It did seem like a million miles away when we were kids to be fair, but now I know we’re still young, and we have all the time in the world to find another partner if we wanted.
“I always thought that you would end up with Emily Thursbert.” Chloe offers me a one shouldered shrug. “When we were thirteen anyway. The cheerleader, do you remember her? She was obsessed with you, and I thought that it would only be a matter of time before you noticed her too.”
“Emily.” I screw up my nose in disgust. “No way. She was too girly for me. I never liked her like that. I can’t believe that you thought I did. You know, she did ask me out and I turned her down. I thought I told you that.”
Her eyes almost pop out of her head in shock. “No, you never told me that. You must have been the only guy in our class who wouldn’t have cut off his right arm to be with her.”
There is a wistfulness to her voice now that sends us both back in time. I need to make a joke out of this situation before this gets carried away.
“Well, Eric what’s his name wanted to go out with you, and you never liked him either.”
“He did not.” She leans across and shoves me playfully. “You are just messing with me.”
We both laugh and I can feel the tension melting away, leaving us free to calm down. Thank God, because I don’t want this to get weird. And joking around with her takes me back. Makes me feel like we are close like we were. Easy to talk to.
Then a negative thought creeps in. I wonder if my uncle knows about Stix yet. I wonder what he thinks happened. He might think that I have been kidnapped or dead. He hasn’t called me since it happened, that’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one. Shit. Maybe he wants me dead too, I didn’t even think of that possibility.
But just as the panic grabs me, I catch Chloe looking at me again. She just has this way of reminding me that there is more to the world than what I have experienced.
“I better go shower,” pulling herself away from this moment. “I need to get to work in a bit. But don’t worry, I will make sure that there is enough hot water left for you. I remember how fussy you are about your hair. It always needs to be exactly in place.” Before she leaves, she brushes my hair back to prove her point, but the only thing it does is send a jolt of electricity through both our bodies.
I part my lips, about to tell her that I’m not that person anymore, because there is no point in looking good in that dingy ass apartment working for those disgusting humans… but I’m leaving that life behind now, so I don’t see the point in mentioning it. Anyway, I would much rather still be the person who fusses over his hair like it’s the most important thing in the world. I like that she still thinks that’s who I am. And maybe I want to be that for her.
I smile at her instead. “I appreciate that. You know that I lose it if even one strand isn’t perfect.”
We both laugh, loudly, and it’s honestly the first time that I have experienced real joy in the last six years. It’s official. I don’t want to let Chloe go.
Chapter 9 – Chloe
“I won’t be long.” I say as I stare at Ted. “You aren’t about to vanish on me, are you? You know, because I need to keep an eye on your injuries.”
I can feel myself flaming with embarrassment. I’m pretty sure that it’s obvious why I want him around. I don’t want Ted to know that I’m obsessed with him again. In between the intense sex dreams that I had and the electricity that I swear is raging between us all the time, I can hardly keep my head straight, but I still want him around. The idea of coming back to an empty house after having Ted around is depressing.
“I can just go back to the hospital, can’t I?” he says with a smile. “If I need to. I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You’re not a burden,” I snap back right away. “And hospitals might include police… if you want to avoid them.”
I don’t really want to bring up the police, but I know it’s a threat that he can’t afford for whatever reason. But desperate times call for desperate measures and I want him to stay.
He is silent for a minute too long, his eyes searching mine. I can see the fear there, the police threat has done the job, he is going to stick around. And I’m excited.