by E.A. Weston
The following Monday my dad announces he is going to the airport to collect my cousin. I don’t reply, I do what I have been doing for the last week, hiding in my room refusing to speak to Asher or anyone else. He has been calling and texting and beating down my door, until my dad sent him home, yet I really want to see him.
After a few hours of wallowing in self-pity I climb out of bed and hit the shower, dressing in shorts and a tank I chance a peek out of my bedroom window. I see Ash washing his jeep, the muscles in his arms flexing as he scrubs the hood. As if sensing me he turns to look up at me, quickly I drop the blind and run down to the kitchen. I make a bowl of cereal and some coffee, taking it out back to the patio. Where I stay until my dad and my cousin arrive.
“Emery” my dad calls, walking into the kitchen I stop, and look at her.
“Hey” I say, she just nods at me dropping her bags on the floor.
“Do you want to show Teegan to the guest room?” my dad says resting his hands on his hips.
“Sure,” I shrug waving for her to follow me upstairs. Her footsteps sound behind me as we walk to the room. “Here it is” I open the door for, “it has it’s own bathroom,” I say but she cuts me off.
“I remember thanks,” she brushes past me throwing her bags onto the bed. “So what’s the deal with you?” she asks sitting on the edge of the bed. She looks so far out of place here it’s not funny. Her black t-shirt and skin-tight black jeans with knee high boots, her pale face, hiding behind a curtain of jet-black hair.
“No deal why?” I ask crossing my arms over my chest. She shrugs as we watch each other.
“You’re not how I remember that’s all.” Taking a stick of gum from her pocket she folds a piece into her mouth.
“Yeah well that was years ago I have changed since then” I reply turning to leave. Her snort stops me and I turn back to her raising my eyebrow. “What?”
“You have changed Emery, you now have a bad attitude,” she smiles walking over and closing the door in my face. Stomping away I march down to the kitchen finding my dad sitting at the island drinking coffee.
“Man, she is a piece of work,” I complain grabbing a soda from the fridge and taking a seat beside my dad.
“Give her a chance,” he reply’s looking at me.
“What about you? Why are you ignoring Asher?” he asks.
“Because I am, he deserves it.” I answer keeping my head down so he can’t see the heartbreak still in my eyes.
“I’m sure he does Emery but sometimes us guys need to know what we did wrong,” he smiles at me.
“Yeah because you’re all totally blind and stupid,” I answer. My dad rubs his hand across my back pulling me into a side arm hug.
“So he broke your heart?” he whispers, lifting my head I look at my dad with tears brimming my eyes and nod. He wraps his other arm around me and hugs me tight.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, “want to tell me about it?” shaking my head no I just hug him back and cry onto his shirt.
“He kissed her dad, he kissed that bitch,” I blurt out not able to hold it in any longer.
“Does he know you love him?” lifting my head I look at my dad accusingly. “Oh Emery, everyone knows you love him except him. Guys need to be told things we are stupid.” He laughs giving me another hug.
The doorbell rings as I pull away from my dad, he looks at me, but I shake my head no. I listen as he opens the door, I don’t recognize the voice he is talking too.
“Emery it’s for you” he calls out.
Cautiously I walk to the door finding Ty standing on my porch with a bunch of flowers.
“Hi Emery” he smiles; my dad turns, and winks at me as he leaves us. Stepping out onto the porch I close the door behind me.
“What the hell do you want?” I spit at Ty, who takes a step back as if I had hit him.
“I came to say sorry for last week, I was drinking and everything was fuzzy. I finally saw Devlin yesterday and he told me what happened, I didn’t mean it I swear. Please forgive me?” he asks handing the flowers to me. Taking them I hold them between us like a shield.
“Fine I forgive you,” I say, making him smile, he takes a step closer to me when a pair of arms wrap around his body pulling him off my porch.
“I told you to get the fuck away from her,” Asher shouts as he throws Ty onto the sidewalk. Ash runs up the steps to me grabbing my arms, “did he hurt you babe?” he asks checking my arms.
“No!” I say snatching my hands away from him. “You’re the only one who does that” pushing his chest I walk back inside slamming the door.
“Emery!” he shouts after me but I ignore him sliding down the back of the door to the floor.
“Wow this place is awesome, better than a soap opera.” Teegan says rounding the corner from the front room.
“Where you spying on me?”
“No I was just curious why the dude from across the street ran over here like a bat out of hell, so I watched him. He’s hot, are you together?” she asks peeking out of the window above my head.
“They are arguing out there,” she says, standing I look out of the window too. I watch Asher as he yells at Ty to stay away from me; Ty smirks as he backs down the garden.
“Not a chance Carter you fucked up there,” Ty grins then climbs into his car speeding away.
“Ah so that’s the kid from across the street” Teegan smiles at me, “he did grow up huh? Maybe I can..” I cut her off before she finishes that sentence.
“No, you can’t. You can have guy in town except him,” I tell her and walk away grabbing the flowers on my way.
“Yep bad attitude,” she calls over her shoulder. Ignoring her I march into the kitchen dumping the flowers head first into the trashcan, dad shakes his head at me.
“Mom called she want’s you to call her tonight,” he says putting his head down to read his book.
“Yeah fine,” I answer walking out to the back porch. A few minutes later my cousin joins me.
“You okay?” she asks taking a seat opposite me.
“Fine” I huff turning onto my back on the lounger to stare at the ceiling fan.
“Yeah I can see that Emery” she says, Kicking her feet up onto the table.
“Aren’t you hot in those clothes?” I ask changing the subject.
“Nope, but I know who would be hot taking them off me” she smiles.
“I said no Teegan, stay the hell away from him,” I shout at her.
“Okay fine I won’t touch him now let’s get out of here I’m hungry and craving red meat.” She says slapping my leg as she stands.
Grabbing my dad’s car keys I take Teegan to the burger joint in town, leaving my driveway I noticed Asher watching us.
“So you want to tell me what’s going on with you and hunk o’ love from across the street?” she asks before taking a bite from her medium rare double burger.
“Not really” I sigh flicking my fries around my plate.
“Come on Cuz spill, a girl needs some gossip” she smiles grabbing her soda. Taking a deep breath I fill her in on all things Asher and I when I finish she frowns.
“Sounds like he loves you too” she shrugs at me to which I scoff.
“No he doesn’t did you not hear what I said he took Emily Ann into the pool house,” I moan.
“Yeah but you left so you don’t know what happened after,” she reply’s taking another bite. The sight of the pink meat makes me nauseous, I watch as she kills the burgers and sits back rubbing her stomach.
“Where do you put it?” I ask pointing to her flat washboard gut.
“Oh I work out hard you should train with me, keep your mind fit too” she kicks her foot up onto the seat beside me.
“Yeah maybe I should, I used to run in school, but not since I finished.”
“So come with me I can get you into shape and what’s his face won’t know what hit him.”
“Fine I might as well now
my summer is ruined.”
“Jeeze Emery thanks” she says throwing a fry at me.
No Pain - No Gain
