( I hope everyone continues to read, enjoy & review)
12/04/09
Patty was talking into going shopping with some of the girls for Christmas gifts. They were at one of the malls in the city of course getting asked for autographs & photo. Talking to a few she smiled maybe just a little more then normal when she had a chance to do these things. Was it cause it truly made her happy to see how happy her work made others or was it just a thicker mask?
They were walking along when a hand grabbed her arm yanking her into a doorway that lead to a back corridor of the place. She went to yell before a hand lightly covered her mouth. She turned to try to pull but was then face to face with Adam's grayish blue eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you Patty…I just want to talk & I know I can't do that at the arena or the hotel. I'll let go of you, just don't walk away please." He moved both his hands holding them up & she just leaned on the wall lowering her head.
"What ya want Adam?"
"Well for starts you can look at me." She slowly lifted her head, even if he didn't want to he thought he saw a hint of the pain Mark was telling him about before. "Patty what is going on? What's wrong?"
"Notin."
"I don't buy that…please…I want to be here for you…sorry to say it I know your brother can be a downright jerk." Adam stepped a little closer placing his hands gently on her waist till he heard her suck her breath, he then pulled them away. "Your hurt."
"Woes of the job ye should know that."
"Patty please…I want you to know you can come talk to me. I don't care when it is. I won't judge you." He looks down a moment then back into her eyes. "I care about & for you Patty. Some may say more then I should."
"Yes…I know what ya trying to say…I heard whispers…but I already belong to another."
Adam closed his eyes hearing the words leave her own lips. "But so have I…I heard the one you…as you say belong to you don't love them. How can they truly have you if they don't have your heart."
"That is for me to worry bout."
Adam opened his eye looking back at her glad she hasn't walk away yet. "If not for this promise could you ever see yourself attracted to a guy like me?"
"Truthfully…I can not say…I been promise since right before my parents died…I was still a teen hardly a chance to think of boys or love. So I pushed myself not to…who hurt myself more then I already was? Why allow myself to feel an attraction to someone else, when in the end I knew I would be with a man I felt none of that for."
Adam sighed closing his eyes hearing her words. Opening them faintly moist with tears as he lightly placed his hands on her shoulders glad to see she didn't wince at that. "Patty…sweet Patty…" He faintly clenched his teeth blowing a breath through them. "That sounds like a cold life…one someone as lovely & pretty as you should not be living."
"Me pretty…ha.."
"It's true."
"Nay, I keep being told I am lucky my hand was promised…if not I would of be living a very lonely life."
"I know I don't need to ask who is filling your head with that. It's not true though."
"Yes it is."
Adam leaned in closer to her. "Trust me Patty, It's not." He licked his lips before just softly kissing her. He waited for her to pull away, then maybe hit him or run off. He wasn't holding her that tightly. He was pleasantly surprised when none of that happened. He broke the kiss looking at her, her eyes lightly closed a few tears falling from them as a hand slowly came up to her own lips as if in shock. His voice soft as he spoke again. "I am sorry Patty if that was out of line…I just could not hold back wanting to do that any longer. Even if your body has been promised, I know your heart can not be. That only you can promise someone." Her eyes opened to look at him he slowly removed a hand from her shoulder to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I didn't mean to make you sad I'm sorry…" He turned to walk away.
"Adam…" Her voice faintly shaking.
He stopped walking but didn't turn back as he didn't want her to see the pain he was now feeling as he felt he even ruined their friendship. "Yes?"
"Is…is that how…how a kiss out of…" She felt odd trying to say the word.
"Love." Adam softly spoke.
She blushed hearing the word. "Is that how one should feel?"
"There are different ones…but how did that one make you feel?"
"Safe, warm, protected, cared for."
"Then yes." His eyes closed cursing his own tears trying to wipe them before they could be seen. "You telling me you never been kissed?" He almost couldn't believe it.
"Never like that…Drew has tried to force them on me, they were always hard & forceful, more a feel of him trying to dominate me then care about me." Adam clenched his jaw hearing him name & then his treatment. "Adam please come back ere, I feel odd talkin to ya back." Adam worked to recompose himself before turning back around. "I was not crying cause ya made be sad. That had been there a long time I guess."
"I am sorry for that."
"I feel so wrong for asking…but can ya kiss me again?"
Adam gave a small smile stepping close to her again. "You are not his yet…" He placed one hand on her shoulder the other behind her head as he leaned in to kiss her again. He kept it soft no matter how much he wanted to be more physically passionate with it. He could feel how fragile she was because of her brother & Drew's treatment of her. He know she could still feel the passion & love he had for her in even the light caresses of their lips.
When he slowly pulled back she softly whispered her brogue quite thick "And I wosh I nay eve had to be.."
His hand moved from her hair to her cheek "Patty I love so much about you…I wish I could show you the better side of life."
"I can nay change how things are Adam…I am sorry." She reached a hand up brushing his jaw, almost a chuckle at the faint scruffiness of the feel of it.
"You don't love him though." Those words drop her features again.
"I know…but they are as they are…"
"I will always be there for you…"
"Thank ya Adam, more then ye may know thank ya. Once I am wed though…it can never be more then a friend…I…I could never break my vows…I do not even know if that kiss would be breaking them."
"Why, what vow are you under before that day?"
"I…I am to remain Chaste, pure…untouched in a sexual way."
"I just wish it was not a prick like Drew you were saving that for."
"Aye…me too, now more then before." She looks down the hall towards the door.
"They haven't come looking for you because Eve helped me plan this."
"Before I would have been mighty bit angry with her…now when I get a chance I think I'll need to thank her." Adam couldn't help but smile at those words.
"Here." He hands Patty a small plastic bag. "A small gift…but also your cover story for the others. They should be waiting at the food court for you…tell them you are sorry, but something caught your eye in one of the stores….Until next Patty I sweet." He quickly pecked her lips one last time before rushing down the hall & out a back entrance. Her fingers traced the spot where their lips touched again before leaving the hall to find the other girls.
She slipped into a chair next to Eve. "So where you vanish to?" Nattie asked. "We were about ready to try your phone…then we remembered none of us have your number."
"Oh sorry bout that girls…I just spotted something that screamed buy me."
The girls laughed saying they know the feeling. "Well can we see?" Asked Michelle. Patty debated a moment as she was not even sure. Reaching in the bag she pulled out the small box & also saw a note in the bag as well but figure it was best to read it when no one was looking.
She opened the lid of the box & had to fight wanting to cry again seeing a pair of stud style Claddagh earrings. They were silver & the heart of them was an emerald colored stone. "They are pretty, you going to put them on, or did you buy them as a gift for someone else?" Asked Michelle.
"Nay they a lil something for me."
"Well then girl lets see how they look of you." Patty nodded with a smile taking them from the box putting them on. "They look nice when you move your head right. The silver suits you, gold would have gotten lost in your hair."
"OK Girls it's getting late, we should get a move on." Eve suggested as they all stood up Patty placed the bag in her purse as they made their way through the mall.