Chapter 210: Danny XVIII

Chapter 210: Danny XVIII—How Much Longer

 

 

            There are certain types of girls that are so beautiful, that as soon as one leaves them, one holds onto that beauty in their brains and when one returns, they find out that they’re even more beautiful than one’s memory has served. To Danny, that is exactly how Cecile was.

            It was shamefully easy to forget how exquisite a girl Cecile was when he was not with her, and a lot of the times, even while he was with her he would find himself taking her for granted. It was something he thought about, how could he forget? How bad of a person did that make him?

            When he had first seen Cecile, she had been still in high school, he had seen her from across the park, and he had felt his heart slam to a stop. She looked like a model, an actress, a princess from a fairy tale movie. She didn’t look real, and he had tried to forget about her. Within five minutes he had dashed for that damn football and slammed her to the ground in the process. Even close up, sobbing, trembling, Danny had been even more awestruck by her prettiness. And those eyes! They were like jewels, a deep emerald green.

            It was Cecile’s manner, though, that made him forget her beauty. She would be so sedate, so serious for spells, that sometimes she reminded him of a convent girl or a little sister, someone plain and wholesome. At times like that however, she would get up and leave the room or she would break into a dazzling smile or re-enter the room and then it would hit Danny all over again, she was gorgeous! She was pure and she was his!

            The same intoxication overtook Danny as Cecile opened the door to the Sakic’s house even before he had knocked. He caught a glimpse of her smiling face and she hurled herself into his arms, her fingers pressed into his skin, and soon after that, her lips to his. Whirling bliss as her lips parted slightly and allowed him just a taste of her warmth, and it was all warmth. As cool as she came across sometimes, Danny always knew that in her kiss was the answer to any questions he could ever have about how passionate she could be.

            He squeezed her, felt her heartbeat pulsing in her chest, felt the softness of her body. Desperately, at that moment he wanted to fall into the snow with her, hold her forever, keep her entwined in his arms.

            “I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered finally after breaking the kiss and gasping for air.

            Danny grinned and reached into the house, swung the door shut and he squeezed her delicate fingered hand in his own. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it, “I missed you too, come on, let’s go!”

            If Cecile’s mother had still been here, Danny knew that he would have to wait four more days before he could even call her much less see her. It had been like those first days when they were newly acquainted, and she would fear the very mention of her mother discovering their love. How much longer would they have to play this game?

            “So what are the Sakic’s up to tonight?” Danny asked as he held out Cecile’s chair at the restaurant for her to sit.

            “Oh they rented a bunch of movies,” Cecile said.

            Danny sat down. “Yeah?”

            Cecile nodded. “Yeah they’re all snuggled in the den with popcorn and movies, it’s pretty sweet. Mitchell kept begging me to watch with ‘em. They’re such a lovely family; it must be so great to have kids. I mean… I mean I would never have just one you know? It would be so much better to have brothers and sisters to play with and…”

            Cecile’s cheeks reddened at that point and she looked away.

            Danny smiled. “Three’s a good number?” He said. “I’ve always wanted three.”

            Cecile reddened all over now and she smiled briefly. “Danny..” she said, “I wasn’t trying to…” She took a drink of water.

            “Hehe,” Danny laughed softly and he wondered if her daughter would have green eyes and how he would break the knees of the first boy that looked at her.

            He slid his hands into his pocket and felt the box inside, should he give it to her now or later? He didn’t want to wait! He wanted to see her face! In fact, he really should wait a couple more weeks until he got what he had ordered… but he didn’t want to. Now it was only a matter of waiting an hour, he could be patient for an hour.

            “Oh it’s so nice!” Cecile said as she slid her fork into a fat slice of cheesecake when they had received their dessert. “I don’t want Mom to come back, you know?”

            Danny had just been about to give the gift to her and he felt his blood chill. “Cecile,” he said somberly, “You have to tell her about us, how much longer can we go on like this? Hiding from her, dealing with guilt? We’re not criminals, love is never a crime.”

            Cecile narrowed her eyes. “Love is never a crime? Where have I heard that before?”

            Danny shrugged, “I don’t know, I guess maybe… maybe it was from that movie we saw, you know that cool French costume drama.”

            Cecile nodded. “Sounds like a line from the film.”

            “But that’s not the point,” Danny said. “I just want to know how much longer we have to go on like this. Sooner or later…”

            “I know Danny!” She said quickly. “I think about it all the time. Soon… I promise..”

            Danny saw her eyes glisten, her lips tightened. Aw shit this isn’t what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to start by making her cry.

            Why can’t she just tell her mother? Why must she stall like this? He thought. Why is it so hard for her to just stand up for what she wants, what she knows wouldn’t hurt her or anyone! He didn’t want to entertain the next thought that flirted through his mind; it was an evil one, a spiteful one. If she really cared for me….

            But of course she cared! There wasn’t any doubt in his mind that she loved him. Still, it was bordering on ridiculous how reluctant she was to even mention his name to her mother. She was young. The answer was there in her youth. She was nineteen, she was sheltered, she was shy. He couldn’t expect her to make decisions and take the initiative now that she would make when she was twenty two or twenty three. But it still would feel a little better if he had some inkling of the regard in which she held him, if she found at least some strength from him to take to her mother.

            “Look I’m sorry,” Danny said, “I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable I just… I really killed the mood didn’t I?”

            Cecile smiled weakly.

            Danny winked at her and he pulled the velvet covered gift box from his pocket. She looked at him, her eyes asking a question as he stood up and walked slowly around the table to her. “Look I’m sorry I put you through so much grief,” he said and then he felt his heart start to glug, and his palms dampened.

            “Danny?” Cecile said. And the look was so innocent, her eyes so catlike and questing. Danny felt his knees tremble and he noticed that a couple on the table nearest to them was watching him, the girl with her hands to her breast. Shit! Even they knew what he was going to do? Were they gonna be taking notes now?

            Danny felt his mouth go dry and he didn’t look at anyone else as he fell to one knee at her feet and the tears immediately started to drop. Was that bad? She was already crying! Danny’s hands were trembling and he quickly slipped the box into her fingers and he wanted to collapse and close his eyes, suddenly he didn’t know what she would say.

            “I… I ordered a ring… it hasn’t come in yet,” he said nervously, “but I couldn’t wait…”

            Cecile sniffled and lifted the dainty, golden chain on one of her fingers, and the beautiful heart shaped locket with the tiny, perfect emerald dangled in front of her face. He could see the sudden glow, like a sunrise…

            “O-Open it,” Danny whispered.

            Cecile smiled and opened the locket, cradling it in her hands and she really started sobbing when she looked inside.

            “Yes!” she exclaimed. “Yes!”

            She left her seat, fell into his arms and hugged him, “Yes,” she whispered into his ear and Danny felt tears in his eyes too, feeling how perfect they were together, hearing the sighs from the people who had collected around their table. “I love you so much.”

            “Will you marry me” had been engraved into the inside of the locket; Danny had hoped that she wouldn’t mind that it wasn’t a ring yet.

            “I love you,” Danny whispered.

            He knew everything was absolutely perfect in this moment and that nothing could ruin it, nothing could separate them, but the question remained. How much longer would she have them wait before she too declared the feelings of her heart for everyone to see, and not be ashamed.