Heros Passions Series

Chapter 6- Lips of an Angel

“Lips of an Angel”

2011 © All Rights Reserved

Chapter 6 (Heather)

I was left feeling dumbfounded and completely shell shocked.  Just a few minutes ago I was two steps away from getting in my car and leaving this town for good.  That’s what I should be doing.  Now, well now I’m suddenly finding myself being drug up a set of stairs behind Bailey who had just declared that today was going to be a ladies spa day which included me.

Did I miss something, I wondered to myself as I stared at the back of the dark headed woman in front of me who refused to let me get a word in edge wise.  I tried several times to tell her that it was fine and that I should go but the girl refused to back down.  She was determined that it was going to be her way and that was final.

The last time that I had seen little Bailey Shoffner she was no more than a scrawny awkward teen with braces just entering high school.  Bailey has come an awfully long way since then.  Besides becoming pushy and bull headed she had also filled out in all the right places and was absolutely gorgeous, I could easily see why Rio snatched her up for himself.

“We are going to have so much fun together” Bailey rambled on still pulling me along behind her down the hall way.  She suddenly stopped at a door that I vaguely remembered to be her bedroom as a child.  “Getting facials, massages, gossiping about boys….” Bailey continued on as she opened the door.

I walked into the room and was floored by the fact that not a single thing in that room had changed.  The same pink canopy and pink lacy comforter adorned her bed which was covered with a ton of stuffed animals in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  The carpet was a fluffy bubble gum pink and she even had the same pink flowery curtains on her windows.

“Wow” I said not realizing that I had actually spoken aloud when walking into the room.

Bailey turned back to me and arched her brow in question.  I shook my head a little feeling as if I had literally stepped back into time.

“Nothing in here has changed” I told her in complete awe walking over to her bureau where a framed picture had caught my attention.  The picture was of her and Charlie, Charlie around eighteen years old and Bailey probably about fourteen.  They were out back by the pool smiling, Charlie giving Bailey rabbit ears with his fingers like he always did in all of their pictures as kids.

Taking my finger I traced over Charlie’s smile.  This was my Charlie, the one that I was so in love with years ago.  Not the same Charlie that was down stairs right now.

“That was Charlie’s eighteenth birthday party” Bailey said coming up from behind me and peering over my shoulder.  "I think you were there that day too" she added. 

I could feel the tears starting to well up in my eyes.  Memories, these were the good ones that I so desparately wanted to hold on to.  “I remember this day.” I told her with half a smile.  “Rio spiked the punch your mom had made and half of us turned out to be too drunk to drive home.  Your dad pretended to not know what happened, but he knew….he always knew.”  I said as I thought about the events of that day.

I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up in my chest.   “Your dad decided to turn the pool party into an outdoor slumber party because he didn’t want any drunken teens driving home.  He was always so cool about things like that.” I mused.

Turning around I noticed Bailey staring at the picture with tears in her eyes.  Then I remembered reading about the accident that tragically took both of her parents just two years ago and felt like the worlds biggest idiot for bringing them up.

“Damn” I muttered and sat the picture back down on the bureau.  Turning around I reached out and placed what I hoped was a comforting hand on Bailey‘s shoulder.  “I’m so sorry“  I whispered not knowing what else to say.

Bailey haphazardly wiped at her eyes.  “It’s okay” she said and offered me a weak smile.  “He was a good dad, I just miss him" Bailey whispered back to me still staring at the picture.  "especially times like now.  He won’t be here to give me away tomorrow and that’s the part that hurts the most.” she finished swallowing a sob.

I didn’t think.  Instead I just wrapped my arms around her pulling her to me.  Bailey laid her head against my shoulder and the tears flowed freely.  I didn’t say anything because there was nothing that you could say to make the situation any different.  Her parents were gone and they would only be there in sprit.  

I just stood there and held her for an insurmountable amout of time.  I knew from my own experiences what is was like to need a rock, and right now Bailey needed a rock.  Today, I decided, I would be Baileys rock.

A knock came at the door and Bailey pulled back from me.  She straightened her spine and quickly dried her face.  On her way to the door she stopped by the mirror to check herself.  Seemingly satisfied she glanced over her shoulder back at me and flashed a brilliant smile before opening the door.

“Ella” Bailey squealed and quickly pulled a petite red head into the room.  All signs of the saddened Bailey were gone when she turned back to me.

“Heather, this is Ella and Ella, this is Heather” Bailey introduced the two of us excitedly.  

I held out my hand to the Ella and that was when it clicked.  This was the girl that Charlie was now seeing.   She tentatively took my hand and gave me a warm smile.

“It’s nice to meet you” she said in a thick southern accent.  The girl was extremely pretty with her bright green eyes and strawberry blonde hair.  She had an aura surrounding her that seemed peaceful, the exact opposite of me. 

I took her hand and was surprised by the strength in her grasp.  She shook my hand and then let it go.  For a moment the two of us just stood and eyed each other.  Ella was the first one to take a step back and asked me in a light hearted tone, “So, you used to go out with Charlie?”

The question didn’t have any jealous undertones, it sounding more like a question of simple curiosity.

I nodded my head in affirmation and then feeling slightly off kilter I cleared my throat, “yea…but it was a long time ago” I told her and then quickly averted my eyes.  It just seemed strange to talk to Charlie‘s current girlfriend about our past relationship.

“Alrighty” Bailey said  throwing an arm over both of our shoulders interrupting us.  “Are we all ready to bask in the lap of luxury?” she added brightly.

Ella looked at me and gave me that warm smile again, “I know I am, what about you Heather?” she asked and seemed genuinely sincere when she asked the question.

What I really wanted to do was bolt.  I wanted to run down the stairs, get in my car and drive as far as I could away from this place, but I didn’t think there was any way that Bailey would let me get away with that, not now anyway.  It looked as though I was here at least through theduration of the  wedding.  

I could play nice for the next twenty four hours, I thought.  I would keep my distance from both Rio and Charlie and stick by Bailey’s side.  As soon as the vows are exchanged I would be out.  I would leave and never look back. I only came to see if Charlie moved on and he had.  The undeniable proof was standing in front of me in the form of a beautiful red head with large green eyes and a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts.

“Yea” I smiled back at Ella before turning to Bailey, “I’m ready“ I told her.  I was ready to get this over with as quickly as possible so I could resume a life of my own.