The One Left Behind (The One Series)

by Lena Nicole

  I shrug, “I have no idea. I just met Jeremy tonight. Technically I’ve known him for a while but I don’t remember him.” Watching them interact tonight has me questioning if there is something going on between the two of them.

  He smiles at me and we continue to cheer Jeremy on. He truly is a terrible singer and rapper, but it’s hilarious watching him belt it out for the whole crowd. Jeremy finishes up his song and walks up to Morgan, taking a bow in front of her. As he is standing back up, she punches him in the stomach and moves around to the other side of the table.

  I hear the DJ call up Pierce next. He is wearing a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with black slacks and black shoes. Not too casual, but sexy as hell. He has on a white gold bracelet that looks a little older. He walks over and whispers something to his sister. She has a look of disbelief on her face and makes her way to the stage shaking her head. Pierce comes over to where I am standing next to Colby.

  “Now, I said if you came I would make it worth your while. So consider this part of your birthday present,” he says with a wink. I can feel my cheeks flush and I hope he isn’t about to sing a song to me.

  Colby looks at me with squinted eyes and her head tilted to the side. “What was that all about? Do you know what he’s about to do?”

  I shake my head at Colby. “I have no idea.”

  Pierce takes the stage and grabs the microphone from his sister who was holding it. I start tapping my foot in anticipation. I wonder what Lexi has to do with all of this. I guess I’m about to find out since Pierce is about to speak into the microphone.

  “Hey, everyone. Today is my dear friend Addison’s birthday. I told her if she came out tonight for some karaoke I would make it worth her while. So with that said, happy birthday, Addison.”

  Pierce gives the DJ a nod and the music starts. I recognize the song right away. Pierce not only starts singing ‘NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye, but also does the exact choreographed dance from the video. He unbuttons his dress shirt showing the T-shirt underneath and all the girls in the bar start running up to the stage. I can’t help myself and my body is shaking in laughter. Colby and Morgan take my arms and drag me up to the front of the stage and cheer them on as they’re breaking it down on the stage.

  Damon comes up from behind and yells to Colby, “I hope you’re not expecting me to do this for you.” Me and Colby laugh even harder and tears start to stream down my face. By the time Pierce finishes, I’m clutching my stomach trying to ease the pain caused by uncontrollable laughter. The crowd in the bar applauds Pierce and his sister and they both jump off the stage laughing. Colby gives Pierce a high five and Damon gives him a pat on the back shaking his head laughing.

  Pierce walks up to me. “Well, did you enjoy it?”

  “I can see how that scored you dates with the ladies. You’ve definitely got some moves,” I say jokingly.

  Pierce grins shyly and he has the slightest hint of pink on his cheeks. Oh my gosh, did I just make him blush? “Thank you. God I haven’t done that in ages. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous I was going to make an ass out of myself.”

  Lexi comes up from behind. “As if! You learned from the best! I can’t believe you remember that!”

  I look at Lexi and admire how brave she is for dancing up there in front of everyone. “Lexi you were great! I could never do that! That was so awesome and the best birthday present ever. Thanks.”

  I shake my head in amazement. I can’t believe he did that for me. Every time we hang out he surprises me. I keep finding new qualities in him that make me like him more and more and it feels like it’s becoming more difficult to keep the lines drawn at being strictly friends.

  We all order another round of drinks while the waitress is by our table. The DJ calls Colin up next. I immediately start singing along to the song playing. I have always loved this song. It is Counting Crows’ Round Here. As Colin is singing with his eyes closed, I wonder what is running through his head.

  THIS WAS A very bad idea. The one constant that keeps running through my head is how much I fucking hate Pierce. The way he touches her and whispers to her…I want to rip his fucking head off. Does he not understand that it’s my girl he’s flirting with? The amount of rage I have to swallow as I watch my friends and former fiancé all flock to this guy like he’s the coolest thing since sliced bread is hard to do. Jesus, where’s their loyalty?

  The DJ calls my name to take the stage. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect because I was starting to weird myself out with all the sick and twisted ways I was envisioning hurting Pierce. I really need to get a grip.

  I knew instantly the song I was going to sing. It held a special meaning to Addison and me. It was our song. The first song we ever danced to. I remember that night like it was yesterday. I take a deep breath and run my hand through my hair as the music starts for Round Here by Counting Crows. I lock eyes with Addison briefly before I close them and get lost in the music, lost in the memory.

  Addison and I had been dating for a couple weeks. I knew the first date I was going to marry her, but every minute I spent with her I fell more and more in love. I felt it in my soul that we were destined to be together. The thought should have scared me, but it actually calmed me and brought a small smile to my face whenever I thought of spending the rest of my life with this gorgeous girl.

  Her hair was longer then, to about the middle of her back. She had left it down in small waves. She had on jeans that were faded and torn a little. She paired it with a simple, body hugging white tank top and a pink and teal patterned scarf tied loosely around her neck. She was casual and thought nothing of the look that she threw together in minutes, but to me, she was the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen. Every time I looked at her was like a kick to the balls because she literally took my breath away. She was always stunning, and I loved that she was by my side.

  It was late in the afternoon, maybe early evening. I couldn’t tell you the exact time since time ceased to exist when I was around her. I didn’t care what time of day it was as long as I was near her—listening to her talk, laugh, to see her smile, smell her hair. It had only been a week and I was already addicted to her. We were walking hand and hand around some mom and pop shops and boutiques. We weren’t looking for anything special, just doing something to spend time together and get to know each other. As we’re walking, we turn a corner and there’s a guy sitting with a guitar in his lap. He’s singing Round Here by Counting Crows. I instantly stop us and look at her.

  “Dance with me,” I blurt out. She looks around as if to say, ‘Here?’ I just grin at her and grab both of her hands so she can see that my answer is, ‘Yes, right here, right now.’ She is still hesitating, so I tuck her hair behind her ear and say, “Please, I just want to hold you a little bit.” She gives me the sweetest smile before biting her lip and nodding.

  I can tell this was way out of her element. She didn’t do things to draw attention to herself. As gorgeous as she is, she’s content sitting in the corner watching all the action from a distance. But not this time.

  I place my right hand at the small of her back and pull her into me so our bodies are almost touching. I can hear her breath hitch as I do it, and it kind of makes my heart race. I grab her right hand with my left and start to lead her along the sidewalk. There we are. A couple of crazy people dancing in the middle of a busy street, but we don’t care. At that moment everything fades away. It’s just her, me, and the music. It is perfect.

  I stare into her eyes as she looks back at me. For a moment, I thought I saw the same emotion I have for her reflecting in her eyes. I try not to get too excited at the thought that she might already love me too. I want to tell her in that moment so badly. It would have been the perfect opportunity, but I hold back. I don’t want to risk running her off and ruining the perfect night.

  “You’re a good dancer,” she says in mock surprise.

  I just shrug. “Eh, you know, Mom was adamant that ev
ery man should know how to lead a lady on the dance floor.”

  “Well I’ll have to report back to her that you did a fine job.” I am instantly excited at the prospect of her wanting to meet my mother. That has to be a sign that she was falling in as deep as I am.

  “Maybe I’ll set up a meeting for the two of you so you can inform her properly. She probably won’t believe you unless she is told to her face.” I hold my breath hoping I’m not pushing too fast, too hard with her. Instead of the freak out I am waiting for I am rewarded with a shy smile and a nod. “I’d like that, Colin.”

  I seal my lips over hers to keep myself from saying the three words that keep running through my head.

  I love you.

  I finish singing our song and open my eyes. When I do, they immediately collide with Addison. And I wish I hadn’t looked at her. There is not one ounce of recognition from that song at all. I look around at our table and everyone else knows the significance but her—and that douche bag, Pierce. And that hurts. A lot.

  People start politely clapping which makes me realize I’m just sitting on the stage staring at everyone. I get up from the stool and walk back over to our table. It’s instantly quiet, and I know Addison is picking up on the weird vibe. I down the rest of my beer in one long gulp. I’m going to need it to numb my heart a little.

  “Hey, you guys want anything? I’m going to go get some more beer,” I ask the group. Jeremy and Damon both want another round. Pierce declines—pussy—and the girls are still nursing their fruity drinks. I’m mentally counting the number of beers I’ve already had. I think I’ve had four, maybe five. I’m good to go for another round or two.

  I place my order with the bartender and turn around to lean back on the bar. I’m watching Addison when her back straightens and her eyes are narrowing as she’s talking to Colby. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I just see Colby shaking her head. I wonder what that’s all about and if they’re talking about me. I wonder if Colby is telling her about our dance and our song. The bartender slides me my drinks and I head back to the table. When I get there, I walk up on a conversation I hadn’t expected them to be having. I instantly freeze at the accusations.

  “…I mean, does he always drink this much? When we went to the bar for cocktails that one night, I noticed he was able to throw a few back and be completely unaffected. Has this always been the norm for him? I can’t imagine I’d tolerate something like that,” she rambles on to Colby. It’s then that Colby looks up and notices I’m standing there hearing every word. My body becomes rigid as I clench my hands tightly around my beer.

  She clears her throat and gestures to Addison to look behind her. When she sees me she knows I overheard her conversation and her face reddens as she looks down at the ground avoiding eye contact like she’s ashamed of what she said.

  I don’t say a word to them about it. I clench my jaw because what I really want to say is, ‘Nope, I wasn’t much of a drinker until you broke my fucking heart! Over and over again!’ She’s dealing with her confusion by spending copious amounts of time with money bags Pierce and I’m dealing with it by drinking a few beers here and there. At least my method isn’t going to destroy her. I wish I could say the same in return, but I can’t. It’s obvious they are familiar with each other which means they hang out a lot. And that thought is enough to make me sick right here in the middle of this bar.

  It’s awkward again as the whole table knows I overheard Addison ask if I was always an alcoholic. To break the tension, everyone urges Addison to get up there and sing. I seriously doubt she’ll go up there. This really isn’t her thing. She’s too reserved to go up there and risk making a fool of herself in front of all these people.

  As I thought, she keeps saying no, but then Pierce leans in and says in her ear, “Remember what we talked about on the beach? Just go out there and have fun.” My violent thoughts are returning. I’m clenching my beer bottle so tightly I’m afraid it’ll shatter. What. The. Fuck?

  Pierce continues, “I’ll pick the song and you just go up there and enjoy your birthday. You only live once, remember?” I’m seriously about to lose it. Who does he think he is? I must have steam coming out of my ears because Jeremy puts a hand on my shoulder. It’s a gesture that tells me he knows I’m getting riled up and I need to calm down. I take a few deep breaths through my nose and out my mouth to help ease the rage pumping through my body.

  To my surprise, and everyone else’s delight, Addison gets up from her seat and heads toward the stage. She’s fidgeting nervously with the microphone looking unsure of herself. The song starts and Addison sings You Get What You Give by New Radicals. I didn’t even know she knew this song. The other girls go up on stage and all help her sing it out. I glance at Pierce and he has the biggest smile on his face. Smug bastard. I desperately want to punch him so he can never smile like that again. I look back up at the stage and the girls are clearly having a blast. I’m happy Addison is having fun on her birthday. I just wish I was the reason for it.

  A while later everyone is ready to head out. I’ve had too much to drink and am unable to drive. One drunk driver ruined my life, I refuse to do it to someone else. Jeremy offers to give me a ride and I accept. Right before I stand up, I hear Pierce ask Addison if he can drive her home. I’m clenching my teeth as Addison takes a quick glance at me. I hear her politely decline his offer and I release the breath I had been holding. I get up and give Addison a wobbly hug and say, “I hope you had a wonderful birthday. You look gorgeous by the way.” Okay, I’m pretty sure I slurred it, but I think she got the gist of what I was saying.

  “I did. Thank you so much for coming. I’ll call you later. Be safe.”

  I’m sitting in the passenger seat of Jeremy’s car when I start to bitch about tonight.

  “…and she thinks I have a fucking drinking problem? What the hell? She’d drink too if she was in the hell I’m in. And did you hear how she said she couldn’t see herself being with someone who had a drinking problem?” I snort at that. She wouldn’t be with me right now if I didn’t drink a single drop. The booze I consume wasn’t making her decisions, she was.

  Morgan decides to chime in, “It’s not that she’s automatically accusing you of being an alcoholic. She just doesn’t remember how much you used to drink because she doesn’t really remember you.”

  I bite back sharply, “Yes, I know she doesn’t remember me. I, however, don’t need the reminder, so save it for someone else.” I turn to look out the window to block her out. Jeremy cuts her a look from the corner of his eye and she immediately shrinks back into her seat. I shouldn’t have lashed out at her like that, but I’m too drunk and pissed to apologize or feel remorseful for it.

  The rest of the ride is made in silence, and I’m grateful for that. When I get home, I don’t even bother taking off my clothes or pulling down the covers on the bed. I crash onto it face first and pass out.

  A COUPLE WEEKS have passed since we all went out for my birthday. I’ve noticed since that night Colin has been a little distant. I know he heard me ask Colby about his drinking. I felt bad that he overheard me, but he was drinking an awful lot.

  Pierce, on the other hand, has been a lot easier to keep in touch with. If I wasn’t texting him, he was texting me. I have to admit, there comes a point in my day where I’m wondering when Pierce is going to text me. He is so charming and funny, and makes me genuinely happy.

  I’ve also been hanging out a lot with Morgan, Colby, and Lexi. We’ve had several girls’ nights at my place and Lexi fits in just fine. Mrs. Whitmore caught wind of all the time Pierce was spending with me, no doubt from Lexi, and insisted I come over for dinner. I could sense Pierce was nervous about asking me, and seeing that was kind of adorable. I didn’t want to say no, but even if I did I couldn’t. So here I am getting ready for dinner with the Whitmores.

  I am so nervous I end up changing my outfit three times. I settle on a cream colored lace dress. The dress is like a long, form fitting camisole wi
th a lace overlay. It hangs off one shoulder and has a belt that ties around my waist. I throw on a pair of wedges and before I can give myself a final look over, the doorbell rings. As I walk over to my front door, I feel a little nervous. I wipe my palms on my skirt before opening the door. I’ve been getting so nervous around Pierce lately knowing that the lines of friendship are beginning to get blurred on my end. I know he looks at me as just a friend and I have to be careful not to do anything that messes up our friendship.

  I open the door and am greeted with Pierce who’s holding a bouquet of burgundy calla lilies. He’s turned sideways waiting for me to answer. When he looks at me, his body goes stiff as the flowers slip out of his hands. He’s still staring at me like he doesn’t realize he dropped the flowers. I glance up into his eyes and momentarily lose myself in them. The intensity in them is burning straight through to my soul. I’ve never had someone look at me that way and it makes me a little uneasy. At least, at first. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and glance down at the floor where the flowers lay. We both bend down to pick them up and bump heads. We both laugh as I rub my head and Pierce picks up the flowers.

  He hands them to me and says, “My mother always said you should never pick up a woman without bringing her flowers.”

  My eyes slowly travel up and down his body and take in every sexy inch of him. He is wearing dark jeans, a navy blue shirt, and a brown leather fitted jacket. The jacket shows off his broad shoulders while the snug shirt emphasizes his incredible physique. I clear my throat, grab the flowers from Pierce, and head toward the kitchen.

  “Thank you, Pierce, they’re beautiful.” I smell the flowers and move away from the door to allow him in. “Let me just put these in water and then we can go.”

  Waiting for the vase to fill up, I look back over at Pierce who is standing in my living room looking around. He turns around affording me the opportunity to check out his backside. The way his jeans mold nicely around his tight ass sends heat through my veins. Suddenly, I feel cold water running down my hand and it breaks me from my stare. I jump back a little and realize the vase is over flowing with water. I turn off the faucet, slightly embarrassed, hoping Pierce doesn’t notice. I look up at his face and yup, he caught me staring at him. The knowing grin says it all.