Her Legacy

XI. Cold

"When truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie." Yevgeny Yevtushenko

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Chapter XI – Cold

Shea didn't let go of my hand as he drove me home, which made driving a stick all the more impressive. He somehow managed to change gears and drive one handed.

He was going between ten to twenty miles over the limit as we went through town. The one benefit of the party was that there were no cars on the road as everyone was at Zoey's.

"Aside from the jackass who won't be named, did you have fun tonight?" Shea asked me as we drove down the main street.

"Oh, yeah, kneeing Kyle Eckhart in the balls was a joy," I joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. I could feel the energy in the cab of Shea's truck. He was still full of adrenaline.

But he did laugh. "You impress me, you know. You do something every day that impresses me."

I cocked my head at him. That was actually a really sweet and thoughtful compliment. I never thought I would be impressive to anyone. I never endeavoured to be. I was just me. And if Shea found that impressive then ... God, I hope he kissed me tonight. I wouldn't have the balls to initiate it.

Which was ironic considering I'd practically amputated Kyle's balls only a few hours ago.

"With four minutes to spare," Shea remarked, gesturing to the digital clock on his dash as he pulled into my driveway.

"Will you stay tonight?" I asked him, feeling incredibly vulnerable all of a sudden.

Shea placed his hand behind my headrest and turned his torso towards me. "I wish I could, but I can't tonight. I've got to check on my mom. See to some family stuff." He sighed. "Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"I made plans with my mom tomorrow," I said regretfully in a quiet voice. "And considering the circumstances, I really think it's important that we hang out so that she can see nothing has changed. Maybe ... maybe you could meet us for dinner? I'll ask and call you if she's okay with it." If Mom could see just how non-threatening Shea was then I hoped she could come around to the idea of me having a boyfriend.

"Sounds good. Hey, if you're not busy on Sunday, would you like to come over to my house and meet my family? I know you've obviously already met Cece, but I'd like my mom to meet my girlfriend."

I felt completely stupid as my heart skipped a beat at the word. Casually, I attempted to ask, "Your girlfriend?"

"Oh," Shea's voice dropped. "I mean, that's what I thought you were. I'm sorry if I've made a mistake." I could tell that Shea really thought he'd put his foot in it.

"Shea, I'd love to meet your mom, as your girlfriend," I assured him.

Even in the dark, I could see that Shea was grinning. "Yeah?" he checked excitedly. "Great, well I'll pick you up at like eleven? You can come over for lunch or something?" Shea suddenly looked back at the clock on his dash and cursed under his breath. "You better get inside, Sara."

It was one minute to curfew. With that, I knew he wasn't going to kiss me tonight. "Right, okay." I nodded and climbed out of his car. I started towards my house, getting halfway up the driveway before something grabbed my arm.

I was suddenly spun around and before I knew it, Shea's lips were on mine. I was almost too surprised to react, having completely dismissed this idea not ten seconds ago. But it suddenly hit me that I was kissing Shea!