NOTE: Don't miss out on this hilariously heartwarming read of Chapter 59 of BOY KING by kaelking12!

https://youtu.be/sObLR_oWKGY

CHAPTER 59

Elias

Before Lacey, I didn't think too much about putting effort into things. 

Was that a mistake? 

Absolutely. 

I've had enough failing or close-to-failing report cards to teach me exactly what happens when you don't try. But up until I met her, I didn't care either way. My dad has threatened me over grades, school, and everything else I half-assed for as long as I can remember. Dealing with him sucked, but I got used to it. 

I knew that he'd run out of energy at some point and eventually give up. And that was my fail-safe. No matter how lazy or checked-out I was, I partially knew that nothing really bad would come of it. I knew Dad never really had any high expectations for me, so I never tried to meet them.

But now, for the first time in I don't even know how long, I'm finally trying for someone.

I've got a girl who's made of glass who needs me to be better than I am. Who's depending on me to be strong enough for the two of us.

And today's my shot at making that happen.

Today, I've gotta get things right.

For my sake and hers.

I lean back in the driver's seat of the Wrangler and roll up the sleeves of my clean, white dress-shirt as far as they can go. It's nearly 11:30 and the heat outside's getting dangerously close to blowing past ninety before midday. 

I'm sweating like a pig even after I went through the trouble of sneaking out of Lacey's room and borrowing Pete's shower earlier this morning. I needed it. Badly. Especially after Lacey nearly talked me into crossing the line with her last night. 

The girl's got to have some kind of superpower to calm herself down after getting physical that I clearly do not possess. She knocked out pretty soon after our conversation, but I couldn't sleep. 

How's a man supposed to sleep after a situation like that?

Sure there are monks and gurus out there who've magically mastered the art of self-control. But sadly, I'm not one of them.

Talking myself out of not wanting her the way I do is one thing. Physically convincing myself of the same thing was a totally different story. So I slipped out around 7:00 A.M. and managed to talk Pete into letting me cold shower my problem away. It worked.

But looking back now, I'm not sure if it was the shower that calmed me down or the fact that the whole mood of the house was off this morning.

I found Pete sitting in the kitchen holding his head between his hands. When I called out to him, he turned around and looked like somebody else. Like a hollowed out version of the always-friendly guy I know him to be. 

I mean, he was polite and kind like he always is. He even helped me find the bathroom without ever losing his smile. But the air around him was different. Heavy in a way that sunk into my bones. And the second I felt it, I recognized the weight. 

It was the same kind of sadness that had Lacey up crying in the middle of last night. I tried to shake things off and get my head on straight after he left me on my own. I kept thinking that if I scrubbed my skin hard enough that I could wash the feeling away.

But I couldn't.

I kept seeing those pictures Pete has of Lacey and her mom on the mantle. I kept imagining what Lacey was like when her mom was still here. I kept wishing for things to be different.

Until eventually, I just caved.

I turned up the water pressure until it was loud enough to drown out the sound of me breaking down.

For Pete.

For Lacey.

For her mom.

I fell apart in a way that I can't afford to right now. 'Cause once she walks out her front door, I've gotta look like I have it together. She needs someone to be solid for her today—even if that's miles away from the truth.

Pete's supposed to wake her up in a few minutes and lead her outside where I'm waiting for her in the driveway. As soon as she sees me, I have to be okay. I have to be the biggest person I can for her today without her knowing that everything she's going through is quietly killing me. 

Ever since Pete brought up Lacey's mom's anniversary, I've been obsessively planning every detail of this day. I brought extra nice clothes with me last night so I could look semi-decent for her this morning. No piece of crap t-shirts or board shorts in sight. I even shaved so people won't think she's walking around with a caveman on one of the most important days of her life.

But now all that cleaning up is going to waste. I catch my reflection in the mirror and my face is red enough to cause mild concern. If streaks break out all over my body, I'm screwed. So I stop the process before it can start. 

I untuck my shirt and scramble to undo my buttons before my effort to look fancy causes me to die of heatstroke. I just need a minute too cool off—no more, no less. After that, I'll go back to suffocating in my nice clothes because that's what my mom says good boyfriends do.

I pull my arms out of my Oxford, move it to the side, and then peel off my undershirt when tossing my first layer of clothes doesn't do the trick. 

I sit up and check my surroundings to make sure the coast is clear before deciding to half-strip. Lacey's house is quiet. There's no movement around the front door, so I figure it's all systems go. Once I'm shirtless, I check the clock again.

11:35.

Perfect.

Pete said it'd take Lacey at least a half-hour to get ready. If things go how I want them to go, Lace will wake up, find the note I wrote her on her pillow, and assume that I left to let her spend time with her dad solo. 

When Pete walks her outside and she sees me, sitting here (eventually fully-dressed), ready to take her out for what I hope will be a day to remember, she'll be over the moon. All I have to do after that is try my best to keep her smiling until sundown. 

I want her to remember today as being a good one. I want her to know that as long as I'm around that she'll never have to go through the memory of losing her mom alone.

I think I can do it.

In twenty minutes, I'll have to put that hope to the test.

Assuming I survive the next twenty minutes. Five minutes pass, the sun starts getting relentless, so I half-turn on the car and blast the AC. A warm rush of air slaps me in the face to the point where the feeling makes me dizzy and sick. I pull the keys out and weigh my options. I can die in front of Lacey's house before the day even gets off the ground—or I can lose more clothes.

Yeah. Let's go with option two.

I lift up off the seat and try to subtly slide my dress pants down to my knees. Everything about undressing while sweaty is a struggle, but I gotta do it. Even if it's just for ten minutes, sitting in my Snoopy boxers instead of frying is completely worth the risk of being seen. Sure, if the neighbor spots me, I could get arrested for stripping in public, but a) it's not like I'm naked and b) stripping to avoid dying is totally legit logic. Quote me.

The second my pants come down, things start to get cooler. I lean back in my seat, shut my eyes, and relax for the first time all morning.

Calm and cool is what I need right now.

No fancy clothes.

No stress.

No pressure.

Just cool, calm, a—

"Nice to see you've made yourself comfortable, son. When you said you had a surprise planned for Lacey, I have to say, I wasn't expecting this."

I shoot up in my seat and find Pete standing outside of the driver's seat staring at me through my open window. I take one look at his face and pull my pants on faster than I've ever pulled them on in the history of getting dressed. 

My hands are shaking so badly I only manage to get four out of eight buttons into the right holes of my dress shirt before Pete reaches out to stop me.

"Slow down, Lacey's still inside. But when she walks out that door, I expect that you'll be decent. Are we clear?"

"Crystal. Sorry, sir. It was just—I was just hot. And I wasn't thinking, and—"

"It's alright, kiddo. I understand where the idea came from, but there's neighbors around who might not—"

Pete throws a wave to an elderly woman glaring at us from behind her off white curtains.

"—share my understanding."

I turn to face Pete's neighbor and mouth a quick 'I'm sorry' to her which doesn't seem to make a difference in how visibly pissed off she is. She slams the curtains shut and disappears into the house. 

I hope to God she doesn't call the cops. I can't make Lacey's day if I start it off by getting arrested. I go back to trying to get my shirt on right and Pete stops me as soon as it becomes obvious that I'm too rattled to manage it on my own.

"Listen, Elias. Just relax. I know you're nervous about today, but you'll be fine. Lacey has no idea what's coming, and I think she'll love it."

Pete helps me get my last button into place, and I'm silently grateful.

"I'll love what?"

Pete and I whip around and catch Lacey walking towards us in a baby blue sundress that knocks the wind out of me. My jaw drops open which Pete totally catches, but I'm way past the point of hiding it. His daughter's always gonna be beautiful to me. In softball jerseys, gym clothes, or Looney Tunes pajamas. No matter what she's wearing, she gets my attention. But today, I'm struggling to stop staring. 

Even in front of her dad. Lacey's hair's still a little damp from the shower which makes her look like every bit of the beachside San Diego girl that she is. Her smile could outdo the sun right now and the closer she gets, the harder it is for me to look at her straight without my face catching fire.

Pete pulls Lacey into a long hug as soon as she reaches the car.

"Well, I'd tell you, but I don't want to ruin Mr. King's plans. How about I let him explain it to you, instead? You've got the day. Make the most of it."

Lacey pulls away from Pete and stares at him shell-shocked.

"Really, Daddy? I thought you weren't okay with Elias and I—"

"I'm still learning, sweetheart. I misjudged the both of you, and I'm hoping today will serve as an apology on my part and a good first step in your relationship."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Lacey leaps into Pete's arms like a little girl. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time so I take advantage of the moment. I reach into the backseat as Pete leads Lacey over to the passenger's side and pull out my first surprise of the day. One that I hope will keep her smiling just like she is now.

Lacey slides into the car next to me, and I give her a quick peck on the cheek to stay in good graces with Pete. She rests her hand on my thigh and smiles straight at me which is endearing and terribly distracting at the same time. Desperate for another distraction, I place the tiny brown box I brought in her lap. Lacey stares down at it confused.

"What's this for?" She asks.

"You. I hope you like it. Me and my mom had to do a little vintage shop hopping to find an old school one, but it works like it's brand new."

Lacey lifts open the side of the box and then gasps at what she sees inside. She unearths an old Polaroid camera I spent an entire day trying to track down on my last trip up north. My mom took the day off so we could check out this old hippie neighborhood, Height Ashbury, to see if we could pick up a piece of Lacey's past for her. I know it's not her mom's camera, but I think she'd like one of her own. At least, I hope she does. Otherwise, the day's already ruined.

Lacey doesn't say anything for a long while—just sits in silence turning the Polaroid around in her hands. She waves Pete over all of a sudden and hands him the camera.

"Dad, can you get this for me, please?" She says, but I can't read her tone of voice or her expression.

Pete glances over at me equally confused.

"What exactly am I getting, Lacey?"

"This."

Lacey leans across the car, blindsides me with a kiss, and my heart comes dangerously close to exploding outta my chest. I tell myself to keep cool in front of Pete, but when Lacey pulls away from me, eyes glistening with tears, smile shy and grateful, I grin back at her like a fool. 'Cause when it comes to her, I'm not even ashamed to admit that I am.

Lacey cradles my face in her hands and lets out a whisper of a thank you right before I lean in to kiss her again.

The Polaroid sounds off when I'm less than an inch away from her lips which is mildly embarrassing to say the least. The two of us snap out of our daze and glare at Pete who's happily shaking the brand new photo he just took of us.

"That'll be one for the fridge," he says.

Lacey leans out of the car and snatches it from him lightning fast.

"Nope! This one stays with Elias for safe keeping."

"With me? But don't you want the first one? I was hoping we'd make it on to your wall," I say.

Lacey takes her camera from Pete, and snaps a photo of me out of the blue. She giggles to herself while I struggle to blink the flash out of my eyes.

"This one's going on the wall. I'll call it, 'Elias Unprepared'."

"You could've warned me, you know. But then again, if I posed for you, your camera might not be able to handle it."

Lacey pretends to gag while I subtly steal the camera out of her hands and catch her at the other end of the lens.

"I think I'll call this one, 'Lacey surprised'," I say.

Lacey curls up in her seat and stretches out her hands to block the photo.

"Why?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, close your eyes and open your mouth."

Lacey's whole face turns red while Pete takes my cue to head back into the house and give Lacey and I a little alone time.

"Elias Alexander, if you do anything shady—"

I reach across the car, brush my hand over her eyes to close them, and gently coax her mouth open.

"Just trust me, okay? I won't let you down. I promise."

Lacey nods and nervously holds her pose while I pull her last surprise out of a tiny pink box in the backseat and place it between her lips.

"Surprise, Lace."

Lacey's reaction plays out in the closest thing to slow motion I've ever seen. And every second of it's beautiful. She sinks her teeth into her and her mom's favorite strawberry donuts from Murry's on 4th Street. Pete said it'd be the perfect way to start off her day and from the looks of it, he might of been right.

Lacey's eye's spill over with tears as she chews on the bittersweet memory of her and her mom's daily ritual. I know I can't replace her. I know a small gesture like this doesn't hold a candle to the mornings they spent together. But I can give her a piece of a memory. A moment that can linger on her lips and curl them into a knowing smile. One that probably still belongs to her mom. 

I lift up the Polaroid and capture her silent gratitude, her genuineness, and her grace.

This was the picture I was hoping for.

A snapshot of a girl who can smile through her sadness because of something as simple as a strawberry doughnut.

Lacey frantically wipes the wetness of her cheeks and then catches me in her arms.

"How'd you know?"

"I've got my sources. I hope they tasted okay. I had them stashed in the backseat so it might be a little meltier than you're used to."

Lacey traces her hand along my jawline and turns me to face her.

"It's perfect. You should try some."

"That—"

I press my mouth lightly against hers and run my tongue along the edge of her lips.

"—is the best idea you've had all day—"

Lacey eases herself forward to kiss me, but I torture myself into keeping my distance from her so I don't ditch my plans and spend the day stuck in her parking lot enjoying that mouth.

"—but I promised myself that I'd take you anywhere you want today. So before you make me change my mind, tell me where you want to go. If you wanna drive halfway across the country, I'll do it. Just say the word."

Lacey bites down on her bottom lip and thinks for a few minutes before she finally answers.

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere."

"Can I a request a word change?"

I cock an eyebrow. Hopefully it's nothing complicated. I suck with words.

"Depends on what it is."

"I was wondering if I could change that anywhere to an anyone."

"Yep. Not following."

Lacey threads her hands through my fingers when she sees that I've totally lost track of the conversation.

"Instead of going somewhere, I—wanted you to meet someone."

Lacey's voice disappears into something close to a whisper as her cheeks flush pink. Her reaction's as adorable as it is confusing.

"And who is this special someone I'm meeting? I'm already sitting right here."

I wait for Lacey's reaction. A laugh, a giggle, anything. Instead, she looks up at me with all the hope in the world in her eyes.

"I want you to meet my mom."

***

Thank you guys so much for waiting for, listening, and reading this chapter! Things have gotten a tough over in this neck of the woods with restrictions getting even more intense. It's stressful on everyone (as I'm sure it is on you guys too) which can  make finding time to write tricky. But I'm super stoked to have finally gotten around to this! I'm well on my way through the next chapter so I should have it up by Sunday/Monday unless otherwise stated! Thank you always for being so patient!

#REALTALKQUESTIONOFTHEWEEK

1. Do you feel like Elias and Lacey's relationship has grown since the start of the book? Did you expect them to end up  at this point as a couple?

2. What else do you think Elias has planned for the day?