Page 35 of Sweet Surrender
14
ALEX
THREE WEEKS LATER
Time had a way of flying by. My mother still wasn’t speaking to me, but I had come to be good with that. Judah had taught me that as much as I should respect others, I deserved to be respected, as well, and that included my family.
We had left the grocery store that night and gone back to his place to cook our meal for our friends. We had a wonderful time with Gabe and Kelli, so much so that we forgot all about the problems we had at the grocery store.
I called my father the next day, and he assured me that he was proud of me for finally making a stand about my life and apologized that he had never done it in its totality. He also stated that my mother would get over it, eventually, as she always had.
My brother called me a few days later, and he apologized for the ugly and hateful things that he had said. He promised that he would support Judah and me and that he was glad that I was happy. I suspected Tyra was behind that apology, and I appreciated her.
It didn’t matter if he supported us or not though. It was like Judah said, it was about us and no one else. I was thankful for Jon-Jon’s and my father’s support, but I wasn’t about to let their lack of support get in the way of my relationship and loving the good man I had been blessed with.
“Watch your step,” Judah warned, guiding me with one arm around my waist and his free hand holding mine.
“Judah St. Charles, if I fall and bust my face?—”
“Baby, if you haven’t learned to trust me by now, I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Why do I have to wear this stupid blindfold though?”
“Because I don’t want you to see your surprise too soon.”
Today was my birthday. My father had dropped by last night to give me his gift, a necklace with a locket. Inside the locket was a picture of him and me when I was three. On the back was a quote: “A father’s love has no boundaries.”
I had gone out last night with Kelli, Tyra, and a few other friends to celebrate my birthday early. Today, Sunday, was the actual day of my birth. I tried not to be bothered by the fact that I hadn’t heard from my mother, and it was a little after four in the afternoon.
Judah had picked me up and took me out to brunch this morning, and then he took me back to my place and packed essential items only. When we left, we headed straight for the airport and boarded a private plane that he had chartered.
I was so confused because he wouldn’t tell me where we were going. Five minutes before we descended, he pulled out the blindfold and demanded that I put it on, along with some earplugs.
I did. I had been wearing the blindfold ever since, including getting into a car at the airport and riding for fifteen minutes. I was allowed to remove the earplugs after leaving the airport, butnot the blindfold. I was sick of the blindfold, and my face was starting to sweat.
The click of a door sounded loudly in my ears just before a blast of air conditioning hit me in the face, cooling me off from the sultry spring heat.
“May I take it off now?” I begged.
“One second,” he stated. “Stand right here. Don’t move. Don’t peek.”
“Okay,” I whined.
It felt scary when he left my side because I had no idea where I was, who was around, if anyone, or what was going on. I sighed when he was back by my side within two minutes.
“Okay, baby. Now you can take off the blindfold,” he stated as he lifted the blindfold from my eyes.
“Where am I?” I asked, looking around the candlelit room.
Bouquets of flowers were all over the place along with candles of varying sizes and scents.
“You’re in a cute little bungalow on Sorrel Island. Happy birthday, baby,” he explained before he cradled my face and kissed my lips gently.
I pulled back and rushed to the window. Opening the balcony door, I could see the beach only steps away from our location. Palm trees swayed in the breeze, and beautiful, colorful flowers decorated the landscaping. Lush green grass and flora grew everywhere, and people played and relaxed along the white sands of the beach.
“Oh my God! You have got to be lying, Judah!” I squealed.
He stepped out onto the patio with me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed me softly underneath my chin.
