"We had so many plans," I cried out. "We had our entire wedding already planned. He was going to ask my dad to marry me the day we graduated. I couldn't imagine giving that away to someone else. He tried to get me to skip the day of the shooting with him to go to the lake with some of our friends but I was too afraid I would get in trouble. If I wouldn't of been so selfish Tanner would still be here with me!" My voice broke at the confession I had been keeping bottled up inside and the tears started to sprinkle down my cheeks.
My aunt leaned forward and wrapped me into her arms. "Honey, no one knows when something like that is going to happen.
“Why does it make so much more sense when you say it?” I asked.
“Sometimes, we know what we want but it helps to hear someone else agreeing with you.” She leaned over, squeezed my shoulder and left the room. I reached for my phone and sent a message to the person who had been changing everything for me.
ME: Do I still have that chance?
KEEGAN: Fuck yes. Dinner tomorrow night.
I tossed my phone beside me on the bed, taking in my aunt's words again. Maybe I wasn't as broken as I believed I was. Maybe I did need to realize that some people could stay in your heart, but not in your life. I might not have pulled the trigger but I could have stopped that bullet from hitting him. Now that I thought about it again, I was wrong. No one could have stopped that bullet from hitting him except for the person who pulled the trigger.
“YOU LOOK amazing,” Keegan complimented, handing me a bouquet of daisies. I grabbed the flowers from his hand, lifting them up to my nose and inhaling their fresh, sweet aroma before carefully setting them down on the table behind me. I would put them in my room when I got home. "Thank you for the daisies, they're my favorite flower.”
"Daisies for my Daisy," he answered. "And by the way, don't get mad at me if I don't keep my hands to myself," he added, his eyes going down my body then back up, suggestively.
"Ohhh wow! You guys look so pretty!" Sophia squealed, skipping down the stairs with a Barbie in each hand. "Are you going out on a hot date?"
"Yes we are, Soph," Keegan answered.
She smiled brightly. "Is Keegan your boyfriend?"
"Not yet," Keegan laughed, ruffling his hands in her hair and answering for me. "But I am hoping she will give me the chance. I need you to put in a good word for me, okay?" He gave her a wink.
I smacked him in the stomach. "I'm sorry," I said "but I haven't had my tongue cut out recently so I am still able to speak and answer questions that are directed towards me."
"Sure you can, but your answers will come out wrong and we can't be lying to the poor girl."
"I'm going to have a date with my Barbies and act like it's you two!" Sophia interrupted our argument, jumping up and clapping her hands together giggling. "Have fun," she waved, hopping up the stairs one by one with both feet.
Keegan looked at the stairs then back at me with crinkled eyebrows. "Act like her Barbies are us?" He looked at me questionably.
"Yes," I answered, blowing out a breath. "She has a Barbie that she claims looks exactly like me and I'm positive the little shit has probably conjured up something that resembles you. So you better be nice or I’ll have her start sticking pins into him at night.”
“Voyeurism, voodoo dolls – you guys are into some messed up shit around here, ya know?” He laughed. “Are you going to lure me in here to perform some virginal sacrifice on me when I drop you off later?”
“Considering you’re not a virgin, you wouldn’t do anyways,” I said. “If you don’t use virgins, it’s bad luck.”
He looked at me horrified. “I’m afraid that you even know that. We should probably go before you start scaring the shit out of me.” He grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together. “I have a hot date to impress you with.”
MUSIC FILLED the background on the way to dinner and we pulled into a large, packed parking lot. "Is Italian okay with you?" He asked, stopping the car at the front door where two valets stood.
"Mmmm," I replied, "a girl loves her carbs."
He put the car in park and froze, his face turning pale. "Okay, I'm not sure if that is a sarcastic answer or a real one. Help me out here."
"A real one. I love pasta," I assured him, watching the tension slide off his face. "Probably more than I should."
"Carbs are great for that ass of yours I love," he grinned, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek. "Stay here." With that, he shut off the car and disappeared out the driver's side. My eyes trained on him circling around the car, handing the valet his keys, then opening up the door for me and holding his hand out. I grabbed it, his large hands engulfing mine, and let him lead me into the restaurant.
A short brunette and tall blonde were standing at a counter as soon as we walked into the doors. "Reservations for Montgomery," Keegan told their over-eager faces.
"Hi Keegan," the brunette purred, licking her lips and coming from behind the counter.
"Uh hey," he said, uncomfortable, scratching behind his ear. "Can you show us to our table."
"Sure," she said. We followed her, hand in hand, as she suggestively swayed her hips from side to side and making it obvious she was trying too hard. "Here you go," she said, stopping at a table with a candle lit in the middle.