Status: Complete
Past Lives
52
I sat in luggage claim waiting for the guys after their game 6 win. I saw Pens fans "shhh"ing each other and I couldn't help but laugh. They were really hamming it up. Something told me that single moment was going to go down in Penguins history.
Earbuds in and catching up on Mikey and Big Bob, I thought over everything that had happened. What was Ads hiding? I didn't care what the guys said: Ads was lying. I had known her the longest and I knew her the best. There was something going on. I didn't know why she was trying to lie to me. Ads had always said she couldn't get anything past me. I wasn't stupid.
The way Brooks just lapped it all up made me sad. He wanted to believe her no matter what. That was an admirable but scary trait. He'd follow her to the end of the earth, but I didn't want him to get hurt at the same time.
Ads wouldn't hurt Brooks. I didn't think it was even possible.
I felt a hand land on either of my shoulders and felt someone kiss my cheek. My right earbud was removed for me. "Come on, love. Let's get you home," Craig whispered in my ear. He had come to pick me up inside baggage claim.
Standing up, I smiled at him. "Gladly. I just want to sleep."
"Do we have to?" Craig whined.
I laughed. "Please?"
Craig rested his fingertips on the small of my back and guided me towards the door. "Only for a little."
We both laughed as I stopped short. I'd know that walk in front of us anywhere.
"Ads?"
She turned around with her freshly claimed baggage and blushed. "Jamie."
Craig was more than a little confused. "Did you...come to pick up Brooks?"
Before she could answer, I said, "That's her own luggage. I'd recognize it anywhere. She's had it since college." Crossing my arms, I added, "So where were you Ads?"
Quickly, Ads responded, "I had a conference out of town."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to need a shovel soon for all this bullshit."
"Jamie," Craig said with a hint of warning. I turned on him.
"Don't even start, Craig. There's something rotten in Denmark and it's not the weird food. Ads is up to something and, damn it, I'm going to prove it"
"Why can't you just accept that maybe I had something more important going on?" Ads asked, clearly fed up. She looked conflicted and exhausted. If was I had been any kind of friend, I would have let her go sleep and THEN interrogated her.
Fortunately for me, I was clearly a sucky friend. "Because I know that's not the truth."
"Whatever you say, Jamie. Whatever. I'm going home." She left through the doors and headed towards her car.
Craig looked at me. "Jamie...I really think she's telling the truth."
"And I really think I've known her for ten years and I've seen her lie. This is an epic lie to end all lies. All other lies will be pathetic in comparison to this. I just know it." I was being short with Craig, but I didn't care.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Jamie."
We rode to his house in silence. Once we were inside, I could tell Craig was annoyed with my treatment of Ads. He didn't want to snuggle. I knew how to fix that, though.
I took his hand while we watched some random game show and started to slowly and methodically kiss the end of each of his fingers before starting on his neck. Craig was trying not to react. I knew he was being stubborn. Two can play at that game, I thought wickedly. My lips moved to his ear and Craig melted like butter.
"Oh my God, Jamie. You..." He trailed off as I slid onto his lap, straddling him. I pulled his hands to my back pockets and started on his buttons.
Tonight was gonna be a good, good night.
--
I woke up the next morning in Craig's arms, a smile plastered on my face. As I lay there, I knew there was so much I needed to tell him. I needed him to know how much he meant to me. He needed to know how he'd saved me. He should probably know that I was falling in love with him.
Actually, scratch that last. The last thing I needed to tell him was that. He'd only think I was crazy and run away. I needed to keep my mouth shut.
My phone lit up and I checked the text.
Ads? Ok then.
"listen i know you dont believe me or whatever. but im sorry for going off on you."
Before I could make a snarky response, she sent me another text.
"let's get lunch later, ok? maybe 1?"
I responded with "yes" and snuggled back with Craig. I knew that soon I would have to go back to the empty house. I hoped I was strong enough to do it.
Earbuds in and catching up on Mikey and Big Bob, I thought over everything that had happened. What was Ads hiding? I didn't care what the guys said: Ads was lying. I had known her the longest and I knew her the best. There was something going on. I didn't know why she was trying to lie to me. Ads had always said she couldn't get anything past me. I wasn't stupid.
The way Brooks just lapped it all up made me sad. He wanted to believe her no matter what. That was an admirable but scary trait. He'd follow her to the end of the earth, but I didn't want him to get hurt at the same time.
Ads wouldn't hurt Brooks. I didn't think it was even possible.
I felt a hand land on either of my shoulders and felt someone kiss my cheek. My right earbud was removed for me. "Come on, love. Let's get you home," Craig whispered in my ear. He had come to pick me up inside baggage claim.
Standing up, I smiled at him. "Gladly. I just want to sleep."
"Do we have to?" Craig whined.
I laughed. "Please?"
Craig rested his fingertips on the small of my back and guided me towards the door. "Only for a little."
We both laughed as I stopped short. I'd know that walk in front of us anywhere.
"Ads?"
She turned around with her freshly claimed baggage and blushed. "Jamie."
Craig was more than a little confused. "Did you...come to pick up Brooks?"
Before she could answer, I said, "That's her own luggage. I'd recognize it anywhere. She's had it since college." Crossing my arms, I added, "So where were you Ads?"
Quickly, Ads responded, "I had a conference out of town."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to need a shovel soon for all this bullshit."
"Jamie," Craig said with a hint of warning. I turned on him.
"Don't even start, Craig. There's something rotten in Denmark and it's not the weird food. Ads is up to something and, damn it, I'm going to prove it"
"Why can't you just accept that maybe I had something more important going on?" Ads asked, clearly fed up. She looked conflicted and exhausted. If was I had been any kind of friend, I would have let her go sleep and THEN interrogated her.
Fortunately for me, I was clearly a sucky friend. "Because I know that's not the truth."
"Whatever you say, Jamie. Whatever. I'm going home." She left through the doors and headed towards her car.
Craig looked at me. "Jamie...I really think she's telling the truth."
"And I really think I've known her for ten years and I've seen her lie. This is an epic lie to end all lies. All other lies will be pathetic in comparison to this. I just know it." I was being short with Craig, but I didn't care.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Jamie."
We rode to his house in silence. Once we were inside, I could tell Craig was annoyed with my treatment of Ads. He didn't want to snuggle. I knew how to fix that, though.
I took his hand while we watched some random game show and started to slowly and methodically kiss the end of each of his fingers before starting on his neck. Craig was trying not to react. I knew he was being stubborn. Two can play at that game, I thought wickedly. My lips moved to his ear and Craig melted like butter.
"Oh my God, Jamie. You..." He trailed off as I slid onto his lap, straddling him. I pulled his hands to my back pockets and started on his buttons.
Tonight was gonna be a good, good night.
--
I woke up the next morning in Craig's arms, a smile plastered on my face. As I lay there, I knew there was so much I needed to tell him. I needed him to know how much he meant to me. He needed to know how he'd saved me. He should probably know that I was falling in love with him.
Actually, scratch that last. The last thing I needed to tell him was that. He'd only think I was crazy and run away. I needed to keep my mouth shut.
My phone lit up and I checked the text.
Ads? Ok then.
"listen i know you dont believe me or whatever. but im sorry for going off on you."
Before I could make a snarky response, she sent me another text.
"let's get lunch later, ok? maybe 1?"
I responded with "yes" and snuggled back with Craig. I knew that soon I would have to go back to the empty house. I hoped I was strong enough to do it.