Be My One Regret

be my 1 regret /28

TROUBLE...starts with a capital T...and it sucks when it doubles...

Anger spins thru me like a category 5 tornado for being found, and I spit bitterly. "Oh my gawd Tanner, stalk much? What the hell are you doing here?!"

Water drips down my scowling face as I tilt my head up at Tanner. Like a runway model, his hands are tucked loosely in the pockets of his J. Crew pants, his white linen button down was rolled just perfectly at the elbows, his feet casually bare, and his late summer copper hair almost sandy from too much sun with the locks fall haphazardly over his brows barely hiding the green in his eyes that glow brightly with amusement at my predicament. 

"Nice to see you too, babe. You know my parents still live next door, right? It's not completely stalking if I'm here visiting the parentals."

Duh. His parents. Our neighbors. The people that created Tucker and Tanner. The bane of my existence. How could I forget?

I deepen my frown, feeling bristly. "Real cute, Tanner. But what are you doing over here? No one asked you to come over."

Grin deepening at my snark, his summer casual  relaxed shoulders shrug. "Well, gee, Fi. Someone had to come over and check on the neighbor's house since my parents swear they saw this crazy girl get out of some random car. Which I tried to ignore their over-neighborly snoopiness, but then I saw this said crazy girl from my bedroom window skeeve out of her clothes for a skinny dip in my neighbor's pool. It was like an invitation, so naturally, I just had to come over. You know, make sure this cute crazy girl that I saw, wasn't lost or needed saving."

That he added cute to my crazy completes my cliché to a perfect embarrassing 'T' which riles me up. "Oh really? How Mr. Rogers of you. Except the part where Mr. Rogers wouldn't be spying like a perv from his bedroom window. Real classy, Jones." I huff splashing and sloshing ungracefully out of the pool then shake like a wet dog before covering my un-lady like soaked bra and panties up with a towel.

His sly grin doesn't fade as he backs his freshly laundered khakis away from the splatter of chlorinated water. "Whoa, baby, you know I can't resist a front row seat to a live skinny dip show even if it is you, so please, don't cover up on my account. I kinda like this drowned rat vampy look. Meow."

The tongue and cheek flirtation of his waggling brows gnaws a new definition of annoyance thru my gut, and my eyes want to roll back. Far back. Deep into the recesses of my head far back. I wasn't in the mood for his bullshit antics of messing with me, cleverly, wittily, border line sexual harassment-ly. It was wicked of him. Cutely smart-ass wicked, like all the times we'd shared over the years. But now, it was just exhaustively bothersome wicked. Especially in my latest twist of fate condition. And the cruel reality dagger was driving deep. Twisting and stabbing. Dripping with poisonous reminder that I had dove head first willingly into the treachery of sleeping with the smart-ass's twin in the first place. Like damn kryptonite,  I fell for them both. As a friend, as a lover. From the very beginning, we were connected. An odd bond, but it was us. And as I look into Tanner's chromosome created doppelganger face, I see past my humiliation. Past his bff status. Past all our history. And right into the eerily shared green eyes of Tucker. It was the same shade. The same reflection. The same genuine-ness despite their arrogance. The color of teasing, the color of love. And that explosive realization spins my little heart into a chaotic speed.

Oh dear God. All these years, they really did love me. No matter what. Even when I pushed away. Even when things were screwed up. And damn me, I need them. Especially now. Gawd, I'm glad he's here.

My nerves bundle tightly as I hold Tanner's teasing gaze. His eyes dart back and forth trying to read my thoughts. Which of course, his longtime bff sleuthy skills are sharp. The smart ass grin starts to slip. His head tilts with cautious curiosity, but he remains silent waiting for me. And I love it. Love how he knows me. Which makes me want to blurt out all my problems to him at once. But as the early evening air whips around me, the combination of the cool breeze, my soaking wet body, and my anxiety stirs my teeth to chatter. I grip the towel tighter doubting myself. Because I had no idea how to say 'hey, guess what you might be an uncle'.