A Puck Between Us
Chapter 3
I didn’t know how to know what that meant—her leaving like that.
All those years, I could read her so well. I knew everything before she would tell me. We just had a connection. Now I couldn’t even tell if she really hated me or if she still loved me and it was hurting her.
If nothing else, I wanted to be friends with her again. We used to be so close—before anything else happened with our relationship. The neighbors that are best friends and turn into lovers. It was like a book. The only difference was, here we got a not so happy ending like they do in the stories.
I couldn’t help myself any longer. I walked from the behind the truck and walked up to her front porch. I went up the steps and there I stood… right in front of the door that had now twice been slammed on me. I don’t know if I could handle it happening again. I almost walked away, but I guess if I didn’t try, there would never be a chance of anything good happening either.
I knocked on the door and I immediately heard footsteps coming toward the front of the house.
The door opened and I saw a familiar face.
“Hi Jeff! How have you been?” She asked leaning in.
“Hello Ms. Banks! I’m been good. How about you?”
“I can’t complain.” She said and she smiled. “Would you like to come in? Do you want to see Addison? I have to introduce you to my son!”
“You have a son?” I asked her, and I was very confused. Last I knew it was only her and Addison. That was why Addison couldn’t come with me. She didn’t want to be alone.
“I do. Come and see him.” She pulled me into their living room.
“Hey Addi.” I said when I walked in and saw her sitting on the floor playing with the same little boy she had just run inside with. I figured small talk, like old friends, would be best. I know we couldn’t just pretend that nothing happened, but I was hoping in front of her mom we didn’t have to fight.
Even though it was essentially her mom’s fault that we were not together, I didn’t want to make her feel like she ruined our lives—even though I felt like she pretty much did.
“Hi.” She answered back. That was progress, even though she probably is thinking like I am—not want her mother to feel bad.
I smiled at her and hoped that she would flash her beautiful smile back, but no such luck. She looked down and continued playing.
“So this is the little guy?”
“Yes it is!” Her mom said and called him over. When he came to her, Addison got up and went up to her room.
“Hey buddy!” I said to him.
“Say ‘Hi’ Emerson!” She told him and he looked down, being shy.
“Hey, I’m gonna go see Addison.” I told her and she looked at me seriously.
“Don’t tell her, Jeff. Telling her now won’t change anything.”
I walked away without saying anything and went up the stairs. I walked to her closed door and knocked. Surprisingly she opened it.
“Hey.” I said to her.
“Hey.” She said and walked over to her bed and got back onto her laptop.
“How have you been? I haven’t talked to you in—“ I stopped myself, knowing that I shouldn’t have said that.
She looked up at me.
“… in one year and 326 days.” She said and I could feel her getting upset.
I started to walk over to her on the bed and just as I was getting ready to sit down next to her she said the one thing that I didn’t want to hear.
“I think you should go, Jeff.”
All those years, I could read her so well. I knew everything before she would tell me. We just had a connection. Now I couldn’t even tell if she really hated me or if she still loved me and it was hurting her.
If nothing else, I wanted to be friends with her again. We used to be so close—before anything else happened with our relationship. The neighbors that are best friends and turn into lovers. It was like a book. The only difference was, here we got a not so happy ending like they do in the stories.
I couldn’t help myself any longer. I walked from the behind the truck and walked up to her front porch. I went up the steps and there I stood… right in front of the door that had now twice been slammed on me. I don’t know if I could handle it happening again. I almost walked away, but I guess if I didn’t try, there would never be a chance of anything good happening either.
I knocked on the door and I immediately heard footsteps coming toward the front of the house.
The door opened and I saw a familiar face.
“Hi Jeff! How have you been?” She asked leaning in.
“Hello Ms. Banks! I’m been good. How about you?”
“I can’t complain.” She said and she smiled. “Would you like to come in? Do you want to see Addison? I have to introduce you to my son!”
“You have a son?” I asked her, and I was very confused. Last I knew it was only her and Addison. That was why Addison couldn’t come with me. She didn’t want to be alone.
“I do. Come and see him.” She pulled me into their living room.
“Hey Addi.” I said when I walked in and saw her sitting on the floor playing with the same little boy she had just run inside with. I figured small talk, like old friends, would be best. I know we couldn’t just pretend that nothing happened, but I was hoping in front of her mom we didn’t have to fight.
Even though it was essentially her mom’s fault that we were not together, I didn’t want to make her feel like she ruined our lives—even though I felt like she pretty much did.
“Hi.” She answered back. That was progress, even though she probably is thinking like I am—not want her mother to feel bad.
I smiled at her and hoped that she would flash her beautiful smile back, but no such luck. She looked down and continued playing.
“So this is the little guy?”
“Yes it is!” Her mom said and called him over. When he came to her, Addison got up and went up to her room.
“Hey buddy!” I said to him.
“Say ‘Hi’ Emerson!” She told him and he looked down, being shy.
“Hey, I’m gonna go see Addison.” I told her and she looked at me seriously.
“Don’t tell her, Jeff. Telling her now won’t change anything.”
I walked away without saying anything and went up the stairs. I walked to her closed door and knocked. Surprisingly she opened it.
“Hey.” I said to her.
“Hey.” She said and walked over to her bed and got back onto her laptop.
“How have you been? I haven’t talked to you in—“ I stopped myself, knowing that I shouldn’t have said that.
She looked up at me.
“… in one year and 326 days.” She said and I could feel her getting upset.
I started to walk over to her on the bed and just as I was getting ready to sit down next to her she said the one thing that I didn’t want to hear.
“I think you should go, Jeff.”