Chapter 38 Hope
HOPE
A few days later, we're at school, but instead of classes, we're all attending a bake sale, which is part of one of Heath’s business projects.. The football field is packed with stalls set up by the business students, buzzing with the energy of the entire eleventh and twelfth grade. Last year, I didn’t attend because being in the crowds isn’t my thing and also I had no one to support.
But this time, it’s different.
I have a boyfriend who looks every bit as grumpy as he checks the stall, making sure everything’s in order and organizing things on the table for the people.
If it weren’t for the grade and Sebastian’s begging he wouldn’t be doing this at all.
Regardless, I find it so sweet seeing him manage everything so easily.
He is cool, calm and collected while I’m a ball of nerves because I want today to go well for him. I want him to make a lot of sales.
“Are you sure you want me here?” I ask him for the third time, sensing so many questioning eyes on us.
“Yes,” Heath says meeting my gaze before going to work.
“What about Sebastian?”
“He’s going to attract the crowd to our stall.”
“And Marie?”
“She’s with him.”
“So, we’re alone.” I look around in panic.
“Why, Rose? Are you nervous to be alone with me?” Heath asks with a smirk.
I turn red, remembering how things have been between us lately. “No, that’s not it.”
“Then?”
“I just…” I cast another glance around and find those curious eyes still locked on me, making my skin crawl with ants. “You know, I’m terrible at confronting people. What if I mess up? And I don’t want to mess up. This is important to you and I—”
Stepping closer to me, he cups my chin and tilts it up. “You’re going to be fine. Don’t worry, I’m here with you.”
“I’ll hand you stuff and pack it.”
“I can handle that, but if that’s what you want to do then you can do it.”
“I want to help you.”
He smiles and I can’t help but smile too.
Leaning down, he kisses me. “You don’t need to help me. Just be here with me and it’d be enough.”
“I can pack stuff. I can do it.”
He grins and kisses me again. “Okay, Rose. Okay.”
A rush of confidence flows through my veins and the nervous energy thrumming in my blood quiets down.
I pretend it’s only him and I in this ground. And no one else.
It seems to work as I take out the blueberry cupackes from the box and neatly put them on the tray.
Heath’s mom made them fresh in the morning.
We were having dinner the other night and she mentioned how she’d heard that there would be a bake sale taking place and if he were a part of it.
At first he refused, saying it’s not something he likes to do, but only I knew what was the reason.
At bake sale you’re supposed to bring home-made stuff and Kelly has been visiting been her family, so Marie, Sebastian and I were going to make everything but she suggested that she wants to do it and for some reason Heath didn’t say a word more.
Marie and Sebastian made banana bread, cinnamon sourdough, and lemon bars.
Heath and I prepared chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and some other cookies.
It was the most fun I’d ever had, making all those things with him while his mother helped us along.
For a moment, my chest stopped aching and my sorrow seemed to disappear.
I felt comfortable inside those walls and room that were so different from the kitchen I had grown up with the people who’d had raised me.
Since the night mom has kicked me out, I haven’t recieved a single phone call or text from her. My fingers hover over her contact, lingering there, but never quite lowering enough to press the screen.
I’ve stayed with Heath for nearly a week now but it still feels like a strange place to me.
Carol hasn’t said anything to me about leaving and Xavier has been working in the city so I haven’t seen him since the morning I went on the date.
It’d be a lie if I say I’m not dreading his arrival.
That man holds power in the room. The air shifts moves at his command.
I’m sure the minute he comes back I’d be out of his mansion and even Heath wouldn’t be able to do anything.
That thought makes it hard for me to sleep at night.
And Heath has to hold me in his arms and talk to me until he’s the only thing I’m thinking about.Sometimes I fall asleep just listening to his voice, but there are moments when we talk for hours, and with each conversation, I understand him a little more.
He tells me about Emery and I tell him about my childhood.
Both topics only bring us pain and sadness, but saying the words out loud somehow make it hurt less.
Something broken inside us mends and the gaps between the walls fill.
I know I’ll never be the same if this bond between us ever breaks.
I’d never love anthoer guy like I love Heath Travon. I’d never trust him like I trust him. And I’d give myself to him like I’ve given myself to this guy.
Maybe I’m too young and my emotions are heightened, but I know what I feel. This love is just like the love I’ve read about in books. The kind of love stories made me believe in.
It’s always going to be him.
“Are you guys ready?” Marie asks, sprinting toward us before stopping at the table. “I talked to people, well, Sebastian did because he has better social skills than me. We convinced a few people to come to our stall, however they all looked scared when I said Heath will serve you.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It’s just the way your face looks.”
I bite my lip to hide my smile. I know what Marie is doing.
“What is wrong with my face, Blondie?” Heath scowls.
Marie rolls her eyes. “To serve customers you have to put on a smile.”
“I’m not smiling at strangers.”
“You have to.”
“I won’t,” he grumbles and focuses on writing something down on his notebook.
Marie turns to me with a smirk. “Hope, this grinch will scare our customers away and we can’t have that. So why don’t you smile at — ”
“She is not smiling at random people,” Heath says.
“She can speak for herself,” Marie aruges.
They both look at me and I shrug. “I can do it if it means we win.”
Marie grins and gives me a thumbs up. “Yay! We’re starting in five minutes. Good luck!”
Then she’s running in some other direction.
A heated stare burns the side of my face. I turn and find Heath gazing at me with an annoyed expression. “You don’t have to smile at fucking strangers.”
I laugh. “Why not? It’s just a smile.”
He shakes his head, looking down at his notebook. “It’s not just a smile.”
“What do you mean?” I step closer to him.
He scribbles something in his notebook, then looks up at me, his eyelashes gently framing bright blue eyes that look stunning in the sunlight.
“You have a beautiful smile, Rose. It was one of the reasons why I became so crazy about you.”
I blink, taken aback by his admission.
He drags a hand through his hair not looking at me. “I don’t want others to fall in love with you. I want it to be only me.”
“I’m sure that won’t happen. No guy has ever approached me before.”
Heath sighs heavily and finally meets my gaze. “If they do, I will break their jaw.”
I wince. “That’d be painful.”
He nods. “Exactly.”
After our conversation, people begin to stop by our stall.
It's only girls who linger across the table, eyeing my boyfriend, but he spares them not a glance. If anything, he’s focused on helping me pack their orders and ringing them up quickly, keeping the momentum going.
As they leave, the disappointment is clear on their faces.
I almost feel bad for them, but he’s mine.
A few guys make their way to our table and Heath stiffens beside me. I glance at him and he’s glaring at them.
Clearing my throat, I shoot them a tiny smile and show them around the table.
“I’d like a few blueberry muffins,” A guy with dark brown hair and good looks says, meeting my gaze.
“Sure.” I turn around to grab the bag, but my face collides with a wall of muscle. Heath stretches his arm around me, grabbing a few muffins and packing them into a box swiftly, all while my face is pressed against his chest. “Here you go.”
The guy pays, and Heath quickly rings him up and they’re gone.
I rub my nose and peek up at him. “What was that?”
Heath takes my hand and brings it down from my nose and inspects it himself. “What was what, Rose?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” I say.
His lips twitch as he caress my nose, the itch soothens. “I just served a customer.”
“The customer I was going to serve.”
“Too bad, I was quick,” he pecks the tip of my nose.
I melt in him. “You don’t have to be jealous.”
“I’m not.”
I frown. “Why’s that?”
“Because no one is taking you from me.”
“You sound confident.”
“I am,” He smiles down at me.
I roll my eyes and a chuckle breaks out of him.
Wrapping his arms around my waist, he kisses me slow and sweet.
Once we break apart, I raise my hand and try to mimick a smile on him but stretching the muscles on the side of his lips. “Smile more today.”
“I smile at you, does that count?”
I nod with a huge grin.
Then a thought pops into my head. “Don’t smile too much at the other girls, though.”
Heath bites down on his lower lip. “Other girls?”
I nod. “They were all waiting for you to look at them.”
“I didn’t even fucking notice because I was too busy looking at you.”
I blush so hard I have to press my cold hands to my cheeks.
Heath laughs and it’s one of those rare moments when he looks completely free and full of happiness.
“Lovebirds, keep it moving,” Marie calls out as she passes by our stall.
I quickly step away from Heath and stand next to him. “Let’s do it.”