Brace yourselves. A flashback of Danny in juvie is coming your way. : (
I can feel his breath fanning across my lips. I can feel the charged energy all around us. But all I can focus on is his eyes.
"Lace," he breathed. Then I felt his lips against mine. And I no longer felt the ground beneath me.
Lacey's POV
Danny's lips have completely ruined me for any other guys. The way he's kissing me…I have no words. He's being gentle with me but I can tell he's holding back because his kisses have a certain edge to them. Surprisingly—well not so surprising, I want him to kiss me harder. I mean haven't we both been waiting for this?
I pulled back and stared into his eyes. He smiled and that ignited something in me. I felt bolder, stronger, and dare I say, heated. "It's okay Danny, I promise you I won't break."
He lifted an eyebrow and smirked. "Who are you?"
"I'm still me, just a little on edge." I sound different, even to myself. Kiss me already!
Suddenly he lifts me up and I gasped. My legs wrap around his waist. "You're also mine now." Then he sat me on the table and whispered while staring into my eyes, "Want me to help you take the edge off?" I nodded and swallowed in complete shock. He's pretty good for someone who has absolutely no experience.
He placed his hands on my legs and slowly slid them up my thighs, past my waist, and rested them on my lower back before pulling me closer to him. With him standing between my legs, I could hardly breathe. He held my hands and lifted one, so he could place a kiss on it. His hands slid up my arms, up my neck, and held my face in place. He stared at me for a moment, then his lips came down on mine. Not so gentle this time as I requested. I felt his hands encircled my wrists, lifting them to be placed around his neck. He placed his hands on my lower back and pulled me even closer. Since I'm in love with his hair, I took his hair tie off and threw it, leaving his unruly hair to fall down around his face. He kissed my chin and made a trail up to my ear. "Lacey," he whispered, "I love being with you like this," he kisses my earlobe, "holding you like this," he kisses my forehead, "touching you like this," he kisses the tip of my nose, "kissing you like this," and he kissed my lips again.
"Mm Danny," I sighed as he began kissing down my neck. I have never seen this side of him but I've always had a feeling that is was there. I could see it every time he looked at me.
Then Archie's ringtone, (Kesha-Your Love Is My Drug), blasted on my phone. Which, he set as his ringtone oddly enough. It startled me in our moment of passion and I froze. It didn't bother Danny though. He just kept right on kissing my neck, which felt amazing by the way. "Do you want to get that," he asked.
Hell no! If he knew who it was, he wouldn't be asking me that. But should I tell him? I don't want to ruin the moment. I don't want him pissed off like I am right now. If Kesha don't shut the f —
"Lace, what's wrong," he stopped kissing me and looked at me. "Are you okay? Did I-"
"No Danny, no you didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you did everything right, it's just…" Dang it! I don't want to have to explain this right now.
"Just what?"
I sighed and unlocked my arms from around his neck. Another moment ruined by the asshole Archie. Danny looked confused but stepped back so I could have my space. I slid off the table and held Danny hand, not wanting to lose contact.
I breathed in and exhaled. "Danny, that was Archie calling." His jaw started clenching but before I could say anything else, Archie's ringtone blasted off again.
Danny's POV
Archie? That fucker! If I could just get a hold on him, it would be the icing on the cake. Because today is the best day of my life and here he is, again, messing up the time I have with my Lace… My Lace…I love the sound of that.
I looked at her, quickly grabbing her phone out of her pocket to ignore the call. Then she looked up at me. "Danny?" she looked at me worriedly.
I stopped clenching my teeth. Calm down dude, you don't want to scare her. "I'm okay Lace." I smiled to lighten the mood. "I just hate that I had to stop kissing you."
She blushed. God I love it when she does that. So freaking beautiful and sexy at the same time.
"Who said you had to stop kissing me?" her eyes darkened and she smirked. Those dimples are going to be the death of me. Did I mention how sexy she was? I grabbed her waist and pulled her roughly against me. Then kissed her. Hard. Hey, she said she wouldn't break if I kissed her like this. I knew she was strong though. That's something she didn't have to tell me because the Lacey Porter I've known has always been as strong as a wildflower but also as soft and beautiful as a rose. She's got the best of both worlds. What's not to love?
"Your love, your love, your love is my drug." Fuck! I've had enough. Lace sighed and rolled her eyes. We've both had enough.
She answered her phone and turned away from me. "What the hell Archie? Stop blowing up my phone! I told you I. Don't. Want. You. Anymore! It's over so stop fucking calling me!" I could barely hear what he was saying to her, it sounded like begging, but before Lace could hang up, I laid my hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked at me.
"Lace," I held my hand out for the phone.
Her eyes widen as she slowly handed it over.
I put the phone to my ear. "….Lacey babe, listen to me. I want you back and I'm not giving up. Whatever Sherita told you was a lie and I…"
"Just give it up dude. Do you really believe that she would believe your bullshit? Seriously, are you that dumb and can't comprehend what she's saying to you? Like I said before, you're either going to end up in prison or will pump gas for the rest of your life. Lacey's way out of your league. So, stop begging because it makes you look even more pathetic than you already are."
"You little shit! You better hope you go back to jail before I get my hands on…"
"Shut the hell up dude and listen to me. Lacey's with me now. Yeah, she's mine, so do you think I will really jeopardize my relationship with her by laying you out? As much as I would love to kick your ass again, you're just not worth it. Lace deserves better than that." And I hung up and handed her back the phone.
She was shaking her head. "Sorry, Danny. He just won't stop. He's been calling me since school ended today." She was going through her phone then placed it back in her pocket and looked up at me. "I blocked him."
I smirked and pulled her closer, my hands on her waist. "Don't apologize for that ass. I handled it."
She smiled, "You know you don't have to handle all of my problems, right?"
"I know, I just want to." And I kissed her soft lips.
Leaving the forest I saw my bike and Lace noticed it too.
She frowned. "Did you ride your bike here? Your mom didn't drop you off?"
I laughed, "No. I don't want to keep bothering her for a ride, so I rode this. Remember, they didn't teach us how to drive in juvie." She smiled and hit my arm. I smirked, "What you said it?"
"I'm driving you home. You can put your bike in the trunk." She released my hand and opened the trunk. I wheeled my bike over to the car, lifting it in.
"I'm going to be working at the mechanic shop part-time after school. So, I can buy me a car."
"Mm. Danny all sweaty and fixing a car," she teased. I winked and opened the door for her and closed it, then got in on the passenger's side.
She started the car. "I thought your mom would've bought you one. Didn't your –dad leave you any money…" I can tell she didn't want to speak about my dad. Fearing it would sadden me.
"It's okay Lace. We can talk about my dad. Actually, my mom said that we have enough money to live on. That's all that matters." Lace looked at me as she pulled out the parking lot.
"Well maybe, I could help you raise money for a car—"
I couldn't help but laugh. Lace. Always trying to help. "Lace, I'm fine. I said my mom and I have enough money. Not that we were poor."
She glanced in my direction and back at the road. "I know, just trying to help."
"I know." I picked up her hand and kissed it.
It was silent for a few minutes in the car. Not uncomfortable silence. We just preferred not to speak. Though, I'm sure Lacey wants to talk to me about something because she keeps glancing at me. But when I make eye contact, she looks away.
I squeezed her hand that I was holding. "What's on your mind Lace?"
She shook her head and smile. "How do you always do that? Always know when I'm thinking about something?"
"Because it's me Lace. I know everything about you."
"Everything?" she lifted an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"And I also know when you're trying to change the conversation. What's wrong?" I looked at her seriously. Something's bothering her.
"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about…your break out. I mean what if you got hurt Danny? What if you didn't get out until you were like freaking 30 for pulling that stunt? I mean, seriously." Her voice was getting higher and higher with every word she was saying.
"Lace, calm down. Breathe." She slowly inhaled and exhaled. "That's it," I said rubbing the back of her hand with my thumb. "Now baby, before I tell you this, you have to promise me you won't get upset." She looked at me, sighed, and nodded.
"Okay. Lace, you have to understand the mind frame I was in when I was in juvie. I didn't want to tell you how bad it was for me in that place. My mom still doesn't know what really happened to me. I just had to get out of there. Even if it meant breaking out." Lacey's hand started trembling in my own, though she tried to fight it. I held it tighter.
Flashback
I fell to the ground, my head feeling as if it split open from the pain that surged through me. I sat up, letting go of the basketball, and touched the part of my head that hurt the most. I sucked in air as my hand made contact with it. When I pulled my hand back I saw blood. This wasn't the first time I bled, and it certainly wasn't the first time I was knocked down to the ground. Ever since I got here, I've been picked on.
"Better look next time," David said as he captured the ball and dunked. He is 17. I am 14. On his 18th birthday next month, he is being sent straight to jail. Next year, I'll be out if I keep up my good behavior. He's 6'3 and built like a wrestler and I'm 5'10 and small. He murdered his mom, dad, and sister. I might or might not have murdered my aunt. See the differences there? This is why I am used to being his punching bag for three years. I don't know why he doesn't like me but then again, he doesn't like anyone. He just prefers to beat up on me instead. The guards won't do anything about it. They just say I deserve it for killing my aunt.
I heard the ball bouncing towards me but I refused to turn around. I knew what was coming. I prefer to get hit in the back rather than the face. He decided to kick me in the side. I felt something crack. "Get off the court! Get out of my way," he yelled. But how can I when he keeps kicking me and kicking me. I rolled over, trying to cover my face. I heard someone yelling. "Stop it, you're going to kill him." "Like I care," David yelled and kept on beating me. No one dared to stop him. He was bigger than us all. .
Please don't let me die without seeing Lace again…or Jo. "Help! "I yelled out, feeling my finger break. He kept kicking my hands, trying to get to my face. Please let me live so I can see her again. I need…I need to tell her how I feel before I die. Please God! And that's when I saw it. I don't know what made me open my eyes but I saw it gleaming from the corner of my eye. David's shank!
I have to see her again. Lace's face filled my mind. I tried my best to predict how she would look now but I'm pretty sure whatever she looks like, my mind hasn't done her justice. I have to see her! And just like that, I grabbed the shank out of David's sock and jammed it in his leg. He screamed and fell to the ground.
Oh shit! What did I do? Now he's going to kill me for sure…unless…
The idea hit me like a ton of bricks. It's now or never.
I saw the food delivery truck parked on the side. The delivery man loading the food into the side door. The guards usually turn on the electrical fence at night but in the daytime they cut it off. They don't want kids to accidentally shock themselves while playing on the court. They also thought that no kid was crazy enough to jump the fence in broad daylight. Today, I was going to be that crazy kid to jump it.
While the guards weren't paying attention, I hid on the side of the building. The guards ran towards the court and surrounded David. "Who did this? Step forward now!" No one said my name. Not because they like me but because they liked the fact that someone stood up to David. Someone injured him. Something they didn't have the guts to do.
So I ran. Ran and didn't look back. Jumped the fence and ran until my feet touched the inside of that truck and drove off. What the hell did I get myself into? I can't even drive! But I have to try. I have to see Lacey. She's worth it. She's worth everything.
I saw the delivery man running behind me in the side mirror. I accelerated until I no longer saw him or juvie in my view. Juvie is an hour away from my hometown, so I accelerated even faster and drove towards Green Grove. Towards Lacey.
I heard sirens so I pulled into a parking lot with an abandoned building. Funny, I never saw this place before. I hid the truck inside the abandoned warehouse garage and ran into the forest. It's night-time now and I'm scared but Lacey is keeping me going. I hear noises in the dark but I keep moving. I stumble upon this small, leaf covered house or was it a cottage? It reminds me of a fort. Our fort, we used to go to when we were younger. God, I miss that place. I can't wait to see it again. But for now, this place will have to do. I must wait here, where they won't find me, so I can see Lace. I will see Lace.
Then, I went to sleep. Or tried to at least because the pain from my bruises were excruciating. I heard something move outside the cottage. I ran under the table and kept still. I even tried not to breathe. A light flashed across my face and I ran to the window. I tried to pull it up but it was jammed. All of a sudden, hands grabbed and lifted me off the floor. I kicked and screamed and yelled but they didn't let me go until I was in the backseat of a police car.
End Flashback
"In the end, they took me back to juvie, and sent me straight to the infirmary. I had a cracked rib, a broken finger, and several bruises. The next morning, I was so high on meds that I didn't know what they were telling me but I caught pieces of it. Something about them founding me because of a tracker that was placed in the truck. Actually, they're placed in all of the delivery trucks that come to and from juvie. Then, my lawyer and mom came. He said that he had gotten me the best deal he could. That I would have to stay at juvie for two more years and that he managed to get David moved to another juvenile detention center. My mom begged him for something better but that's all he could do for me. I however, was glad to be rid of David. I hope that asshole rots in prison." I paused. "But still, I wasn't okay with being away from you for another year."
We are parked outside my house now. The memories I conjured up had me zoned out. It wasn't until I was finished that I looked at Lace. I was shocked to see tears streaming down her face. It broke my heart seeing her like this.
I pulled her legs into my lap, attempting to get her as close to me as possible and held her. She was shaking. "Don't cry Lace," I said, stroking her back in slow circles. "That was two years ago. I'm no longer in pain. I have you now." I wiped her tears away but more fell in their place.
"Why…why did you take me to that place? The cottage that…they took you from and sent you…back to that awful place?" She could hardly catch her breath in between words.
I placed my hands on her face and leaned my forehead against hers. "Breathe baby, breathe." And I slowly inhaled, so she could imitate me. Then I exhaled slowly and she reciprocated the action.
"You okay now," I whispered when she started breathing normally. She nodded, though she was still shaking. I leaned back to stare into her eyes and rubbed her arms to calm her. When she was barely trembling, I decided it was okay to speak.
"Lace, the reason why I brought you to the cottage was because even though it holds a bad memory, it also holds a good one."
She looked at me confused. I pulled her hair behind her ear, stroked her cheek, and smiled. "My sweet Lace," I kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. "The good memory that place holds for me is you."
She looked even more confused. I proceeded.
"It was there, at the cottage, when I first knew I was going to see you again. I've always hoped but I never actually knew if I would. In my heart, on that day, and at that cottage, I knew that I was going to see you again. And soon enough, I did. God answered my prayers and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for you and for you giving me the chance to finally show you how much I love you. For giving me the chance to tell you I've always loved you."
More tears fell as she threw her arms around me tight and laid her head on my shoulder, still trembling. "Danny," she whispered.
"Yeah, Lace?" I went back to soothing her. Gently rubbing her back and stroking her hair.
"Could I stay with you tonight?"
I smiled. "Of course, you can." I opened the car door, got out, and helped her out. I wrapped my arm around her waist and we walked towards the door. When we reached the door, I pulled out my keys.
"And Danny?" I looked at her, putting my key in the door.
"Yeah Lace?" She smiled.
"I love you too." Then, she kissed me.
Hey everyone! Thanks for all the amazing comments! I'm really flattered. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was a little iffy about it. I hope I delivered Danny's POV well. It's hard to know what he's thinking, with him never showing how he really feels and all. Until next time : )
