Reece
The ride to our destination was silent as I stared out the window. There were so many scenarios going through my head about where Troy was taking me. I needed to get my mind off of how Vanessa had been acting earlier. From her to Nena, I’m starting to wonder if what they’re saying was right. I shouldn’t be thinking that way, but that was one of the reasons why I was at Suds. To keep the man in line. Dating him wasn’t a part of the equation.
“Is everything okay?”
I came back to reality as I looked over at Troy. He gave me a concerned look as I nodded.
“Everything’s cool. I’m just curious to where we’re going.”
Troy smiled. “I’m not telling you, but trust me, you’ll love it.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Do you trust me?”
“I barely know you to trust you.”
“I thought we had been around each other long enough to begin trusting each other.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Oh, I don’t know, we have been tonguing each other down for the past two days, so that should count for something.”
I glanced at him as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. “Just because we kissed doesn’t mean anything.”
“It should, or do you just randomly kiss guys on a daily basis?”
“Do you with women? From your track record, I’d say that you do.”
Troy looked at me with a shocked expression. “Wow, you’re going to go there?”
“You started it, baby.”
“Oh, so you’re calling me baby now?”
“It slipped out,” I said and smiled.
Troy smiled and made a turn towards an open field. I looked around, wondering where the hell he’s taking me since I didn’t see anyone else around.
“Where the hell are we, because I’m sort of worried.” I said.
“Don’t be, mija,”
I waited until he opened my door for me before I got out. I had to admit, the view was breathtaking as I took in the blue skies, and the field surrounding was filled with daises and zinnias. I waited for Troy while he was in his trunk searching for something. He closed it then he came up to me.
“You’re probably wondering where we are.”
“Yeah, I am kind of curious,”
“This is a place my parents used to bring me when I was younger. Since it was an open field, we did a lot here. My dad and I used to play soccer, while my mom would bring us food to eat. After playing, we would sit down, eat and watch the sun set.”
I glanced at him and wondered where his thoughts were at that very moment “Despite how things were between us, I still loved them and still think about the good times we all had. Throughout the years, I think about the shit I have put them through, and I wished I hadn’t, you know. Maybe if I hadn’t added so much stress on them, they would have lived a better life.”
“Troy, you can’t blame yourself for your parents getting sick,”
“No, I can’t; but I can blame myself for the hell I have put them through. I guess I lashed out at them because I found out what they’d hidden from me for years.”
“You mean with your parents cheating on each other?”
Troy shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe that was why I’m so messed up because of the shit I have seen throughout the years.”
I looked at him, thinking this was similar to how Mark was with his parents. He went through the same thing after learning that his mom cheated on Enrique.
“Anyway, enough about me; this is your night, so it’s all about you.”
“You can talk about your parents if you want, Troy.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to. Too many bad memories that I don’t want to relive.”
I stared at him, realizing I wasn’t looking at the man that I have been encountering for the past few days, but at the young guy who regretted telling his parents how he really felt. That’s something that probably has been bothering him since his parents has passed.It probably led him to dealing with it in several ways, including being with other women.
In a way, this is making me think about my relationship with my parents. Although Troy’s situation is not the same as mine, it does make me think about everything they have put me through and possibly what I have done to them. Maybe they were just pushing me so much because they really did see the potential in me that I couldn’t see in myself. Either way, it did affect me, but that was something I could never admit to with my parents.
“Is everything okay?”
I looked over to find Troy staring at me. I guess I was thinking a bit too much about my parents.
“Yeah, everything’s okay.”
Troy smiled as he grabbed something from the trunk and hid it behind his back. “Now, let me explain the reason why we’re here. During the conversation we had recently, it made me think about your hobby, and the perfect place you would want to capture your photography, so I thought about this place and how wonderful it would be for you to showcase your talent. Even though I have never seen your photos, I’m sure I’ll be in for a treat when you do.”
I continued to stare at him as he handed me a medium sized brown box.
“What is this?” I asked. I took it from him, as he gave a wide grin.
“You have to open it up to see,”
I gave him a curious look, before I tore open the tape that held the opening together. I looked inside, completely surprised by what I was seeing.
“Wow, Troy; a Canon Rebel T6. This is one of the best cameras on the market,”
“I didn’t realize that until the guy at the electronics store told me. It’s great for photography, as he said.”
“It definitely is. But why did you do this?”
Troy smiled. “Because you need to continue doing what you love. Don’t shy away from it; instead, embrace it.”
I looked at him and then the camera, completely in awe that he even did this for me. I blinked at him as tears came into my eyes.
“Thank you,”
He nodded as I quickly wiped away a tear.
“Come here,” he whispered and took the box from me and placed it on the hood of the trunk. He wrapped his arms around me while I stood in his embrace slowing my breathing to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. I didn’t want to cry right now, but this was sweet what Troy did. Not only that, but this would help me get back into doing something that I truly enjoyed doing. I felt a part of me was lost when I stopped doing photography, especially when I had to sell my camera. Even when I had to abruptly move, the first thing I grabbed was my portfolio, because even though I wasn’t taking pictures, my portfolio was my prized procession. Maybe I’ll share that with Troy one day.
“I really didn’t want to cry right now.” I said.
He wiped some tears that were on my cheeks and smiled. “It’s okay, mija. But now, you need to put that camera to use if you want to take pictures of the sunset.”
“How do you know if I haven’t taken any pictures of the sunset before?”
“I’m sure you have, but these will be special.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I was hoping we could take a picture together. I’m sure that camera has a timer on it.”
I smiled. “I have done my research, so yes, it does.”
“Cool,”
I smiled as I got the box and opened it. After setting up the camera, I was ready to roll. I decided to capture the field itself with the beautiful flowers surrounding it. I began snapping at everything, even taking several pictures of Troy since he was my model at the moment. I had to admit, he was a sexy vision to capture.
After taking a variety of photos, including a few of the sunset, I had to quickly take a picture of the two of us soI set the camera on Troy’s car. I sent up a quick prayer that not only would I get a good picture, but I also prayed the camera didn’t fall. I quickly went to Troy when I noticed the camera was about to take our picture. He kissed my cheek, which made me smile as the flash went off.
“You think we can do one more?”
“Sure,”
I set the timer again and we took another picture, but this time it was us staring into the camera, looking as if we were a couple. We’re not one at the moment, but it sure felt like it.
Once the sun was finally going into the clouds, we decided we had to leave. Before we got into the car, I wondered if the night was coming to an end.
“If you’re wondering, the night is not coming to an end. There’s one more place I wanted to take you,”
My heart fluttered again as I gave a sweet smile. “Lead the way,”
Troy smiled as he slowly drove away. I looked back, smiling at the picturesque view. Who would have thought that Troy knew this place and would bring me here. It’s just making me see Troy in a completely new light. I just hope it doesn’t ever fade.