You Saved Me Once Book 1 novel Chapter 42

I was finally going out this weekend. The house was quiet again, not empty though.

“So, we want a side of fries with that. Emma wants Italian dressing for her salad.” Jake says.

It was a Friday night, Jake and Emma were staying in. I offered to go get them food.

Jake, Emma, and me crowd the island table for no reason. Emma’s staring at me, while she eats from the bowl of popcorn on the table. Her crunches grow more intense, the longer we keep eye contact. She’s still silent. Her red bangs cover her eyes. She keeps fixing her car-digan.

“I got it Jake, thanks.” I say.

“What about you?” He asks me.

I look at Emma, then him. I knew why he asked me this. I wasn’t eating, and it was obvious. I was lying to everyone, and it was obvious.

“Why do you think I offered to go and get you food?” My voice is weak.

“For vitamin D?” He jokes.

Emma giggles. She’s picking through the popcorn bowl.

I was too sad to smile at his joke, I nod instead. I put on my hat, then my hood. I leave the kitchen and head to my car in the garage. I park it in the garage now, because I can’t look at Hayes’s car for too long.

I pull off, and head to the pizza place, even though I hate pizza.

There was a reason I offered. The pizza place is close to Shiloh Ridge, closer to Hayes. If he was still there, I could see him.

~~~~~

I wait in my car for a while, and watch people come in and out of the pizza place. I wanted Hayes to see him, I wanted him to like me again.

He wasn’t there. I don’t know, where he is.

I get out of my car and go inside. It’s warm, I can smell the sticky pasta sauce in the air. I can feel the warmth of the ovens; the sour bitter cheese was too yellow. The smell was overwhelming. This was bringing back memories, bad ones.

A little kid is waiting in line with his parent. He sticks his tongue out at me.

Someone comes from behind and gives me a hug. I bite down on my lip, and smile.

“Hayes?” I ask.

The person is quiet, I turn around.

“Hey Alex.” He says.

It’s Jeff. His smiled warmed me for a short time. I was hurt that it wasn’t Hayes. I was so hurt that I wanted to cry, but I hide it. I force a smile at Jeff.

“How are you?” He asks. He’s smiling, he’s happy.

His foot was wrapped, he had a crutch in one hand.

“It’s a sprain. You should see the other guy.” His words are soft. He’s so calm.

“Lucky you.” I joke. He laughs.

We were in a conversation, things were going better then I’d hope. The cashier calls Jeff’s name.

Everything goes quiet again.

I watch as Jeff slowly makes his way over to the cashier. His wrapped foot is in a sandal. He drags the rubber sandal on the laminat-ed floor. I hear it squeak.

He rests his crutch against the counter. He goes to pay, when it falls onto the ground. The wood from the crutch sounds like it split.

I go to pick it up, and get some wood stuck in my finger. The slinter is deep.

“Thanks. I don’t like taking this thing around. “He says.

Seeing him frustrated, made me want him. For a second, it made me forget about Hayes. Whenever I’m with Jeff, I don’t think about a lot of things.

“What are you doing in Orca?” He asks.

Orca Manchester, the town next to Versa. Also, the town next to Shiloh Ridge. I had history with Orca. I get nervous.

“Buying some food for Jake.” I say.

The way he’s looking at me, I can’t help but smile. He looks at his boxes of pizzas, there are more than three.

“Throwing a party?” I ask. I grab two boxes from him.

“The lacrosse team is, I’m paying.” He says.

A black truck parked out front honks at us. Jeff flips the driver off.

“Those jerks.” He laughs.

I help him carry the pizzas to the truck full of empty-handed boys.

The loud music lowers. I hear them whispering about me.

Everyone knew about the Richards, and the Bartley’s. All for the wrong reasons.

I stay silent and hand the boxes to a scared freshman in the back seat. He smiles at me.

The guy in the front seat says something stupid. Jeff slams the door. It’s just Jeff and I now, he’s smiling at me.

“I’m sorry for not texting you back.” I say. He nods.

“I’m just glad to see your face.” He interlaces our fingers, before stealing a hair tie on my wrist.

My hood falls down, he keeps looking at me. He won’t stop, un-til I smile. He goes to kiss me, I lean into him. We’re both slumped against this truck.

The driver in the truck honks, the lacrosse guys hoot. I stop kissing Jeff.

Hands behind my back, I pick at the splinter again.

“I should go back inside.” I say. He smiles, before putting my hood back on.

“Alright. I’ll see you around Alex.” He says.

He gets in the passenger seat of the truck.

I go back inside, and watch the black truck pull off.

The little kid, and his parent are leaving now. The little kid steps on my foot, on their way out. Through the window, he sticks out his tongue at me again.

Finally, I stick my tongue back at the little kid.