Charmed Life

6 months later

I stand back, looking over my new bedroom. It’s small, just enough room for my bed, dresser, and desk.

“All good?” my new roommate, Kelly, comes up behind me, a basket of dirty laundry in her hands.

I nod. “Yeah, thanks.” I’d met Kelly on a community chat room. She was looking for a roommate and I was looking for a place to stay. Grams was all settled into the nursing house, and six months after Gramps passed, I was ready to come back to school. I’d gotten a new waitressing job at a bar about two blocks from the apartment, which also happened to be close to school.

Everything was fine, as fine as it could be. The only thing on my mind these days was school and work, which took enough of my time to prevent me from having a social life. Not that I wanted one anyway.

James and I haven’t talked since the night I left. He’s called and texted, but I’ve never responded to anything. After about a month, he must have given up, and rightly so. I’m in no position to be with someone like him. I really have no right being in a relationship at all.

For weeks, I go on with life back in Pittsburgh, but I was joking myself if I thought we’d never cross paths in this city. It happened, just went I was least expecting it.

“Hey, you’re good for the night,” Adam, the head bartender says to me. I’ve been training to tend the bar, and was just wiping down everything before the late night crowd comes in.

“Thanks,” I reply, throwing the dirty rag into the sink behind the bar. I grab my bag from under the register and slide out from behind the bar. I make my way to the door and am about to push it open when it’s pulled from my grasp. A blonde walks in, giggling at the man holding the door for her.

"You're such a gentleman!"

He’s smiling back, that is, until he sees me. Then he’s definitely not smiling anymore. I freeze. Literally, I just stand there and stare at him. He’s impossibly taller, wearing a plain blue button up and jeans. And glasses.

Fuck.

Those stupid glasses gets me every time.

I stare and he stares back. He’s still holding the door. The blond is kind of between is, not sure what to do.

Instead of going out the door he’s holding, I push open the other door and walk out. I let it shut, turn towards him, open my mouth, then shut it again. I turn and walk away, fast as I can. Once again, I am running away from James Neal.

“Hold on a second,” I hear him say.

“What?” That must be the blonde.

“Alayna!” I almost buckle at the sound of my name, but I don’t, I just keep walking. “Stop it.” His hand is on my arm. Damn it, he’s a lot faster than I give him credit for. I pull my arm away, and keep walking. “Stop. I just want to talk.”

We’re about a block from my apartment, and I’d give anything to be safe in my room. But I’d also give anything to throw myself at him and kiss him until I’m full of him. I can do it, too. And there’d be no witnesses. It’s almost ten at night and the streets are pretty much empty. I can grab him and kiss him and pretend it never happened.

I turn to face him, and having him this close after all this time, I just about faint. He’s grown out his beard, and I remember just how much taller he is than me, and how much I loved that I had to get on tip toes to reach his lips.

I’m feeling lightheaded, and tingly and numb all at the same time. I haven’t touched anyone else since him. No time, and no interest. But those urges are all suddenly back.

I shake my head. What am I doing? This isn’t okay.

“We can talk later,” I say, thinking that’s fair and to show I’m not avoiding him. “But I think you should get back to your date. It’s rude.”

What the hell? It’s rude? I’ve ignored him for six months and I’m the one lecturing him about manners.

“Rude?” He laughs a bitter laugh, a hurt laugh. “Ignoring me for months is rude, not telling me what’s been going on and worrying me to death is rude.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, looking at the ground.

“You know when I stopped worrying? When Paul saw you grocery shopping two weeks ago and told me about it. Then at least I knew you were alive.” He's breathing hard, huffing with indignation.

I open my mouth again, about to apologize, but he’s so mad, looking amazing under the fluorescent glare of the streetlight like only he can. So instead of an apology that he’d ignore anyway, I do something he can’t ignore. I move closer, push up on my tippy toes and place my lips on his.

I’m half scared he’ll push me away, but he doesn’t. He puts an arm around me and pulls me closer, while another hand finds the back of my neck. His lips feel familiar and strange at the same time. My entire body pulses with a desire both old and new and I ache for him to be with me again.

I pull away before I get any ideas. He takes my hands in his, and puts his forehead against mine.

“I have to go,” I say softly.

“I’m coming with you. I’m not letting you go this time.”

“James…”

“No. Please. I want to talk. And I can say goodbye this time.”

Kelly is at her boyfriend’s, so the apartment is empty when we enter.

James makes me tell him everything, how Grams is, how I am, what classes I’m taking, and that I’m really doing okay.

“I haven’t been harassed by anyone and my apartment hasn’t been robbed, so yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he sighs, content. We’re sitting on opposite ends of the couch, not touching and no chances of repeating that kiss. “I’m happy you’re doing well.”

“Thank you.”

“Alright, well, that’s all I wanted to know.” He gets up, and I panic. But I let him make his way to the door. I can’t move, I should, but I can’t. That’s when the tears come. He’s leaving me, now, and forever. He really just wanted to say goodbye.

He turns from the door and sees me, and I’m beyond embarrassed. Crying over a guy, the me before would never do something like this. But he doesn’t care. He’s next to me in a heartbeat, holding my face in his hands.

“What is it?” His brows are knitted and his face his pained.

“Don’t leave,” I breathed. “Please. I’m sorry I left. I won’t again. I promise.”

I’m feeling pathetic, and rejected already, and I’m afraid he’ll laugh and leave to show me the pain I caused him, but instead, his lips find mine, and I am sucked into him. He kisses me hard, his tongue finding mine as they do their old dance. I get up, taking his hand and leading him to my room.

We stand at the edge of my bed and I take his glasses off, placing them on my nightstand. I kiss him gently, savoring the taste of him. I’ve missed it so much. I stand back and stare at him, remembering every detail.

I unbutton his shirt, push it off his broad shoulders and let it fall to the floor. We slowly undress each other, until we’re standing, facing each other, naked.

“I’m sorry,” I say again.

He shakes his head. “You’re back. God, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you.”

“I love you,” I reply, closing the space between us.

He’s warm and strong as he lays me down, kissing my neck and collar. He’s the same but different at the same time, yet the thrill is still there as he positions himself between my legs, settling in as every part of him fits into every part of me.

I realize we’ll fight, and argue, and have our differences, but in the end, he’s where I belong, and I know, deep in my heart, that no matter how bad it gets, we’ll always come back to each other.

He stops kissing me to look into my eyes. “What is it?”

“Your date,” I say apologetically. “Sorry I ruined it. You could have gotten lucky tonight.”

He laughs. “You’re ridiculous. And I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

THE END