Chaotic (Imperfect Perfection)

by Williams, C. A.

  This ring was just an ‘I love you’ gift and a good reason for him to be able to pull that bubblegum ring off of my finger. I had tucked it away in a tiny baggie, knowing that I would want to hang onto it even if it wasn’t on my finger anymore. He had done perfectly at picking jewelry out for me. The silver band was thin and intricately woven with another and three pink stones were placed in the center. Not too flashy but just enough. It was so…me.

  My mother had pulled me out to the porch, a glass of wine that she had brought along in her hand as we sat down on the swing. “Thank you, Adelaide, for dealing with Mia last night. I can only take so much of her.”

  I snorted in response, “Yeah, me too. Is she always like this?”

  “Yes,” she rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her wine, “unfortunately. She brings a different guy home with her almost every night to the guesthouse, and Gerald just ignores it. I really don’t know what to do.”

  I remained silent because I really didn’t have any advice for her. Mia was on a downward spiral from where she had once been, and she didn’t seem as if she wanted to change.

  “I’m so proud of you, dear,” she said, her tone switching to soft as she reached over to twirl a piece of my hair, something she hadn’t done since I was a little girl. “You’ve grown up so much and come so far. I know I haven’t always been there for you, but I promise I’m going to try more. I’m glad you found Justin. You two seem like a perfect fit, and I can see he has a good influence on you. You better not let that one get away.”

  “Thanks, mom.” I smiled as her eyebrows shot up at me using mom instead of mother. I hadn’t felt like she really had been a mom to me until she had just said that right there. To know she was proud of me, for once, really was a little overwhelming, but it felt good. “It means a lot to me to hear that from you. I think I just needed a bit of change to get my life in order. Maybe that’s what Mia needs.”

  “Hmm…maybe,” she said before pushing off the swing and hobbling to her feet. “Well, darling I think we should get going. Gerald’s meeting us at the airport so we can head to Aspen. Are you sure you don’t want to come along?” I shook my head, all ready having told her no earlier in the day. We were spending tomorrow with Justin’s family, and I wasn’t about to bale on that.

  She kissed each side of my cheek before going inside to say the rest of her goodbyes and to pull Mia out of there, who of course, had attached herself to Justin’s side while I had been gone.

  We stayed for a little while longer, exchanging some gifts and playing board games before my eyelids started drooping close. “Time for us to head out I think,” I heard Justin say as he pulled on my hand. I gave hugs and kisses to my family, Grams shoving a bag into Justin’s hands that was loaded down with containers filled with leftovers.

  I slept the whole way back to Justin’s house. By the time we got back, I was feeling a little more awake. We curled up onto his couch, watching old Christmas movies while eating leftovers.

  He pushed aside my hair, kissing my neck after I finished off the rest of the cheesecake and buried my head in his chest, breathing in his spicy cologne. “I had a good time today,” he murmured into my ear. “Minus that evil step sister of yours.”

  I laughed into his chest, his title for Mia perfect in my book. “I can’t wait till you meet my family tomorrow. They’re going to love you just as much as I do.” I smiled even though I was a little nervous; I think pretty much everyone was when meeting their boyfriend’s family for the first time. But if they were anything like Justin, I’m sure they would be more than easy to get along with.

  ***********

  “C’mon Della, that sexy ass of yours needs to get moving. We need to beat Jeremy there so we get first dibs on the eggnog pancakes. I’m not missing out on those,” he yelled into the bedroom where I was changing into my third outfit choice of the morning. I guess this was going to have to do.

  I sucked in a breath as I looked back at my reflection, smoothing down the crème sweater dress I had pulled on with a pair of brown leather knee high boots. I had woken up extra early to curl my hair into soft ringlets and apply my makeup, choosing to use a softer hand than I normally did.

  I puckered my lips as Justin walked in, pulling at my arm. “Della,” he said in a whiny voice and I pierced him with a stare. “Don’t you know that you aren’t supposed to interrupt my primping time, especially when it comes to meeting your family.”

  “Sorry, princess,” he replied in a soft voice, pulling me in front of him. “You look more than perfect. Like I said, they are going to love you.” He kissed my forehead, reaching for the hem of my dress to inch it up. “Please tell me you aren’t wearing anything under this.”

  I slapped his hand away right before he could find out. “Of course I am, do you really think I would show up to your parents house without any underwear on, you ass. Don’t even think about trying anything with me while we’re there, because it’s so not going to happen.” He followed me into the living room, helping me pull on my coat before grabbing our overnight bags and opening the front door.

  His parents only lived about thirty minutes away, but we were spending the night, so we wouldn’t have to worry about driving home. Apparently, his mom made a strong egg nog, and she insisted everyone spend the night if they were to even have a sip of it.

  “Oh, you just wait. I’ll get you all liquored up, and you won’t be able to resist this body,” he said cockily before slamming my door shut. I rolled my eyes, knowing that I was going to have to keep away from the egg nog or what he had just said would end up being true.

  Justin’s parents’ house wasn’t anything like I had expected. He had always complained about having to share space with his two older brothers, but I found that hard to believe as I stared up at the two story brick house that looked like it could easily house at least ten people. “I thought you said you had to share a room with your brothers,” I whispered as he led the way up to the front door.

  “Yeah, because my mom forced us to. She thought it was some bonding experience for us or some shit like that.”

  “Aw, you poor thing.” I kissed the corner of his mouth that was turned into a frown right as the front door opened and a petite woman with dark brown hair, almost the same shade as Justin’s, stepped out onto the porch, wrapping us both into a hug.

  “I’m so glad you two are here! I’ve been bothering him for some time now to bring you over, Della.” She pinched Justin’s cheek before turning to me once again and giving me another hug. “Its so nice to finally meet the girl who has settled my baby down. Thank you for that,” she whispered into my ear before ushering us inside.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Parker.”

  “Oh no, it’s either Leann or mom honey, that’s all I want to hear from those pretty lips.” I smiled as she pulled us into the kitchen and pointed to the only two chairs that weren’t occupied.

  I was quickly introduced to his dad, Dan, his brothers, Jeremy and Jared, and their wives, Molly and Sarah. I felt like I was instantly welcomed into the family as they all teased and joked with everyone, me included. I could see where Justin got his personality from. I was expecting his dad to be a hard-ass since I knew he was a lieutenant, but I don’t think a smile had disappeared from his face the whole time we sat there and ate the huge breakfast Leann had made for everyone.

  The boys deserted the kitchen quickly when it was time for cleanup, so I stuck behind to get to know his mom and sisters-in-law. “So, please tell me how you got him to settle down?” Sarah asked, tilting her head towards the living room where Justin was arguing with one of his brothers.

  “Well, I wouldn’t say I have any kind of control over him, Justin really does what he wants.”

  Molly snorted politely as she handed me a towel to dry the dishes. “Yeah, right. I can all ready tell he’s whipped. Did you miss the way he kissed you before he left the room? Our husbands have long forgotten the romantic part of the relationship. I can’t imagine being with J
ustin, I bet he’s wild in bed. You’re one lucky girl.”

  I choked on the sip of orange juice I had just taken, not believing that they actually thought about Justin in that way. My cheeks blazed as Sarah and Molly both stared at me looking like they were day dreaming about my boyfriend. Sure, Justin’s brothers were attractive in more of an adult, mature way, but these girls definitely saw Justin as serious eye candy.

  “Girls, leave her alone and quit fantasizing over my baby. I really don’t want to hear about that. He talks about himself enough as it is,” she added, giving me a knowing smile that she was definitely clued in about how cocky her son tended to be. “But he did quit that bad smoking habit he picked up since you two started dating. I think you should be giving yourself more credit.”

  It was true, Justin had never said anything to me about smoking, and I had never mentioned that I really didn’t like it much. So I didn’t see how I had factored in on his quitting, but if Leann thought I was, I guess that was one point for me.

  We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing a large Christmas lunch together. Justin kept popping in to sneak kisses while I was helping out but would quickly leave once his mom caught him stealing food. Gifts were exchanged right before lunch, and I was surprised to see a large stack at my feet by the time we were done opening them.

  “Here, I saved this one for last.” Leann handed me a square package, wrapped expertly with a large white bow. I looked at Justin who had a wide smile on his face as he watched me open it, and I pulled out a scrapbook that was filled with pictures of Justin and me together. “Where did these all come from?” I asked as I flipped through page after page, the last containing pictures from our one night stay at the beach. I smiled when I saw a picture of me staring out at the ocean that I didn’t even know had been taken.

  “Justin’s never told you how much he loves his photography?” Leann asked, a puzzled expression on her face as she looked at her youngest son, who shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not that great, mom, Della’s just a good subject. Perfect actually.”

  I think all of the women in the room let out a collective sigh at the same time, while the guys groaned. “Definitely pussy whipped,” Jeremy muttered before standing up. “Let’s get some food, I’m fuckin’ starved.”

  “Watch your mouth, young man,” Dan scolded. “You might be grown, but I can still take you over my knee.”

  “Funny dad. Pretty sure you never punished us, if I remember right,” Justin piped in as we all headed in the dining room.

  The rest of the night was spent just catching up and reliving memories of past holidays. It was funny to hear about Justin as a younger kid, especially when he started to turn into a trouble maker. Leann amazed me by being able to talk about it with a smile on her face, shaking her head while Jeremy told the story about the time that Justin stole his dad’s police cruiser. How that could ever be funny, I would never know. I was just glad he hadn’t gotten in a ton of trouble.

  I shook my head fiercely when Leann offered me a glass of eggnog that she passed around to everyone, but by the third round, everyone was encouraging me to drink some. “Don’t worry,” Sarah whispered into my ear in a giggly voice telling me that she was already buzzed. “You two are staying out back in the guest house, so it’ll be all right if you get a little crazy.”

  “Um, thanks,” I said as I took a small sip, the rum instantly hitting me. I was pretty sure that was all that was in there. This family was definitely open about pretty much everything. If I even mentioned the word sex in front of my family, my mom would have pissed her pants.

  By the time everyone started heading off to bed, Justin and I were both so far gone, I seriously considered sleeping on the couch, but Justin had different plans. “C’mon,” he mumbled as he staggered towards the back patio door, tugging on my hand. “Time for you and me to have a little bit of fun.”

  Chapter 21

  My eyes popped open when I heard my phone ring for the third time in a row, and I tried to get out of bed, but Justin groaned, pulling me back against his warm body that was all too inviting. I wished I could stay right here, but I knew exactly who was calling my phone. Or at least I had two guesses.

  Winter break had gone by all too quick between splitting our time between both of our families and some alone time at Justin’s house. New Year’s Eve had been just the two of us, and Justin had actually suggested it. I didn’t know how interesting things could get with champagne and strawberries until Justin showed me. That memory would be etched in my mind for a very long time.

  “You’re going to have let go of me sooner or later,” I said as he tucked his arm around my waist to hold me in place. I wiggled my ass against him, and he muttered something as he pushed against me. I jumped up quickly while I had him distracted.

  “Where in the hell do you think you’re going after doing that?” he asked in a groggy voce. I didn’t respond as I searched around for my phone, and I heard him mutter something about me not being fair as I walked down the hallway to grab my phone from the kitchen counter where it was going off. Again.

  “Hi,” I looked down at the caller id, my guess being right, “Callie, I’m coming back today. I promise.”

  “Of course you are, silly. Where else would you stay besides with your two best friends,” she emphasized.

  I had seriously missed Callie and Zoey over the break. Callie had flown home to Ohio while Zoey, who was from the same town my grandparents lived in, had gone to Florida with her parents. They had both gotten back to the dorms yesterday, and I had been dodging their calls, wanting to spend a little bit more alone time with Justin.

  “I just have to pack my things up over here and then I’ll be back. I’ll swing by and grab some lunch.”

  “All right,” she said, not sounding convinced that I would show up. I heard Zoey yell something in the background, and Callie replied before talking to me again. “Okay, hurry up Zoey’s impatient for details about your love fest, and we’re both starving. Can’t wait to see you.”

  I hung the phone up with a smile and walked back into the bedroom where Justin looked to be passed out once again. I did a sweep around the room, picking up all of the clothes that had accumulated on my stay and tucking them back into my suitcase.

  “This room looks way to bare without all of your stuff laying everywhere.” I looked up to find Justin’s gray eyes on me, his arms tucked behind his head as he gave me a sad smile. “You know you could just move in here, and we wouldn’t have to be apart. You could still hang out with Callie and Zoey whenever. But at least I would get to wake up with you in my arms every morning.”

  I was a little shocked that he just came right out and said he wanted me to move in, like it was a normal everyday thing. We hadn’t talked about it what so ever, even though the thought had snuck into my head more than once.

  “I’d love to Justin, but I think it’s a little too soon.”

  “Who says?” His lips mashed into a tight line and he crossed his arms tightly over his broad, bare chest. The sight made me want to attack him on the spot, but I didn’t think it would be the best time. Or maybe it would. At least it would offer a distraction, a really good distraction.

  “Just because we haven’t been together for years doesn’t mean we don’t have a connection better than a lot of other couples out there. I could really give two shits about what anyone thinks. Can you at least think about it? Please?” He grabbed onto my hand as I set my suitcase down by the side of the bed, pleading with his eyes. Normally, I would give in easily when he gave me that look, but this wasn’t something I wanted to jump right into.

  “Okay, I’ll think about it. I promise, but I do need to get going. I promised to bring Callie and Zoey lunch.”

  “Fine,” he huffed out, tugging on my hand to pull me onto his lap. “But I at least need some sugar before you leave.”

  “Sugar, really?” I bit down on my lip as I shook with laughter, looking down at his serious expression. “All right, I gue
ss I can give you some sugar then.” I kissed his jaw as he gripped my ass to pull me closer and then moved my lips to brush against his neck.

  He turned his head so our lips fused together, pushing his tongue against mine, and I felt his fingers slide into my yoga pants, just teasing the edge of my underwear. “Hey, you’re not getting that much sugar.” I slapped at his hands, sliding off of him but not before swiveling me hips against him to give a little bit of a tease.

  “Why not? You’re so damn sweet, and I promise you that you would enjoy it.” I slapped his hand again that was reaching to pull me back onto the bed. If I ended up there, I really wasn’t going to want to leave.

  “I love you and now I’m leaving. I’ll see you at work later tonight. Hopefully you can wait till then.”

  “I don’t know,” he called out right before I shut the front door. “Maybe I’ll just have to take care of this myself.”

  I rolled my eyes as I started up my car that had pretty much sat the whole break, but surprisingly it didn’t put up any kind of a fight. I stopped at our favorite Chinese takeout place and headed back to the dorms. The campus was once again filled with students lugging suitcases into their dorms and emptying out cars.

  I heard a squeal when I opened up the door, and Callie and Zoey both attacked me, squeezing me into a tight hug as I tried to hold onto our bag of food. “Here, let me get that.” Zoey grabbed the bag from my hands, not needing quite as long of a hug as Callie and set it on the kitchen counter, pulling out paper plates to dish it out onto.

  “Okay, I think you can let go now,” I muttered into Callie’s blonde curls.

  “Sorry, I just missed you so much. So how was your break? We need all the details about you and lover boy. And please don’t tell us you’re moving out.”

  I skipped over the part of Justin asking me to move in, because, really, I wasn’t even sure he was being serious. I filled them in on Mia and my mom and all about meeting Justin’s family for the first time. After I was done dishing on my break, Zoey and Callie took turns each telling their own different, but interesting, stories about their breaks. At least we all sounded like we had fun, but it was great to be back with them.