Labeled

by Jenni Linn

  We all agree, and the chatting among the group is in high gear with excitement. A male's voice yelling breaks up our conversation pulling our attention to him, especially the brunette at Vance’s side.

  "Riley!"

  The closer the tall athletic kid comes to our group, the easier it is to make out his familiar appearance. He walks straight to the brunette. "Riley! I've been looking for you everywhere," Devin says to her, almost protectively. He glances at the group, his eyes landing on me.

  "Veronica!" He moves towards me and pulls me into a small hug.

  "Devin, hey!"

  "Hey, Taylor!" He greets her then stands next to me. I smile awkwardly because everyone just witnessed the whole exchange.

  "Guys, this is Devin. He just transferred to Western," I look at the group, taking a chance to look at Chase. He's watching Devin, almost like he's trying to place him. I look at Devin. "These are my brothers, Vaughn." I point towards Vaughn, then to Vance, "And that's Vance. My two other brothers aren't here." Devin leans in to shake their hands, which they both do without issues. "That's Brandon." I point to the ‘Gamer’ and then to Chase, "and Chase."

  "Nice to meet you all!" Devin says politely. "Guess you guys already know my sister and her friend, Ashley--who are minors by the way. " He gestures to the brunette, who seems a little embarrassed, and her friend. Vance shuffles away from Riley.

  "Devin," she hisses, her face pinched in anger.

  "What? I'm sure you didn't let them in on that information, and Dad wouldn't hesitate to throw any of these guys in jail if they so much as touch you."

  Oh, Boy. Devin’s a protective brother, and I can instantly relate with her.

  "Relax, Devin." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Nothing was going to happen."

  "You two seem pretty chummy." Vance points out, grabbing our attention. His eyes are narrowed.

  "Yeah, we're friends," I stress the word friends, knowing that my brothers are about to interrogate him.

  "You wouldn't happen to be the same friend who asks out their friends?" Vance inquires.

  "No, Vance." I point at him, "Devin, it was great to see you," I tell him. "But maybe you and your sister should go."

  Devin nods. "Yeah, okay. C'mon Riley." Riley glances at me and gives me a weak smile before turning to walk away with her brother. Ashley reluctantly trails behind them.

  "He's a douche," Vaughn mutters.

  I place my hands on my hips. "You're one to talk!"

  This night just went south, and I'm ready to go. I'm somewhat stranded since I didn't drive, but I risk asking anyways, "Chase, would you mind driving me home?" I ask.

  "What?" Vance asks. "Chase doesn't want to leave."

  "Thank you for speaking on behalf of Chase," I respond, sarcastically.

  "No, it's okay." He looks at me, then towards Vance. "I have to get up early and check-in with my sergeant anyway"

  "Didn't you just do that?" Vance asks.

  "Yeah, but I have to every so often."

  "Bummer."

  "You sure you don't mind?" I ask Chase.

  "No. It's fine." He smiles.

  "Well then, I'm gonna go find me some fun." Vance's remark makes me roll my eyes.

  "So glad I'm leaving," I mutter. "Hey, make sure they're legal." I poke fun and Taylor laughs at my side. Vance gives me the finger.

  "Love you too, bro."

  "I'll see you later," I tell Tay. She pulls me into a hug, "Have fun," she whisper sings.

  Chase and I move to his car and the butterflies already start taking flight at being alone with him again. Keeping my cool in, I'm aware of every movement. I hop inside the Z as Chase sits in the driver’s side. He starts up the car moments after buckling up.

  "Ready?" He asks.

  "Yep!"

  He backs up the car and drives out of the lot slowly past the pedestrians. I take in the scene: the number of cars and their drivers. The diversity of vehicles is amazing--old, older, and newer. Some have massive noticeable modifications, some only minor, and others that are completely stock. I love this, and I cannot wait until I have my car back. I sigh and lean my head back on the rest.

  "What's wrong?" Chase asks, keeping his eyes ahead.

  "I just miss my car."

  He laughs lightly. "Said like a true enthusiast. Hear anything on your parts?"

  "Not yet. Hopefully tomorrow."

  "I won't lie, I hope it takes a while."

  His response has me looking his way. "Why?" I pout.

  "Don't give me that face," He smiles. "I like starting my days with you."

  Those words make me melt. "Oh," I lamely respond.

  "You up for some diner food?" he asks, pulling onto the main highway.

  "Hell yeah." I'm excited at the thought of some yummy food. "Wait, don't you have to get up early?"

  "I do," he answers then shrugs. "Not worried about it."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Definitely."

  "Okay! What do you have to do, anyway?" I ask.

  "Just take some tests to make sure I'm settling into civilian life okay. "

  "Oh. That's good then."

  "Yeah. Sometimes he'll take us out to lunch afterward."

  "That's pretty nice of him."

  "It is. They become your extended family."

  It's easy to forget that he's part of the military and that he could be called away again. He was just gone for so long...I can't imagine them taking him so soon. The memory of our last conversation comes to my mind, and I hope that he'll be staying for a long time. I push the thoughts away, not wanting to taint our time together with my unease.

  "I'm gonna have Taylor keep me updated on the bros." After sending her quick text and getting her simple response, I put my phone away. Chase holds out his hand towards me, palm up, silently waiting for me to place my hand in his. I comply, gladly.

  "What are your plans for tomorrow?" he asks.

  I press my lips, "Work, then probably just hang out with Tay...like we do every Saturday. Why?"

  "I'd like to see you, even if it's for just a little."

  "Hmm. Maybe I can make that happen."

  Chase looks my way. "That'd be nice." His smile is aimed at me.

  "It would," I agree. "Aren't you hanging out with Vance or something?"

  He shrugs. "Not till later I guess."

  "I was gonna catch a ride home with Vin, but maybe I can get Tay to pick me up instead. She can bring me over to your place?" I ask.

  "Yeah, that'll work. Let me know for sure."

  "Another reason I need my car back," I point out.

  "You'll have it back before you know it," He says to appease me.

  "I hope so. Maybe we can check the junkyard again on Sunday?"

  He looks at me. "Aren't you coming to the lake Sunday?"

  "Ohhh, right! Of course! "

  "Good. Though being around you in nothing but your bathing suit is going to be hard."

  "Oh, yeah?"

  "Yeah." He pulls the car off the highway, slowing at the yield sign, but comes to a halt. Confused as to why he stopped, I look at him just as he leans over the console. "Gimme some sugar." He puckers his lips, I do as he asks, giving him a quick peck. Followed by another. "One more," he asks, causing me to laugh, I give him another peck. He hums his approval, and moves back towards his seat, maneuvering the car towards Chrissy's.

  The diner is busier than the last time that we were here. We make our way inside, letting the hostess know a table for two would be perfect. She leads us to a booth located more on the nice dining side, rather than the side we sat on last time.

  "Enjoy," the hostess says. We sit across from each other.

  "Are you going to get the soup, again?" Chase asks me, picking up his menu to look over it.

  "Hmm maybe. It's sooo good," I say excited. My enthusiasm causes him to chuckle lightly.

  "You're cute," He mumbles. The look on his face makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

  "And you're sweet, Chase Da
niels."

  "Just sweet?" His brow arches upward, a cocky grin forming on his lips. He looks sexy as sin.

  "Well, you're cute too," I say, playfully.

  "Chase!" a female voice pulls our attention towards the girl standing at the end of our table.

  "Hey!" she sits in beside him. "What are you up to?" I immediately remember her face. I've about had my fill of blondes for the night.

  "Shannon, hey," Chase greets her. The tone in his voice alerts me to his unease. "Just getting some food."

  She glances at me. "Oh! You're Vance's little sister, right? Hi!"

  "Yep."

  "Are your brothers here?" she looks around as she asks.

  "Nope."

  "Oh." She turns her attention back to Chase, easily dismissing me. "What are you doing after this? I can come over."

  Chase is clearly uncomfortable, and it's honestly the first time I've ever seen him in distress. He handled the other girls earlier tonight with ease, but this girl, not so much. This has me curious, and extremely jealous. They clearly have a bit of history.

  "Uh, no. I have an early morning, I'm just gonna go home and crash."

  Her hand moves towards his chest. "What a shame." Her bottom lip juts out. "We had such a good time."

  "Yeah, well..." He removes her hand. "It's not gonna happen."

  She moves away, but her gaze follows me. "Wait, are you two...together?"

  "No," I jump in.

  Chase's expression doesn't escape me. It’s one of slight disappointment.

  She laughs a bit. "Yeah, of course not."

  A waitress approaches the table. "Hey guys, can I get you guys something to drink?" She looks at the blonde. When Shannon finally notices the waitress looking at her, she speaks up, "Oh! I'm just leaving." She slides out from the booth. "I'll talk to you later," she tells Chase.

  His eyes are on me instantly, and I can't help but feel hurt, even though I have no reason to be. He didn't exactly do anything, and I told her we weren't together. It's never a nice feeling to be in the company of a person who had any intimate memories with the guy you are hopelessly in-lust with.

  "Anything for you two then?" the waitress asks.

  I look up at the middle-aged waitress and smile. "I'll take a Sprite."

  "Iced tea, please." Chase orders.

  "You need some time to look over the menu?" she asks looking between the two of us.

  "I think so."

  "Sure thing!" She leaves us, and I'm looking everywhere but at Chase.

  "Hey," he whispers while leaning forward. His hands are reaching out for mine atop the table. He pulls them apart, tugging me forward. "Vern," he jokes and my resolve cracks a bit at the nickname.

  "Who was that?" I ask looking at his blue eyes filled with anguish.

  "That was Shannon."

  "And she...you guys?"

  He doesn't look too thrilled. "Yeah, when I first came home."

  My eyes become unfocused as the memory of her hanging on his arm that night comes back to me.

  "Hey, I'm sorry. If I would have known what I know now, it would have never happened."

  "You don't have to apologize," I tell him, my eyes focusing again. "I mean, it's nice to hear that, but you don't owe me anything. It just sucks to run into your ex or flings at any place we may go. You don't have to worry about that because I don't have any."

  "I do owe you. I care about you, and I don't want my actions to hurt you. I don't think you realize the number of heads you turn when you walk around."

  I scoff, "Yeah, right."

  Chase tugs on my middle finger. "Yeah, I am right and for the record I haven't been with anyone else since. It's you that's been on my mind. I'm sorry that we may run into an ex, but as I said earlier, you're the only one that matters. You're all I see."

  Those last few words trigger another memory we had of the conversation from his car. I'm all he sees. This whole moment has tarnished our time together. I have to learn from this and not allow it to affect me. I am the one sitting here with Chase...not any of them. I smile weakly at him. He pulls my hand to his mouth, pressing a small sweet kiss to the top which causes my smile to turn genuine.

  He intertwines our fingers, our arms stretched across the table, resting atop. Using my unoccupied hand, I pick up the menu only to put it down again. I already know what I want. Chase is muttering to himself, reading the options, and thinking aloud. "Hmm, that sounds good."

  I laugh lightly, and my sight moves towards the others seated around us, taking in the busy scene. Across the way, Shannon sits in a booth among her friends, glaring our way. When our eyes connect, a skinny brow arches upward in question. My heart instantly drops into my stomach.

  Like it or Not

  Veronica removes her hand from my grasp, which causes me to look up. Her skin is lacking color and her lips are in a tight line. What the hell? I sit up straight in the booth and ask, "What's wrong?"

  Her face whips my way. Both fear and worry are written all over her expression. "What?" I repeat, louder this time. I find myself looking around the booth, but I’m not seeing anything out of the ordinary, "V, you're worrying me."

  "Shannon," she says softly.

  "Don't worry about her," I dismiss. I don’t want to touch on that topic again.

  "No. She was just staring at us."

  "So?" I don’t see the problem.

  "So, she may have seen what you just did."

  "And?"

  "What if she tells my brothers?" she asks, nibbling on her bottom lip.

  "Well, then we should tell them before she does."

  "Chase!"

  "What?"

  She huffs and shakes her head. "How can you be so calm over this? You know how they are!"

  I nod. "I do. Look, I can talk to Vance. He's a lot of talk, but he does care for you."

  She’s not entirely satisfied, "Can you at least wait until after the weekend?"

  "Yeah. Let's have a good time at the lake. Maybe I can get together with him after."

  The waitress returns. "Ready?" she asks, smiling at us both. I look at V, and she nods. I wave my hand for her to order first. She orders very light-- a soup and salad--and I put in an order for their ‘Cowboy’ burger.

  "Victor invited us all up to his condo afterward, but I think he forgot I have school," She laughs lightly, "So, maybe, we can go up the next weekend? Together?"

  "Yeah, I’d like that."

  Her posture goes from stiff to relaxed, and she smiles. We have a very easy conversation, and I find myself thinking about how our whole relationship has moved to a different level. It doesn't feel awkward or unnatural; it feels almost perfect. I've never dated anyone that I was friends with beforehand. Maybe that's what all my previous relationships were missing, or maybe it's just Veronica. They weren't her.

  Taylor comes through and informs Veronica that her brothers--in true Russo fashion--have secured new conquests and most likely won’t be home until late. We take our time at the diner and stay until we are some of the last customers. A yawn escapes her--and as much as I never want to take her home--I know she has an early morning ahead of her and it'd be selfish of me to keep her out all night.

  "Are you ready?"

  A sleepy, happy smile spreads across her beautiful lips. "No. I don't want this night to end."

  "Neither do I, but we'll have plenty more."

  "Promise?" she rasps.

  "Promise," I confirm.

  "Okay," she whispers, "Take me home."

  I stand up and move towards her side of the booth, reaching out for her. She places her small dainty hand in mine, and I help her out of her seat. "Such a gentleman," she teases.

  "Only for you," I respond without hesitation. She smiles shyly and looks away. "After you, madame." I wave my hand in front of me with a slight bow, trying to make her laugh.

  I succeed as a small laugh escapes her, "You're so cheesy."

  We stop at the counter to pay for our meal and Veronica can’t help bu
t grab a sealed mint from the bowl stationed in front of us. The hostess kindly greets us and asks us how everything was as I hand her my credit card. Meanwhile, V seems to be struggling with opening the little wrapper. I watch her, slightly amused, until she gives up using her fingers and places the candy’s wrapper in the corner of her mouth. It rips open easily, but the mint flings out and falls to the floor. Her body sags, her lips pout, and whimpers. She looks so incredibly cute. I grab another one from the bowl, open it without any problems, and hold it out to her. Her eyes meet mine, "Thanks."

  The hostess places the receipt on the counter for me to sign. I grab myself a mint for the road and open the door for Veronica to walk through. I place my hand on her lower back as we walk to the car. I make sure to open the door for her as we reach the Z. She turns around swiftly, surprising me. "Thank you, Chase."

  "You're welcome," I tell her, assuming she's thanking me for dinner.

  "I mean, for like, everything. You make me feel...," she pauses. "You make me feel special."

  "You are special and you really shouldn't think otherwise." I kiss the tip of her nose, watching her face light up. "C'mon, let's get you home."

  Once we pull into Veronica's driveway, the lack of cars confirms that her brothers are still not home. She seems hesitant and nervous as she unbuckles her seat belt. I don't want her to be nervous around me for any reason. I grab her hand with a, "I'll see you tomorrow?" She only nods.

  "Text me," I tell her.

  "Okay," she whispers, her eyes scanning my face. "I want to kiss you," she confesses.

  "I wouldn’t object."

  Her lips meet mine a second after the words are out of my mouth. The feeling of her hand at the back of my neck gives me goosebumps. My hand moves to the soft spot under her chin, and then into her hair. My free hand travels to her hip. This time it's Veronica who deepens the kiss. She takes me by surprise when her mouth opens slightly, allowing our tongues to meet. A moan escapes her body, and my hand grips her hip. If only I had more room. I'd pull her over the console and into my lap. Damn it! Should have brought my truck. She sucks on my bottom lip--it's so hot. If I was a pubescent boy I'd probably be...unloading already.