Sin & Salvation

Chapter 19

How I got to the restaurant in one piece is a miracle considering I was zoned out the entire time, dreaming of Silas being inside me. Walking up, I see there are tables set up outside, Payton and Emma already occupying one. Payton's back is facing me and it seems like her and Emma are deep in conversation.

As I get closer, I briefly catch the end of Payton saying something to her. "—and I just don't know what to do."

I wrap my arms around her neck. "BOO!" She screams and other people sitting near us look over, annoyed.

Once she realizes it's me, she laughs and hugs my arms back. "Holy shit, I think I actually just sharted in my pants for real."

I laugh loudly because she's way too easy to scare and I've loved doing it for as long as I've known her. Resting my head atop hers, I can smell her Warm Vanilla Sugar body spray from Bath & Body Works that she's used since middle school and it makes me feel fuzzy inside.

I guess she got over the perfume Jason got her pretty quickly. That or she's  using it sparingly which I know I would do if Brett wasn't the one buying it for me. 

"You don't know what to do about what, P?" I ask, curious about why she and Emma were having such a serious conversation before I walked up.

"Nothing, just stupid shit with Jason, as always." She sighs and rests her head on my arm for a minute.

Jason is probably the one person I love to hate and hate to love (besides Silas). I met him in college before I even met Brett. Payton and I were at a frat party my sophomore year when Jason approached me, asking if "fries came with my shake." I'm not very confrontational– but Payton is, so she asked if brain cells came with his brain and then kneed him in the balls.

For whatever reason, Jason got over it pretty fast and he and Payton spent the entire night and next day together. Brett watched the whole interaction from afar and approached me afterwards, apologizing for his very drunk friend's behavior.

I remember being so enamored with Brett when he first approached me. Everything about him reeled me in— his eyes, his smile, his body, his smell.

He was so perfect and I remember standing there thinking, 'This is the man I want to marry.' And now here we all are, six long years later— and both men still act almost exactly the same.

"What did he do now? It's always something with him," I say to Payton, annoyed. Emma is quiet, stirring the melting ice cubes in her drink. I know that feeling– too afraid to interrupt people, not feeling important enough to speak up.

I smile at her sweetly."Hi, Emma. You look really pretty today." Her hair is slightly wavy and frames her delicate features beautifully. She has on a short sleeved white button-up shirt that's cinched on the sleeves, and it's tucked into a pair of black and white checkered, ankle-length pants.

Those doe-eyes shoot up to meet mine, her face immediately lighting up, and she smiles right back before answering, "Thanks, you do too."

A groan from Payton ruins the moment. "Shut the fuck up, can you two lovebirds just kiss already?" I lightly pinch her arm while I go to sit down. Emma's face gets red and I wonder how the hell she ended up being friends with the unhinged girl next to me.

"Jason is just Jason, you know him. Always going out late and getting drunk with his old college buddies. Leaving me at the apartment by myself to sulk in my crusty pajamas and rewatch 'The Office' for the 400th time."

"Oh trust me, I know. I was so pissed at Brett last night for getting home so late after hanging with him. Ridiculous." The waitress hands me a glass of water and I gulp it down, already sweating from the heat. Why they chose to sit out here is beyond me, but looking into the small restaurant, I can tell it's packed in there.