Present Perfect

by Alison Bailey

  “Asshole.”

  He started moaning, “Oooh yeah. That’s the ticket.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” I said.

  “And you are beautiful.” Shaking my head I glanced away with a smirk on my face.

  “Now that all that’s out of the way, it’s gift time.” He clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. “Me first.”

  He held in front of me a heart shaped dark blue velvet gift box with a white ribbon tied around it. I looked at him, stunned. I thought it was beautiful and it was just the box. I thought he must have made a mistake and picked up Brooke’s gift. It looked like a girlfriend’s gift.

  “Um, I think you brought me Brooke’s gift by mistake.”

  “I brought the right gift to the right girl. Take it.” I did and looked back up at him. “Open it, Tweet. It won’t bite you.” He gave me a sweet shy smile.

  I untied the ribbon and slowly lifted the top of the hinged box. As I looked down and saw what was inside, tears started to gather behind my eyes. It was the most beautiful gold feather charm necklace. It was so delicate. I looked up at him with tears just starting to roll down my face. I was speechless.

  Noah looked deep into my eyes. “I can take it back if you don’t like it,” he said with a smirk.

  “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You’re not going to touch it except to put it on me.” I turned away from him slightly and moved my hair to one side.

  As Noah clasped my necklace he whispered in my ear, “You’ll always be my number one girl. Congratulations Tweet.”

  I closed my eyes. I was so overwhelmed with emotion I took a few seconds before turning back around. I finally was able to squeak out, “Thank you, Noah. I’m never going to take it off.”

  I looked at him for a few more seconds before handing him his gift. He tore through the wrapping like a little kid. “I hope you like it,” I said anxiously.

  My gift to Noah was a ballpark pendant and chain. The pendant was shaped like army dog tags and it was made from part of the original seats from Fenway Park.

  His face lit up when he realized what it was. “Fenway, isn’t it?” he asked with awe evident in his voice.

  The biggest smile appeared across my face as I nodded. “It has it written on the back.” I was beaming.

  He flipped it over to read the words. He was completely speechless. He pulled the chain and pendant over his head then wrapped his arms around me as I laid my head against his chest.

  “I love it. Thank you, Tweet. I can’t believe you remembered Fenway was my favorite.” He squeezed me tighter. “It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten,” he said, kissing the top of my head.

  We sat there for a long time quietly holding each other and for the first time in a long time, things felt perfect.

  I read somewhere that there’s no worse pain than experiencing the death of a loved one. I think there is one pain that overrides that of losing a loved one, though. That’s the pain of not being given the opportunity to say goodbye.

  You don’t get to tell the person how much they’ve influenced you. You don’t get to tell them how much you appreciate what they have done for you. You don’t get to tell them how much you love them and will miss them. When you don’t get the chance to say goodbye, you don’t get the chance to say thank you. Everyone deserves a thank you and goodbye.

  I lightly knocked on his door and said, “Noah, it’s me.”

  I heard his raspy deep voice answer, “Come in.”

  I entered and closed the door behind me. Noah was lying on his back in bed with the heel of his palms covering his eyes. He brought his hands down, sat up, and looked at me. I almost crumbled to the floor. Sorrow and devastation poured off of him.

  We looked into each other’s eyes for a moment, and then Noah said, “He had a heart attack at work. He was gone before the paramedics had a chance to get there.” He tried to compose himself enough to continue. “I just saw him this morning and he looked fine. We were going to Fenway next month, Tweet.” He choked on every word, unable to contain his sobs any longer.

  My eyes were full of tears. My heart had never ached so completely for anyone. I wanted desperately to take all his pain away. Not saying a word, I crossed the room to him. I kicked off my shoes, crawled up on his bed, and sat behind him. Noah rested back against my chest. Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I buried my head in the crook of his neck, and held him tight while he sobbed and cried out in pain.

  I whispered into his neck, “You’re dad was a great man and he was so proud of you.”

  Our sobs began to subside. We remained in the same position, sitting quietly. After a while there was a soft knock on the door.

  A female voice said, “Noah, its Brooke. Can I come in?”

  Before he could answer, the door creaked open and Brooke walked in. Seeing us sitting on the bed in that position caused a look of anger to flash across her face. Noah remained in my arms with his eyes closed. Brooke kept her glare on me while her voiced remained steady.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Rubbing his face, Noah replied, “Brooke, I really don’t want to be around anyone right now. I’m sorry. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Brooke narrowed her eyes at me, her glare becoming more intense. I could see her body stiffen and become rigid. Her lips pursed together as her expression tightened. She was angry and hurt. I knew Brooke was his girlfriend and should be the one consoling him. I started to pull away from Noah so she could take my place, but he clamped on to my arm like a vise and wouldn’t let me go.

  I turned my head to her. My eyes asking her to understand how much pain he was in. He probably didn’t realize how what he said sounded. Without saying another word, she turned and left.

  “Maybe I should go and let her stay,” I said.

  Noah turned over on to his stomach, wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and rested his cheek on my chest.

  He mumbled, “Don’t leave me. I need you, just you. I don’t want to be round anyone else, but you, Tweet.” His body began to tremble. I could feel my shirt getting wet from his tears.

  I squeezed him tighter and whispered, “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” We never left Noah’s bed that night. We fell asleep holding each other.

  The next morning, Noah and his mom were scheduled to go to the funeral home to finalize his dad’s arrangements. He asked me to go and I did. I never left his side. Noah kept physical contact with me constantly during the day. He was either holding my hand, sitting close, or wrapping his arms around my shoulders or waist. It was as if touching me calmed him and gave him some peace.

  I didn’t see Brooke the entire day. I wasn’t sure if that was her decision or Noah’s. It seemed odd to me that she wouldn’t be here for him. I knew last night was awkward and she was hurt, but his father just died and he was devastated. I didn’t like Brooke, but I didn’t think she’d be so petty and stay mad at Noah.

  The Stewart’s home was a buzz of activity. People were stopping by constantly, bringing food and giving Noah and his mom condolences. My entire family was trying to help wherever we were needed. The Stewarts were our family. My dad and Mr. Stewart were like brothers. His death hit my dad extremely hard. The two men were the same age and Mr. Stewart appeared to be in as good a shape as my dad. They ran together a few times a week and even played basketball often. The fact that Mr. Stewart could apparently be in good shape and this still happened, scared my dad.

  I had done some laundry that afternoon. I was walking down the hallway headed to the linen closet to put up sheets and towels. I started to pass Mr. Stewart’s home office. I stopped, remembering when we were kids that there was always candy in that office. Noah’s dad would bribe us with Skittles if we would go out in the backyard to play while he was working.

  I heard Noah on his cellphone. “I can’t do this right now.” He paused to let whoever was on the other end talk. “Christ, Brooke, my dad just died and my mom is a basket case. I need h
er with me.” There was another pause. “I’ve told you a thousand times she’s my best friend.” The next pause was a lot longer than the others. “I know what it must have looked like, but she’s not going anywhere. She’s a huge part of my life, so you’ll have to get used to it, if we’re together.” There was one more quick pause. “That’s up to you. I need to go. I’ll see you tomorrow at the funeral.” He hung up without saying goodbye.

  Noah came out of the office and caught me eavesdropping.

  “I guess you heard that.” His hand went immediately to my shoulder. He noticed I glanced at it. “You think it’s weird?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “That I can’t seem to go more than two seconds without touching you.”

  “It’s a good weird.” I gave him a slight smile.

  “I’ll quit if you want.” I shook my head. “It’s just I feel like if I let go of you for a long time, I’ll lose you.”

  “I’m here as long as you need me. You don’t have to let go until you’re ready. But, I don’t want to cause trouble for you with Brooke. She wasn’t happy last night when she saw us in your room.”

  “She’ll be fine… eventually.” He let the corners of his mouth curl up slightly. “Brooke is pissed. Can you believe that? My dad just died and she’s pissed because I need you.”

  “She just wants to help, Noah.”

  “She needs to understand that what I need right now is you. Nobody can take your place in my life, Tweet.”

  I couldn’t help the slight blush that scattered across my cheeks. I liked the feeling of being needed by him.

  I was having a hard time getting to sleep that night. The past two days had been so busy with activity I hadn’t had time alone to write in my journal. There were so many thoughts and feelings running around in my head and I needed to get them down on paper. When I couldn’t sleep, it was because I was thinking too much. Usually when I put those thoughts on paper, it helped my mind clear and I was able to fall asleep. My phone startled me when it chimed with a text.

  Noah: Look out your window.

  I got up, walked over to my window, and opened it. Standing underneath it was Noah. His eyes were glassy and red. I assumed from crying.

  My voice was low and quiet. “Hey, what are you doing out here this late? Are you okay?” I knew that was a stupid question.

  “No. I’m not okay. Can I come in?”

  “Of course you can. Go around to the front door and I’ll let you in.”

  “I don’t need the front door.”

  He started climbing in my window. He seemed a little unsteady, so I helped pull him in the rest of the way. Once he was inside, I could smell the alcohol. I thought he had sounded a little strange outside. I couldn’t blame him for being a little drunk after what he’s been going through. He stumbled some on his way to my bed, so I followed behind him, helping him sit down. The look in his eyes broke my heart. He looked so lost and alone.

  He reached out and grabbed my hips, pulling me into a hug. My bed was pretty high up. Standing in front of Noah while he sat brought my chest to his eye level. Without saying anything, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me. I let my fingers run through his silky hair. Even with the distinctive smell of alcohol, he smelled wonderful, fresh and citrusy.

  “I wish I could take your pain away,” I whispered into his hair. He hugged me tighter.

  We stayed like this for a while, then I felt Noah’s fingers start to slowly move underneath my shirt as he nuzzled my chest. It was late and I was dressed for bed in a pair of long pajama pants and a baby doll t-shirt. My nipples were rock hard as he nestled his face deeper. I was so embarrassed. I was trying to comfort my best friend and was getting turned on.

  I tried to take a step back, but Noah held me tight, not letting me move. He looked up at me through his long dark lashes. His beautiful light blue eyes were dim with pain. The look shattered me. I wanted to make it disappear.

  Our breathing became heavier. Noah never broke eye contact as he began to kiss my breasts over the t-shirt. His lips felt incredible even through the material. My skin was on fire while wave after wave of shivers ran up and down my body.

  His lips moved down until he found the small spot of exposed skin right above my hip bone. My fingers curled around his hair and a slight gasp escaped me when I felt his tongue circle around my navel then dip deep into it. His hands slid down my back, landing on my ass. His lips traveled slowly up my torso, gently sucking and licking my blazing skin. He was drunk, in an enormous amount of pain, and had a girlfriend. Noah had stopped us from making a huge mistake the first time I was drunk, I needed to do the same. We had to stop. This had gotten completely out of control.

  “Noah…” My voice was so breathless and quiet, I wasn’t sure he heard me.

  “Your skin is so soft and sweet,” he mumbled against my stomach.

  “We can’t do this,” I whispered.

  My fingers disentangled from his hair. My hands slid down his muscular arms and landed on top of his hands that were glued to my ass. I tried to remove them, but he had such a strong grip and wouldn’t let go. He brushed his lips along my collarbone then nibbled his way to the spot right beneath my ear.

  He whispered, “I need you. You’re the only one I want. Every time I’m with her, I think of you. I need to be inside of you so bad. Please don’t make me leave.”

  It took every ounce of strength not to give into him. I wanted him just as much as he wanted me. “Noah, you’ve been drinking and you’re hurting. You’re not able to think straight. Plus, you have a girlfriend. You’re not that guy. You don’t cheat.”

  Noah released his grip on me, curling his arms around my waist as I slid mine around his neck. We hugged each other so tight, it was hard to catch a deep breath. His body began to tremble slightly and I felt tears drip down my neck.

  “Please don’t leave me,” he begged against my neck.

  “I’m not going anywhere except where you go.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered.

  “Stay here tonight. You’re aunts are at your house with your mom, right?” He simply nodded his head.

  I took Noah’s shoes off and helped him empty the pockets of his jeans. He was steady enough to manage taking them off himself. I pulled back the covers of my bed and he climb in dressed in his boxers and t-shirt.

  “I’m going to get you some water and aspirin,” I said as I covered him up.

  Noah grabbed my hand before it left the covers. He looked up at me, his beautiful eyes still glistening. “I couldn’t get through this without you. I love you so much, Tweet.”

  I swallowed hard when I heard him say he loved me. This was the second time he had told me and I still never said it back to him, at least not so he could hear it. But, it didn’t seem to matter whether I said it to him, he wanted me to know how I affected his heart. I hoped he could feel how much I loved him, even though I couldn’t tell him.

  “You’re not going to have to get through anything without me.” I gave him a small smile.

  Relief spread across his face. I kissed him on his forehead before going to get his water and aspirin. By the time I returned to my room, he had already fallen asleep. I knew he hadn’t gotten any sleep the past couple of nights, so I didn’t bother to wake him up. I stared down at him for a long time. He looked so peaceful. Saying goodbye to his dad tomorrow was going to be the hardest thing Noah has ever had to do. At least he’ll be able to have a few hours of peace while he sleeps.

  I walked to the door and shut off the small lamp that was on my dresser. Before leaving, I turned to look at him one more time. The moonlight was shining through the window illuminating his beautiful peaceful face.

  “I love you too, Noah,” I said before shutting the door and heading to the guestroom for the night.

  Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. That’s not true, really. Words have an immense power over people. Words represent ideas and thoughts.
No matter what anyone says, we all care, to a certain extent, how others view us. We may not care what everyone thinks of us, but there’s always that one person, who with a few words holds the power that could make us or break us.

  The funeral was as heartbreaking as I expected, but Noah was the pillar of strength for his mom. Afterwards, Mrs. Stewart had invited close friends and family back to her house. Noah was staying close to his mom’s side, helping her greet and receive condolences from people. Brooke stayed close by Noah’s side, keeping her arm securely linked with his whenever possible. I tried to keep a little distance. The situation was stressful enough without adding more to it. I noticed every now and then Noah would scan the room looking for me. Once Brooke noticed, she started shooting me hostile looks whenever Noah’s attention was elsewhere. After about forty minutes of Brooke’s glares, I needed to get some air. I got Noah’s attention from across the room, letting him know where I would be.

  I walked outside to the backyard and made my way over to the small vegetable garden at the far end of the yard. Mr. Stewart had planted it just a little over a month ago. There were already sprouts coming up from the ground. Even though it was the beginning of summer here, it felt cooler outside than it did in the house with all the people packed inside. Mr. Stewart was loved by many. That was evident today from all the people who attended the funeral. He was a good man. Noah is just like his father. I started thinking about all the vacations our two families took together. I felt tears prick my eyes. The sound of footsteps behind me caught my attention. Running my fingers under my eyes, I wiped away any tears.

  “Can we talk?”

  I turned around and came face-to-face with Brooke. Her expression was an exact duplicate of the way she looked at me the other night.

  “I just came out here for a second to get some air. I’m heading back in,” I said.

  My shoulder muscles tensed up and I could hear the grinding of my teeth. I had no idea what Brooke would want to talk with me about, I didn’t want this conversation to take place, especially not today and not here.