Sequel: Close Yet Far ›
Anything but Ordinary
You Can Do Better
(Kay's POV)
The day after the HIM show I had met up with Josh at my apartment and he apologized for the entire fight. He admitted he was being a bit possessive, but he also said that he had his own reasons for being overprotective of me. I didn't let him explain any farther not really wanting to know what the hell went on in his brain. I had told him he got one more chance to make it up to me and so we had planned on going out to dinner and to a movie the next weekend, which turned out to be Valentine's Day.
And he hadn't shown up.
I didn't know if this was his own version of revenge or some shit, but at this point, I knew it was over between us. I couldn't be with a guy who treated me the way he had. I had self respect. I wasn't going to let what happened with Ethan happen again.
Getting the courage to leave my apartment, I headed to Bam's house. Aimee and the owner of the house had flown to Los Angeles to celebrate Valentine's Day, but I knew the rest of the gang would be around. As if she knew I would need her, Abbey sat upon one of the couches in the game room while Novak played a game of pool with Chad, Carl from the Moxy and Jimmy Pop. They were loud and disorderly and it gave me enough privacy that I'd be able to talk to Abbey without the guys overhearing.
At the sight of me, Abbey glanced up in surprise. “Kay? I thought you had a date. What are you doing here?”
As I sat down beside her, I noticed Carl and Jimmy were hitting Novak with pool cues. Carl was saying something about it being punishment for Novak not taking Abbey out, but I wasn't entirely sure it was the only reason. Most likely they just wanted to beat on the poor man.
“I got stood up.” I told her without preamble. “He was supposed to be at my place an hour ago and yet... nothing. He didn't show up. No phone call. No texts. I decided to come be the loser who hangs out at Bam's on Valentine's Day.” I glanced at her quickly when I realized what I'd actually said. “No offense.”
“None taken. I actually enjoy being here.” Abbey admitted with a reassuring smirk. “Besides- I hate to be the one to bring it up, but Josh hasn't been around for a lot of things lately. Christmas, New Year's... The HIM show and he couldn't even drive you out to Philly to get your sister when she flew in. He lives in the city!”
I nodded knowing all of those reasons and more should have made me run away from a relationship with him. Yet, for some unknown reason, I'd hung on. “This is the last straw, Abbey. I'm breaking it off with him.”
My friend nodded in agreement. “It's about time.”
I laughed. “What?”
Abbey sighed and put a hand on my arm in comfort. “None of us really like him, Kay. We all put up with him for your sake.” She leaned back into the couch and looked at the pool table where the guys had returned to the game. “You can do better.”
I followed her gaze to see Chad was standing off to the side with his pool stick in his hand. He was watching the others fight over the next shot with a grin on his face. He looked like he was having the time of his life despite the fact that it was Valentine's day and he was alone.
Abbey leaned closer to me in order to whisper into my ear. “Give him a chance, Kay. What do you have to lose?”
My heart. I didn't speak the words out loud, but they lingered in the back of my mind. I knew if I gave Chad a chance to be with me that I would also give him the chance to hurt me. I'd already been hurt enough in the past 24 years I'd lived. My father left me when I was a child, my mother had been a serial dater, then in all of the relationships I'd had, 2 out of 4 had cheated on me... I'd say it wasn't a good track record.
As if he could feel my gaze on him, Chad glanced at me. The smile on his face went from mischievous to tender. The change in him sent a shiver through my body. It made me wonder what the man could do to me if I just let him...
Chad set his pool cue back in its holder and walked to the couch where I still sat with Abbey. My friend, the traitor, muttered something about needing a drink and took off, leaving me to the wolves, or in this case... wolf. Chad watched me in interest for a moment before he spoke.
“Don't you have a date tonight?”
My green eyes met his chocolate colored ones and I felt my stomach twist in knots. I didn't want to disappoint him.
“No.”
Chad seemed curious so he sat beside me on the couch. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Abbey smile as she picked up Chad's forgotten pool stick and joined the game. “So you decided to come here to hang out with the rest of the losers?”
It was almost the same thing I'd said to Abbey a few minutes earlier. It brought a small smile to my face. “It's better than being alone on Valentine's day.”
The answer was so painfully true that Chad seemed at a loss for words. He watched me in silence as if he were making up his mind about something. He had the very look he'd had back at Christmas when we were crashing April's party. The one that showed he cared about what happened to me.
“Would you want to go out to dinner?” Chad asked with a thoughtful expression on his face. “We could go to John & Peter's without the crazies. The food is pretty good.”
I glanced down at my outfit automatically. I had changed out of the dress I'd been planning on wearing out with Josh and I was instead sporting a pair of red sweatpants with a white KISS t-shirt on. A pair of black Uggs were on my feet and my hair fell down in waves around my face. I'd had thrown my CKY beanie on my head and had yet to take it off. “I'm not really dressed for going out.”
Chad smirked as if I were being funny. “I think you look perfect.”
I couldn't stop the blush that came over my cheeks. Turning away from him, I made sure none of our friends had noticed.
“Come on, you know you don't want to sit here all night.” Chad pressed on with a laugh. Jimmy whirled his pool stick in the air before it smacked Carl right in the head. The assaulted man covered his head with his hands before ducking underneath the pool table to avoid another onslaught.
Taking that as my cue, I stood up and glanced down at Chad. “Let's get out of here before Jimmy turns his attack on us.”
“Are you sure?”
Jimmy let out a whoop before descending on Dico as he and Clubby entered the room. The three freaks would make it even worse. I reached down and pulled Chad to his feet. Then without a word, I drug him out of the house by his hand. I was so occupied with getting us out alive that I hadn't noticed Novak give Chad the thumbs up as we left.
The day after the HIM show I had met up with Josh at my apartment and he apologized for the entire fight. He admitted he was being a bit possessive, but he also said that he had his own reasons for being overprotective of me. I didn't let him explain any farther not really wanting to know what the hell went on in his brain. I had told him he got one more chance to make it up to me and so we had planned on going out to dinner and to a movie the next weekend, which turned out to be Valentine's Day.
And he hadn't shown up.
I didn't know if this was his own version of revenge or some shit, but at this point, I knew it was over between us. I couldn't be with a guy who treated me the way he had. I had self respect. I wasn't going to let what happened with Ethan happen again.
Getting the courage to leave my apartment, I headed to Bam's house. Aimee and the owner of the house had flown to Los Angeles to celebrate Valentine's Day, but I knew the rest of the gang would be around. As if she knew I would need her, Abbey sat upon one of the couches in the game room while Novak played a game of pool with Chad, Carl from the Moxy and Jimmy Pop. They were loud and disorderly and it gave me enough privacy that I'd be able to talk to Abbey without the guys overhearing.
At the sight of me, Abbey glanced up in surprise. “Kay? I thought you had a date. What are you doing here?”
As I sat down beside her, I noticed Carl and Jimmy were hitting Novak with pool cues. Carl was saying something about it being punishment for Novak not taking Abbey out, but I wasn't entirely sure it was the only reason. Most likely they just wanted to beat on the poor man.
“I got stood up.” I told her without preamble. “He was supposed to be at my place an hour ago and yet... nothing. He didn't show up. No phone call. No texts. I decided to come be the loser who hangs out at Bam's on Valentine's Day.” I glanced at her quickly when I realized what I'd actually said. “No offense.”
“None taken. I actually enjoy being here.” Abbey admitted with a reassuring smirk. “Besides- I hate to be the one to bring it up, but Josh hasn't been around for a lot of things lately. Christmas, New Year's... The HIM show and he couldn't even drive you out to Philly to get your sister when she flew in. He lives in the city!”
I nodded knowing all of those reasons and more should have made me run away from a relationship with him. Yet, for some unknown reason, I'd hung on. “This is the last straw, Abbey. I'm breaking it off with him.”
My friend nodded in agreement. “It's about time.”
I laughed. “What?”
Abbey sighed and put a hand on my arm in comfort. “None of us really like him, Kay. We all put up with him for your sake.” She leaned back into the couch and looked at the pool table where the guys had returned to the game. “You can do better.”
I followed her gaze to see Chad was standing off to the side with his pool stick in his hand. He was watching the others fight over the next shot with a grin on his face. He looked like he was having the time of his life despite the fact that it was Valentine's day and he was alone.
Abbey leaned closer to me in order to whisper into my ear. “Give him a chance, Kay. What do you have to lose?”
My heart. I didn't speak the words out loud, but they lingered in the back of my mind. I knew if I gave Chad a chance to be with me that I would also give him the chance to hurt me. I'd already been hurt enough in the past 24 years I'd lived. My father left me when I was a child, my mother had been a serial dater, then in all of the relationships I'd had, 2 out of 4 had cheated on me... I'd say it wasn't a good track record.
As if he could feel my gaze on him, Chad glanced at me. The smile on his face went from mischievous to tender. The change in him sent a shiver through my body. It made me wonder what the man could do to me if I just let him...
Chad set his pool cue back in its holder and walked to the couch where I still sat with Abbey. My friend, the traitor, muttered something about needing a drink and took off, leaving me to the wolves, or in this case... wolf. Chad watched me in interest for a moment before he spoke.
“Don't you have a date tonight?”
My green eyes met his chocolate colored ones and I felt my stomach twist in knots. I didn't want to disappoint him.
“No.”
Chad seemed curious so he sat beside me on the couch. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Abbey smile as she picked up Chad's forgotten pool stick and joined the game. “So you decided to come here to hang out with the rest of the losers?”
It was almost the same thing I'd said to Abbey a few minutes earlier. It brought a small smile to my face. “It's better than being alone on Valentine's day.”
The answer was so painfully true that Chad seemed at a loss for words. He watched me in silence as if he were making up his mind about something. He had the very look he'd had back at Christmas when we were crashing April's party. The one that showed he cared about what happened to me.
“Would you want to go out to dinner?” Chad asked with a thoughtful expression on his face. “We could go to John & Peter's without the crazies. The food is pretty good.”
I glanced down at my outfit automatically. I had changed out of the dress I'd been planning on wearing out with Josh and I was instead sporting a pair of red sweatpants with a white KISS t-shirt on. A pair of black Uggs were on my feet and my hair fell down in waves around my face. I'd had thrown my CKY beanie on my head and had yet to take it off. “I'm not really dressed for going out.”
Chad smirked as if I were being funny. “I think you look perfect.”
I couldn't stop the blush that came over my cheeks. Turning away from him, I made sure none of our friends had noticed.
“Come on, you know you don't want to sit here all night.” Chad pressed on with a laugh. Jimmy whirled his pool stick in the air before it smacked Carl right in the head. The assaulted man covered his head with his hands before ducking underneath the pool table to avoid another onslaught.
Taking that as my cue, I stood up and glanced down at Chad. “Let's get out of here before Jimmy turns his attack on us.”
“Are you sure?”
Jimmy let out a whoop before descending on Dico as he and Clubby entered the room. The three freaks would make it even worse. I reached down and pulled Chad to his feet. Then without a word, I drug him out of the house by his hand. I was so occupied with getting us out alive that I hadn't noticed Novak give Chad the thumbs up as we left.
♠ ♠ ♠
Happy Halloween everyone!