by E. L. Todd
“With your parents,” he snapped. “Spending the whole week with them while your boyfriend stays in New York. I’m sorry, but that’s just fucking strange.”
The F-bomb had been dropped. Shit was going down. “He’s going through a hard time, and his family is out of town. I’m not going to leave him stranded.”
“Why doesn’t he spend the holiday with Julia?”
“They aren’t together anymore.” Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.
His face started to tint.
I definitely shouldn’t have said that.
He rose to his feet. “You know what? I’m not okay with this. I can get on board with you guys hanging out here and there, but I’m not cool with this. Not even a little bit.”
I remained in my chair. “I’m sorry you feel that way. Again, I invited him when we were broken up.”
“But we were never broken up.”
“But I thought we were…”
“Well, uninvite him.”
Now I rose to my feet. “I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can. He’ll get over it.”
“No. I already told my parents I was bringing someone, and he’s already packed. I’m not going to be rude and drop him like that.”
“But you’re going to disobey me instead?”
Whoa. Hold on. What did he just say? “Disobey?”
“Yes. You’re going against my wishes.”
I didn’t consider myself a catty woman, but my sassiness was coming out in full force. “First of all, I don’t obey anyone. So you better knock that off right now. I’m not someone you can boss around. Second of all, he and I are just friends, and you’re turning nothing into something.”
“Friends don’t kiss.”
“He was drunk and doesn’t even remember it.”
“But you weren’t drunk,” he snapped. “And you do remember it.”
I gripped the table for balance. I was both angry and ill. This argument kept going around and around. It would never die.
“You aren’t taking him with you,” he said. “And that’s final.”
“You don’t tell me what to do.” I would never be okay with a man bossing me around. If he had a problem with that, he could leave. And I’d slam the door shut behind him.
“Taylor, I’m tired of this. Our relationship was perfect until Volt stepped all over it. We really hit it off, and I thought I saw this going somewhere. You have to admit your relationship with him isn’t normal. It would bother any guy.”
“Bother, maybe. But not turn him into an ass.”
He clenched his jaw, and his hands formed fists. “This is the bottom line. Him or me.”
“What?”
“Him or me,” he repeated. “I feel like you have two boyfriends, and I don’t like to share. So either end your friendship with him or end your relationship with me.”
My entire body flinched when I heard what he said. “What? You didn’t want him coming to Thanksgiving and now you want him completely out of my life?”
“Yes.” His shoulders were squared like he was ready for a fight. “I’m tired of seeing him stare at you. I’m tired of calling you and hearing his voice in the background. I’m tired of him calling you when he needs a shoulder to cry on. I’m tired of sharing you. This problem is never going to go away unless he’s gone. Because he’s the problem. So, what’s it gonna be? Him or me?”
I gripped the table and stared at the empty plates. The evening started off great and went to shit so easily. The second Volt came up, it crashed and burned.
“Him or me, Taylor?”
I liked Sage and saw a future for us somewhere down the road. Maybe we would get serious and move in together. Maybe a few years later, we would get married and have some kids. It was a future I enjoyed picturing.
But I couldn’t imagine my life without Volt.
He was my best friend, the person I did everything with. Something about him comforted me. Boyfriends would come and go, but he would always be there.
I couldn’t live without him. “Volt.”
Sage couldn’t hide the horror on his face. He looked like he’d been stabbed—right in the heart.
“I’m sorry.” I really was. I didn’t want to choose and it was unfair to make me. But if he drew a line in the sand, I had to cross it. “I really am.”
He stepped away from the table, looking angrier than I’d ever seen him. His face was beet red, and his muscles were tense for an attack. He wanted to demolish my living room. I could see it on his face. “Hope you two are very happy together.”
***
“Everything okay?” Volt sat beside me on the plane. We were sitting in coach in two seats next to a window. The constant hum of the plane was in the background, and we had to talk a little louder to hear each other. The flight attendant passed the aisle, handing out water and juice.
“Just tired.” I continued to look out the window, trying to get Sage out of my head. That was the worst break up I’d ever had. The way he stormed out without looking back was enough to bring tears to my eyes.
Was I doomed to be alone forever?
I didn’t expect to find Prince Charming right when I moved to the city, but I expected to have better luck than this. Sage wasn’t a jerk, and I could understand his point of view, but I hated the way he went about sharing it. He was controlling and not in a good way.
I needed to talk to Sara.
She always made me feel better about break ups, threatening to kick the guys in the nuts and shave their heads. At the start of the conversation, I was usually crying, but I was always laughing by the end.
“Why don’t I believe you?” He was reading a book next to me, but he shut it and tucked it into the net attached to the seat in front of him.
I didn’t want to get into it right then. We were on a plane with hundreds of other people. I suspected I would start crying, and I didn’t want my tears to show. Some women still looked beautiful when they cried, but I looked like an ugly ass tomato. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
Volt snaked his hand to mine under the blanket and interlocked our fingers. He didn’t press me for answers as he comforted me without words. “Okay. We’ll talk later.”
I was grateful he let me off the hook so easily. Sara would pester me until she got exactly what she wanted. The grip of his large hand made me feel safe momentarily, even if the feeling was fleeting. Comfort in any form was appreciated.
“I wish we could play Mario Kart right now.”
He made me chuckle. “Me too.”
He pulled out his phone and opened a game app. “You like word puzzles?”
I nodded.
He opened the puzzle, and at the bottom of the screen was the list of words we were supposed to find. He found the first word and dragged his finger across the screen until it was highlighted with blue.
I searched the sea of letters until I found the next word. I dragged my finger across the letters until the entire word was highlighted.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“It beats a pen and paper.” I found another word and dragged my hand across the letters.
Volt stuck his finger in the way and got the rest of the letters, getting the point for finding the word.
“Hey, jerk.”
His smile was anything but apologetic. “Too slow.”
***
Volt was behind the wheel of the rental car as we drove from Seattle to Yelm. My house was forty-five minutes away, so it was a short drive in comparison to the flight we just endured. “Should we pick something up?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Pie?”
“My parents will have everything. Don’t worry about it.”
“So, you told them I’m a hot stud and everything? I want your mom to be prepared.” He grinned at me from his side of the car.
“My mom isn’t into cocky dicks, and they don’t know you’re a guy.”
“What?” he asked. “You didn’
t tell them I was coming?”
“I said I was bringing a friend, and they never asked what sex you were.”
“They’re in for a big surprise I’m six two of all man.”
“My parents aren’t going to care.”
“Ever brought a man around before?”
“No.”
“So, I’m the first guy they’ll meet?” That smile was still on his face.
“Not really. You aren’t my boyfriend, so you don’t count.” I had a boyfriend yesterday until I got dumped. My parents would have been happy to know I was seeing someone. Now they would realize I could only get boy friends, not boyfriends.
“I still count,” he argued.
“If you say so.”
He followed the GPS until we entered Yelm. His eyes scanned the sides of the road. The lush greenery stretched for days into the distance. The trees were covered in leaves, the plump kind full of moisture and raindrops. Dirt was a rare commodity around there because grass covered every surface that wasn’t asphalt. “There’s so much green.”
“You never get tired of it.” On either side of the road were lush walkways and hiking trails.
“The air is different here. I can already tell.”
“I miss it sometimes. Looking at concrete, skyscrapers, and bums gets old sometimes.”
“But I bet you can’t get Chinese food at three in the morning in Yelm.”
“True. But I never order Chinese food anyway.”
“You ever think about moving back here?”
“Sometimes,” I said. “I’m not sure if New York will always be my home.”
“Really?” he asked in surprise.
“Well, I don’t want to raise kids in the city. I don’t think it’s the best environment.”
“I see your point. But Washington is far away. How would you ever survive without seeing me every day?”
“You’d come with me.” I smiled then checked my phone for any messages from my parents. I told them we landed and would be there soon.
Volt fell silent and didn’t say anything. He drove farther from the city then headed to the hills before Mt. Rainier. It was a clear day, so the mountain could be seen in the distance, caked with white snow. “Shit, that’s beautiful.”
“It is, huh?”
“And that’s in their backyard. Crazy.”
“If we have time, I’ll take you on a hike.”
“You hike?” he asked.
“Hell yeah. Everyone who lives here is pretty active.”
“That’s cute…hiking boots with a little backpack. I can picture it.”
“It’s not cute,” I said. “It’s actually pretty exhausting. You’ll see what I mean.”
“I hope so.”
We approached my house from a mile away. There was a turn in the road just before a view of the house. “It’s going to be on the right.”
“Okay.”
After the bend, we could see the valley where the house was settled. It was built on the side of a hill, having a view of the greenery and the world beyond. It was secluded out there. Without the road, you’d forget other people existed entirely.
“Damn, this is where they live?”
“Yep. I grew up in that house.”
“How’d they land a place like that?”
“Dad saved his money and bought the land. Then he built the house. He’s a carpenter, so he built everything on his own. When he and my mom got married, she moved in.”
“I understand how he landed her. Anyone would want to live in a place like that.”
“I’m sure my dad had other qualities too.”
“But nothing nearly as important.” He nudged me in the side.
We drove up the road and entered the gate. The front of the house was covered by trees swaying high above. The dirt road was wet from the constant moisture, and the grass was greener than anything in Central Park.
“This is such a cool house.”
“Wait until you see the inside of it.”
We grabbed our suitcases and headed to the front door. My first instinct was to just walk inside, but I realized I couldn’t do that anymore. I hadn’t lived there for five years. So I rang the doorbell.
Volt eyed the porch and the wooden chairs sitting in the corner. A table was positioned beside the sitting area. It was the place where my mom knit in the afternoons. He wore jeans and a hoodie, his powerful body obvious even in the loose fabric. He was nearly a foot taller than me, and I didn’t realize how different our sizes were until then.
The front door opened, and Mom and Dad were on me quicker than I could see. Mom hugged me first and kissed me on both cheeks while Dad squeezed in and hugged me from the other side. I was being sandwiched by my folks, and I could barely breathe.
“Missed you so much, honey.” Mom squeezed me again.
“I haven’t been able to sleep because I’ve been so excited.” Dad kissed my forehead just the way he used to.
“I missed you too.” I pulled away from them so I could get some air. “But I need a second to breathe.” I put my hands on my hips and enjoyed the air. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be getting much of it during the trip.
Mom flinched when she looked at Volt. “Honey, who’s this?”
“Mom, this is my friend I was telling you about. Volt.” I wished my parents would stop looking so shocked, but the worst had already come and gone.
Still surprised, they just stared at him. They probably couldn’t believe that I brought home such a good-looking man. Volt had the prettiest blue eyes, a stern jaw to set them off, and he was all muscle.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Volt shook their hands. “I really appreciate you allowing me to spend Thanksgiving with you. My parents decided to take a cruise to the Caribbean. Can’t say I blame them.”
Mom shook his hand, but her jaw was still open. A bug could fly in there.
Dad couldn’t compose himself either. He stared at Volt like he was a savior. “We’re glad to have you. Volt, is it?”
“Yeah,” Volt answered. “It’s my middle name. That’s what everyone calls me.”
Mom finally snapped out of it. “We’re so excited to meet you. Thank you for coming.”
“I’m very happy to be here,” Volt said. “Wherever Taylor goes, I’m not far behind.”
My parents were falling in love with him. I could see it in their eyes.
“Please come in.” Dad grabbed his bags and carried them inside.
No one grabbed my bags, so I did that on my own.
“Your room is just down the hall,” Mom said. “Let’s put your things away.” They walked us down the hallway until we came to my old bedroom. There was a queen size bed and white dressers. My old teddy bear was still there.
Dad placed Volt’s things on one side of the bed while Mom placed my luggage on the other side.
“Uh, Mom. Volt and I aren’t sleeping together—”
“Don’t be shy,” Mom said. “You’re a grown woman, and we understand that. We aren’t going to make the two of you sleep in separate beds.”
Volt turned to me, a smile on his lips. “Works for me.”
“Mom, we aren’t seeing each other,” I argued. “We’re just friends.”
“It’s really okay,” Mom said. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed,” I argued. “I’m telling you, we really are just friends.” My mom was so excited at the prospect of having a son-in-law that she wasn’t listening. Even if she believed me, she wasn’t going to let us leave unless he was my boyfriend.
“We’ll let the two of you get washed up.” Dad walked out and pulled Mom with him.
Mom gave us a wave before she shut the door.
This Thanksgiving had already gotten off to a bad start. “I’m sorry about that. My parents just want me to settle down and give them grandchildren.”
“I don’t mind.” He grabbed the teddy bear and held it in his hands. “Who’s this guy?”
&nbs
p; I snatched him away and held him to my chest. “Teddy.”
“That’s original,” he teased.
“Don’t make fun of me. You were never supposed to be in here.”
He walked around my room and examined the furniture and the private bathroom. “Pretty nice. I never had my own bathroom.”
“Only child,” I explained.
“Sounds nice.”
“The grass is always greener on the other side.”
He sat on the bed and felt the strength of the springs. “Your mattress is quiet… I like that.” He winked.
“You aren’t sleeping in here.”
“Why not?” he asked. “We sleep together at home all the time.”
“That’s different. We’re usually drunk or depressed. And I don’t want my parents to get their hopes up.”
“Why not? I let my parents think you’re my girlfriend.”
“And they’re going to be devastated when they realize I’m not.”
“Maybe they never have to find out.”
“What?” What did that mean?
He tested the springs again. “You used to sneak boys in here, huh? Your parents would never hear a thing.”
“I may have snuck in one or two guys…”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Bad girl… I like it.”
“I was in a relationship with each of them, at the time.”
“And this is where you got it on.” He patted the comforter.
“You’re nosey, you know that?”
“Not really. We’re best friends, right?”
“That doesn’t mean we tell each other everything.”
“Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s the very definition of it. So, did you lose your virginity here?”
My cheeks blushed at the question.
“There’s my answer.”
“Where did you lose yours?” I sat beside him with my bear in my lap.
“In the back of a truck.”
“Where?”
“On the side of the road.”
“What?” I blurted. That was the most unromantic thing I’d ever heard.
“I was giving a girl a ride home from a party, and one thing led to another so…I pulled over and we did it.”
“How old were you?”
“Thirteen.”