The Best Thing for Me

by Lauren Jackson

  "Okay. It was just a hectic night." I sighed, rubbing my face wearily.

  I had purposely been avoiding thinking about it, but I knew that was useless. I hardly got any sleep last night. All I had replaying in my mind was the knife, the shot gun and the continuous cycle of questions I got hammered with from the police.

  "I should have stayed." he shook his head, gritting his teeth, obviously angry with himself. "You wouldn't have been in that situation."

  "I would have seen Mel and Luke out though anyway." I shrugged, leaning up and placing my palms on his chest. "I would have still gone outside. Don't blame yourself for anything. It's definitely not your fault."

  "But-"

  "Don't argue with me."

  "Yes, Boss." he smirked, rolling his eyes.

  I grinned at him. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. I leaned back and smiled at him. He was so beautiful. His tanned, golden skin was glowing from being so sun kissed. His blond hair was getting that sun bleached that it looked like he had gone to the hair dresser and gotten highlights. His bright, blue orbs were round and staring back at him. His lips were full, red and in every way extremely kissable. I sighed in content. He was perfect.

  I lifted my hand up and brushed his fringe from his forehead. I moved over and wrapped my arms around his waist, snuggling into him. He leaned back and rested his upper arm on my back as his fingers ran through my hair and over my scalp.

  "What did the police ask you?" he asked.

  "Mostly about my relationship with Daniel and his Dad." I replied with a sigh. "I came clean about most of the things he has done to me. I left out Mark though. That would just cause a lot more trouble than its worth."

  "What are the cops going to do now?"

  "They're looking for them. When the cops raided their place, all their stuff was there, but they weren’t. So they have some undercover cops stationed near the house on look out for them. If they find them, Daniel will be sent to Juvie for attempted rape and his father will be sent to jail for attempted murder."

  "Wow," he breathed, his nails scratching my scalp. A sigh escaped my lips. I absolutely loved when he ran his fingers through my hair. It was so nice and relaxing. I especially loved it when I was dozing off. I got to sleep so much easier.

  "We should go hang out somewhere soon. Go to the movies or something." he suggested. I snuggled in deeper to him. "Something fun."

  "Yeah, that would be nice."

  I shifted my head back so that I was now gazing up at him. He moved his face closer to mine and kissed the tip of my nose. He then kissed my forehead, cheek bones, jaw line before he eventually reached my mouth. His fingers left my hair and his palms secured my head. The annoying sound of the door knob turning caused me to leap off of him like he was on fire and ran my hand messily through my hair. The door swung open and Miranda walked in, looking exhausted.

  "Hey guys," she said, hitching some shopping bags after her. "Jason honey, could you go grab some bags from the car? There are only a couple in there."

  "Sure." he replied casually, his eyes flickering to mine briefly.

  He rose to his feet and padded over to her. With a quick kiss on her cheek, he jogged outside. I walked over and grabbed the bags from her. She smiled gratefully at me and I took them to the kitchen. I began unpacking and she came in, throwing her keys and handbag onto the bench.

  She slipped out of shoes and sat heavily on one of the bar stools. The placed her head in her hands. "Jason told me what happened last night. Are you alright?"

  "Yeah I'm okay." I nodded, placing the stuff away. "I was pretty shaken up at first, but I'm getting over it now. Where does this go?"

  She slowly got up and helped me. "Thanks for helping, Emma. I appreciate it."

  "No worries," I replied as Jason entered, dumping the rest of the groceries on the kitchen island. After we unpacked it all, Miranda set on dinner. After helping where I could and learning some odd, new things I didn't know before, we all settled down and ate.

  Jason's eyes met mine across the dinner table and my cheeks grew warm. This dinner wouldn't be going so smoothly if Miranda had walked in a couple of minutes later...

  We finished, cleaned and I set up stairs to go and shower. Jason stayed with Miranda and they caught up. (They had these bonding moments where they'd tell each other about their day and stuff. It was really sweet). I quickly showered and dressed into some comfortable shorts and a hoodie. The wind had picked up, making it a bit cool.

  I began watching some T.V. as Jason took his own turn to shower. He finished up and crawled into bed beside me. I turned my head, pecking him on the cheek. He smiled at me, before throwing an arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on his shoulder.

  I knew I'd get a solid sleep tonight if I was in Jason's arms.

  55

  "Annika?"

  "No."

  "Alyssa?"

  "No."

  "Bella?"

  "No."

  "Caroline?"

  "No."

  "Karina?"

  "No."

  "Madeline?"

  "No."

  "Lynette?"

  "No."

  "Summer?"

  "No."

  "Peyton?"

  "No."

  "Regina?"

  "No."

  "Stacy?"

  "No."

  "Veronica?"

  "No."

  "Ugh, this is hopeless." I groaned, flopping backwards onto Mel's bed and staring up at the ceiling, a frown evident on my face. I furrowed my eyebrows together and let out a heavy sigh. They were only a couple of options I'd voiced. We'd been at it for about two hours now and it seems the only answer Mel is accustomed to is 'no'. I was a pretty patient person, or so I like to think, but I was wearing thin.

  "No, your suggestions are hopeless."

  "Well you look then!" I cried out in exasperation, resisting the urge to thump my head on her bed frame.

  Mel and I were trying to come up with a name for her baby. So far, it was proving to be quite difficult if that wasn't clear. Luke had come in and suggested some names he thought were 'nice' and 'appropriate'. Mel had been disgusted with his choices and threw a book at him, which clipped the back of his head. He was not impressed and had retreated immediately. The look on his face was priceless though, I must add.

  "Fine." she snapped moodily, wrenching her phone from my hands and peering into the screen. I rolled my eyes. She was so moody now that she was pregnant. She nibbled at her lip as she flicked through page after page.

  "I'm going to get a drink." I announced, springing to my feet and padding towards the kitchen. I reached in and grabbed out a lemon lime and bitters. I popped the cap and took a few gulps, concluding in me saying, "Ahh."

  Thud.

  Thud.

  Thud.

  My eyebrows shot up at the sound. I drank a bit more before screwing the lid back on. I walked out the front door and skipped down the steps. I heard the sounds again and followed, in order to find the source. Luke's bare back met me as he swung his axe down, splitting wood. I cocked my head to the side as I watched him furiously belt down onto it. I spoke, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of the axe hitting the wood.

  I whistled, effectively causing him to glance over his shoulder. "Oh, hey Em."

  "How are you?" I asked curiously, coming closer to him.

  He didn't look too good. Well, who would in this weather? It was boiling today. Sweat ran down his face, to his shoulders and down his stomach. He wiped his face on the back of his arm and pushed his wet hair from his face. He had slight bags under his eyes. He physically looked quite drained.

  "Eh," he grunted, shrugging.

  "You don't look one hundred percent." I admitted, coming closer to him.

  I was tempted to place the back of my hand on his forehead, but he'd probably be really hot from what he was doing anyway. Plus, he had sweat lathered on his face, so I didn't overly find the prospect appealing.

  "How have y
ou been sleeping?"

  "Pretty rough." he sighed, placing the axe down and flexing his fingers. "Every time I drift off, Mel wakes up and all I can hear is her vomiting. It made me vomit, hearing it last night."

  "Really?" I asked in surprise. "Wow. And you have a pretty good stomach."

  "Caught me off guard."

  "Sure."

  He glared at me and I smiled innocently. He hated when I acted like I didn't believe him. It drove him insane.

  "Any luck with the names?" he questioned, collapsing down on the ground.

  I cringed at the mention of names. I didn't want to go through the torture anymore. I needed a break. I'm glad she hasn't stormed out here and demanded me to get my 'lazy, bony butt back inside'. As you can see, she has used this line before.

  "Nope." I exhaled, shaking my head. "She's being stubborn."

  "Really?" he asked sarcastically, shaking his hair out and running his fingers through it. "That doesn't sound like the Mel I know."

  I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Yeah. Anyway, how are you holding up with the whole pregnancy thing and moving out?"

  "It's good to have my own place, I must say." he nodded, leaning back and propping himself up on his elbows. "But I do miss Dad's cooking. I suck."

  I felt a smile twitch at my lips. It was nice to actually have a conversation with Luke. We rarely did as he either didn't speak or was doing some kick-box exercise thingy-ma-bob. I think it's clear that sport and I don't overly mix well, so I tend to stay out of his way.

  "I'm not too crash hot either." He looked at me, quirking an eyebrow and my cheeks turned slightly warm. "Shut up."

  "I didn't say anything." he replied innocently, smirking. "But anyway, I'm glad our girl is healthy and everything, but I wanted a boy."

  "You can still have fun with a girl." I pointed out. "I used to motor bike when I was younger. Remember?"

  "Oh my God yes!" he burst out, much to my surprise, causing me to jump in alarm. "You forgot how to use the brakes that time and flew into that fence and sprained your ankle and had to get stitches on your head!"

  His last words were hardly audible as he burst out laughing at my not-so-reminisce trip down memory lane. I frowned as he began literally rolling, clutching his stomach. I pursed my lips as his face turned beetroot red and tears welled up in his eyes.

  "I do remember that." I deadpanned.

  "Best. Day. Of. My. Life." he panted.

  "Glad to see you find the positive side to it." I said dryly, my eyebrows knitted together. He slowly sobered up and glanced up at me.

  "Sorry, but it was funny."

  "Yeah, hilarious." I remarked.

  He grinned and lay down, looking up at the sky. "If I say something, don't tell anyone else, okay? I'm embarrassed to admit it."

  "Admit what?" I asked, adjusting my position to get myself comfortable. He looked over at me seriously, which made my raise my eyebrows.

  "I miss you."

  Okay, I tried to keep a straight face and was successful for about one second. It was my turn to crack up laughing. My laugh hollered around their backyard and I wouldn't be surprised if people swimming at the beach heard me.

  "You - miss - me?" I gasped out, giggling.

  "Yes." he said flatly, frowning. "Is that so hard to believe?"

  My laughter died down as I realised he was being dead serious. My eyes widened in realisation. He actually missed me? I was around a lot, but I guess that wasn't quite the same. When I came over I mostly just hung out with Mel.

  "To be honest, kind of." I said, scratching my forehead. "Half the time I thought you hated me."

  He rubbed the back of his neck as he face was flushed red from his sentimental moment. "I didn't hate you, I just didn't know how to communicate with you. You were really socially awkward back in the day. You've gotten a lot better."

  "I find it easier to talk to people now, that is true. But you didn't help. You were so out of it all the time. You've changed a lot too."

  "I really thought Jason was a jerk at first." he sighed. "But he turned out to be a nice guy. He really was the best thing for you."

  A grin broke out in my face. "Really?"

  "Yeah. Dad agrees, not that he'd admit it."

  "Thanks Luke. I appreciate your honesty."

  He opened his mouth to reply when both of our heads snapped back to the house when we heard urgent footsteps. Mel burst through the door, breathless. Luke and I exchanged a look, before staring back at her.

  "I have a name!" she cried out.

  "What is it?" Luke and I both asked simultaneously.

  "Courtney!" she grinned. "Courtney Emma Ross."

  Jason Mayor

  "Great swim out there today guys." Coach grinned, chewing loudly on her gum and blowing a bubble every now and then. She had her hands planted on her hips and she beamed at the four of us in approval. "I think we stand a great chance in the River Comp. Only one more week now! We have this in the bag, boys."

  We all nodded and murmured our replies. She clapped her hands together enthusiastically. She began to walk out of the locker room, but glanced back over her shoulder.

  "Alright, you're free to go. Remember because the competition is next Sunday, we're upping our training sessions. I want to see you guys at lunch and after school Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. I'm expecting you guys to come in and do some practice laps on Saturday too. Okay?"

  We all nodded in understanding and she exited. I rummaged through my sports bag and slipped a Bintang singlet on. I shook my wet hair out and flung my towel over my shoulders.

  I hitched my bag onto my shoulder and made my way out to the car park. After saying bye to the guys, I wandered over to my car and dumped my stuff.

  I slid behind the wheel and felt my car rumble to life underneath me. I chucked it in reverse and backed out. I put the clutch in and swiftly changed to first gear, before creeping out. I increased my pace and glanced down at the time. Emma would still be at Mel's.

  I drove over there, my eyes briefly scanning the beach. Even though my fingers were still wrinkly from the three hour training session I just endured, I couldn't help wish I could go dive under some waves. I pulled up beside Mel's car and hopped out, locking the door. I padded to the front door and with one knock, entered.

  "Hello?" I called out.

  After receiving no response back, I frowned. That was odd. I was sure Emma texted me saying she was here. I fished out my phone and double checked. Yep, she was. After searching around and coming up with nothing, I went back out onto the porch.

  Thud.

  Thud.

  Thud.

  I followed the sound, finding Mel and Emma gabbing to each other and Luke hacking on a piece of wood. I snuck up behind them and gently slapped their backs, yelling out, "Boo!"

  "AH!" Emma cried, jumping violently and I swear her whole body went up in the air about a meter. Mel hardly even flinched and just nodded her head in greeting at me. Emma turned, her eyes glowering at me. "Thanks for practically putting me in cardiac arrest."

  "You're welcome." I grinned.

  I dropped to my knees and planted a kiss on her lips fleetingly. I crawled beside her and reached over, grabbing her lemon lime and bitters. I took a swig, before handing it back. I gave her a toothy grin.

  "How was your swim?"

  "Good. Comp is next Sunday." I replied.

  "Oh, how exciting." she smiled. "I'll watch."

  "Sweet. Any news on Daniel?" I found myself blurting, having to get it off my chest. The question has been gnawing at me all day.

  Her smile dropped and she looked away from me. "Not yet."

  "Damn."

  "Guess what!" Mel butted in, successfully changing the subject. "I came up with a name for my baby."

  "What did you choose?"

  "Courtney."

  "Oh nais." I said in an accent, earning an eye roll from Emma.

  "I thought so too." Mel smirked smugly.

  "Do you guys feel like a swim?" I suggested
, getting to my feet.

  "Aren't you sick of the water yet?" Emma asked me, also rising to her feet. "You will turn into a fish if you're not a careful."

  I shook my head at her in amusement. "A fish, really?"

  "Yes."

  "Last one there-" I began but Emma cut me off by making an annoyed huff and poking me roughly in the chest.

  "Will not be cooking dinner!" She clipped crossly, folding her arms across her chest firmly. "I am not doing that again. It's unfair, you're faster than me."

  "Whose fault is that?" I teased.

  She slapped me on the chest and frowned at me. I smirked down at her arrogantly. She sighed, heavily, turning and going towards Mel's car, where I assume her bag was.

  I saw her grab a towel and shed her singlet and shorts, shoving them in the bag. I let my eyes roam over her skin, taking in her long, tanned legs, slim arms and smooth stomach. I licked my lips at her appearance, definitely liking what I saw.

  "Coming, Mel?" I asked her as she didn't move a muscle as Luke and Emma both went and got in their swimmers.

  "I'll come and tan." she said, shrugging. "I don't feel like swimming today."

  "Oh okay."

  I wonder if she was self-conscious about her stomach. It was quite pronounced, I must say. It was like a bulge at the front of her body. Admittedly, it sort of looked like a water melon underneath her shirt. I think it was because she was really skinny and her stomach was really out of proportion to the rest of her body. I shook my head. Mel wasn't exactly the type to not be confident though. I didn't want to jump to any assumptions anyway.

  We all made our way down their driveway and towards the beach. I did end up convincing Emma to race me, but there wasn't a deal on or anything, because she knew she'd lose. We just raced for the sake of it. I leaped over the waves, seeing her throw her head back in laughter as the cold water splashed up her legs.

  Before she could get completely under, I wrapped my arm her waist and under the back of her thighs. With a surprised intake of breath from her, I lifted her bridal style. I felt a grin tug at my lips and I slowly pressed my lips to her.