What You Do To Me (Unexpected Love)

by Izzy Cullen

  Just then, a message flashed on top of the screen of my iPhone and it was from Alex. I tapped it so I could read the whole message.

  Is it safe to call you? I’m sorry, but I knew I needed a way to find you after that night.

  I had no clue how to respond. I was upset with what he did, but I knew he didn’t do it to be malicious or to invade my privacy, which of course, he completely did. I knew he did it so he could find me and keep in contact, but knowing that, scared me. What could he possibly want from this relationship? Could we keep it just a friendship like we said, knowing that wasn’t really what we were talking about? I didn’t know how to do this without attaching emotions and my conversation with Derek kept playing in the back of my mind. Finally, I sent a response.

  Fine, but I’m unliking your Facebook page and if you bring up the shirt, I’m hanging up.

  It felt like I just hit send, when my phone rang and I heard Alex’s voice singing. I really needed to change that ringtone.

  “Yep,” I answered the phone as usual.

  “I guess this will have to do, but I would rather be looking at your face while talking to you.”

  “Sorry, take it or leave it, either way I don’t care,” knowing I really did care. I had him on the phone and I knew I didn’t want to get off. “So, how was the show? Did you make all the girls swoon?”

  “I think it went good, but there is only one girl I want to make swoon. Actually, I want to make her do a few other things too.” I could hear the smile in his voice as he said it.

  “She must be one lucky girl,” I tried to mask the happiness I was feeling.

  “Actually, I’m the lucky one. It took everything I had to get her to even talk to me, but it was worth every second of effort.”

  “Wow, she must be a real bitch.” That time, I had to laugh.

  “Hardly, but I love the tough exterior she tries to display, it’s kind of a turn on.” At that moment, I was feeling slightly turned on and wished he were there in bed with me.

  Alex asked me about dinner with the girls and I asked about the show. He told me how the guys were pissed about him missing a PR thing, which I knew about from Sam, but after talking to Steve, he was no longer mad at Alex for the absence. We talked for a little over an hour until I was starting to fall asleep. Alex told me to get some sleep and he would call me in the morning. After I hung up, I heard my phone buzz. Looking at the screen, I saw I had a text from Alex.

  Since I wasn’t allowed to say it, you have no idea what you’re doing to me, knowing you are wearing my shirt to bed.

  I immediately smiled and then I heard another buzz.

  I’m actually jealous of a fucking shirt, night, XXX.

  He was making it impossible to go to bed.

  11.

  I woke the next morning to Josie and Jasmine crawling into bed with me; one of the things about lazy summer mornings that I loved. The rush to get everyone up and ready, hoping to make it to school without a meltdown and on time, was far from the peaceful days of the next three months. After talking, tickling and laughing, we headed downstairs for breakfast. I made my coffee and started to come alive. The girls and I ate and I knew I had to make the call to Derek. I was not looking forward to the call, because in a way, I didn’t feel I was wrong, but I knew where his concern was coming from. As much as the girls were mine, Derek and Lexi played a huge roll in their lives too.

  Taking my coffee and phone, I walked outside to sit on the back porch. I heard the ringing and hoped he was in the shower getting ready for work. That way, I could call back later.

  “Good morning,” Crap, he wasn’t in a meeting.

  Pausing for a moment, “I called to say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”

  “That’s a pretty shitty apology. I hope you didn’t spend a lot of time working on that.”

  “Shut up, you know you deserved part of my anger. If you want to warn me, fine, but do you truly think I would do anything to damage the girls?”

  “I know, I was wrong and I felt really bad about what I said, I couldn’t sleep last night and I wanted to call to apologize, but I knew if I did, we both would say more things we would regret today.” Derek and I were alike in that way. When we were mad, we both had tongues with razors. We could say mean and cruel things that could cut someone deep, but after thinking things over, we felt awful about what came out in the heat of the moment. “Look, Abbs, I will leave this alone. This is the last time I’ll say anything on the topic of you and Alex, so just let me say it.” He paused, as if waiting for the go ahead from me.

  “Fine, speak your peace, but remember, you said you’ll leave it alone after this.”

  “Abby, if you had seen yourself through my eyes after everything with David, you would know why I’m so concerned.”

  “Derek, Alex is not David, and Alex and I are not in a relationship. It’s hard to be in a relationship with someone you just met days ago and is traveling the country,” I said, hoping he would save his breath.

  “I hear what you are saying, but I know what I saw with you two. That is why I want you to hear this.” I could hear his voice starting to rise a little, just as I did when wanting my kids in class to listen, because what I was teaching was important to learn. “Abbs, you are finally happy, for the first time in a long time. Christ, the first time since I’ve been friends with you. I don’t want him to crush you. So, just guard yourself. I’ve said all that I am going to say on this, but just remember, I am always here for you.”

  “I know you are, and that is why I always forgive you for being such a dick.” I could hear him laugh on the other end of the line. “So, about my surprise. If you tell me, I can forgive you for being such an ass lately.” Now, Derek was really laughing.

  “That isn’t going to happen, so I’ll continue to be an ass.” He managed to get that out through the laugh. “Hey, how do you feel about me coming for a visit in a few weeks? I haven’t seen the girls in almost two months and I thought we could do the annual trip to the waterfalls and picnic. Plus, I love being up in your Podunk town for the Fourth of July.”

  “The girls would love it and so would I.” I could feel the excitement in my voice.

  “Hey, I have to go. I’ll call the girls tomorrow. Tell them I love them and bye, Abbs, love ya.”

  “I will and I love you too.” Derek and I hung up the phone. I felt better about where we were now and I wondered if Derek would be able to keep his word about not saying anything more about Alex. I was pretty sure he would, since he was the only man I had ever met besides my dad who had never let me down yet.

  Lily walked onto the back porch, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Mommy, there’s someone at the front door?”

  “Did you open it to see who it is?” I asked her, wondering who was at my door at nine o’clock on a Monday morning.

  “No, you said I was never allowed to open the door unless you said I could.”

  “Smart girl” I replied. Lily followed me back through the house to the front door. I opened it and saw Rita, the owner of the only flower shop in town. “Rita, how are you this morning?”

  “I’m doing good, Abby. I have a special delivery for you this morning.” Rita handed me a vase filled with red roses, and another filled with white lilies. “Wait there are more, I had a call from a very persistent man who wanted to send you your favorite flowers, but didn’t know what you liked. I had to have them here right at nine this morning too.” She opened the back of the van and grabbed a large box with four vases filled with flowers. One vase had Gerbera daisies, the second with different colored tulips; the third was an arrangement of wild flowers and the last was filled with my favorite purple hydrangeas.

  “Please tell me that there aren’t any more flowers,” I said to Rita, handing one of the vases to Lily and putting the other on the entryway table so I could grab the box from Rita.

  “For now, I told him this is all I could do for this morning. My flower truck isn’t in until ten today.”

  �
�What? There are more flowers coming?”

  “Probably, but not today, I talked him in to just these. Who would have ever thought I would talk someone out of ordering flowers, but considering he called me at home and I had to come in so early, I had too. I hope you like them, Abby, I’ll see you around. I have to meet the flower truck at the shop.”

  I said bye to Rita and shut the door with my leg. Lily and I turned into the house and headed for the dining room table.

  “Wow, Mommy, look at all these flowers. They are so beautiful. Who are they from?”

  “Well, let’s see if we can find a card.” I had a pretty good guess who sent the flowers. The same man who had no problem invading my privacy. Calling a business owner at home to get flowers delivered at a specific time would be less intrusive compared to what he was probably used to doing. Lily and I looked through all the vases of flowers and we didn’t see a card.

  “Sorry, Lil, no card. I guess we’ll never know who sent them.” Just then, the phone rang. I looked at the phone and saw the name on the screen; it was Alex. Immediately, I had butterflies and I hated the fact that I did. “Hello,” trying to sound normal in front of Lily.

  “Good morning, beautiful, anything eventful to report?” Alex asked, probably hinting towards the flowers.

  “Nope, nothing, just hanging out with the girls, enjoying a normal summer morning.”

  “What, it’s quarter after nine, she didn’t deliver the flowers?”

  “Oh, the flowers, they were delivered. When you said eventful, I thought you meant something super cool or spectacular,” I said in a teasing voice, “By the way, thanks for the card. I thought maybe my other boyfriend sent them.” I cringed as soon as the words were out of my mouth, because it occurred to me that I had just implied that he was my boyfriend. I hoped to God that he did not catch that slip of the tongue.

  “Well, there better not be any other boyfriend, but I do like the title I am claiming.” Fucking kill me, he did pick it up.

  “Well, you haven’t even come close to that title. You’re still working on establishing the friend title.”

  “Hmmm, I’ll have to work a bit harder, I see.” Alex was chuckling in the phone and I knew he was smiling.

  “No more calling store owners at home on their days off to do this though.”

  “She told you?” He seemed surprised that I knew this little fact.

  “Let me let you in on a little secret. I live in a town where everyone knows everyone’s business. I’m sure the fact that the flower shop pulled up to my house is the topic at the grocery store this beautiful summer morning. Plus, I graduated with Rita’s daughter. We go way back, so she told me everything. Kind of like the fact you wanted to send me even more flowers than the one’s I received.”

  “I didn’t know your favorite so I thought I better send a bunch so you would at least get your favorite.”

  “Well, I did get my favorite in their somewhere.” Keeping my favorite to myself, “So, what are your plans for the day, Mr. Rock Star?”

  “You know I have a name?” I could hear the playful attitude in his voice.

  “Sorry, what are your plans today, Mr. Morgan?” Alex told me about the PR the band was up to for the day and the benefit he was attending later with Steve. I told him I planned to pack the girls up and head to the beach soon, and how we would be going to my parents later for dinner. He asked about my parents, and I told him how much my dad and I were alike and how my mother was a wonderful woman and grandmother, but someone I cringe being around because I felt so judged all the time. Before I knew it, Lily was pulling on me to get off the phone to get ready because it was after ten. I couldn’t help getting lost in conversation with him whenever we got on the phone.

  When I hung up, I got the girls ready and packed the beach bag and cooler. When I got to the car, the girls were already in and buckled, shouting at me to hurry up. Usually, I was the one who was yelling at them for wasting sunshine.

  The beach was quiet and peaceful. Since it was the beginning of summer, there were not a lot of tourist around, they usually came after the Fourth of July, and since it was a weekday, many of the locals were working. I enjoyed the day with just the girls. I was losing track of time, but when the girls started to complain about being hungry again, I grabbed my phone and realized we only had an hour to be at dinner at my parents. Just my luck, we would be late. We hurried and threw everything into the trunk of the car and headed home.

  When we got there, I told the girls they needed to hold off on the showers until we returned from dinner. I quickly jumped in the shower as the girls changed out of their swimsuits and got into summer dresses. We were only ten minutes late when we managed to make it to my parents. I felt relieved that we weren’t later than that. Walking in, my mother started complaining about my tardiness as the girls ran to my dad.

  “I thought I raised you better. The food is going to be cold. We planned on eating ten minutes ago.” I immediately wished I called and cancelled dinner, but Monday has always been our night to eat together. My dad stayed out of the pub on that one night without me covering for him.

  “I’m sorry, we were at the beach and I lost track of time,” not really meaning the words coming out of my mouth.

  “You need to keep those girls away from the beach so much. All those UV rays and sun is going to damage their skin. You obviously don’t care that you are aging yourself and getting skin cancer, but those girls don’t need to suffer for your vanity.” Well, there was the woman I knew and loved. It took longer than normal for her to start letting me know what a crappy mother I was to the girls.

  “Julia, leave the girl alone. The girls love the beach and so does their mother. There is no fault in that. Maybe if you knew how to relax, you’d love the beach too.” Thankfully, my dad came to my rescue.

  “I don’t know why you are always defending her. Abrianna is a grown woman and needs to be responsible for all her actions.” All my actions, like staying at home, not moving in here and marrying a man she absolutely hated, was what she wanted to say.

  “Bri did not come here to be picked on. Now, give your grandchildren some hugs so we can eat, I’m starved.” I love how my dad had always called me Bri. He was the only one who called me that.

  My mother waved the girls over to hug them and kiss them on the head. “Why do they smell like the beach?” Looking closer and actually smelling them, she asked, “Lily, why is there sand still in your hair.” I loved how she questioned my daughter instead of asking me why I didn’t shower them. Before Lily could reply, I answered my mother.

  “Well, Mother, we didn’t get home in time for all of us to shower and make it here for dinner. I thought we would stay for this lovely dinner, and then I would take them home and give them a bath.” I could feel my face getting warmer as the words came out with a harsher tone than I normally used with her.

  “I obviously see you showered. Nothing like putting yourself before your children, but that is normal for you, isn’t it?” I could feel the heat rising and I was about to blow.

  “Julia,” my father hissed at her.

  “No, Dad, she is right. I am selfish. I’m the most selfish person I probably know.” I turned and walked towards the door. “Girls, enjoy your dinner with Papa and Grandma. I’m going to do something selfish and I’ll be back in an hour to get you.” I walked out the door, probably letting it close harder than I needed too.

  I got in the car and drove. Having no clue where I was going, I ended up parked in the lot by the boardwalk leading to the lighthouse. I got out and started walking. I took out my phone and called Lexi, but got her voicemail. I then tried Derek, but his phone must have been off, because it didn’t even ring before voicemail picked up. Before I knew what I was doing, the phone was ringing and Alex was picking up.

  “Hello, beautiful, I’m glad you’re calling.” I couldn’t even respond because sobs were coming out of my mouth. “Abby, what is it, are you okay? Did something happen to the girls?�
��

  “No,” was all I managed to choke out. I tried to take in deep breaths, but I felt as if my lungs were exploding.

  “No what? No you aren’t okay or no the girls aren’t hurt.” I heard panic in Alex’s voice and I knew I needed to say something.

  “The girls are fine,” I managed to get out.

  “What happened? Do you need me to come? I can get a flight and cancel the next few days?” I heard him call Sam over to him. I couldn’t let him cancel everything because my mother got under my skin again.

  “No, I’m fine. It’s my mother. We had a fight at dinner in front of the girls and I walked out.” I managed to get this out in between my breathing spasms. God, I must sound like a wreck.

  “Hey, take a deep breath, and try to calm down. I’ll stay on the line and talk to you until you’re calm enough to talk.” Alex did exactly as he said. He told me about the radio station interviews they went on during the day. I heard about Steve’s wife and kids and how they are there on tour with them for the next two to three weeks and how him and Steve’s son went miniature golfing and how Alex lost to the ten year old. When my breathing finally settled, I remembered that Alex had the benefit to get too. Crap, now I had caused him to either miss or be late for another event.

  “I’m sorry. I should let you go, because I know you have that dinner thing tonight?”

  “Yes, I’m here. Well I was, but I left so I could talk to you.” I started feeling like an idiot. I pulled him out of the benefit so he could hear me cry about my mother.