by Shae Scott
That all changed the day he called.
It was a Sunday afternoon and I was cleaning the kitchen. I glanced down at my phone and saw his name and froze. He’d texted me periodically, but never had he called. I wasn’t sure I wanted to pick it up. So I stood there. Frozen. Staring. All I had to do was hit the green accept the button. It would be nice to hear his voice. But hearing it would make things different. It would make him real. Real? Ha, like he was my imaginary friend. I was completely crazytown.
The phone stopped ringing. My heart sunk. I should have answered. I could call him back. I thought about it, imagined hitting the call button, and him answering. Was I ready for this? Was I really this wishy-washy? My inner monologue continued until the beep of a voicemail drug me back to reality. I hit the play button and heard the deep voice greet me. It was better than I had imagined.
Hey, Kat. It’s me. I figure you are probably staring at your phone deciding whether you should answer or not. So, I’m going to wait a few minutes and call you back. So…answer.”
Damn. How did he know that? Was I really that predictable? I took the phone and moved to the living room. Sitting on the couch I pulled my legs under me Indian style and stared at the phone in my hands, waiting for him to call back. When it did start ringing, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I gave it a beat before I hit accept.
“Hi,” I said.
“There she is.” I could hear the smile in his voice and I relaxed.
“I was cleaning the kitchen when you called. I didn’t get to the phone in time,” I said. I hoped he would accept that as truth.
“Good. I thought maybe you were ignoring me.”
“Never,” I said. I sunk back into the pillows of the couch, letting the sound of his voice wash over me, adding it to the list of new Owen.
“I was just sitting here at the office and it’s just not the same working without getting to talk to you. Plus, I kind of just wanted to hear your voice.” That made me smile and I was glad he couldn’t see the slight blush cross my cheeks.
“Why are you working on a Sunday?” I asked.
“I have to go out of town next week. One of my buddies is getting married so we’re all going on a long bachelor’s weekend. I thought I’d get caught up now so I don’t have to worry with work while we are gone,” he said.
“Well that sounds dangerous, but like a lot of fun,” I laughed. I could only imagine what kind of trouble a group of guys could get into.
Owen laughed and the sound was deep and musical. Yeah, this was way better than words on a screen. “It’s my job to keep them all in line.”
“I doubt that. More likely you are the ringleader. Hope you packed bail money,” I teased him.
“Well, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t send him off in style.”
“You are a good friend,” I said in mock seriousness.
“Right? I’m glad you can see that. Saves me from sending you the newsletter.” Feigning relief, I laughed.
“When do you leave?” I asked.
“Wednesday night. It’ll be nice to get away for awhile. We have a good group of guys from college and we’re all spread out these days. This is just a good excuse for us to get together and blow off some steam.”
“Good for you,” I smiled, imagining him with his friends, then and now.
“You’ll miss me though, right? Since I won’t be bothering you all day?”
It would be strange to go through a work day without his constant companionship. “Actually, I’ll be gone part of the time too. I have a business trip next week. I fly out on Thursday so it all works out. I won’t have to miss you too much,” I said.
“Hmmm, I was kind of looking forward to you missing me,” he said quietly. Here came the blush again. It was comments like these that had me wondering if there was more to us than simple friendship.
“I guess I could fit a little bit of missing you into the schedule,” I said pretending to consider it.
“Good. I like that better,” he admitted, laughter in his voice.
We talked for an hour before I convinced him to go back to work. As we hung up, I could feel the tingle that went through my entire body. It was too easy to like this man. Really like him. He was everything I remembered and so much more. He had become a great man and I found myself falling for him. I was fighting it, but I feared it was a losing battle. It was probably a bad idea, but at this point it didn’t matter. He was my Owen from the past and he was quickly becoming the new Owen I didn’t want to live without.
Chapter Seven
Owen- Past
The graduation party out at the Johnson Farm was in full swing by the time I showed up. People were dancing and groping one another on the makeshift dance floor. There was a roaring bonfire going with plenty of drunken seniors gathered around carrying on loudly. I grabbed a beer from a nearby ice chest and scanned the crowd. I spotted Brendon near the bonfire, talking to his buddies, but there was no sign of Ally anywhere. Upon further inspection, I noticed that he was well on his way to being trashed. I was sure that explained it. Ally hated it when he got this way. She was no goody two shoes, but she didn’t put up with his belligerent behavior either.
I finally spotted her. She was sitting alone on the tailgate of a truck, swinging her feet and staring at the ground. I made my way over. “There you are,” I said. I stopped when she looked up at me and I saw that her eyes were red and puffy. What the hell? What had I missed? “Hey….what’s going on?” I asked setting my beer down on the tailgate. I hated seeing her hurting. It brought out my protective side in an instance. Ally sniffled a little and shrugged, avoiding my eyes.
“Brendon broke up with me,” she admitted softly. I was stunned. A rush of emotions were hitting me all at once; anger at that asshole, Brendon, for being a prick, sympathy for Ally, sitting there with puffy eyes, on what should have been such a happy night. And an immense elation for the fact that she wasn’t his anymore. That last part had me fighting a smile, but damn, the thought made me downright giddy.
But then she looked back at me and it brought me back to reality. Ally was upset, that was all that mattered. I chided myself for being a selfish prick. The hurt in her eyes cut me. I thought about Brendon back at the bonfire, laughing with his friends like nothing was different. Asshole.
I moved to stand in front of her, looking down into her big sad brown eyes. My heart felt tight. I hated seeing her sad over that bastard. “What happened?” I asked.
She sighed. “He said that we were going to be moving in different directions and that he didn’t want to try and continue things long distance. I mean, I knew it was a long shot that we would make it being in different cities, but today? I don’t get it. We have the entire summer and he’s going to break up with me after graduation? It pisses me off,” she said.
I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You should be pissed off. But face it, Kat…it’s for the best. That guy doesn’t deserve you. He’s an asshole,” I said. She rolled her eyes at me. “What? He is. You are better off without him,” I said.
She was quiet for a moment and then I saw new tears form in her eyes. Ah, hell. “But he didn’t want me,” she said, her voice breaking on the words. I wanted to punch Brendon in the face…repeatedly.
“Oh, Baby, don’t say that.” I whispered the words as I pulled her into my chest. Her quiet tears began to wet my shirt, but I didn’t care. “You are so amazing. He can’t see that, it’s his own issues. Don’t let him make you question anything. He’s an asshole. We’re guys and we are all assholes. Sometimes we just don’t see things clearly,” I admitted.
“You’re not an asshole,” she said, her voice was muffled as her face was still buried into my chest.
I laughed. “Yes, I am. You just don’t see it. I’ve had my share of asshole moments, trust me,” I admitted. She moved back and looked up at me. I moved my hands down to hers and held them, resting them in her lap.
“I just feel so stupid. I gave him everything,” she sai
d it quietly. I knew what she meant and the admission was like a punch to the gut. I had suspected that they had been intimate, but I had never asked. Honestly, I hadn’t wanted to know. The thought put all kinds of horrible images in my head. I struggled not to show that on my face as she continued. “I mean, I was with him for almost a year and this is all he really thought of me. I feel like…I don’t know…It makes me feel cheap and stupid. Why didn’t I see who he was?” She was looking to me for answers. I could tell the admission was hard for her to make. I loved that she trusted me this much, but I wasn’t sure what to say to her. I wanted her to realize that Brendon was a tool. He was never good enough for her. But, at the same time, I didn’t want to reinforce her thoughts that she had made bad decisions. All I knew was that I couldn’t have her thinking that she wasn’t good enough. She wanted to think that there was something wrong with her, but I needed her to know that she was wrong.
“Ally, I know this sucks. I know he hurt you. I really want to go and kick his sorry ass for it. But, this is your graduation. You deserve to have fun tonight and I’m not about to let him ruin this. I think that we should show that asshole that he doesn’t matter. Let’s go out there and have the best damn night ever and show him what he’s missing. What do you say? Wanna hang out with me and forget about what’s-his-name for tonight?” I asked. I didn’t want her to think I was dismissing the whole thing, but I had to show her that he wasn’t worth the tears. She deserved this memory to be a good one and I was going to do whatever I could to make that happen.
She thought about it for a minute. “Can I have your beer?” she asked with a small smile. I gave her a smirk and handed over the bottle I had set down on the tailgate.
“By all means, pretty lady,” I smiled. She took it and drank half of it in one draw. Yeah, this might work after all.
Three hours later, we were both feeling pretty damn good. The air was a little crisp, but we hardly noticed as we danced beside the bonfire. We had been drinking beers throughout the night and both of us had a pretty nice buzz going. It made me happy to see Ally having fun. She seemed to have put Brendon out of her head. She danced along to the music, laughing, and holding on to me. Yeah, maybe I should have been more careful dancing with her. I might have been holding her a little too close, but I couldn’t help myself. She was so sexy in her little white dress and cowboy boots. When she reached for me, I let her. When she slipped her arms around my neck, I put mine around her waist. I told myself it was innocent, but I was kidding myself. I had wanted to touch her like this since we met. I had just always held back because I knew I couldn’t ruin us. But tonight, with the alcohol in our systems, and the need to give her a night to remember, I had let that guard down. I let myself move in closer. I let myself touch her in ways that I hadn’t dared to before. I knew it was wrong, but my restraint was slipping.
“I’m out of beer,” she announced. “Wanna go with me to get some more?”
“Okay,” I agreed. I followed her to the keg where a line of our classmates were talking.
“Hey, Ally, you want some of this?” her friend Amanda asked, offering her a bottle of vodka.
“Ooh..yeah,” Ally said grabbing up the bottle.
“Whoa…hold up there Kit Kat. Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked reaching to take the bottle from her. She turned at the last moment, keeping it from me.
“Of course it is a good idea. Didn’t you tell me that this was supposed to be a night to remember? I’m letting loose. I’m letting go. Why don’t you join me, Owen?” she began walking away and tossed her hair over her shoulder. I sighed and followed her. She kept walking, away from the crowds and out towards the barn in the distance.
“Where ya headed?” I asked catching up and falling into step beside her.
“I wanna get away for a bit, away from all of the people. I’ve been in this barn before, there is a hands quarters.” We reached the barn and I pulled the big doors open. Ally was right, there was a couch and a desk and a small lamp. I turned on the lamp as Ally plopped down on the couch, bottle in hand.
“You’re gonna be so sick tomorrow,” I chuckled, sitting down beside her. She turned, putting her back against the arm of the couch and her feet in my lap.
“I’ll worry about that tomorrow,” she smiled opening the bottle and taking a swig. I laughed as she scrunched up her face at the burn.
“Give me that, before you hurt yourself,” I said as I took the bottle from her and took a drink. She smiled at me, her face kind of dreamy with intoxication. It was good to see her having fun. I had given that to her.
“I can’t wait to get out of here. I just want to leave this whole place behind,” she said. “No more high school drama, no more Brendon, no more curfews, no more lame Saturdays working at the grocery store…all new stuff. I can’t wait.”
“Yeah, college will be good,” I agreed. I did hate that she would be so far away once we left for school. Two hours in the real world, with new things happening everyday was enough to make anyone drift apart. I’d miss our talks.
“Are you gonna miss me?” she asked, as if reading my mind. She looked a little shy as she watched me. I took another drink of vodka and handed her the bottle. I watched as she took a drink, her eyes never leaving mine.
“Of course I am. But we’ll still talk all the time. And I’ll see you. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” I smirked.
“Yeah,” she smiled. We sat in silence for a few moments. Each lost in thoughts of the future until her hiccup broke the silence. I laughed and took the bottle back.
“I think you have had enough,” I teased.
“Owen?” she asked. She was biting her lip. She looked hot doing that.
“Yes, Ally?” My voice came out a little husky and I cleared my throat, trying to pull myself together.
“Do you think I was bad in bed?” she asked shyly. Fuck. Seriously? She wanted to talk to me about sex? I instantly had all kinds of images going through my head…and none of them were PG rated.
“Ally,” I said incredulously.
“No, I’m serious. I mean, I finally sleep with Brendon after all of this time and he dumps me not that long after. Maybe I’m just bad at it,” she shrugged.
“You are not bad at it. Trust me,” I said shifting in my seat, because this conversation was making my dick twitch and I really didn’t want to embarrass myself with a raging hard on.
“How do you know? I might be,” she said. How would I know? God, I’d love to know. “I mean, I never…ya know…had an orgasm with him,” she said. The alcohol was really making her brave.
I sighed. I wasn’t going to make it through this conversation. She was so fucking sexy sitting here, her legs stretched out and looking at me with those big brown eyes. I wanted to touch her so fucking bad. “Baby, that says more about him than it does about you. I doubt he took the time to see to your needs. Like I said, he’s an asshole.”
“What about you?” she asked quietly.
“What about me?” Where was she going with this? My jeans were getting tighter by the minute and it was taking every ounce of restraint that I had to keep my distance. I had to keep reminding myself, this was Ally. But, fuck, it was ALLY. Sweet, wonderful, Ally.
“Do you, um, see to a girl’s needs?”
Okay, this could go so many ways. But the only thing I could think about was how I wanted to show her just how I could take care of her needs. I wanted to show her more than anything. I could hear the voice in my head telling me to end this conversation and go back to the party, but I was blocking it out. I moved before I could question it further. I took her feet and moved them off of my lap and slowly moved to lean over her. I heard a little gasp escape her lips before she bit down on her lip nervously.
“I do.” My voice was husky again. I braced myself over her and stared down at her, my expression serious. “I could show you,” I offered. “Do you want me to show you?” I knew it was wrong. I knew this was way over the line. But seeing her here
like this was too much. I just couldn’t stop myself. I watched her face, waiting for her reaction. She watched me for a moment and then her eyes fluttered closed. I smiled to myself. I felt a little bit like a wolf, preying on the innocent. But, I wanted her. I needed to feel her lips against mine. I needed to feel her body against my own. Yeah, I knew it was wrong, but I had to know.
I leaned in a little further, bracing my weight on my knees and one arm beside her on the couch’s arm. I moved a piece of hair from her face and I swear I felt her shudder beneath me. “Ally,” I said softly, my face so close to hers.
“Mmm?” she asked, eyes still closed.
“I asked you a question,” I said quietly. I let my lips drift along her jaw, up towards her ear. She shivered again and I smiled.
“I…um…Owen.” I liked that she wasn’t forming complete sentences. I like knowing that I was affecting her.
“Do you want me to show you?” I asked. I kissed her neck and she arched to give me better access. A soft moan escaped her pretty pink lips and the surprise of it made her open her eyes. I was right there. She couldn’t escape me. “You like that?” I asked, pulling out my reliable set of tricks. I had moves. I’d used them often. I just hadn’t ever used them on someone as sweet as her. The idea of her beneath me, left me yearning to put my full weight on her, but I held back, needing to see an answer in her eyes.
She nodded. Quick, nervous. “I need to kiss you,” I said, running my fingers across her bottom lip. They were soft. I needed to taste her. I gave her a chance to tell me to stop. When she didn’t I moved in. I brushed her lips with mine at first, testing her, enjoying the feel of her. They were as soft as I had imagined. I gently sucked on her bottom lip and she moaned again, it was a content sound and it pushed me forward. My tongue asked for entrance and she granted it quickly. Her hands moved to my hair as I finally sunk down to join her on the couch. I moved her down with me so that her head rested on the pillow and I stretched out over her. I had fantasized about this…this sweet simple act of lying with her and kissing her like this. Our mouths moved together, tongues exploring, hands moving across each other. It was easy to get lost in her. It was easy to forget why this was a bad idea.
