500 Days

by Jessica Miller

  “Whoa, easy there.” I instinctively took a step back. “You okay?”

  I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear nervously. “Yeah, you just startled me.”

  “Hungry?” he asked, walking out into the kitchen.

  “No,” I replied. I followed him. He opened the fridge and offered me some water. I took it. Neither of us spoke for what felt like an eternity.

  “When I woke and saw you gone, I thought maybe you snuck out on me.” Casper rested his elbows on the small, granite island. When he looked up at me he smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. I twisted his shirt in my hands unsure how to answer. “So, you were trying to sneak out.” He pushed back off the island. Even though he kept the smile I could see disappointment in his eyes. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s not the first time you gave me the slip.”

  I looked at him confused.

  “Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.”

  “What are you talking about?” I thought maybe he was still drunk.

  “You really don’t know, do you?”

  I shook my head having no clue. He didn’t say anything else. I decided to move this along. I didn’t know how to say what I needed to without making it awkward. I wanted to be honest so I went with the friend’s speech. “We’re friends, right?”

  He rubbed his chin, contemplating his next words carefully. “I wouldn’t exactly call us friends.”

  I leaned to the side annoyed. “Then how about we give it a try?”

  “What would you call last night then?”

  That question I wasn’t exactly prepared to answer. I didn’t know the reply. I went with the best response, one I thought he would want to hear and wasn’t far from the truth. “Two people who got really drunk and let things go further than they should.” I looked up to see him swallow the lump in his throat. “Look Cas, even though we bicker more than talk, I would consider you a friend and I don’t want a drunken mistake to ruin what we have.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “A love, hate relationship?” I joked, hoping to ease some of the tension.

  He looked perplexed, like he wasn’t sure how to respond. He let out a small sigh. “Relax Alex, you take everything so seriously. You’re acting like I’m looking for a commitment. Trust me when I say I’m not that guy and even if I was I wouldn’t date you.”

  “Why not?” I asked a little offended.

  “You’re not my type,” he winked. I laughed, giving him a playful shove. “I do like the friend idea though.”

  “Yeah?”

  He nodded and I relaxed a little. “How about we celebrate our new found friendship with breakfast?”

  “I don’t know...”

  “Come on, you got to be hungry. I certainly worked up an appetite.” He smiled, making my cheeks flush hot.

  “I could eat,” I said, rubbing my grumbling belly. “What you got?”

  “I was thinking more on the lines of going out for breakfast.”

  I lifted his baggy shirt. “I’m not really dressed for breakfast and the only shoes I have with me are my heels. They don’t really go good with sweats.”

  “Hmm, I suppose you’re right.” He scratched his chin, thinking. “How about I run out quick and get us something?”

  “You don’t have to do that.” I pushed my hand on my stomach to mask the grumbling so he wouldn’t feel bad.

  “I don’t want you to starve because my roommates are too lazy to go to the grocery store. There’s a place right down the street. Why don’t you hang out with Lucky while I go get something that’s not been rotting in the fridge for a month?”

  I creased my brow. “Lucky?”

  “Your present.”

  “You named him Lucky?”

  “Yeah,” he said a little bashfully and then cleared his throat, embarrassed. “The vet said he was lucky I found him when I did. He could have been a lot worse off. So I thought it was kind of fitting. You can change it if you want. I just thought I should call him something besides ‘Damn Cat’.”

  I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “No, I like Lucky.” He smiled and I followed him back to his room. I tried not to stare at his body or show my disappointment when he got dressed. He caught me watching in the mirror and I quickly averted my eyes and put my attention on Lucky. Once again I could feel my cheeks get red.

  I spent the next twenty minutes playing with my new kitty until Casper returned. Then I joined him in the kitchen. “I didn’t know what you liked so I got a bit of everything.” He wasn’t kidding. There were eggs, pancakes, French toast, waffles, bacon, and sausage. He poured me a glass of orange juice and then took plates out of the cabinet and settled down in front of me. “Dig in.” He handed me a plate.

  “I don’t know where to start.” I loved breakfast food so I was in heaven. I started with the French toast and then some eggs. Lucky was sitting in my lap and he kept trying to sneak food off my plate. “I think someone else is hungry.” Casper took out a saucer and placed it on the counter and then poured some milk into it. Lucky purred like crazy as his little tongue lapped up the milk. “Oh, wait.” I grabbed Lucky and pulled him away from the milk making him meow at me. “Put some water in the milk to dilute it. I heard straight milk isn’t good for them.” I could tell Casper wasn’t a hundred percent agreeable, but he did it anyway. Lucky clawed at me in excitement to get back to his milk. Once he was settled I dug into my breakfast.

  “Did you have fun last night?” I almost choked on my eggs. “I meant at your party,” he clarified.

  “Oh, yes. I had a great time, thank you.” He creased his brows. “Declan told me you planned the whole thing. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I owed you.”

  “Consider your debt paid in full.” He blushed slightly. “I think you might be Jaxson’s new best friend.”

  He chuckled. “How mad are you going to be if I told you I hooked your brother up with one of my friends?”

  I almost dropped my fork. “Which one?”

  “Which friend or which brother?”

  “Both,” I glared.

  He tried to hide his smile. “Jaxson. I figured everyone should get some on their birthday.” I eyed him suspiciously. He smiled slyly while piling more pancakes on his plate. I just shook my head and finished my breakfast.

  “It must have been hard being the only girl growing up with three brothers.”

  “Four, remember. I have another brother, Jack. He’s in the marines and currently stationed in Iraq.”

  “Sorry he had to miss your birthday.”

  I shrugged. “I’m used to it. Besides, I got to see him in June. He was able to make it home for Jacob’s graduation.”

  “I’m sure your parents are proud of Jack.” I put down my fork, no longer hungry.

  He sat up straight. “I’m sorry, I forgot.”

  I fidgeted with my hair trying to think of a way to get around the subject. “It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

  “You want to talk about it?” I shook my head no. Sensing my unease, he switched topics. He gave me a small smile. I felt a flutter in my stomach and I instinctively placed my hand over my belly. “You okay?” he asked, noticing my slight discomfort.

  “I think I just ate too much.” I pounded my chest and let out a loud burp. “Excuse me,” I said sweetly. He looked at me eyes wide, not believing that manly burp actually came out of me. “Four brothers,” I reminded him.

  “That was kind of weak,” he teased. I looked at him strange. “You forget our first date.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call that a date.”

  “Oh, no? What would you call it then?”

  “A horrible disaster.”

  “Oh come on. It wasn’t that bad.” I raised a brow at him. “It paved the way for our new found friendship.”

  I laughed, making my side hurt. He scooped up Lucky and then came around the other side of the breakfast bar and held out his hand. He pulled me down the hall and into
his bedroom. Kicking off his shoes, he sat on the bed and placed Lucky beside him. He took off his shirt and then his pants; he pulled back the blanket and slipped his legs in.

  “Come on,” he patted the spot next to him. My body stilled, not understanding what he was trying to do. I thought we had established we were going to try the friend thing, but clearly he thought maybe he could try to push for friends with benefits.

  “What…are you doing?”

  “Taking a nap. You said you didn’t feel good so I thought you would like to lie down for a while and I thought you would be more comfortable in here than on the couch.”

  “Why don’t you sleep on the couch then?” I crossed my arms and waited for him to try to use an excuse out of this one.

  “Because this is my bed. You should be thankful I’m being nice enough to share.” I rolled my eyes and walked over to join him. I felt a small tingle when I climbed into the bed next to him. It was like my body was excited with the prospect of just lying next to him. Traitor body.

  I pulled the covers up to my shoulder and turned on my side. He rolled over and did the same, allowing Lucky to squeeze his way in between us. His eyes turned dark, just the way they did right before he kissed me last night. I felt that flutter in my stomach again and I swallowed. “So, um, you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked, needing a distraction.

  “I have two sisters and two brothers and my dad just informed me he and the babysitter will be delivering another one.” I looked at him funny. “My dad’s wife. She’s only three years older than me.”

  “Oh.” It was obvious from his tone he wasn’t a fan of his stepmother so I knew I needed to tread lightly. “Tell me about your brothers and sisters.”

  “Candice is the oldest. She’s married and a stay at home mom with a five year daughter who happens to adore her uncle Cas.”

  “I’m sure she does. You probably fill her up with sugar.”

  “Only on the weekends,” he joked.

  “Are you the youngest?”

  “No, I’m the middle child. I have a younger sister Cecelia who is seventeen – same age as my half-brother Cayden. He was a product of an affair my dad had on my mom. He knocked up his mistress a month after he did my mom.”

  “Wow, no wonder you’re so messed up,” I teased. He pinched me. “Hey,” I said, smacking him. He chuckled softly. His eyes lit up and I could feel goose bumps all over my skin. He reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. The skin burned where his fingers brushed. I cleared my throat. “You said you have two brothers?”

  “Yeah, Colton.” I looked at him strange. “He’s not really my brother. His parents were good friends with mine and when they died in a plane crash my dad took Colton in and adopted him. We grew up together and Colton was always there for me, so blood or not I will always consider him a brother.”

  “I understand. That’s how I feel about Declan even though we actually are related. She helped me through a lot of hard times.”

  “You two are really close, aren’t you?”

  I nodded. “We all are. Growing up in a house with all boys, Declan really came to the rescue when I needed girl advice or just a break from the overload of testosterone.”

  “That would explain all the pent up anger.”

  “I don’t have pent up anger,” I growled.

  The corners of his lips started to twitch into a grin. “Oh no? So you just pummel random guys for the hell of it?”

  “Hey, every one of them deserved it. It’s not my fault you pigs can’t keep your hands to yourselves.” He chuckled and I punched him.

  “Ow,” he whined, rubbing his shoulder. “So violent.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

  We spent the next hour talking. We talked about everything and anything until I could no longer keep my eyes open. I yawned, covering my mouth. “Close your eyes,” Casper whispered. “Get some sleep.”

  I did as he told me and relaxed into the smooth sheets. “Casper?”

  “Mm?” he mumbled.

  “I’m really glad we decided to do this friend thing.”

  “Me too,” he smiled sleepily.

  ******************************************************************************

  The next two weeks flew by and before I knew it school was just around the corner. Casper and I went back to our old routine of slinging insults, but with a little less insulting and more teasing and he only used his little pet names for me when he thought I was being a bitch – so he says. We hung out almost every other day which made Declan happy because she was spending so much time with Colton she felt bad for me being all alone. I told Casper he didn’t have to babysit me and I would hate to keep him from his ‘needs’. He assured me he didn’t mind. He too was getting sick of watching Declan and Colton swap spit and listening to them have sex in the next room. Apparently Declan wasn’t as quiet as she thought she was and when I teased her about it she said it was Colton not her.

  Casper and I continued to do ‘the friend thing’. We went to the movies, hung out, and played cards. We went out to bars together and I even let him beat me at pool a few times. As much as I actually enjoyed hanging out with Casper, I needed some girl time. So Declan and I made plans to go out the weekend before school started.

  After spending half the day moving Jacob’s stuff into Jasper and Jax’s and the other half into his dorm room I was ready to have a night out. “So why is Jacob living in the dorms again?” Declan asked as we both crashed on the couch.

  “He said he wants to get the full college experience.” I rolled my eyes. “I give it a month before he realizes dorm life isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be.”

  “You’d think he wouldn’t want to live in the dorms after spending most of his life in one at school.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe it’s just what he’s used to.”

  “So, where do you want to go tonight?”

  “I don’t care. Anywhere but Angels and Demons.”

  “Deal,” she agreed.

  I was about to lie down for a nap when my phone rang. I groaned and sat up to see who it was. The display showed a picture of Casper and Lucky in a stare off. “Hello,” I grumbled.

  “Hello to you too, Katherine.”

  I bit back the insult on my tongue. “What do you want Casper?”

  “My fraternity is having a party tonight. Kind of a welcome back party and introduction for new students who want to pledge and I want you to come.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean no?”

  “Declan and I are having a girl’s night which does not involve spending the night with a bunch of frat brothers.”

  “Oh, come on. There will be other girls there. It will be fun. Jaxson is coming and he’s even bringing Jacob.”

  I sat up. “What?” His silence told me he didn’t anticipate my disapproval of my brothers attending the party. “Why is Jacob going?”

  “I told you it’s an introduction party. Jaxson told me Jacob was interested in joining a fraternity and asked if it was okay if he brought him by. I didn’t think you would care.”

  I sighed, frustrated. “I don’t…I just…I don’t like the idea of my little brother in a fraternity. He’s only eighteen Cas.”

  “I promise you, you have nothing to worry about. Our fraternity isn’t like the others. We don’t haze and everyone here looks out for each other. Why don’t you and Declan go out and do your girlie thing,” I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “And when you’re done you can stop by here and check it out for yourself.”

  “I’m not making any promises, but I’ll talk to Declan.”

  “It’ll be fun. I promise. I’ll see you later.”

  “Hey Cas?”

  “Yeah?”

  “If anything happens to Jacob or Jaxson I will skin you alive.”

  “Got it.” I hung up the phone and fell back on the bed. So much for girls’ night out.

  Chapter 13

  Casper

  I did a cele
bratory fist pump when I hung up with Alex. Once she said she’d talk to Declan about it I knew it was a done deal. Colton had already told me Declan promised Alex a girl’s night out, but I knew all I had to do was dangle the prospect of Declan getting the chance to hang out with Colton while hanging with Alex and she would take the bait. I also secretly knew if I mentioned about her brothers being there Alex’s protective instinct would kick in and she would feel she had to be there to make sure nothing happened to them. It was a bonus that Jaxson just happened to call me and ask me about the party tonight.

  I had already spent a few days with Alex this week, but that wasn’t enough. Ever since we slept together on her birthday I felt more distance from her. Instead of getting closer we grew further apart. There was still that awkward afterwards that hung in the air. We both tried to play it off but knew it was inevitable. I tried to avoid Alex at first, knowing I needed to clear my head and figure these feelings out. I was successful, until Declan called me and said she didn’t want Alex to be alone and asked if I could hang out with her. I should have said no. I should have said I was busy but I knew Declan would be able to see right through my bullshit.

  A few hours turned into a day. That day turned into the next and then the next day after that. I couldn’t get enough of her and eventually we both relaxed enough to put that night behind us. It was never forgotten, but never mentioned and the weirdness in the atmosphere eventually subsided allowing us both to act normal around each other.

  I shouldn’t have tried to home in on her time with Declan, but I just wanted to see her. Call me selfish, but I felt better when she was around. I’m not sure what it was about her, but she just made me feel good. As long as I was hanging with Alex I was okay not hooking up with girls. She kept me distracted so I wouldn’t think about the fact that I haven’t had sex with anyone since her. I couldn’t. After I found out she was my dream girl, literally, I knew no one would compare. They wouldn’t be good enough. The hard part about being around her was that I still thought about sex, but I thought about having it with her.