Not Even Close (A New Generation)

by Elizabeth Reyes

  “Because I don’t need your fucking drama showing up again when she’s still here.”

  Twenty

  Lingering Disquiet

  Byron

  Slowing when he thought he heard footsteps in the hallway, Byron brought the phone down to his side. He took a deep breath pissed that he let Irma get to him and raised his voice. After a few seconds of waiting in case Savannah might walk into the kitchen, he pulled the phone back to his ear when she didn’t but walked further away from the hallway and lowered his voice. Irma was still going on about needing her phone charger. She was certain she’d left it at his place and only wanted to stop by to get it, assuring him there’d be no drama. She’d already apologized for her outburst the night before, but Byron wasn’t having it.

  “I told you,” he hissed into the phone in a much lower voice this time. “I haven’t seen any phone charger here aside from mine. But if I do, I promise I’ll let you know, and I’ll mail it to you first thing. But what I said last night, still stands. So, unless you hear back from me about the damn charger, I don’t want you using it as an excuse to show up here or keep calling, understood?”

  “It wasn’t an excuse, Byron. You know why it’s so important I have to have my phone charged at all times—”

  “Well, then buy a spare one, damn it.”

  Feeling his patience wane once again as Irma went silent, Byron ran his hand through his hair. He glanced back at the still empty doorway to the kitchen. Why the fuck had he answered? In an effort to sound more empathetic for the sake of keeping her on his good side, he took a deep breath again. “Look, I promise I’ll look for it. If it’s here, and you need it that bad I’ll let you know ASAP and you can come by and pick it up at the front desk. But only if I let you know I found it, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said softly and before she could go on, Byron let her know he had to go and got off the phone.

  “Last time,” he muttered under his breath.

  That was the last fucking time he’d be taking her calls. In fact, once he was sure she hadn’t left her charger at his place he’d be blocking her. Putting his phone down he spun around ready to go check on Savannah but froze when his eyes met hers as she stood at the doorway holding her empty plate and coffee mug.

  “Wasn’t trying to eavesdrop or anything I just—”

  “That was Irma again,” he said determined to be as honest as possible without having to drop to his knees over something that technically hadn’t actually happened. “The girl from last night. She can’t find her charger and thought maybe it might be here. I think she’s just making excuses to call, especially after last night’s incident. But I’m blocking her now.”

  Lifting his phone from the counter he motioned to Savannah with it, then made a show of tapping his phone screen. He glanced up when she started toward him but didn’t say anything.

  “Done,” he said putting his phone back on the counter and reaching out to Savannah as soon as she put her dishes down in the sink.

  Thankfully, she didn’t resist. Instead, she allowed him to kiss her before resting her face against his chest. She was only there for a second before she glanced up at him.

  “Your hearts beating so fast.”

  Swallowing hard, he nodded praying she wouldn’t read more into it. “I told you this is all new to me.” He spoke quickly—too nervously. “I know it makes me sound like an asshole, but like I told you last night before now, I’ve never cared. I’ve never even thought about how I’d handle girls showing up while I was entertaining someone else or getting phone calls from them in the presence of another girl. And now it . . . it just unnerves the shit outta—”

  Her finger on his lips quieted him before he could go on with his pathetic rambling.

  “I’m nervous too.” She smiled before leaning in and kissing his lips softly. “In fact, it’s why I was on the phone with my mom for a while there. She asked more about you—about us—and I admitted I’m nervous.” Before he could ask about what exactly, she went on. “It just scares me to think if I could be feeling everything, I’m feeling this soon, how the heck am I supposed to handle anything going wrong once I’m even deeper?”

  “It won’t,” Byron said with conviction but liked how she was thinking. At least getting in deeper was now a consideration despite what she said to her dad yesterday. “It might take me a little time to get my shit together and make sure there are no more incidents like this and last night, but I promise you I will not hurt you.”

  “I believe you.”

  Byron wrapped his arms around her even tighter and buried his face in her neck. He was beyond relieved now that today happened to be his day off. He’d since heard Orlando and Nine downstairs getting everything going and there was no need to rush down or even go down at all today. Savannah yelped then screeched, when he picked her up and whisked her back into the bedroom for some more marathon making out.

  It’d been almost three weeks since the weekend Byron had met Savannah’s parents. Just as long since he’d heard from Irma. Of course, he never did unblock her after so animatedly doing so in front of Savannah. But there was no other charger at his place beside his own so there was no need to unblock her, and he had zero intentions of reaching out to her ever again.

  While technically, it’d only been a month since they’d started going out. But being that he’d met her parents after just one week, it hadn’t even felt weird when she told him her mom had asked if she was bringing him to her grandparents wedding anniversary that coming weekend. Since the time he’d had to be away from her the weekend she’d gone home for Labor Day had felt like an eternity, he was quick to say he’d be happy to go to her grandparents’ party if she was inviting him. Labor Day weekend she’d been so busy spending time with her family, he’d had little access to her even via phone. No way was he putting himself through the torture of not being around her or even being able to talk to her much for another whole weekend.

  So, while it felt like they were both still avoiding the subject of what they were calling this little arrangement, her bringing him home to meet her entire family felt pretty significant. Since she was still just a freshman in college, he couldn’t really expect her to commit to anything too serious. She still had nearly four years to go. Anything could happen between now and then. Byron would just be grateful that the arrangement so far was working out better than he’d hoped. Though the last three weeks hadn’t been without incident, damn it.

  Byron had never realized just how many of his lady friends had turned customers and vice versa. Therefor as much as he’d diligently gone through his phone deleting what were now unnecessary contacts, and even blocking a few he knew could be persistent like Irma, there’d still been several unnerving as all hell occurrences.

  Just yesterday he’d found himself groveling again when Savannah surprised him by arriving at the shop after her late afternoon class. When Byron had spoken to her earlier in the day, he’d been disappointed to hear she wouldn’t be able to make it out to hang with him because she still had a paper to finish and turn in that evening.

  The one time he’d been grateful he didn’t have to worry about her showing up because a certain touchy feely lady friend had brought her car in and asked to speak with him specifically. She’d been in the middle of flirting outrageously with Byron in the front lobby when Nine had cleared his throat loudly. It was only then that Byron’s dumb ass noticed Savannah standing at the shops entrance watching what he knew he would’ve considered an infuriating exchange had the tables been turned.

  Turned out yesterday Savannah’s late class had been cancelled. So, she’d used the time to finish her paper and decided to surprise him. Normally, a turn of event like that would’ve made Byron ecstatic. Instead, he found himself scrambling to do some damage control—again. He’d been quick to abruptly cut his conversation and met Savannah at the door, kissing her long and deep. He hadn’t bothered introducing her to the client because he refused to give his association with th
e gal any significance. She was just another client as far as he was concerned. Like the many others he dealt with daily. But the damage had been done and once again he’d been a groveling mess the moment he got Savannah upstairs.

  As usual she’d been perfect about it. Even went as far as to assure him she expected a guy like him who hadn’t had a girlfriend in years to have lots of lady friends. That didn’t exactly make him feel better. She may as well have called him a man whore and that’s not the image he wanted her to have of him. Sure, he’d been free to do as he pleased with whomever he pleased for years. But not anymore damn it, and each time he’d thought he’d gained a little traction in conveying this, a new exasperating incident had him scrambling again.

  Only thing that calmed his growing anxiety about blowing this with her, was that yesterday she’d also added something she hadn’t mentioned after the other instances in the past three weeks. She said as long as he continued to be completely honest with her and they stuck to their agreement, she didn’t expect his past to just disappear. Then she’d laughed at his yet again racing heart.

  It was almost midnight and Byron and Savannah were still video chatting. Unlike yesterday, she hadn’t been able to get out of her late class and had another assignment and some reading she needed to finish tonight. Even then Byron had managed to weasel his way into her study time. She had an exam tomorrow and he told her to email her the study material. He’d been helping her cram for it. But they were wrapping it up because the exam was for her morning class.

  “I get to see you tomorrow night though, right?”

  As always, she smiled brightly anytime, he was so shamelessly blatant about how anxious he was to be with her again. Here they’d be spending the whole weekend together and Byron was trying to sneak even more time with her beforehand. But Byron didn’t even care anymore. The fact that she’d warned him that he’d very likely be in for some more grilling from the rest of her extended family and he still agreed to go to her grandparents’ bash said enough.

  “Yes. My late afternoon class was cancelled again. I guess the professor has the flu or something. So, I’ll have time to finish my homework early again.”

  Byron’s mind was already racing before she’d even finished speaking. They’d been so busy with her cramming and talk of this weekend they hadn’t discussed her schedule tomorrow. “Wait, so you can be here even earlier than usual?”

  She nodded smiling giddy. “Actually, I could be there way early because I can leave class as soon as I’m done with my exam tomorrow morning. Which means I’ll be able to start on my homework as soon as I’m home. But you’re closing tomorrow, right?”

  “I can change that. How early is way early?”

  Her giggling had him smiling like an idiot, but he knew his too excitable heart had a lot to do with it also. In the past three weeks they’d hung out at least four times a week, but he’d had her to himself all day less than a handful of those times. He knew their weekend was just days away, but this was even better.

  “Well, class starts at eight and they give us three hours to finish the exam, but it usually takes me just a little over one.”

  Byron who’d been lying back in bed chatting with her on his laptop sat up suddenly. “So, you could be here as early as nine in the morning?”

  She smiled big nodding again though her broad smile seemed a bit nervous. Kind of like what Byron was suddenly feeling knowing he might have her to himself for four whole days. Well, to himself for two of them. The other two days the rest of her ginormous family would be around the whole time. But he’d worry about that later.

  “If I finish in an hour’s time, I’d still have to go home and do my homework—”

  “Bring it here. Do it here.” He smiled big just as his phone rang.

  “Is that your phone ringing?”

  Feeling slightly alarmed about who might be calling him at this hour he leaned over to grab it off his nightstand. “Yeah, give me a sec.” The moment he saw the name on the screen, Kitty Kat, he nearly groaned as he sent it to voicemail but would seriously be considering changing his number now.

  “Everything okay?”

  Say it’s spam. An eight-hundred number you don’t recognize. A restricted number, the kind you never answer. Anything but the truth—only he refused to lie. “Someone I hadn’t heard from in so long I forgot I knew her.” Savannah’s bright eyes waned a little, so he added quickly as he once again tapped his phone screen in full view of his laptop. “And someone I’m about to block.” Tap, tap, tap.

  Fuck me.

  He seriously had to refrain from groaning, but he was determined to be honest. Even if this happening over and over again would likely start spiking his blood pressure. He knew he’d had a good list of lady friends, but he swore to Christ he’d never been this fucking popular with them before. It’s like he was being punked with this shit already.

  “Done.” He glanced up surprised to see her smirking. “What?”

  “I like seeing you squirm.” She chuckled. Fucking chuckled as he wiped his hand over his mouth. “Oh my God, was that sweat beads you just wiped away from your upper lip?”

  She was in sudden full blown Savannah stitches as she covered her mouth, likely trying not to wake her roommate with her laughing.

  Byron threw his phone down onto his bed in a feigned hissy fit. But he couldn’t refrain from smirking as he took in Savannah’s still snickering face on the screen. “That’s it I’m changing my phone number tomorrow. My heart can’t take this shit anymore.”

  “Seriously,” she nodded still smirking wickedly. “That’s why I turn my phone off when I’m chatting with you on my laptop.”

  Feeling his brows jump, Byron sat up a little straighter. “You do? And that’s why you turn it off, Savannah?”

  “I kid! I kid!” She picked up her phone and showed Byron the screen that was very much on. But the big, beautiful smile faded a bit as she shook her head. “Listen, I told you yesterday. I’m not expecting everyone in your past to just disappear. The fact that you were so adamant that very first week about making sure we weren’t doing . . .” She paused to clear her throat. “This with anyone else, spoke volumes to me. Still does. So, anyone still showing up uninvited or reaching out.” She motioned in the direction of where he’d thrown his phone. “Won’t be an instant freak out for me. Unless there’s actual reason why it should be. But I’ll always give you the benefit of the doubt, first. I promise.” Before Byron could address her, this comment, she smiled big again. “Now about tomorrow . . .?”

  Preferring not to continue dwelling on this crap, or risk sounding pushy about what he was determined not to push about, he eagerly got back to discussing a safer more pleasant subject. Spending what was turning out to be four full days with her. After getting it all straight it was settled. She’d be coming down tomorrow after her test and while he didn’t push for clarification of what she considered this to be, he did make sure he’d have her for those four days.

  “Just bring whatever bags you’re taking to La Jolla tomorrow.”

  Might as well, right? They were driving down to La Jolla Friday afternoon anyway. What was the point of her going back and forth to her dorm? Despite it feeling like a slight risk—a bit pushy—she’d agreed with a timid smile and they were finally off the phone. Byron just didn’t want her to think for a second that he was pressuring her into doing more physically than what they’d done so far. They still hadn’t taken that next terrifying step in the relationship. Terrifying, because a part of him was actually grateful they hadn’t gone there yet. Just like what she said she’d told her mother that first week, about being nervous and why, Byron often wondered the same thing now. If he was feeling all this already and he hadn’t even slept with her yet, how the hell was he supposed to handle anything going wrong once he was in that deep.

  He lay there tossing and turning for a while trying to be more excited than nervous about this weekend. They may not have slept together yet, but things had go
tten pretty damn heavy in the past few weeks and he knew they were close. Both her parents and her grandparents had offered to let him stay in one of their spare bedrooms, but Byron had insisted on getting a room. No matter how much Savannah assured him it wouldn’t be a big deal if he stayed at her parents’ house. Byron knew it’d be awkward as fuck. After discussing it further, and because Savannah had since spoken to her mother several times, she’d be staying with him at the hotel. Seems a lot of their out-of-town family members were also being invited to stay with her parents and grandparents. So, Savannah had offered her room up. They’d now be staying together in his hotel room for their weekend so he’d already had a feeling this weekend would be the game changer. At least for him anyway, and now it might happen even sooner.

  The longer he laid there unable to sleep, the more his mind teetered between two unnerving thoughts. That his past might keep creeping up and rattling shit for them, and that his feelings of entitlement were already through the fucking roof. The women in his past would eventually start to taper off. But how easy would it be for things to go south because of his second worry? Too easy.

  Chirping birds just outside the window seemed to get louder. Byron frowned because he didn’t want the noise to wake Savannah. Only reason he didn’t try to slide his arm from under her so he could get up to close the window, was he was certain that would wake her too, and he couldn’t get enough of watching her sleep soundly in his arms. If it weren’t for the perpetual nagging feeling in his gut, he’d answer the long-disputed question of whether there was such a thing as heaven on earth with a boisterous, yes! Unequivocally, yes there is! But the smile the thought brought to his face was fleeting because just like that, his gut tightened and the chirping outside got even louder. Only it wasn’t random chirping anymore. It was an actual tune. One Byron couldn’t make out, but it sounded sad, ominous—sinister even. Wincing when it got so loud, he was sure Savannah would wake at any moment. His heart nearly gave out when he looked down and she was gone.