Distance

by Andrea Heltsley

  Mom’s car was here and I was actually looking forward to talking with her. I hurried in the house, shutting the front door behind me. She was sitting on the couch, feet tucked under, watching another Lifetime movie. I smiled at the familiarity of the sight before me and knew it would make me sad to miss out on little things like this.

  “Hey, Mom, how was work?”

  “Oh, honey, it was good, but I missed you.”

  Tears sprung in her eyes and I was flooded with sympathy for her. “I love you, but what are you going to do when I leave tomorrow? I’m not going to be around anymore except on holidays.”

  This just caused her to cry harder. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight until she calmed down.

  “I know, I’m just going to miss you so much. It’s always just been you and me, kiddo.”

  “Maybe you should start dating again. I know it’s been a long while, but it’s time. You need to be happy and just going to work and coming home won’t do. I’m only telling you this because I love you.”

  “I don’t know, but I promise to think about it, Lexi. Now, get changed and let’s watch a movie together. You smell like coffee.”

  “Yeah, I spilled coffee all over myself earlier. I’ll be right back.”

  She nodded and I hurried to my room to get dressed into something much more comfortable. After taking my phone out of my purse afterward, I noticed I had a few texts. Of course, they were from none other than Elena.

  Only about fourteen more hours bitch!

  I’m ready, can’t wait to get on the road

  Seeing her talk about it only made me that much more excited. This was going to be a journey that I would remember, just like my summer. Shaking all thoughts of Mason out of my mind, I replied before returning to the living room.

  I’ll be at your house at seven. I hope you’re ready for this

  When I sat back down next to Mom, she had cleaned herself up and was waiting for me. “What are we going to watch?” I asked.

  “I thought I’d let you choose the movie since it’s our last one together.”

  “Don’t go getting weepy again. I think we need something happy. We don’t need any unnecessary crying. How about we watch a comedy?”

  Several hours later and a lot of laughs between Mom and me, we decided to pack up the trailer so it wouldn’t have to be done in the morning. It only took us about an hour and I was thrilled to be finished. My body was sore and I was so ready for a steaming hot shower.

  Still disgusted by the sight of the purple bruises spread across my body, I dressed and got into bed. I called it lights out in no time. Even as excited as I was, my tired body molded to the bed and I slipped into slumber.

  Wednesday morning came way too early. My eyes fluttered open and I tried to figure out what woke me. Mom was supposed to get me up at six so I could get ready. Looking toward the door, I noticed through the darkness that it was still shut.

  A buzzing noise drew my attention from the entrance to my room to my nightstand. It was my phone all lit up and going off. I must have forgotten to turn on the ringer last night.

  Crap, what time was it? Was I running late? Suddenly aware, I snatched the phone and pressed the button.

  “Hullo?” I mumbled.

  “Lexi May, get up! It’s time to get ready. I’m waiting!”

  “Gah, you scared the crap out of me, Elena. What time is it? Am I late? Mom didn’t wake me up like she was supposed to.”

  “Nah, your fine, I’m just excited. It’s five-forty-seven a.m. I didn’t want you to be late and all. We still have to pack up my boxes before we get on the road.”

  “It’s not even six yet! You are insane. I’ll be there in a little while. I have to get ready and say goodbye to Mom first.”

  “Okay, but get here soon. I want to get a head start since it’s such a long drive. Maybe we can get there a little early.”

  I rolled my eyes at her hastiness. She was so crazy about punctuality that sometimes she went a little overboard.

  “See you soon.”

  Before she could say anything else, I hit end on the call and got out of bed. Yawning, I made my way to the last open box and got dressed in whatever was comfy in it. We would be driving all day and didn’t plan on stopping until night time.

  Mom must have heard me up because as I finished in the bathroom, I practically ran smack into her. She gave me a big tackle hug and then we headed toward the kitchen for breakfast.

  I talked with my mom one last time. I didn’t think she was going to let me go. She cried and I cried and we were both a big mess. I didn’t leave until we had both pulled ourselves together and our eyes were dry.

  I couldn’t believe this was really happening. I was leaving home and it was thrilling and scary at the same time.

  It took me a few more minutes than normal to get to Elena’s but I was still early for once. Of course, Elena was sitting on the porch drinking a cup of coffee, with all her boxes stacked up on the sidewalk.

  I chuckled and parked in front of the house, blocking the driveway so I could get close to her stuff.

  “Good morning! Help me pack up so we can go.”

  Her enthusiasm was contagious and soon excitement was bubbling up from within. We filled the trailer up with her boxes and closed the door. It was time.

  Elena’s parents waived goodbye from the door as we got into Polly, starting her engine up. With one final wave, we took off in the direction of the highway and toward our destination.

  Both of us were quiet as we left, entranced in our own thoughts. Elena was staring out the window and I was concentrating on driving.

  My mind drifted to my memories of the summer. I knew that a relationship with Mason couldn’t withstand the distance between us, but that didn’t stop us from cherishing the little time we had together.

  Then it dawned on me. I didn’t want to let Mason go, so maybe I didn’t have to. I was falling in love with such an amazing guy and here I was, shutting down that hope. I owed it to myself to want more. More Mason, more love. Could we make it work with the distance? I hadn’t thought of the positive before, but there was Skype, Snapchat and even Facebook. There was only one way to find out and that was to try.

  Polly had only made it two exits down before my thoughts took their turn. I exited off the highway and looped around, getting on it from the opposite direction.

  Elena looked confused. “What in the heck are you doing, Lexi May?”

  “I’m doing what I should have done before, salvaging my relationship with Mason.”

  “Awe, it’s cute to see you come to your senses and finally take control of life. Just so you know; I’m rooting for the two of you, even if it puts a cramp in our plans for the semester.”

  Then a thought stopped me. “It just occurred to me that I don’t know where he lives. We’ve never hung out there. What do I do now?”

  “Hold on, I’ll text Tate and ask.”

  We got the answer just in time. A few seconds longer and I would have passed right by the exit. Leaving the highway, we made our way through the suburbs just outside of the city.

  The yards were perfect, all watered, green and freshly cut. All the houses looked similar, but way nicer than anything I had. When the GPS stopped us at the right address, we were facing a two story house with large white columns on the front of it. Nice.

  I practically skipped towards the front door with Elena trailing behind me. I rang the doorbell twice, in rapid succession. Maybe I was a little too excited.

  It seemed like ages before a rotund, bald man answered the door. He looked angry. I would have normally shrunk back from the response, but I was too hopeful.

  “Hi, I’m looking for your son. Is he home?”

  The man frowned and shook his head. He hollered over his shoulder before walking away. The door was still open so I stood there patiently waiting with Elena behind me.

  When someone came back to the door, fear gripped me. It was a cute blond girl with a button
nose. She was wearing a robe, no doubt having stayed the night.

  I couldn’t believe it; he didn’t even wait until I was gone to move on. Tears began to form. Before I was able to stop them, they leaked out and ran down my cheeks.

  The girl frowned. “Are you okay?”

  Thankfully, Elena jumped in. “We were looking for Mason. Sorry to have bothered you all.”

  Elena grasped my elbow and began guiding me back the way we came. When the girl spoke, it stopped us in our tracks.

  “You’ve got the wrong house. Our houses are a number different. He lives about seven houses down on the left. Sorry to have upset you, but in my defense, it’s insanely early.”

  She looked genuine and hope surged through me once again. “Thank you so much and sorry to have woken you!”

  The blond girl nodded and shut the door. Elena and I hurried down the drive, anxious to make it to the right house.”

  She was right though, it was hella early. I hoped his parents weren’t home. I was too shaky, so Elena jumped into the driver’s seat and we headed down the street to the house we were directed to.

  The houses looked almost the same, but I knew it was really his house from the mustang sitting in the driveway. A new surge of hope filled me. He was home, this was really happening. The idea of things working out overshadowed any thoughts I had of him actually shooting the idea down.

  Elena tugged me towards the front door when I was suddenly hit with a wave of panic. I looked terrible. My comfy clothes and lack of makeup weren’t exactly how I planned to sway a sexy guy. Maybe we should go back to my house to fix me up. Then I remembered my makeup was all packed up and so was everything else I owned.

  It was too late, anyways. Elena was finished tugging me to the front door and had already rung the bell. She gave me a quick sideways hug and then stepped behind me.

  When the door opened, excitement flooded me. It was Mason, really there, in front of me. He looked like he just rolled out of bed, wearing basketball shorts and a white tee. I took a second to visually memorize every part of him.

  “Hey, Mason, sorry to wake you so early. Do you have time to talk for a minute?”

  He smiled hesitantly. “Sure, anything for you, Lexi.”

  Mason opened the door wider to let me pass. I remembered Elena was with me and turned around. She was walking towards the car, though. No doubt, she wanted to give us some privacy.

  I stepped into the massive foyer and he led me into the sitting room just off to the right of the foyer. We sat on a fluffy white leather couch, a few inches apart. I badly wanted to close the distance between us, but doubt filled me. What if he didn’t want the same thing? Maybe he had changed his mind. There was only one way to find out.

  Taking a deep breath, I spoke. “I’m sorry to wake you up so early, but we were on our way out and I had to see you. Mason, I don’t want to end things. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me and I can’t lose that.”

  He didn’t respond and I grew nervous. Suddenly, I was swept into his arms and his lips met mine. The kiss was gentle and full of emotion. The connection between us was insane. I was crazy to think I could give him up.

  After we were both breathless, he pulled away. Our foreheads were pressed together as we both tried to regain composure.

  “I’d love nothing better than to be with you. I never wanted things to end. I know it’s going to be tough, but if we want it bad enough, it can work.”

  “I’m sorry I doubted us. In truth, I’m completely in love with you.”

  We broke apart long enough for him to shoot me a smile full of warmth and pull me in for another melting kiss. I savored every moment of it, hoping it would get me through the hard times.

  “I love you too, Lexi. Remember, we’re worth fighting for.”

  How do you define a happy ending? Do you measure it by power, money, friendship, health, love, or something else? Nothing is ever black and white. Most of us blend the two into gray, treasuring a little bit of both.

  For me, it’s power to leave my old life behind. It is coming out changed for the better. Every day I’m grateful for my health and the friendships I’ve made. I also learned how to love this summer. Yes, I’ll miss Mason but we get to Skype, Snapchat and email. I feel like we’re in a good place now. There is hope.

  This is a new period in my life and I look forward to every minute of it. That’s my happy ending.

  Want more Mason and Lexi?

  Keep reading for a sneak peek at the sequel,

  Distance Between You and Me.

  2 Years Later

  College, a wedding, and an epic road trip.

  More love and laughs coming in 2015

  Distance Between You and Me

  Wedding

  I SAT IN the gold velvet wingback chair, my dress arranged delicately. Today I would wear white. The dress that filled my dreams, yet I wasn’t sure I deserved.

  As the trees turned their final colors of yellows, oranges and reds, I allowed myself to reminisce of another time and place.

  I had my eyes closed and was taking calming breaths when I felt someone sit down next to me. Thank God, Elena got my text and had found me. Now we could go home. I leaned into her and an unfamiliar scent flooded my senses. Whoever this was, it wasn’t Elena. This person smelled like the forest after the rain, clean and wonderful.

  Quickly, I pulled myself away and opened my eyes in alarm. I wasn’t prepared for what I found. A guy about my age was sitting next to me. His brown hair was messy and his green eyes were watching me with curiosity. I could see the planes of his fit body through his thin black shirt. He was beyond gorgeous. It was too bad I wasn’t dating anytime soon. This guy was a god among men.

  My thoughts jumped back to reality and I sat there like a deer in the headlights. Who was this guy and why was he sitting here next to me, practically in the dark?

  “Don’t worry, I won’t bite. My name’s Mason. I was headed toward the party when I saw you sitting here. You looked so sad, I couldn’t just walk past. I have a complex for damsels in distress,” he said, cracking a smile.

  His voice was so soothing, it calmed me instantly. I don’t know why I let him comfort me; I had no desire to get to know him. I didn’t want to be around guys at all. He was not in my plan.

  “Hi, I’m Lexi. Sorry about this, I’m just having a straight-up rotten night. This party blows, but my best friend is having a blast so I’m sort of stuck and I’m oh so lucky as to be the designated driver tonight.”

  Just a second ago, I wanted to run, but looking at him, I couldn’t. He had me captured in those green eyes. I didn’t know why I was confiding in him. Mason was a stranger. I couldn’t explain it; he just put me at ease and made me comfortable, like a kinship of some sort.

  “Well, Lexi, I hate it when I have a bad day. There’s only one remedy for that. Come on, trust me. You’ll feel much better after a walk and some fresh air.”

  I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with me, but I felt safe with him. I was somehow sure he wasn’t going to hurt me. I nodded and grabbed the hand he held out for me. Once I was vertical again, I had to look up to see Mason. He was so tall, probably six foot two if I had to guess.

  His smile was warm as he laced his fingers with mine and led me down the street, the opposite way of the party. My palms still stung from my earlier fall, but I didn’t care. Mason just seemed so laid back, relaxed. It was infectious. I found myself calming down and coming back to reality.

  Mason looked at me in confusion. “So, Lexi, why are you at this party? I don’t think we’ve met before. I definitely would’ve remembered you.”

  “I went to North with Henry. I would have remembered you too. I’m sure we’ve never met before. Why are you at this party?” I countered.

  “I went to Central, but I’ve known Henry for most of my life. Our moms are good friends.”

  We turned the corner, walking past another mansion; this one was sparsely lit. I returned my focus back to him
. I could feel the buzzing between us as our hands were bound. I tried my best to ignore it and focus on him.

  “You went to Central. When did you graduate?”

  “I graduated in the spring actually, what about you?”

  I smiled at him as we walked. “I did too. I’m so glad to get out of high school.”

  “Why are you the designated driver tonight? You look like you could have used the fun time out, no offense.”

  “I tend to get emotional when I’m drunk and I just had a bad breakup. In my best interest, Elena gets to drink tonight and I’m here for moral support.”

  He frowned slightly at that comment. Gah, even frowning looked sexy on the guy. “Where’s Elena now? Shouldn’t she be here with you?”

  “She was dancing, and I got tired. I stepped outside for some fresh air and, well, that wasn’t my best idea. I just sort of took off and she hasn’t responded to my texts yet,” I said, holding up my phone.

  “Well I’m sorry for whatever happened. Maybe you should find Elena and take her home. It’s not fair for her to make you suffer tonight if you’re not having a good time. That’s friendship one-o-one.”

  “Thank you, I needed that. I think I will get her home. Thanks so much for walking with me and taking my mind off things. I’m glad I met you, Mason.”

  A corner of his lips turned up into a sexy half smile and he nodded. “Well then, let’s get you back to the party to find your friend.”

  I’m not sure what made me think of that first moment between us, but it was a happy memory and I held it close to my heart for safe keeping.

  I was pulled out of my revelry by the sound of the door opening and then clicking shut. Hearing the swish of a dress, it could only be one person; Elena. Turning and pasting on a smile, she eyed me and sighed.

  “You were spacing out on me, weren’t you?”