responded, “No. Haven’t in a while.”
Wow. Not in a while?
“Really?”
Satisfaction flickered in his expression at my response.
I knew I had no right to, but that made me absurdly happy.
In the back of my mind, I wondered if he thought of me at all the past two years, the same way he occupied my thoughts, no matter how hard I tried not to.
Something had changed between us. I couldn't point my finger on what it was exactly.
And I was scared. I was scared because I didn't know what we were, where we stood, or where the hell this was going.
* * *
C eline Davis was Chase’s mom, and she looked striking now in a white fitted dress, with her hazel eyes, and hair in an intricate braid. Smiling broadly as she saw us, she ran over and hugged me tightly. “Sherry! So good to see you again.”
"Celine," I said brightly. "It's good to see you too. Oh–thanks for the pizza. They were amazing."
“I'm glad you liked them," she beamed back at me. "Can you come over for dinner on Monday, the week after?” she asked me. “We just finished a renovation on the house, would be nice if you can come and see it.”
Her expectant gaze made me cave. There was no way I could say no. I found myself accepting the offer.
I just knew this wasn’t going to end well.
* * *
I found Wes by a hotdog corner. We talked for a bit as he waited in line, and he offered me a bottle of beer he got for free. I was feeling a buzz after my second glass of wine, which Sierra poured in everyone’s glasses equally so we could discard the bottle. I was never able to hold my liquor well. But I accepted it anyway, because free was free. Maybe I could put it in the fridge later.
“Thank you. I’m still mad at you about the game, though,” I told him.
He looked back at me sheepishly. “Sorry. Never seen the guy want a scarf so badly.”
I scowled. “It was supposed to be mine.”
“Maybe you can try asking for it,” he suggested.
“I’m sure he’d enjoy that,” I muttered.
After a while, he asked about the things I’d done while I was away.
"You haven't seen the Skydeck?” he asked, disbelief on his face. He gaped at me just as he was about to eat his hotdog roll. “What about the Millennium Park?”
"Well," I picked at the thread at the rip of my jeans. “I saw the park. Once. Briefly. But I’ve kind of set strict deadlines for myself," I continued, feeling like I had to explain, and– why the hell did I feel like I was making excuses?
And it struck me, this sense of family, and I had traded it for… What exactly? Solitude?
Just like fate to gift me something beautiful, bow-wrapped and sparkling, pull it away under my feet, and bring it back in all its wrapped-up glory.
"But you've always said you wanted to"– he paused, and looking at me oddly, asked a little more gently– “what happened to you, Sherr?”
I said I wanted to see the Skydeck together with Chase. That made me not want to see it.
“I learned that when you let someone get close to you, you give them a part of yourself. And that part of yourself you can never get back, no matter how hard you try, or pretend to.”
I didn't want to do deep conversations anymore. Perhaps a little too abruptly, I stood up and swayed, but I held myself up on time, putting a hand on the table. “Whoa. I think I had too much…”
“You think?” Chase’s smooth voice said from behind my ear, sarcasm heavy.
Oh. How long had he been standing there?
* * *
I got in the car without much protest. We were passing the small space up a hill where you could watch the stars the best, because in that spot, the stars seemed to burn the brightest. Like it was a special spot just made for it. At sunset, the view was stunning. It had one of the best views in town. For some inexplicable reason, I needed to see it now.
“Ohh! Chase, stop the car.”
The car skid to a halt, and I immediately got out.
“What are you— fuck. Sherr. Come back.”
“Make me,” I stubbornly
Wow. Not in a while?
“Really?”
Satisfaction flickered in his expression at my response.
I knew I had no right to, but that made me absurdly happy.
In the back of my mind, I wondered if he thought of me at all the past two years, the same way he occupied my thoughts, no matter how hard I tried not to.
Something had changed between us. I couldn't point my finger on what it was exactly.
And I was scared. I was scared because I didn't know what we were, where we stood, or where the hell this was going.
* * *
C eline Davis was Chase’s mom, and she looked striking now in a white fitted dress, with her hazel eyes, and hair in an intricate braid. Smiling broadly as she saw us, she ran over and hugged me tightly. “Sherry! So good to see you again.”
"Celine," I said brightly. "It's good to see you too. Oh–thanks for the pizza. They were amazing."
“I'm glad you liked them," she beamed back at me. "Can you come over for dinner on Monday, the week after?” she asked me. “We just finished a renovation on the house, would be nice if you can come and see it.”
Her expectant gaze made me cave. There was no way I could say no. I found myself accepting the offer.
I just knew this wasn’t going to end well.
* * *
I found Wes by a hotdog corner. We talked for a bit as he waited in line, and he offered me a bottle of beer he got for free. I was feeling a buzz after my second glass of wine, which Sierra poured in everyone’s glasses equally so we could discard the bottle. I was never able to hold my liquor well. But I accepted it anyway, because free was free. Maybe I could put it in the fridge later.
“Thank you. I’m still mad at you about the game, though,” I told him.
He looked back at me sheepishly. “Sorry. Never seen the guy want a scarf so badly.”
I scowled. “It was supposed to be mine.”
“Maybe you can try asking for it,” he suggested.
“I’m sure he’d enjoy that,” I muttered.
After a while, he asked about the things I’d done while I was away.
"You haven't seen the Skydeck?” he asked, disbelief on his face. He gaped at me just as he was about to eat his hotdog roll. “What about the Millennium Park?”
"Well," I picked at the thread at the rip of my jeans. “I saw the park. Once. Briefly. But I’ve kind of set strict deadlines for myself," I continued, feeling like I had to explain, and– why the hell did I feel like I was making excuses?
And it struck me, this sense of family, and I had traded it for… What exactly? Solitude?
Just like fate to gift me something beautiful, bow-wrapped and sparkling, pull it away under my feet, and bring it back in all its wrapped-up glory.
"But you've always said you wanted to"– he paused, and looking at me oddly, asked a little more gently– “what happened to you, Sherr?”
I said I wanted to see the Skydeck together with Chase. That made me not want to see it.
“I learned that when you let someone get close to you, you give them a part of yourself. And that part of yourself you can never get back, no matter how hard you try, or pretend to.”
I didn't want to do deep conversations anymore. Perhaps a little too abruptly, I stood up and swayed, but I held myself up on time, putting a hand on the table. “Whoa. I think I had too much…”
“You think?” Chase’s smooth voice said from behind my ear, sarcasm heavy.
Oh. How long had he been standing there?
* * *
I got in the car without much protest. We were passing the small space up a hill where you could watch the stars the best, because in that spot, the stars seemed to burn the brightest. Like it was a special spot just made for it. At sunset, the view was stunning. It had one of the best views in town. For some inexplicable reason, I needed to see it now.
“Ohh! Chase, stop the car.”
The car skid to a halt, and I immediately got out.
“What are you— fuck. Sherr. Come back.”
“Make me,” I stubbornly
Similar Books
