Ken was just perfect. There was no other way to describe him, he was perfect. How could have I ever thought someone so gentle was a jerk?  During the three weeks we’ve been together, the three amazingly wonderful weeks, he has shown me a whole different side of him. A side that only those close to him would know he possessed.

He was so gentlemanlike when I brought him to meet my father for the first time. Actually, he was an adorable bundle of nerves the entire ride to my house.

“Are you sure about this?” He asked passing his fingers in his hair for the hundredth time.

I patted him on the arm to calm him down, “Trust me it’ll be alright. My dad is real easygoing so relax. He’s not going to kill you.” I probably should not have let him drive in his state, I thought, glancing at the speed meter I saw he was actually doing 70 in a 30mph zone. “But you might. Can you ease on the gas, buddy?” I said nervously.

The car gradually slowed down, “Sorry, I’m really nervous about meeting your dad.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“Sarcasm is really not helping right now, Craig.” His knuckles were turning white from lack of blood flow as he clutched the steering wheel tighter and tighter.

“Sorry but you’re really blowing this out of proportion. It’s just my dad not the queen of England.

“We’re here,” he said so low that I think he did not mean for me to hear it.

I’ve been talking to my dad nonstop about him for the past week so it wasn’t like he had some unrealistic goals about how he wanted his future son in law need to behave. He was still reluctant about me dating but he kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t like him to not speak his mind about something, after all that’s why he became a lawyer. He wanted to be able to speak for himself and others but he hasn’t been doing a lot of that lately. I knew he was slacking at work and he’s been losing weight at a worrisome rate. At first it was just the disease but the more I spent time with him, it seemed like something else was eating at him. He acted so guilty.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll love you” I reassured Ken one last time before we got out of the car. “Ready?” I asked him before slipping the key in the doorknob.

“Hell no” He wiped away the sweats that was forming on his forehead, just under his baseball cap, with his hands then wiped them on his pale blue jeans.

“Daddy, I’m home” I shouted even though I could see him sitting on the couch watching a baseball game. That will give them something to talk about.

He rose from the couch and walked towards us wearing his happiest smile in days.

“Hi, pumpkin” he dropped a kiss on my forehead. Holding me to him, he drew a hand out for Ken to shake, “You must be the famous Ken.”

“Yes, that’s me. Nice to finally meet you, sir.” Ken let out breathlessly as he shook my dad’s hand.

“Do you like baseball, Ken?”

“I like all sports, sir.”

“You can’t exactly like all of them when you don’t really know all of them, can you Ken?”

I watched Ken’s skin turned a vivid red under my dad’s teasing tone, “No, Sir.”

“Drop the sir. You can all me, Jimmy.”

“Yes, Sir. I mean, yes Jimmy.” Ken spluttered.

“Ok, let’s just go watch TV before you explode inside the house.”

It was the most amazing day of my life. I never wanted it to end but it had to. As soon as the day was over and I was walking Ken to his joyride of the day, I knew our relationship had changed. I knew we had to take the next serious step but I had no idea which one that was until Ken and I ended up alone in his house a few days later. We were the only there besides the housekeeper. I’ve came to learn that Ken’s parents were rarely home especially now they were fighting on which one of them get to keep it after they separated.

We laid on his bed, looking up at the chandelier above his bed. It baffled me how he could fall asleep under it. I could never sleep safe and sound knowing there was a huge glass on top of my head which might kill me if it ever falls. The lights were dimmed as to not smother the romantic atmosphere we have created but retained enough clarity for us to see each other’s face at close proximity.

“I’ve never actually told you why that restaurant was my favorite.” He said softly, angling his body to face mine.

We’ve been to many restaurants in the duration of our relationship but he didn’t have to say the name for me to know which one he was talking about.

“I figured it was a secret that you were not ready to share.”

“It is but I’m ready to share it with you now” he turned me to face. His piercing blue eyes were full of love and trust, “I want to share it with you.”

I stayed immobile, my eyes locked in his, afraid that any wrong move might cause him to close up again. Our breaths were the only sound in the vast room, making it hard to concentrate on anything other than his arms around me. My skin was burning with shiver under the featherlike touch of his fingers on my arms.

“I don’t remember my parents ever being present on any of my special occasions, football games, press conferences after winning the championship, Christmas, or my birthday. Hell, I don’t even think they remember my birthday. I’m just an investment to them and they’re waiting for the day I’m going to start paying off.” He hid his head in the crook of my neck, breathing in my scent. If he was aware of my restless squirming, he didn’t let it be known.

My mouth opened but the words were stuck in my throat. Soothing words were piling in mind but none would come out. I wanted to comfort him but I was afraid he would stop talking. He had yet to tell me how was all that related to the restaurant.

“It was my safe heaven” He breathed out as he sprawled back on the bed. “When I first started to get in trouble in school, my parents spent an entire month dragging me with them every day, showing me the wealth I would have to lose if I didn’t straighten out. I was depressed for the entire first week until I came across Louise’s. It provided me with an escape from the day of turmoil my parents presented to me. Also, I loved how pissed off my parents were with the owner. That old woman is the only person I’ve only standing him to my parents with no ounce of fear in their eyes. I guess it’s right what they say about respecting your elders.” A light laugh slipped out of him in an effort to pacify the tension in the room.

“I love you, Nicole” He said unexpectedly. My heart and lungs stopped, the room began to spin around me picking up the pace every second. The entire world felt into a complete silence, even the clock ceased to tick.

“Nikkie, are you alright?” I heard Ken’s voice calling out to me but the blood in my ears drown the sound.

“What did you say?” I asked once I regained my voice and was able to form a coherent sentence.

“I said, are you alright?”

“No before that.”

“Oh, I said I love you but you didn’t it say it back. Don’t you feel the same way?”

“Of course I do. How could I not love you?” I kissed him softly on the lips, happy tears streaming down my face. Soft lips welcomed mine as his strong hands gently held my face while he deepened the kiss. He delightfully nibbled my lips, biting it, before thrusting his tongue in my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to my body. His hands moved from my face to my waist causing me to moan as I curved my body against him. I trembled when his scorching hot fingertips grazed my skin.

That was when I made my dumbest mistake yet. I placed my hands on his chest, pushing him back on the bed. At that moment, I was driven purely by the need to quench the sudden hunger that arose in me. I straddled his hips, kissing him mindlessly. My fingers developed a mind of their own as I started to unbutton his shirt, stopping once I felt Ken’s hands on my breasts trying to take off my bra. I knew this was going to cause a conflict but I wasn’t ready for this. I made the promised to my mother and even though I was still mad for her not being there to see me grew up, I was not going to break my promise.

“Ken stop” I told him firmly pushing him away from me but he didn’t budge. His lips shifted to my neck, sucking and kissing. “Ken stop it, now” I pleaded with him.

His eyes leveled with mine and his raged breath blew in my face, “What happened? Did I do something wrong?” He said confused and worried at the same time.

“No, It’s not you” I got up from him and moved to the pale green loveseat facing the flat screen TV. “I’m just not ready for this.” I pulled one of the pillow to my chest and squeezed it.

“It’s alright, I can wait. We don’t have to hurry it up.” He walked towards me, wrapping his arms around me. “I’ll wait for you, I promise.”

I groaned, “You’re going to have wait a long time buddy.”

“It’s alright, I understand.”

“No, you don’t. I promised to my mom I’ll wait till marriage just like she did.”

“Seriously, waiting for marriage? People still do that?” He teased.

“Of course people still do that” I smacked him on the arm lightly.

“Don’t worry babe, I’m just teasing” He dropped a kiss on my forehead, “I’ll wait for you for however long you desire.”

A warm glow spread to my extremities, drugging me with the ecstasy of having a boyfriend as great as Ken McCall. I snugged closer to him. He was going to wait for me which made me the happiest person on earth. However, something on my mind keep nudging my mind about the downfall. I knew there was no way life would let me be this happy. Something bad was going to happen, my world was about to get crushed once again. I could feel it.