On the Way to Heaven (BWWM Romance) (9 page)

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

    
Neil entered the kitchen the next morning.
“Morning.”

    
Trina jumped at the table. “Oh.” She
clutched her coffee cup. “Morning.”

    
Neil grabbed the coffeemaker and poured a
steaming cup of coffee. “How’d you sleep?”

    
“Okay, I guess.”

    
“I didn’t sleep too good.” He dumped cream
and four scoops of sugar into his cup. “You wanna know why?”

    
She kept her back to him. “That headache?”
She felt his body heat as he walked up behind her.

    
“No.” He lifted a strand of her hair. “I
couldn’t stop thinking about
you
. I was hard the whole
night.”

    
“Neil.” Her nipples tingled.

    
“It’s true.” He stroked the side of her
face. “You have no idea how many times I talked myself out of going into your
room in the middle of the night.”

    
“We need to talk.” She set her cup down and
turned sideways in the chair. “Why did you kiss me last night?”

    
He bent down beside her. “Because you
wanted me to.”

    
“Neil, I’m serious. I was a bit confused.”

    
“About what? Surely you know I’m attracted
to you.”

    
“Maybe, but—”

    
“I’ve been attracted to you since you
arrived.” He put his coffee down. “That was obvious. I know you feel the same
about me.”

    
“But what made you kiss me
last
night? Why then?”

    
“I was looking at you, and all these
powerful emotions took over, and I wanted to kiss you so badly I couldn’t stop
myself.” He moved his mouth to hers. “Just like I want to now.”

    
She turned away from him. “What about
Charlotte?”

    
“Charlotte’s gone, and last night was the
first time since she died that I hadn’t thought about her.” He sat in the chair
beside her. “You know what that means?”

    
She swallowed. “Are you saying you’re in
love with me?”

    
“Does it matter, if I can’t even kiss you?”

    
 
“I’m
gonna get breakfast ready.” She stood. “The girls will be getting ready for
school.”

* * * *

    
Trina walked through the glass doors of the
Allocco Elementary School around noon. She went into the little office on the
right.

    
A woman with thick glasses sat behind a
desk. “May I help you?”

    
“Trina!” Winter jumped off the chair in the
corner and ran to her.

    
“Hey.” Trina hugged her. “What’s going on?”

    
“You must be here to see Principal Swain.”
The woman pushed a button on her phone and told the principal Trina had
arrived.

    
“Winter, what’s going on?” Trina pulled her
to the side. “They called me, saying you were in trouble, but wouldn’t tell me
what you did.”

    
“I beat him up.” Winter pushed up her
crooked glasses.

    
“Who?”

    
“Gaston.”

    
Trina gaped. “You did what?”

    
She didn’t know whether to scold her or
throw her a party.

    
A thin, tall, brunette woman in a power
suit strutted from the office with her hand extended. “I’m Principal Swain. You
must be Trina, Mr. Styles’ maid.”

    
“Yes.” Trina shook her hand. “Sorry, Neil
couldn’t make it. He’s working. What happened?”

    
The woman glared at Winter. “Winter
attacked Gaston during P.E. class today.”

    
“I had to do it, Trina.” Winter’s chubby
cheeks sagged. “He was throwing dirt at me and wouldn’t stop. The teacher
didn’t do anything.”

    
“She’s being suspended for the rest of the
week,” Swain said. “And this is going on her record.”

    
“Wait a minute,” Trina said. “I don’t
condone kids fighting, but this seems off-base to me.”

    
“How?” Swain stuck her head in the air.

    
“Gaston has been bullying this child
repeatedly. Almost every day, she comes home crying and completely distraught.
Sometimes she can’t even sleep because of how he treats her.”

    
Swain’s rigid expression softened.

    
“She’s gone to the teachers,” Trina said.
“Her father called up here about it, and nothing has been done to Gaston, yet
you can suspend Winter for sticking up for herself?”

    
“If Winter had an issue with Gaston, she
should’ve come to me.”

    
“She tried to come to you! Do you realize
how hard it is, when a kid is being bullied?”

    
“Yes.” Swain pulled at her blazer. “I was
picked on as a kid. Most people are, but that doesn’t give Winter the right to
be violent.”

    
“She’d had
enough
.” Trina exhaled.
“Even kids have their breaking points. She probably snapped.”

    
“I did.” Winter nodded, looking adorable.
“I snapped.”

    
“Look, if this is true about the bullying,
then I will investigate,” Swain said. “I don’t tolerate it in my school, but
two wrongs don’t make a right. Gaston did not lay a hand on Winter, and she
almost beat him to a pulp.”

    
“You
did
?” Trina beamed. “Uh,
I mean…” She relaxed her smile. “You did?”

    
“I didn’t mean to hurt him, but he wouldn’t
stop.”

    
“Do you think this is fair?” Trina
addressed Swain. “Winter is an A student, and she has excellent conduct in her
classes. Doesn’t it seem odd that she’d do something like this without a
reason?”

    
Swain glanced at Winter. “I’ll think about
not suspending her, but she needs to leave for the rest of the day.”

    
“And you’ll investigate the bullying?”
Trina asked.

    
“I definitely will.” Swain bent down to
Winter. “If this has been happening to you, I apologize, but you are a young
lady, Winter. You can’t go around fighting like an animal. That’s not how you
solve things.”

    
“Yes, ma’am.” Winter grabbed Trina’s hand.

    
“Goodbye.” Swain walked to her office then
turned around. “Oh, and uh, Mr. Styles is lucky.”

    
“Why do you say that?” Trina asked.

    
Swain smiled. “To have a maid that cares so
much about his kids.” She went into the office.

    
Trina and Winter walked into the hallway
hand-in-hand.

    
“I’m so proud of you,” Trina said.

    
“You are?” Winter’s face lit up.

    
“Yes. I don’t want you fighting, but I’m
proud you stood up for yourself.”

    
Winter stopped when they got to the
entrance. “I love you, Trina.”

    
Trina gasped. Overtaken by the admission,
she did her best not to cry. “I love you too, honey.”

    
“No!” A child hollered and cried from down
the hall.

    
Trina and Winter turned around.

    
“Let me go!” Gaston pulled away from the
woman who held his hand tightly. “I want my daddy!” He blubbered, with his hand
over his eye.

    
“It’s gonna be okay.” The woman, who
might’ve been the school nurse, dragged Gaston toward the principal’s office.
Pieces of grass stuck to his short hair, and his shirt had been twisted around.
He had black and blue marks all over his face.

    
The woman took him into the office.

    
“My God.” Trina pointed with her mouth
open. “Did you do that?”

    
Winter bounced on her heels. “I don’t think
he’ll be bothering me anymore.” She strutted out of the school.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

    
Neil scooted to the
edge of the sofa that night. “Then what did you do?”

    
Winter held her arms up and lowered them as
if to throw something. “I threw him down and I hit him.”

    
“Wait, you actually threw him down?” Neil
smiled from ear-to-ear with his eyes wide. “Then what?”

    
Trina sat in the chair across the room,
shaking her head.

    
“He was wiggling and squirming on the
ground.” Winter jiggled as if she were Gaston. “Then I got on top of him and I
punched him in the eye.”

    
“Left or right hook?”

    
“Neil?” Trina got up. “Don’t encourage it.”

    
“I’m not encouraging it.” He licked his
lips. “I just wanna know what she did.” He rubbed his hands. “What else?”

    
“That’s enough.” Trina grabbed Winter’s
hand. “Why don’t you go do your homework?”

    
“Okay.” Winter ran toward the stairs.

    
“Wait,” Neil called out. “Uh, how did he
look? Did you bust anything? An eye, or his mouth?”

    
“
Neil
.” Trina shrieked.

    
“
Shh
.” He waved
at her. “How did he look, Winter?”

    
“Black and blue.”

    
“Black and blue?” Neil jumped up and
howled. “That’s my girl!”

    
“Neil, you ought to be ashamed, encouraging
violence.”

    
“I’m not encouraging violence, Trina.” He
chortled. “I didn’t want the boy to be hurt, but he had it coming. I’m glad she
stuck up for herself.” He stared into space. “I might need to get her into some
boxing classes. She obviously has talent.”

    
“Neil—”

    
“Think about it, Trina.” He swung his
hands. “She could be the next Laila Ali.”

    
“I don’t like fighting,” Winter said.

    
“See.” Trina pointed at her.

    
“I only did it because he pushed me over the
edge.”

    
“I’m so proud of you, honey.” Neil scooped
her up and kissed her. “I love you.”

    
“I love you more.” Winter pinched his cheek
and ran upstairs.

    
“Wow.” He pulled on his collar. “My girl
beat up somebody.”

    
“I don’t believe this.” Trina put her hands
on her hips. “Winter comes in here almost every day with ‘A’s on her papers,
and you don’t say anything. She beats a boy up, and you act like she saved
someone’s life.”

    
“It’s a man thing.” He shifted from side to
side. “Plus, I don’t have sons. I never thought I’d experience such a magical
moment.”

    
“Magical moment?”

    
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m sure Gaston got the
point. You mess with a Styles and you get your ass beat.” After strutting
around like a proud rooster in a hen house, Neil stopped in the middle of the
room and stared at her. It reminded her she was alone with him again, something
she’d tried to avoid all day.

    
“I gotta start the dishes.” She grabbed the
cup off the table.

    
“Trina.” He grabbed her before she passed
him. “Stop avoiding me.”

    
“I’m not avoiding you.”

    
“I want you.” He let her go. “I’m falling
harder each day.”

    
She fidgeted. “Neil, please.”

    
“But I’ll respect that you don’t want us to
become involved.” He clasped his hands. “I cherish you being here more than
anything, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

    
“You mean that?”

    
He exhaled and nodded.

    
“Do you think you’ll be able to stand me
being here, and respect my decision?”

    
He leaned forward. “Will
you
be able to stand it?”

    
The doorbell rang.

    
Neil opened the door to a chubby little boy
with a baseball cap and run-over sneakers. He appeared around Paige or Winter’s
age.

    
“Hey there.” Neil leaned against the door.
“What can we do for you?”

    
“Hi,” the boy said. “I’m Buzzard.”

    
“Buzzard?” Trina asked.

    
“It’s my nickname.” He smiled. “They call
me Buzzard because I’m always eating
off
stuff.”

    
Neil chuckled. “Okay. What do you need,
Buzzard?”

    
“Is Winter home? Can I see her for a
minute?”

    
“Uh…” Neil glanced at Trina who almost died
from holding in her giggles. “Winter! Someone is here to see you!”

    
Winter ran down the stairs and into the
living room. “Hey, Buzzard.”

    
“Hey.” He blushed.

    
Neil and Trina moved as Winter approached
him.

    
“What are you doing here?” Winter asked.

    
“I just wanted to check on you.” He tugged
on his baggy jeans. “Man, you were great today at school. Everyone’s talking
about what you did to Gaston.”

    
Winter shrugged. “He had it coming.”

    
Neil snickered.

    
“Yeah, he sure did,” Buzzard said. “Just
wanted to tell you that I was impressed.”

    
Trina smiled at Neil.

    
“You wanna hang for a while?” Buzzard
asked.

    
Winter turned to her father. “Can I?”

    
Neil seemed reluctant, but nodded. “But
only fifteen minutes. She has to finish her homework and be in bed soon.”

    
“Cool.” Buzzard grabbed Winter’s hand and
pulled her outside.

    
Neil closed the door.

    
“Wow.” Trina giggled. “That’s so adorable.”

    
“What?”

    
 
“Winter has a boyfriend.” She gushed. “Did you
see how he grabbed her and pulled her outside? It was like, ‘Hey, you’re my
woman now’.” She laughed.

    
“Boyfriend?” Neil glanced out the window.
“She’s too young to have a boyfriend.”

    
“She’s eight. I had my first boyfriend when
I was nine, and kids move even faster these days.”

    
“Trust me.” He moved from the window.
“Winter doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

    
“I don’t
know
. I saw the way they
looked at each other.” Trina got the empty cup off the table. “You can’t
control love if it’s fate.”

    
He faced her. “Exactly.”

    
She caught the hint in his eyes and left
the room.

* * * *

    
“
Neil
.” A sweet, familiar
voice glided into his ear like silk.
“
Neil, wake up.”

    
“Hmm?” He turned over in bed and opened his
eyes. “What the…?”

    
It can’t be. It cannot be.

    
He rubbed his eyes and stared at the woman
in the corner of his bedroom who glowed in all white. Her long, wavy, blonde
hair and delicate, white dress blew in a wind that only she seemed to feel. She
seemed paler than she used to be, and a golden hue surrounded her. Each second
he looked into her shimmering, green eyes reminded him of how much he’d missed
her.

    
He jumped out of bed in his T-shirt and
boxers.

    
This can’t be happening. She can’t be here
right in front of me.

    
He didn’t believe in this kind of stuff.

    
“
Neil.
” She held her hand
out to him. “
Don’t be afraid
.” Her words ended
with a soothing echo.

    
“Oh, God.” His eyes exploded with tears,
and he wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t sad, but incredibly confused. Yet, just the
idea of seeing her brought out the very emotions he’d tried to bury. “It can’t
be,” he whispered. “What is this?”

    
“It’s me.” She kept her hand out to him.
“Charlotte.”

    
“How…how could you be here?” Tears covered
his lips.

    
“I know you don’t believe in this stuff.”
She floated. “But for now, I hope you can accept it.”

    
“I’m still dreaming.” He touched his face.
“I have to still be dreaming.”

    
“How I’m here, doesn’t matter.” She glided
toward him. “What’s important is that I’m here.” She touched his hand, bringing
warmth he’d prayed he’d feel since she died.

    
“I’m touching you.” He gripped her hand.
“I’m touching you again.” He brought her hand to his cheek. “I smell you, too.”
He closed his eyes. “God, you smell so wonderful.”

    
 
“I
came to tell you that what you’re feeling about Trina is right.” She stroked
his hair. “You can let go now.”

    
“What?”

    
“You needed reassurance. That’s why I’m
here. You need me to tell you it’s okay to move on.”

    
“I’ve missed you so much.” He put his arm
around her small waist. “I can’t do this anymore, Charlotte. I’m dying without
you.”

    
“You know that you do not belong with me
anymore.” She ran her skinny fingers through his hair. “That’s not what you
really want. You’ve been afraid to let me go. Let me go, Neil. It’s okay.”

    
“How can I let you go? You’re the only
person I’ve ever loved.”

    
“Until now.” She looked down, with her hair
blowing all around her. “You love Trina now, and I want you to be happy. It’s
all I’ve ever wanted. Trina makes you happy, and that’s okay.”

    
“A part of me feels guilty for feeling that
way about her.” He loosened his grip on her waist. “But I can’t stop my
feelings.”

    
“And you shouldn’t want to. All we’ve ever
wanted for each other was happiness. I want that for you more than anything,
Neil.” She laid her hand on his cheek. “If I knew that you were happy, I could
rest in peace. I can’t rest if you’re miserable.”

    
“There’s been so much I wanted to say to
you.” He kissed her hand. “Now I can’t think of any of it.”

    
“You don’t have to tell me.” She smiled. “I
already know.” She floated back. “I have to go now.”

    
“No, please.” He held on to her hand.
“Please just stay a little longer. Please.”

    
“Tell the girls I love them.”

    
“But they’ll wanna see you.” He touched her
hair. “Don’t leave us again. Not yet.”

    
“The girls are fine and strong. They’ve
accepted my death.” She put her hand on her bosom. “I’m grateful for that. You
needed help, and Trina did that. You love her, Neil. You probably love her even
more than you loved me.”

    
“No.” He refused to admit that, but he
wasn’t sure. If Charlotte, the spirit, could see how he felt, didn’t that mean
she was right?

    
“Promise me one thing, Neil.”

    
“Anything.”

    
“Don’t let her go.” She slipped her hand
from his. “No matter what stands between you two. You have to fight for your
love. She feels the same, trust me. Don’t let her go. Don’t even let Heaven
stop you.”

    
“Don’t even let Heaven stop me?” He looked
away. “What does that mean?”

    
When he looked back up, she was gone.