To Love And Back.

I stayed two hours locked in that bedroom, and I knew Erin was probably laughing at me on the other side of the door. Or maybe she was just trying to get in my boyfriend’s pants while I wasn’t there to keep an eye on them. I just wanted to punch her in the face.
I thought I had to tell John what was going on, but then something warned me and made me remember about how everyone didn’t believe me when I said Jules was a freak.
John knew this girl since she was born and even if he knew she had a big crush on him, he wouldn’t ever believed me. He would have thought I was the usual Andy trying to get the attention on her because I was jealous of her. And yes, I was: the thought of her just touching John’s arm on purpose made me mad. I waited for someone to come and find me, thing that happened when the nice barbecue night finished at 1am. I heard someone outside my door and a weird noise, so I tried to open the door again, and I did it. I imagined it was her unlocking the door and going back downstairs before anyone could see her; another reason why John wouldn’t have believed me.
He would have thought I was crazy.
I made my way downstairs as well, seeing John saying goodbye to some mates, while his brothers were helping her mother bringing stuff from the garden to the kitchen.

“Here you are! Where have you been for the last two hours?” John asked as soon as he spotted me.

“I was…” I thought of a plausible excuse “kinda tired and my stomach hurt a bit so I waited to feel a little better before coming down again” I hoped he bought it.

“I’m sorry! You basically lost the best part of the night”

“I just didn’t want to be a pain in the ass. I mean this is your night after all”

“Sure, but you should have told me. I got worried”

“Then why you didn’t come upstairs to see how I was?” John didn’t look at me in the eyes, that was when I knew he thought I was right “It’s ok John, don’t worry, it was your birthday party”

“I’m sorry, you are right. I was having fun with the guys and I lost the track of time”

“As I said, it’s ok. Let me help your mother with the dishes” I walked to the kitchen but he stopped me “What?” I sounded pretty rude but a lot of bad thoughts were running through my mind and even if I thought I was good at hiding my worries, I was wrong. I was a bad actress.

“Are you sure you’re ok? You seem disappointed”

“I’m not. I just don’t feel good, I told you”

“Then why you don’t go to sleep? You don’t need to help, I’m doing it”

“I feel the right to. I have the whole night to sleep” I walked after him and entered the big kitchen.
John’s house was bigger than mine and very comfortable.
Mrs. O’Callaghan was putting the dishes into the dishwasher, while the young kid who greeted me at the door and another guy who I reckoned was Ross, were bringing them on the counter.

“Can I help you?” Mrs. O’Callaghan looked surprised to see me there. The kid remained stand still and looked at me like I was a ghost. He had this hip hop style in his clothes and he was wearing a Diamondbacks hat.

“Sure honey, thank you. Can you give me those dishes over there?” I did what she told me and when Ross came in I smiled to him weakly, taking the stuff he had in his hands and passing it to the blonde woman. I liked John’s family, they all seem unite.
The whole setting of the house as its normal status was kinda silent but I didn’t complain it.
Mrs. O’Callaghan thanked me kindly and told me she was waiting for me at the next day’s brunch.
I gave the family the goodnight and went up to the guest room again: I hated that room already. I spent too much time in it that night. When I opened the door I found John lying on the bed.

“What are you doing here?”

“What do you thing I’m doing?”

“If you’re waiting for another round, believe me, you’re not going to have it” he puffed and got up the bed, getting closer to me.

“Why are you so weird now? Something’s clearly wrong”

“How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t feel very well now?”

“I got it, but I thought you were mad at something… or someone”

“Like who?”

“Erin maybe”

Busted, I thought. Then I started to get in complete denial “Why would I be mad at that kid? She really doesn’t know what she talks about. I don’t care about her”

“Ok, good. I’m glad you’re not angry at me”

“As long as you keep your hands down, I won’t be” he laughed nervously.

“I give you my word” he put his hand on his heart “there’s no other girl I want in this world but you” I smiled at him weakly “I love you grumpy”

“I’m not grumpy”

“Oh yes you are girl, but I like you just the way you are” he sang the line from the Bruno Mars song, making me giggle. I kissed his cheek and asked him if he wanted to sleep there with me that night “I was waiting for you to ask me. Let me get changed, I’ll be back in a second”

He got out of the bedroom, so I took my time to get changed with a simple but old tank top and a pair of shorts. John got back while I was sneaking under the new and white blankets.
He was wearing just his brief grey boxers and suddenly I thought I could retire what I said before about the second round. We both laid down and stared at the ceiling for a while.

“Thanks for letting me stay tonight” I said then, breaking the silence.

“It’s the least I can do”

“Was it a good birthday party?”

“Yes, totally! I had all the people I care about in the same place, I couldn’t ask more! What about you? Did you have fun?” and that’s when I kept on pretending.

“Yes, it was a good night”

“I’m sad you’re going back tomorrow” I looked at him and gave him a quick kiss on his lips “What’s this for?”

“Being you”

“Well that’s a good reason”

I shrugged my shoulders “You’re always very sweet, I’m not used to this”

“After two months?!”

“I think I’m never going to get used to it”

“You should, but don’t worry, I’m not going to stop until you do” I smiled and hugged him “you’re in your cuddle mood again!”

“You silly! I just tend to like hug you, especially when you don’t smell” he laughed.

“I don’t smell!”

“Most of the times you don’t, but believe me, sometimes your smell is unbearable” he started tickling me and he knew I couldn’t even breathe sometimes, so he made me beg him to stop.
He did, by kissing me passionately.

“Are you sure you’re not down for another round?”

“Let me think about it” he kissed me again, switching the light off.

I don’t think I need to tell you what happened then: you obviously know what came next.
The next morning I still was resting on his chest when I heard his phone beeping a few times.
John was sleeping like a baby so I didn’t want to wake him up. I took his phone from the bedside table and decided to turn it off, but when the name Erin came out on the display I really couldn’t pretend I didn’t see anything. I never was an obsessive girlfriend but that was becoming a living nightmare, and it was just the second day. I imagined our future at ASU with her everywhere between us so I decided to make something I really am not proud of: I deleted the text she sent him. I knew I was doing the wrong thing but at that point I was just defending my relationship. I trusted John, I really did, but I really also didn’t trust her. What I did wasn’t even close to what she did to me the night before; she deserved it.
I put the phone back where it was and tried to fall asleep again, but before I could close my eyes, it started to beep again. This time she was calling him. That girl was a stalker, a creeper and a freak. I didn’t have other ways to describe her.
I took the phone in my hands, watching as her name was flashing on the display, clicking the green receiver and putting it at my ear.

“John? Are you up?” I didn’t talk at all “John, are you there?” after a couple of seconds I just sighed but this time I clicked the red receiver. I really hoped she got she had to stop being so obsessive with him. Hope dies last they say, right?