Chasing Each Other

by J. D. Rivera

  “Can’t you take a break and sit with us? You get breaks, don’t you? And you are working a double.” I peered over her shoulder, noticing the douchebag bartender watching us.

  “I do, but not during a rush. Although, it does seem to be thinning.”

  I took a bite of my burger. “Fine. You go work and I’ll see you tonight. But, do me a favor?”

  “Okay.” She looked at me expectantly.

  “Brad…” my mom warned. She knew I was going to say something about the bartender. I decided to change tactics. “Don’t work yourself too hard, okay?”

  She giggled, but her eyes told me she knew that wasn’t my original thought.

  She turned and walked away, checking on other tables. I chatted with my mom about her new car as I watched Miranda out of the corner of my eye. She was good at her job, making sure every table was well taken care of.

  The bartender barely looked at her when she placed drink orders. I was glad he knew she was completely off limits. The look on his face while they were eating at the restaurant kept flashing through my mind and I had to stop myself several times from going up to the bar to talk to him. I wanted to make sure, without Miranda around, he knew she was taken. I only stopped myself because I knew it would irritate her and our relationship was too new and fragile.

  I realized I was acting like an immature teenager, but fuck, I had never felt this way about another girl. In the past, if another guy looked at my girlfriend or date, I didn’t care. Now, with Miranda, I felt like I was the only one who should be looking at her. Probably because I was scared she’d realize what an asshole I was and take off.

  “Brad!” my mom shouted, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  “Huh?”

  “I asked how Justin and Kate are doing.”

  I took a drink of beer. “They’re okay, I guess. Still struggling with having a baby.”

  “That’s such a shame. She would be a great mother.”

  I shrugged. “I’m sure she would.”

  “Do you mind if I order a margarita? Or do you have some place to be?”

  “Go for it,” I replied. The more we ordered, the longer we stayed. The only problem was Miranda would have to go talk to the bartender. Stop being a jealous ass. He’s just a coworker.

  “Thanks. The lady behind you has one and it looks so good.”

  “Whatever you want, Mom.”

  Miranda came over to our table a few minutes later. “Are y’all finished?” We both nodded and she took our plates. “Ready for the check?”

  “Actually, could I get a margarita on the rocks?”

  Miranda glanced in my direction, a questioning expression on her face. “Sure. I’ll be right back.” I had no idea what she was questioning, or maybe I had imagined it.

  After a few minutes, Miranda brought my mom her drink and she glanced around, checking her tables. “I have a few minutes.”

  “Great,” I replied, scooting over.

  My mom took a sip of her margarita before focusing her attention on Miranda. “How long have you worked here?”

  “I’ve worked here for a while. A little over a year.”

  Mom nodded. “So, I guess you like it then?”

  “Yes.” I placed my hand on Miranda’s thigh, causing her to jolt. “The, uh…” she trailed off, losing her train of thought. I laughed lightly and she elbowed me in the stomach. “As I was saying, the management is great, and I’m friends with most of the staff.”

  Including the bartender.

  “If you ever want a change, come find me. I’m always hiring at the diner.”

  “Don’t do it,” I interjected. “She will work you to death and I’ll never see you.”

  “Oh, please,” Mom scoffed. “Don’t talk to me about working to death. If anything, you two won’t see each other because you work too much.”

  Miranda smiled at my mom. “It was nice talking to you both, but I better get back to work.” She turned to me. “I’ll talk to you tonight.”

  “You’ll see me tonight.”

  We stayed about thirty minutes longer as mom drank her margarita. I slid out of the booth and walked straight toward Miranda, who was standing at the bar. Perfect timing.

  “We have to leave, but I’ll see you tonight, beautiful,” I declared, loud enough for him to hear. I wanted the punk to know she’d be spending her free time with me from now on.

  ***

  I turned on some outdoor hunting show and sat back in the recliner. I hadn’t felt this relaxed in a while. I glanced at the clock, noting Miranda would be calling me any moment. As if my thoughts had summoned her, my phone rang, her name lighting the screen.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I answered.

  “Hey yourself.”

  “I take it you’re off work?” I asked as I heard a man’s voice in the background. “Do you need me to follow you home?”

  “No,” she answered. “Sorry. Yeah, I’m off work.”

  I clenched my fist, warding off my anger. “Do you want to come here or do you want me to come to you?” I wasn’t giving her any other options. I wanted her to know I wanted to spend time with her.

  “Well, I could go to you, but I’d need to take a shower first. But we would be alone. Or you can come here and I can shower while you’re driving down here. But we wouldn’t be alone.”

  I debated. “I’ll come to you. I’d rather have more time with you. We can always lock ourselves in your room.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “He isn’t following you home, is he?” I blurted. I had no idea where this insane jealousy was coming from. It felt alien.

  She sighed. “No, he’s not. But we need to talk about that.”

  “I’ll see you soon,” I said, disconnecting the call.

  Within a few minutes, I had grabbed a change of clothes, my wallet, phone, pistol, and keys, and was out the door. I jumped in my truck and was on the road back to her place.

  Twenty minutes later, I pulled into her apartment complex. After grabbing my stuff, I marched to her door and knocked.

  She opened the door and my chest tightened. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt and nothing else. At least, nothing else I could see. Her fruity body wash wafted through the air. “Hi.”

  “Come in.” She stepped to the side to let me inside.

  I kissed her lightly as I walked past her. “How was work?”

  She bolted the door, stepped in front of me, and wrapped her hands around my neck. “It was pretty good. The tips were awesome.”

  I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m glad. Are you irritated that I told the bartender I was your boyfriend?” I asked, deciding to get the jealousy talk over with.

  Scrunching her nose, she said, “I don’t ever remember talking about you being my boyfriend.”

  “I kinda thought that was obvious. You see, I don’t have a lettermen jacket or class ring to give you after you agree to go steady with me.”

  She snorted. “You are such a dumbass, Brad Nicholson.”

  “You are beautiful, Miranda Clark. And my girlfriend.” I kissed her. “Is that a good enough talk?”

  She closed one eye, pretending to think. “I suppose.”

  “Good.”

  “I have something for you, but…” she trailed off, biting her lip, “it kinda brings back bad memories. Well, a good one followed by a bad one.”

  I held her tighter. “As long as it won’t cause us any problems, I want to see it.”

  “Okay.” She pushed away from me, making her way to the kitchen while I followed.

  She grabbed a package off the counter. “Chocolate chip cookies.”

  “Really? Fuck, I love cookies.” I grabbed the package, immediately opening it and shoving one in my mouth.

  “I would say you do,” she said, a stunned look on her face. “Do you want me to leave you and the cookies alone?”

  I barked out a laugh. “Just give us a minute.”

  “I’ll get you some milk.”

  She po
ured me a glass, which I greedily accepted. “Thank you.”

  A grin spread across her face. “You’re welcome. I might bring you cookies every day just to see you that happy.” She pulled my face toward her. “You have a little something…” she trailed off before kissing me. Almost the exact same thing I said to her the first time I kissed her.

  I pulled back slightly. “I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am.”

  “It’s okay. We’re moving on.”

  “Speaking of moving, can we move into your bedroom. I really don’t feel like talking to your roommate. And I’m sorry, but the smell of her flowers is overwhelming.”

  “Ha! Yes, grab the rest of your cookies.”

  I grabbed the package and trailed behind her toward her room. Kicking the door shut, I turned her around and picked her up. I carried her a few steps and threw her on the bed. Gazing down at her, I took in the sight of her body. She was thin with curves in every single right place. I couldn’t find one flaw.

  Her big, brown eyes looked up at me and I realized how vulnerable she really was. I didn’t want her to think for a single second I only wanted her for sex. I wanted her for everything that she was. I leaned down, kissing her lightly. “Why don’t you tell me about your day?”

  “You want me to tell you about my day?” she questioned, slowly.

  “Yes. I don’t want this only to be about sex. Like I told you last night, I’m not here for sex. I’m here for you.”

  Chapter 21

  Miranda

  I couldn’t help but warm at his words, as if he knew what Preston had planted in my mind. Brad lowered himself to lay beside me, with one arm propped up on his elbow. He looked so handsome, his hazel eyes sparkling with affection.

  “My day…” I began, “it was good. I woke up with a very sexy man beside me. Work was horribly busy, but I got some really good tips, so I can’t complain there. And now I’m here with you. So my day was pretty much…boring.”

  “Boring?” he challenged, his eyes twinkling.

  “Yeah. Nothing really eventful happened.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “What about you? How was your day?”

  He pretended to be deep in thought. “Let’s see. I woke up with the most insanely gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen in my life. Had a great couple of hours with her before she had to work. I went home and went for a run before I picked my mom up. Then I took my mom car shopping, ensuring she actually bought a nice car because she deserves it. I couldn’t stand being away from the beautiful girl and since I was close by, I took my mom to eat at the restaurant where the girl works. And now, I’m thanking my lucky stars because I’m lying next to her again.” He slowly placed his hand on my cheek and kissed me. He pulled back. “I think that covers it.”

  “So, we both had pretty boring days,” I kidded.

  His face grew serious for a moment. “We do need to talk about something.”

  “Okay.”

  “Macken—”

  I already knew where he was going with this. He was embarrassed to be dating me and didn’t want me to tell Mackenzie. “I promise not to tell her.” I couldn’t help the hurt coursing through me as I rolled out of his arms and off the bed. “I need to use the restroom,” I said as I walked to the bathroom and locked the door.

  I sat down on the tub, willing the tears away. I knew I was an embarrassment; it was probably written all over my face, and I had no idea everyone else saw it, too. They just didn’t know why I was such a loser. Of course he wouldn’t want to admit I was his girlfriend to his friends. But was I okay with being locked in a closet and only let out when he wanted? Wouldn’t being alone be better than that? At least I had a choice in that matter.

  “Miranda.” I heard from the other side of the door. “Open up.”

  I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t stay in the bathroom all night. I sucked in a deep breath, forced back the tears still threatening to spill down my face, slowly padded to the door, and opened it.

  Brad was standing in the doorway with his arms at his sides, his head bent toward the floor. His eyes swung to my face as he grabbed my hand. “You wanna tell me what just happened?”

  “Nothing.”

  He gathered me closer, placing his arms around my shoulders. “You have tears in your eyes.”

  I closed my eyes and decided to deal with the situation since he wasn’t going to drop it. I opened my eyes, locking them with his weary ones. “I understand. I’m not going to say it doesn’t hurt, but I understand.”

  I could feel his heart beating through his T-shirt. “Understand what? That I want to tell Mackenzie I’m dating her best friend sooner rather than later? Or do you not want to tell her and your crying because you don’t know how to tell me?”

  My eyes widened at my confusion. Had he really said that he wanted to tell her? “Um, what?”

  He shook his head. “Beautiful, I want everyone to know we’re together. I’m not ashamed of you. I know that’s what you were thinking. I realize I’ve given you every reason not to believe me, but I’m going to prove myself worthy of you. Just watch me.”

  I’m going to prove myself worthy of you.

  How did he not know I was the unworthy one? I cringed as I realized it was because he didn’t know the real me. He didn’t know my past. He had no clue he was dating an addict.

  “Come on,” he whispered. “Let’s crawl in bed and watch a movie or something.”

  I watched him take his shirt and jeans off. “Okay,” was my only response, his body rendering me almost speechless.

  He led me to the bed and pulled the covers back before crawling in, patting the spot next to him. I suddenly felt ill, knowing I was keeping my real self from him, but snuggled up next to him anyway. I just wanted to enjoy being with him for a while before I told him about my life with Preston. Or maybe I wouldn’t. I didn’t know, but I was positive he would dump me in a heartbeat if he knew the truth.

  I ran my hand through the scruff on his chin and cheek while I stared into his eyes. His hand roamed up and down my back, under my shirt, both of us remaining silent.

  I wanted to soak up the moment, knowing one day I’d look back and only wish for it again.

  “Do you work tomorrow?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  “No. Mario’s is closed on Sunday.” I continued to stare into his eyes. “Do you?”

  He shook his head. “No. But I’ll be working next weekend.”

  I nodded, still stroking his cheek. “I love your facial hair. I like it like this. A little long, but not a full blown beard.”

  “I usually keep it a little shorter, but I’ve been too lazy lately. You want me to keep it like this?”

  “Yes,” I replied before laying my head in the crook of his arm. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, beautiful,” he replied before kissing the top of my head.

  ***

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked as Brad pulled into Hayes and Mackenzie’s driveway.

  He put the truck in park. “I am,” he answered, irritation lacing his voice. “But I’m not sure you are. What’s the problem?”

  “I just…I don’t know. I guess I just feel like tomorrow, or even later today, you’ll regret it.”

  “I won’t.” He popped the door open. “Come on.”

  I opened my door and hopped out of the truck, my stomach in knots. What if Mackenzie didn’t think I was good enough for Brad? That was my real problem. Even though Mackenzie and I had never discussed what happened after she left, I was sure Hayes had told her. Couples share. I took a deep breath, guessing I was about to find out how much Hayes had blabbed.

  Brad took my hand and led me to the front door before ringing the bell. A couple of minutes went by before Hayes appeared in the doorway. “Hey, we…” he glanced at our interlocked hands, an amused smile spreading across his face. “Well, come on in.”

  We walked inside and sat down on the couch, never breaking our connection. Hayes sat down in the chair, a sh
it-eating grin still on his face. “Mac’s in the shower and Harley is sleeping.”

  I nodded as Brad responded. “That’s cool. What have y’all been up to this morning?”

  “I’m positive it hasn’t been as interesting as your morning.”

  “You’re probably right,” Brad agreed. “Did you go to church? Mackenzie mentioned wanting to go the other day.”

  Hayes chuckled. “Yeah. Mac really wants Harley to grow up going to church. She wants to make sure Harley has everything she didn’t.”

  “I understand that,” I said.

  “So, you can speak this morning?”

  “Fuck off, Hayes!” I exclaimed, chuckling. “Didn’t you grow up going to church? I’m not sure that’s the best option. Maybe I’ll mention that to Mackenzie.”

  He smiled, loving the argument. “I turned out pretty good. Amazing, actually.”

  “That’s debatable,” I joked.

  “Mac and Harley think I’m pretty great.”

  “Some days,” Mackenzie declared as she walked into the room. She sat down in the other chair. “Both of you are visiting me? How’d this happen?”

  “Yes, please tell us,” Hayes said with a hint of sarcasm.

  “We have—” Brad began.

  Mackenzie’s eyes widened as she interrupted. “Holy shit!” She glanced at Hayes. “Did you know about this?”

  “For five minutes.”

  “When did this happen?” she questioned as I sat motionless.

  Brad squeezed my hand. “Well, I think it’s been happening for a while.”

  “What does that mean?” She huffed.

  My heart began to stutter as I realized how unhappy my best friend was about me dating her brother. Brad cleared his throat. “It means we’ve been talking for a while and we decided Friday night to just go with it.”

  Go with it? Go with it? I screamed at him in my mind. Who the hell says “go with it” when describing a relationship? He took his eyes off Mackenzie for a second to look at me. I guess my feelings were written all over my face because he quickly added. “I mean, we decided to date. Exclusively.” His eyes swung back to me with a look that said, “Better?”