Page 161 of Nobody's Girl

What could she have done? What if something’s happened to her?

I rush to Linda. “Sorry, Linda. Practice is over.” I take her by her arm, leading her back to her car. “My parents want to talk to me about something.”

She allows me to lead her away from the pool. “I understand, Eden. It’s probable I’ll not see you until you bring her back here. Good luck and remember all I’ve taught you. Always be a gentleman.”

I open her car door and help her inside. Out of habit, I place a quick kiss on her cheek.

I shut her door and wave goodbye as I walk up to our front door. My stomach is clenched with not knowing right this minute what’s wrong with my Alyssa.

Ginger, one of the maids, opens the door before I get to it. “They’re on the veranda, Mr. Fontaine.”

“Thank you, Ginger,” I say, turning back to her. “And please call me Eden.” She’s new, so she hasn’t figured out how much I detest being called Mr. anything.

The look on my parents’ faces doesn’t do much to please me or settle my nerves. “Please sit down, son,” my father says.

I kiss my mother’s cheek, then do as he asks. “So what’s this you need to tell me?”

My mother rocks back in the large white rocker she’s sitting in. “Seems your mate has some idea she’s going to run off with who seems to be her high school boyfriend.”

My face falls and my heart stops beating as everything inside me turns to liquid.

How? What? Why?

“There’s no way she could have hidden such a thing from David and Toni.”

My father touches my shoulder. “They were completely unaware of anything more than a friendship existing between the two. That was until a little earlier this evening. Alyssa told them of her plans to move to Austin with the boy after graduation. On her birthday, no less.”

“She can’t,” I say, my breath almost lost.

How could she do this to me?

My mother senses my hurt. “Eden, she knows nothing about you and what you two are to each other. This is exactly why I always said this was a bad idea. Letting her live a ‘normal’ life was a bad idea, no matter how much her parents wanted it.”

“I wanted that for her too,” I say. “I decided to let her stay in that life. This is my fault. I always had the right to stop this and have her brought to me. My love for her and her happiness has caused this.” I look at my father. “Please tell me she hasn’t been taken by this guy. Please tell me she still has her innocence.”

“From what she’s told her parents, she’s still a virgin,” my father says.

“Thank Our Creator! If my actions brought sin upon her everlasting soul, I could never forgive myself. So what’s to happen now?”

My mother rocks back and forth. “The same thing as planned. You go to her on your birthday. Her parents will introduce you two and let her in on who and what she truly is. The boyfriend thing will go away after she knows her true path.”

“She was going to leave with him. It must mean she has love for him.” My stomach aches with this knowledge. “I let her fall in love with someone else. Why didn’t you make me bring her here a long time ago?” I ask my father.

The slight grin on his face answers my question. He’s not my master. Only I can make the decisions for myself and Alyssa, a heavy responsibility to bear since I was a mere five years old. The weight has never been such a burden as it is on this day.

“I know, Papa. I’m not blaming you. I just didn’t see this coming. It was supposed to be so easy. She would see me and fall as madly in love with me as I am with her. Now her heart’s been captured by another. I fear finding love for me will prove much harder for her. There’s the fact she must break this young man’s heart. It will hurt her in the process. I think I hate that the most. I’ll have hurt her before I’ve ever been given the chance to show her just how much I never wanted to.”

My expression must be terrible. My mother comes to me, pulling me to stand. She wraps me in a tight hug.

“Don’t worry so much, Eden. It’ll all be fine. As much as I want to say I told you so, I have to believe in fate. This was meant to be for reasons we may never be privy to. All will be as it’s supposed to be. Her parents are on guard now, making sure she doesn’t give herself to this boy. Toni told me she’s taking Alyssa to the doctor in the morning to get checked out, just to give you peace of mind.”

What? Did she say to give me peace of mind?

“Mother, what’ll the doctor do to her?”

“A physical inspection to make sure she’s still intact. You know, take a gander at her in that area.” My mother horrifies me with her words.

“Tell Toni I’ll not allow it. If my Alyssa says she’s not lost her virginity, then she’s to be believed. No one is going to inspect her like a piece of property. She’s far too special for that. Get her father on the phone, Papa. Let him know I’ve said not to do that to her. If they’ve told her what their plan is, I fear she’s scared to death. That’s not what I want. And all at my hands. No, I’ll not have that. Tell David to make sure Alyssa knows she’s not going to be taken to the doctor. I want her to sleep peacefully on this night. Not lacking sleep from fear of what might happen to her tomorrow,” I order, then walk away.