My Almost

by Kelsey Cheyenne

  “I just want to stay here and go to bed.”

  She scoffs, fed up with my bullshit. “Whatever. Come on, Josh.” She drags her boyfriend out the door and slams the door. Fine by me.

  I open my laptop and queue up Friends on Netflix. I open Skype, hoping Aiden and I are both logged on. If he sees me online, maybe he’ll take the bait and call me.

  He’s not online, and it sends me into a panic spiral. What’s he doing? Who’s he with? Is he out with someone his own age, someone he can be seen in public with? I doubt he’s sleeping. I doubt he’s alone and I doubt he’s missing me, especially not like I’m missing him.

  Sometime later, a door slamming into the wall stirs me from my deep slumber. I sit up in a rush, scared shitless, and smack my head on the top bunk. Son of a bitch.

  It’s just Becky coming home, a book bag slung over her shoulder. She throws it onto her desk with a loud clatter. Could she be any fucking louder?

  I check my laptop which is still open at the bottom of my bed, but I didn’t miss any messages. Then I glance at my phone, I pull up Facebook, and I’m even tempted to open my freaking email but I know it will all read the same fate: Aiden still hasn’t reached out.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  The next day passes with no word from Aiden and my confidence is slipping. I noticed we were on Skype at the same time tonight but nothing happened. No calls, no messages. Back to radio silence. Tomorrow is Friday and if I don’t hear from him, then I’ll cave and reach out because I’m already going crazy not knowing where we stand.

  Even though I work pretty much all weekend, I’m still hoping to talk to him. I’m sure he works all weekend too, but I wish we were working together.

  When I wake up on Friday, I don’t have to wait long for his message. I have a text from late last night, err, early this morning.

  Are you coming home this weekend?

  I wish I was. Although, I could make an exception for him. I don’t have to go home, but I could go see him.

  I wasn’t planning on it.

  I don’t expect him to respond right away, considering it’s early morning and his last text was sent after two a.m. Imagine my surprise when he answers right away.

  I think you should.

  Okay. That’s settled. Even though I have to work tonight and tomorrow morning, I can still make time for him. I’ll always make time for him. That’s the thing about love—you can always make time for the person who has your heart no matter what.

  I’ll see you tomorrow night.

  My lady business is already buzzing in anticipation for what’s to come.

  I have to get through these two days then we’ll be reunited. Now I can even invite him to my birthday next weekend. All my friends have boyfriends who are coming and I’m the guest of honor which means I can’t show up alone.

  Now I’m even more excited for my party at the mere prospect of my—Aiden coming. I can’t wait for him to meet my friends after all these months.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  “Hey girl!” Callie’s voice squeals through the phone in a breezy manner only she can pull off without sounding shrill. “How’s it goin’?”

  I’m driving back to campus Sunday morning as I answer her. “I’m exhausted, but last night was so worth it.” I smirk a devilish grin even though she can’t see it, I’m sure she can hear the leer through the phone.

  “Ew, you’re a freak.” muted disgust laces her voice though humor underlies the words.

  I bellow into the phone. My spirits haven’t been this high in a while. “Oh, you have no idea. You’d do the same if you knew what it was like.”

  She fake-gags into the receiver. Or, at least I think she’s faking. “I’m gonna rip my ears off so I don’t have to listen to this anymore.”

  “Well, if Aiden comes to my party Saturday you should go ahead and rip your eyes off too. You won’t want to see or hear us.” I’m not exaggerating, but I’m having too much fun rubbing it in to my best friend.

  Since senior week, Callie has started dating someone, Alison got back together with her boyfriend, Sarah is seeing someone new, and Ellie is as well. We’re all paired up.

  “I’m going to forget you said that. Speaking of Saturday, we’re sleeping at Ali’s and all the guys are coming too. Her parents will get us booze as long as we promise to hand over our keys and stay the night. It should be fun. I can’t wait!”

  “Same! Aiden works Saturday night until ten but I’ll either drive him over myself or give him Ali’s address and he’ll come later.” I pause, thoughtful. “It’ll be weird having him there with all of you.”

  “Why? It’ll be fine. I gotta go. See you Saturday!” She’s still singing the word when she hangs up on me. She’s crazy, but that’s why I love her.

  I park my car in my spot on campus and text Aiden that I made it back. I’m staring down at my phone, smiling and not paying attention, causing me to trip over the curb outside my dorm where an arm juts out to catch me.

  “Careful there.”

  “Shit. Thanks, Josh. Are you heading in?” He nods and I open the door so he can go ahead of me since we’re heading to the same room, anyway.

  “Oh, are we talking to someone special?” He must notice my ridiculous grin though I try to dial it back.

  He may have been accepting and gratuitous for me not leading on his buddy, but he still seems bitter about it now. Storming up the stairs in front of me with a huff, he doesn’t bother to wait for me or glance back at me once.

  You can’t please everybody, and I won’t waste my energy focusing on people I don’t care about. Aiden is all I care about and these people won’t make me feel guilty for loving him and not them.

  20

  I Won’t Give Up

  Sasha’s shoulder is now ice-cold toward me, likely to support her boyfriend. I’m glad to be free of her, anyway. I’m not trying to make any ties here. The sole thing I want out of this place is a diploma.

  I brought up my small birthday party to Aiden last weekend, but we were too busy to have a real conversation about it. He works that night but otherwise he didn’t mention other plans.

  Are you coming to my party Saturday? I have to tell Ali.

  I work until 10.

  Boys are so dumb sometimes, I swear. I remind him I’m aware of that already.

  Meet me at work at 9:30.

  Butterflies flutter in my stomach. He’s coming to meet my friends and hang out with me outside of his apartment. It seems ridiculous to be worked up over something this miniscule, but at the same time, it’s crazy we’re been together for months now and have only hung out at his place.

  My house was never an option for our sexathons, considering I still live with my parents, but still. We haven’t even gone on a real date. This is new, exciting territory.

  The week cannot pass fast enough, and every minute gets longer and longer. I’m tempted to skip my Friday classes and head home early, but what’s the point? I either wait here or wait at home, so why bother?

  I’m glad I requested off work for this entire weekend, because it’s one less thing standing in my way.

  I get home in record time considering I drove home during rush hour on a Friday afternoon, but the Gods must be looking down on me. They know how excited I am for this weekend.

  Loud barks greet me before I even walk through the door and once I do, wagging tails accompany the noise. I’ve never been happier. This will, without a doubt, be the best weekend of my life and this is an excellent start.

  “Hey Buddy, Girly.” I greet my dogs because yes, they’re people too and they’re my favorite family members. Buddy jumps up on my shoulders, offering me a hug and I come close to tumbling back down the steps I just walked up.

  Girly—who got her name because my parents allowed my seven-year-old self to name a dog—gives me a tail wag with little enthusiasm before turning and finding her way back to my dad.

  “Hi, honey! Dinner’s almost ready!” My dad is already sitting at the table w
ith Girly now by his side, begging for table scraps. I place my book bag and laundry on the floor and walk through the kitchen to the dining room to sit down. Buddy follows me every step of the way because he knows sometimes I sneak him table scraps.

  My mom sets the table before pulling the roast out of the oven and taking her seat. “What’re you up to tonight?” I hate to tell her I’m leaving again for the night, and also because I don’t intend to tell them the whole truth.

  “Ali’s having a bunch of us over to celebrate my birthday.” I tell her and take another bite of dinner.

  “No boys and no drinking, right?” She looks at me pointedly while my dad pretends to be sly and sneaks the dog treats.

  I roll my eyes and avoid the question. “Don’t be ridiculous.” I make a point to not lie, but instead avoid directly answering her question. She never pushes the issue.

  It is a little ironic, though, considering she once allowed me to have sleepovers with Dan and I’ve since gone over to Aiden’s house multiple times in the middle of the night. For whatever reason, a party makes a difference, but I won’t question her logic.

  The hours crawl by at a snail’s pace. Watching TV doesn’t speed up time, and neither does starting at my phone. Callie texts me a few times to get me pumped for tonight, but instead of being excited my heart sinks because it’s not who I want to be texting me.

  Are you still coming tonight?

  Aiden messages me around eight p.m. and I want to tell him I hope I’m coming tonight, insert childish laugh at my obvious innuendo here.

  Thirty minutes later I’m on the road, speeding to get to the mall. My outfit is party-ready—cute, if not somewhat slutty with skin-tight black jeans and a shirt showing off my cleavage. I have on black boots that reach my knees and my long hair tumbles down my back.

  If I’m lucky Aiden won’t be able to keep his hands off me and it’s possible we won’t even make it to Ali’s. Maybe he’ll lock me away in the store and have his wicked way with me. A girl can dream.

  When I get to my old store, my palms sweat and my heart races as I walk in with a wide smile, eager to see and embrace my man. My pussy is already throbbing in expectation. It’s been too long since I’ve been with him, even if it hasn’t even been a week yet.

  As I walk into the store, I notice Aiden’s working with Tasha, the annoying coworker who has the world’s biggest crush on him. Could she be any more obvious about it? It’s pathetic. I hate her.

  “Chelsea, ohmigod, what’re you doing here? It’s so good to see you. Do you miss us? God, I miss working with you. How’s college? How’s your new store? OhmiGOD are you coming back here? You totally miss us. I think Reid misses you too. It’s totally about him, right?”

  “Hi, Tasha.” I breeze by her as she continues to call questions to my back. She’s so fucking annoying. I wanted a warm reception from Aiden, not her. Now I can’t even get a hug from him because she can’t find out about us. She’s a fucking inconvenience.

  I spot the person I came here for and my entire face stretches into a smile, lighting up with joy and love. My grin is full of love and endearment and watch as his gaze travels down to my chest. Check mate.

  I walk with the intention of seduction to the registers where he’s standing. I still wish he would’ve warned me he was working with her.

  I hop up on the counter beside the register and cross my legs. “Hey, Aiden.” I can’t even tell if I intentionally flutter my eyelashes or if they react that way on their own in his presence.

  We have to be inconspicuous because Tasha followed me to the back like a lost little puppy. Regardless, I’m sure she can tell Aiden and I are eye-fucking the hell out of one another. You could cut the sexual tension in here with a knife.

  “Tasha, go see if there are any orders in the back to fill.” Watching him boss her around is kind of a major turn on, even more so since his eyes never once left mine. I’d like him to boss me around that way.

  She scurries into the stockroom and we’re left alone. His eyes darken from gray to a near black as I hop down from the counter and round the registers to stand beside him. We’re not quite touching, which is almost more arousing.

  “Hi.” I peek up at him through my lashes and bite my lip in an attempt to be seductive. His hand grazes my ass so it must be working.

  “Hi.” His crooked smirk rewards me and my panties could melt away under his stare. The control he has over me is terrifying and intoxicating at the same time.

  “How fast can you close up?” As long as Seth isn’t the opening manager tomorrow, the store doesn’t have to be in pristine condition. All the managers slack off from time to time and I think this is the perfect excuse for Aiden to let loose.

  “Faster if you help.” I was already planning to volunteer my services. I’m glad we’re on the same page.

  “You could always send Tasha home…” I hope he takes the bait. I want time alone with him before we meet up with my friends.

  “Then we may never get out of here.” His devious grin is full of promises I’m desperate to explore.

  The stockroom door opens with a bang and we spring away from one another. Tasha, the clueless idiot, is none the wiser. She walks out, dragging her feet and rolling her eyes, throwing her long brown hair into a low ponytail.

  “There aren’t any orders, thank Gawd. Whaddaya want me to do now?” She leans down onto the counter beside the register, resting her chin in her hands, her elbows propping her up. She’s shooting him puppy-dog eyes and all but salivating as she stares at my man. Bitch needs to get set straight, stat.

  I scoff and open my mouth, but stormy eyes shoot daggers at me so I stand down. If I wasn’t so desperate to get laid tonight, I might’ve still bitched her out. But what Aiden wants from me Aiden gets.

  “Just go straighten up the store.” His exasperation for her shows and I have to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. Or from gloating knowing she wants him and he fucks me.

  She skips away, eager to please the object of her desire. I can’t help my eye-roll and if I roll them anymore, they’ll fall right out of my head. “I hate her.” I glare at the back of the bimbo’s head and Aiden’s throaty chuckle rings behind me, shooting right down to my lady business.

  I turn to face him and have to catch my breath. His smile is my undoing, and I’d live the rest of my life fighting for breath if I could see that expression every single day.

  “She’s harmless.” He waves her off. If he thought I was young, he must see her as a toddler. She’s only sixteen so nothing will happen with them, but I still don’t like how she’s going after him with such blatant desire.

  “She wants to bone you.” Now he rolls his eyes, and who knew contempt could be sexy?

  “She’s a child.” I want to say, she’s not much younger than me, but it would literally be statutory rape for him to be with her, so I’m not worried. Still, she needs to back the fuck off.

  Nine thirty rolls around after about seven years of waiting and I rush to help close up the store. Aiden counts the money, I fold the clothes, and Tasha gets in the way and doesn’t shut the fuck up.

  “Did you sweep the floor?” I ask her, my voice full of irritation. I’m offering my help here but she has to do the work.

  She shakes her head and goes to grab the broom. “You never answered why you’re here, anyway. Are you here to visit me?” She doesn’t say it with sarcasm. She’s dumb enough to believe I would waste my Friday night spending time with her. Gag me.

  No, you clueless monkey, I’m gonna go celebrate my birthday and fuck Aiden, not necessarily in that order. Instead, I nod and let her believe what she wants. God, I’m itching to tell her. I need to get it through her thick skull that I got the man she wants and she’ll never have him. The desire to spill the beans is painful. I walk away from her so I’m not tempted to rub it in her face.

  We finish cleaning in about fifteen minutes and they have to drop the money off at the bank deposit box. “Chelsea, are you leaving? P
lease walk down to the bank with us! We have so much to catch up on!” Her shriek makes my ears bleed and I dab at them to make sure I’m not actually bleeding.

  “Yeah, Chelsea, pleeeeease?” Aiden mocks puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip and I chuckle at him and somehow love him even more for that face. I can’t leave him alone with the leech, not that I would actually leave, anyway.

  Tasha rambles about her new boyfriend and how she lost her virginity and I want to throw up. If she’s dating someone, why is she so desperate to fuck my boyf—Aiden.

  “He, like, totally leaves me bruises on my butt and so. many. hickeys! I have to buy more make-up to cover them all.” She’s bragging and it’s pathetic.

  “Yeah, this new guy I’m seeing leaves handprint bruises all over my chest so I can’t even wear a tank-top. It was torture all summer.” Aiden chokes beside me and coughs to catch his breath. I bite my lip to prevent the laugh from spilling out of my mouth.

  Tasha’s eyes go round as saucers at my admission and if she only freaking knew. Since I’m standing in between them I reach up to pat the sexy, toned back of my former boss. “Oh, my God, are you okay? What happened?”

  He shoots me a warning glance but behind the stare is a glimmer of humor. “I don’t know, but uh, can we not talk about this?” He rubs the base of his throat to soothe the cough externally.

  I divert my gaze and grab my phone from my back pocket. Callie text me wondering where I am and to inform me that everyone is already at Ali’s house. I tell her I’ll be there soon and I try to discreet as I pick up the pace to get this show on the road.

  Is there a nice way to clasp my hand over Tasha’s lips to stop her from talking? After twelve years and my patience threatening to disappear for good, the object of my irritation goes to find her ride on the opposite side of the mall. Praise Jesus.

  Aiden and I go out the side exit and he can’t keep his hands off me as we walk down the alley to the outside exit.