by N. T. Smith
One night, Cindy came on home and saw that Peter was there on the couch. She smiled at him, and he gave her a warm glance.
“Hey there,” she said.
“Hey, do you want to go up to the hill?” he asked.
She looked at him. That’s where he told her that he loved her, and Cindy tried to hold back the blush that was starting to show over her face.
“Sure. I guess,” she replied.
They went up there, and when they sat there, they had an awkward silence. Peter was still not a romantic person, even though he was trying harder and harder to get past that hurdle. He sighed, looking at Cindy with a glance.
“This was where most of the whole debacle began, right? Where I told you that I loved you,” he said.
“Yeah. I mean, it was the past. We were young. We didn’t understand that,” she told him.
“Yeah. So how is the new job?” he asked her. He tried to sound warm and friendly, but he was still awkward about everything. He didn’t know if she was cool with him lightly grasping her hand or not. He didn’t know what to do.
“It’s been great.” she told him.
“That’s nice. I’m proud of you Cindy,” he said to her.
When she heard those words, she felt her heart flutter for but a moment. It was sweet that he was proud of her, but she still didn’t feel comfortable with admitting her feelings to him just yet.
“You don’t have to say that. It’s the least I could do,” she told him.
“Yeah, well I’m happy that you’re getting over it. I like seeing you like this. Your confidence is coming back,” he replied.
She felt awkward hearing him gush about her like that. She didn’t know why, but he was trying to sound romantic, even though it certainly didn’t come off that way. The feeling was nice, and she knew that he was trying.
“Well, I’m glad that you do. I mean, I needed to eventually, so this works,” she explained to him.
“Yeah. So have you thought about the future?” he asked her.
She turned to him, blushing as she remembered her thoughts earlier. She just wanted to get back to the top shape she was in before, and she knew that it might be a bit of a struggle.
“Well, it’s a hard thing to face. I mean, I don’t know Peter. I know you’re here for me, but I still don’t know what to think of it all. I’m glad that you’re at least trying to be friendly towards me. You’re really the only one who cares,” she admitted. Joe did as well, but he was still chasing girls, and apparently he was trying to get his own place. She didn’t know a thing about what happened to Tommy and Nancy, nor did she care, but the thought of them made her blood boil a little bit.
“Well I always will. I’ll always be there for you,” he replied.
He meant it in more than just a friendly manner, but it was obvious that these feelings were still hard for him to convey. He still wasn’t a romantic at all.
“As unromantic as ever,” she joked.
“Yeah, I’ll get it eventually,” he replied.
They sat there, and soon they were looking at one another, trying to determine what to do. Peter grasped her hand, but when he did he awkwardly brushed against her thigh.
“Oh, sorry!” he explained, trying to hide the reddening face.
She laughed, looking at him with a warm glance.
“You’re fine. Trust me, it happens,” she said.
The two of them didn’t say much afterwards, but it was a peaceful silence. Peter was very bad at expressing his thoughts in a romantic way. He wasn’t all over her, trying to wow her with little words and such. He was more of a friend before all of that. Cindy wanted to feel something for him, to tell him that she would give him a second chance, but she didn’t want to.
A few days later, she came on home, and Peter had some chocolates in his hand. He looked at her, blushing as he tried to give her the candy.
“I’m sorry if it’s a bit warm. I was really nervous about what to give to you, and I wanted to catch you while you were here. They’re for you,” he said.
She looked at Peter, who was still as red as a tomato. It was very sweet, but he was really nervous about it all.
“Thank you. They still look great,” she said.
They were partially melted, but he did try. At least he got an E for effort, that’s for sure.
The next time he came over, he brought her flowers. Of course, when she looked at him he had them in a vice grip, trying to avert his eyes as she looked at him.
“They’re for me?” she asked.
“Yeah. I thought you might like them,” he muttered, trying to hide the crimson that was painting his face.
She took them out of his hand, and of course the romantic gesture was partially ruined by the fact that he had the flowers in a death grip, so they were partially broken.
“Oh don’t worry, they’re still nice. Thank you,” she replied.
Peter smiled. He was really bad at this sort of thing. He heard that flowers and chocolates were kind of romantic gestures. Of course with him he always managed to screw things up when he tried. He hated that it happened in this fashion, but that’s just the way things went.
Of course, he hoped that maybe, just maybe third time was the charm. He planned to get her this pretty little necklace, and he wanted to get it for her for a while. He knew that money couldn’t buy happiness or love, but he just wanted to give her a romantic thing and he thought that it would be a sweet little romantic gesture. He went to her house, knocking on the door. Cindy came out, and Peter smiled.
“Hey there,” he said awkwardly.
“Hey Peter. What’s going on?” she asked him.
He pushed the box in front of her, but as soon as he did it flew out of his hands. He cried out, trying to save the box from the inevitable fall it was about to have as a fate, but it was too late. The box fell, and Peter looked at her with an awkward glance.
“That was for you, but I totally botched the delivery,” he said, trying to hide the shame that he felt.
She looked at him, and then looked at the box. She noticed that he did try, he was just awkward with this, and he had butter fingers. She took the box in her hands, opening it to reveal a pretty necklace that he got her.
“Wow, this is gorgeous,” she said.
“Thank you. I wanted to get you something nice, and I thought that maybe if I told you that we could discuss how we feel about one another,” he said to her. He hoped that this time she would listen to him, but then she looked at him once again.
He still felt this way about her. She didn’t know what to say to him, other than to maybe just get it over with.
“I’m sorry Peter, but I’m not ready yet. I’m not ready to get past the way we are right now,” she said.
“But what about a second chance? I’m not asking for much Cindy, I just want to maybe have a second chance with you. We can take it slow and such,” he told her.
Cindy paused. She really wanted to tell him yes. He was trying really hard, and it was cute, even though at times a bit pathetic. She shook her head though, regretting her words.
“I’m sorry Peter, but I’m not ready for this yet. I know you might think you are, but I still need some time,” she replied.
There was a pause, and Peter felt a little bit crestfallen. “Oh, okay. Well I guess I can try again next time. Do you want to maybe go out sometime this weekend?” he asked.
She looked at him, smiling warmly.
“Sure. We can get out and get into trouble together,” she said with a smile.
That Saturday, they went out to the arcade. It was the least romantic place she expected, but Peter knew that they were having a half-price token day, and it would be fun. Of course, most of the town was out doing other things surprisingly, so they were able to play some games together. Peter tried to win her this stuffed animal, but he only managed to get a little flower keychain. He still gave it to her though, because he felt like it would be the right thing. He tried to be a bit more rom
antic, even though he didn’t have the skills at skee-ball that other people had.
“Sorry I’m such a noob at these games. It’s not a fighting game so it’s not my forte,” he said.
“That’s fine. I mean, it’s the thought that counts, right?” she replied.
Of course Cindy was way better at these games than he was. She managed to get a lot of tickets, and she ended up getting the stuffed animal herself. Peter felt awkward, because he tried to be that romantic guy in the book that he read who got those fancy stuffed toys for the girl that he loved. Of course Peter only managed to get a key chain.
He did take her to get some food, although it was mostly chicken wings and some fries. It was causal, but Peter hoped that Cindy would find it sweet. After the date, they then went back to her place, and Peter smiled at her.
“Well, I hope you had a fun night,” he said.
“Yeah, it was fun getting all those tickets. I can’t believe how good I was at that,” she replied
“I was surprised as well. I need to step up my game,” he said.
She laughed. “Someday Peter. Someday,” she replied.
They looked at one another for a moment, and Peter felt his heart jump. She looked so pretty that night. She had cut her hair and dyed it red in response to the divorce, a shocking change but she still looked gorgeous. That night, her blue eyes radiated in front of him, and Peter smiled.
“You know, I still wanted to talk with you about us. I know that you think that it’s a bad idea, but I want you to be the one for me. I know that you don’t think I’m the romantic man that you deserve, and I’m trying better to be a romantic man, although I’m failing at it, but I still love you Cindy. I still love you and I’ll always be there for you. Would you ever choose to give me a second chance?” he asked.
At that moment, Cindy almost said yes. She wanted to, and at that moment, she realized that he would be the one for her. She wanted to say yes, but instead another word came out.
“I can’t Peter. I don’t want to. I refuse to hurt you again,” she replied.
Peter looked sad, but he tried to hide it with a smile. Of course Cindy could see right through his bluff.
“Well, it was worth a try. Hopefully someday you realize how I feel. I don’t want to push you, I’ll wait for you,” he said.
“Yeah. Sorry Peter, I’m just not ready for it all just yet. I’m not ready to commit to this sort of thing, and I’m still trying to get over the feelings from the past that lurk in my mind,” she told him.
He looked at her, and he nodded in assent. “I get it. Well, have a good night,” he replied.
They parted ways, and Cindy could feel the tears starting to fall down her face. She wasn’t able to forgive herself just yet, not for what she did back then. Peter would be the perfect guy for her, but she didn’t want to give him the hell that she had given to herself. He deserves someone better than her, he didn’t need her baggage, he needed someone better to help cope with the past that he suffered. She knew that he did deserve someone better. She may be pretty, she may be smart, but she didn’t feel like she was the one for him at that moment.
Of course, when she got to her room, she remembered that even though Peter was an awkward person, one who didn’t know how to be romantic if it hit him in the face, she still felt for him, and at that moment, she knew that even with everything that had gone on, she couldn’t hide the truth. She couldn’t hide the true feelings that she suffered at that exact moment. She knew for sure that she couldn’t escape this, for it was still going to be something that she was going to have to face on her own.
She loved him. No matter how much she told herself that she didn’t, she still did love him, and she knew that someday she would need to figure out how to approach these feelings, and to let Peter know how she really felt for him.
Chapter 9
David and Kelly were in their office together, both of them working hard. It had been a long day, and Cindy was helping them both out immensely. She was apparently out with Peter that night, giving them a chance to be alone.
“You know, Cindy and Peter are always around one another. I’m so shocked that they aren’t together yet,” David said.
“That’s because Cindy is still beating herself up over what had happened. I feel for her because I’ve been there before, with having a messed up love. Before we got together, it was hard on us to actually get over our pasts. I mean, I feel for her, but she should be over it by now. It’s obvious that he loves her,” Kelly said. He daughter was stubborn about her feelings, just like she was. She really liked Peter and Cindy together, and after suggesting to her daughter that he would be a fine husband, her mother was watching the two of them like a hawk, hoping that maybe, just maybe they would finally stop beating around the bush and declare their feelings for one another.
“You do realize them getting together and admitting that they’re both idiots for waiting this long is easier said than done right?” David said.
“I know that, but this is getting out of hand. I just want Cindy to realize that she’s being a fool for waiting so long, and that she should get over what happened with Tommy and get together with Peter. I prefer Peter anyways,” Kelly replied.
David looked at his wife. Sure enough, he could totally see the traits that both Cindy and her shared. He loved his wife, and his daughter definitely took up some of Kelly’s characteristics.
“We shovel form a plan. I want the two of them to get together, and I want them to stop acting like children,” David stated.
“Well, maybe we can get them out to the island that we own, and they can have a romantic time together. But how to get them out there,” Kelly replied.
It was a good plan, they just needed to make the arrangements to get them to be alone. It would be weird if they gave them airplane tickets to the island, and Peter might sense something odd from that. Cindy was so engrossed in the company right now that if that were the case, she would refuse.
“I’ve got it. I think we need to take them to the island with us. We can make them come with us on holiday, and then we can figure it out from there. I’m sure they won’t want to hang out with us old farts the whole time,” David said.
Kelly pondered this. “You’re right. We can certainly use that. I mean, I don’t know how convinced Cindy will be, but we can at least try,” Kelly replied.
They talked things over, both of them formulating a plan to get their butts in gear and get them out there. It might be easier said than done, since Cindy was a stubborn little mule and can usually see through this. Of course, it wouldn’t seem weird if they managed to convince them that this was their treat, and that they should just come with them.
A couple of weeks later, Cindy and Peter were out in the backyard together, talking and laughing about some silly little thing. David and Kelly smiled both of them about to get their plan into action. They sauntered out, and Cindy immediately looked at them with a wondering glance.
“What’s up?” she asked them.
“Hey dear, we wondered if you guys wanted to come with us to the island on holiday. I know that both of you have it off, and we could all go together. I mean, Peter is pretty much like a son to us, so we thought you two could come along,” they offered.
Cindy tried to understand what they were getting at, but Peter seemed fine with it. He wasn’t angry or anything, but rather curious about what they meant by that.
“Are you sure? We don’t want to be a bother or anything,” he offered.
“Oh nonsense! The two of you are great to have around. I mean, we’ve known you for years Peter, so it’s not like you’re some random person. We wouldn’t extend this invitation to any of Joe’s girlfriends, but the two of you are great and we do consider both of you very important. Plus, isn’t your family going out of town Peter?” Kelly asked.
Peter nodded. His mom and dad were going out of town for their anniversary.
“I don’t see the issue,” he replied.
; David and Kelly smile, both of them trying to hold back the grins that were obvious on their faces. Cindy knew that something was up, but it might just be that her family was excited to have her on their side.
“Great, we’ll be leaving next week around five pm. You’re off, right Peter?” David asked.
“Yeah. I’m ahead of schedule, so I can take off whatever days I want,” Peter replied.
“Excellent. Why don’t we all meet up here and then we can take the jet to the island?” David offered.
They made their plans, but Cindy could tell that there was something very strange going on. She wondered what her parents were getting at, but she wasn’t going to ask them outright. She would go along with their plan, at least for now.
They left on the private jet to the island that evening, and soon they were there. When they got off, Cindy grasped her bags and then looked at Peter.
“So how is this going to work?” Cindy asked.
“Well the hotel has rooms for us. You guys can have your own car. Just use the card to pay for everything. It’s on us,” David said.
“Yeah, we should—“
Before Kelly could say anything else her phone went off. She immediately lunged for it.
“Hello? Yes, it’s me. Oh dear. Well, I guess we should head there right away, we can’t let that happen,” Kelly replied.
She put the phone down, turning to her family and giving them a meek grin.
“Sorry about that, but we actually need to head on back. There’s an urgent problem with the company, and we need to tend to it right away. I’m so sorry, but it’s dire,” Kelly said.
David smiled at his wife. “Oh I’m sure these two will be fine. I mean, they can’t get into that much trouble, can they?” he asked his wife.
“Oh I’m sure they won’t. We’ll see you when you get back,” she told Cindy and Peter.
Before Cindy could respond, her parents headed back onto the private jet. The jet took off, leaving the two of them alone. She looked at Peter, feeling annoyed by everything.
