Authors: Suzannah Daniels
Dara
On
Sunday, I awoke early, excited that things with both my mother and Stone seemed
to be improving. I lay in bed, scrolling through my emails. With everything
that had been happening, I hadn’t been checking them lately, and when one
particular email caught my eye, I immediately stopped scrolling. The subject
line indicated that it was the newsletter from Quail Mountain Books. When I
opened it, I saw the article that I had written about Luke’s Book Club, but it
was the article directly below it that captured my full attention.
Frankenstein
by Mary W. Shelley
Review
by Stone Hamilton
I
must confess that I’m not much of a reader, but it was one of my late brother’s
favorite pastimes. In fact, it is in his memory that this new book club is
named. Luke was more than my twin brother. He was my best friend. Frankenstein
was chosen from his personal book collection, and having read it, I’d like to
offer my thoughts on it as a tribute to Luke.
Since
I have no experience writing book reviews and I don’t want to give away the
plot, let me just say that Victor Frankenstein was a scientist with an
insatiable desire to create life from death, and his drive and determination
ensured his success, resulting in his creation that is often referred to as a
monster. I was surprised to find that in today’s world, most of us refer to
the monster as Frankenstein; although, in the novel, Frankenstein is the name
of the scientist, as noted above, and the monster actually remains nameless.
But
rather than focus on the story itself, I’m going to focus on the feelings that
it evoked. The novel explores emotions, such as loneliness and bitterness.
Both are feelings that I’ve experienced myself since the death of my brother,
and I was surprised by how well I could relate to Frankenstein’s creation. We
all just want to experience love and companionship in some capacity. Let me
just say that reading this novel will make you stop and think about how
important your relationships with the ones that you love really are. It will make
you think about how devastating loneliness and unhappiness can be.
If
you’ve ever experienced loneliness, then you know that sometimes, we are
fortunate enough to find someone who can save us from it. When that person
comes along, perhaps we should hold on and never let go because without
happiness, we have nothing.
He
had actually read the book. I thought that he would’ve gotten Tom or Brandy to
do the review, but he hadn’t. He had read it himself.
The
review wasn’t what I expected, but I found it quite beautiful. In fact, it had
worked out well that it was Stone who had written it. Who better to talk about
Luke? And by focusing on the emotions, he had made most everyone able to
relate to his review.
I
reread the last paragraph, and I couldn’t prevent the tears that filled my
eyes. Was he referring to me? I read it again, and I realized that Stone was
that person for me. He was the one who was saving me from loneliness,
especially now that I no longer had Granny.
The
muffled sound of Emma’s high-pitched cry drifted through my closed bedroom
door, and an amazing feeling blossomed in my chest. Not only did I have Stone,
but I also had my mother and my little sister. I smiled to myself, realizing
that it was going to be a good day.
***
I
helped my mother retrieve her things from Oakley while Stone worked at the
bookstore. It was strange in a good way to spend time with her, and when we
arrived back home, we spent the remainder of the day cleaning. Granny’s house
had been closed up for several months, and although, Granny and I had checked
on it periodically, it needed to be freshened up.
When
my mom had finished feeding Emma, I rocked her on the front porch in the warm,
spring air. It didn’t take her long to go to sleep, and I marveled at how tiny
she was. I could remember Granny rocking me on this porch in this rocker when
I was a toddler. Looking back, rocking with Granny was probably my favorite
way to spend time with her when I was young. Granny and this front porch
represented home, a place of serenity and warmth and unconditional love.
Emma
stretched, and her lips began making sucking motions. I ran my fingers over
her crown, feeling the downy hair that was barely visible. My thoughts drifted
to Stone, and I wondered if we were to have a child whether the baby’s hair
would be light like mine or dark like his.
The
door creaked as my mother stepped onto the porch. Her hair was pulled into a
ponytail, and her khaki shorts and navy tee shirt were smudged with dust.
“All
the furniture’s been dusted,” Mom announced, rubbing her palms together as if
she were removing any lingering motes. “And your sheets are in the dryer.”
She stepped closer, admiring her newborn daughter. “She likes you.”
“She’s
amazing,” I said in a hushed tone, afraid that if I spoke normally I might
startle her. Unable to stop touching her, my fingertips grazed the soft skin
on her arms.
“Yes,
she is,” my mom agreed. “Just like her big sister.”
I
grinned, surprised at how much I liked the sound of that. It dawned on me just
how much I was going to enjoy my new role.
***
Stone
“I
need you to do me a favor.”
Dylan
looked at me like I’d just grown a third eye.
“Like
that’s gonna happen,” he mumbled before giving his laptop his full attention
again.
I
exhaled loudly, gazing at the view from our back patio. Seated in a chaise
lounge, Dylan typed on his keyboard, paying me no mind.
“Come
on, Dylan. It’s important.”
He
glared at me. “Important, huh? Is it as important as stealing my girlfriend?”
“Shit,
Dylan. Would you get over it already? That was two years ago, and I didn’t
steal her.”
“No,
you just made out with her.”
“She
came to me.”
“Is
that supposed to make me feel better?” he asked, slapping his laptop shut and
barreling toward me until he was standing in my personal space. He was a
couple of inches shorter than I was, and I tilted my head down, so that I could
make eye contact.
“I
was drunk, and if you remember correctly, it was your friends who were shoving
the beers in my hand.”
“And
I guess they were pouring them down your throat, too?” he thundered, his hand
curling into fists.
“No.”
I forced my gaze away from his. I wished that I could say that once I’d
sobered up I’d felt bad about it, but the truth was, at that point in time, I
couldn’t have cared less. Girls always seemed to be my downfall. “I’m sorry,
Dylan.” It was the first time I’d ever apologized to him about that incident.
“Now
that I have a girlfriend, I guess I can understand how you must’ve felt,” I
added.
“Where
is she?” he demanded, his eyebrows framing his blue eyes in angry slashes. “I
owe you one.”
I
snatched his shirt in my fist, and I leaned in close to his face. “You lay one
hand on her and your ass is mine.”
He
shoved me, and I staggered back a step. Then, he followed up with a blow to my
jaw.
My
head snapped back, and I immediately threw a retaliatory punch to his face.
Rage washed through my body like rampant flood waters. When he pulled his arm
back and prepared to throw another punch, I ducked and tackled him to the stone
patio, sending a blow to his ribs.
He
grunted.
I
punched him in the ribs again, and he tried to shove me off of him. I outweighed
him, and his efforts did little good.
He
landed another blow to my jaw, and we wrestled for several more minutes until I
had him in a headlock, the scuffle dissipating some of my anger.
“Stay
away from Dara,” I warned, releasing him.
He
lay on the ground, panting. Pulling himself into a seated position, he said
quietly, “You must love her.”
I
looked at him, surprised by his words.
“I
can’t imagine spending another day without her,” I said, and it was the truth.
Resigned that we needed to put the past behind us once and for all, I offered
him my hand. He took it, and I pulled him onto his feet. “But I wasn’t
kidding about you staying away from her,” I reiterated before I released his
hand.
He
laughed as if I’d said something extremely humorous, and I wondered if I was
going to need to punch him again.
“I
have no intentions of messing with your girlfriend,” he finally said. “I’ll
have no problem finding my own.”
“Which
brings me back to the favor that I need from you,” I said.
“Even
though I’ll accept your apology, I’m not sure I’m into granting you any favors
yet.”
“Mom
and Dad are going to be out of town this coming weekend. I want to have the
house to myself on Saturday night.”
“And
why is that?”
“I
have something special planned for Dara.”
He
walked over to the railing and looked out over the valley, the wind ruffling
his hair. Rings of sweat darkened his gray tee shirt under his arms, a
reminder of our physical exertion from a moment ago. I realized that I was
hot, too, and the breeze felt good.
I
said nothing as he studied the view below. Finally, he turned and faced me. “I
see no reason why I should leave just because you want to be here with your
girl.”
I
could feel the anger bubbling up inside of me. Trying to keep a calm head, I decided
to make him an offer. “How about I get you a date with a smokin’ hot girl in
exchange for you staying away on Saturday night?”
“I
don’t need your help getting a date.”
“Suit
yourself.” I turned and walked toward the back door that led into the house.
“What
does she look like?”
I
grinned and turned to look at Dylan. “She’s sexy, bro. She has dark hair,
dark eyes, and a hot body. Trust me, you’ll like her.”
He
scoffed. “I have no reason to trust you, but since I have nothing better to do
on Saturday night, I’ll take you up on your offer.”
“Deal.”
I turned and went in the house. Now all I had to do was convince Scarlet Cruze
to go out with him, and she freaking hated me.
I
went to my bedroom and called Crimson.
“Hello.”
“Crimson,
I need you to do me a favor.”
“What
do you need?”
“I
need you to convince Scarlet to go out with my brother.”
Crimson
laughed incredulously. “You know you’re one of Scarlet’s least favorite
people, right? What makes you think she’d want to get anywhere near your
brother?”
“He’s
a good looking guy, not as handsome as me, of course, but he can turn a chick’s
head.”
“News
flash. Scarlet likes braniacs.”
“Then
she’s in luck because my brother is highly intelligent. Now, can you help me
out or not?”
She
sighed. “Yes. I’m sure that if nothing else, I can find some way to blackmail
her.”
“Blackmail
works. I need you to get her to agree to go out with him on Saturday night. I
want to get him out of the house, so that I can have some time with Dara.”
“Can’t
you pay him a few bucks and send him out for pizza?”
“I
thought you said Scarlet needed a date.”
“She
does.”
“All
right, then. Make it happen.” I supposed that in some strange way, I felt
like I owed my brother. Even though Scarlet hated me, I knew she was the
perfect match for Dylan. And if I could finally win Scarlet over, maybe she’d
talk favorably about me to Dara instead of filling her head with all those damn
notions that had negative connotations.
Once
I’d gotten off the phone, I jumped in the shower, relieved that my plan was
finally coming together.
Stone
“No
parties,” my dad warned as he and Mom stood on the front porch, looking back at
me as I curled my fingers around the doorknob, wishing they’d leave already.
“Did
you warn Dylan, too?” I asked, annoyed that it was the third time he said those
words to me.
“It’s
not Dylan I’m worried about,” my dad muttered.
I
rolled my eyes. “I’m not having a party, Dad.” And if I was, his words of
warning wouldn’t stop me, and he knew that.
“Bye,
honey,” Mom said as she waved her hand. She turned to usher my father towards
the car.
“Bye.”
As soon as they were out of my line of vision, I closed the door.
If
I was going to pull off the most memorable evening for Dara ever, I had to get
busy.
***
“So
you know how to get to Scarlet’s house, right?” I asked Dylan. He had to pick
her up in fifteen minutes, and I didn’t want anything to go wrong that might
send him back here with me.
“Yes.
I’ve got this, Stone.”
“Then
get the hell out of here.” I thumbed toward the front door. “And don’t do
anything to piss her off,” I added. I didn’t need any repercussions from Dara
if he did something to antagonize Scarlet. That girl didn’t need more
ammunition to point her guns at me.
“What’s
gotten into you?” Dylan asked. “I’ve never seen you nervous about anything.”
“I’m
not nervous. I’m just trying to make sure you don’t screw my plans up.”
He
scoffed. “Don’t worry about me. If anybody screws your plan up, it’ll be
you.”
Like
I needed a reminder. “Bye, Dylan.” I opened the front door and waited for him
to leave.
He
walked out without saying another word, saluting as he passed.
Relieved
that he was finally out of my hair, I began the long preparation for our
special night. It took me a while to set everything up the way I wanted. Once
I had made sure for the tenth time that the evening had been planned perfectly,
I took a quick shower, put on my tux, and headed out the door to pick her up.
Now
all I had to do was enjoy the evening with my girl.
***
Dara
“I
can’t believe you got her to agree to go out with Stone’s brother,” I said to
Crimson as she helped me put the finishing touches on my makeup.
“I
know, right? I thought she would freak out about it, but I think that,
secretly, she liked the idea. It makes me wonder if Stone was on to something
that day when Chance was at your house and he told Scarlet that she was
jealous.” Crimson dabbed a brush into a pearly beige eye shadow and blended it
around my eye.
“You
think Scarlet is jealous of Stone?” I asked incredulously.
“I
don’t know. Maybe not Stone, in particular. Maybe she’s just jealous that you
have a steady boyfriend and she doesn’t. Maybe she’s just lonely. I can’t
even remember the last time she went out on a date.”
“Yeah,
maybe you’re right. At any rate, I hope she has a good time tonight with
Dylan. Do you and Mike have plans?”
“We’re
gonna go eat at Awesome Sauce and go for a motorcycle ride,” Crimson replied.
“Who knows? Maybe we can all go on a triple date one day soon.”
I
grunted. “Yeah, well, before you start making plans, you better see how
Scarlet does tonight. She’s liable to come back home ready to string Dylan up,
along with Stone.”
“I
guess we’ll know soon enough.” Crimson took a step back, admiring her
handiwork. “There you go.”
I
looked in the mirror. Scarlet had fixed my hair before she left for her date,
and soft curls hung just below my shoulder. Crimson had done a fabulous job on
my makeup. The soft shades of brown that she chose gave me a more natural
look, and my eyes were vibrant like…Kawasaki green, at least that’s what Stone
would think. I applied a glimmering sheen of pink gloss and rubbed my lips
together.
When
I walked into the living room, my mother gasped. Her hands quickly covered her
mouth. She sprang from the couch and gently touched the curls framing my face.
“You
look beautiful,” she whispered. “I’m so glad that I get to see you in your
prom dress.”
I
gave her a quick hug. “Thanks, Mom.” I was thankful that she was here, but I
missed Granny. This house didn’t seem the same without her, and everywhere I
looked, a memory flashed in my mind.
Emma
released a high-pitched shriek, bringing me out of my reverie. A pitiful cry
ensued, and my mom quickly picked her up.
“Are
you hungry, baby?” my mom cooed, and I wondered if she had soothed me in that
same voice when I was a newborn. She offered my sister a pacifier, and Emma
took it eagerly, making loud sucking noises.
A
knock sounded at the door.
“He’s
here!” Surprised at the nervous energy buzzing through my veins, I swung the
door open and invited him in.
“You
look amazing,” he said softly before taking me by the elbow and kissing me on
the cheek. He turned to my mother. “Hi, Ms. Golding. How are you tonight?”
“I’m
here with my two beautiful daughters,” she said. “It doesn’t get any better
than this.”
I
smiled at her words, thinking of all the times that I’d wished I could hear my
mother say something just like that.
Stone
put his arm around my waist, his fingers splaying possessively across my hip.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to borrow this beautiful daughter for a while.”
Mom
smiled at Stone. “I don’t mind a bit. Y’all have fun.”
Stone
turned his attention to Crimson and gave her a fist bump. “I owe you one.”
“Yes,
you do. It was quite difficult to get her to agree to go out with someone who
looks so much like you.” She winked at me.
“It
must’ve been hard for her,” Stone said, a serious expression on his face, “to
go out with Dylan when she really wanted to go out with me.”
Crimson
snorted, and I punched him in the side, eliciting a tiny grunt from his lips.
“Yeah,
I’ll tell her you said that,” Crimson spouted, her arms akimbo.
He
laughed. “I thought you liked me, Crimson.”
She
frowned at him. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got a hot date with Mike tonight.”
“We
need to get going, too,” Stone said. “Bye, Ms. Golding.”
“Bye.”
He
walked over to Emma and gently stroked her fist, his hand appearing gigantic
next to hers. “Bye, Emma.” Her eyes opened wide, and she waved a tiny fist at
him.
“See,”
he said, turning to me. “Emma loves me.” He focused on her again. “Don’t
you, Emma?”
“She’s
a newborn. She doesn’t know any better,” I joked.
He
slapped his hand across his heart like my words had wounded him.
I
smiled at him and blew Emma a kiss. “I’ll see you later, Mom.”
Stone
was the perfect gentleman, opening the car door for me and helping me with my
dress as I sat in the passenger seat. Even though I’d seen him in his tux
about a month ago, he still took my breath away with his dark hair, combed to
perfection, his clear blue eyes the color of the morning glories that grew
around the mailbox.
As
he bent down to place a light kiss on my lips, his masculine scent swirled
around me. I felt just as giddy around him now as I did the first day that I
began working at the bookstore with him almost a year ago.
“You
look really sexy,” he whispered against my lips.
“I
know,” I replied, thinking about a conversation we’d had long ago.
“Modesty,”
he said quietly, standing upright. “I like that in a girl.”
I
smiled, knowing that he was remembering the exact same conversation.
We
didn’t speak much on the way to his house. My heart nearly beat out of my
chest with anticipation. I wasn’t sure what he’d had in mind when he referred
to tonight’s date as extra special. I knew he wanted to take our relationship
to the next step, but he knew that I wasn’t ready. I had a crippling fear of
turning out like my parents, and I never wanted any child to go through some of
the things that I’d been through. Granny had been my one bright spot, and
while I was glad that my mom was in my life, I couldn’t help but wonder how
long it would last. Hopefully, Emma would be enough motivation for her to stay
on the right track.
He
parked in the driveway, and I waited as he strode quickly to my side of the car
and opened the door. After he offered me his hand, I placed my palm in his,
and he assisted me from the car, my lime green dress flowing around my legs.
He escorted me down the sidewalk, and when we entered the living room, he
seated me on the couch.
“Close
your eyes,” he said silkily, and I obeyed. “Don’t peek.”
“I
won’t,” I promised.
I
heard his footsteps as he crossed the room and opened what I assumed to be the
back door. A few minutes later, I heard his footsteps again as he approached
me.
“Keep
them closed,” he instructed as his warm hands wrapped around my wrists, and he
helped me up. With my hand in his, we crossed the room.
“Okay.
You can open them now,” he whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my
skin.
Slowly,
I opened them, the sight before me the most beautiful thing I’d ever
experienced. My hands rose to my chest, my breath catching in my lungs.
“You
did this for me?” I whispered, stunned and amazed.
“I
promised you an extra special date, and I intend to keep every promise that
I’ve ever made you.”
The
sunset gleamed vibrant hues of orange and pink, like swirls of sherbet. Clear,
bright lights twinkled brilliantly on the patio. They wrapped around the
railing that overlooked the valley and around decorative, potted trees. He had
arranged a makeshift canopy out of strands of lights that crisscrossed
overhead.
Pale
pink rose petals dotted the patio stones, and a small decorative table, made of
glass and black swirls of iron, boasted a vase filled with at least two dozen
roses, their rosy color contrasting with the white of the baby’s breath.
Besides
the gorgeous, overflowing vase of roses, the table held what appeared to be a
wine bottle nestled in a silver ice bucket and two, glass champagne flutes.
“It’s
beautiful,” I whispered, filled with awe.
“And
yet it still can’t compare to you.” His fingers brushed across my shoulder,
sending tiny jolts of excitement through my body.
He
released me, and instantly, I missed the heat of his hands.
“I’ll
be right back,” he promised.
I
nodded, turning my gaze to the setting sun. Soft music replaced the silence,
and I was relieved when I felt his hands on my shoulders, my back brushing
against his chest. “Since it’s our prom, we’ll only have slow dances,” he
whispered in my ear. His soft lips kissed the tender flesh of my neck, and I
trembled beneath his gentle touch.
He
gently turned me around and pulled me into his arms as we swayed to the music. I
felt safer at this moment than I had since Granny’s death. Everything about
being in Stone’s arms felt right.
I
laid my head against his shoulder, breathing deeply of his cologne. Snaking my
arms under his jacket and around his waist, I pulled him closer to me, wanting
to feel the security of his body against mine.
His
palm pressed against the back of my head as if he, too, wanted us to be
closer. Resting his chin on top of my head, he hugged me to him. His arms
wrapped around me like I was something precious to be cherished. “I love you,
Dara.”
He
had spoken four simple words, and I’d heard them from him many times before.
But in this one moment, they nearly brought me to my knees with their power,
their meaning. Everyone needed to be loved, and I was no different. Maybe it
was the beauty of this moment or the loss of Granny or magic emanating from the
moon as it ascended to the sky, but at this moment, even more than needing to
be loved, I needed to be loved by Stone.
Stone
“I
love you, too,” she whispered, her soft voice flowing over me.
Damn,
she was so sweet in my arms. When she nuzzled into my neck, I wanted nothing
more than to hold her like this forever, to protect her, to cherish her, to
love her. She stirred emotions within me that I’d never experienced, and I
wanted to be everything to her.
My
fingers splayed across her hips, and I kissed her temple, raining kisses along
the side of her face until she tilted towards me, offering me her lips. I
started out gently, my tongue teasing her warm, supple lips. When she opened
to me, I deepened the kiss and devoured her, unable to resist the temptation.