Last Train Home

by Megan Nugen Isbell

  His lips turned up into a smile and he reached up and gently stroked my cheek with his fingers. He eventually found a strand of my hair and caressed it for a moment before talking again.

  “I wanna be with you, Riley. That’s what this is between us,” he said sweetly and then he laughed. “Now, if you remember correctly, you’re the one who said you wanted to play the field. Keep your options open, I believe were your exact words.” He was grinning at me and I couldn’t help but crack a smile thinking back to our banter that day in the lunch room. “Do you want me to say it?” he continued. “Because I thought it was pretty obvious.”

  “Say what?” I asked softly.

  “I want to be your boyfriend and I want you to be my girlfriend,” he said with a playful grin and started laughing.

  “Are we in fifth grade or something?” I said as I started laughing too.

  “You wanted to know where we stood. You can’t get any clearer than that, can you?”

  “I guess not,” I agreed.

  “Then whaddya say? Do you think it’s worth it, because I do.”

  When I looked at him, I couldn’t resist him. Adrienne was a pain, but he was right. What difference did it make if Alex and I were together? She could say whatever she wanted and she could do whatever she wanted, but it wouldn’t change the fact that Alex wanted me, not her. He’d spelled it out as clearly as he could and I knew this little hard to get game I’d been playing with him was, indeed, just a game, and without a doubt, I wanted to be with him too.

  “It’s worth a try, right?” I finally said.

  “I’m glad to you hear you say that.”

  His voice was low and seductively husky as he came in closer to me. He reached up and began stroking the neckline of my tank top like he’d done earlier by the car. The same goosebumps popped up all over my chest and I shuddered.

  “You okay?” he whispered in my ear as he continued to tickle my skin with his fingers.

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” I whispered back. A moment later, my fingers found themselves tangled in his hair while his lips found their way to my neck. His lips were warm and moist and he kissed the base of my throat, leaving a tingly trail behind until his lips rested at the corner of my mouth. His tongue tickled my lips and I heard a low moan escape from my throat. My heart was pounding. I wanted to feel him closer to me and we laid down on the couch. The weight of his body felt good and I imagined what it would be like to feel his bare skin on mine. Without thinking, I reached under his shirt and ran my hands over the strong muscles in his back as he moved his lips from the corner of my mouth to my ear. His breath was heavy as he began nibbling on my ear before eventually making his way back to my lips. I kissed him hungrily, wanting to taste everything about him. My hands were still exploring his strong body when I felt his hand slide under my shirt.

  “I want you,” his heavy voice rang through my ears.

  With those words, he moved his touch from my chest to the button of my jeans. Without hesitation, as if he’d done it a million times before, the button was undone and I heard the sound of my zipper. I tensed up and breathed in deeply as I felt his warm touch on my bikini line. It felt like every inch of my skin was on fire. He was so gentle and every part of me wanted to be with him, but as his hand moved smoothly up and down my thigh, I suddenly tensed. Alex stopped and his hand trailed from my thigh up to my cheek. He looked down at me and smiled and then brushed the hair lightly from my face.

  “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

  I couldn’t talk so I just nodded. He leaned down again and began kissing my neck while his hands found their way under my shirt again.

  “Alex…wait,” I whispered as my hand found his. He stopped and looked into my eyes again. I couldn’t tell how to read him. “I…I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  He was quiet for a moment and I wondered if he was mad, but then he smiled, a gentle reassuring smile, and I felt better. He sat up, leaving me red-faced and embarrassed, still lying on the couch. I quickly zipped and buttoned my pants and sat up next to him.

  “Alex, I want to, but…I…I can’t,” I whispered looking at him out of the corner of my eye.

  “Riley, stop,” he said sweetly and he took my hand. “I understand and I’m fine with it.”

  “It’s just…I’ve…I’ve never,” I stuttered, trying to tell him I was a virgin without having to say the words.

  “I adore your innocence,” he said softly looking at me like a little kid, which embarrassed me even more. “You’re not ready and that’s alright.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No. I promise you, I’m not mad.”

  We sat quietly for a few moments and I didn’t know whether or not I believed him. He was a seventeen-year-old guy after all. He was a seventeen-year-old guy who thought he was getting some until I pulled away. I just couldn’t do it though. I’d waited seventeen years to lose my virginity and it wasn’t something I was just going to give away at the drop of a hat, especially on an old sofa surrounded by shag carpeting.

  I was lost in my thoughts, justifying to myself that I’d made the right choice, when he took my hand and held it to his lips. He kissed it softly and then smiled at me so all of my doubts washed away.

  “You wanna head back out to the party?” he asked and I nodded, wanting to return to normal as soon as possible.

  After straightening our clothes, we stood up and walked hand and hand out of the den and back into the living room. The music was still blaring and everyone looked completely trashed. I thought I smelled marijuana too. I’d smelled it at a concert before and the scent was unmistakable. I looked around and realized this was what Jesse had warned me about. It’s not like I was a prude or a goody-two-shoes. I definitely wasn’t either of those things. I’d done my share of things I knew my parents wouldn’t approve of, but I also wasn’t an idiot. I’d had a few drinks in my life, but I’d never touched a drug.

  As I continued to look around, I realized Alex and I weren’t the only ones who couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Couples all around us, including my cousin and the blonde, were making out, but at least Alex and I’d had the decency to do it in private.

  “You want something to drink?” Alex shouted over the music.

  “Sure,” I said and I followed him into the kitchen, eager to get the image of David and that girl out of my mind. I guessed I wouldn’t be speaking to him tonight after all.

  The music was a little quieter when we got in the kitchen. Alex went to the fridge and then pulled me over.

  “What do you want?” he asked as I looked through the fridge.

  “I’ll just take a Coke,” I said, reaching past the booze and pulling out a can.

  “Ah…and the innocence continues,” he laughed as he pulled out a beer.

  “It’s got nothing to do with innocence. I just don’t like beer.”

  “Sure,” he said doubtfully and then smiled. “Do you mind if I have one though? I’ll just have the one. I won’t get hammered. I’ve got to drive you home after all.”

  “Go ahead,” I told him as I sipped my Coke. He popped open his Budweiser and took a swig and then his face twisted into a scowl.

  “You’re right. This is nasty.” He set the beer on the counter and then looked over at me. “You wanna get outta here?” he asked with a smile.

  “Definitely,” I said, putting my Coke down next to his beer.

  He took my hand and we made our way through the crowd until we were out in the fresh air.

  “You were a good sport tonight,” Alex said as we were driving away. He hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye to his friends. We just took off leaving them all behind.

  “You can’t say I didn’t try,” I replied.

  “You did try and I appreciate it, but I’d much rather have you all to myself than hang out with those idiots,” he said and I felt my cheeks flush and I couldn’t help but smile. “Wanna go back to my place and watch a movie or something?”

  “Sounds great,
” I agreed. “Much more fun than that party.”

  He looked over and smiled before he made a sharp right turn towards his house.

  ****

  When I got home right before curfew, I was glad Alex had suggested we leave the party. We’d spent the rest of the night at his house watching a movie. His parents had left us alone and we cuddled on the couch until he had to take me home.

  The house was quiet when I walked in after Alex dropped me off, but I saw the light was still on in my mom’s bedroom. I tip-toed up the stairs not wanting to disturb anyone and I walked quietly into my room. I flipped on the light and set my purse on the desk before a glow of blue caught my eye. I looked around and saw the baseboards and window frames were covered in the blue painting tape. I was totally confused as I stood there staring at it.

  I heard quiet footsteps shuffling down the hall and then they stopped outside my room. I turned around to see my mom standing there.

  “Did you do this?” I asked, not bothering to say hello. She shook her head from side to side. “Then who did?”

  “Jesse,” she replied.

  “What?” I asked more confused than ever.

  “Jesse came over while you were out with Alex. He thought you might need some help finishing up.”

  “But, I hadn’t even started,” I stammered.

  She just stared at me with a knowing look on her face.

  “He did it all by himself,” I said quietly.

  “Yeah, he did,” she said. “You’ve got a good friend in him, just remember that.”

  She turned and walked away and I stood frozen, staring at the blue tape.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I didn’t quite know what I was going to say to Jesse when I saw him. I wanted to thank him profusely for helping me out, but I was also kind of embarrassed that he’d discovered I hadn’t taken the time to get the prep work done I was supposed to. He already thought I was an inept city slicker. I’d been hoping to prove him wrong by getting everything done, but if I was being honest with myself, I knew I probably wouldn’t have gotten it all done by the time he came over.

  “You didn’t have to do this,” I said, gesturing to the tape when Jesse walked into my room the next afternoon. “I was gonna get it done.”

  “I just thought I’d help out,” he said as he walked over and began sorting the paint supplies.

  “Yeah, but, I mean…you already think I’m completely incompetent and this just proves it.”

  “Let’s get one thing clear. I may think you’re a spoiled East Coast snob,” he began with a laugh, but then looked at me with serious eyes. “But I don’t think you’re incompetent. I was just helping out.”

  “Yeah, but, I was going to…I mean I had planned…” I continued to stammer and then stopped. I put my hands in my pockets and sighed as I looked up and smiled at Jesse across the room. “Just…I mean…thanks, Jesse,” I finally settled on. There wasn’t really anything else to say.

  He smiled at me with his soft gray eyes.

  “You’re welcome,” he said simply and then continued laying out the supplies.

  “One more thing,” I began. “Do you really think I’m a snob?”

  He smiled at me again and shrugged his shoulders.

  “I don’t think you mean to be, but you can come across that way at times. We all get that you miss Boston and we all know Carver isn’t exactly the most exciting place to live, but it’s our home and I wish you’d give it a chance.”

  “I’m sorry. You guys have been so awesome to me. It’s a wonder you’ve put up with me as long as you have.”

  “Well, I kinda like you.” He smiled again and turned to me, handing me part of a drop cloth. “Now enough of this talk. Let’s get to work. Can you help me spread this out?”

  I nodded and we laid the white plastic cover on the floor.

  “The walls are nice and clean,” he said with a grin. I could tell he knew I was embarrassed that he’d had to come over and do the taping for me. He was trying to give me kudos to make me feel better.

  “I had to do something, right?”

  He ignored my sarcasm and stirred the paint and then poured it into a silver tray. He took a paint brush and handed me a roller.

  “I’ll do the cutting in. Why don’t you start painting the walls,” he suggested and I nodded.

  We worked quietly for a while and although I’d never painted a wall in my life, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I actually kind of liked doing it too. It was amazing to see the difference between the original dinge walls compared to the ultramarine. It was definitely brighter and more overwhelming spread on a large surface compared to the small swatch we’d picked out at the paint store. Even so, I immediately loved the color and the transformation of the room was almost instantaneous.

  “I love this color, Jesse,” I said as I was finishing up the first wall.

  “Yeah. I did a great job picking it out, huh?”

  “Yes, you did,” I said as I walked over to dunk the roller into the tray to get more paint. He was sitting on the ground cutting in above the baseboard. I reached down and patted him on the head like I was praising an obedient dog. “Good job, Jesse.”

  He just rolled his eyes and kept painting.

  “How was the party last night?” he finally asked. I was surprised it’d taken him so long to say anything.

  “You were right,” I said, continuing to slather the bright blue-purple paint on the wall. He looked up from the ground where he was still sitting with an I told you so look on his face, but he didn’t say anything. “We didn’t stay long.”

  “Oh yeah? Why not?” he inquired as he turned back to his painting.

  “People were getting obnoxious,” I told him. “Adrienne was there.”

  “You knew she would be.”

  “Yeah, I did, but I really thought by now she’d leave me alone,” I said, getting frustrated just thinking about it.

  “She’s never gonna leave you alone. Not as long as you’re with Alex,” he stated flatly.

  “Yeah, I know,” I mumbled, walking over to get more paint.

  “What’s Alex say about her?”

  “He tells me not to worry about it. Oh, and get his theory behind her behavior,” I said quickly and he looked up at me for the answer. “Alex says Adrienne treats me this way because she’s threatened by me.”

  “I’d have to agree with him.”

  “Well, I don’t buy it. I just think she’s a witch.”

  “Well, she is that, but she’s singled you out for some reason, and I think Alex is right. She’s been the queen bee forever. She’s not used to the competition.”

  “I’m hardly competition for Adrienne.”

  “You might not think so, but you are,” he said, looking up at me and then turning away. I blushed and kept painting.

  “Well, I’m not going to let her come between us,” I said a moment later.

  “So you and Alex are an us now?” he asked. I turned to look at him, but his eyes were focused on his painting.

  “Yeah,” I said quietly, almost embarrassed to say it.

  “When did this happen?”

  “Last night.”

  “Hmm,” he said softly and kept painting.

  “What do you mean hmm?” I asked.

  “I just hope he deserves you, is all.”

  Jesse didn’t look over to me as he said it and I didn’t quite know how to respond. I was quiet for a few minutes as I watched the ultramarine paint streak up and down the walls. Jesse didn’t say anything either and the room was starting to feel uncomfortably quiet.

  “He treats me really well,” I finally said as I kept my eyes on the paint.

  “Good,” Jesse said and then the silence settled in again.

  “Mind if I turn on some music?” I asked a few minutes later. I needed something to fill the void.

  “Good idea,” he responded.

  I put down my paint roller and walked over to my computer. I opened up iTunes, put my
music library on shuffle and soon the silence was filled with the sounds of Katy Perry.

  “So this is your idea of music?” he laughed.

  “Hey, I like Katy Perry,” I said in mock defensiveness.

  He laughed again but then it was quiet once more and remained so for the rest of the afternoon for the most part. We chatted from time to time about nothing really, but the atmosphere had changed since we’d talked about Alex and me. I knew my friends didn’t like him and I wished they’d give him a chance. He’d done nothing to justify their feelings and I wondered what Alex was going to have to do to make them realize he wasn’t the jerk they thought he was.

  “I think we’re done,” I announced as I finished covering up the last patch of dinge.

  Jesse stood in the middle of the room and looked around.

  “Not bad for your first time,” he said, giving me an approving smile.

  “Thank you,” I said smiling back. “That was actually kinda fun.”

  “Well, we’re not done yet.”

  “What do you mean? Of course we’re done.”

  “That was only the first coat,” he said and then grinned at me.

  “We have to do it again?” I sighed.

  “We don’t have to, but it won’t look as good if we don’t. See how the white paint is still showing through a little?” he asked, pointing to a spot on the wall.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It is kinda streaky looking,” I admitted.

  “It won’t take long though, since we’ll both be painting this time,” Jesse said as he got a fresh paint roller. He started painting and I joined him.

  So what’re we going to do about our project for Constitution?” I asked as we painted.

  “I was thinking we could do a power point presentation.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “What are your thoughts on the Second Amendment anyway?” he asked a moment later.

  “I’m all for gun control,” I said and I thought I saw him shudder. “What? You think anybody should just have a gun?”