by Ava Walsh
“I want you to admit that you’re an asshole,” Becca insisted and Aaron almost laughed. He had expected her to scream, maybe even slap him, or throw a tantrum and strut herself out of the plane, but what he hadn’t expected was for her to put him in his place, to demand admission of bad behavior.
“Look, Becca…” he began, but she interrupted him.
“There’s always this thing that I wonder about with guys like you. Was there ever a girl you had actual feelings for and who treated you like shit?” Becca asked, and Aaron felt his face contract. He was beginning to feel really uncomfortable and he narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t smiling any more.
“Are you trying to tell me that you had feelings for me? We’ve only met once before,” he said and Becca suddenly threw her head back and laughed.
“Please Aaron, don’t flatter yourself. You were just a piece of meat to me, just like I was to you. I’m just asking you a genuine question,” she said, looking back at him, waiting for an answer.
“I don’t know how to answer that question, Becca.” Aaron said, shifting from one foot to the other. Why was he feeling so insecure all of a sudden?
“It’s quite simple. Have you ever felt like shit on account of a girl? I’m only curious, I’m not a reporter or anything,” she urged him on, and Aaron lifted his head to look at her directly.
“Yes, when I was much younger,” he admitted, and immediately regretted telling her.
A smile spread across Becca’s face and she bit down on her lip.
“I hope you live with that pain and loss forever, because you deserve it,” she said, and finally moved so that he could walk past her.
Aaron shot her a look, his face was clouded over. He wasn’t quite sure what to think of any of this. This was not how he had expected his day to go. He hadn’t planned on talking about Chelsey with anybody, especially not with a one-night stand he couldn’t even remember.
“And just for the sake of honesty, Aaron. We’ve met more than once. We met a few months before the Ordinance Gala, in LA. I had been to one of your games, and we were introduced. We flirted openly,” she added and Aaron felt his soul sink. He couldn’t believe he didn’t remember her. But then again, he couldn’t remember the names or faces of most of the hundreds of women he met on a regular basis ever since he had become a star.
“And if you must know, I did have feelings for you. As stupid as that sounds,” she said and then quickly walked away, leaving him to stand by himself in the now empty aircraft for a few minutes longer.
He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about the whole thing. Should he feel sorry for Becca? Or for himself? Was this some kind of stupid joke that the Universe was playing on him? Showing him that there was no way out of it now? That he had sealed his fate when he left this town? Left Chelsey behind and never told her how he felt about her?
Chapter Seven - Aaron
Aaron hadn’t seen his family in several months, and the last time he did, they were all at one of his games and he only had time to give each of them a quick hug before his manager dragged him away to give a press conference.
Now he had his sister, Hannah in his arms, hugging her tightly while his dad patted him on his back.
“I wanted to give you a surprise,” Aaron said to his father when he finally pulled away from Hannah and pinched her cheek playfully.
“This is a wonderful surprise, son. We are so excited to see you.” His mom was squealing still, still in disbelief that both her children had made it in time for the anniversary.
“Why don’t you go get settled in? We’ve kept your old room just as you left it,” his dad said, still thumping him on his back as Aaron lifted his bags off the floor.
“I’ll come with you. We have so much to talk about!” Hannah smiled at her brother, as she followed him upstairs to his room.
“They look happy,” he said, growing somber again as he climbed the steps. He couldn’t stop thinking about Becca or what she had said to him. Most of which had been true. Most of all, he couldn’t stop thinking about Chelsey. He was itching to ask Hannah about her.
“They are. We are all glad you could make it, big brother.” Hannah followed him and smiled when he turned to look at her.
“So who are all coming for the party tomorrow?” Aaron asked her, pushing open the door to his room.
“Oh, all the usual. The Stevensons, Mrs. Black from Mom’s school, the neighbors, and all the rest…everyone is excited to see you. To have an actual celebrity in their midst.” Hannah clapped her hands as Aaron flung his bags on his single bed.
It was weird to be in this room, he hadn’t been here in three years, since he left. Since he last saw Chelsey.
“And what about your friends?” he asked and Hannah threw him a confused look.
“What friends? The only real friend I had here was Chelsey,” she replied, looking around her brother’s well-maintained room.
“Yeah, what about Chelsey? Or is she still out of town? New York was it?” he asked, not looking at her directly. He didn’t want Hannah to think something of it.
“Chelsey is a whole story by herself. No, she isn’t in New York.” Hannah plonked herself on his old bed and splayed herself down. She was staring up at the poster of David Bowie that was still plastered to the ceiling.
“Oh? Where is she then?” he asked, trying to sound casual while hanging his clothes into his old closet.
“You wouldn’t believe it, but she’s still here. She works for the old hair salon on High Street. I bumped into her when I went in for a haircut earlier today,” Hannah explained, dejectedly. She obviously wasn’t too interested in telling him this story, but Aaron was more than interested to listen.
“Really? She never left?” he asked, turning to face his sister, probably a tad bit too excited.
Hannah shrugged, which confused Aaron. The two of them had been the closest of friends, they had known everything about each other, and yet Hannah didn’t seem to be that excited about her best friend anymore.
“So did you invite her to the party?” he asked his sister and she rolled her eyes.
“I did, but I don’t know if she’ll actually come. There’s something wrong with her. She hasn’t kept in touch with me even though I tried to,” Hanna said, and Aaron turned on his heels again.
He didn’t want to think about what had caused Chelsey to distance herself from Hannah. Was it because he left? Didn’t she want to have anything to do with him or his family ever again? No, that couldn’t be it. She never had feelings for him, he was just her best friend’s brother.
“I’m sure she’ll come anyway,” he said, busying himself with the unpacking instead.
“Who knows. There’s something going on that she wants to keep hidden from me. I visited her house today. She lives in a tiny apartment by herself now. Something has happened that she’s not telling me about.” Hannah had got off the bed, while Aaron’s muscles froze.
Something had happened to Chelsey. What other explanation could there be? She was a talented hairdresser, she had been accepted into a high-profile internship in New York. She was supposed to be a famous hairdresser by now, consorting with the high brow fashion crowd. What was she still doing in this town, working for the old hair salon?
“Do you think I should talk to her tomorrow?” he asked, still not looking at Hannah. He didn’t know why he asked her that.
“You? Why? Why would she tell you anything that she’s not telling me? Besides, she might not even come. I got the feeling that she was going to avoid us as much as she can,” Hannah said and started walking towards the door of his room.
Aaron remained quiet. He didn’t want to answer his sister’s question. Not that he knew the answer to it in the first place. Hannah was right, why would Chelsey talk to him?
“Anyway, we need to grab a few drinks together. You need to tell me about all these women you’re sleeping with.” Hannah passed him a knowing wink and a laugh before she slipped out of his room and back d
ownstairs.
Aaron sank down on the carpeted floor of his old room after she left. What Hannah had just said left a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn’t want to think about all the women he had been fucking, not anymore. Not after what Becca had said to him and especially not now that he knew that Chelsey was still in town.
Chapter Eight - Chelsey
Chelsey had picked out the only dress that remained unwrinkled and clean in her closet. It was a knee-length navy shift dress that she’d bought during college, several years ago. She styled her hair into a neat chignon on the right, lightly dusted her eyes with a muted copper eyeshadow and picked a matching copper lipstick for the evening. Thankfully, she had a pair of black pumps and a black velvet clutch to go with the dress.
She caught a quick reflection of herself on the top of the Keels’ front door just before Hannah opened it. Hannah was in a long, red silk dress with a back that plunged right down to the small of her waist. She had on a matching bright red lipstick and dangling gold earrings. She looked ravishing, as always.
“You made it.” She lunged forward and gave Chelsey a tight hug. “And you look amazing. Your hair is gorgeous,” she added, as they gently pulled apart.
“Thanks, Hannah. You look lovely too,” Chelsey said, as Hannah shut the door behind her. Their house was teeming with people and there was low classical music playing in the living room. Chelsey recognized several faces from the neighborhood and people she had been introduced to when she frequented the Keels’ home.
“We have to talk when I get the chance. Can I get you a drink first?” Hannah asked with a smile, as if the dramatic scene outside Chelsey’s house the previous night had never even happened.
“Yes, please. I could do with some wine,” Chelsey said, and Hannah smiled and flew away towards the kitchen, her beautiful dress trailing behind her as she walked, exchanging smiles and nods with people along the way. Hannah was always the center of the attention. It clearly ran in the family.
“Hello, Chelsey.” She heard a voice behind her and whipped around, almost dropping her clutch. Aaron was standing at the door of the living room with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He was in a dark tailored suit that matched his hair. A gray shirt peeped out from within the folds and the collar was left slightly open at the neck. He was looking at her with his piercing green eyes, a soft grin lingering on his face.
“Hello, Aaron. How are you?” she managed to say, and dropped her gaze towards the floor. She could feel herself blushing. He was aging gracefully. The sharpness of his jaw was more pronounced now and she could smell the masculine, musky scent of his cologne from several feet away.
“I’m very well. Hannah was worried that you wouldn’t turn up,” he said, and took a few steps towards her. Chelsey looked up and tried to smile at him.
“I’ve been busy. But here I am,” she said, adding a flourishing laugh at the end of that. He didn’t laugh, but continued to grin at her. He was standing very close to her now, and try as she might Chelsey couldn’t look directly at him any longer.
“Where have you been, Chelsey? It’s like you fell right off the Earth,” he said, taking a long, slow sip from his glass. She noticed the same Rolex on his wrist, how his voice had changed a little, grown deeper and smoother over the course of the three years since she last saw him.
“I’ve been right here. My plans for New York didn’t work out,” she said nervously. With her beating heart, her sweaty palms and his eyes focused on her, she couldn’t come up with appropriate excuses or lies. He leaned towards her more, and she could feel his breath on the loose strands of her hair that were resting on her forehead.
“Why? Why didn’t you tell us that you’ve been here all along? I’ve been thinking of you,” he said, and when she lifted up her eyes to look at him, he was staring directly into hers. The smile on his face was close to mocking her. She could barely breathe. It was like he was gripping her heart with a tight fist.
“There you are. You found her!” Hannah’s voice interrupted them and she came up to Chelsey with two glasses of red wine in her hands. Chelsey grabbed a glass from her and sipped from it quickly, thankful for the distraction.
Aaron smiled at his sister and then looked back at Chelsey.
“I was trying to find out why she’s been in this godforsaken town all these years,” Aaron said, and Hannah laughed.
“Good luck trying to extract that information. I’ve been trying since yesterday. My guess is that Chelsey has secretly married a man who she wants to keep hidden away from us,” Hannah said with a laugh, and nudged Chelsey with her elbow.
Chelsey’s eyes were on Aaron and she noticed how his eyes darkened. His expression changed for a second and his lips tightened to a straight line. But that only lasted for a few seconds. He cleared his throat and looked away from them.
“Is that true, Chelsey? Have you gone and found yourself a husband?” He looked back at the two girls with a wide smile on his face, which Chelsey instantly recognized to be forced.
“Like I told Hannah last night, no. I’m not married,” she said, and took another long sip from her glass of wine. Aaron’s eyes seemed to relax, and he nodded and smiled again.
“I’m going to go see if I can find Mom and Dad and tell them you’re here,” Hannah said, and patted Chelsey on her back before walking away in a flurry.
“There’s nothing Hannah has ever loved more than a party,” Aaron said, watching his sister walk away, before turning his eyes back to Chelsey.
“By the looks of it, if the papers are to be believed, you don’t mind a good party yourself, do you?” Chelsey said, surprising herself by the caustic tone of her voice. Aaron’s eyes widened and then he laughed.
“You’ve been keeping track of me, then. I knew you would,” he said with a short laugh, and then he emptied the remnants of the whiskey into his throat. Chelsey didn’t respond to that, but only rolled her eyes to dismiss his statement.
“Come with me. I wanna show you something,” Aaron said, and suddenly he grabbed Chelsey’s arm, dragging her with him towards the spiral stairs that led to the bedrooms upstairs.
“Slow down. Where are we going?” Chelsey yelled out, trying to make herself heard over the loud conversations and the music around her.
“To my old bedroom,” he said, turning around to throw her a quick smile and a wink. Chelsey felt faint.
Chapter Nine - Aaron
Aaron couldn’t believe he was holding Chelsey, well only holding her arm, but he was touching her nonetheless. He hadn’t even expected to see her tonight.
He hadn’t heard the bell ring, or Hannah answer the door. He was swarmed by his family, friends and relatives in the living room, and when he finally managed to step away and into the kitchen, he saw her standing by the door, by herself.
Memories of a younger Chelsey came flooding to his brain, and he couldn’t help but remain standing by the sink for a few moments longer, to admire the woman she had become now. Her hair was tied in a loose bun, she was wearing a stylish and understated dress, she had barely any makeup on, and she stood by the door, poised and self-composed.
He hadn’t seen her in three years, but she had barely changed. To Aaron, Chelsey was still the nineteen-year-old girl he had developed feelings for.
She wasn’t looking at him, but towards the living room. He wondered if she was looking for him. Eventually he decided to walk towards her. He had to say something, anything, just to catch her attention.
When he walked towards her, the things that Becca had said to him earlier in the day came back to him. Had he really treated Chelsey like shit? Was she the woman who would forever hold his heart?
“Hello, Chelsey,” he found himself saying, without any preparation. And he was also not prepared for the feelings that would flood his bones when she finally turned to look at him.
She looked surprised, like she wasn’t expecting him to be there at the party. She had smiled, but only barely, like it was painful to even look at him.
He wanted to hold her, to touch her face, to tell her everything. But she seemed so far away from him.
And yet, now she was following him up the stairs to his bedroom. He had her arm in his hands, and he wasn’t quite sure what they were going to do there.
He knew what he was going to show her, but that wasn’t the only thing he wanted. As he had watched her, he had felt a gush of those initial waves of sexual awakening he had experienced as a teenager. Despite the numerous women he had been with since, he had not experienced that again. And now, from the moment he had set eyes on Chelsey, he had felt them all over again, with more intensity.
Aaron wasn’t sure what she did to make him feel this way. What was it about her body, her voice, her eyes that got him going, back then and now still? He couldn’t really remember what they had been talking about up until now, what Hannah had said, because his mind was overwhelmed with thoughts of having Chelsey, of feeling her skin on his fingertips, of kissing her neck, of tearing her dress apart.
He couldn’t think of one other girl he had wanted like this. Not those supermodels, not Becca, none of the actresses, cheerleaders or any of the women who threw themselves at him. It was always Chelsey, this small-town, girl next door, who was also his sister’s friend…she was the one who always boiled his blood.
She had asked him what was going on, where he was taking her and why, but he didn’t want to say anything. His mind was still processing the information, that after three years of denying to himself that it was her he really wanted, he was finally with Chelsey again, and this time he was going to have her.
She had clarified that she wasn’t married. Which, of course, didn’t mean that she was available. It didn’t mean that she didn’t have a boyfriend, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t in love with someone else, and it also didn’t mean that she wanted to sleep with him.
