Paparazzi

1

Addie

Luca Scott promised to marry me when we were seven years old.

He used to walk across the street to my family's farm every day and give me a small, white daisy. He never missed a day, rain or shine, and never stopped bringing them for as long as I could remember.

"I love you, Addie Rose!" he used to yell as he ran back across the street.

"Go eat a goat, Luca Scott!" I would yell back, slamming the door and running to add the daisy to my vast collection that I kept in a shoe box.

We used to get up to all sorts of mischief at that age: cooking "soup" out of everything in the kitchen, throwing cow dung at each other in the fields and swimming in the old reservoir when it was hot. We used to put the blow-up pool toys in whenever we swam, competing over the one shaped like a shark every time.

My fear of deep water came about when I almost drowned in the reservoir one day. Luckily, Luca was able to call my dad, Ike, or I would've died. He claimed to have saved my life that day and wouldn't stop acting like Superman for a week, making me play the roll of his Wonder Woman.

Luca merely took the fact that he'd "saved me life" as another sign that we were meant to be, and proposed the next day with a daisy. Being only seven, and having no knowledge of what the heck was going on, I accepted. He told me we would get married as soon as we were sixteen and with that, left for dinner.

...

When I turned ten years old, Luca managed to sneak in through my bedroom window at midnight and woke me up by leaping onto my bed. I sat up and slapped him, before asking what the heck he was doing in my room at that hour.

"Happy birthday, Addie Rose," he had a wide smile plastered on his face while holding out a small, dented package with a daisy taped to the top.

I looked at him with narrowed eyes and then carefully removed the daisy from the package, before ripping the brown paper away. I looked at the small, silver box that I now held and then looked up at Luca. He was still smiling.

I carefully opened the little box to find a silver chain necklace inside with a pendant shaped like a key on it. I held it up and slipped it over my head, cradling the key in my hands as if it were a diamond.

"Thank you," I was almost speechless.

The necklace was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever received, but that changed when he leaned over and kissed my cheek. I looked up at him in bewilderment, ready to slap him again, but I couldn't. I just stared.

"As long as you have that key, you have me," he said.

I smiled and tucked the necklace into my pajamas, promising myself I would never take it off.

...

Two years later, shortly after my twelfth birthday, I was told by my father that Luca was moving away with his dad to the city. After hearing that, I immediately ran over to Luca's house and punched him, my eyes tearing up.

"I'm so sorry, Addie Rose," he said, but he couldn't meet my eyes.

Ripping the necklace from my neck, I threw it at him and stormed out.

For three days, I remained bitter and ignored the daisies Luca left on the doorstep because I wouldn't come out. The day came for him to move and my dad forced me to go outside and say goodbye. Luca stood awkwardly next to their packed car and looked hopeful as I approached.

"See you soon," he said, managing a small smile.

I nodded sullenly and turned my head away, not believing him. He suddenly hugged me and whispered into my ear.

"I'll come back for you, Addie Rose."

That was seven years ago.