Young Love (Bloomfield #4) (11 page)

“Please stay and watch it with us,” Jeanie pleaded.

“Okay,” Honor said with a smile. “Let me just go next door and get some popcorn for us.”

“Yes, popcorn!”

***

The darkness around me was a blessing after babysitting all day. I loved my niece to death, but she was exhausting. The three of us had watched a movie and then ordered pizza before Jilllian had shown up to pick her up. Honor had already been gone by then, which I was grateful for, because I could only imagine what my sister would have said had she seen her there.

Now, as I lie in my bed, thinking about the day, I couldn’t help but imagine Honor on the other side of the wall. Was she sleeping already? Or maybe she had gone out for the night. She was young and single, it was entirely possible she went out on dates. I hadn’t heard her leave though, not that I had been listening.

I thought back to last night and having Kelly here, and how different that felt than when Honor was around. I’d purposely invited Kelly to sleep over, because my mind had been all sorts of fucked up after having dinner with Honor. The level of comfort I’d felt with her was unfamiliar to me, and I’d wanted to prove that I could have the same with my actual girlfriend.

Except, it hadn’t been as comfortable. On the contrary, I’d wanted her to leave almost right away. Kelly was an amazing girl, but there was no denying that something was missing on my end. I just couldn’t figure out what it was. When it came to sex, we were fine, but even that hadn’t been as fulfilling as usual.

Man, I was getting all sorts of fucked up. This was exactly why I avoided relationships. Even when I wanted to try and make things work, it just didn’t. Turning onto my stomach, I stared at the wall in front of me, picturing the girl on the other side.

Would things be different if I was in a relationship with someone like Honor? What exactly was
someone
like her? It was hard to even pinpoint what made her different to me from all other girls. Maybe it wasn’t that I needed something
like
her, but just simply
her.
That would never happen. Still, I found myself laying there, staring at a wall, the separation between us more symbolic than I wanted to admit.

Chapter 13

Honor

Like the loser that I was, I found myself lying on my stomach staring at my wall with the man on the other side stuck in my mind. Again. I just couldn’t get away from him. What was worse was that I doubted he was in his bed doing the same.

No, Grey was too cool and aloof to spend his spare time replaying his day the way I did. Why couldn’t I be more like that? Why did I have to obsess and scrutinize everything when it came to him?

I’d decided not to crush on Grey, only to find myself in the same position as last night. I should have just made my excuses and not gone in his apartment when I heard noise, but instead I’d spent almost my entire evening with him and Jeanie.

I could blame it on my soft spot for the little girl. It wouldn’t be a complete lie, but I knew it also had to do with the inexplicable pull that was always there when he was around.

Despite my ire from last night and this morning toward him, I’d actually forgotten all about it and had enjoyed myself. That same comfortable feeling had surrounded us again, and with Jeanie there, we’d had fun and laughed as though it were perfectly natural.

God, we’d even danced
. I sighed, turning my head to rest my cheek on my pillow as I remembered the feel of his arms holding me close. There was nothing sexy about dancing the waltz with Grey. And yet, there was something
entirely
sexy about dancing the waltz with Grey, if that made any sense.

Twirling around his living room had had the little eight year old Disney version of me dying from excitement. It was Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty come to life. Grey could definitely be a Prince and a Beast all at once, I thought with amusement.

He was so sure of himself, and just the size of him compared to me, made me feel more feminine than ever before. His arms around me had been hard and commanding, while at the same time calming.

Blowing out a breath, I rolled onto my back, sleep slipping further away the more I thought about him. Today might have been nice, really nice, but that didn’t change the reality of our circumstances. Grey had a girlfriend and I didn’t have time or a need for a relationship. All these thoughts were pointless.

Suddenly my phone dinged, the screen lighting up my dark room. A strange feeling filled my stomach as I reached for it. It was official, I was pathetic.

As my eyes read the name on the screen, I shook my head at my stupidity. My initial thought had been that it would be Grey. Not only did he not have my number, but he also had no reason to be texting me so late at night - or at all.

I really needed to stop all this nonsense. Swiping my finger across the screen, I opened Adrien’s message. Here was a guy who made a lot more sense for me. Not only was he single, and good looking, but he was also my age. Perfectly attainable. Except he didn’t make my heart race the way my tattooed, surly neighbor did.

Adrien
: hey ;) you still down to get together tomorrow?

Me
: it’s after midnight. Couldn’t you wait until tomorrow to text me? I could have been asleep.

His reply came almost instantly.

Adrien
: A. You’re clearly not asleep, so stop complaining. B. You’re also not an old grandma, so stop complaining. C. I might be drunk and thought of you so I texted. And lastly, D. Stop complaining.

I chuckled, shaking my head.

Me
: yes, we can still get together tomorrow. How about around 3?

Adrien
: that’s more like it. I work until 5. How about I come over after and bring dinner?

Me
: sold. See you then.

Adrien
: ;)

Placing my phone back on my table, I snuggled down under my blankets and ordered my brain to sleep. It didn’t quite work. But after another half an hour of tossing and turning, I finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

***

Grey Anderson was seriously messing with my sleep schedule. As I walked to the bus stop the next morning, my sunglasses hiding my eyes from the annoyingly bright sun, I felt as if I was hungover instead of just exhausted. Thankfully I only had to take two buses before I reached my mom’s.

The scent of bacon and homemade rolls wafted through the screen door, all the way to the chain link fence surrounding the front yard. Opening the gate, I took a deep breath in, already feeling at home. It was funny how smells could do that to you. Comfort and soothe your soul with their fragrance.

“Look what the cat dragged it. If it isn’t Miss Ballerina. What are you doing back in the slum, chica? I thought you got out of this place?”

I looked over at Jesus, one of my neighbors that I made sure to avoid all throughout my childhood. He was a couple of years older, but a whole lot more trouble. It was no secret he ran with the El Elegido gang.

Despite this well known fact, I wasn’t afraid of him. Rolling my eyes, I made my way toward the front door.

“It wasn’t the slum that was the problem, it was the residents occupying it,” I said to him, dismissively.

He whistled. “Always quick with that tongue. You and your cousin need a man to teach you your place.”

Before I could verbally bitch smack him across the face, Perrie appeared in the doorway, the screen door banging open with a loud rattle.

“We have one, he’s tied up in the basement where we keep all the men,” she said.

I chuckled, looking over at Jesus to see him shaking his head in amusement.

“You girls are loca.”

“Damn right,” we said together. Perrie turned to me with a wide smile.

“Hey, cuz. It’s good to see you in these parts,” she said, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Don’t you start too,” I said as I returned her embrace. “I haven’t been gone that long. And I know I’m already going to have to hear it from the other two.”

Perrie tightened her arms for a second, whispering in my ear. “You have no idea. Consider this fair warning.”

She pulled back, giving me an apologetic look. Great. My shoulders slumped as I looked back down the path, considering just leaving now while I still could.

“Oh no you don’t,” Perrie said, gripping my arm. “Get your pretty ass in there.”

I took one step -
one step
inside the house before it began.

“The prodigal daughter has returned,” my mother shouted instantly.

“Look who decided to gift us with her presence,” Auntie Grace said, raising her hands in the air as if she were speaking directly to God himself. “Here I thought she’d lost our address.”

“And phone number,” my mother added.

“For crying out loud,” I said under my breath. The two of them were so similar, I sometimes wondered if they were actually the same person, cloned. “Hello Auntie,” I said, going over to where she stood at the stove, scrambling eggs. I kissed her on the cheek as she harrumphed.

Walking around the counter, I went to my mother where she sat in her robe, chopping fruit. I gave her a kiss as well. “Morning, Mom.”

“Morning, Honor baby,” she said, lightly slapping my cheek.

“How’s everyone been?” I asked, sitting in my usual spot.

“Well your mom’s leg has been acting up again,” Auntie Grace said.

There was nothing wrong with my mom’s leg, aside from whatever she’d convinced herself of in her own mind.

“And Grace has been having those migraines again.”

Jesus Christ.

I glanced over at Perrie. She shook her head at me, her lips twitching.

I loved each and every one of the women in this room, but there was no denying our mothers were nuts. But man, could they cook.

***

By the time I made it back to my apartment, I felt as if I’d gained ten pounds. Thankfully once we’d all sat down to eat, the guilt trips had ended, to be replaced by our usual good natured banter.

When it was time to clean up, Perrie put on The Commitments like always, and the four of us danced around and sang as Perrie and I washed the dishes. It was the nicest morning I’d had in a while. Sometimes I forgot how great it was to be home with the people I loved.

It was already two when I got back, so I had to hurry to tidy up before Adrien came over after five. It only took me an hour or so, leaving me a little bit of time to get some reading done for my other classes before there was a knock at my door.

Adrien stood in the hallway with his megawatt grin, his usual jeans and t-shirt ensemble replaced by comfy looking sweats and a zip-up hoodie that was left open. He looked...cuddly, if there was such a thing.

“Greetings,” he said, stepping inside as I stood back, motioning him in. He lifted a bag from the burger place down the street. “I have brought you nourishment.”

I laughed. “Thank you. How was work?”

He shrugged, walking over to the living room as though he’d been here a million times.

“Boring, as usual. What did you do today?”

“Nothing exciting,” I answered.

We sat down in opposite corners of the couch, facing each other. He really was a rather good looking guy. Why couldn’t I like him?

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” He said with a smirk.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you don’t come off as the wild, partying type.”

I snorted. “I’m not. Unlike your harem, I’d like to keep all my brain cells.”

“You can’t keep what you don’t have,” he said.

We both laughed.

“I hope you’re referring to them and not me.”

“Obviously. So, shall we get started?”

The two of us worked easily together as we ate. Time flew by and I realized at one point that I was actually having a lot of fun. Adrien was really funny, and smart, despite the carefree persona he always projected. It would almost be too easy to fall for a guy like him, if it weren’t for the bazillion text messages he kept getting throughout the night. From the look on his face whenever he read them, I had a sneaking suspicion they were from either a woman, or
women
.

When I had to say something to him three times before he paid attention, I decided enough was enough. The next time I heard his phone vibrate against the coffee table, I snatched it up before he could, pressing it against my chest.

“Hey!” He said, blinking in confusion. I could move fast when I wanted to.

“What is so important on this thing that you have to keep looking at it, huh?” I said challengingly.

From the slight darkening of his cheeks, I knew my assumption was correct. I looked down at the screen.

“Don’t read it,” he said, reaching out to try and grab it from me.

I pushed myself further away from him on the couch. “Why?” I looked down at the name there. “You don’t want me to see what
Melinda
has to say?”

“Honor,” he warned.

I stood as he did.

“Adrien,” I replied, keeping the couch between us.

“That’s private,” he said, pointing at the phone.

“Yes, well, it keeps interrupting
our
time.”

He stopped moving, tilting his head as a crooked smirk lifted the corners of his mouth. “Aw, are you jealous, baby?”

“Ew. Don’t call me baby.”

He chuckled. “Come on,
baby
, give me the phone back.”

He was slowly moving around the couch again, my movements mirroring his. I laughed.

“Seriously, don’t call me that.”

The phone vibrated in my hand again. I looked down, raising both brows as a shit-eating grin split across my face.

“Aw, Shannon has an ache only you can fix,” I said, pushing out my lower lip. “Sounds bad.”

He shook his head, laughing. “You’re so going to get it.”

He ran at me, surprising me. Squealing, I bolted into my bedroom. Running on the far side of my bed, Adrien followed me in, planting his hands on the mattress as he leaned forward.