Promise? ✤ COLIFER SHORT STORY

Chapter 2 ✤ ABORT MISSION

Jen's POV

I hopped out of the car and Colin went to load the stroller out of the back while I unbuckled Asher.

"Oh, you go inside," I said when he put the stroller next to the car, Asher's bag hanging from his shoulder. I dug up my key and handed it to him, but I looked up when he didn't move.

"What?" I said. "You know Alex gave me a key years ago, you can—"

"Can I really just walk in like that? Shouldn't I—"

"Oh, don't be silly." I pushed against his chest. "You go inside and put the bag and the stroller away, I'll get Asher."

He lingered for another moment, but then he sighed and pushed the stroller to the front door. I bent down to grab Asher's backpack from the bottom of the car as Colin headed inside, and I'd just successfully managed to take Asher out of his car seat without waking him up completely when I saw Colin running back through the hallway of the apartment.

And he was literally running. He jumped over the threshold with a frantic look on his face, flailing his hands madly.

"What the—"

"Abort mission, abort mission!"

"What's the matter?" I closed the car door and repositioned Asher so his head was resting on my shoulder. "Did you see Rose? Was she—"

"Oh, she was there."

"Well, why are you acting like a mad man, then?" I scoffed, but he stopped me when I wanted to head inside.

"I wouldn't go in there."

"But you said—"

"Rose is here. So is Alex. And believe me, they don't want an audience right now."

I stared at him, and as the realization hit me, my jaw dropped. He got a wicked smile on his face, but I was too startled to think this was funny.

"Rose?" I said, gesturing at the front door, which was wide open. "Rose? With... with Alex?"

"Ohhh, yeah." He seemed to have forgotten about his aversion to Alex, like the idea of him being with Rose suddenly made it okay that I was still friends with him.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope."

For a second, I really didn't know what to do. Then, because we couldn't miss our flight, I grabbed Asher's little backpack that contained his cars and Buzz a little tighter and prayed that he wouldn't wake up for at least another twenty seconds.

I stomped to the front door of Alex's apartment and through the hallway, making sure to be as noisy as possible. "Ahem," I said loudly when I'd reached the door to the living room.

I could clearly hear the sound of two people hastily ripping away from each other, and I caught Rose pulling her shirt straight when I entered the room.

"Rose!" I said, a little too cheerfully and pretending like I didn't know what had been going on until three seconds ago; Asher heaved a sigh and stirred in his sleep.

"Jen!" Rose's voice was abnormally high, and she threw her arms in the air. "You're here already!"

"Yes, we are!" I forced a laugh and locked eyes with Alex as he came forward to take Asher's backpack.

"We didn't hear you guys come in," Alex said, his cheeks bright pink. He ruffled through his dark curls. "Do you guys want to— eh— come in for a minute, or..."