I can't believe he had the audacity to even consider that thought! He's known me far too long to even let that thought cross his damn mind! Grrrrrr! I'm so angry and it's been about a week, I haven't as so much as even written a single letter of the alphabet to him. Devin had asked me around five that morning to be his girlfriend and go steady, I had agreed with certain circumstances which he found no problem with. I told Josh after a couple months of not talking to anyone other than friends and family back home and Devin. The day after I decked James, Devin and I headed for Tampa via plane, completely avoiding everyone. I kissed his family and mine adieu, properly doing so according to our traditions.
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Devin asks, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets and looks in my eyes from under his green Eastern Boarder cap.
As we stand in the master bedroom, I pinch the fabric of his light grey t-shirt in my fingers and pull on it, letting it go for it to fall against the front of his body. "It's what's best for everyone, space between James and I so we can allow ourselves to cool off and work it out peacefully."
We've been lounging in the hammock out behind the house all day today, curled together and enjoying the weather. We just got up a little while ago to swim and eat, changing into lighter weight clothes after. It's been a few minutes since we had first begun discussing this matter, laying back down in the hammock. "I don't know about that being the 'best for everyone', I think it's what's easiest for you."
"What the hell do you mean, Devvie?" I demand, leaning on my right elbow to prop myself up to look him in his eyes.
"I'm guessing it's what you know how to do because it's what your mom did to keep you as safe as she could and it's just habit now to protect yourself," he explains, kissing my lips softly.
"If that were true, I would've run off alone," I fib, laying with my head on his chest and keeping my eyes diverted from his.
I begin plucking imaginary loose threads from random spots on his shirt. "Okay," he sighs, "I can tell you want to drop it, doce menina." He runs his long fingers through my locks, pressing his lips to the top of my head and we continue to rock back and forth.
I watch his foot push off the ground to keep us in a rhythmic swinging pattern, keeping us calm and it feels as if he has a melody in his mind. "Would you ever do that to me?"
"Do what?"
"What Brandon did to Ma."
"I have no idea what you mean."
Oh, that's right! I never told him about that, about my childhood and what happened to Ma. He only knows that she passed away just under a year ago, things have become increasingly more tense as the date continues to creep up and I don't want to face it all. I begin pouring out my heart, barely getting beyond the point in the memory where I had identified her remains and had felt numb, explaining why I was merely ghostlighting through everything when sobs took over me. He holds me close and soothes my frayed nerves.
The rest of the afternoon is spent without another word being spoken, staying close to one another and in a quiet understanding. "Maybe we should go out? Walk around the stores?"
"Yeah, I need to leave the house."
"It's been a week." I nod and start to rise from the hammock when his hand lightly smacks my ass, I look at him in a warning manner over my shoulder and he smiles at me. "Dress nice but comfortable," he requests.
"Hmph!" I grunt, strutting my short shorts and bikini clad self into my house to slip into a pair of form hugging black leather pants, Nikes and a tie dyed tank top before brushing my hair and teeth, meeting Devvie at the bottom of my stairs. He kisses me, proving he brushed his teeth and I smile. "How was it we met again?" I joke, arching an eyebrow at him and smirking. We leave for the mall in Orlando, his bag thrown in the backseat and I conclude he wants to stay there for a few days at the least. We talk about plans for the next few days and weeks, laughing all the while.
We pull up and I check my glove box for my orange Eastern Border cap, pulling it on my head once I discover it in the clusterfucked pocket. "How long have you had that?"
I smile, silently taunting him. "Since we met," I say.
"That's where it is."
"Yes, you forgot to ask for it back that day."
"It's been in good hands. What store first?"
I get out, lean against the car after shutting the door and pull my lips to the side. "I dunno, we can walk around till I figure it out," I suggest, shrugging my shoulders.
We intertwine our fingers and head in, talking about the next holiday the majority of people celebrate-Mother's Day-and our moms. I swear I see a familiar coif, too short to be AJ and don't think twice about it until that person disappears from my line of sight. We step into Yankee Candle and I stick by the front of the store, my back to the open door. I'm smelling candles and almost drop one when somebody taps my shoulder, putting it down to hurriedly face the person. "So you're safe and among the living," he quips.
"Yes," I reply, folding my arms under my chest.
"I thought you went back home?"
"How'd you figure that out?"
"You're not supposed to answer a question with a question. You're a teenage girl that I've known for three years," he reminds me, pressing a finger to my forehead between my eyebrows and giving a knowing look.
"Right, master decoder," I facetiously fire back, eye roll happening naturally.
"I can always let JC know you're here and he will get here faster than you can bitch me out for it, little girl."
"I'll give you my 'little girl' right hook," I warn him, giving him a nasty glare.
"Oh, cut the shit, Jazz. That glare doesn't phase me and you know that."
I let out a huff of breath. "Whatever. You know I can also leave state faster than you can burp the ABCs."
"Try me."
"Test me."
"I'll text you later," he tells me, walking away.
"Should've stayed in Tampa," I mutter to myself, Devvie's arm snaking around my waist.
"Why?"
"I ran into someone I didn't want to."
"We should get some dinner."
We had dinner and I told him who I had seen earlier that had upset me. "That isn't something to worry about, we need to focus on what we're doing."
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