Ghost of You

The Ghost of You - Chapter 7

"Remember when we went to the show and, when we came back to my house, and Bender was there drunk?" I nodded as she continued to spill. "Well, he ran into Claire," she swallowed some spit as she was talking really low and really quickly. "I guess she was in town and needed an oil change and she tried to get him to sleep with her, and he got all confused because he still had feelings for her but then, I guess she tried to make a move and he told her you guys were together and she said a bunch of just, really awful things about you. But he, he stood up for you, ended up leaving the shop and had someone else fix her car while he went to drink and then he went to your house, but your Mom told him you were with me, so he ended up at our place and he, oh Riley, he poured his heart out about you to Andy."

"Wh-why," I started to ask and she turned to look at me for the first time since we started this little confessional session.

"Because, Charlie, you can't leave him. I mean, I know you're still up in the air because of your father and work but, if you leave him, he's gonna fall apart. I've never seen him this happy, Riles. He is totally and hopelessly head over heels in love with you, don't abandon that, ever. I mean, I'm sure that's easy for me to say but, you make sacrifices for love, and if you feel half as much for him as he does for you," and she started to cry.

"Hey," I said looking to the side and, upon finding some, grabbed a tissue to dry her eyes, "listen, you have to trust me when I say that this will work out."

"I know, it's just, UGH THESE HORMONES," and we giggled. "Riley, he's changing. I mean, he's still Bender to everyone else, but, I dunno. I see how he looks at you; don't let that go, ok?" Her words hit me like a Mac truck. I had been so stuck in the now that I hadn't considered that inevitable future when I left Shermer and returned to California. "Alright," she wiped one final tear from her face and turned to look at me, "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous," I smiled and opened the door to enter the courthouse.

.....

Bender and I stood at the front door of the courthouse waving away Andy and Allison who were headed to Chicago until Tuesday for their Honeymoon.

"Well," Bender sighed, "That was..."

"Fantastic? Intimate? Simple?"

"Nice," he said as he took his suit coat off and handed it to me.

"You know what's nicer?" And he turned as he undid the tie to hand back to me. I held up a set of keys, "I have to watch Allison and Andy's place til Tuesday," and I stared at him as a mischievous look spread across my face, which seemed to earn me that smirk that I love so much. Next thing I knew, he had snuck behind me and pulled me into him as I laughed and felt in my lower back just how excited he was at the idea of having a house to ourselves for the weekend. "I get off at 5," he whispered as he nipped and my neck right under my earlobe causing me to turn around saw say, "play your cards right, maybe I'll be getting off at 5:15?" I bit my lip and he growled at me before pulling me into him again. "You better quit, Cupcake," and I stepped back from him with the same mischievous smile on my face. As I walked to the car, I made sure I threw a little bit more wiggle into my walk as I knew he would be watching. When I turned to get into the car, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Was it good for you," I asked as he flicked me off.

I drove back home and talked to my Ma for a little bit and checked on Dad again before letting her know that I had to watch Allison's house for the next couple days.

"Just you, or you and Bender," she asked. When I gave her an innocent look, she stuck her hip out and rolled her eyes. Yeah, she wasn't buying it either. I had to laugh as she just shrugged it off and went back to her work. Why ask if you already know the answer Woman, I thought to myself. "Hey," Ma stopped me before I went back upstairs, "Has Dad called you by a different name?"

"He called out to Berta earlier, but when he saw my face, he called me Charlie. Why?" Ma sighed and looked at him in the living room from the counter in the kitchen. "I think I'm gonna take him to see the Doctor. He has been sleeping a lot lately and he has been referring to me as Donna all day." Donna was Dad's oldest sister who had been gone for a while now.

"What does that mean, you're gonna take him in," I asked.

"Something is telling me to take him in to see his Doctor," and she saw the scared look in my eyes, like I was 5 years old. "Oh Honey, it's probably nothing. It'll be ok." She said as she pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. "I wanted to ask how Allison looked today. You look very pretty yourself." So I told her how the ceremony went all the while thinking about everything Allison had said to me prior to us entering the court room. I asked her if she was 100% sure that Dad would be alright and she said she'd be fine but I left her with the number at Allison's just in case. I kissed Dad goodbye and he said he'd see me later with a kiss on the cheek and a wink.