CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
HEATHER
The moment the front door closed, I fell to the ground and cried. What did I just do? I had never in my life felt the way I did when Josh was kissing me. I’d wanted nothing more than to tell him that I needed him, heart and soul.
He must have waited to see if I’d come after him. After a few minutes, I heard him start up his truck before he drove off.
He left.
He just walked away from me and never looked back.
Oh. My. God. Feeling sick to my stomach, I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Just when I didn’t think I could throw up any more, another round of nausea hit me. Sitting down on the bathroom floor, I leaned back against the wall. I touched my fingers up to my lips as I closed my eyes.
Princess, look at me. I’d never do anything that you weren’t ready to do, Heather. Ever.
Why did he call me princess?
I thought back to my sixteenth birthday.
***
“Daddy, why can’t I see where we’re going?”
“Princess, you really need to have more patience. You’ll get to see it soon enough. ”
Daddy was taking me to get my birthday present, but he wouldn’t let me see what it was.
“Okay, we’re here. Hold on. Let me go around and open your door. ”
The next thing I knew, Daddy was holding my hand, leading me somewhere. I could hear people talking, but then it got really quiet. I felt warm breath up against my ear.
“Happy birthday, darling,” my mother whispered in my ear.
My heart started to pound. Mom was here?
“Okay, princess, are you ready for your surprise?”
“Yes, Daddy! I’ve been ready for like the last hour!”
I heard my mom and dad laugh. Someone took off the blind fold, and then I opened my eyes. We were in the parking lot of my favorite restaurant, The Oasis. I saw Ellie and Ari standing there with huge smiles on their faces. My whole family and a few close friends were all here.
“Oh my gosh, is everyone here for my birthday?” I said, looking at my mom and then my dad.
“Princess, take a good look around. ”
I turned toward Ellie and Ari, and then I noticed Ari was leaning up against a white Nissan Pathfinder with a huge bow on it.
I spun around and looked at my parents. “You didn’t?”
My dad laughed and then smiled at me. “We did. ”
“Daddy, I don’t even have my driver’s license yet. I can’t drive it. I’m too afraid to drive it! Oh my gosh, who’s going to drive it home? Do we have to leave it here?”
Putting his hand on my shoulders, he looked into my eyes. I wasn
’t even sure why I was panicking.
“Princess, look at me. I’d never make you do anything you weren’t ready to do. You can drive the car, baby girl, when you’re ready. ”