Someone Like You (20 page)
Authors: Joanne McClean
“Countless lovers under cover of the street.
“Can’t you just take a walk with me?” I suggest desperately.
“You know that I could use somebody.”
“No. Just leave Priestly. We’re done here.” she tells me firmly, starting to close the door.
“You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you.”
“No, we’re not.” I tell her, moving closer to her. “Hear me out.”
“Off in the night, while you live it up, I'm off to sleep
Waging wars to shape the poet and the beat.”
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.” she tells me adamantly but I can see her resolve crumbling.
“Please, I was an asshole.” I say quickly.
“
I hope it's gonna make you notice.”
“Yeah, you were.” she agrees but I can see her gaze softening. “Is that all?”
“I hope it’s gonna make you notice
Someone like me
.”
I shake my head. “Not even close.”
I then close the gap between us and pull her into a kiss just as her iPod shuffles to Florence + The Machine’s
Kiss with a Fist.
***
Temperance
Priestly wraps his arms around me, pulling me close as he trails kisses from my collarbone up to my cheek.
“Wait.” I pant. “This doesn’t mean you’re forgiven.” I tell him sternly.
“Oh really?” he says with a wicked grin before his lips find mine again and I feel my legs start to buckle.
“Nope.” I tell him breathlessly as I pull back from him.
Priestly merely grins at me and then lifts his wet t-shirt off over his head.
Damn. He doesn’t play fair.
“Still think that?” he asks with a mischievous smirk.
He pulls me to him again and I cling onto him, my hands exploring his bare skin
.
I run my hands over the muscles in his back, memorising every curve, every detail.
He kisses me again but I pull back once more.
“Not fair.” I say with a shake of my head.
“What?” he asks, feigning innocence.
I throw him a meaningful look as I let my eyes
travel to his well-defined chest.
Ever since I’ve seen him shirtless, I’ve secre
tly fantasised about tracing every curve of his six-pack. I never thought that I’d actually get to feel them in the flesh.
“Come on Nerd Girl, admit it. You can’t resist
me.” he smiles.
At the mention of my nickname, I feel a flutter in my heart.
“Jerk.” I fire back at him.
“Clean freak.” he retorts with a smirk.
“Womaniser.” I shoot back.
“Naïve.” he replies teasingly.
“Big-Headed.” I counter with a grin.
“The girl I love.” he answers, a serious look on his face.
“Um, what?”
***
Priestly
I take a step back from Temperance and look her directly in the eye. “I love you.”
She looks so confused that it’s actually quite
cute.
“What?”
I suppress a laugh. “I love you Nerd Girl.”
She shakes her head. “Are you serious?”
I nod. “Look, hear me out. I know I’m an asshole. I’m a lot of things. I was a jerk, I was selfish and a complete womaniser. But you, you stood up to me. No-one’s ever done that before. I love fighting with you and I love how you cared about me when my dad died.”
I watch as she takes a seat on her bed and I join her.
“I mean it Temperance. I’ve never met someone like you. You’ve always been looking out for me – the best thing you could’ve done was leave when you did. It made me realise how much I needed you. I just didn’t realise how stupid I was until Carter spelled it out for me. But now I’m not afraid to admit it … I love you Nerd Girl. I love you.”
Temperance flashes me that killer smile and I see the twinkle in her bright blue eyes behind those glasses I’ve grown to love.
“I never thought I’d find someone like you.” she says with a grin. “I love fighting with you too … but I think I just might love you that little bit more.” she declares before pulling me into another kiss.
Six Months Later …
Temperance
I wake up and glance at the clock – 7.03am. I grin to myself as I get up and sneak into the kitchen. I make my way to the iPod dock and scroll through my list of songs until I find Pharrell William’s
Happy
.
I turn up the volume full blast and ten seconds later, I am rewarded with the sight of a shirtless Priestly.
Wow, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing that sight.
“
Nice choice Nerd Girl.” he tells me with a grin before making some coffee. “But remind me again, why do I love you?”
“Because someone like
me can handle someone like you.” I tell him with a wink.
***
Priestly
Fuck.
I think
someday I just might marry this girl.
The End.
Soundtrack to Someone Like You
In no particular order, these are
some of the songs I listened to while working on Someone Like You. Enjoy!
- Van Morrison – Someone Like You
- Florence
Welsh and Calvin Harris – Sweet Nothing - The Black Keys – Gold on the Ceiling
- Florence + The Machine – Kiss with a Fist
- Ben Howard – Black Flies
- Kill it Kid – Run
- Pharrell Williams – Happy
- Bon Iver – Creature Fear
- Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks
- Shinedown – Second Chance
- Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo
Chile Blues - The Eagles – Heartache Tonight
- AC/DC – If You Want Blood (You Got It)
- Kings of
Leon – Use Somebody
Author’s Note
The idea for this story came to me when I thought back to my years spent in high school. There was one guy who was my – for lack of a better word – frenemy.
There were no romantic feelings between us at all – believe me, it wasn’t like that! – but we had this beautiful messed up friendship.
When someone asked him what it was between us, his words were ‘Oh, it’s a love/hate relationship’.
It was true, some days we could argue and annoy the hell out of each other and he could be a real ass but some days we had a laugh together.
It was for one class a few times a week we saw each other and we never socialised much outside of that class … but, when I think back on it, those few hours spent with that guy in th
at class, were some of the better moments I have from high school. It’s funny how we sometimes meet that one person who can both drive you crazy but make you laugh at the same time.
Anyway, that g
uy sort of inspired this story … so, this one’s for you.