The One Left Behind (The One Series)

by Lena Nicole

  “You look stunning tonight,” he says as he gives me an appreciative once over.

  “Thanks, so do you,” I say with a bashful smile. “Ready to go?”

  Pierce looks like he’s about to say something when he simply shakes his head and smiles. “After you,” he replies as he moves to the side to let me pass. I study him for a moment trying to figure out what he was going to say before walking out the door.

  He opens the car door for me and I slide in. I watch Pierce walk around the car and notice that even the way he walks is sexy. He has great posture and walks as if he’s gliding with confidence, and there is nothing sexier than a man with confidence. The car ride to his mom’s house is not far at all and soon we are pulling up to the drive way. The house is large but still manages to look inviting. Pierce parks the car and makes his way around to open my door. He holds out his hand to help me out and I take it. When I’m out, he wraps my arm around the crook of his elbow and escorts me to the front door.

  “Now, I, uh—I just want to apologize ahead of time,” he stammers, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “Okay?” I say hesitantly. What is he apologizing for?

  “You see, like Lexi, my mom is a hopeless romantic. I keep trying to tell her we’re just friends, but Lexi and her seem to think it’s more. She tends to run off with the ideas that Lexi puts in her head. She’s been so lonely since my dad died she tries to make up for it by making sure we are happy.”

  I swallow hard and frown in disappointment. If I had any doubts that Pierce and I were strictly friends, he just confirmed them. This is clearly a one-sided attraction. I need to tone down my feelings before I ruin our friendship.

  “It’s fine. It’s kind of sweet, actually.” I give Pierce my best reassuring smile I can manage and hope it hides the heaviness I feel in my body from his words before we walk through the door. When we walk in, my senses are immediately assaulted with the most amazing smells. I don’t know what Mrs. Whitmore is cooking, but it makes my mouth water. We make our way through the house and head toward the kitchen. I spot Lexi cutting up strawberries to put on the shortcake sitting on the counter and his mom has her back to me checking something in the oven.

  “Hey, Addison!” Lexi puts the knife down and comes over and hugs me. Pierce’s mom stands up and faces me. Pierce grabs my hand leading me to his mom. She is a petite woman with Pierce’s dark hair. Unlike Pierce though, she has hazel eyes. She gives me a welcoming smile as I extend my hand. She brushes off my extended hand and wraps me in a tight embrace. This small act makes my nerves fly out the window.

  “Addison, it’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Pierce and Lexi I feel like I know you already.”

  “Well I hope they didn’t tell you everything or else we will have nothing to discuss over dinner. Which, by the way, smells amazing. Can I help you with anything, Mrs. Whitmore?”

  “Don’t be silly,” she says as she swats her hand at me dismissing my offer, “you’re our guest. And please, call me Catherine. Why don’t you have a seat and Pierce will bring you a drink? We’re having pasta and calzones tonight. I hope you don’t mind, but it’s Pierce’s favorite.”

  “Not at all, I love pasta actually. It’s one of my two favorite meals. Although, I have to admit I’ve never had a calzone before.”

  Pierce comes back with a beer for himself and a pink cocktail for me. I take a sip and let the liquor run down the back of my throat. I can taste a hint of rum in it. “What is this Pierce? It’s really good.”

  “It’s a bay breeze. I thought you might like it. Now, did I hear you right? You’ve never had a calzone before?”

  I take another sip of my drink and place it on the counter and shrug my shoulders. “Guilty, I’m afraid.”

  Pierce’s eyes go wide as his mouth goes slack. “How could you have lived in New Jersey and visited New York and never had one?”

  I hold up my hands in mock surrender, “Well, I stick with what I know. I know I like pizza and pasta and penne with vodka sauce and so on. So when I eat my meal I’m never disappointed.” I point at myself, “Remember? Plain eater?”

  Pierce’s mom giggles and turns to me. “Oh, if you do that you could be missing out on something you really love.”

  “I never really thought about it that way. So I guess I’m trying calzone tonight?”

  I help Pierce set the table and once we are done a picture on the mantle catches my attention. It is a picture of Catherine, but much younger, and she is with an attractive man standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. I immediately know this is Pierce’s father. Pierce looks just like him. They have the same colored eyes, and the same nose and jaw. The only difference is his dad’s hair is lighter. I see Pierce stand next to me out of the corner of my eye.

  “That’s Mom and Dad on their honeymoon.”

  “You look just like him.” A sad smile spreads across Pierce’s face.

  Catherine comes in announcing it’s time for dinner. Everyone sits down and I wait until they’re all seated so I don’t sit in the wrong spot. Pierce and his mom are at the heads of the table and Lexi and I are in the middle facing each other. The conversation is flowing great. I learn a lot about Pierce’s mom and how she used to be a nurse before she married Pierce’s dad. I find it very easy to talk to her, just like I did with Pierce when we first met. Lexi and Pierce are joking around with each other as siblings do. I am about to fill my bowl up with more pasta when Pierce takes my bowl from me.

  I lean back and squint my eyes at him earning me a chuckle.

  “I don’t think so,” he says as he shakes his head at me, “no filling up on pasta. Here, try this.”

  He cuts up a piece of his calzone and holds a piece on his fork for me to bite. I smile at the sweet gesture that feels intimate. I hesitantly open my mouth, keeping firm eye contact as he slides the piece in and slowly removes the fork. I begin to chew and everyone is watching me. My cheeks flush with embarrassment as I swallow the food.

  “Well?” Pierce asked.

  “I have to say this is delicious.” I reach over and snag Pierce’s plate with the remaining calzone on it and everyone quietly snickers.

  As the night goes on we continue to have a good time. Catherine is wonderful and really makes me feel like part of the family. She’s warm, inviting, and has a calming aura to her. I really enjoy watching Pierce interact with his family. Whenever someone needs something, he is the first to jump up and get it before anyone else can. It is endearing seeing the way he takes care of his mother and sister and has taken the role of the man of the house.

  Catherine starts to collect the plates after we finish eating. Pierce takes the plates from her and tells her to go relax. She is one stubborn woman because she heads straight to the kitchen and starts to fill the sink with soap. While Pierce and his mother are cleaning up, Lexi and I go into the living room to have a drink. Making our way to the living room, I decide now would be a good time to empty my bladder and freshen up.

  “Hey Lex, mind if I use your bathroom real quick?”

  “Sure, it’s right down that hall,” she says as she points in the direction where the bathroom is located.

  “Thanks, I’ll be right back.”

  I walk down the hall towards the bathroom and look at the pictures on the wall. There are a bunch of family photos. Some are of the whole family and some are just of the kids. I stop and laugh to myself at a picture of Pierce and Lexi. Pierce looks to be around eight or nine. Lexi is playing with her Barbies and Pierce is spraying her with a garden hose. Lexi comes up beside me.

  “I told my mom it was raining and I needed an umbrella for my Barbies. My mom said I didn’t need one because it was sunny outside. So I did what any kid would do. I started to cry.” We both laugh and Lexi continues, “Pierce told me not to worry he would make it rain. I wasn’t sure how he was going to do it, but I didn’t care because I wanted that umbrella. Next thing I knew, Pierce was behind me spraying me and the Barbies with the
water hose.” I continue to laugh as I get a mental image of little Pierce trying to save Lexi’s day. “My mom was furious. I was soaked and we had to leave in ten minutes for a birthday party. Needless to say, we were late.” I love hearing these stories and seeing this side of Pierce.

  “Hey, I have to go make a phone call, but I’ll meet you back in the living room when I’m done,” she tells me.

  “Okay.” As I am walking back toward the living room I see Lexi isn’t back yet. I go to the kitchen to see if Catherine needs any help. I can hear Catherine speaking to Pierce as I approach.

  “So, you and Addison…is it serious?” I stop walking and hold my breath as my heart picks up speed waiting for his answer. I know it’s not okay to eavesdrop, but I don’t feel right walking in on their conversation. Okay, who am I kidding? I want to see where this is going.

  “It’s not like that mom. I told you we are just friends,” he says in a flat tone. And there it is again being reiterated that we are strictly friends. I should have just gone straight to the living room. My shoulders slump forward and I’m about to turn around when I hear his mom continue.

  “Oh, I know what you told me, but I’m not buying it. “

  “What’s there not to buy, Mom?”

  “I see the way you look at her, Pierce.” This gets my attention and I instantly perk up.

  Pierce places the dish in the drying rack and turns to face his mom. “And how do I look at her?”

  “The way your father used to look at me.” My heart nearly explodes with this comment and I put my hand over my mouth to stifle my gasp. I know how much his parents loved each other so to be compared to them makes my mouth go dry and I feel breathless.

  Pierce’s mom starts to get misty eyed and Pierce pulls her into a hug and gives her a kiss on her head. She pulls back and smiles at her son. It breaks my heart to see that his mom is still hurting over the loss of her husband.

  “Tell me why you are not being honest with yourself, and more importantly her,” she says with a pointed stare.

  “Mom you already know. She was in an accident and engaged to another man. I can’t pursue her. She has so much going on already. I can’t make things more complicated for her. What kind of man would that make me?”

  My stomach flutters as my mouth falls open. Was I hearing him right? He did have feelings for me after all?

  “It would make you a man who followed his heart no matter what the outcome would be. I see the way she looks at you, Pierce, and you’re a blind fool if you can’t see that Addison has feelings for you.”

  I want to hear more. I need to know what is running though Pierce’s mind, but a voice speaks up behind me and scares the shit out of me. I swear I jump ten feet into the air before spinning around.

  “You know it’s not polite to listen in on other people’s conversations,” she whispers.

  I’m busted red handed by Lexi. I am so embarrassed I can’t form a sentence. “Lexi, I—uh, I wasn’t—what I mean is.”

  Lexi laughs, pulling me away from the kitchen. “Come on, let’s go sit before they see you. And just so you know, I heard everything. I was on the other side of the kitchen when I saw you out of the corner of my eye,” she says in a conspiring tone but I’m still too mortified by being caught to talk.

  The rest of the night flies by. When Pierce asks if I’m ready to go, I’m a little sad because I don’t want the night to end. We say our goodbyes and drive back to my condo. Pierce is quiet on the ride home and I’m wondering if his sudden mood change has to do with the conversation between him and his mother.

  I am distracted with my thoughts when the car door opens. Pierce holds his hand out and I grab it as he helps me out. He walks me to my door and waits while I unlock it. I open it and walk inside and Pierce follows me in. I turn and lock eyes with him, and in a moment I am lost. His eyes are full of desire and I just want to grab him and test out those full lips. Before I can do something embarrassing, I decide to end the night. He’s clearly conflicted about his feelings for me and I don’t want to push the issue.

  “Well, thank you for bringing me to dinner. Your mom is great.” I give him a smile and take a step closer to him, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. As I am about to pull away Pierce grabs me by my waist and pulls me into his chest. My breathing becomes heavy as I wait to see if he is going to kiss me. Being pressed up against his body so suddenly turns me on and my legs are trembling and I pray they don’t give out beneath me.

  “Addison.” The way he says my name sounds full of need.

  “Pierce?” I say with a shaky voice.

  “I’m trying really hard to do the right thing. Please, step back and close the door,” he says as he closes his eyes like it pains him to say this to me.

  I know what he is saying. He doesn’t want to complicate my life by adding his feelings into the mix, but I don’t care. I wrap my arms around his neck hoping he will pick up on the silent ‘okay’ I’m giving him. I lock eyes with Pierce and then it happens.

  He brings his face down to me and his full, soft lips meet with mine. I open my mouth slightly to allow his tongue to enter. My stomach immediately fills with butterflies and I run my hand up through his hair. I have wanted to do that since the first time I saw him. A deep, husky growl escapes him as I play with his hair. Oh god, did that turn me on. He pulls away much too soon for my liking and places a quick peck on my mouth. My eyes are still closed when he speaks.

  “Goodnight, Addison,” his voice is raw with emotion.

  I open my eyes to see him smile at me and walk to his car, and all I could think to myself was BEST. KISS. EVER!

  I’M SITTING ON a barstool at Docs spinning my near empty beer bottle. I left work and didn’t feel like being alone at my house, but didn’t necessarily want company either. That’s how I ended up here. I can’t stop thinking about Addison’s birthday party and how I had to share her with Pierce. I still can’t believe the way he was with her; all the touching, and smiling, and flirting. As I sit here and reflect on it though, I’m starting to realize she was returning his affection and they had a familiarity with each other. And that thought makes me sick to my stomach. I swallow down the knot in my throat before draining my beer.

  Brooklyn is working behind the bar tonight. I’m surprised I haven’t seen more of her lately since coming here is becoming a habit. We used to work together while I was in law school. She’s in her mid-twenties and super feisty. She’s petite at only five foot one and is very tiny, but she packs a punch. She can definitely hold her own with the rowdier bunch that has come through here from time to time. Brooklyn is edgy and has a punk rocker thing going on. I feel like her hair is a different color every time I see her. Tonight it is jet black with the side of it buzzed down real short from the top of her ear to above her temple. The rest of the hair is brushed over to the other side of her head reaching to about her jaw line. It’s a very bold style, but she pulls it off. She also has a thing for needles since she has a half sleeve of tattoos on her right arm and a Monroe piercing in her lip. She has pale skin which is accentuated by the jet black hair and blazing green eyes. She’s very attractive, but a little too hostile for my taste.

  “Hey, Colin, how’s it going?” she says to me now that the bar has slowed down and she has a few minutes to chat apparently. Too bad I’m not in the mood for conversation. All the conversation and answers I need are waiting at the bottom of this beer in my hand. And if I don’t like that response, I’ll order another one and hope for a different reply.

  “Eh, things have been better,” I mutter, staring down at the bar top.

  “So I’ve heard.”

  I’m starting to wonder if there’s a point to this conversation or if she just wants to dig into my wound like everyone else. I finally look up at her and she’s eyeing me suspiciously. “Is there something I can do for you, Brook?” I know I’m being rude, but I’m not in the mood for her shit tonight.

  “Nope, just trying to be friendly, maybe catc
h up. But you’re clearly not in the mood and you’re way too many drinks in to carry on a conversation. So I think I’ll walk away and catch you another time.”

  I don’t even respond.

  I’m sitting here for about another 30 minutes, polishing off my seventh or eighth beer when in walks Jeremy. I almost want to roll my eyes that he thinks I need babysitting.

  “Hey, man, what are you doing here?” I ask.

  “Nothing much. I was just in the area, saw your car in the parking lot and figured I’d stop in and say hi.” Yeah, like I believe that. I glance over at Brooklyn and she’s watching us from across the bar. It becomes clear to me that she snitched me out and called him to come get me out of here.

  “Brook called you, didn’t she?”

  Jeremy rubs the back of his neck, “Yeah, you know, to give you a ride home.”

  “Well, I’m not quite ready to go home yet. So why don’t you relax and drink a beer or two with me?”

  “Nah, that’s okay. I think it’s time we get out of here. It’s late and you have work tomorrow. You’re going to feel like shit as it is.”

  Brooklyn decides to walk over and put in her two cents. “Dude, you need to get your shit together. From what I’ve been hearing this is starting to become a regular thing for you.” I start to interrupt her but she holds up her hand and gives me the evil eye. I quickly close my mouth and let her finish. “I know things are rough for you right now. I get it. It sucks, but life goes on. You need to start adjusting to the fact that she might never come out of this. She might never remember you. Then what? Are you going to sit here and keeping drinking yourself into oblivion?”

  I’m trying so hard to control my temper at this point. She hit a nerve and it’s something I think about constantly. It’s the reason I drink, to block out the rational part of my brain that tells me I should start letting go of that part of my life. I quickly stand up from the bar stool which is a bad idea because I almost fall over. I grab the bar with my hands to steady myself before responding with as much venom I can muster into the next few sentences that will come out of my mouth. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! You’re not the fucking doctor. He said it would come back eventually and it will, damn it! I’m going to continue to wait for her. So spare me your fucking lectures and words of advice. I’m well aware of my situation and don’t need you to point out the shitty aspects of it. Worry about your own fucking life.”