Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Anastasia finally turned to her. “Are you leaving now?”

“I was….but it’s pretty late. And I don’t want to be walking so late at night and-well you know how it goes? C-can I stay the night?”

“I never told you to leave in the first place. You were always welcome back, you just chose to be away. I never stopped you from going out, from having friends. Doing what you wanted. I told you about the dangers and still….”

“I know” she nodded. Ste stepped closer to her older lookalike. “Can I spend the night?”

“You’re free to”.

“And when I’m on holiday and weekends?” she suggested playfully.

“Even then” she smiled a little.

She embraced her mum, and Anastasia slowly hugged her back. Kelly watched from her spot at the top. Looking down below leaning against the railings. She could sleep easy knowing things were okay between the three of them. Adriana was back, they reconnected. What was next?

She stepped into her room and locked the door. She didn’t tell them that she had a boyfriend now. But there was no need to.

‘Hey’ she texted.

‘Sup’ he replied. ‘I didn’t hear a thing from you all day. Are you okay?’

He didn’t know. Thank goodness. ‘Sorry. Family trouble. I’d like to see you tomorrow. Does that sound good to you?’

‘Seeing you will always sound good to me. Where would you like to hangout?’

‘Your place’ she replied.

‘Should I come get you?’

‘That would be nice. Goodnight then’. She kept her phone on the nightstand. She wanted this her whole life. She smiled to herself before falling on her side and closing her eyes. She needed all her strength for tomorrow.

And the next day she had left the house immediately after breakfast. She didn’t divulge anything. Her mother didn’t bother to ask because she was used to the outings. Adriana wasn’t though. She asked question after question, but got no reply. It was hard to run after eating such a good breakfast but she managed. She didn’t have to wait so long. She saw Chad up ahead.

She entered the car and as a good morning she gave him a kiss.

“How are you?” he said.

“I’m fine” she replied.

“So what happened yesterday? I thought we were going to meet up yesterday. We didn’t talk at all”.

“I know” she pouted pecking him again. “You know how family is, A lot happened yesterday actually” she buckled her seatbelt. ‘Can’t wait to tell you all about it’ she thought. He had been the one to say that his supposed was cool about everything.

“Can’t wait to hear it” he said. “Where do you want to go?”

“Your place sounds nice” she said playfully.

“Oh!” he said coyly. “My place does sound nice. We’ll have a nice time”.

“Yes we will” he agreed.

And soon they were in his house, on his bed, in his room. She had only come over once and she hadn’t seen his parents or anyone else for that matter. He said he had a sister, but she wasn’t around for now. She didn’t school here.

And he was against the headboard, she was in-between his spread legs. Her back against his chest. His arm was across her front and she caressed his exposed skin. They didn’t talk. He had snacks out for them and they were watching a movie. A perfect date. Smelt good and more comfortable than a movie theatre. Speaking of theatres…..Jason. They had to talk about it.

“So I told you it was family drama yesterday” she leaned back further. Her head now rested on his shoulder.

“Yes you did” he nodded.

“Do you know who caused it?” she pressed further. Her eyes were no longer on the screen but looking at him at an angle.

He must have sensed it was important. He paused the movie and his arms went round her body, switching her position a little. “You didn’t tell me”.

“It was Jason” she whispered.

He went rigid against her. “You…wha-how did that happen?”

“He showed up at my house and caused a scene. I thought you said he was cool. That he wouldn’t do something like this?” she questioned getting out of his hold so she could turn to face him.

“I-I didn’t know that he…..are you okay? Did he do anything?”

She rolled her eyes. He cared. “Other than embarrassing me and himself nothing happened” she sighed long-sufferingly.

“I can’t help but think this is partly my fault”.

Moment of truth. “There’s that” she agreed with him. “Chad, you know I like you. I’ve liked you for a very long time. Since sophomore year?” she asked holding his hand.

“Yes I do. You’ll never let me forget” he squeezed her hand back.

“And what do you like about me? Why do you like me?” she asked the most sincere she had even been with him. With anyone.

“I like you because you’re different from the rest. You see me as Chad Sterling not just as Jason’s friend. You like you because you like me. I like you for you” he leaned closer and then he kissed her.

No matter what she would accept kisses from him any day. “I think something is missing-no I put that wrong. Jason”.

He looked at her puzzled. “What about Jason?”

“He’s an important factor in this, isn’t he? Our relationship” she smiled in reply.

“I-I don’t follow” he said lowly.

“Jason is the foundation of our relationship. He changed me, got me into your sites. And now he won’t let me be”.

“I promise you” he grabbed her shoulders. “He won’t be a problem anymore” he said vehemently.

“That’s not the issue here Chad” she grabbed his wrists and removed his hands. “The problem here is your obvious distaste for Jason. Heck, he’s even in the reasons why you like me in the first place” she sighed.

“Uh-I-I don’t really…..” he tried pitifully.

“I don’t really think that you like me, but you like the fact that I like you instead of Jason. That I have the same thoughts you have of Jason. That I chose you over Jason” it was hard for her to say this but she needed to. If he didn’t say anything she was right. She liked him. That was a lie. She loved him and she wanted to be sure he could give back what she gave.

It wasn’t easy holding the tears when he just stared at her.

“Your silence speaks volumes right now Chad Sterling” her voice was shaky.

He sighed into his hands and took his hands up to his hair. “I guess I might have confused everything” he admitted and there were hints of sadness in there.

A lot of people would call her stupid. She finally got her guys since sophomore year and she was ending things. She wanted her time with him to last. She didn’t want him to wake up one day and think why he was with her in the first place. She didn’t want to be left alone. Abandoned. Turned out she had been abandoned before but she couldn’t be sad because she didn’t know.

“But we could make this work” he held her hand.

She smiled at him. She wanted that more than anything, but she couldn’t settle. That would disappoint her mum more than anything. But she couldn’t. She had waited and she couldn’t be with him and still wait. Wouldn’t that come off as desperation?

She leaned closer and kissed him. “If you don’t feel the same now I can’t force you” she whispered their faces really close. “What makes you think that you’ll change your mind in time? Do you really think that you could learn to love me?”

She couldn’t take it back now. Well things were ending between them right now. It was a fun few days. At least she could say that she had a boyfriend when her college friends would ask. She was so embarrassed.

“You love me” he said with wonder.

He placed a hand behind her head. “I’m sorry that I can’t be the guy you need right now” he whispered with that charming smile of his.

Turned out his first real relationship, his first real girlfriend wasn’t that real after all. She was really different from the rest. This was really an eye-opener. Maybe with time he would get to feel the same. But for now she would be the one that got away. That was the life of Chad Sterling. He wasn’t ready for that right now. He was right about this one. Kelly Blinch. She deserved better and she would find better. Well as long as it wasn’t Jason Angle. Turned out she was really a competition between two of them.

Boys. He cringed internally.

“Don’t worry” she hugged him. “No one will be able to take away the feelings and memories” she couldn’t believe she was being so emotional. So weird. He would surely tell his friends about this.

“A shame that I couldn’t get to see how flexible you are” he joked.

And he ruined the moment. She elbowed him in his side none too gently. She looked up at him. “There’s still time though. We could finish this movie and make out after?” she suggested maneuvering herself into their earlier position.

“This is the nicest breakup I’ve ever experienced” he rest his chin atop her head.

She just laughed.

They finished the movie. And after that ate their snacks and made out till they couldn’t feel both their lips. She wished her whole life could just be like the present moment forever. But you didn’t plan life. Her mum was a perfect example. He was still nice enough to drop her off. She was making the moment last. Who knew when she was going to fall in love again? But she would know her heat was for Chad Sterling first.

She walked in to see her mother on the couch and Adriana was still there. She situated herself in her normal position. On the right side of her mother. And to her everything that had happened over the years hadn’t. Like she didn’t know of the cruelty that she just found out. She was young again and blind to the way of the world.

“So what did you do today?” her sister was the one to ask.

“Nothing much” she shrugged.

And that was the truth.