Presently Perfect (Perfect #3)

by Alison G. Bailey

  Poking my head out the door, I said, “Do you have like a plastic sandwich bag?”

  “Yeah, I think Lisa keeps some on top of the mini-fridge.”

  I snagged the bag and went back to work. Scooping up a couple of handfuls of ice, I placed them in the Ziploc, and then wrapped it in a towel.

  She scooted up to the head of the bed, leaning back on four huge pillows propped against the wall. I joined her, sitting far enough away, so that her foot rested comfortably in my lap. I rubbed my hand over the towel- covered ice, trying to warm it a little so the cold wouldn’t be such a shock, and then lowered it onto her ankle.

  “Does that feel alright?”

  She nodded. “Thank you, Noah. Sorry you had to carry me all the way here.”

  “No problem. You aren’t as heavy as you used to be.”

  She sat up slightly, grabbed one of the pillows from behind her, and bopped me on top of the head. For the first time in months genuine laughter flew out of my mouth.

  “Are you saying I was fat before?”

  “No!” Cocking an eyebrow, I smirked at her. “Your curves are awesome and nicely arranged.”

  The pink on her cheeks darkened, as my eyes involuntarily scanned her body. I swallowed hard and then swung my gaze around the room, hoping to ride out the flirt.

  Tweet’s half of the room suited her. On the wall I was leaning against, hung a large quilt with a multicolored pattern of a bookshelf stacked with books. On the other wall, at the head of the bed, was a poster of an antique typewriter with famous literary quotes hovering above it. Her bed was covered with a gray comforter and the four big pillows were a mix of garnet and gold, which were USC’s colors.

  The only plan I had coming up here this weekend was to track down Tweet. What I did when I found her was another question. I didn’t know if I would even be talking with her, let alone sitting in her dorm room by ourselves. This was my shot to get her back in my life and I wasn’t going to waste it.

  I cleared my throat and glanced over at her. “Um… Tweet?”

  “Yeah?”

  My mouth suddenly went dry. I sucked on the inside of my cheeks, trying to get the spit flowing before taking a big gulp of air.

  “I’ve missed you.” Looking down, I shook my head. “No, I’ve more than missed you. It’s like when my dad died…” I saw the sadness in her eyes as she thought back to that time. “I couldn’t imagine a life without him. Nothing would bring him back, so I had to adjust. But there’s still an emptiness that I can’t fill. You and my parents have always been the three most important people in my life.”

  You’re rambling. Get to the point, dumbass.

  “I’ve been going through the motions each day, mainly for my mom’s sake. Being here with you… laughing and joking… It’s the first time I’ve done that since you left that wasn’t fake.” Pausing for a moment, I summoned up the courage and then said, “I need you.”

  I blinked away the moisture in my eyes. I had been disappearing in the sadness. I didn’t realize how numb I’d become until I saw Tweet again. She made me feel.

  “What about Brooke? How do you think she’d react to me being around again?”

  Shit! Brooke.

  “I think she’ll be fine with it… eventually. Besides, Brooke doesn’t dictate who my friends are.”

  “You don’t hate me for what I did?” she asked, glancing down at her fidgeting hands.

  Placing my finger under her chin, I lifted it up until her gaze met mine. “I could never hate you, Tweet.” I stared for a moment, soaking her in. The familiar crackle of electricity surrounded us. I needed to tone it down or she’d be scared off. “I did, however, severely dislike you for a while.”

  I threw her a wink.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you like that. I was just wanting…” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I think I understand why you did it. I promise I will stay completely in the friend zone. I will not tempt you at all with my body.”

  She giggled. “Okay.”

  “Really?” The shock and excitement in my tone was evident.

  I couldn’t believe she wasn’t putting up a fight, giving me one excuse after another or spouting off lame-ass rules we needed to follow. She simply nodded her head in agreement.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m so glad you fell.”

  “Yeah me too.”

  We stared for several seconds, exchanging smiles in the process. I wanted to lunge at her, wrap my arms around her body, and stay by her side for the rest of the night. Instead, I opted for a slightly subtle approach, the small surprise I had bought her.

  “Hold this on your ankle for a second. I got you something,” I told Tweet.

  Gently lifting her leg, I took the pillow she swatted me with earlier and propped up her foot. I walked over to the roommate’s bed where I had tossed the bag, dug through it, and got what I needed. I went back and sat on the bed, hiding the items behind my back.

  “Well, what is it?” Tweet wasn’t a very patient person.

  “Close your eyes,” I said. She did as she was told for once. “Don’t open them until I say so.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Promise?”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “Say it.” I tried to sound demanding but she could hear the humor in my voice.

  She giggled. “I promise I won’t open my eyes.”

  “Good.” I brought the items around, holding them in front of her. “Okay, open your eyes.”

  Beautiful teal eyes looked back at me, not even noticing what I was holding. I glanced down. Tweet took the cue, letting her gaze drop. Her head lifted, with sparkling eyes and a huge smile plastered across her face. You would have thought I’d just given her a pot of gold instead of a box of chocolate snack cakes, the container of chocolate frosting, and the plastic spoon.

  “Hey bestie. It’s great to have you back.” The corners of my mouth curled up, forming the first real smile I’d had in months.

  “It’s great to be back.”

  We ate cake and frosting. Well, Tweet actually ate the frosting, while we caught up each other up on our lives. She told me Emily had moved back to Charleston after law school and was working at a firm downtown, specializing in corporate law. She had just bought a condo in the historic Radcliffborough section of town. I already knew all of this. Our mothers talked daily. But I didn’t stop her. I loved the sound of her voice too much. I could listen to her talk forever. She went on to tell me how much she loved her classes. Then filled me in on her roommate, who sounded great and more than a little crazy.

  When it was my turn, I filled her in on how much I liked the College of Charleston and that I decided not to play baseball this year. I told her, like I told everyone, it was to focus on my classes. But by her expression, I could tell she saw right through me and understood the real reason. The game hadn’t been the same for me since Dad’s death. I was sure I’d learn to love it again someday. It was just going to take time.

  We were both enjoying being back together so much that we avoided the subject of Brooke and the asshole from the party as long as possible.

  I was leaning back against the wall, massaging Tweet’s ankle when my phone chirped with a text. I looked at it and smirked. It was a picture from the bachelorette party. Brooke was wearing a tiara, and a bright pink feather boa, posing seductively with a male blowup doll with the message, I’d like to come blow you. Where you at?

  “Brooke?” Tweet asked.

  “Yeah. She sent me a picture. Looks like they’re having a good time.”

  I typed out a quick reply.

  Me: Ha-ha. I’m beat. Headed to bed. See you tomorrow. Have fun.

  I switched my phone to silent before tossing it to the side.

  “You can go if you want. I’m fine. Thanks for taking care of me…” The words shot out of Tweet’s mouth like a machine gun firing.

  “Stop it. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I don’t want to cause any problems for yo
u, Noah.”

  “You’re not.”

  “Are you in love with her?” Her body jolted once she realized what she just asked.

  I slowly let out a deep sigh. I was torn about how to answer. The answer was a definite no. I didn’t love Brooke. How could I when the girl in front of me had always owned my heart? I had to be careful of my words. I didn’t want to step over the newly drawn line and scare Tweet off. But I wasn’t about to lie to her either.

  “Honestly? Between my dad passing away, taking care of my mom, and missing you, I haven’t thought about my feelings for Brooke. I know I sound like a dick.”

  Her warm hand landed on top of mine. “You’re just being honest. You’ve had a lot to deal with this year.”

  “She tells me she loves me all the time. I never say anything back. I just smile and change the subject.” I paused for a moment. “I care about what happens to her.”

  “I shouldn’t have asked you.”

  “You can ask me anything, Tweet. I just don’t know how to answer you right now.”

  “Fair enough,” she said.

  “So who was that Smurffucker you were with at the party?” I asked, keeping my tone calm and controlled.

  My jaw inadvertently clenched as the veins in my neck pushed against my skin. I was trying hard not to go all jealous boyfriend.

  “His name is Matt. And you know, I don’t refer to Brooke as Princess Bitchella.” She gave me a sarcastic smirk.

  There’s that smart mouth I love.

  “You’ve been thinking on that one for a while haven’t you?”

  “Nope. Actually, it just came to me.”

  “Matt…” The name left a bad taste in my mouth. “Is he your boy… friend?”

  “Yes.”

  Knots of queasiness twisted in my stomach. This Matt was a grade-A asshole. I could tell the second I laid eyes on him. I kept my cool and continued to ask her about him in a calm manner.

  “Why does he call you Stick?”

  “It’s just a stupid nickname he gave me.”

  “I heard what he said to you, Tweet.”

  “How long had you been at the party? I walked all over that place and never saw you.”

  “I had just walked in when I saw you and… Matt.” I cringed saying his name. “Has he forced you to do anything you didn‘t want to do?”

  She shook her head. “No.” There was a hint of defensiveness in her voice.

  Her gaze shifted down. I knew right then and there, I’d be getting Travis to enlist some of his big frat brothers to keep an eye on Matt the mother fucker.

  “He’s not usually like that. He was drunk. He’s a theater major and is under a lot of pressure with this upcoming production… plus with classes…”

  She was rambling and fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. I placed my hand on top of hers, stopping the fidgeting.

  “Does he treat you right, Tweet?” Not looking up, she nodded. “If he does anything to hurt you, I’ll make sure every fucking bone in his body gets broken.”

  Note to self: Tell Travis—Every. Fucking. Bone.

  At 2 am, the door to Tweet’s room slowly creaked open and a glassy-eyed redhead, who I assumed was Tweet’s roommate, poked her head in cautiously.

  “You can come in,” Tweet told her.

  The girl staggered over to her bed and plopped down. She never once glanced in our direction.

  “Lisa?” Tweet said.

  “Mmmhmm?”

  “This is Noah.”

  Lisa’s eyes shot open as she bolted upright.

  Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Lisa turned toward us, blinking. “The Noah?”

  I glanced over at Tweet, curious to know how I got the title.

  “Yes.” Tweet chuckled, rolling her eyes.

  I slid to the edge of the bed and extended my hand. “Hey, it’s great to meet you, Lisa.”

  Her drunk gaze bounced from my face to my hands a few times before she finally slipped her palm into mine.

  “Well, hellooo, The Noah. It’s really great to see you… here… with Amanda.”

  She looked back and forth between me and Tweet. A huge grin slowly appearing on her face.

  “I guess I should be going.” I stood and collected the trash from our snack.

  Lisa jumped up, swayed a little to the left, and then intercepted me. “I’ll take that for you, so you can say toodles to each other.”

  She walked to the other side of the room, pretending to give me and Tweet some privacy, while blatantly glancing over her shoulder at us.

  Turning to Tweet, I said in a low voice, “I’m not sure what time I’m heading back tomorrow. I want to see you before I go, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to. You know?”

  “I know.”

  “I’ll definitely talk to you tomorrow.”

  “And I’ll be home for Thanksgiving in a few days.” Her face lit up with excitement.

  God, I don’t want to leave.

  We must have stared at each other for what Lisa felt was an abnormal amount of time because it sounded as if she were hacking up a lung trying to get our attention. Leaning down, I placed a kiss on Tweet’s forehead. I couldn’t help closing my eyes and savoring the feel of her skin.

  “Goodnight, Tweet,” I whispered against her.

  “Goodnight, Noah.”

  I turned to Lisa who had gotten a little closer to the action, standing only about a foot away from me. “Goodnight, Lisa.”

  “Goodnight, The Noah.”

  I smiled, looking over at Tweet. Apparently, I lingered a little too long again for Lisa’s taste, because it sounded like the other lung was getting ready to make an appearance. Before the girl lost any more organs, I grabbed my phone, my jacket, and headed out the door.

  When I got back to his dorm, I was surprised to see a sleeping Travis and shocked to see him alone in bed. I stripped down to my boxers, leaving my T-shirt on, and crawled into the other bed. On my back, hands behind my head, I lay in the dark, grinning, and feeling alive again.

  “About time you showed up,” Travis mumbled.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I lost track of time.”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “How’s your redhead?”

  “Satisfied. How’s your old friend?”

  “Back where she belongs.”

  The next morning I woke up early and headed over to the frat house to get Tweet’s coat. The place looked like a massacre. Passed out drunk bodies covered almost every inch of the main room—sprawled over sofas, chairs, tables, the stairs, and the floor. I walked down the hallway, opening doors until I found the designated pile of coats and jackets. I recognized Tweet’s coat immediately. I was with her last year on the day she bought it. I started to leave when my phone chirped with a text.

  Brooke: Good morning No-No. I missed you last night. Rachel is going to drop me off at Travis’s dorm in a half hour. We can go grab breakfast. See you in a bit.

  Me: Okay.

  My mind was spinning trying to figure out how I could see Tweet before meeting up with Brooke. I wasn’t ready to tell Brooke that Tweet was back in my life. Before walking out of the room, I raised Tweet’s coat and inhaled her scent. It would have to hold me for the next few days until I saw her again.

  I pulled into the parking lot of Travis’s dorm with five minutes to spare before Brooke was to show. Picking up my phone, I had every intention of calling Tweet to let her know I wouldn’t be able to see her today. But I knew if I heard her voice, I’d be too tempted to put the truck in reverse and haul myself over to her place, so I sent a quick text.

  Me: Mornin’ Tweet. How’s your ankle?

  Tweet: A little better. Thx.

  Me: Not able to stop by. Sorry.

  Tweet: That’s ok. Have a safe trip home.

  Me: Last night was amazing. See you in a few days. Look outside your door.

  Tweet: Ok. Just a sec.

  When several seconds had passed, I smiled, knowing full well she hadn�
��t noticed what I had put at her door. Her coat was in a shopping bag that Brooke had left in my truck. In front of that was something I knew would make her smile, a wind-up yellow bird Koosh toy.

  Me: Look down.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  Tweet: Thx for getting my coat back and for my tweet. I love it!!!!!!! :)

  Me: :)

  Vibrations ricocheted through my body each time my foot slammed against the concrete. The only evidence of the cold and that I was still breathing, were the spurts of hot air morphing into puffs of white smoke the second they hit the atmosphere. My neighborhood whizzed by me, so I knew I was moving, but it felt like I was sinking in quicksand. The repetitive thumping of my heartbeat drowned out all other sounds. When the words tried to bulldoze their way into my mind, I shoved them away. I had to focus on getting to her and not on those words. If I allowed them to invade my thoughts, I’d collapse.

  I found her exactly where I knew she’d be, at our spot. Why none of the others thought to check here first was beyond me. I stopped at the edge of the park, placing my hand against the bare-leaf large oak tree, catching my breath, and trying to gain the courage I needed to have for her.

  The overcast sky covered everything in gray tones. There was an eerie stillness surrounding our spot. The park was quiet except for the sound of her phone blowing up with calls and texts. We were only two days into our Christmas break. With the semester ending and exams, I hadn’t seen Tweet since Thanksgiving. Brooke had gone out of town for the holiday, so Tweet and I spent the entire time together. Even though we talked and texted several times a day, there was nothing like having her by my side.

  She was sitting on the new picnic table. The one I’d destroyed last summer had been replaced. Her back faced me, shoulders slumped, as she stared straight ahead. The sleeves of the USC hoodie she wore were pulled down over her hands. She was cold. As I approached, the crunch of dry grass, leaves, and gravel sounded ten times louder in the bubble Tweet and I were in.