Hooked on love

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I can’t believe I’m dating Jackson! It’s been a while since I’ve ran home like a kid all excited, it feels like the best decision of my life. I can’t wait to tell Lucy; Beau and…Nick? I see his car parked outside my house, what is he doing here? I can’t let him to see me like this!
 I feel my anxiety hugging my body, pulling me down deeper, and deeper. I swim to reach the surface, I can’t let it take me down yet. It’s impossible for me to lie to him when I’m wearing what I wore last night, I’m actually doing the walk of shame.

Creaking the door open, I peer my head round checking the coast is clear. I can hear people chatting in the living room to my left, I can easily distinguish Nick’s voice, he’s happily chatting with my dad. My eye catches movement in the kitchen, its mum thank god. She’s sitting at the island twiddling a strand of hair around her finger, she only does this when she’s in deep thought or concentrating hard. I may as well get this over and done with, “Hey mum, I’m sorry for staying out last night, it wasn’t intentional and nothing happened.” She turns to face me with her reading glasses perching on the edge of her nose, I see a book in front of her, clearly a crime book it’s all she ever reads. I bet she’d know how to commit the perfect crime. “Ava, sweetheart. Have you only just got in?” Has she been up all night reading again? “Yeah, I just said sorry for doing it, I didn’t mean too.” She blinks blankly at me, “Okay love, I believe you. How was your date? Tell me.” Is that it? A sorry and an excuse? Even though it was true I thought she’d roast me. I sit next to her and Beau strolls in yawning, obviously just woke up.
“Waddap, about to spill the juicy deets? Ha! Also still in last night’s clothes? Classy.” I shoot a glare at her and she winks in return, I tell that what happened from the meal to laser quest, including the kiss and going back to his house. It was pretty easy to get them to believe me, it’s the first time I’ve stayed at a boy’s house, excluding Nick, shivers run down my spine. I feel like someone is watching me, I turn round to Nick leaning against the wall with my dad behind listening. My heart drops.
They heard everything.

“Sounds like you had a great time. I got worried when you didn’t text me telling me you got home.” Guilt drips my chest taking it as its prisoner, “sorry Nick, I fell asleep.”
“Sure you did, glad you’re safe though. I’ll see you later.” He smiles, turns round and leaves, closing the door behind him. Wait, no. I shoot up and run after him.
I see him in the car and climb in. “What are you doing?” He obviously didn’t expect me to chase him, “What about you? Why did you leave like that after dropping your sarcastic remark?” I feel my anger burning, I hate getting angry because I want to cry from frustration. He sags into his chair, “I don’t understand how you ‘fell asleep’, quoting with his finger.
“I got too drunk and fell asleep, okay?”
“Oh how classy of you, I’m sure he loved that. Let me guess, you slept together?” The second that sentence left his mouth I slap him as hard as I could across the head. Tears escape my eyes, dammit! My anger has me froze in place when all I want to do is leave.
“Ava, I’m sorry-“
“Don’t you dare apologise! You meant what you said, I’m just disappointed and hurt that you actually think I would do something like that!” I wipe the years from my cheeks. I’ve left him speechless, he looks like a lost boy, good. “You actually sound like a jealous boyfriend!” His eyes shoots up and meet mine, “so what if I’m jealous? It isn’t a crime!” Squeezing the steering wheel, “what do you mean by that?”
“I feel like I’m going to be replaced, you only stay at time which I cherish, and listening to you talk about someone in the sense is just weird for me.” I didn’t think of it like that...
 ”He won’t replace you Nick, you’re irreplaceable to me, if it made you feel like that then I’m sorry too, but you’re going to have to accept Jackson eventually.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’re dating now.” His eyes widen, “since when?”
“This morning.” I need to be strong, I can do this. He leans back into his seat tilting his head against the head rest, he turns so he’s facing me. “Are you happy?” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, “Very, I really think he’s the one Nick.” Saying it out loud for the first time feels weird.
“Okay, sorry for being erratic and indicating you slept with him.”
“So you should, he’s a virgin after all.” If he had a drink in his mouth, it would have spat out everywhere. “Seriously?” I nod. “Man, it’s normally the opposite way round, I don’t know whether you’re lucky or doomed.”
“I’ll take lucky, I need to go shower off yesterday’s antics. Can we chat later?” I get a whiff of myself, ugh! “Yeah sure, I didn’t want to mention the smell while you was upset.” An open mouth grin appears on his face, I swat his arm. “Rude! I don’t smell that bad, do I?” I lift my arm and force him to smell me, “no, stop! You really stink!” He puts his hand on my triceps firmly, since when was he this strong? Our faces are inches from touching, I’ve never been this close to his face before, he really has perfect skin and chocolate brown eyes. What is this feeling? I pull away, “I really do stink, let me go for a bath now.” He lets go, still smiling from ear to ear, what’s happening to me? I give him a quick hug goodbye and close the door behind me.

I run myself a hot bath and I can’t get that feeling I had with Nick out of my mind, I don’t get it with Jackson, so what is it? Meh whatever. I get out and climb into bed, read a book and I start to worry that dealing with two men in my life, isn’t going to be easy.