Long time, no see! This chapter title is inspired by The Fray's Look After You.
The look on her face alone was enough to stop the beating of my heart. Something wasn't right. The shift in the air was painfully uncomfortable. I was already petrified of facing her parents; Mercedes didn't even know what she was going to say. Was I expected to make a speech myself? The entire situation was my worst nightmare, but it wasn't the time to bitch out.
But when there wasn't an answer at the door, my heart started on a sprint as if it was in a race. Although I joked about Mercedes' mom tracking her car to find us in Wentworth, part of me believed she was actually capable of this action.
As Mercedes dug through her purse, I took the chance to stare her over. Fashion wasn't even close to being an expertise of mine, but damn, she looked good.
She always looked good.
After the tug-a-war battle of emotions we both shared this weekend, it was moments like these that I had come to appreciate. I had to refrain from reaching out and touching her, just to confirm that she was real—that this moment was real. Despite the very confusing circumstances, Mercedes was a part of my life again. The six, almost seven years apart was enough torture, and I wasn't going to put myself through that again.
When she finally retrieved her phone, the look of annoyance on her face sent a swarm of butterflies towards the pit of my stomach. Maybe it was wrong to enjoy her slight frustration, but her expression could have possibly been the cutest thing on Earth. She looked up at me, and almost caught me staring. Luckily for me, James was still in my arms. I placed tiny kisses on the top of his head to hide my red cheeks. I knew it wouldn't look suspicious; she was very aware of my unregretful love for my canine best friend.
And for what seemed like the millionth time in the last 24 hours, our emotional rollercoaster took another sharp turn. I was beginning to believe that this dream come true was transitioning to a nightmare from hell.
Adrenaline was pumping through my veins after the few choice words I exchanged with that nurse. Although it was probably inappropriate—I did have a dog in the hospital after all—it wasn't the time or place to be the perfect gentleman. As we rounded the corner in a sprint, the sight of Mrs. Jones made my blood run cold. She was undoubtedly upset with Mercedes, but when she caught gaze of my presence, her eyes widened before the eyebrows on her forehead furrowed. I saw the argument brewing before any words were spoken. Oddly enough, for the first time her judgmental stare didn't faze me.
Harsh, yet hushed words were flung back and forth between Mercedes and her mother. I hoped that it wouldn't escalate to anything more, but that desire was a lost cause. And as much as I wanted to launch myself between the two women—their husband and father was lying sick in a hospital bed in the next room—this was a conversation that was long overdue. Unfortunately, their timing couldn't have been more wrong.
"I'm done with you right now, mother. I'm done! Now please excuse me before I do something that I'll regret. I need to see my father," I heard Mercedes say. She grabbed my hand firmly as we entered the room.
I had to hold my breath to prevent the gasp that was threatening to escape my throat. The scene was all too familiar. I blinked away the images of my late grandfather and bit my lip. Losing my grandfather was incredibly difficult to endure for me, but this was Mercedes' father we were talking about, and it was hard to imagine what she was going through as she watched him lie in a hospital bed.
Mercedes had once disclosed to me that before I came into the picture, her dad was the only man that she could trust. I loved listening to the stories she had about adventures she used to have with her father. He treated her like the princess that she was. When she was four years old, he brought her a purple tricycle and spent days teaching her how to ride that bike. During her middle school years, he would always pack her an extra pudding in her lunch to ensure a good day at school. Once a year, he'd always check Mercedes out of school to have "Daddy & Me" days. He always checked her out on a different day, in a different season. And the events were always a surprise.
The two of them were close—until I ventured into her life. The guilt was overwhelming. I would have sacrificed all of our moments to take away the current situation.
I bit down so hard that I drew blood, but the physical pain was much better than the pain my emotions were dealing me. Emotionally, I was broken.
This time, the tears that were forming in my eyes weren't for me—Because it wasn't about me–those tears were for Mercedes and Mr. Jones. After the weekend she'd had, Mercedes couldn't handle watching her father slip away before her. I prayed that she wouldn't have to watch her dad pass away in this hospital like I had to with my grandfather. It couldn't have been his time. And although I wasn't close with the man, I wouldn't have wished this upon anyone.
Mr. Jones looked up at his beautiful daughter and flashed a small, weary smile. "Baby girl," he managed to say. His voice was rigid, but full of love. Mercedes' grip on my hand tightened; she was holding on to my hand as if it could save his life.
I didn't have many conversations with her dad back then, but looking at him now, he appeared to be much more sincere than I remembered. He was a tall man; even Finn had to look up at him. His skin matched the chocolate tone of Mercedes', but the muscles that once intimidated me had deflated. Grey was appearing in his hair, and wrinkles had even started to form on his forehead.
Part of me wanted to dislike this man. He was the man who had once put me in an unnerving place in my life—the man who didn't think my love was enough; but I couldn't bring myself to distaste him—especially after seeing Mercedes break down in front of him, and watching the soft way he spoke to her. It was as if all of those feelings diffused into the air.
The past was the past and that stupid dinner wasn't relevant anymore. At 18, I couldn't have imagined putting this behind me. But now, I was more frustrated with myself for holding a grudge for so long.
I heard the door creak and glanced up to see Mrs. Jones quietly enter the room. Mercedes didn't tear from her father's gaze, choosing to ignore her mother's appearance. I looked at the woman reluctantly. It was obvious from her body language that she was still unhappy with me being there. But her eyes reflected something else. And it was something that I couldn't put my finger on.
Her eyes fell to a spot on the ground next to me. James had been so still and quiet that I had almost forgotten that he was there with us. He was sitting on the ground attached to the leash that I was holding.
"They ran some tests when he was admitted. The nurse revealed the results a few moments before the two of you arrived," her mother said as she joined us on the other side of the bed. Her tone of voice annoyed me, but I tried my best to not let it show.
Mercedes narrowed her eyes and glared icily at her mother. Clearly she was still heated from the verbal scuffle from before. I squeezed her hand lightly and I felt the tension emitting from her disappear. Feelings were hurt and the relationships between all of us were way past damaged, but nothing was more important than the health of her father.
Mrs. Jones seemed to ignore this look, and continued on. "Mercedes, your father has a genetic heart disease. It's called Familial dilated cardiomyopathy. The nurse had to explain—."
"What did you just say?" Mercedes's bottom lip trembled. The pain that bounced off her crushed me. It took all of the strength in me to not break down. But I had to be there for her; I wouldn't let go of her hand.
"Mercedes, just let me finish," her mother pleaded desperately. I knew that Mrs. Jones was forcing herself to stay calm because I was there, but I was fully aware that she was falling apart. Heck, both of them were falling apart.
"Why did it take this long to diagnose the disease? He could have—how do we know that this is even right? These are the same doctors that couldn't tell us what was wrong all those months ago! It takes him collapsing to finally do something about it?" Her entire body was shaking and the entire room had gone cold. I felt so wrong for being there, but I had to be strong for her.
"It's a common disease, honey," her mother began. I could now see the tears in her eyes. "But since your father never knew his biological parents, we never thought about this possibility. We never thought to try and research his family history or any of their genetic problems," she insisted.
Mercedes looked down at her father. "Oh Daddy, I had almost forgot." Her voice was raspy and uneven as she spoke and more tears filled her warm brown eyes.
When we were in high school, Mercedes did reveal to me that her dad had been adopted at an early age, so this wasn't news to me. We were actually learning about genetic testing in Biology when she told me. Relatives of people who had been diagnosed with deadly diseases often tested for genetic problems. But since her father didn't know his parents at all, there was no acknowledgement of any problem.
The two of them discussed treatment and how to go about it. Aside from this, her father was in good health. He'd be put on a strict medication routine and his physical moments would have to be very limited during his time of recovery. I tried to ignore his cringe at the mention of a pacemaker, but his discomfort was unavoidable. Mercedes had always told me that her dad was extremely involved in being active. Putting him on bed rest was like taking music away from a musician, or taking paint brushes from an artist.
After a few moments of silence, I caught Mrs. Jones staring at me. Once again, I couldn't see any hate in her eyes, but I still couldn't figure out what her stare meant.
"I'm going to be okay. I'm not going anywhere before I walk you down that aisle." Her father's eyes were filled with nothing but love and generosity.
I didn't understand it then—I couldn't have, but now I saw that his main concern was protecting his daughter. If it wasn't me at the time, it would have been another guy. I'd never understand why I was never good enough for Mercedes in the eyes of Mrs. Jones. But the reason why I wasn't good enough for Mr. Jones was perfectly clear.
It's because nobody would ever be good enough for the little girl he still envisioned her to be. He wasn't ready to let Mercedes go when we were dating, and I was the guy that was taking her away. Mr. Jones was just being a typical, over protecting father. And I couldn't blame him.
Because who's to say I wouldn't be the same way with my own children?
"Oh, Daddy, I love you so much." She threw her arms around him once again and squeezed as tight as she could without hurting him.
I didn't know what the future would bring, but I was glad that they had this moment together. The past 6 years that had been filled with secrets, lies, heartbreak, silence, and distance—but none of it mattered anymore. An unintentional heavy sigh of content released from my nostrils. Both Mercedes and her father glanced up at me as color flourished my cheeks. My usual routine of wiping my hands on my thighs and clearing my throat proved that my nerves were on edge.
And although Mercedes' warm smile calmed me, I could feel Mrs. Jones' eyes burning through my skin.
"Let's give your father some space for rest. Besides, Samuel probably needs to get going," her mother blurted out. I felt the discomfort in her tone as she spoke my name.
My jaw clenched tight and I'm certain that my grip around Mercedes' hand was cutting off her blood circulation—her breath hitching indicated the fact. The narrow slant of her eyes and defensive stance indicated that Mercedes was ready for Round 2 with her mom. The air was tense and I could hardly breathe. I didn't like the twinge of guilt that was brewing at the bottom of my stomach. Sure, the Jones family had issues—issues that were bigger than me; but somehow, I still felt responsible for the tension.
I bent down to pick up James and scooped him up in my arms. Mercedes planted a kiss on her father's forehead and said goodbye to him. I was just about to leave when his voice alarmed me.
"Evans, I'd actually like for you to stay for a minute. We should talk." His eyes were focused upon mine and I matched his gaze.
My throat was constricted and I could only nod my head. I turned my head towards Mercedes, who was shocked yet content. Mrs. Jones' face expressed nothing but terror, but she didn't protest aloud. Mercedes reached forward to get James from my arms, but her dad stopped her.
"Keep the puppy. He's cute." He patted his lap. After a look of concern from Mercedes, he exasperated a sigh. "The dog won't kill me. I promise!"
I smiled at this and so did she. James was quite happy with Mr. Jones and even went as far as licking his face. The two left eventually, which left Mr. Jones and I alone. The silence wasn't awkward, but I couldn't figure out what he wanted from me. I pulled the chair up next to the side of his bed and sat in it. If he wasn't going to start, I'd have to take it upon myself to do so.
"Mr. Jones, is there a reason that you wanted me to stay?" He stopped petting my small puppy and sighed again. Instead of immediately talking to me, he picked up the television remote and turned on the small television that was attached from the ceiling and hung over his bed.
"We'll get to that, but first, how about a little Sunday football? I need something to keep me from going insane." He smiled warmly. For the first time, I was seeing his personality. We had never had a relationship on this level. Our relationship was always that of a cat and mouse—I was always the prey, and he was the predator.
"So, what's your team?" I asked boldly. He went on to tell me that he was a proud supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals. He nodded in approval of my team dedication to the Tennessee Titans. We watched the entire second quarter of the Bengals-Browns game.
"Everyone I know is a Cleveland Browns fan, but I could care less about them," Mr. Jones huffed in aggravation. His eyes never left the screen unless he was taking a break to explain the team's statistics to me.
"Can you believe this, Evans? It's Week 3 and we're already 1-1! It was disappointing enough to lose the Bills in Week 1." I could tell that the game of football was extremely important to him. Mr. Jones reminded me so much of my father—protective, loving, and old-fashioned.
He was yelling at the screen after their quarterback threw an interception. I was afraid that he would get too riled up, but I wasn't going to stop him. He was having fun and so was I.
The clock was winding down and the Bengals were able to stop them, forcing a 4th down punt with 1:23 left to go before halftime. The Bengals had the ball back and brought it down the field. They were on the Browns 20, 1st and goal. After the snap, Andre Jones faked left and threw the ball into the end zone resulting in 6 points for the Bengals. The extra point was good and Mercedes' dad applauded happily. He muted the television and laid his head back a little.
"Now, as long as they do something in the 2nd half, I'll be content." He smiled at me and I returned it politely.
Then out of nowhere, Mr. Jones started to laugh. His laugh was infectious, just like his daughter's. I was bewildered and way past confused, but I couldn't stop from smiling. "The first time Mercedes told us she had a boyfriend, I couldn't sleep at all that night," he laughed even more. James thought his laughter was a sign that he wanted to play so he started chewing on his blanket playfully. This caused Mr. Jones to continue his laughter.
"And then when I met you, panic started to set in." Mr. Jones must have seen the look of confusion on my face, so he further explained.
"As a father, seeing your children grow up is a beautiful thing, but it's also terrifying. And the way you looked at her—let's just say I wasn't ready for anyone to be looking at my daughter the way that you did." His words gave me chills.
"I loved her, Mr. Jones—"
"Michael. Call me Michael," he said.
"Michael, sir, I loved Mercedes. I still do. I apologize for scaring you or anything. I never had any intentions to keep her away." My words were true. If anything, I wanted to be a part of her family—not tear her away from them.
"I should be the one apologizing to you, Sam."
I would never have guessed that the conversation would have taken this turn. Honestly, I thought he would have grilled me for being there or finally beat me down for breaking up with Mercedes years ago.
"We blindsided you, my wife and I. That conversation should have involved both you and Mercedes. And at the time, I thought it was a good decision. I was only thinking of Mercedes. But it didn't make me feel any less guilty and it didn't make me feel any more of a man."
His confession had the room spinning. He hadn't forgotten after all of these years. He even felt guilty, which then resulted in my guilt.
I wasn't sure what to say. Up until two seconds ago, this wasn't even a possibility in my mind. My mouth was open slightly and kept opening and closing until I formed coherent thoughts.
"Sir, you don't have to feel guilty or anything less of a man. That happened years ago. And even though it did shake me up, that doesn't excuse the fact that I broke up with Mercedes. In fact, I'm confused as to why you didn't come after me with a shot gun." Michael chuckled under his breath. The smile on his face proved that this idea had once crossed his mind.
"That wasn't necessary, son," he began looking at me seriously. "What matters is the principle. As adults, we could have handled that situation quite differently. I can't go back and change things, but we can move forward from this. I can only hope that you look past my mistake in judgment?"
His hand was extended out in front of me. As I shook it, I pulled in for a hug. Mr. Jones patted me on the back. Before we pulled away, he whispered in a low voice, "You're a good man. Thanks for being with her today. Take care of her." His face was serious and he blinked back tears.
Mercedes' dad was like any good father that I knew—he loved his child. This entire situation made me appreciate my family even more. I made a mental note to visit them as soon as I could. Wentworth could wait; it was about time that I spent some time with my family.
With a brief nod, I glanced back up at the television and noticed that the game had returned. I unmuted the program for him and we continued to watch the game until the end. It was a close game, but the Bengals came out with a victory. I turned to high-five Mr. Jones to see that he was sleeping peacefully. Before leaving, I looked him over and contemplated everything that just happened. He had not only apologized, but asked me to take care of Mercedes and I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Greg should have been the one taking care of her. He should have been here in the hospital room holding her hand. But instead, it was me. It was me that he asked to look after her. And now I was more confused than ever.
After closing the door, I only took a few steps before sliding down the wall. James hopped into my lap and licked my face in support. My phone buzzed, which extracted me from my thoughts. Mike's name flashed across the screen and a sense of relief washed over me.
"Mike, I'm really glad you called," I said hoping he didn't notice the tremble in my voice.
"No problem at all, man. So I'm guessing you heard?" Mike asked sadly. He had been completely oblivious to the past 24 hours of my life, but there wasn't time to catch him up on the details.
"Very long story short, but I'm actually here at the hospital with her and the family." I was already prepared for his reaction, so I hurried along with the conversation.
"Just—I'd have to tell you in person. He should be fine though. He'll be going on a medication routine and staying well rested," I said ignoring his sea of questions.
I felt his sigh of content and smiled to myself. Mike might have changed over the years, but one thing that remained constant was his concern and worry for others.
"Even though I'm still confused as to why you're there, and I better get the full explanation, it's good that you are. I'm actually on my way back now." I could hear a grin breaking from him and it cheered me up immediately.
Mike proceeded to tell me about how he was already headed back to Ohio for a dance workshop he was teaching, but postponed the trip when he heard about Mercedes' father. When he told me Tina had been the one to call him this morning with the news, I heard a little smile in his voice.
I didn't know much about his and Tina's relationship anymore—which was weird considering the extent of the discussions we had in high school.
No way would we ever admit it, but Mike and I would talk to each other about Mercedes and Tina on countless occasions. Of course we didn't have hour long vent sessions, but we were there for the other when it was needed.
"I'm mentally exhausted; I don't even know what words are."
Mike and I had just crossed through the doorway of his house. After a very long and early morning of taking the SATs, we were drained. The fluffiness of a pillow and a warm blanket sounded so appealing.
It was a Saturday morning. Stacey and Stevie were at a friend's house and my parents were both at their day jobs. I had requested that day off from work due to the SATs. I essentially had no responsibilities until that afternoon and I wanted to utilize that free time to fall into a deep sleep.
After collapsing on to the couch in Mike's living room, my eyes were heavy.
"Did you want a pillow?" I opened my eyes to see Mike standing before me with pillows and blankets in his hand. I praised him silently as I took a pillow from his hands.
He fell back onto his love seat and sighed. And as much as I wanted to take advantage of this nap, Mike's face expressed a deeper concern than standardized testing.
I'd curse myself later, but the nap would have to wait.
"So what is it now?" I sat up facing my best friend. He laughed softly and shook his head at me.
"How do you always know?" His smile was sincere but his eyes were gloom. He shifted his body towards mine and began to speak. I was pleased that he didn't fight it this time. Mike had always been so quick to play the therapist role, but had trouble expressing his own feelings.
"I feel so ridiculous," he began. He was staring in my direction, but I already knew he wasn't looking directly at me. The photo of him and Tina on the end table next to the couch captured his attention.
"I should be freaking out about colleges and SAT scores—where I'll be in 9 months—but I can't stop thinking about me and her." He leaned his arms back and gripped the back of his head.
"I want to be with her next year, but the chances of that happening…" his voice trailed off as he buried his face in his hands.
Mike felt ridiculous and I felt crazy; we were in the same predicament once again. The next months were almost predictable. We'd start our second semester of classes, prepare for graduation, go to our last prom together, and become McKinley High Alumni. But after that, it was a mystery. What would happen to all of us? What would happen to Mike and Tina—to me and Mercedes?
As much as I wanted to give him a generic "take it one day at a time" piece of advice, I couldn't.
Adults, the media; everyone assumed that high school relationships wouldn't last. And the truth is that most of them wouldn't. But when you find someone special, you fight for them, right? Society doesn't matter when you're with the love of your life.
At our age, guys should have been freaking out at the thought of spending the rest of your life with someone. Yes, I was going insane myself, but my situation was different. Both of us were different.
Life without Tina would be the same as life without Mercedes for me. Unfortunately, the four of us would be pulled in different directions next fall and we were clueless as to where it could take us.
"I can't tell you what you what to hear because it's going to suck," I admitted. "But if anything happens, let's just make this last year awesome. Make her smile more than usual and do spontaneous things or whatever. Just make it count. And not just with Tina, but with all of us."
Mike leaned forward and bumped my fist with a grin on his face.
"I guess not all blondes are stupid," he said cracking up at his own joke.
"Yea, well, I'm not completely natural. But don't let that one slip." I laid back down and my head hit the pillow.
"Oh and thanks, Sam."
There was no need to hug it out; the deed had been done. I could always count on Mike, and I hoped he could trust me the same.
As I laid there, I day dreamed about a possible future with Mercedes. Before drifting off to sleep, I reminded myself to make it count and to not let anything get in the way of our final year together.
"You still there?"
Time really does fly by when you were having fun. Or better yet, in love. And as much as we tried to make every moment of senior year count, time still rushed by us.
"Yea, I'm still here. Listen, when you get here, I need a favor from you."
"Anything man. I'm merging on to the Lima exit right now. I'll see you."
After my conversation with Mike, I didn't know where to go from there. I then realized that Mercedes and her mom had been gone for a while. It had almost been an hour since they'd left the room and they'd yet to return.
James seemed restless, so I decided to take him outside to walk around. I pushed through the double doors towards the exit.
As I passed the waiting room near the elevator, I found myself unable to move. His broad shoulders and intimidating stature were hard to miss. His back was facing me, but I was sure that it was him. Grasped around his neck was a pair of hands that I was accustomed to holding at one point in time. His arms were around her waist and I could only see the top of her head that was rested on his shoulder.
Mercedes and Greg stood there embracing each other in the middle of the waiting room.
There wasn't time to figure out what was going on, I just didn't want to be seen. Seeing the two of them together did horrible things for my stomach. The elevator light flashed indicating that it had made it to my floor. Just before the doors opened, James started barking frantically. We gained the attention of everyone on the floor, including Greg and Mercedes.
She rushed towards me and Greg followed in suit.
"Hey, I was just about to come back to the room—wait, were you going somewhere?" Her cheeks were stained with tears. She had been crying again, but she was trying to hide it.
Greg and I were grilling each other with our eyes and I hadn't heard her second question.
It hadn't even been two days and he was already crawling back to her. I wasn't even close to calling Mercedes mine again, but it pissed me off that he thought he could get her back so easily. But then again, I had tried the same thing a month ago. And I had been gone for six years. I was a hypocrite for being upset, but I couldn't shake this feeling.
"Sam! I asked how my dad was doing when you left the room!" Mercedes exclaimed, jolting me out of my haze.
"He was good. He had started to nap when I left."
"I think I'll go sit with him, if that's okay?" Greg was staring into Mercedes' eyes and it made me want to vomit.
As I bowed my head, my eyelids shut tight. I was secretly hoping that he wouldn't be there when I opened my eyes, but my wish wasn't granted. I opened them to another embrace between the two. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and placed a kiss on her cheek. He nodded to me after Mercedes told him what room it was, and he was on his way. The air was much lighter after his departure, but I still couldn't get rid of the sick feeling in my stomach.
"So you were going to leave?" The intensity in her eyes was enough to make me flinch. Her question startled me.
"I was just going to take James outside, that's all—."
"Were you going to come back?"
The answer to this question was up in the air. Was I going to come back? Greg was obviously back and he didn't look like he wanted to let Mercedes out of his arms again.
"Well that depends on if you want me to stay." I returned softly, my eyes locking with hers.
Her eyes widened before she raised her hand to massage her temple. I was certain that Mercedes was a deeply annoyed and her face reflected it without a doubt.
"You're really testing my patience, Sam," she said in a tired voice.
"Well, it's clear that you don't need me here anymore. Greg can handle it from here." I tried pushing past her but her grip was strong.
"Don't you dare start up with that again—Sam, I don't get you!" I finally made my way past her and started walking away. Mercedes ran forward and pushed the elevator button so that it would go the opposite way. She crossed her arms on her chest and shook her head in disappointment.
"I don't get you, Mercedes," I mumbled shocking the both of us.
A bold tear strolled down her cheek and she didn't even try to wipe it away. I stepped closer to her hesitantly—almost closing the gap between us. She avoided my eyes but I insisted by tilting her chin up towards my face.
"I want to stay here, so much. I want to hold your hand and be there for you when you're crying." My voice broke and I couldn't stop myself from crying either. The both of us had tears falling from our eyes.
"And why can't you do all of those things?" Her eyes searched mine and an extreme feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed me. It brought me back to that night on her porch once again.
"Because you have Greg now; that's how it's supposed to be, remember?" At first I had brushed my thumb across her cheek to wipe away the tears. Now, I was just caressing her and relishing in the way her skin felt against my hand.
At the mention of his name she tensed. She pulled back from me and for a second I thought she would storm away. Instead, she held out her left hand in front of me.
For the first time that day, I noticed that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring anymore.
I swallowed a huge lump that was forming in my throat and held her hand. I couldn't take my eyes off of her hand—this moment was too surreal.
"But when?"
"I gave him back the ring just before you got here," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Instantly, I felt like an idiot. When I saw the two of them together, I assumed that they were back together. My heartbeat increased when I realized that Greg wasn't an important factor anymore. Of course, he'd still be around due to her father's illness, but only as a family friend. As far as I knew, their relationship was over.
Crap.
What did this mean for the two of us? Not two days ago did she admit that I was part of the reason why Greg left. She had practically confessed that she still felt something. But what were the rules of this situation? I was sure that it wasn't okay to advance on a girl who had just broken up with her fiancé just minutes ago. And it definitely wasn't okay to try and pursue a relationship when the same girl's father was in the hospital.
"You've got to stop zoning out, Sammy."
When I looked back at Mercedes, she had a small smile stretched upon her face. My body tingled as I lingered on to the sound of my nickname escaping her lips. Before I could stop myself, I had her enveloped in my arms. I held on to this moment for as long as possible. I couldn't let her go this time. And I wouldn't let myself walk away; no matter what.
"I'm not going anywhere, you can count on that," I said sternly. I was sure of it.
"Good," she said poking my chest, "Because I really need you right now. Granted, we have so much to work on, but I need you as my friend."
Friend.
The word didn't discourage me as much as I imagined it would. She needed me and I most definitely needed her. Scary times were ahead, but that's what friends were for.
"I also might have a tiny obsession with James, so I'm not allowing you to take him away from me," she grinned at me. The little guy was snuggled up against her feet. Something told me that James wouldn't have let me leave either.
"It must be something in the Jones blood. He fell in love with your dad too," I said laughing. James had convinced Mercedes to pick him and he was now attacking her with puppy kisses.
Her expression softened at the mention of her father. "How was the talk? I see you made it out alive."
I contemplated going into detail about the conversation that her father and I had, but decided against it. I was still taken aback that Mr. Jones had asked me to take care of her. Maybe he saw something that took me forever to see.
"Refreshing, shocking, amazing—a ton of great feelings wrapped into one. It sucks that it's taken this long, but I hope that I can build a friendship with him."
Her eyes glistened, but this time it looked like tears of joy. The smile on Mercedes' face was genuine. The girl that I knew was still in there and she was even more beautiful than before.
My mind wandered and somehow my thoughts landed on her mother. I hadn't seen Mrs. Jones since she left the room and she was nowhere to be found.
"Where's your mom? She's been gone for a while now," I pondered. I was in no rush to see the woman, but her absence was unusual. I could only imagine her excitement regarding Greg's appearance. It wouldn't have surprised me if she was trying to persuade the two to resume the wedding.
"Taking a walk somewhere, I'm sure. I told her she needed some fresh air," she paused before looking away.
"We had a talk of our own, actually." When she didn't roll her eyes or show signs of frustration, I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Mercedes' eyes met mine again and I felt better.
"Things between my mom and I have sucked for as long as I can remember…but…after our talk to today? I feel like things are going to be alright. And I know that look, you don't have to worry." I blushed heavily.
I couldn't help that I was worried. I didn't want Mercedes to get close with her again to get let down. But Mrs. Jones was her mother, and even though I didn't care much for her, their relationship was in need of mending.
"God has a plan for me—for all of us. We're going to make it." I beamed at her words at permanently etched her entire frame into my memory. This intelligent, beautiful woman was back in my life again. I'd never take that for granted.
"We're going to make it, together. Just know that I'm here for you, okay?" She nodded as I took her hand in mine and started to walk away from the elevators.
It was far from the end; it was actually the beginning. People come and go during your life, but those who are meant to be there will stay.
Every rose had its thorn. And even if you did get pricked, scars would eventually heal. Wherever we would go, I'd be holding her hand through the good and the bad.
"Do you think the gift store would have Cincinnati Bengals merchandise? I asked abruptly.
"Oh I'm sure, but why? I thought you were a Tennessee fan?" She smirked at me. I remembered all of those Sundays I would beg her to watch games with me. She was a Bengals fan, just like her dad, but she still watched my team with me.
"Yea, but, I figured since they won today, I'd get something for your dad?"
Mercedes stopped walking and wrapped me in a hug that almost knocked the wind out of me.
"I'm so scared, Sammy. I'm so scared," she whispered in my ear. I used my free hand to rub her back soothingly. She shivered as she let more tears go.
"I know, but you have a great support system and your dad's a fighter. He doesn't plan on leaving his family anytime soon."
"I'm so glad we found a way back to each other this weekend. Even though it was a pretty intense weekend, I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks so much," her tone was soft and endearing and it only did great things for my heart.
I planted a gentle kiss on her temple. My lips were on fire due to the contact. Her soft skin was so inviting and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her all day long. But the circumstances weren't right, and in time, our friendship would rebuild itself.
As of now, all I needed was her.
"No worries; I'll look after you."
Thank you so much for reading! It's been a while since I've updated and I just want to say how grateful I am for the patience. I started sophomore year in college a month ago and it's been rough. I've found it very difficult to get back into the groove of things, but I'm definitely working on it.
I have to thank my good friend Ray for editing this! She gave me excellent feedback and helped me a lot. Thank you, doll!
Reviews are wonderful! I can't wait to read them.
Finally, there isn't a way to avoid sounding pretentious and annoying when I say this, but I am on Tumblr! I love hearing from you all. Folllow me if you would like [cdjayy[dot]tumblr[dot]com]