More than a Promise: The Separation Page 3

  “Broke up with? What are you talking about? I didn’t break up with him, I got mad at him. Who told you I broke up with him?”

  “I did,” Seth slurred. “You wouldn’t get in the car. And I told you…”

  “Yeah, you told me if I didn’t get in to let you know before you leave if I wanted to be with you. That was you, not me. I’m mad at you, but I wasn’t breaking up with you.”

  “Cris, Seth and I are going away for the night. Mom thinks I’m staying as Steph’s so if you want to get me in more trouble just tell them where I’m going and who I’m with.”

  “Where are you going?” Steph asked.

  “Better you didn’t know, but Cris knows where I’m going,” Lia said.

  “That cabin’s too cold now. You can’t go there,” Cristofer said.

  “I have the sleeping bags and it’s only September. It’s not like we’re living there it’s only one night. I sure can’t take him home like this,” Lia said.

  While Lia and her brother were talking Seth slid off the car and staggered over to her. He pulled her to him and whispered, “You didn’t break up with me?”

  In disgust she pushed him away, “Seth, get in the car, the passenger side, you’re not driving.”

  He couldn’t walk a straight line to the car, so Cris helped him get there. “You call me the minute you get there. Do you even know how to drive this car?”

  “Yeah, I drove it here didn’t I?”

  “A few blocks doesn’t mean you know how to drive it.”

  “I know how to drive it, I’ve been driving it on and off for over a year. I made him show me in case of an emergency. And I do have my license you know.”

  “But still…”

  “Look I drove this car more than any other. I wasn’t privileged enough to have Daddy buy me a car,” Lia said bitterly.

  “I didn’t ask for that car, Lia. He came home with it, remember,” Cris said as a huge wave of guilt crashed over him.

  “Yeah I know, and I probably would have one too if I stop seeing Seth, but you know what I’d rather have Seth than a car.”

  After they left Steph asked, “What’s the problem with your Dad and Seth? It has to be more than him getting caught last summer.”

  “Yeah it does and I guess I’m at fault for that, too. When Lia and Seth started going out they got caught in her bedroom lying on the bed and it was because I opened my big mouth when my Dad got home. I kinda knew they were fooling around up there. So when my Dad asked where Lia was I told him in her bedroom. He went right up and caught them. I had to get Seth out through my bedroom window before my Dad killed him.”

  “Wow, why would you do that?”

  “I don’t know, maybe jealous. It was always Seth and me. We were closer than brothers, but then Lia started hanging out with us, at Seth’s insistence. At first it didn’t bug me too much, but when they started dating it was like I was losing my brother. I swear I didn’t know how much trouble they were in until my Dad found them. Lia didn’t talk to me for months. Seth was mad at me because Lia was in trouble. It was a mess for a while. She just started talking to me again but, I think it was because of Seth bugging her to.”

  “So when Seth got caught stealing that car and had Lia in it, all his feelings toward Seth turned to hate? You and Seth were always together like you said, brothers. So he must have been at your house a lot. How can your Dad just write him off like that?”

  “That’s my Dad. He’s cold hearted, mean, and vindictive. Lia’s right about the car. He got me one and won’t get her one because of Seth. I stand by her decision to be with Seth, and actually, as messed up as tonight was, it tells me how much Seth loves her, in a messed up kind of way.”

  “Why, because he got this drunk thinking she broke up with him?”

  “Yeah. You don’t understand the way he was raised. His Dad is as cold hearted as my Dad in some ways. He had a drinking problem for years, he’s been clean for a while, but it took its toll on Seth. Even though they rebuilt that car together, there wasn’t much he did with him. He was either working or drinking. Then he lost his job, Seth was afraid he would go back to his drinking, but thank God he didn’t.”

  “Gee I didn’t realize he had that hard of a childhood. His Dad always seemed like a nice man.”

  “Yeah he is. Until he gets drunk, then he’s mean. Seth always said he wouldn’t be a drunk like his Dad. We drank just to see what it would do, but after he took that car, we both stopped. Until tonight.”

  “I wonder how he’s gonna do with moving to New York?”

  “I don’t know. If they stay together, probably ok.”

  “How are they going to see each other? New York is two hours away. I would be so scared if I were Lia, I would be afraid some other girl will wiggle her way in there.”

  “I wonder if that’s Seth problem, thinking the same thing. I know he’s liked her since we were little. He would always tell me he was going to marry her.”

  “That’s cute.”

  “Don’t you dare tell anyone what I told you, ever.”

  “I wouldn’t, I feel so sad for them. I could never be away from you, I would miss you too much.”

  “I know, I feel the same way,” he said cuddling her in his arms and kissing the top of her head.

  Chapter 4

  As Lia drove the 40 miles to the cabin, in the Pocono Mountains, Seth tried to talk to her, but couldn’t keep the conversation going. He kept falling asleep, or passing out she didn’t know which. She was worried he had too much to drink and might need medical help. She’d have to make that decision once they got to the cabin. If she ever found it in the dark, it was a while since she was there.

  The cabin used to be Seth’s grandparents before they passed away. His Mom couldn’t bear to sell it because of all the childhood memories she had. Right now she was glad so she had a place to take Seth. If only she could find it. She knew she was on the right road, but she kept driving back and forth looking for the driveway to the cabin. She went back to the beginning of the road pulled into a convenience store and went in to get some sodas.

  When she came back out of the store, she sat in the driver’s seat again. She shook him “Seth you need to wake up.”

  “Where are we?” he asked groggily, looking around him.

  “On the way to your family’s cabin, but I can’t find the turn off to it. I went up and down the road three times. You need to tell me where to turn off.”

  “Why… are we going… to the cabin?” he asked still slurring his speech.

  Looking at him in disbelief. “You’re too drunk to take home. Just help me find the driveway.”

  He looked around again to see where they were, he said, “Make a right out of here and go about a mile up the road. Then make a left. I’ll tell you where.”

  Pulling out of the parking lot she made a right and drove for about a mile when Seth said, “Turn left onto Humming Bird Lane. It’s about half a mile then you’ll have to turn right into the drive way. Go slow so you don’t miss it.”

  “Okay, I forgot about Humming Bird Lane.”

  “Turn here. You drove my car all the way here?”

  “Yep,” she said as she pulled to a stop next to the cabin. “It’s not locked is it?”

  “Yeah, but luckily I have a key to it in the glove compartment. When we came up here to winterize it last week I never gave the key back to my Mom.”

  As he looked for the key Lia got out and opened the trunk and started taking out all the stuff she threw in there. Seth stumbled back to see what she was doing. “When did you get all that stuff?”

  “After Steph picked me up we went by my house to get it. While I was there my Mom came home, but luckily I had everything in the trunk before she got there. She thinks I’m staying at Steph’s house.”

  “Great we get caught your parents will kill me. Not like I’m their favorite person to begin with,” Seth
groaned.

  “We won’t get caught if we leave early,” Lia said. “You needed somewhere to sleep it off. Let’s get this stuff inside. Cris was right it’s cold up here.”

  “Don’t worry Babe I’ll keep you warm,” he said as he hugged her from behind and nuzzled her neck.

  “Yeah and I wonder where that would lead,” she said giggling. “Come on let’s get inside.”

  Seth couldn’t unlock the door. Lia took the key from him. Opening the door she led them in, everything was covered with sheets so the furniture wouldn’t get dusty sitting for the winter.

  “We turned the water off for the winter, but I can turn it back on give me a minute,” Seth slurred, and stood there swaying for a minute and plopped down on the couch.

  “Just tell me where it is and what I have to do. I don’t think you’re in any shape to do it.”

  “I can do it Lia,” he said annoyed. “I might have had too much to drink, but I’m capable of turning the water back on.”

  “Ok,” Lia replied turning to go into the bedroom, she put the sleeping bags on top of the sheets, side by side on the queen bed and then went back outside to get the pillows and the rest of the stuff out of the trunk. It took two trips and when she went back in the bedroom Seth was zipping the sleeping bags together to make one big one.

  “What are you doing?”

  “It’s cold Lia we’ll be warmer being in one sleeping bag,” Seth replied.

  “It’s not that cold Seth, but whatever.”

  “You still mad at me?” he questioned.

  “It’s not that I was mad at you, I was hurt and still am. I never broke up with you. I don’t know where that came from. You have to understand where I’m coming from on this. I didn’t understand at the time why you didn’t want to be with me. Why you stop coming over, you stopped calling me, and you avoided me. I was so scared I’d never be with you again. And I wasn’t the one to cause it. I didn’t deserve you ignoring me. Yeah ok I knew you were drunk, and I probably shouldn’t have got in the car with you, but I did and I knew what I was doing. It wasn’t fair that everyone took it all out on you. But it hurt when I found out you chose to stay away from me.”

  “But…”

  “Let me finish, I know you didn’t want to go to jail, or more correctly juvie, and I didn’t want that either, but you let my Dad push you away. I felt like you were looking for a way out and jumped at the chance.”

  “No!!” he yelled. “I didn’t feel like I was good enough for you. All my parents did was scream at me that I drug you down with me and how could I do that to you. Then your Dad started in on me, then the cops, everyone. I really believed you would be better off without me. They had me believing that, and I was so stressed out about it all when he said he would talk to Mr. Simons I guess I went with it to keep you safe from me. I don’t know what I was doing at the time. Your brother and I were drinking so much back then; you know that, and I was probably going though withdrawal or something. I stopped drinking right then and there.”

  “I would go through bouts of shaking, anger, and depression. When the depression hit was when I would listen to what everyone was telling me, that I was not good enough for you. It was at one of those times your Dad came to me. Telling me he would talk to Mr. Simon’s and get us out of trouble, but I had to stay away from you. I agreed for the main reason to get you out of trouble.”

  “I guess I never thought of you going through withdrawal. I wasn’t around you for a month after it so I didn’t see you go through it, but damn it, Seth I would have been there for you! I yelled, screamed, threw tantrums; I didn’t speak to my parents during that time. I knew my Dad did something, but didn’t know what. Cris wouldn’t help me, either.”

  “He knew what was going on, we talked, he didn’t agree with me. He knew you would help me even if it was just to be there. He’s the reason I finally went to meet you that first time. I was so scared of what you were going to say to me. I thought you were going to yell at me, scream at me or something close to it. You didn’t, you sat there crying, and it ripped me apart inside. I swear I never wanted to hurt you! Not then and not now. I know I should have come clean about it all sooner, but I wanted to wipe the slate clean. I wanted to forget about it completely. It was the worst time of my life.”

  “I love you, Seth. Nothing is ever gonna change that,” she said walking over to him and sitting on his lap.

  He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her. “I love you, too. Since the first day I met you, I think.”

  “Seth you moved into town when I was like four years old.”

  “I know. And I would always ask my Mom to go play with you and your brother. Then when we got to be eight or nine was when I started bugging your brother to have you tag along. I don’t think I ever thought about a time without you. You were always with me.”

  “Oh Seth, how are we gonna survive being apart?” she said all choked up and started crying again.

  Groaning loudly he said, “Babe, don’t cry, it really drives me crazy. I’m helpless to change it; I’m not eighteen yet so I can’t tell them I’m staying here. I’ll make you a promise right here and now, we will be together always, and we’ll see each other often. We have to look at it, as it is only a few months apart.”

  “And I promise also, we’ll be together forever. Somehow I’ll get to see you.”

  “Let’s get some sleep, Babe. I’m dead on my feet here,” Seth said pushing her off his lap. When he stood up he swayed and stumbled toward the bedroom.

  “More like you’re still drunk,” Lia scolded. “I don’t ever want to hear about you drinking again. You can’t get into anymore trouble or we’ll never see each other.”

  “Babe I’ll always find a way to see you.”

  “Not if you’re dead. You were so stupid drinking and driving tonight.”

  “I had to find you!”

  “That might be so, but you didn’t have to drink.”

  “I thought you were breaking up with me, so I went to a party and started drinking to get rid of the pain. It didn’t work the pain just got worse.”

  “That’s what happens when you drink. Make me another promise.”

  “Anything.”

  “No more alcohol.”

  “Fine.”

  “Maybe you need to go back to those meetings.”

  “We’ll see. I didn’t have a problem for over a year.”

  “But there’s so much stress in your life now. I just worry about you.”

  “Come on lay down with me. Stop worrying nothing will happen, unless we’re caught tonight.”

  Wide eyed she turned to him, “Oh my God, Seth, where are you supposed to be tonight? What did you tell your Mom?”

  “About the party as Zak’s house and I was staying there.”

  “Oh ok,” she said relaxing. “I just remembered that we would have to make up a story for you. Thank God we don’t, I really hate lying.”

  They both got in the sleeping bags and snuggled close, “This feels so good holding you in my arms,” Seth said before he passed out and Lia fell asleep soon after.

  ~~*~~

  The next morning Lia woke up to Seth kissing her neck and rubbing her back and shoulders. “Mmm, that feels so good, Babe,” she moaned.

  “You feel so good to me. Sorry I passed out last night. I’ll make it up to you, today,” he said kissing her. “I want you so bad, it hurts.”

  “Do you have any condoms? I didn’t bring any,” she questioned.

  “Let me look,” he said picking up his wallet. In the one compartment he found one. He had a big grin on his face as he pulled it out. He pulled her close, kissed her as his hands roamed all over her. He kissed down her neck, down her shoulder, she was left breathless.

  The explosion of desire that ripped through her left her feeling shaky, she stated pulling him to her. She never felt anything like this. It was like she would see fireworks.
Her love for Seth grew deeper.

  They collapsed on the bed together, neither moved a muscle for a few minutes. Seth held her tightly to him and kissed the top of her head as Lia kissed his neck, “God, Babe,” he whispered.

  She snuggled as close to him as she could. “I love you.”

  “Let’s stay here all day,” he suggested.

  “I wish we could, but I have to get back home before my parents start looking for me.”

  “Call them and tell them we’re coming up here for the day to walk the trails before I have to leave. That I’ll come pick you up,” he said.

  “Yeah ok, but what if they want me home right away?”

  “Then think of something that will stall them for about fifteen, twenty minutes.”

  “Fifteen minutes, it takes longer than that to get home!” she said.

  “Not with me driving,” Seth stated.

  “Just what we’d need a speeding ticket on the way home,” Lia sighed. “What time is it anyway?”

  Looking at his watch, “Seven,” he said.

  “Seven? Ugh I want to go back to sleep. I’m so exhausted.”

  “All you ever want to do is sleep. Every since I met you,” Seth laughed. “Go back to sleep for a while. I’ll wake you then you can call your Mom.”

  “No, I’ll call now and leave a message. It’s Sunday they’re still sleeping,” Lia said.

  “Ok, it’s up to you, but don’t get in anymore trouble because of me.”

  “I don’t care. In two weeks I won’t get to see you anymore so if I’m grounded it won’t be a big deal after you leave,” she said getting her cell phone. She called the home phone and got the answering machine, “Mom, Seth and I are going to his grandparent’s cabin to hike the trails, we’ll be back later tonight. Love ya. Oh call me if you need me.” She left a similar message on her mom’s cell phone.

  She snuggled down next to Seth putting her head on his chest and wrapping her legs around him she hugged him tight. Laying there for a few moments in the comfort of his arms, feeling safe and protected she fell asleep.

  Both slept for about an hour when Seth woke up with a start. He thought he heard a car pull onto the property. He sat up in bed and listened. Yep, definitely a car. He jumped out of bed pulling on his jeans and socks at the same time. Rushing to the bedroom door he was struggling to get his t-shirt back on.