The Only Exception

“Thank you, come again and have a nice day.” I wave to the elderly lady as he pushes her buggy away. Once she’s gone I let the fake smile fall and I turn to look at Rachel who is cracking up behind me.

“Oh my god, you sound like such a queeve!”

“Queeve?” I wrinkle my nose.

“Ya know…retarded, stupid,” she laughs. “You’re lucky that lady was too senile to realize it.”

Rolling my eyes, I lean against the belt and say, “Like you’re any better.”

“Hey, I don’t fake it!” The girl pouts with her arms over her chest. She puckers her lips and turns away, pretending to be angry with me. “You ass.”

Chuckling, I shake my head and glance at the clock to see my shift is over. Saying good-bye to Rachel, I head to the back to check out and grab my jacket. After throwing it on I leave the store.

It’s still a bit chilly out but it isn’t that bad. The air is still cold enough to have me bury my face in my jacket and shove my hands in my pockets. Just as I’m about to leave the parking lot to head home I hear a car horn.

I turn and look over the lot to see an all too familiar black mustang. Pretending like I didn’t see him, I continue on. My phone begins ringing in my pocket so I turn it off and keep walking. Behind me I can hear his car getting closer and closer.

This has happened before but this time I will not get in the car. I refuse. If I do it’ll only hurt more. I just have to distance myself from him so he can realize that I’m no good and he should just be with Carley and his kids and be happy. I’ll only cause him trouble.

The mustang pulls up beside me and just like before he rolls down his window. I don’t look at him though and keep my eyes on the side walk even when he speaks to me. “Roy, will you please just get in? I know you’re mad but we need to talk…Carley told me about you stopping over.”

Shit. I knew I shouldn’t have went!

I speed up a little more but I don’t even know why. I can’t out run a car.

“Stop being so bloody stubborn!” Harper shouts and there’s the sound of a car horn behind us. It continues to blare but Harper doesn’t pick up speed. “I can keep this up all night.”

Whoever was behind Harper pulled around and drove off, leaving just us two again. I sigh and throw up my hood, continuing to walk and ignore Harper. After a few minutes he huffs and I expect him to press on that pedal and go, leaving me behind.

Instead he stops the car and reaches out to grab hold of my arm. I try to pull away but he has a tight grip and he yanks me to his door. I press both my hands against the door and open my mouth to scream at him but his lips cut me off.

His tongue runs across the pockets of my cheeks and the trench between my teeth and bottom lip. The feel of his tongue running over the grooves at the top of my mouth has me moaning with ecstasy. Without meaning to, I lean closer to him and his hand loses itself in my hair, the other still holding on tightly to my bicep.

Our tongues tangle together, running over the other and sending a chill down my spine. The pleasure is put to an end when Harper suddenly pulls away. I gasp for much needed air and stare down at him, slightly flustered.

“Get in,” he orders and it isn’t until I nod dumbly that he lets go of my arm. Once his fingers are gone I walk around the car and jump into the passenger seat, feeling absolutely defeated and weak.

I wasn’t supposed to let him do that. When he kissed me I should have just pulled away and ran off or screamed or something!

I jump at the feeling of someone’s hand on my knee. Sighing, I realize that it’s just Harper and slowly relax into the seat. Biting my lip, I stare out the window and listen to him ask, “Why did you come over the other day, Roy?”

“Carley told you the reason, didn’t she? My mother asked me to.” I don’t know why I’m even saying that. He and I both know that is completely bogus. Neither of the adults in my household would care about Harper or hisbitch new roommate.

Harper scoffs, “We both know that’s a lie. Tell me the truth.”

“It’s nothing, just drop it.” I try but Harper isn’t having it.

“Listen, Roy, I know you’re mad about Carley but I can’t just kick her out on the streets. She didn’t have a job because her parents were paying for her place and her college tuition. When they suddenly cut her off she had nothing. Trust me, she won’t be here for too long. Once she has the kids we already agreed on her moving out and finding a job.”

If Carley living with Harper was the only thing that was bothering me maybe what he said would have made me feel better but…I still feel like shit. I still feel like I’m just going to be a bother to Harper. I mean, why would he want me around? I’m just a kid.

“Will you say something?” Harper’s eyes are on me. I can feel them. My body shivers at the mere thought of having his attention pointed at me. I want to look over at him but I shake my head to keep myself from doing it.

“What else do you want me to say? Is there something else that’s bothering you?” He’s starting to sound more desperate than angry and it’s making my heart throb painfully. I’m tempted to reach up and grab my chest but keep myself from doing so.

I have to act like nothing is wrong and I’m just mad at him about the Carley thing! I know that if I tell him what else I’m thinking he’ll just say that I’m over thinking things. That may be true but Harper is too nice to tell me if I really am trouble to him or not.

Harper pulls to a stop in his drive way. I reach for the door handle but he grabs my arm again only this time he grabs both of them. Using the hold, he forces me to look at him and the moment our eyes connect I know I’m done for because his eyes always make me crumble.

Dark blue orbs bore into my own and immediately I feel all my plans and stubbornness crumble. My bottom lip begins to quiver as I manage to squeak out, “Y-You don’t need a b-brat like me around.”

His brows wrinkle up in confusion.

“All I d-do is over think things and over r-react to everything. Carley is ten t-times better than me.”

Silence greets me after what I’ve said and for a few moments I believe that Harper is going to agree with me. I let the tears fall because of this but suddenly, out of no where, Harper pulls me across the space between us and into his arms.

With my own arms pressed to my side and his wrapped around me, he buries his face in the crook of my neck and exhales. Hot breath scorches my skin to form goose bumps and every particle of my being is suddenly shocked.

“Is that what this is all about?” He asks and I nod. “Your low self esteem astounds me, really it does.”

I sniffle and snake my arms around his mid section. With my nose pressed against his shirt, I inhale and smile at Harper’s scent assaulting my nostrils. I’ve missed feeling him holding me like this…