California Sunshine (6 page)

              "Fine." she said.

              Josh and I went back to his truck. "I'm sorry about her. I love her, but damn she could lay off."

              "I kind of wanna have fun with both of them." he replied.

              "How?" I asked, finding myself wanting to follow his idea.

              "I've got an extra room.If you get drunk or tired you can sleep in that bed. I'm not gonna try nothing, trust me. But they won't know that."

              I laughed. "Perfect plan actually. I like screwin' with people. This should be a ton of fun!" I exclaimed as we pulled away from Mike and Ashley.
 

Chapter 6

              We made a quick stop for beer, snacks and a couple of movies. I paid for the movies and my snacks. Josh paid for the beer and his snacks. Once we were back in the truck he turned the music up and I threw my hands up.

              "PARTY!" I shouted.

              He laughed, "Woohoo! Party!" he replied, pulling out of the parking lot.

              After the song finished he turned the radio down just a little and handed me a CD case full of CD's.

              "Throwback." I said, thumbing through what he had.

              "Best way to do it." he replied.

              "True. So who is this Demon Hunter?" I asked, staring at a CD.

              "You're kidding me, right? Put it in."

I cocked an eyebrow at him.

              "Just do it! Please?" he asked, smiling.

              I laughed and gently slid the CD out of the sleeve and into the CD player.

He cranked the music once more as he flew down the road.

              I was really into the band, so when he turned it down I looked at him, my mouth open and my eyes huge.

              "They are amazin'!"

              He laughed. "Yes! So, favorite bands?"

              I shrugged, "Every band I listen to is my favorite, I cain't just pick one. But I listen to everything from Country to Rock. I don't really like Rap, though. The crap talkin' about bitches and stuff. Now old school hip hop? Tupac? Love that stuff."

              "So wide variety. Like that. Name some bands, though."

              "Sugarcult, Blue Oyster Cult, Blink-182, Sum 41, Demon Hunter--"

I trailed off.

              He laughed, "It doesn't work like that. You just heard Demon Hunter."

              "I don't care. Jack Off Jill, I could keep goin'."

              "I got a general idea. Favorite color."

              "Hot pink and black. Yours?" I asked, wondering where this was going.

              "Black and red. Favorite season."

              "Fall. Yours? Where's this goin' by the way?" I asked, turning in my seat so that I could watch him.

              "General conversation. I want to know you better. Mine would be Summer or Winter. Favorite food?"

              "Anything. This is more than general conversation."

              "No, it's not. It's called knowing someone. I want to know you, and if you never give me your number I'll never hear from you again." he said, putting his truck in park. That's when I noticed we had made it to his house in record time.

              "Well here's an idea. Give me your number and I'll text you." I said, but part of me regretted it.

              "Phone?" he asked, holding his hand out.

              I handed him the phone that Mike had given me and he quickly typed in his number. "There. Now I expect a text."

              I laughed and mock saluted him. "Yes sir!"

              "That's right, respect your elders." He winked at me and hopped out of the truck, grabbing the movies and bag.

              We were sitting on his couch, the movie that we had picked out playing. He had a bottle of water and I had a tea. I pulled my phone from my pocket and quickly sent him a text: "Now you have my number." I hit send and within a few seconds, his phone was ringing. He looked at it and smiled.

              "Good. You've got to promise me you'll send me your new number asap."

              I laughed. "Fine, fine."

              "Yay. Now watch the movie."

              "Whatever," I mumbled.

              "What was that?"

              I laughed, "I said. Whatever." I replied slowly.

              "Do I sense an attitude?" he asked, playfully.

              "None at all," I replied, throwing a piece of popcorn at him.

              He grabbed it off of his shirt and popped it into his mouth. "Good."

              "I have a few questions of my own after this movie."

              He paused it, "I'm not diggin' it so ask away."

              I laughed. "I wasn't either. So why ain't ya found anybody else?"

              He shrugged. "You want a beer?"

              "Please."

              He disappeared for a few minutes and came back with beers. He sat down and stared at his bottle for a little while. "I haven't looked. I'm like you. I don't want some one-night stand here and there. I want my next relationship to be my last one. I mean, I'm not getting any younger, but it's hard to find somebody I can trust."

              I nodded. "At least we have that in common."

              "So far we have a lot in common. It's a little scary."

              "True. So no kids or nothin'?" I asked.

              He shook his head, "Nope. If and when the time's right, maybe." I took a sip of my beer, trying to figure out if I should ask him anything else. "Hey, what's going through your head? Talk to me."

              I looked up quickly. "Absolutely nothin'. I was tryin' to find another question to ask."

              He laughed, "Oh. I've got to say I find your accent sexy."

              I blushed, "Thanks." I whispered.

              "So, any other movies you want to watch?"

              I shook my head. "No. I kind of like sitting here, the moments of silence are peaceful, but the conversation is amazin'. I think you know more about me than most guys find out after three months."

              He chuckled, "Makes me feel special."

              "Good. I like makin' people feel special."

              "How is it, you've been through so much, but you seem to still be able to look past all that and worry about other's?"

              I took another sip of my beer, mulling it over. "I don't know. I guess I know that there are people who have gone through much worse than me. There's no point in pityin' yourself or feelin' bad. There are people out there that have absolutely nothin'. Okay, I don't have my parents. My brother doesn't talk to me often, and my boyfriend cheated on me. I still have a house, I still have a job. I have people that care about me. Hell my day's seem long and my nights seem much longer, but I try to remind myself on a daily basis; it could be worse."

              "You're amazing. Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't. You hear me? That is the smartest, most level-headed thing I've ever heard come out of a female's mouth. And most of them aren't as young as you. I know we've known each other for a short while, but I hope I never lose you as a friend." he said, holding his bottle to mine.

              "Thank you, seriously. I hope I never lose you as a friend either. I've been more open and honest with you than most men I've met in the bars. I'm not always this level-headed, though. Sometimes I can cry for what appears to be no reason at all, but really there are a million reasons. Sometimes it rolls in like clouds and they don't leave for days. It's cripplin', but I continue with my day like nothin' is botherin' me. Sometimes I'm more short tempered than normal. Sometimes I push people away and just sit in the dark--"

              He stopped me, "Point out the good things about yourself. You've spent so much time downing yourself that I'm beginning to wonder if you know anything good about yourself."

              "I cain't point anything out, all I've ever heard were the bad things. Lance was great, but he didn't know how to compliment me. Of course, he knew how to win me, and he knew how to win all those other girls, but he didn't know how to keep any of us."

              "Well, I'm going to point out a few things. You're beautiful. You have a kind heart. You have a gentle soul." I blushed, looking down into my beer. "No, look at me. I'm not just saying those things. Anyone who knows you has to know these things. The storm gets bad, but I hope you find someone that will weather it with you. All of us deserve that at least."

              I nodded. "I hope you find someone as well. No one deserves to be alone."

              "I chose it. I could have a girlfriend, but I don't want any of these superficial, playboy bunny rejects. I want a girl who has brains, who has guts. I want someone who knows what it's like to love and be loved."

              I giggled. "Superficial, playboy rejects."

              "I'm glad that made you laugh." he said, a smile on his face, but his eyes staring into my soul.

              "It's been nice to laugh again."

              "I love to make people laugh, and not to brag, but I'm pretty good at it." He took my empty beer bottle and returned with fresh ones.

              "I don't think you're braggin', I think you know the good qualities about yourself," I said, taking a beer from him.

              "It took time to learn. Just like you I was broken for a while, but after a while the pieces will begin to go back together, and you'll almost forget what it was like to be so broken."

              "I hope so," I said "I want to be happy again. I want to feel whole again. Even though I'm not sure I ever really felt that way."

              "You did, and you will. There's been a lot of heartache and tragedy in your life. But one day you'll wake up and see the sun where there was once clouds. I promise. I don't know when, or how, but it'll happen. Just give it time."

              "Well, patience is not one of my virtues," I replied.

              He laughed, "Mine either, but it'll happen."

              I woke up the next morning, curled the pillow into my arms and snuggled deeper into the blankets. I looked at my phone and had a text.

              "Wake up sleepy head. I thought we could go to breakfast. At least make it a little more believable ;)"

              I giggled and hit reply. "Fine, fine. Give me a few minutes. I'm awake I just don't want to leave this comfy bed."

              "When's the last time you had breakfast in bed?"

              I cocked one eyebrow. "Uh...never. I'm getting up."

              "Stay there. I want you to experience breakfast in bed."

              My breath caught in my throat. "I'm already up. Sorry."

              "Don't be afraid. Just a friend wanting you to break those chains."

              I smiled weakly. I was beginning to think that those lines were becoming blurry between leading Ashley and Mike along, and actually trying to be a couple. I shook my head, went into the bathroom and freshened up.

              I stepped into the living room and saw Josh sitting there on the couch, scrolling on his phone. "What's up buttercup?" he asked, without looking at me.