Read Online Tough Love by Marcie Bridges - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marcie Bridges
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only 16 years old, but my time with Brendan had done so much damage that I wasn’t sure anyone else would want to be with me. Each day I spent with Micah was another chance for my self-esteem to heal, to build.
Since we’d spent most of Thanksgiving Day at my house, I told Micah we should spend Christmas at his. I had a wonderful morning with my family before Mom drove me over to his place for lunch. When I walked in to the little house that Micah shared with his mom and brother, I noticed there was a two-person table set up in his bedroom for us to eat. It was not fancy, but it was very charming and we had a wonderful time.
“Are you ready to open your presents?” he asked when we’d finished eating.
I couldn’t hide my excitement. “Yes!”
Micah went to their tree and picked up a small package wrapped in red paper with pictures of Rudolph and Santa on it. He returned, beaming with anticipation. I could see the eagerness on his face while I opened the little box. I gasped; it was a stunning pearl and white gold ring.
“Micah, oh my gosh. This is so beautiful!”
“I’m glad you like it,” he responded, lifting the ring out of the box and placing it in the palm of my hand. “I’m not going to put it on you because I don’t want you to think that I have any ideas, but I wanted you to have it as my promise that I’m not going anywhere.” He lifted my chin to look me straight in the eye. “I will not leave you like he did. You have my word.”
With tears in my eyes and shaking hands, I picked up the ring and placed it on the ring finger of my right hand. I almost felt guilty. I did not want to mislead him in any way. I was not ready for anything more than a high school romance, and it was important to me that Micah understood that. But the commitment we were making at this moment was important as well: that we would stay together unless one of us felt we were not meant to be.
I met his eyes and leaned in to kiss him deeply. “Thank you, Micah. I really love it!”
The rest of Christmas Day was lovely, having fun and laughing together. We went outside in the Ohio cold for a snowball fight, then came in dripping and freezing for some delicious hot chocolate. Before I left that night, Micah’s mom, Lora, pulled me aside to tell me more about my ring.
“This was my ring when I was with Micah’s father, and although we aren’t together anymore, the ring still means a lot to me. Be good to it, Janessa.”
“I will. Thank you for trusting me with it.”
“You’re welcome. The only thing that I ask is that if for some reason you don’t become my daughter-in-law, Micah gets it back.”
I smiled at her. “I can live with that.”
Just then I heard the honk of Mom’s car, so I gave Lora a hug, kissed Micah goodbye and headed out the door. I hopped in the car, welcoming the warmth of the heater on my cold fingertips. I wasn't quite ready to show the ring to my mom, so I conveniently hid my right hand under my thigh while we talked about my evening.
As we chatted, I couldn't help but think of Brendan. It was Christmas Day, after all, and I wondered what he was doing at that moment. Was he at a party or a club with his new friends? Were he, Justin, and Greg exchanging gifts the way lovers do? I felt guilty for even thinking of him when I had Micah’s ring on my finger…
That night I dreamed of Brendan placing an engagement ring on my finger, with my smiling family surrounding us. It was perfect, and that's how I knew it would never come true.
Micah and I were having so much fun being a couple. Time was going fast, and it wasn’t long before we were thinking about prom and preparing for finals. We had decided several months earlier that we would attend his prom, since it was his senior year; I still had the next year to enjoy my senior prom. I continued to proudly wear the ring he had given me for Christmas on my right hand. I liked for others to know that I was his, but I still wasn’t ready
Since we’d spent most of Thanksgiving Day at my house, I told Micah we should spend Christmas at his. I had a wonderful morning with my family before Mom drove me over to his place for lunch. When I walked in to the little house that Micah shared with his mom and brother, I noticed there was a two-person table set up in his bedroom for us to eat. It was not fancy, but it was very charming and we had a wonderful time.
“Are you ready to open your presents?” he asked when we’d finished eating.
I couldn’t hide my excitement. “Yes!”
Micah went to their tree and picked up a small package wrapped in red paper with pictures of Rudolph and Santa on it. He returned, beaming with anticipation. I could see the eagerness on his face while I opened the little box. I gasped; it was a stunning pearl and white gold ring.
“Micah, oh my gosh. This is so beautiful!”
“I’m glad you like it,” he responded, lifting the ring out of the box and placing it in the palm of my hand. “I’m not going to put it on you because I don’t want you to think that I have any ideas, but I wanted you to have it as my promise that I’m not going anywhere.” He lifted my chin to look me straight in the eye. “I will not leave you like he did. You have my word.”
With tears in my eyes and shaking hands, I picked up the ring and placed it on the ring finger of my right hand. I almost felt guilty. I did not want to mislead him in any way. I was not ready for anything more than a high school romance, and it was important to me that Micah understood that. But the commitment we were making at this moment was important as well: that we would stay together unless one of us felt we were not meant to be.
I met his eyes and leaned in to kiss him deeply. “Thank you, Micah. I really love it!”
The rest of Christmas Day was lovely, having fun and laughing together. We went outside in the Ohio cold for a snowball fight, then came in dripping and freezing for some delicious hot chocolate. Before I left that night, Micah’s mom, Lora, pulled me aside to tell me more about my ring.
“This was my ring when I was with Micah’s father, and although we aren’t together anymore, the ring still means a lot to me. Be good to it, Janessa.”
“I will. Thank you for trusting me with it.”
“You’re welcome. The only thing that I ask is that if for some reason you don’t become my daughter-in-law, Micah gets it back.”
I smiled at her. “I can live with that.”
Just then I heard the honk of Mom’s car, so I gave Lora a hug, kissed Micah goodbye and headed out the door. I hopped in the car, welcoming the warmth of the heater on my cold fingertips. I wasn't quite ready to show the ring to my mom, so I conveniently hid my right hand under my thigh while we talked about my evening.
As we chatted, I couldn't help but think of Brendan. It was Christmas Day, after all, and I wondered what he was doing at that moment. Was he at a party or a club with his new friends? Were he, Justin, and Greg exchanging gifts the way lovers do? I felt guilty for even thinking of him when I had Micah’s ring on my finger…
That night I dreamed of Brendan placing an engagement ring on my finger, with my smiling family surrounding us. It was perfect, and that's how I knew it would never come true.
Micah and I were having so much fun being a couple. Time was going fast, and it wasn’t long before we were thinking about prom and preparing for finals. We had decided several months earlier that we would attend his prom, since it was his senior year; I still had the next year to enjoy my senior prom. I continued to proudly wear the ring he had given me for Christmas on my right hand. I liked for others to know that I was his, but I still wasn’t ready
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