Текст книги "Perfectly Hopeless"

Автор книги: Holly Hood

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 11 страниц)

Maven nodded. It was hard to accept that anyone other than her family was willing to stand up for her, willing to be part of the gossip that seemed to always swirl around her.

“You ready to paint?” Henri said, kissing her cheek. He grinned, ignoring the shocked stares. Ignoring the whispers and every other detail, none of it mattered to him.

“Yes.” For once she didn’t drop her gaze to the ground. She looked the girls straight in the eye. She wasn’t going to back down. They quickly dropped their stares, turning back to their projects, leaving Maven and Henri to enjoy the day without judgment for once.

 

FEELINGS

MAVEN AND HENRI, as well as the rest of the volunteers, packed it up and called it a night. Every decoration was now wearing a fresh coat of black, turquoise, or white paint—the colors of the Hop this year.

Colors that were beautiful to Maven, even before it was all set up. Miss. Lisa even admitted that this year she was hoping to string lights from the willows.

“Tired?” Henri asked Maven. He smiled at the soft shake of her head. She had worked harder than anyone else, doing each and every thing anyone asked of her.

“What about you?”

Henri considered being honest. Truthfully he was worn out from standing all day, painting huge backdrops. His entire body hurt, more than usual even. But instead he just said, “Just fine, nothing sleep won’t cure.”

Maven slipped her fingers in between his. “Thanks again for today. You saved me.”

Henri shrugged, humble like usual. “Don’t exaggerate.”

“I’m not. That was a really nice thing you did for me.” She brushed some messy hair behind her ear. Her fingers flecked with teal paint. “It was sweet.”

Henri looked away. It was hard to know what to say next. She wasn’t letting him off the hook for doing such a kind deed, but the deed was nothing more than who he was. It didn’t feel like anything other than that. He didn’t like to see anyone hurt. It hurt more to watch someone miserable when you knew you could make them feel better. Maybe one day that would be his one true flaw, he thought to himself. He always regretted it later because a lot of the time people didn’t appreciate it. But Maven was different, he knew she did.

Henri looked at her. “Do you want me to walk you home?” The night was over, people were settling into their homes for the night. The stars were bright overhead guiding them down the cobblestones. Tiny bugs buzzing and whirring around.

Maven ignored his question, taking off across the stones and quickly she was disappearing down the hill, the last bit of her dress vanishing. Henri laughed, it seemed like the girl never wanted to go home.

He let out a ragged breath of air, tired from the jog. She was sitting on the dock, her shoes besides her. The moonlight reflecting off the water as she stared at it, her feet skimming the surface as she watched rings spilling outward from where her toes touched.

“I take it you don’t want to go home.” Henri sat down beside her. He too was barefoot, his shoes behind them a few feet. He was more aggressive with the water, kicking it off into the distance time and time again.

“No, I don’t.” She gripped the dock with her hands, watching their feet gliding through the water together.

“Why’s that?” Henri asked, slowing his movement, enjoying the cool feel against his skin.

“Because I enjoy your company.” Maven grinned, leaning into him. She scooted closer, her eyes glistening in the moonlight.

Henri searched her eyes. “Is that so?”

“It is.” She leaned in, snagging the back of his head with her hand, their foreheads meeting up. Henri lifted his head, catching her lips that were so eagerly heading for his. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her lips. The gentle way she slipped her fingertips through his hair.

Maven moved closer, wanting more from their encounter, but too afraid to take it herself. She wanted Henri to make the next move. She pulled away.

“I always have a nice time when I’m with you.” She sliced through the water with her foot waiting for Henri to get the hint that she liked him. She stared at the water waiting patiently.

Henri pursed his lips. “It’s the only thing I look forward to with such excitement. It’s almost like nothing else compares.”

Maven completely agreed. “What do you think that means? You said you never get to know many people.” Maven knew she was waiting to hear the words every girl wanted to hear—that the guy that stayed on her mind was totally smitten by her.

“I don’t know…” Henri said, trailing off until there was a soft silence all around them. They both stared at the water.

Henri liked Maven a lot. But he wasn’t so brave that he could admit it. He was afraid to admit that he liked her—more afraid of that than most things in his life.

Hours rolled on. And they sat under the stars sharing the important things in their lives, being open and honest like no other time before. Maven could tell Henri anything. And he loved the way she laughed when he told her stories about his life back home—the good parts. Her laugh was remarkable and always produced a smile on his face.

She loved the way he stroked her arm and listened without judgment about her feelings toward Jake after he hurt her so badly. He loved her honesty and how she wasn’t afraid to admit that she felt crushed.

He wanted to make her happy. He knew she needed to be, she was such a beautiful human being and Henri saw that in her every moment they shared.

She rested her head on his chest counting the stars in the sky. Listening to his voice echo in her ears as he told her old stories that he remembered from when he was little, stories about fantasy worlds and things that only someone with a lot of hope could ever believe.

“Do you really believe in the afterlife?” Maven asked at the end of Henri’s story. She lifted her head from his chest. He closed his eyes.

“I believe it.” And he did. “There’s got to be more to life than just this.”

“I think so too.” Maven rested her head and smiled. She liked that Henri believed in the afterlife it almost made her feel better for a moment.

“If not, then what a cruel joke,” Henri said more to himself, he opened his eyes again, counting each luminous star that he saw in the sky. Maven’s giggling returning as they started talking about less serious subjects—like the night he toilet-papered his own house on Halloween in Tennessee.

 

HORRIBLE GOSSIP

MAVEN STARED UP at the bad lighting in the dressing room. She gracelessly shimmied into the first dress she had picked out.

“How’s it look, Maves?” Her mother called from the other side of the door.

Maven rolled her eyes. She swatted her bangs away, staring at herself in the mirror. It was too long—long was never her thing.

The Hop wasn’t formal. It was a laid back dance where girls found cute summer dresses to wear and boys wore a nice pair of slacks and a dress shirt. Some wore ties, others kept it simple.

She gave herself a useless smirk and unlatched the door so her mother could invade her space.

“I don’t really think it’s your color.” Her mom bit her thumbnail as she studied her in the long flowing number. “What about the pink one?”

Maven looked over at Maggie. There she sat in a chair, arms crossed, ear buds in, ignoring the whole excursion. “I don’t like pink remember?”

Her mother sighed, shaking her head in exasperation that Maven wanted to dispute the shade. Ever since she could remember, Maven refused to wear anything pink. She said it was too girly and made her look too goodie goodie. She realized it was a lost cause and yanked the hot pink dress out of the dressing room.

Maven shut the door, slipping out of the tawdry gown. She let it fall to her feet just as her phone vibrated. She gave herself a brief glance in the mirror before digging her phone from the pocket of her shorts.

It was a text from Henri.

Thinking of you. She smiled.

I am trapped at the mall with my mother and Maggie trying to find a dress for the Hop. Torture!

She set the phone on the tiny shelf by the mirror and studied herself. Fingering the strap of her lacy bra, she drifted to the night she and Henri sat by the water talking for hours. The sun made it back before she could even pull herself away from Henri and the water.

She was forever thinking about his kisses. The way his lips made her entire body shiver with something she had never felt before. Her heart never slowed when he touched her. And the moment at the water when Henri finally let his lips venture to her neck and further down to her collarbone had her ready to go nuts. She would have allowed him to go further, but he wasn’t like most guys, he would never disrespect her. But that didn’t take away from the ache that filled her mind every time he kissed her. She wondered if Henri felt that way about her or if she was just out of control.

As they got closer to her house that night Henri grew more and more quiet. She started to worry he was upset with her, because he was never so tranquil. That was when it happened. When he asked her to the Hop, the happiness she felt was beyond words. It seemed like a silly thing to get so excited over, but she was.

Her phone chirped alerting her to another text.

 

I can’t believe it’s taking so long you look beautiful in anything.

 

She grinned, plucking the sunny yellow dress off its hanger. But before she could put it on she scrunched her nose at the broken strap. “Guess this one wasn’t meant to be.”

Her mother tapped on the door. “I think I found it.”

Maven cracked the door, peering out. In her mother’s grasp was the most amazing thing she ever seen. She immediately grabbed for it, her mother smiled from ear to ear, glad she finally satisfied her daughter.

Maven quickly slipped into the strapless turquoise dress her smile never leaving her face. It was right out of a fairy tale. Three different lengths of sheer turquoise fabric made the skirt.  It even had a shiny satin belt that formed into a graceful bow around the waist. She opened the door watching her mother’s eyes light up with approval. They hi-fived, giggling like two teenage girls heading to prom. Maggie groaned, sinking farther down in her seat trying to disappear.

“You look beautiful. That’s definitely the one.” Her mother gave her arm a squeeze and let her slip back into the dressing room to undress.

Shopping wasn’t over with. After forcing Maggie to pick a dress—which ended up being black with a dreadful looking tutu style skirt that she said she was wearing with combat boots or Converse—they headed to the woman’s section so their mother could find something appropriate for the night.

It wasn’t often her mother dressed up. Both her parents worked a lot of hours—even in the summer.

“I’m going over to the food court,” Maggie announced, taking off before anyone could say otherwise.

Maven circled the racks of dresses, watching her mother work her way from one rack to the next. She was fussy yet uncomplicated.

“What do you think Henri will wear?” Her mother asked, her eyes glued to a simple white sundress.

“I’m not sure.” She imagined Henri in a fancy tie.

“He’s a handsome guy.” Her mother told her. “He doesn’t look like all these guys running around with the beaver haircut.”

Maven laughed at her mother’s poor pop culture knowledge. “It’s not beaver.” She shook her head, unable to correct her because she was laughing so hard.

“Well, I just mean he has the hair of a refined actor from my time.” She smiled.

Maven scrunched her nose. “He gets cuter every time he speaks.”

Her mother’s eyes widened. “That’s not something I ever thought my teenage daughter would say. Those are the words of a woman in love.”

Maven’s cheeks grew warm. She looked away. “There is no such thing as love, Mother.”

Her mother smirked. “I beg to differ. Your father and I fell into it a very long time ago. And I have been falling ever since.”

Maven loved hearing about her mother’s undying love for her father. But it wasn’t normal. Most people fell in and out of love their whole life. Her parents were a very rare thing.

“Henri is never going to love me.” She shook her head at the thought of it. “He has much bigger things to deal with than falling in love.”

This disappointed her mother. It was horrible that her daughter would think such a thing. Love wasn’t something you decided. It was thrust upon you at the most inopportune times in your life. You didn’t choose when or who to love, love chose you.

Maven sighed. She hated to be so open about Henri’s health. It made it more real. It was illogical, but she thought if she ignored it, that he would always be there. But other times it was hard to make it through a day knowing. She felt like she was going to burst if she didn’t talk about it. “I don’t think Henri will ever admit he cares about me because he doesn’t want to hurt me. He’s not selfish.”

Her mother returned the white dress to the sales rack and wrapped her arm around her. “You don’t know that. I think Henri thinks a lot about you, whether he says so or not. It’s written all over him every time he looks at you.” She smoothed her hair. “It’s too early to give up hope.”

Maven stepped out of line to check her phone. Another text from Henri.

 

You me and a pizza?

Sounds nice

Hurry before Flynn eats it all, got your favorite kind, pineapple.

Maven grinned, her heart fluttering.

One day I will convince you to try it. It’s yummy.

Let’s start with pineapple lip gloss. If I can stand kissing it off your lips then I’ll give pineapple pizza a shot, deal?

Maven giggled loud enough to make the woman sampling perfumes look over at her.

She stuffed her phone back in her pocket. The girls behind her started up a conversation.

“Tatiana is crushed.” Maven’s ears perked up at the familiar name and she froze where she was. She couldn’t help but listen in on the gossip. There weren’t many Tatiana’s in Portwood.

“What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know. But I heard he dumped her on Facebook.” The girls laughed at the shocking rumors that were nothing but ugly to Maven. She knew how it felt to be in Tatiana’s shoes.

“I wonder who he is dating now. I’m sure he already had a backup.”

Maven’s mother tapped her on the shoulder. “Are you ready?”

Maven shot the girls one last look before heading out of the dress shop with her mother. Jake and Tatiana’s liaison lasted less than a year. What had been the point of ruining her life for less than a year? Jake Summit always seemed to find a new way to destroy someone’s life. And part of her was glad that this time it wasn’t her who had to deal with the heartache. Her heart was healing just fine.

 

UNINVITED

MAVEN’S FATHER SMILED at the sound of his daughter’s laughter outside on the porch. A sound he had begun to miss. But now it was back and he could see why she enjoyed Henri’s friendship so much. Henri had a way to make her all smiles and free from care.

Maven’s mother snuck up behind him. She wrapped her arms around him.

“Are you enjoying your day off?”

“Absolutely, but not as much as our daughter and Henri,” Her dad pointed out, he raised a finger signaling his wife to wait. Seconds later another giggle slipped through the windows.

“He’s a nice boy.” She stroked her husband’s arm, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“I know that. I try to tell myself that every day that I see her take off for his house.”

“She’s happy. Happier than I have seen her in a long time,” her mom said.

He parted the curtain, giving the lovebirds one more look before he took his sandwich and went into the den for lunch.

“I swear I was born with two left feet,” Henri said. He watched Maven’s eye sparkle as she giggled about his poor dancing skills. Her legs draped lazily over his lap. They swayed carelessly on the porch swing.

“You’ll do just fine.” Her hair fluttered in the breeze. “We are going to have a lot of fun. And we are going to take a lot of pictures.”

Henri idly ran a thumb against her thigh, listening attentively

“And they will be the best pictures ever.” She smiled, sitting up and resting her head against Henri’s shoulder, the mood dying down.

Maven touched his face, staring off, stroking the side of it, lost in an awful contemplation. The thought that one day all she would have of him were pictures. She pulled her phone from her pocket.

“What are you doing, Maven?” Henri asked, tugging the beanie from his head and covering his face with it. Maven pulled his arm away from his face.

“I’m making a video of you.” She dropped her feet to the porch standing up. “Say something, Henri.”

Henri sighed. His brown eyes lighting up with amusement, he grinned. “You should be the one on camera.”

“Why’s that, Henri?”

He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes looking away from the camera. “Because you’re so beautiful it hurts.”

Maven smiled from behind her phone. “Say something else.”

He stared into the camera lens, a solemn expression creeping across his face. “I’m Henri Levitt. And I have no idea what I am going to do when I have to dance with Maven.” He laughed, springing up from the swing and took off after her, she squealed, bounding across the porch, her bare feet echoing through the wood as she tried to get away from him.

She almost made it to the other end of the porch before Henri grabbed her by the waist, twirling her around in his grasp, her feet no longer on the floor. He set her back down, backing her against the white railing. His hands on both sides not allowing her to escape, he took the phone and turned the camera on her now, positioning the two of them in front of the viewfinder. He kissed her cheek.

“You see that?” he said, talking to the camera. “We just made a memory.” He kissed her again.

Maven’s heart pittered and pattered as he held tight to her chin, kissing her again. He shot a look at the camera, the only witness to the undeniable connection between the two of them. “An everlasting reminder of my amazing kissing skills,” He laughed. Maven snatched the camera away from him hiding her sadness. She knew he was joking, but it still dug at her emotions, making her ready to burst into tears.

Henri watched her take a few steps away from him. Her attention pinned on the video they just made. He leaned against the railing, knowing he had ruined the moment between them. But what could he say? Sorry? You couldn’t apologize for something you had no control over—like inevitable death.

When the silence was starting to become too much…that’s when Jake Summit ended it. His voice pulled them both back into reality. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“What are you doing here?” Maven said without delay. She shoved her phone into her pocket.

Jake gave Henri a quick glance before he bothered explaining himself. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Henri was beginning to feel awkward caught between the two of them. He moved out of the way.

“I don’t have anything to say to you, Jake.” Maven couldn’t believe Jake had the nerve to show himself at her house. It had been made clear he was to stay away from her. It was one thing to try and be malicious out in public, but at her home it was uncalled for and she was close to screaming for her father.

Henri pushed off the railing. “She said she has nothing to say to you. So why don’t you just leave?” He wasn’t going to let Maven deal with Jake alone. But he wasn’t quite prepared for what came next.

Jake shoved him into the railing. Maven jumped between them. “You keep your hands off of him.”

“Talk to me and I won’t lay a finger on him again.” Jake was angry, it was obvious by the heated scowl pinned to his lips. Maven had seen it time and time again. He was a bully their entire life.

Maven spun around and looked Henri over. Her heart beating out of her chest, she was so upset. “I’m sorry. Are you alright?”

Henri shook his head. “Of course. It was just a shove, a rather pathetic one.” He squeezed her arm. “Whatever you want me to do.”

Maven searched Henri’s eyes confused. She didn’t want Henri hurt. “I don’t want you to do anything.”

Jake groaned. “Just let me talk to her and it will be like nothing ever happened. That’s not too hard to do is it?” He raised an eyebrow. “Go home, Henri.”

Maven looked at Jake. “Don’t tell him what to do. You have no say in any of this.”

“I can go. As long as you think you’re okay being alone with him.” Henri lifted his hat from the porch swing. “I’m calling in fifteen minutes.”

Jake scoffed, watching Henri walk down the stairs. Henri shot him a look. “Don’t be stupid.”

Jake grinned, amused Henri had the nerve to threaten him. “Or what?”

“Or I’ll make you wish you never showed up uninvited,” Henri said, he looked at Maven for confirmation it was okay to leave. She nodded.

Once Henri was out of view Jake took a seat on the porch swing. “How quaint, you and Henri Levitt sharing precious moments on the old porch swing.”

Maven refused to look at him. Jake grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her down beside him. She slapped his arm away. “Don’t touch me, Jake. I agreed to talk to you, not have you manhandle me. My father is right inside, and he would love to get his hands on you.”

Jake refused to take her seriously. He cut to the chase. “Did you hear Tatiana and I broke up?”

Maven stood up, putting a big gap between the two of them. She leaned against the railing, the front door in view, making her feel better. “I heard. Is that why you’re here?”

“Don’t you want to know why I broke up with her?”

Maven shook her head a disgusted look on her face. “Of course I don’t. I’ve said it many times now. I don’t care. Maybe you should get that through your head.”

Jake stood up. He studied Maven. She was still just as beautiful. Just as girly and anxious as he remembered. “I broke up with Tatiana because of you.”

Maven started for the door. She didn’t want to hear anything else. But before she could slip inside and slam the door in his smug face he grabbed her by the arm. This time she wasn’t waiting around to see what would happen next. She screamed.

“Why are you screaming?” Jake stared down at her, his breath fast, his emotions overriding his rational judgment. “I came here to say that I was sorry.”

Maven twisted free. “Get away from my house now. You’re not sorry about anything. You’re crazy and I never want to see you again.”

The door flew open, thudding loudly against the house. “What did I tell you?” Mr. Wilder said, grabbing Jake by the collar of his shirt. He jerked him away from his daughter. The worst thing Jake could do was show up at his home.

“I came to apologize to her. I swear that’s all I was doing.” He didn’t have time to say anything else. Maven’s dad gave him no time to gain his balance. He shoved him down the porch steps. Jake fell to the ground like a bag of bones.

Maven tried to stop her dad. “Please, Dad, stop. He’s not worth it.”

But he wasn’t listening. He stood at the top of their steps watching Jake pick himself up from the ground and dust himself off. “I don’t want to see you around here again. And the next time you want to threaten someone, threaten me, tough guy.”

Jake was angry. Maven could see it. He was also scraped up and picking gravel from his elbow. He lifted his head, trying to pretend he still had some dignity left. “My parents are going to sue you.”

Maven’s dad laughed, crossing his arms and shaking his head in amusement. “Oh I doubt that. But feel free to try.”

Maven watched from behind her dad as Jake once again walked away with his tail between his legs.

“Next time you come get me if he shows up here.”

Maven nodded. “I thought I could handle him.”

Her dad pulled her close, throwing an arm over her shoulder. “That’s what I’m here for. Don’t tell your mother I threw Jake Summit down the stairs, okay, kid?”

Maven sighed, smiling a little at her dad’s pleased expression. He’d wanted to let Jake have it for a long time now.

They headed inside.