The Older We Get

Chapter 16

Guy in picture is good for mystery dude.

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Just one second after opening the door, and I feel my heart stop beating, the person in front of me, tall and handsome while his perfect white smile spreads open, his clear as ice blue eyes staring down while I let my jaw drop, his arms open and my body still.

It's him.

"Going to stand there all day? Should I leave and expect a hug later?" His airy light British accent greets while I laugh and jump up to him, of course, my legs a few inches off the carpet and I hear my mom laughing while my 24 year old friend joins and walks in to set me down, his hand on my head before kissing my temple.

No way. Gosh!

"Is this really you?" I cross my arms, fired up and grinning while I stare him over. His chin lightly covered in stubble but his face still fresh and clean while he stares down at his grown up young adult apparel. His jacket thick with a leather scent mixed in with some of his cologne and his jeans hiding all of his long legs. "10 months and you come back like this?"

"Think I should revert back?"

"No! This is good." I lift both of my thumbs. "All the way."

"Welcome back." I hear my mom again.

"Glad to be back."

"Dinner's almost ready. You can dump your stuff anywhere."

"I was never one to actually leave my stuff around. I'll make an exception though."

Looking him over, his brown hair nicely cut, responsible and respectable, not to mention manly, I have to think a minute before realizing that he's holding 2 bags of all his possessions from his college dorm back in New York.

Unbelievable.

"You came here before going home?"

"As far as I'm concerned this is a priority stop. Besides, I'm hungry and you're mother's been planning this for a while. You're birthday's next week." He pauses. "The big adult number. I got you something." My somewhat childhood friend reaches into one of his pockets, the shape of a black box adorned with gold patterns presented when I bring my fingers up to my lips in wonder. "Yours. Happy early birthday Sage."

"Aw." I hold my cheeks and grin. "You didn't have to do that." I take the box. "But as long as you did." I pop it open, giving him a wink of thanks before staring down, my honey golden eyes soaking up the view of an upside down gold heart with a red jewel stationed near the top inside the hollow shape, the chain thin and fine while sparkling as if the present was waving hello to me.

"This..." I swallow. "Looks expensive."

"Subtle." His eyes sparkle. "Sage it doesn't matter how much it costs. It only matters that you like it. Besides." I feel his hands grab my shoulders; pulling at the necklace from the setting to lift my hair and help me put on the gift which, I actually do really like.

It's kinda girly...not to mention womanly and tasteful, like he bought it at Tiffany's or something, but I love it. I'm more or less extremely glad he's home though.

However...

One look up after smiling at the gift and I feel my body jolt at the sight of Chandler leaning on the wall in front of the stairs, crossing his arms and smirking so devilishly in the shadows that he looks like he's about to summon a poltergeist to annihilate me.