The next morning Mila woke up, laying down on her art shed couch, with Jackie laying on her left side, arm around her. Naked.
Mila only closed her eyes tightly mentally kicking herself for what she had done, taking her free hand to rub her face in an up and down motion "what have I done," she whispered to herself looking at Jackie laying down on her.
The noise from her voice made Jackie slightly move in her position which startled Mila and prompted her to stay still.
Mila had a terrible mess in her mind, she knew she liked Jackie, so what was the problem ? She didn't know any of that right now, all she knew was that she needed to get Jackie out of there as soon as she could. She needed to get to work, at the moment its all she wanted to do.
"Jackie," she whispered
"Jackie," she whispered again while running her hand down Jackie's arm.
Jackie made a slight groan and slowly opened her eyes, immediately being filled with sparkle as she looked at Mila "good morning," she smiled.
"Hey, I uh, need to get ready for work," said Mila in an attempt to have the situation dissipate as soon as possible.
"Yes, right let me get dressed," said Jackie giving Mila a quick kiss right after.
Mila feeling guiltier by the minute got dressed as well.
"See you later?" said Jackie before heading out . Mila responded with a slight head nod not directly looking at her.
Once Jackie left and shut the shed door Mila put her hands up to her face "Ugh what's wrong with you?!" she yelled to herself. She looked around at her shed, in disbelief about what she knew was happening to her but would never admit. She looked around to find a portrait of the person making her go insane.
"This is all your fault," she said looking at Natalia's portrait.
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"Long night?" asked Rick when she saw Mila struggling with the hardware of the kitchen.
"You could say that I guess," she said measuring where the countertop was going to go.
"Does it have anything to do with the girl I saw coming out of your shed this morning?"
Mila's eyes went wide for a second feeling embarrassed Rick had seen her like that.
"I don't really wanna talk about it."
Rick took a pause and started looking through a bag of tools.
"You know Hartman I'm gonna tell you somethin' you're a good kid, but don't get yourself twisted. You're a good kid, but don't be a dumb kid. Oh," said Rick taking a pause to look at her "and Hartman, don't become the person you've always hated."
Mila took a second to listen to Rick's words, focusing on installing the countertop she had never been so pensative in her life. He was right though, she didn't want to be that person, which meant exactly what she thought, she couldn't see or be near Natalia.
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"Baby sister what has gotten into you? Finally find that motivation did you?" asked Mia looking at her little sister sitting with her laptop enjoying coffee.
Natalia happy to finally have hit a groove gladly answered her sisters' question
"Actually I did, I know what my novel is going to be about," she said in a cheerful voice
"You do?" said Mia
"Yes, and by the way, what's going on with you and Henry, since you know you ended up back here last night instead of having spent the night."
Mia looked at the box of doughnuts on the counter and shrugged her shoulders at her sister "nothing much, just wanted to be in the comfort of my own home is that so weird?" said Mia taking a bite of doughnut.
"Um, yeah kinda. Come sit, tell me what happened." Mia rolled her eyes at her sister
"Really it's nothing, gotta go have to check on the bar," she said putting the rest of the doughnut in her mouth walking out with coffee and keys in hand.
Natalia wondered what that was all about but she could not worry about it right now, she was on a roll with her novel which she planned to continue.
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"Alright Hartman bring me that level,"
Mila picked up the level from the toolbag and handed it to Rick mindlessly and unknowingly focusing on her never ending guilt.
"Hartman, this is not the place to get lost in your own head, leave that for later," said Rick clearly picking up on Mila's state.
"I just, actually, you're right."
Rick looked over his shoulder, to see Mila trying to get the situation out of her head "Well I guess we could take a break," said Rick
Mila smiled slightly at the gesture but not too much knowing Rick wouldn't want it to be a big deal.
They took a seat outside on the back of the pickup truck Rick pulling up water bottles from a cooler
"What did you do kid?" said Rick bringing the bottle of water to his lips and taking a small sip.
"It's not what I've done, it's what I'm afraid I will do, if my feelings keep betraying me."
"Hm,"
"And you know its not like I want to be feeling them, I just, my stupid brain or heart whatever, it doesn't get it," she said frustrated with herself.
"Kid," said Rick looking over at Mila, she looked back at him as he took a pause, he stared at the land before them, then looked directly at her for a second, then back to the land.
"Whatever you do," he took another pause to look directly in her eyes "do it justice, you know who you are Hartrman, you don't need to be playing games. Just, do what you know is right."
"And how do I know whats right?"
Rick took another look out to the fields, taking a longer pause than any of the earlier ones, then looked straight at Mila this time.
"Thats an answer you already have."
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YOU ARE READING
Ghost of your past
Science Fiction18 year old Mila has a simple life in a simple town, she once had an idea of what her life would be like and who she would spend it with, but when that person up and leaves without a warning and shows up back at their small town 6 years later, 24 ye...
