you she will seriously freak out.
I’m sorry about sending that text message. I’m not sorry I said it, because it’s true. I’m just sorry I didn’t have the guts to say it while I was at your house today.
I love you,
Kai”
My heart was doing somersaults in my chest. I wanted to be with him so badly. I ached in the pit of my stomach. I quickly sent him a reply.
“Kai,
I miss you, too. You have no idea how much. My stomach is in knots because I can hardly stand to be away from you.
I can’t explain it, but I’ve fallen for you. I never thought I could fall in love, to tell you the truth. But I have – with you. I never expected it would happen so fast or I would fall so hard, but I have.
I love you more than I can express in words, and I long to tell you in person.
All my love,
Alice”
I hit the send button, and I started to climb back into bed. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep as tired as I was, so I went downstairs to find a snack. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, something caught my eye in the parlor.
“Mother?” I asked, rubbing my sleepy eyes.
“Alice, darling,” she acknowledged. “What are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” I responded.
“Come,” she said, beckoning for me to sit with her.
I sat down beside my mother, and she put her arm around me. She didn’t do this often, so it was a little surprising. She was a loving mother, but she wasn’t much for touchy-feely stuff.
“I hear you’ve been seeing Kai Walker,” Mother said gently.
“Yes, just for a couple of days,” I admitted. “You know him?”
“Indeed, I do,” she said. “It is time for you to know.”
Over the next hour, my mother related a story to me that I never could have imagined. Apparently, when my father started spending a lot of time away from home, she had hired Kai’s father to work as our gardener. She and Mr. Walker had begun having an affair.
My father found out, and he
I finally managed to finish my homework around ten-thirty, and I put my stuff in my backpack. I washed my face and brushed my teeth more slowly than normal, but still he didn’t call. I put on my nightshirt and brushed my hair, but my phone did not ring.
I placed my phone on the nightstand and climbed into bed. I hadn’t slept in nearly two days, and I was thoroughly exhausted. I lied there staring at my phone for a while, and I finally drifted to sleep.
About two-thirty in the morning my phone beeped. I had a text message. I fiddled with my phone, and I finally got the message opened. It said:
“I love you.”
I stared at the message in disbelief. My heart thumped so hard I could feel it in my throat. Why did he tell me this via text message? Could he not call? I wanted to call him, but I was afraid of what might happen. What if I set his mother off?
I typed a message back:
“Can u call?”
I pressed send and waited. A few moments later he sent:
“No. :(“
So I wrote back:
“Wanted 2 talk in person.”
A few seconds later he said:
“Check ur email.”
I threw back the covers and walked over to my desk. I flipped open my laptop and loaded my email client. I had an email from him. I didn’t even know he knew my email address, and then I remembered he’d helped me add my email account to my phone. I opened the email and read it.
“Alice, I miss you more than I can stand.
Mom is drunk, and she’s acting crazy again. She said the only way she’d stay home is if I stayed with her, and I didn’t want her out driving drunk again. I’m sorry. I want to talk to you so much, but if she hears me talking to you she will seriously freak out.
I’m sorry about sending that text message. I’m not sorry I said it, because it’s true. I’m just sorry I didn’t have the guts to say it while I was at your house today.
I love you,
Kai”
My heart was doing somersaults in my chest. I wanted to be with him so badly. I ached in the pit of my stomach. I quickly sent him a reply.
“Kai,
I miss you, too. You have no idea how much. My stomach is in knots because I can hardly stand to be away from you.
I can’t explain it, but I’ve fallen for you. I never thought I could fall in love, to tell you the truth. But I have – with you. I never expected it would happen so fast or I would fall so hard, but I have.
I love you more than I can express in words, and I long to tell you in person.
All my love,
Alice”
I hit the send button, and I started to climb back into bed. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep as tired as I was, so I went downstairs to find a snack. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, something caught my eye in the parlor.
“Mother?” I asked, rubbing my sleepy eyes.
“Alice, darling,” she acknowledged. “What are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” I responded.
“Come,” she said, beckoning for me to sit with her.
I sat down beside my mother, and she put her arm around me. She didn’t do this often, so it was a little surprising. She was a loving mother, but she wasn’t much for touchy-feely stuff.
“I hear you’ve been seeing Kai Walker,” Mother said gently.
“Yes, just for a couple of days,” I admitted. “You know him?”
“Indeed, I do,” she said. “It is time for you to know.”
Over the next hour, my mother related a story to me that I never could have imagined. Apparently, when my father started spending a lot of time away from home, she had hired Kai’s father to work as our gardener. She and Mr. Walker had begun having an affair.
My father found out, and he
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