Save Me

9. Closure

I hear the door to the shop open "Welcome, can I..." I look up and see Jesse walking towards the counter.
"Hi Cari."
"Can I help you, do you want to place an order?" I look down and focus on the arrangement I'm making trying my best to control my breathing and heart rate. I hate that he still gets to me but to my surprise it's not all consuming anymore. I bet that's because of Eli and Niko.
"I was wondering if we can talk?"
"About?" I play dumb.
"Us?"
"There is no us Jesse. You left me without an explanation remember?" I look up at him and he backs up a step.
"I'm sorry Cari, I needed some time. We were always fighting and I do love you but I wanted a break. I'm sorry I wasn't man enough to tell you then. I miss you babe."
"Well it's too late. I'm seeing someone else now."
Jesse sucks in a breath and his eyes go wide.
"No you're not, don't try to hurt me on purpose. I may have been a coward Cari but I wasn't cruel."
"You weren't cruel?! So you don't think blocking my number and changing your locks and ghosting me all this time was cruel!!" I'm shouting and I don't care. The door chimes again letting me know another customer has walked in. It's probably a good thing or I would have jumped the counter and murdered the man in front of me. Jesse steps aside without looking back.
"Hey gorgeous." My eyes shoot up as soon as I recognize that voice. Niko is showing me his award winning smile.
"Hey." I smile back at him and want to hug him, talk about perfect timing.
"You left this in the back seat of my Jeep last night." He smirks as he holds up my red bikini bottom. I quickly snatch it from his hand.
"Thanks but you could have taken it to me at home."
"True, but I was near by and I remembered you're working today." I nod in understanding and look over at Jesse and he has this look of shock on his face. Niko keeps talking unfazed. 
"What time do you get off so I can take you to dinner."
"Actually bro we were in the middle of making plans for tonight. I'm Jesse, her... her ex."
"Is that so." Niko assesses Jesse and then looks at me.
"Well then Cari, sounds like you have a choice to make." He's looking at me so amused. I had told him all about Jesse.
I clear my throat, "Sorry Jesse but I'm going to pass." I look at Niko, "I get off at 5."
Niko beams at me "I'll pick you up at 7." He gives me a wink and walks out. My heart just did a summersault. I don't know if it's from another date with Niko or from the satisfaction of watching Jesse's face when I turned him down and accepted Niko's offer instead. I feel light on my feet.
"See you around Cari. If you ever want to talk, I mean it, you know where to find me." He walks out. I start jumping up and down like an idiot. Ruthie comes out the back room.
"Is everything okay dear, I heard screaming."
"Yes Ruthie. Sorry."
She looks at me like I'm an adolescent child and walks back where she came from.
————
Niko picks me up at 7pm sharp like he said. I took forever finding an outfit but settled with ripped jeans and a cut off loose shirt with my converse.
"You look nice." He says as I get in.
"Thanks you too." He smiles
"I picked the last place so it's your turn. What's your favorite restaurant?"
"Don't laugh but it's Applebees. I love the three cheese chicken penne from there." He does exactly what I asked him not to do. He laughs.
"Wow, that was very specific." He starts the engine and says "Applebees it is."
We decide to sit at the bar. He asks if I mind him having a beer but promises to only have one. I tell him I don't mind.
"So you're 21?"
"Yeah, you?"
"I just turned twenty." He nods.
"So you're a virgin then?"
"What?"
He laughs, "you can't drink alcohol yet. Have you tried it or are you waiting to 21 like a good girl."
"Oh, I've drank before. Who waits until they're 21?" He smiles and turns to the bartender.
"One more for my lady." The bartender looks at me for a few seconds then nods his head. A few minutes later he hands me a beer.
"I didn't ask for this but thanks."
He leans over and whispers in my ear. "Don't feel pressured to drink it. I just figured it could just take the edge off seeing your ex earlier."
I smile and take a sip. Before I know it we're eating and laughing just like yesterday. Conversations are easy with him. Not like with Jesse where everything turned into an argument. True to his word, Niko only has the one beer as did I and it did help take the edge off. He doesn't try anything and I'm grateful. He drops me back off at home around 9:30. I take a shower and find myself laying out my clothes for the next day. What is going on. I haven't done that, well you know. I decide I need to start trying to live again and give a damn. Jesse doesn't define me and I'm glad that Eli and Niko have shown me that. I put my satin pjs on this time, a navy blue tank and matching shorts. I'm about to go to bed when I hear a knock on my door. I get up and open it and it's my roommate Emily.
"Hey, is everything okay." I ask
""Yeah but you have a visitor, says he's your friend. He's waiting in the living room." She walks away and I'm left gaping. I really need to have a conversation with her about letting strangers in at night just because they say they are a friend of mine. I creep down the hall and peek out to see who it is.
"Hey Eli, is everything okay? What are you doing here?" I walk out to the living room once I see who it is crossing my arms over my chest. Why does this always happen with him!
"Hey Carolina, can we talk?" He stands and walks towards me.
"Sure." I'm not real sure what he needs to talk about or if I should have a seat on the couch or invite him to my room. I mean he did already go in my room and he was my bff. I decide to give him some privacy and start walking towards my room. He follows without saying a word.
I sit on my bed resting my back on the headboard and I grab a pillow and put it in front of me. He sits on the edge of the bed at my feet.
"What's wrong Eli?" He looks like he hasn't slept, his clothes are wrinkled, and his hair isn't combed. He's usually well kept.
"Naomi broke up with me. We got into an argument and she tried to give me an ultimatum. I don't do well with that."
"What, why!"
"It was over you?"
"What do you mean, over me?"
He puts his elbows on his legs and covers his head with his hands. He looks miserable.
I scoot over to him and place my hand on his shoulder.
"We can just sit here if you don't want to talk about it." I begin to rub circles on his back.
"She was upset about me staying the night with you at the hospital. She said I could have called your family. She also got upset that I offered to take you home and then took longer than planned because of our CVS run. She seems to think that I don't know where to draw the line with you because of our history. It didn't help that she found us at the cafe line together either."
I don't know what to say about his confession.
"She's right, I can keep my distance if that's what you need." I mean it, Eli has been nothing but sweet to me so I don't want him hurting if I can help it.
He looks up at me "Is that what you want? For me to stay away from you after just finding you?" He looks torn.
"Eli, you clearly love her and I won't be in the way. I want you to be happy."
"That's just it, I was happy or I thought I was... but now I'm not sure. I mean I do love her but I feel like she should trust me."
"Eli you are in my bedroom. If I was your girlfriend I wouldn't like it either." I subconsciously scoot away from him a little. Then he does something crazy. He takes his boots off then stands up, takes his shirt off and walks over and shuts the lights off.
"I'm exhausted Car, I haven't slept in two nights." He lays down on the other side of me facing away from me.
I'm still processing what just happened. I mean we used to do this all the time as kids but we aren't kids anymore. Technically we are both single but if he wants any chance at getting her back we can't sleep on the same bed. He's not thinking straight right now. I get up and grab a blanket from my closet and cover him. Then I walk out. I' grab some extra blankets and pillow from the hall closet and sleep on the couch. I close my eyes thinking what a crazy day it's been. First my weird visit from Jesse, then my dinner date with Niko, and now Eli spending the night.