What We Were

Chapter 3: Part 2

“Um, hey.” She spoke to me but I was so tired I couldn’t really reply. I gave her a slight head nod as I prepared to take my bags and join the rest of the guys in the locker room. But I really wanted to see her. She just made it so goddamn hard to be around her and not want to kiss and hug her until she has to run away so that I’d have to chase her. And that’s where I would be walking. If I didn’t my legs would probably give out right from underneath me. Or maybe they would just break off like matchsticks or a Spongebob cartoon. Her voice then drew me from my thoughts.

“You, wanna get out of here?”

I didn’t look at her a moment, then as I tried to come up with an excuse, she held up a bag of burgers.

“C’mon, I’ll make it worth your while.”

And with just that statement I followed her to her car like a child getting candy from a white van. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t let her win just because she has freaking delicious burgers in her grasp. “Hop in.” she coaxed.

I started to backtrack, and shake my head. Before I could turn and walk away from her and those damn delicious burgers, I felt a small intricate hand reach for mine. It surprised me a little. She must have shocked me or something because it was like electricity running through my freezing hand. 

“Please? I know you want nothing to do with me right now, but I really just want to have some fun with you tonight. Just come with me for a drive. We can go far away! Maybe somewhere we can just talk. I miss talking. I miss you.”

I felt her small arms wrap tightly around my torso from behind and her head rest on the middle of my shoulder blades. God I loved her touch, her hands around me. My back started to get a little damp, but maybe it was my sweat. I didn’t care. In that moment I felt that maybe I could let her win, just this once. If it meant burgers and holding her hand, even though I would have to pretend I didn’t like it, it would be worth it. She was worth it every time.

{(Julie’s point of view)}

“Please? I know you want nothing to do with me right now, but I really just want to have some fun with you tonight. Just come with me for a drive. We can go far away! Maybe somewhere we can just talk. I miss talking. I miss you.” I barely got the words out without choking on them in my mouth.

He didn’t look back at me. I wrapped myself around him from behind. I didn’t want to let go of him, because maybe if I did I would lose him for good. In that moment I just wanted to be near him.  His body heat was radiating all around. It warmed my hands and face on his back. I let a couple tears slip from my eyes, but I realized I was dampening his shirt. I slowly pulled away as he turned around to face me. He paused a minute, then hugged for the first time in several weeks, and clung to my sides. He then picked me up and spun me around. I couldn’t stop giggling as he swung me around by my waist. I threw my head back and let out a laugh, real honest-to-God laugh. I haven’t had one of those in a while. He chuckled and spun me faster.

“Oh JULES! I didn’t know how long I could take it! Being mad at you is easier said than done!” He said jokingly.

“C’mon Let's get outta here, Goober.” I said sniffling and wiping the wetness from my face.

He smiled as he put me down and kissed my cheek quickly. He took the bag of burgers from my hands. He ran to the other side of the car and swung the door open. He stood up on the seat with his body outside of the car. He held on to the top of the car roof. Yelling Tarzan style, he smacked the roof twice and swung his head back into my car.  He threw his bag into my backseat and buckled his seatbelt. I kid you not; this guy had me waiting at least 25 minutes trying to buckle his seatbelt, even though I offered to help several times. He acted like such a stubborn little kid, and I loved that about him.