He may not be here in person, but this hoodie is all I have left of Nate. For my first day back, I wanted a piece of him with me, weird I know, but it is what it is.
Deciding to act as if I haven’t got a clue what she’s talking about, I look at her with a vacant look on my face.
“What? I’ve got clothes on, haven’t I? I could have come naked. Then you would’ve been having nightmares for months and paying out a fortune on therapy after seeing my naked ass.”
I’m holding my laughter back seeing the look on her face and it’s priceless.
“You are joking, right? Eliza Maria Rodriguez, please tell me you’re joking?”
Shit.
She middle named me. Now I know I’m in for it, but it’s just too funny watching her have steam coming out of her ears. Especially this early in the morning, I’m not gonna stop her when she’s in full swing.
“You my girl have curves I would kill for and don’t even start me on those tits of yours. I’d have to pay thousands to get mine that size. You don’t realize how lucky you are.”
Me? Lucky? I don’t think so. She’s delusional. If I was lucky, I would be coming back to college after enjoying my summer with my boyfriend. Instead I spent it in Kansas, going through hell and destroying what little bit of my heart I had left.
Scoffing at her lucky remark, I say no more on the matter, link my arm through hers and lead her down the hallway.
“So, come on then what fun should we be having this semester?” I ask her to distract her from using me as a barbie doll to play dress up with.
At this point, I should also mention that Sammi is almost six foot, has legs that go on forever. She makes me look like a total dwarf at my stumpy height of five-foot-one. Looking down at me slyly out the corner of her eye, a mischievous smile spreads wide across her flawless features.
“Well my friend, it’s funny you should ask that very question. First off, we have a party tonight at Craig Jensen’s house. His parents are out of town, so he’s living the wild child life for a few weeks. Also, I know it’s not quite yet, but Spring break has already been sorted. We my darling Eliza, are off to Florida. Dads giving me the beach house for the week.”
Whoa…
That’s way too much information to process without my caffeine fix.
Guiding her by our linked arms, I lead her in the direction of the coffee hut we have outside in one of the quads. I need to have my fix if I’m gonna take on Sammi, when I tell her I won’t not be going to either one of those social gatherings, she just mentioned.
I wasn’t a social butterfly before my life went through the mill, I’m even less of one now. The thought of being in a crowd with semi-comatose students doesn’t thrill me at all. My limit of hanging out with people outside of my small circle of friends, used to be when Nate had a game. I would show my face, then again at the after party for ten minutes, because he knew I hated those kinds of things. He would take us back to his or my room and we’d lock the world away. They were the best times of my life, that was until…
“Are you listening to me, Eliza? I’m telling you we have to go shopping and you zone out on me. We’re sophomores at college now, we have to make our mark. Show them that one day we are going to rule this school.”
She pulls me to a stop as we get to the line that’s descended upon the coffee hut, which makes me groan in annoyance. I look up at Sammi with a skeptical look on my face, when it clicks in my tiny brain what she’s just said to me.
Rule the school? Really? I don’t think so, what planet did she fall off this morning?
“Look, Sam. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, I really do, but…”
“No. You don’t get to blow me off with your bullshit about wanting to stay locked up in your dorm room and study. You’re coming and that's final. The time is here to start living again and not let that asshole ruin your life completely.”
Well fuck me. I’ve never seen her so passionate about something other than her love for fashion. She really isn’t going to let me get away with this. Raising my eyebrows at her, I shrug my shoulders and turn my attention back to the huge line, that’s going to piss me off if it doesn’t go down quickly. I can feel my mood getting worse the longer I have to wait for my coffee. I let her think she’s won for now, but I won’t be seen dead wearing something tight and low cut. Sammi will just have to accept it.
Chapter Four
Nate
L.A. 2010
Rolling over in the best bed I’ve ever slept in, I groan in disgust when I come to a complete halt and open my eyes.
You stupid fucking man.
Looking at the redhead who is snoring next to me, makes me want to chew my own arm off and throw it at her. Just so I could get her off it. If I didn’t get her out of here soon, she would start to think I wanted her to stay. I didn’t, I wanted her gone and fast.
Reaching over with my free hand, I poke her in the shoulder, wincing when moving even that small part of my body aches. My head feels like it’s about to explode all over the walls at any given moment.
What the fuck happened last night?
The redhead stirs from sleep after I’ve poked her with my finger a few more times.
“It’s time to go, I’ve got shit do and it doesn’t include you.” My tone of voice is straight to the point and ice cold.
Fuck. When did I become such an asshole? Oh that’s right, right when you had your heart ripped out…
No. I will not think about her, she doesn’t deserve my thoughts. I won’t allow her to take up any more head space.
I don’t give the woman time to moan and bitch at me. I whip my arm from under her, far too forcefully. Which causes her to roll too far and she falls on the floor with a thud. Now any decent man would check she was okay or at least apologize, nope. Not me. Instead I untangle the sheet that’s wrapped around my legs, before climbing from my super king-sized bed. I make my way to my en suite bathroom. On my way, I hear the female that I’ve just flung out of my bed, groaning on the floor, to which I turn around and see what her problem is.
“Are you serious right now, Nate? After the night we’ve just spent together, this is how you’re ending it?”
She’s beetroot red in the face, it does nothing for her, only makes her look desperate. If she was a cartoon, I’m certain I would see actual steam coming out of her ears and nose.
“You can’t do this to me.”
This time she throws her hands down in temper, stamping her feet as she goes. She actually reminds me of a small child throwing a tantrum.
“Look….”
Shit, I can’t even remember her name.
My face must give me away because she screams at the top of her lungs.
“You can’t even remember my name, can you? I let you fuck me and you can’t even have the fucking decency to remember. You Nate Michaels are nothing but a grade A prick and I hope your cock rots and drops off.”
Now this is why I don’t do the morning after.
I was just way too tired and wasted to make her leave after I finally pulled my cock out of her hot pussy.
“You know where the door is, see yourself out.” My voice is cold, emotionless as I turn back around and finally walk into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
Choosing to ignore the frustrated scream I hear her let out, I switch on the shower to drown out her stomping around on the other side of the door. Steam starts to fill the room, but there’s not enough to cloud my vision, as I place my hands on the sink counter. My shoulders slump, my head drops so my chin is resting on my chest. Taking a deep breath I look up into the mirror that practically takes up the entire wall in front of me. What I see staring back at me makes me sick to my stomach. My eyes are tired with black circles around them. The spark and life that was once in them is now gone.
This isn’t me; I don’t treat women like this. I’m not heartless… Well I never used to be.
You wo
uld think I would be bouncing off the walls with happiness and in all honesty, I should be. I’m training to be on one of the best baseball teams of all time. I’m living my dream. At almost twenty-three, I have the life most guys my age could only dream about. I’ve been moved into a high-rise penthouse apartment in Beverly Hills. I have cash coming out of my ass. I have women throwing themselves at me at any given chance, but I’d give it all up in a heartbeat if it meant I could have her in my arms again.
Six months ago, I left college, the minute I graduated I hopped on the first plane out of New York. I’d never been so glad that I’d taken the contract with the L.A. Dodgers as I was that day. I also vowed to myself that I would forget her and pretend she never existed. Forget the way she made me feel, the way she thought she wasn’t beautiful. When in reality she was beyond beautiful and not just on the outside. Thing is the friends I hung around with couldn’t see it. They just saw some dorky girl with a free ride to college. Which instantly put her below them. For a split second I thought the same. That was until I got to know her. She was funny and straight to the point. Not once did she try to kiss my ass like all the other girls to get in my pants, just because I was captain of the baseball team. In fact, it took me fucking ages to get her even to talk to me.
After the day I knocked her on her ass in the corridor at NYU, I became obsessed with trying to her to go out with me. That day I looked into her eyes when I helped her up from the floor and saw something, I’d never seen in a girl that young before. An innocent, yet a tortured soul swam in the depths of them and I knew then I’d end up falling in love with her. She was like no-one else I had ever met before; all I knew was that I had to make her mine.
Not once the whole time we were together did I think that we’d end up like this. We were supposed to do this together. We talked about it endlessly when we were lying in bed with my arms wrapped around her.
My mom always said time was a healer, well it’s fucking not. All it’s done is turned me into someone that I don’t recognize anymore and I fucking hate it.
Standing to my full height finally, I climb in the shower and stand under the hot spray of water to try and wash all my thoughts and memories away down the drain.
Only it doesn’t work.
She’s still there at the forefront of my mind. The way she felt sorry for Forrest Gump and the two box of tissues she went through, when she made me watch The Notebook with her. The only way, I could get her to stop crying was by kissing her until she was putty beneath me.
No. This has got to stop.
Grabbing the sponge and my shower gel from the built-in shelf, I scrub my skin until it’s raw. Not only do I have to get the stench of the redhead off me, I have to make sure that Eliza no longer lingers under my skin.
She has to go, once and for all.
Chapter Five
Eliza
Spring Break Florida 2011
I walk into Sammi’s dads beach house and on my own, might I just add. As my so-called best friend decided to come a few days earlier, as soon as her last class finished. I stayed behind because I had an assignment that I had to hand in early this morning.
I drop my bag onto the floor by the front door with a thud and I’m standing there with my jaw hitting the floor. I’m scanning the open-plan house and can’t quite believe what I’m seeing.
Why the fuck did I let Sammi talk me into coming here?
Everywhere I look there’s bodies and not even clothed ones. No, they're all half naked bodies, wearing just scraps of material to hide their most private parts. Looking at them all, I can tell they’re not gonna stay private for long. I’m not a prude by any means, it’s just that after the last year I’ve had, I’m a bit conscious of who I show my body off too. The last time I got naked with someone, it led to a life altering decision on my part. I won’t be making the same mistake twice.
Seeing all these people here in next to nothing, makes me look like I should be in the Antarctic. Or some place with colder temperatures at least. I’m in my black, baggy boyfriend jeans, black converse and Nate's hoodie that I’ve practically lived in these past few months. Still staring ahead of me, not daring move from my rooted spot by the door. I’m brought out of my stupor when I hear a high-pitched squeal. I know instantly who it is.
“Elizaaa, you’re finally here.”
Sammi comes rushing at me from out of nowhere and encases me in her arms.
“I’ve fucking missed you, girlfriend.” She practically screams down my ear, I swear she nearly bursts my eardrum because it’s now ringing like a bitch.
Holding me by the shoulders once she’s finished squeezing the life out of me, she inspects me with her eyes, as she trails me from top to toe.
“I’m okay, Sam. There’s no need to look at me like that, I said I would come and I have.”
“Oh I know, it’s just I was certain you would blow Spring break off once I left. I’m just so glad you’re here, it wouldn’t have been the same without you.”
I’m pretty sure she’s just saying that judging by the houseful she currently has, but I let it go.
“Now let’s get your stuff put in your room, then we can get drunk and party.” She declares as she finally let’s go of my shoulders and picks up my bag from the floor.
Passing through the large living area, Sammi takes my hand with her empty one. We weave in and out all of the moving bodies that are dancing to the music, that’s blasting from some very loud speakers. From what I can make out the kitchen and the living space is just one big open room. I notice a girl sitting on the kitchen island, clad in only a two-piece green bikini. She has some guy, with slicked backed hair, wearing just some swim shorts, standing between her spread legs.
That really can’t be sanitary, I mean it’s a kitchen. People eat in there.
Before I can think any more of it, I’m being pulled up some stairs, with Sammi telling people to move out of her way. Striding past door after door, she finally stops at the last one on the right and opens it up before marching in.
“I hope this okay?” She asks me as she places my bag down by the open door. “I wanted you have the second-best room in the house.”
The second best?
Turning to look at me when I don’t answer her, she chuckles when she sees the confusion on my face.
“I, of course have the best room in house silly.”
Well that’s okay then, for a minute there, I thought she was going say her dad was here or something. Then again there is no way all these people would be over taking the house if he was.
Walking further into the room, I gasp out loud as I take in the beautiful space.
Sammi takes my silence as I don’t like it, because she starts to ramble.
“If you don’t like it, I can always rearrange for you to have one of the others. I… I just thought you’d love the view that's all.”
I still don’t say anything, I’m in awe of the beautiful room she’s given me. In the middle is a white, iron vintage bed, draped in soft yellow sheets. The walls are painted in a cream color, with pale yellow patterns dotted here and there. There’s two bedside lockers, a desk in the far corner with a leather winged backed chair. Then there’s a white, vintage dresser by the door with a mirror attached to it. I’m in love; and that's even before I’ve even looked beyond the two doors that are to my right. I know one of them is going to be my own bathroom and the other my closet. What really takes my breath away is the wall of glass that has white drapes hanging from them.
“El? Please say something. I know it’s only a room, but it took a lot of persuasion to get you here and now you’re making me nervous.” She lightly laughs at her own wit, so I decide to put her out of her misery. At the same time, I continue to walk over to the windows.
“Sammi, I love it, honestly.” I reassure her.
“Oh good, thank god for that.”
She comes up to stand next to me and pulls one of the drapes back.
Sammi unlocks the handle that was hiding behind the drapes and slides the glass back. I love this girl; she knows me better than anyone… Well except for one other person, but I won’t be thinking about him anymore. I can’t, it’ll destroy me all over again. I’ve made progress since going back to college. Anyway I’m here to have some fun and fun I will be having.
“Thank you.” I say to her as we walk on to the wooden flooring of the deck and the breath gets knocked out me. The view in front of me is out of this world. Below us is miles and miles of sand, but beyond that is the crystal blue ocean. It’s all calm and serene. I’ve never seen anything like it. The sun is glaring down, making it shimmer, as the waves lightly crash against the shore. Leaning over the railing, I spot a small gate at the end.
“Where does that lead too?” I ask Sammi who’s joined me at the railing, to take in the picture-perfect view.
“It leads down the beach. There’s steps, so don’t worry you won’t open it and fall to your death.” She giggles before going all serious on me, “Look, El. I know this past year hasn’t been easy on you. I don’t blame you for being cagey and miserable, you have every right to be, but I’m so glad you came. I’d love it if you and me could just have some fun this week, god only knows we deserve it, especially you.”
She pulls me in for a hug at the end of her speech and I don’t know what say to her. She just gets me, I guess. I’m going to try and have the fun she’s talking about; it will do me good… I think.
Us Again Page 2