I looked at her sideways, and saw that she was chewing on her bottom lip. Hard. That told me a lot. She might not be lying about it being an old friend, but there was something more there, something she wasn’t telling me.
“Nash?” I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning white. I knew they had a past, and were, at one time, really good friends. I knew we needed to learn how to trust one another again, and I needed to earn Della’s back.
“No,” she answered simply, staring out the window as we pulled into her driveway.
“Della, if we’re gonna make things work, you need to talk to me. No secrets, no lies. From either one of us.”
“I know.” She gave me a small smile before leaning across the front seat and placing a kiss on the corner of my mouth. “We definitely have some things to work on. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I nodded my head, watching until she disappeared into the house. I couldn’t help but grin, even though I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Last night had been a turning point for Della and me, the one that I wanted for so long. I just hoped that we could actually make things work, and move forward, without any complications.
I JUMPED BACK, hand flying to my chest, after quietly shutting the door. It didn’t matter that I was trying to come into the house unannounced. Not when all three of my roommates were curled up on the couch with blankets and pillows, like they had been waiting there for me the whole time.
“Aren’t you a little early?” Zoey deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest.
I had a feeling I was about to get the third degree from each one of them.
I shrugged one shoulder. “Thanks for ditching me last night,” I responded sarcastically, ignoring her question.
“You’re welcome.” Mia waggled her eyebrows. “I’m sure you had a good time, and judging by your walk of shame outfit, I know I’m right.” She pointed at Justin’s shirt that I was wearing, and I couldn’t help but grin.
“So, how was it?” Callie asked, jumping to her knees. “Was he all romantic about it, or was he all like, demanding and telling you how it’s gonna be by laying down the law?”
“Laying down the law? Really, Callie?” Zoey giggled.
I swear I could feel my whole body blushing. If they only knew what kind of law Justin had been laying down, or rather, used. Yeah, I wasn’t telling them about the handcuffs. That would remain solely between Justin and me. I definitely wouldn’t mind using them again, though.
“Um…sure, I guess so. We talked about things. I think we have everything figured out.”
“So, does that mean the two of you are back together?” Mia asked. I was still a little uncomfortable talking to her about Justin. I knew she had a thing for him. One of the reasons she lied because she wanted me out of the picture completely, so she could have him all to herself. I couldn’t help but think she was still plotting some evil plan to really screw me over when it came to Justin.
“We’re getting there, I think. I need to go take a shower and get ready. I’ll catch up with everyone later, and you can grill me all you want.”
I left them in the living room, rolling my eyes as I walked up to the stairs when I heard them wonder why I needed a shower. If I weren’t in a rush to get ready, I would probably be laughing right along with them. But, I needed to hurry to meet up with Chris. I sent him a quick message while Justin drove me home, telling him that I was running a little behind. My gut twisted at what I was doing. Nothing was going to happen between Chris and me, but I didn’t like being so vague with Justin. It made me feel guilty, and I hated doing it. But I knew if I told Justin who I was actually meeting, he would be pissed. Before when we were together, he was never really jealous, even when it came to Nash. He was too cocky for that. Now, though, things were different. I wasn’t sure if we even had a label for ourselves yet.
I finished getting ready, telling the girls goodbye as I headed out, and drove across town to the restaurant that Chris had picked. I was a little nervous when I stepped out of my car, and walked toward the restaurant a little slower than necessary. I knew Chris was going to bring back a lot of memories that I didn’t want to be stirred up. I had moved on.
Back then I was a mess. The abortion was only the starting point for the downward spiral my life took. After that, I just didn’t care, didn’t care if I had any friends, didn’t care about any of my family, and really, didn’t care if I lived. And I kept most of those feelings contained. Someone watching from the outside might have wanted to be me, to have the life that I had, with the money and the popularity, but not everything is as it seems. Most people have dark secrets that others know anything about.
Chris knew most of mine.
“Addy.”
My head snapped around just as my hand touched the front entrance, and I slowly turned. I took a tiny¸ steadying breath as I looked at Chris. He had changed a lot since high school. I’d seen him here and there when he was home on breaks from college, even though I mostly tried my best to avoid him. The last time that I saw him was well over a year ago, and that was the most time I spent with him in a few years.
Instead of his blond hair being artfully gelled, like I was so used to, it was cut short, showing off those robin-egg blue eyes of his even more. He was taller than I remembered, and more built, the white dress shirt he wore was stretched tightly across his chest. The tie wrapped around his neck completed the whole grown-up look, which blew my mind.
He stepped forward as if he were going to hug me, but then thought better of it, awkwardly reaching out to pat me on the back. I licked my lips nervously, tucking back a piece of hair. I was worried this is how things would be. “It’s Della,” I managed to say. His eyebrows twisted in confusion as he held the door open for me, placing a hand on the small of my back to guide me in. “Everyone calls me Della,” I explained.
A hostess greeted us, and then we were quickly led to a corner booth tucked in the back. I opened my menu as soon as I sat down, but didn’t see any of the words; they were all a blur.
Chris cleared his throat, and I peered up to see him smiling at me. “You’ll always be my Addy.”
“What?” I stammered.
“I just don’t think Della fits.” He shook his head, cradling his chin in his fingertips as he studied me. “Nope. Definitely my Addy.”
Thankfully, the waitress came over to take our drink orders. That gave me time to think about what he meant when he said ‘my Addy.’ I hadn’t been his Addy for a while, and I don’t know why us just meeting up for lunch would give him that kind of idea.
I listened intently to Chris as he explained the work that he was doing for his dad’s company. He seemed like he enjoyed it and his plan for after college had always been to work for him. I just couldn’t imagine working in an office every day, sounded a little boring to me. He didn’t mention a girlfriend, though, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. There still seemed to be some feelings for him buried deep below, because part of me hoped that he didn’t. It probably had a lot to do with how much history we had together.
“So, how long are you in North Carolina for?” I asked after the waitress sat down an appetizer of fried pickles. I was about ready to devour them all by myself since I hadn’t eaten since before we left for the bar last night.
“I’m not really sure. I’ve been apartment hunting, but for now, I’ve just been living out of a suitcase. I hate hotels.”
Apartment hunting? So, that clearly meant things were going to be a little long-term for him. At least he was about two hours away, I guess. That was still a pretty far trip, and really, we didn’t have a reason to see each other. This was just me being nice, catching up with an old boyfriend.
“I’m checking all around the area, though, I don’t mind commuting.” He looked straight in my eyes as he said it, and I could hear the meaning behind those words. He thought something was going to happen between the two of us.
“Chris, I don’t know—”
“Addy.” He
reached across the table, grabbing one of my hands, and I realized I’d clenched them tightly into fists. “I’m not going to lie and say I just wanted to see you as friends to catch up. Too much has happened for us to ever just be friends. I was hoping that maybe we could hang out every once in a while, though. See how things work out. I know things between us didn’t exactly end on a good note last time, but I felt something still there. Didn’t you?”
I swallowed thickly, remembering the last time we had seen each other. I was pissed that he stayed behind after everyone cleared out when the party ended. It was still too early in the night for me, and I needed to get drunk so I wasn’t sitting alone in that empty house with just my thoughts and me. And then Chris was there. I know it was beyond stupid, but we had sex…multiple times. And afterward, he started talking about our future together, as if we could just pick up right where we left off in high school, before all the drama. So, after the confrontation with my mother, I just disappeared. I figured he might have picked up a clue from that.
“Okay, I can tell you’re thinking too damn much. So, for now, don’t answer that question. But at least answer me this. Are you with anyone?”
“Um….” I pulled my hand away to toy with the discarded wrapper from my straw. When that was in shreds, I moved on to my napkin. That was a loaded question. Justin and I had been together just this morning but were we really together? The whole situation confused the hell out of me.
“Well, judging by your vague answer, I’m guessing not, or the relationship isn’t worth your time. You need someone who knows how much you’re worth, Addy. Someone who makes you the center of their world. Someone who doesn’t give two shits about any other girl but you.”
That last sentence stung, and it was as if he knew all about my relationship with Justin. I knew we had talked about moving forward, and forgetting the past, but sometimes, that was one of the hardest things to do.
“I could be that guy,” he finished before taking a long pull out of his bottle of beer.
“Chris, I don’t really think that’s possible. There’s just too much that’s happened between us. We’ve both moved on. And I am kind of seeing someone right now.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I can deal with kind of seeing someone, Addy. Obviously, it’s not that serious. And you made a mistake. We both did. We were young and crazy in love. At least we thought we were. Who really knows when you’re that age? But maybe we could try now.”
I shook my head, not wanting to give him any hope. The waitress brought our meals over and Chris changed the subject, which was fine with me. We fell into easy conversation, though, and I remembered why I had been so drawn to him in the first place. He was such an outgoing person, friendly to everyone, and made me laugh almost nonstop.
I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy myself at lunch, but when my phone beeped from my purse and I saw that it was a message from Justin, my mind went straight back to him. I was relieved to hear from him, really. It made me believe that he was serious about working things out. I was too. We just needed to figure out exactly where we went from here.
“DUDE, THAT WAS an asshole move you pulled last night.”
I sighed loudly as I passed Ty and opened my locker. “I thought you weren’t going to be mad at me if things didn’t work out between Blaire and me.”
“I’m not. I‘m just pissed that I got bitched out by my wife for even introducing Blaire to you. Apparently, I was supposed to know that you’re a douchebag, according to my wife. I told her that wasn’t the case, but she forbid me from talking to you.” He grinned at me as I buttoned up my shirt.
“Really? Let me know how that works out for you, then.”
“Women.” He shook his head, and I couldn’t help but smirk back at him. “So I’m guessing by that cocky ass look on your face that you and Della are back on?”
I nodded my head as I finished getting into my uniform. “Yup.”
“Well, I hope it’s worth it.” He patted me on the back. “Because I really took an ass chewing for you. You definitely owe me.”
“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
Luckily, there wasn’t any tension between Ty and me after that. I felt bad that he had to take shit from his wife because of me, and she had every right to be pissed. I was a dick to Blaire, and she was a great girl. Just not the right girl. I couldn’t even be mad about her reaction to the whole situation. Actually, I got off easy. Girls could get extremely vindictive when they wanted to be.
I finished out my shift, and crashed into bed as soon as I got home. It still smelled like Della and I inhaled deeply, pressing my nose into my pillow. I wished that she were here, but I knew that would be moving things a little too quickly. She would probably either laugh, or get a restraining order if I asked her to move in with me right away. Yeah, we’d already moved things quickly by having sex straight off the bat, but I didn’t care. It was just the right time, and I had needed her more than anything, right then and there.
But, now, I needed to make things right. I needed to show her how much she meant to me, and how I was going to treat our relationship as one of the most important things in my life.
I woke up early the next morning, not being able to sleep since I tossed and turned all night. After I took a shower, I headed to my mom’s house. It had been a couple of days since I checked in on her, but I knew she was holding up considerably well, because between my brothers, their wives, and me, we were trying to keep her company as much as we could.
“Mom,” I called out as I kicked my shoes off at the front door.
“In here, honey.”
I don’t know why I even bothered. She practically lived in the kitchen. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to find her sleeping in there. That was one thing I worried about, though. I don’t think that woman ever slept. I’m sure it was hard without my dad being there. I knew how hard it was for me not to have him around, I couldn’t imagine how it was for her.
We caught up on my life as she stood at the kitchen island, whipping up something that was in her mixing bowl and would probably end up amongst the overflowing pile of baked goods on the counter. My brothers and I liked to eat, but we couldn’t keep up with her. If we tried, we would probably end up weighing over three hundred pounds each.
“So, how are things going in the romance department for you?”
I rolled my eyes and shrugged my shoulders.
“Well, way to be vague, son. Have you seen any more of Della?”
Oh yeah, a whole lot of Della. And I planned to see a whole lot more very soon. Yesterday, I sent her a message within an hour of dropping her off. I needed to see her again, and I didn’t know how much longer I could wait. I felt like a drug addict that needed to find their next high. My knees twitched, my mind raced, and I could barely stay focused on what my mom was saying.
“Yeah,” I dragged on, trying to bite back a smile, but it was hard as hell.
“You have, haven’t you? Tell me all of the details,” she demanded excitedly, flailing her hands around so I would spill all of the gossip. I felt bad that my mom never had any daughters. Sure, she was pretty close with Molly and Sarah, but it wasn’t the same.
“There’s not much to tell, Mom.” Other than the fact that I had Della in my bed yesterday, and now, that’s where I wanted her to stay. Maybe I should put those handcuffs to use again then she wouldn’t be able to ever leave.
“Sure there isn’t. Well, this time around, how ‘bout you treat her like she’s supposed to be treated. This is your last chance, Justin. Knowing Della for the short amount of time that I have, I can tell you she is a very strong and determined girl. You’re lucky she’s even giving you the time of day. I know you’re my son and all, but I’m actually surprised she is, and you had better take advantage of it. Don’t mess things up. You’re a good boy. Your dad and I raised you the best we could, so act like it.” She ruffled my hair before standing up, kissing my forehead, and heading over to the oven to take somethi
ng out.
My mom’s words might have sounded a little harsh, but they were true. And I needed to figure out how to let Della know that I was serious about things, and I wasn’t letting her go again.
“HEY, YOU WANT to hit up Shorty’s with me?”
“Shorty’s?” Nate asked over the phone. “Does that mean things are on again with you and Della? About fucking time.”
“Whatever. Do you want to or not?” I had an itch to see Della again. Now that I was working full time and she was in school and working, too, it wasn’t as easy as it used to be to see each other. We planned to go out this weekend, I was taking her on an official date, but I needed to see her before then.
“Yeah, but Mia’s over. I’m bringing her with me.”
“Um, that’s fine, I guess.”
I hung up my phone, still scratching my head at the thought of Mia and Nate together. I had considered hooking them up before, but then thought better of it because those two together seemed like begging for trouble. Oh well. They were both adults, and I guess could do whatever they wanted. Hopefully, I wouldn’t ever have to arrest them, even though I could totally see something like that happening.
I stripped out of my running shorts, and changed into clothes quickly before heading out to my car and making the drive over to Shorty’s. I was starved, but not for food.
“Hey!” Kassie called out as soon as I stepped into the bar. I waved at RJ who smiled widely and winked. That guy just wouldn’t take the hint that I was never, ever moving over to his team. At least he tried, I guess. I followed Kassie as she led me to a back table, and didn’t even bother setting a menu down. “Planning on behaving yourself tonight?” she asked, tapping her nails against the table while she narrowed her eyes at me.
“Yup, as much as possible, I guess.”
“Whatever.” She placed one hand on her hip, leaning in closer. I thought for a second that she was trying to hit on me. We had a one-time thing that I barely remember, and ever since then, we never spoke about it. It was weird because things had never been awkward between us, but I guess that was a good thing. “Just don’t be an asshole to Della. That was a real dick move that you pulled last time, and I have no idea why Della is even giving you the time of day. Does she know you’re here?”
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