A Puck Between Us
Chapter 11
As I sat here with her sleeping right next to me, I realized how hard it was to be only her friend. I thought time was supposed to heal and make things easier. The more I was with her though, the more I wanted to hold her, just lay there next to her and comfort her.
I decided that I should just leave her and go back to my house. I knew that it wasn’t good for anyone for me to be there.
I gently lifted myself up off the bed and leaned down to pick up my jacket. When I was turning around I felt her hand on my back.
“Jeff…” I heard her say, her voice low and raspy.
I turned around.
“Please stay here with me.” She said as she got up and stood in front of me.
“I can’t. You just go back to sleep and I will talk to you tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I just—“
I cut her off. “You don’t have to be sorry about anything! I just think you should relax and get some rest. You just had a crazy few hours.” I said, smiling softly.
“And I don’t even know how to thank you for everything you did for me tonight.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I know you would have done the same for me. No matter what happened or happens, I will always be there for you. I hope you know that, Addison.”
A smile fell upon her face and she pulled me in for a hug. This time it felt so right. It wasn’t a hug because she was upset about something else and I was just the one that happened to be there when she needed someone. This was real… she was doing it for me.
After that, I smiled at her and we said our goodbye’s.
I left her room and headed down the stairs and out the door, not stopping to say goodbye to her mom and brother.
I pulled the car from their driveway next door to mine and made my way inside. I went into the Kitchen and put water on the stove to make macaroni, then went to get changed while it boiled.
Just as I was about to change my shirt, I heard knocking at the door. I ran downstairs and opened it, to see Addison there, crying.
I grabbed her hand, pulling her inside, and wrapped my arms around her.
“Addi, what happened?”
“She hates me. She really hates me, Jeff.”
“Addison she doesn’t hate you. You made a mistake. She is just mad.”
“No, she said it. She told me that she hated me and to get out of her house cause I only cause problems. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just don’t even know what to do now. I—“
“Calm down. You need to relax. Come sit down on the couch and let’s talk.”
We walked over to the couch and sat down.
“I’m sorry that I came here, I just didn’t know what to do.”
“I’m glad you came.” I said to her, sincerely and she smiled.
“You always know the right thing to say.”
I flashed a smile at her.
“Do you want something to eat? I was making macaroni, but I didn’t put it in yet. I don’t have much here, but I can take you out to get something if you want.”
“You don’t have to do this Jeff. You don’t have to be all nice to me. I have been nothing but mean to you and you have never once been anything but wonderful. I don’t deserve this.”
“You haven’t done anything wrong, Addison, you need to see that! I hurt you and I get that you can’t just let me back in. I get that it’s gonna take time for you to love me again, if you even ever can.”
“I still do love you, Jeff. You know that I will always love you. It’s the trusting that you won’t just leave me again thing that is the issue, but I do love you.” She said and a little smile broke through her still watery eyes.
“I love you too, Addison.” I said and she leaned in to kiss me.
Right as our lips met she quickly pulled away and leaned back to see my expression. I’m sure I looked shocked, but I have waited almost two years to kiss her again and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep myself away from her now.
She leaned in again and this time the kiss lasted a little longer, but was interrupted by the sound of boiling water simmering on the stovetop. I pulled away and stood up, looking down at her on the couch and smiled.
I started to walk toward the Kitchen and turned around going back to her.
“I’ll be right back.” I said, kissing her forehead and watching a smile reappear on her face as I pulled back.
I didn’t even realize until now how much I missed that beautiful smile. I don’t know how I could have gone one day without seeing it before, but I do know that I am not gonna be able to go without seeing it now that I may have it back.
I decided that I should just leave her and go back to my house. I knew that it wasn’t good for anyone for me to be there.
I gently lifted myself up off the bed and leaned down to pick up my jacket. When I was turning around I felt her hand on my back.
“Jeff…” I heard her say, her voice low and raspy.
I turned around.
“Please stay here with me.” She said as she got up and stood in front of me.
“I can’t. You just go back to sleep and I will talk to you tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I just—“
I cut her off. “You don’t have to be sorry about anything! I just think you should relax and get some rest. You just had a crazy few hours.” I said, smiling softly.
“And I don’t even know how to thank you for everything you did for me tonight.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I know you would have done the same for me. No matter what happened or happens, I will always be there for you. I hope you know that, Addison.”
A smile fell upon her face and she pulled me in for a hug. This time it felt so right. It wasn’t a hug because she was upset about something else and I was just the one that happened to be there when she needed someone. This was real… she was doing it for me.
After that, I smiled at her and we said our goodbye’s.
I left her room and headed down the stairs and out the door, not stopping to say goodbye to her mom and brother.
I pulled the car from their driveway next door to mine and made my way inside. I went into the Kitchen and put water on the stove to make macaroni, then went to get changed while it boiled.
Just as I was about to change my shirt, I heard knocking at the door. I ran downstairs and opened it, to see Addison there, crying.
I grabbed her hand, pulling her inside, and wrapped my arms around her.
“Addi, what happened?”
“She hates me. She really hates me, Jeff.”
“Addison she doesn’t hate you. You made a mistake. She is just mad.”
“No, she said it. She told me that she hated me and to get out of her house cause I only cause problems. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just don’t even know what to do now. I—“
“Calm down. You need to relax. Come sit down on the couch and let’s talk.”
We walked over to the couch and sat down.
“I’m sorry that I came here, I just didn’t know what to do.”
“I’m glad you came.” I said to her, sincerely and she smiled.
“You always know the right thing to say.”
I flashed a smile at her.
“Do you want something to eat? I was making macaroni, but I didn’t put it in yet. I don’t have much here, but I can take you out to get something if you want.”
“You don’t have to do this Jeff. You don’t have to be all nice to me. I have been nothing but mean to you and you have never once been anything but wonderful. I don’t deserve this.”
“You haven’t done anything wrong, Addison, you need to see that! I hurt you and I get that you can’t just let me back in. I get that it’s gonna take time for you to love me again, if you even ever can.”
“I still do love you, Jeff. You know that I will always love you. It’s the trusting that you won’t just leave me again thing that is the issue, but I do love you.” She said and a little smile broke through her still watery eyes.
“I love you too, Addison.” I said and she leaned in to kiss me.
Right as our lips met she quickly pulled away and leaned back to see my expression. I’m sure I looked shocked, but I have waited almost two years to kiss her again and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep myself away from her now.
She leaned in again and this time the kiss lasted a little longer, but was interrupted by the sound of boiling water simmering on the stovetop. I pulled away and stood up, looking down at her on the couch and smiled.
I started to walk toward the Kitchen and turned around going back to her.
“I’ll be right back.” I said, kissing her forehead and watching a smile reappear on her face as I pulled back.
I didn’t even realize until now how much I missed that beautiful smile. I don’t know how I could have gone one day without seeing it before, but I do know that I am not gonna be able to go without seeing it now that I may have it back.