You and I Together

by Melissa Toppen

  “Here.” She says, pulling my attention back to her as she shoves a shot into my hand. “You promised you'd have one drink.” She says before I have a chance to protest. Knowing there is no sense in arguing with her, I raise my glass and clink it with hers before downing the shot, immediately reaching for my drink when the acid like liquid hits my throat.

  Sputtering, I drink at least half of my water before resurfacing, my throat still feeling the effects of the alcohol. “What was that?” I question, taking another long drink of water.

  “151.” She answers, smiling innocently at me.

  “Are you trying to kill me?” I cough, still not able to soothe the burn in my throat.

  “Oh don't be so dramatic. Here.” She says, handing me another.

  “Oh hell no.” I laugh, shaking my head adamantly.

  “Just one more.” She pouts her bottom lip out at me. “Please.” She tacks on, batting her eyelashes.

  “News flash. I don't have a penis. Therefore I am immune to your little eye batting. But nice try though.” I laugh.

  “You would still do me.” She pushes the shot glass in my hand and then lets go, giving me no option but to take it or let it fall to the floor. “Cheers.” She clinks her glass to mine and pours the drink into her mouth. I watch her pretty face contort as the burn hits her throat but I don't miss how quickly she recovers either, which tells me she shoots this shit a lot more than just tonight.

  “For the record, I would not do you.” I wait until my comment sinks in and then kick back the drink just as she is about to say something else. I immediately regret caving the moment the liquor goes down, burning worse this time than the last. Draining the remainder of my water, I hold my empty glass up to the bartender before turning back to Andrea to see her gaping at me.

  “What?” I sputter out in laughter.

  “I can't believe you said you wouldn't do me.” She whines, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I am totally doable.” She tacks on, giving me a dirty look.

  “You are. Doable that is. But you're my best friend and I just wouldn't want to mess that up.” I say playfully, turning towards her and taking both of her hands in mine. “Because the truth is Andrea. I love you.” I say dramatically, laughing when I see her physically struggling to contain her smile.

  When her laughter finally breaks free, I nudge her with my shoulder and look back to where Collin and the other guys are playing pool. “Why aren't you over there playing with them?” I ask, turning back to Andrea.

  “I hate pool.” She wrinkles her nose.

  “So what you're saying is you suck at pool.” I laugh when she smiles and nods her head in agreement.

  “Horribly.” She says, taking a drink of her beer and then swiveling to face me. “You wanna play?” She asks, gesturing to where the men are wrapping up their current game.

  “I'll pass.” I say, looking back towards her.

  “Lame.” She spouts off, swiveling her stool forward facing again.

  “So what did Bentley plan for you and Collin today?” I ask, not even the least bit surprised when she doesn't catch the fact that I am not supposed to know that her and Bentley are in cahoots.

  “That man is amazing girl. He bought us Cubs tickets right behind home plate and then paid for us to have dinner in one of the private dining rooms at Sierras.” She says, before finally realizing that I am not supposed to know any of this.

  She covers her mouth with her hand and turns to face me, wide eyed. “I mean.” She starts, but my laughter cuts her off.

  “Don't worry. I know all about your meddling.” I say, shaking my head at her.

  “Oh god. He told you? When?” She asks, swiveling to face me head on.

  “Vermont.” I say, watching her panicked expression turn to one of disbelief.

  “You knew this whole time and you never said anything?” She asks, clearly trying to sort out if I am upset over this or not.

  “I didn't want to make you feel bad.” I admit, not able to torture her any longer. “At first, I was a little upset. But at the end of the day, had you not helped Bentley or pushed me to give him a chance, I wouldn’t have him in my life right now. So I guess I owe you a thank you.” I say, watching her slow smile spread across her pretty face.

  “Seriously?” She questions, like she can't believe my reaction.

  “Seriously.” I say, turning towards the bartender when he stops directly in front of us. “Can we get two more?” I ask, gesturing to the empty shot glasses in front of us. He nods and then turns away, allowing me to turn my attention back to Andrea. “Why the hell not?” I shrug, when she hits me with a questioning glare.

  “Who are you?” She blurts, heat rushing to her cheeks the moment the words leave her mouth.

  “I'm sorry?” I laugh, unsure about the question.

  “Seriously. Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?” She asks, pausing when the bartender reappears with our shots. Picking them both up, she hands me one and then raises the other one in her hand.

  “To fresh starts.” I say, clinking my shot glass with hers. The third shot goes down no better than the first two, but is somewhat easier to tolerate given the strong buzz that has now worked its way into my body.

  “Seriously though.” Andrea continues after setting down her empty glass. “You're different.” She phrases it in a way that doesn't clarify whether it's a statement or a question. “Happier.” She tacks on.

  “Is that a bad thing?” I ask, when she doesn't continue.

  “No. It's good.” She smiles. “Really good.” She says, staring at me with glassy eyes for a long moment.

  “Well, speaking of changes. What is going on with you and your new little lover boy over there?” I ask, throwing a glance towards the pool table, immediately freezing when I realize that I know one of the guys with Collin, Aaron.

  A guy I met my senior year of high school. He was one of my last hook ups before college and the closest thing I ever had to an actual boyfriend. To say things ended badly is a bit of an understatement. Let's just say he got really controlling really fast and eventually ended up hitting me when I wouldn't bow down to his will. Of course, no one knows about the hitting incident but me. I threatened to press charges and he left me alone after that.

  I knew seeing him again would be a possibility. I guess I was just hoping that after three years, maybe he had moved away or something. Swallowing down the lump that instantly forms in my throat, I turn back towards Andrea.

  “I don't know.” She shrugs. “I mean, I like him. But I think I liked him better in Vermont.” She throws a look in his direction and then meets my eyes again.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, trying my damnedest to focus on her and not the rapid pounding of my heart or the fear that creeps slowly up my spine knowing that Aaron is just a few feet away from me.

  “Well, he's kind of a douche.” She admits, laughing when I try like hell to hold in my smile, eventually admitting defeat and joining her in laughter. “He was really sweet at the resort but it's like, the moment we got here, his true colors started showing through.”

  “Stray dog.” I say, my eyes widening when I realize I said the words out loud.

  “What?” She asks, clearly confused by my statement.

  “Nothing.” I say, shaking my head. “So you don't think it's gonna work out then?” I try to keep her on topic and keep my focus from the pool table and the man I am praying doesn't see me.

  “I'm gonna give it a few more days. He's really good in bed which kind of makes up for the fact that he eye fucks every woman he sees.” She chuckles to herself.

  “So that wasn't my imagination then?” I laugh when she throws an apologetic look my way.

  “Alright. Enough with the serious stuff. Come on. Let's go show these boys how not to play pool.” She laughs, sliding off of her bar stool.

  “Actually. I really need to get going.” I say. “I have a lot to get done before classes start back up.” It's a
lame excuse but I have nothing else and the last thing I want to do is have an awkward run in with a guy who may or may not still hate me.

  “Don't be lame. You forget, I know your schedule and I also know that you are purposely making excuses to leave.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest and gives me the famous Andrea glare.

  “I used to sleep with one of the guys over there and I really don't want him to see me.” I admit. I would rather have her buy my lame excuse and just let me leave than have to dive into this with her. However, at the end of the day, I know Andrea and I know that she will not let me leave without a fight unless I give her a good reason.

  “And.” She says like it shouldn't matter.

  “It was a pretty messy situation.” I explain. “Like, violent situation.” I elaborate, watching the realization dawn across her face.

  “Oh shit girl. I'm sorry, I didn't know.” She says.

  “It was a long time ago. I don't even know if he remembers me. I just don't want to go over there and find out.” I shrug, pushing myself into a stand. “You go ahead.” I say, gesturing my head towards the guys. “Seriously, I need to get some rest anyways. Those three shots were just the thing I needed to ensure a peaceful night sleep.” I wink.

  “You want me to accidentally knee him in the balls or something?” She asks, laughing when I consider her proposal.

  “I mean, I wouldn't hate it if you did.” I joke. “I'm gonna use the bathroom really quick and then head out. I'll see you at the dorm later?” I ask, waiting for her response before giving her a brief hug and heading in the direction of the bathrooms.

  I keep the corner of my eye on the pool tables as I exit the restroom a couple of minutes later, trying to make sure Aaron doesn't see me, only he doesn't appear to be there anymore. Scanning my eyes quickly around the room, I make a dart towards the door, eager to get the hell out of here.

  The moment I step outside, I breathe out a sigh of relief, happy to be out in the open again. Between Bentley showing up unannounced today, the shots now swimming in my stomach and seeing Aaron after all these years, I feel like my brain is completely fried. Of course, it doesn't help matters that just hours ago, I was experiencing one hell of hangover, which I am not entirely sure I have fully recovered from yet.

  I get about two steps when I look up and immediately freeze in place. Sitting on the curb directly in front of me, smoking a cigarette, is none other than the one person I was trying to avoid; Aaron Brockman. His eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second and then he glances back down before doing a double take, his eyes finding mine again the moment he registers who I am.

  “Anna?” He sputters out, scrambling to his feet. “Anna Blake?”

  “Aaron?” I question, acting like I had no idea he was here, even though I was currently in the process of sneaking out to avoid him.

  “Holy shit. Small world.” He says, taking a long drag from his cigarette as he steps closer to me, his eyes traveling the length of my body before finding my eyes again. “You look incredible.” He smiles widely at me, the action immediately sending a shiver through my spine, and not the good kind.

  “Thanks. You too.” I say, unfortunately not lying. I wish I could say that he looks like the piece of crap that I know he is, but that simply is not the case. Nope. He is still the same good looking boy I knew in high school. Only now, he's not a boy, but very much a man. His body is bulkier than I remember. His hair is longer too, with just enough length that he has to push his bangs to the side to keep it out of his eyes. His face is covered with a light dusting of dark hair, making him look like the perfect mix between a college frat guy and a grungy musician.

  “God it's been forever.” He says, taking another step towards me.

  “Three years.” I nod my head in agreement. “So do you go to school here?” I ask, gesturing around us, as we are just off campus.

  “Transferred here two semesters ago from Ohio University. You?” He asks, his eyes set firmly on mine, holding my gaze.

  “Me too. I mean, I go here. I started here though, I didn't transfer.” I ramble, trying to find a graceful way to exit this conversation. “Well, I really should get going.” I say. “It was good seeing you.” I turn, but don't get two steps before his hand darts out and closes around my bicep causing my entire body to tense.

  “You want me to join you?” He asks, closing in at my side.

  “No. I'm good.” I say, trying to pull my arm away. Unfortunately, he only tightens his grip against my efforts. Dropping his face lower so that he is just inches from my face, his whiskey filled breath dances across the side of my cheek.

  “We could take a little trip down memory lane.” He lets out a deep chuckle. Gripping under my chin, he pulls my face up towards his so that I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “I remember how rough you like it. I would be more than happy to remind you how great we were together.” His words cause the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.

  “Actually, I'm seeing someone. But thanks for the offer.” I say, meeting his eyes and showing not one ounce of the discomfort he makes me feel.

  “You?” He laughs deep from his belly like he has never heard something so funny before. “The girl I knew only wanted one thing.” His voice drops low as he trails his thumb across my lower lip.

  “I am not the girl you knew anymore. Now get your fucking hands off of me.” I bite, pulling against his grip with as much strength as I can muster. I catch him off guard just enough that I am able to break free, but the force causes me to stumble backwards and nearly lose my balance.

  By the time I recover, his arms close around me from behind, completely immobilizing my arms. “Aaron. You're drunk. Let me go and we can pretend this never happened.” I try to reason with him, but he only laughs from behind me.

  “You stupid bitch. You are exactly the same girl you were in high school. Self centered, only caring about yourself. You can pretend you have changed but I still see the same whore you were then.” He breathes roughly against my ear.

  My mind is trying desperately to come up with a way out of this situation. If I scream, that will only make him madder. Sober Aaron, I could probably reason with. But this drunk man behind me, him I don't know.

  “Aaron.” I say as calmly as I can muster. “You don't want to do this. Please let me go.” It takes everything I have to keep the shake from my voice but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing he's getting to me.

  “Oh I think I definitely want to do this.” He rasps, tightening his arms around me as his lips drop to my neck. My mind tries desperately to find a way out of this situation but right now, I feel like I'm in an alternate universe and nothing seems real.

  “Aaron! What the fuck man?” I hear Collin's voice come from somewhere behind me. Aaron's hold on me immediately drops and I stumble forward, spinning towards the door to see Collin and Andrea coming towards us.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Collin comes directly at Aaron without looking in my direction. While I may not be a fan of Collin, I have to admit, I am liking him a lot more now.

  “We were just having a little fun, right Anna?” He slurs, turning dark eyes on me.

  “Go fuck yourself Aaron.” I say, turning towards Andrea as Collin grabs Aaron and drags him back inside the bar.

  “Are you okay?” She asks, pulling me to her the moment the boys disappear inside.

  “I'm okay.” I stutter out, unable to control the shake of my hands. There is so much adrenaline pumping through me, I feel like my body is going to tear apart at any moment.

  “I'm so sorry. I should have left with you.” She says, wrapping her arms around me.

  “It's okay.” I say. “He didn't hurt me.” I reassure her.

  “Come on, lets get out of here.” She says, throwing one last glare towards the bar before setting her sights forward again.

  “Are you sure you're okay?” She asks again after several moments of silence.

  “I'm fine. Really. He didn't h
urt me.” I reassure her. “And not a word about this to Bentley.” I stop just steps from the front door, wishing that my statement could go without saying.

  “And have Aaron's death on my conscious. No thanks. I think I'll keep your little run in with him to myself thank you very much.” She gives me an I'm not stupid look and then pulls open the door, waiting for me to walk through before following me inside.

  Chapter

  Twelve

  I wish I could say that my run in with Aaron was a one time thing. But unfortunately, it's like the moment I found out he attended here, I started seeing him everywhere. Outside of my English Lit class, on the main court where me and Andrea always hang out when the weather is nice, and in the student lounge, just to name a few.

  Classes have only been back in session for less than two weeks and I have seen him at least a dozen times. The plus side of seeing him so often however, it has allowed me to somewhat figure out his schedule and find ways to avoid him. Which is why I am currently taking the long way back to my dorm instead of cutting through campus like I normally would.

  I'm not scared of Aaron necessarily and I don't feel like he would seek me out purposely. But that doesn't mean that I trust him and I certainly don't want a repeat of what happened a couple of weeks ago. I am hoping that we can find a way to co-exist, however unpleasant that may be for me.

  My cell phone buzzes to life in my pocket pulling me from my thoughts. Hoping that it's Bentley, I nearly drop the books currently in my arms just trying to get it out of my pocket in time. Unfortunately, it stops ringing the moment I finally get to it. Swiping the screen, I see a missed call from a number I don't know. Reading the number out loud, I try to figure out if I recognize it at all but before I can really even think about it, the phone jumps to life again, the same number dancing across the screen.

  I consider ignoring it but then decide I probably should answer it. It's not like many people have my number. “Hello.” I manage to get out, holding the phone between my cheek and shoulder, trying to situate the books in my arms so that I am able to continue walking as I talk. Of course someone calls me ten minutes after I checked out half of the library's stock of Child Psychology books.