by Beth Maria
Rushing to sit next to her, I pull her into a hug. “No, it’s not wrong for you to be happy, Chlo. But you shouldn’t settle for the first person that makes you happy. You should settle for someone who treats you as his world, and you treat them back the same. You may feel like that won’t happen, but it will. I promise. Look at me and Jesse. I didn’t think I’d ever meet someone I could trust again after Matt, but I have, and you will too. So please, don’t settle for anything more than the best.”
She sniffles, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “You’re right. I think I need to end it with Evan then. I mean, he’s a really nice guy, but he’s not for me.” In other words, he’s not my brother.
“I think it’s for the best, Chlo.” My cell rings, distracting me from what I was going to say. Jesse’s calling. “One minute,” I say to Chloe, answering the phone. “Hi.”
“Hi, sweetheart. I’m downstairs.” Just hearing his voice brings a smile to my face.
“I’ll be down in a minute. Just talking to Chloe.”
“Okay. See you in a minute.” Disconnecting the call, I look at a Chloe. Her perfectly made up face now has make-up smeared all down it.
“I take it Jesse’s downstairs?” Chloe asks, reaching for the tissues and blowing her nose.
“Yeah, he is. I don’t want to leave you when you’re like this, though.” I want to be there for her like she is for me.
“Don’t be silly. I can look after myself. You go have fun with your boyfriend,” she says, trying to smile for my sake. I can see right through it, though.
“I won’t be back late. Then we can talk about this more if you want?” I say, picking up my denim jack.
“Yeah, okay. You better go, or you’re going to be late,” she says, pushing me toward the door. I laugh at her eagerness to get rid of me.
“See you later,” I say, walking down the hallway.
“Have fun!” she shouts down the hall, closing the door behind her. Now that I haven’t got anything to focus on, my nerves are back full force. My body is shaking, and my palms sweating when I open the door downstairs and step out into the breezy air. At least if I do sweat from nerves, the breeze will be able to dry it. Not a very lady like thought, but it’s all I have right now.
“Hey, hey, sexy!” Jesse catcalls out loud. Damn him. Now, I’m bright red as well as sweaty.
Jesse is standing in his usual spot, leaning against his bike, but something’s different about him… He doesn’t have his leather jacket on. He has a red and white flannel shirt that is unbuttoned, showing the white top underneath. Everything else about him is the same, but my heart still beats fast like that first time I saw him. Snapping out of my Jesse haze, the heat in my cheeks reminds me of what he’s just done. I give him the stink eye, take the helmet from his hands, and climb onto his bike, ignoring him the whole time.
“Are you ignoring me, firecracker?” he asks, standing next to me and laughing. I don’t find it funny right now. Usually, I probably would, but my nerves are making me tense.
“Yes,” I say, still not looking at him.
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” he says, touching my arm. My bad mood instantly vanishes, just from his touch. It’s like he has magical powers. He probably does. Feeling bad about the way I acted, I take the helmet off so I can see him better.
“No, it’s okay. I’m just nervous to meet your mom. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. You were only joking around.” I give him a smile to let him know I’m sorry.
“Don’t be nervous. I know it’s scary meeting the parents, well, in my case, parent, but my mom is excited to meet you. She’s not scary. Trust me. She’s the most amazing woman, and you will love her. I know you will. If you’re not ready for this, though, just tell me. I can explain it to my mom,” he says seriously, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I lean my face into his palm, reveling in his touch.
“No, I want to meet your mom. I’m just scared. I’m sure as soon as I meet her, I will be fine. Come on. Let’s go before we’re late,” I say, moving my head from his palm. I miss his touch straight away.
“As soon as I do this,” he says, moving forward and placing a kiss on my lips. Oh God, I’ve missed his kisses. I just saw him yesterday too. The kiss ends way too soon and, before I know it, he’s moving to straddle his bike and wrapping my arms around him. If I could have my way, I’d kiss him forever. His lips are so addictive. At least, I still get to touch him. Feeling his ripped abs through my hands, I sigh in contentment. He is my home. I feel whole again, now that I’m with him.
****
All too soon, we’re pulling up outside a two-story house. I’m guessing this is Jesse’s home. It’s nice looking, not too huge or too small. It’s just the right size for the two of them. They obviously take good care of their home, as the garden has been decorated beautifully. Flowers of all colors are spread around the outside of the grass.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” Jesse says, pointing me in the direction of his home.
“It’s beautiful,” I tell him, and I mean it. I can see myself living in a house just like this when I’m older.
“Come on. Mom’s probably got dinner ready,” he says. He grabs my hand, and we walk toward the front door.
It opens just as we reach it. Standing there is a woman roughly the same height as me, who looks to be in her forties. I’m guessing it’s his mother. She has brown hair shaped in a bob, dark brown eyes with flecks of gold, and gentle facial features. I wouldn’t be able to tell that this is Jesse’s mom if it wasn’t for her eyes. They are the spitting image of Jesse’s. It calms me instantly, looking into eyes like the ones I love so much.
“You must be Maisie. Aren’t you just beautiful?” she says, pulling me into her embrace. I awkwardly hug her back. I’m not used to this sort of affection from strangers. As I pull away, I try to smile my bravest smile, though I’m sure I just look deranged.
“That is me,” I say, laughing awkwardly. Why the hell did I just say that? Obviously, I’m Maisie. I’m such an idiot.
“Come on. Let’s get you inside. Don’t want you standing here all night,” she says, obviously ignoring my stupid comment. Great first impression, Maisie.
Jesse’s mom shows me to the couch, where I awkwardly sit down on the edge.
“You have a beautiful house, Mrs Cohen,” I say, trying to show her that I’m normal.
“Oh, please, call me Anna,” she says, waving her hand in the air.
“You have a beautiful house, Anna,” I say, testing her name out. I’m sure I will get used to it after a while.
“Thank you. Jesse helps keep it maintained. He’s such a good boy.” I can see pride beaming in her eyes as she talks about her son. She obviously adores him. It’s a lovely thing to witness. Looking over at Jesse, I see the same look in his eyes, directed at his mom. I knew they were close, but this proves just how close they are.
“Yes, he is.” I smile at Jesse. My earlier nerves have vanished. He was right. I already love his mom, and I’ve only been here five minutes. I don’t know what I was worrying about.
“I hope you like spaghetti and meatballs. I know it’s not very adventurous, but it’s my specialty,” Anna says, standing up and walking into the kitchen.
“I love spaghetti and meatballs. Thank you.”
Jesse moves to sit next to me, squeezing my leg in comfort. I smile over at him, thankful for thinking about me.
“You were right. I love your mom already,” I tell him honestly. A smile lights up his face.
“I’m glad. It sure does make things a lot easier. Could you imagine if you hated each other? I’d be torn.” We both laugh at that. The image going through my head is hilarious; me and Anna using Jesse as a human tug of war, fighting for him.
“I just had an image of me and your mom using you as a human tug of war,” I say, still laughing. That just makes Jesse laugh harder.
“You come out with the most random things. It’s why I love you, though.
” My laughter dies on my lips. Did he just say that he loves me? He couldn’t have. I must have misheard him.
“You l-l-love me?” I stutter out. I think I must be in shock. We’ve only been together a week. He can’t love me yet.
His face pales at my question. He must have not have realized what he said. “Oh shit. I didn’t mean for it to come out this way. I was going to wait a little longer. I know we’ve only been together a week, but yes. I do love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I first saw you on the sidewalk.”
“Oh…” I say, not really knowing what to say back. I don’t know if I love him yet. It’s too soon.
“You don’t have to say it back. Like I said, I was going to wait, but you know now.” I can’t swallow with the mammoth sized lump which has lodged itself in my throat. Fuck, fuck, fuckedity, fuck. What do I say now? Can I just run out of the house, all the way back to the dorms, lock the door, and never leave? I really feel like doing that right now, but running doesn’t solve anything. I’ve learnt that the hard way.
“I’m not ready yet,” I whisper, looking anywhere but into his eyes.
“And that’s okay. I didn’t expect you to say it yet anyway. Let’s go see if my mom has finished dinner yet,” Jesse says, standing up. He grabs my hand, and we walk into the kitchen.
I’m thankful for the distraction. That conversation was intense. I love you is the last thing I was expecting to hear him say, but he always shocks me because he’s always unpredictable. Now things are going to be awkward between us.
“Dinner’s nearly ready. Sit down if you would like,” Anna says, pointing at the ready made table. I need to keep busy to distract myself. Plus, I can’t look at Jesse right now. I’m too shocked.
“Do you need help with anything?” Please say yes.
“You can dish up the spaghetti while I finish off the sauce, if you want.” Anna says, smiling at me. Thank you, God.
“Okay.” I pick up the saucepan and dish the spaghetti evenly onto the plates.
I can’t hide from Jesse forever. Eventually, we are going to be alone and will have to address the situation. I’m just not ready yet. I’ll think about that when we’re alone later.
Jesse
Why the fuck did I have to open my big mouth and say I love you? I knew she wouldn’t be ready to hear that, but I wasn’t thinking and just said it. I’m such an asshole.
Since I said it, she’s been keeping her distance from me. I’m sure my mom can sense the tension between us, but if she does, she isn’t saying anything. I just hope it doesn’t ruin us. I can’t lose her, not now. I’ve got a taste of what it feels like to love someone, and I don’t want to lose that feeling. I especially don’t want to lose Maisie.
After Maisie helped my mom serve up dinner, we sat down at the table, the conversation flowing easily. I knew they would get on, and they have. It makes me happy to see the two most important people in my life getting along, laughing and joking with each other. It’s like they’ve known each other for years. I can tell my mom loves her just as much as I do. She’s a very loveable person, which is why I fell in love with her so quickly.
After dinner, Maisie offers to help Mom wash up the dishes. Thankfully, Mom shoos her away, saying that we have a dish washer, so it won’t take her long. I see Maisie’s face fall, and it makes my heart break. She clearly doesn’t want to be alone with me. I need to sort this out, and fast. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her, but I have. I’m so pissed with myself.
I have a few minutes to sort it out with her before my mom comes back in. Plopping down on the sofa next to her, I turn her head to face me, giving her no choice but to look at me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it, but I can’t take it back now. Please, don’t be upset with me. It’s breaking my heart here, Maisie. Please forgive me?” I say, my eyes pleading with her to forgive me. She doesn’t say anything, just carries on staring and occasionally swallowing. I’ve really fucked up, haven’t I? “Please?” I try again.
She blinks at me a few times. It’s fucking adorable. I don’t want to not be able to look into her eyes again or witness her quirky behaviour.
It feels like minutes pass, when it’s probably only seconds, before she finally speaks. “Okay,” she whispers. Did she say okay?
“Sorry?” I ask, hoping she will repeat it louder this time. I want to be sure that my ears aren’t playing tricks on me.
“Okay. I forgive you,” she says louder this time. I think my heart just stopped beating. Thank fuck, I’m not going to lose her. I want to shout from the rooftops right now. Instead, I grab her face, kissing it all over. “Thank you.” Kiss. “Thank you.” Kiss. “Thank you.” Kiss. I repeat this over and over again. This makes her laugh. God, I’ve missed her laugh. It’s been an hour since I’ve been able to hear it because of my actions. I never want to go that long without hearing that sound again.
Coughing to my right stops me mid kiss. My mom is standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a shit eating grin on her face. She’s never seen this side of me before, so it must come as a shock; a good shock, though, it seems.
“Don’t mind me. I’ll go back into the kitchen if I’m interrupting,” she says, trying not to laugh.
“It’s okay. Everything is sorted now,” I say, being vague. I’m sure my mom understands what I mean, but I don’t want Maisie to think she was too obvious with her being distant from me.
“Maisie, would you like to see some baby pictures of Jesse? He was the most adorable baby.” Oh shit. I was hoping she wouldn’t get them out. She has a few of me nude in the photo albums. Now, Maisie’s going to see my cock, albeit my baby cock, though she should see what it looks like now before seeing what it used to look like. The photos won’t give her a good impression.
“Do we…”
“I’d love to,” Maisie says, interrupting me. Fuck. Do I have to stay here and watch her witness this?
“Great! Let me just go and get them.” My mom goes up the stairs to retrieve them from her bedroom.
“This is going to be embarrassing,” I mumble into my hands. A hand touches my back, startling me.
“It can’t be that bad, can it?” Maisie asks quietly into my ear. God, she’s stealthy. I didn’t know she was right next to my ear. I usually hear everything, meaning nobody can creep up on me. I’m going to have to be extra careful with Maisie. She seems a pro at it.
“Oh, you just wait,” I say vaguely.
Mom saves me from having to explain. Maisie’s going to see them anyway, and then she will understand why I’m acting like I am. I can’t stay here to watch. I have to get out of here.
Standing up, I stretch, showing off my abs on purpose. This will remind Maisie how much of a man I am now. Looking at Maisie, who is trying not to stare at my abs, I lean down and wink at her. Her cheeks flame red instantly. Oh yeah, she likes what she sees alright.
Leaning close to her ear, I whisper so only she can hear, “If you’re lucky, I might let you have a touch later.” I hear her swallow in response. She’s affected alright. Standing up straight, I wink at her again, a smirk playing on my lips. “I’m going outside. I have a call to make.” I don’t wait for a reply from them. Stepping out the front door, I leave a flustered Maisie with my mom. I’m such a jerk, but I love it, and so does she.
I have about ten minutes to spare. Might as well give Brandon a call. We haven’t seen each other much recently, since I’ve been with Maisie. I feel bad as we usually see each other every day. We’re usually inseparable, but since Maisie came along, I’ve sort of ditched him. I’m a shitty friend.
Pulling out my cell, I dial his number and wait for him to pick up.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Brandon answers, sarcasm dripping from his voice. I deserve it.
“Just calling to see how my best bud is?”
“Oh, so you remember who I am now, huh?” I deserve that one too.
“I’m sorry I haven’t really spent time with you for a few days, but I have
other commitments as well now,” I reply.
“A few days? I haven’t seen or heard from you for a week. The only time I see you is at practice, and that’s because you have to be there.” If he’s trying to make me feel shittier than I already feel, it’s working.
“I’m sorry, Brandon, I really am. Do you want to do something tonight? I could come round for a few beers?” I say hopefully.
“Aren’t you going to be too busy with your new piece of ass?” Brandon says, venom dripping from his voice. He’s just over stepped the mark.
Starting to see red, I say in my most deadly voice, “Don’t you dare talk about Maisie like that. She’s not just some piece of ass. She’s my girlfriend. I’ll beat the shit out of you if you talk trash like that about her again, whether you’re my friend or not. Got it?”
“Whoa, chill, will you? You’re really serious about her, aren’t you?” he asks surprised.
“Yes, I am. She’s the one, Brandon. I’ve never felt this way before.” I sound like a woman. I don’t care, though. It’s the truth. I’ll tell the whole world if I have to.
“Wow. I never thought you’d settle down. No offence,” he says. No offence taken. I never thought I’d settle down either. “Well, I’m happy for you then, bro. At least I know you’re not just ditching me just to get laid.” We both laugh at that.
“So, how about those beers tonight?” I ask again.
“Yeah, that’s cool. Mine at say nine?”
“I’ll be there. Get them in the fridge, so they’re nice and cold for me.” There’s nothing worse than a warm beer.
“Got it, boss. Until later,” Brandon says, ending the call.
They must be done by now, I think as I put my cell phone away. I’ll give it a few more minutes, just to be safe.
Making my way back into the house five minutes later, I hear laughing. Maybe they aren’t done yet. Fuck. I’ll just have to brave it out then. “What are you two laughing about?” I ask, entering the living room. I don’t see any photo albums out, which is a good sign.
