Author's Note: Hello everybody! :) Here's your weekly fix of Hope. Enjoy!
Forgotten Hope Chapter 26- Invitations
APOV
Gregory offered to drive me to meet Chloe at Jazz's apartment. I figured that would be the quickest way, so I agreed, and we were off.
As we drove, I fiddled with the radio stations until I was satisfied with a song and then sat back, closing my eyes.
I half hoped that Jasper wouldn't be around when I got there. I thought that I would be able to think this through better today if I didn't see him or Spencer yet. I decided to talk to Chloe, consider my discussion with Gregory, and then make a final decision on if I should date both of them or choose one....
That was my plan and I hoped to stick to it.
"So... can I meet that friend of yours?" Gregory questioned as he pulled into a parking spot in the guest lot outside of Jazz's apartment. I looked up and shrugged.
"Sure," I said nonchalantly. I knew Chloe wouldn't tell Nick or Jasper about him if I asked her not to, and if we were going to be better friends then I wanted her to know about him. It would make things easier, especially when I explained the decision I needed help making. This way, I could run Gregory's advice by her.
Gregory and I jumped out of the car and I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow as we walked toward the front of the building. As we got closer, I noticed someone sitting on a bench outside and then grinned.
I let go of Gregory's arm and skipped ahead. "Hey Chloe!" I called ahead cheerfully as I realized it was her. Her head popped up in surprise. She took a second to register who I was, but then smiled gently and stood up.
"Hi," she greeted me, once I was close, with a small wave of her hand.
I rolled my eyes and reached to give her a big hug. She laughed quietly at my action and hugged me back.
"How are you?" Chloe asked politely, but I could see the genuine concern in her brown eyes that told me this wasn't just a greeting. She truly wanted to know if I was okay.
I smiled happily at her. "Pretty good," I answered before feeling a hand lightly touch my back. I jumped, taking in a quick breath, surprised.
My eyes flashed up and I saw Gregory smirking down at me. I elbowed him lightly in the stomach for creeping up on me, then turned to Chloe.
Her eyes were narrowed slightly, obviously in confusion. She looked perplexed as she looked over us. Gregory was standing close, his hand still on my back as he smirked. I guess this could have looked a bit wrong... especially under the circumstances right now. Man... I was probably going to seem like a whore soon.
I sighed and shook my head, explaining myself. "Chloe, this is my friend, Gregory. Gregory, this is my friend, Chloe," I introduced them, straightening things out as I did. I definitely did not have another love interest... nor would I ever. Being interested in two guys was already too complicated for me.
Chloe mustered up a smile, seeming to still be in deep thought. "Nice to meet you," she said to Gregory in a quiet voice.
Gregory was more enthusiastic and walked forward, reaching out for her hand.
Chloe hesitated, but then gave in, putting her hand in his. Gregory brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "No, the pleasure is truly all mine," he assured her with his mischievous smirk.
I giggled, watching Chloe stare at him. She looked flustered by what he had just done, but I knew it was a Gregory thing. He liked to catch people off guard.
Gregory let her hand go with a smile and took a step back, standing beside me again.
Chloe blinked and then looked at me. "I thought you were taking a cab?" she murmured in confusion, her eyes flickering to Gregory's every few seconds.
What was wrong with her? I wondered. She seemed really flustered. I had never seen her like this before. Maybe Gregory had caught her a lot more off guard than I had expected. She was shy... maybe she didn't like being touched by strangers.
I remembered Spencer had done the same thing to her though and she had been fine with it. But maybe that was because Nick had already greeted Spencer, so she felt more comfortable around him? I wasn't sure.
"Well I was at his apartment, so he offered to drive me," I informed her. She could know where I was.
Her eyes flashed to mine, filling with even more confusion. "Nick said you were at a hotel?" she contemplated quietly, almost to herself, squinting her eyes like she was trying to remember. I noticed from the corner of my eye that Gregory's eyes at brightened with amusement and he smiled.
"Oh, is this the girlfriend of your friend Nick who you were telling me about?" Gregory inquired, glancing down at me.
I grinned at him and bobbed my head. "Yep! This is her."
Gregory's eyes sparkled and looked her up and down curiously. "Very interesting...." he chuckled under his breath. I didn't see what was so interesting, so I turned back to look at Chloe.
"Yeah...." she said awkwardly, shifting her feet. "Nick said he'd be down in a minute. He kicked me out of the apartment before I could finish the dishes because "that's his job" apparently," she laughed softly, looking only at me.
"He does the dishes for you?" Gregory laughed suddenly, making us both jump at his deep, rumbling laugh.
He covered it up quickly, clearing his throat. "Sorry... just reminded me of something. I'd better go though. You two have fun," he told us and reached over to stroke my cheek with his gloved hand.
"You can come over again tonight if you need to," he reminded me, then turned on his heels and walked away quickly.
I looked back to watch his quick stride. "Bye!" I called to him and he turned to flash me a quick smirk.
"Bye. Nice meeting you, Chloe," he said as he slipped into his car.
When I turned around, Chloe was staring at him in confusion, seemingly ignoring his last comment. "I thought—" she started, but then was cut off when she heard the door of the apartment building open. Nick came out, looking a little out of breath.
Chloe's face brightened as he made his way over to us and she laughed, reaching up stroke his cheek.
"Took the stairs?" she asked him with a caring look.
He nodded and took a deep breath.
"Yeah...." He laughed a shaky laugh and shrugged. "I figured I would go out for a run while you're with Ali and that was my warm up."
"Forty four flights of stairs is your warm up?!" I gaped, remembering what floor Jasper was on.
Nick smirked and walked over to me, seeming to realize that I was here too.
"Yep," he chuckled, "Running down is a lot easier than running up," he told me, crushing me into his chest in a hug.
Then he froze for a moment, his muscles turning tense. He quickly let me go and walked away from us, into the guest parking lot. He seemed alert and worried.
"Nick?" Chloe called, her own eyes filling with worry as she hurried forward to walk over to him. I followed her, slightly worried.
Nick turned back to us, blinking away confusion.
"What's wrong?" I asked him as Chloe hugged him tightly.
Nick hugged Chloe tightly against him, seeming to be in a protective stance.
"It was nothing... I just thought I saw someone," he said, then let out a bitter laugh. "I'm just paranoid."
Chloe and I shared a concerned look and then looked back up at him. "I'm fine," he assured us, his voice a bit on edge, a little anger in it. "I just...." He groaned and then shook his head. "Never mind."
I stared at him blankly, not understanding why he had snapped. I knew he had a hot temper sometimes, but there was always a reason, wasn't there? I was pretty sure I was right because Chloe looked just as puzzled as I was.
"You guys should get going," he said quickly, giving us both a reassuring smile.
I raised a curious eyebrow at him. Was he really going to leave us hanging after all that?
He leaned down and kissed Chloe goodbye.
"Have fun," he murmured to her, tucking some hair behind her ear adoringly.
Chloe nodded and I saw her inch up for one more kiss.
"Don't work out too hard," she said teasingly, but there was some seriousness in her voice as well. Maybe she had thought the same as I did... that a thousand staircases was enough of a work out.
Nick let her go and stepped forward to me.
"Be nice to her," he smirked and leaned down to peck my forehead. "Love you, Ali," he said in a low voice, giving me a small smile. He had been worried last night, very worried. I could tell by the look on his face right now.
"I'll try," I chuckled and gave him a hug. "Don't worry so much," I said as I rubbed his back, trying to give him whatever comfort I could.
He let me go and started to walk off. "Hard not to worry when your sister's fucking insane," he muttered and I giggled.
"Nicholas," Chloe scowled at his language, but I could see the playfulness shining in her eyes.
Nick froze and then turned around slowly, a look of pure guilt growing on his face. "Sorry, sweetheart," he mumbled with an apologetic smile.
Chloe laughed softly and waved him off. "It's okay," she assured him.
He grinned and then blew her a kiss and started jogging down the street. I turned to walk away, but noticed Chloe gazing at Nick as he began to jog away.
I giggled and turned to look back at him. "He does have a nice butt," I said playfully, nudging her elbow with mine.
She laughed a carefree laugh and shrugged sheepishly, but the blush growing over her cheeks couldn't hide the fact that she agreed.
"Come on...." I chuckled, grabbing her hand and tugging her forward. "I guess we should call a cab."
Chloe stopped. "Oh! Right. No. Jasper said we could borrow his car for the day after you told me you didn't have a car at your hotel." She paused. "Even though you were never really at a hotel...." she trailed off with a frown.
My eyes widened over the beginning of what she had said. "He left his car? How'd he get to school?" I asked her in disbelief. I felt my heart swelling, knowing he had been so thoughtful.
"He took the bus," she said as she began to dig through her purse. A few seconds later, she pulled out a key and handed it to me.
"Thanks. I'll have to call him later and see when he finishes so we can pick him up." I decided, and then began to walk forward, only pausing for a moment to make sure Chloe was walking with me.
We found Jasper's car in the parking garage and then drove out to the mall, talking about everyday things. Chloe was telling me about what she was studying at the moment when we pulled into the mall parking lot.
We shopped and continued to chat. I decided we should shop before any serious talking because I hadn't been shopping in a while and I needed to get it out of my system first.
I discovered that it was fun to shop with Chloe. She was a good mix of being agreeable and being stubborn. She would smile and get excited sometimes when I put together an outfit for her, and then she'd give me some other ideas on it. Then other times she would shy away and say no politely, giving me a little fun in trying to change her mind. Sometimes she ended up agreeing eventually, or we came to a compromise.
She surprised me a few times by picking out a few gorgeous outfits for me. This girl definitely knew her fashion. I had known that already by seeing what she wore, though. She always looked amazing and her clothes were always perfect on her. She knew what she was doing.
By lunch time, we decided to take a break, very satisfied with the outfits we had picked out so far. I was already bouncing in excitement at a cute dress I had picked out for her.
"You have to wear it for Nick! He'll be drooling over you," I gushed as we walked to a table in a random restaurant we had picked out.
A small blush crept onto her cheeks and she nodded. "Sometime," she said.
I narrowed my eyes, not knowing if that meant 'sometime I will' or if she was just brushing me off on the topic. She would definitely be wearing it for him, no matter what. If I had to, I would make him get her to wear it because I knew if he asked, she would put it on for him.
Chloe was holding back a smile and that told me that she was glad she had the dress. She was probably even trying to hide the fact that she was definitely excited to show it off to Nick.
A waitress came over and asked us what we'd like to drink. We told her, and then sat back in our chairs, relaxing.
After a minute of a calm silence, Chloe cleared her throat. I had a feeling she was trying to get my attention, so I looked up at her curiously. She had a hesitant look in her eyes, but I knew she wanted to ask me something.
I gave her an encouraging smile, trying to show her that I wouldn't mind questions.
After a moment, she seemed to muster up the courage to speak. "Why did you tell Nick you were at a hotel?" she asked me, a look of defeat spreading over her face.
I frowned at my lie. I didn't like to lie to them. I just had to. Neither Spencer, Jasper , nor Nick would have wanted me to stay over at another guy's house. Especially one that they had never met.
"They don't know about Gregory," I explained with a sigh. "If I told them, they would all be upset about it. But I like being with Gregory. He's always there to listen and stuff...." I told her honestly, staring into her brown eyes.
I noticed that they were soft eyes. She was really listening. She wasn't judging or coming to conclusions like Spencer or Jasper would. They probably wouldn't even let me explain before ripping me away from him.
This is why I needed a girl to talk to.
"Don't they listen to you?" Chloe asked gently.
"Yeah... of course they do. I just can't talk to them about some things...." I said, pausing as the waitress put our drinks down in front of us. "I can't get help from them because...honestly... I guess they are the problem."
I knew it sounded cruel. I didn't mean it to, but it was sort of true. Spencer and Jasper were the reason I was in this pickle and I couldn't even ask them for help in it. They just seemed to make me more confused when they tried to help, like when they both said I could pick the other person. It just made me so much more confused because I couldn't picture leaving either of them behind.
Chloe bit her lip before speaking. "You can talk to me about it if you want? I might be able to give you advice... I'm not an expert on relationships or anything…" she laughed an uncharacteristic, bitter sounding laugh, "But I can try to help you out."
I grinned at her offer. I had been hoping she would ask. I hadn't wanted to start talking about it unless she was okay with it. Some people didn't like to hear other people's problems... It's a downer. No one really wants a friend who's going to bring them down.
"Are you sure...? You might regret offering later…." I said slowly, searching her eyes. She smiled gently and shook her head, refusing what I had just said.
"I'm glad I can help," she assured me earnestly, with a nod.
She had no idea what she was getting into.
I took a deep breath and told her everything. About losing my memory twice…how conflicted I was, trying to decide between my old love with Spence and my new with Jazz without hurting them… how great the two of them were being…. I told her about sleeping with Spencer on Friday and then kissing Jasper two days later… and how amazing both instances were….
At that point in the story, my eyes flickered to Chloe's, making sure she wasn't regretting anything yet or wanting me to stop. She was staring intently at me with a look of compassion on her face. Well, I guess if she wasn't minding it so far I could go on.
I told her about how I couldn't face Spencer after kissing Jasper. Not until I knew what to do. And how concerned I was about how Spence was handling everything… how I didn't know how to help him and myself, too… how I felt like no matter what I did, I just made things worse….
Chloe nodded empathetically, taking it all in before asking, "What advice did Gregory give you?"
I hummed quietly in thought, trying to think of a way to put it that wouldn't make me seem like a horrible person. How do you tell someone you are thinking of dating two people at once without looking bad?
"Gregory suggested that I date them both... that way I would know which one I really wanted as a love interest. Just for a little while, you know, so I can know for sure which one..." I trailed off at her shocked expression. Her eyes flashed with something. Something strong. But I wasn't sure how to interpret the look, so I ducked my head with a sigh, ashamed to be considering it.
"But...wouldn't they realize that you were ...dating them both?" Chloe asked in a hesitant voice, like she was uncertain if she should ask or not. I thought it sounded like she was uncomfortable asking that question. Her voice was a bit shaky.
I told her how Gregory had claimed that they probably wouldn't care, as long as they had me for the time.
Chloe seemed in deep thought for a moment before sighing.
"It still doesn't seem right though…." she whispered, nervously folding her napkin in front of her. I nodded in agreement and she relaxed a bit.
Maybe she didn't want to upset me.
"I know... that's why I'm not sure. But I don't see another way. I know...well I think....that I love them both..." I whispered, the words seeming odd as they came out. I had never admitted to loving someone else, not even to myself before.
"But how am I supposed to pick? Half of me wants Spencer and the other half wants Jasper," I explained sadly to her. It was such an impossible subject. I felt like it was the only thing that had kept coming into my mind lately.
Maybe I should just flip a coin and get it over with, I thought in frustration.
Chloe was about to say something when the waitress arrived to ask for our orders. We quickly ordered, and then after she left, Chloe spoke.
"I'm not sure dating them both will help anything... it may actually make it worse. Won't you just become more attached to both of them?" Chloe wondered, seeming to become more comfortable with talking personally with me.
I looked down at my drink and sighed. She could be right. If I spent more time with Jasper as a love interest, I would just fall for him more wouldn't I? I guess there was a chance that I might like him more as a friend, but I doubted it. It seemed like every time I was with him, it was just leading me up to the love interest side... it was probably always a love interest.
"Maybe…." I murmured with a defeated voice. "But what else can I do about it?" I asked her in desperation. This was what I needed. An outside opinion. Someone who could be objective. Hopefully someone without a chip on their shoulder about love, like Gregory seemed to have. But I could see by the way she looked at Nick that she already knew what love was. She didn't seem to have a problem with love.
"Have you thought of things like... who you could see in your future?" she asked me in a quiet voice, looking at me with sympathy. This was like the total opposite of talking to Gregory....
I was reluctant to answer her question because honestly, I could see my future with both of them.
Chloe laughed and I knew that she could tell by my expression what my answer was.
"Guess that didn't help much..." she mumbled.
"Can you picture your future with Nick?" I asked suddenly, without even thinking about it.
Her head popped up. She seemed a little stunned by the question, but I was curious…. With so much drama in my life, I hadn't paid very close attention to Nick and Chloe together. I wondered how serious they really were. They had looked pretty close any time that I had seen them together.
A small smile grew on Chloe's face as a far off look appeared in her eyes. I watched her zone out, probably picturing their future, as a slow grin lit up her face. She definitely saw it.
Suddenly her eyes snapped back into focus and she shook her head quickly.
"I wish things could be that simple," she whispered, more to herself than to me.
Maybe their relationship wasn't as smooth as I thought it might have been? I reached across the table and squeezed her hand, not wanting to pry.
"We'll help each other get the futures we want," I said to her with a wide grin, trying to reassure her.
Her eyes looked distant and wary, but she squeezed my hand back and nodded in agreement. "We will."
We shared a smile. As our food arrived, Chloe added, "We just need to figure out who your future will be with."
That day was two months ago. I've officially been eighteen for two months….
I had had a great conversation with Chloe about picking one of them, but there was no other way I could figure out how to choose. Even with the tips Chloe had given me, I still loved them both… and I decided to explore that love by dating both of them, like Gregory had suggested.
Chloe had been right, though. I had just come to love them both even more after the last two months.
I had gone out with Jasper as more of a love interest.... we had shared more kisses, but not too many. Even though we were more involved, it still made me feel a little guilty later, after the kisses. During the kiss, the only thing I could think about was how amazing it felt. I got pulled into that kiss and brought into a different world. A world that was filled with Jasper and only Jasper. It was weird and I loved it.
But then when I was with Spencer it was a whole other world. A world that was so familiar, safe and comfortable. It was Spencer. I always loved him more every day, ever since I was a little kid.
So I had not made much progress in the 'determining feelings' area….
I had been afraid in the beginning that the two of them would be a little upset that I was spending more time with one and then with the other, but the two of them didn't even seem to realize it. Maybe Gregory was right... they didn't mind as long as I was still with them.
It might not been that at all, though. They were both so busy now. Jasper was busy because after classes, he was playing, practicing, or training for football. He had come on a football scholarship and football season was starting. So he would wake up earlier and go for a run with Nick, then head for training, then have class, and then either practice or a game before he came home pretty much dead. Most of the time, he was just trying to keep his eyes open. He didn't pay too much attention to my activities with Spencer.
Spencer was the same with his schedule. He was having his first fashion show. He had been working on a line of clothing and it was being released in a few months, but his fashion show was coming up quickly. He was working all nighters sometimes. I had missed him so much that I had gone to the office and slept on the couch there with him one night because he was there so often. I had a bad feeling that it was because he was hurting, though. Especially after Olivia was surprised that he was there one night, telling him that he could have just taken the sketches home with him. If he could take the sketches home, and didn't, did that mean he was too hurt to spend a night with me sometimes?
I was being selfish and cheating on him.... He technically didn't know I was going out with Jasper....
Gregory still supported both of my relationships though. He said it would just take time and that eventually I would just know who I would want to spend the rest of my life with.
Chloe was a bit more skeptical on the matter. She still didn't like the idea of me being with them both, but she rarely, if ever, mentioned it. I could see it in her eyes though. Her eyes always looked sad, sometimes guilty... I wondered if she blamed herself for not stopping me or something. I wasn't sure.
She was a quiet person who seemed a little scared to share her thoughts sometimes, I thought. She was hesitant when speaking, but she had mentioned that she thought there was something 'fishy' about Gregory. I had laughed it off, though. Gregory being fishy seemed ridiculous. He may have had a few bad habits, but what twenty-some year old didn't? I knew he could be a bit different at times, but that was just him. We all had our quirks.
Gregory said he would be away next week though, which was probably better for me anyways. I needed to keep all my focus on myself and what was happening. It was Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving meant my family and Spencer's getting all together, even our relatives. That meant both Spencer's mom and mine were going into total insanity-mode, trying to make everything perfect.
With the stress coming from them, Jim seemed to be lashing out his frustrations on Spencer. Spencer looked like a mess every night, getting yelled at by his dad after working all day. Plus, now all the magazines were asking for interviews for Thanksgiving and asking to photograph it, or record it for their articles because the company was becoming so huge.
Life was busy at the company right now. Busy and hectic and stressful.
Another huge thing was happening this year too. I had asked Jasper to join us for dinner. When I made that decision and asked him, I didn't think about all the problems and troubles I would have to through after. Telling the mothers was like asking for my own death. They were both furious, asking me what the hell I was thinking. My whole family would be here and I would be hanging around with another guy. Some of the relatives were almost as bad as our mothers about my relationship with Spencer. It would be an interesting night, spending it with both Spence and Jazz. At the same time.
Jim and my dad were fine with it. My dad did warn me to be careful though because he was concerned about my having to choose eventually. He warned me about toying with their hearts because I couldn't have them both. I knew what he meant... I was trying though. I really was.
Spencer was probably the biggest problem with my decision to invite Jasper, though. He didn't say anything about it. Not one word, actually. That was what was so bad. I told him and he just looked at me and nodded, then changed the subject. He didn't even want to hear more about it. Anytime I asked if he was okay with it, he just nodded and again changed the subject. I knew holidays were important to Spencer….
But I still didn't take back my invitation because I knew Jasper would be alone for Thanksgiving if I did. I didn't want him to be alone, he belonged with a family and I knew he didn't really have one. The Cullens in Forks had called to ask if he wanted to visit for the week, but he had declined and I knew it was because he wanted to spend time with me. I wasn't going to let him down....
I would make it all I work. We could all have a great dinner tomorrow, Thursday, and then continue to enjoy weekend together. Or so I hoped....
JPOV
Oh the Gods are on my side... I thought wistfully. It had been two months since that perfect night. I had been right; bringing her back to that special place helped us. She had kissed me. She had kissed me!
It had been just as perfect as I remembered... if not more. I had practically skipped my way into the apartment. Nick knew what had happened right when he saw me, since I was grinning like a fool. I couldn't help it. I was slowly getting her back, and I knew it.
Every time I saw her it seemed like she was more and more like the Alice I knew in Forks... the Alice that I loved and adored so much. I had even gotten a few more kisses during our times together.
The only problem had been my schedule lately. I felt bad because there were days I would never see her. Sometimes I went a few days without even getting more than a text to and from her. Football season was much more demanding in college than in high school. They had me wake up at five in the morning and take a long run, which was good in a way, because I could do that with Nick. Nick and I were used to working out together, so I felt it was good for us. Especially since it was helping me rebuild my relationship with him after I had left a few months ago….
Training was long and torturous. I could take it a lot better than a lot of the guys because I was used to working in pain, but I had softened up since summer. I wasn't as used to it anymore. Weird… I never thought I'd see the day when I would actually feel physical pain. In a way, it was refreshing, though. To feel this pain meant I was working hard for something good.
Then I went to school, tried to keep my eyes open in class, and then went to football practice.
It was all tough on my relationship with Alice. I didn't want her to think that I was too tired to spend time with her, but somehow she knew what was going on and understood. We usually just sat and watched movies, sometimes with Nick and Chloe. And half the time I would fall asleep halfway through. It wasn't so bad, though. It meant I would wake up with Alice in my arms. That was worth everything. I didn't even mind the hard work from the day when I could feel her warmth around me.
I had this week off of everything, though, for Thanksgiving. I would have the whole week to spend with Alice as I pleased… however she wanted. She had even invited me to her family dinner... which I had to think about at first. I knew Spencer would be there and that would be tough. I hadn't really seen him at all in the last two months. Alice said he was really busy at work because of some fashion show, so he wasn't around when I picked her up. But once I was at Thanksgiving dinner, we would be in the same room for a while. Plus Mrs. Wright and Charlotte would be there, which would probably mean trouble. Then I would have to meet the rest of her family... even better.
Of course I wanted to meet her family. I wanted to know everything about her and her family. I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life. She was my world. I was just worried about what they would think of me.
I would be standing beside their dream son-in-law and I would look like a failure. I knew if I said that to my Alice, she would assure me that all that mattered was that we were together and we loved each other. But I was still afraid. I wanted them to want me as a son-in-law as well. I wanted them to accept me, if she chose me in the end. I didn't want to be the kind of guy who turned his girlfriend or wife away from her family because her family had problems with me. I wanted her to have the support of her family. I knew how much a supporting family meant. I had never experienced support from a family until I was with Carlisle and Esme and I loved them for every bit of support they had given me. I knew it was important to have a supporting family.
This was going to be a tough week. But I was going to do my best and Hope that nothing too bad would happen....
NPOV
I opened my drawers, quickly glancing at the clothes I picked up, then tossed them onto a suitcase on my bed. I was packing for a week... so I needed a fair amount of clothing. Seven of everything, maybe? I didn't know... I would be wearing clothes there, though, so maybe six pairs of everything? But maybe I would need extras in case I did something stupid.
I groaned and took more clothes out.
I silently thanked Alice for going shopping for me again. I had enough clothes now, without having to borrow any of Jasper's clothes. Honestly, I preferred not to have to do that. We might be close to the same size, but I was a little bigger and sometimes it was a tight squeeze. His shirts were like muscle shirts on me. I always had to pick the bigger ones... unless I was trying to show off my muscles to Chloe. In that case, I was glad to put on the tight shirts.
Chloe and I had been doing amazingly for the last two months. The relationship was a dream come true... scratch that. She was a dream come true. I didn't know what I would do without her. I would be hopeless, that was for sure. It had surprised the hell out of me when she invited me to go home with her for a week. A whole week in California with the girl of my dreams.... What in the world could be better than that?!
I was nervous though... if we were going to California, that also meant I was meeting her parents. I was never the type of guy that girls brought home to their parents.... I doubted I was now, even, but it was what Chloe wanted and I would go to the moon and back again if that's what she asked. I was whipped and not even ashamed to say so.
I hoped her parents would see that. I wanted them to know that I just wanted the best for Chloe, because in all honesty, I did. I knew I might not be the best pick for their daughter, but I did know that there was something between us that made us perfect for each other. Chloe had been right... we were kindred.
"Nick," Chloe chuckled as she entered the room. I stood up from the dresser and shot her a curious glance. I saw her looking at my suitcase with a cute little smirk, playfulness dancing in her eyes.
"Chloe," I teased, giving her a curious look. But I already knew she was noticing the untidiness of my suitcase. I had just thrown everything in and I was sure her bag had everything folded and probably ironed in it.
"How about I help you?" she offered me with a smile, walking over to my suitcase.
I laughed and walked over to the bed to help fold the clothes... not that I was an expert or anything. I watched Chloe and then mirrored her actions, learning how to do it perfectly.
"You're doing great," Chloe murmured softly to me, knowing I was trying.
"Thanks. I have the best teacher possible," I grinned and leaned down to give her a playful peck on the lips. She caught my lips again as I tried to pull back, and kept me there. Her lips slowly moved with mine, making my heart pound furiously against my chest. Sometimes it felt like it was going to freaking burst through my chest when I was kissing her.
I chuckled against her lips and wrapped my arms around her waist. She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck, toying with the hair on the back of my neck.
I sighed. If I could do this for eternity I definitely would. Chloe surprised me by taking a step forward, causing me to take a step back, which made the back of my legs hit the bed. I held her tighter as I tried to keep balance.
I felt Chloe smile against my lips and she lightly leaned into me and shoved me back again, causing me to lose my balance and fall back. I landed and Chloe came quickly after... too quickly. As my head bounced off the bed, hers came down, crashing into mine midway.
"Ouch," Chloe laughed. I groaned and squinted against the pain to look at her, wondering if she was okay. Her grin was wide, so I knew she must have been fine.
I laughed and leaned upwards to peck her forehead. "Goof," I said in total adoration, gazing into her beautiful brown eyes as they sucked me in like always.
"That didn't exactly go as I planned," she admitted with a blush.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Minus the concussion, I think it was perfect. I have you just where I want you, in my arms... in my bed," I teased with a seductive smirk. Chloe melted into my arms, but then lightly swatted me in the chest.
"I don't think I like what you're implying," she told me in a mock-serious voice. I flipped us over quickly and hovered over her.
"I think you do," I disagreed, leaning down to place a trail of kisses up her neck before I nibbled playfully on her earlobe. Chloe sighed and turned her head to look at me. The intensity in her gaze made me freeze. It wasn't bad at all. That wasn't the reason why I was stopping. It was just... so strong. I took a deep breath to keep myself from doing anything stupid. I had to move slowly with her. This was too important to screw up, I reminded myself.
I reached down and kissed her soft cheek. "Thanks for inviting me to come home with you, Chlo," I murmured, nuzzling my face into her neck.
Suddenly, I felt Chloe's whole body freeze under mine. She wasn't even breathing. I pulled up quickly, confused and kind of alarmed. She looked at me with blank, wide eyes, no emotion in them at all anymore.
I searched my mind for what I had done. I looked between us. I wasn't touching her... I couldnt' have hurt her.... I didn't understand. I had just thanked her. Usually this would be when she smiled at me or kissed me... or something.
"Sweetheart?" I whispered, trying to get into her guarded eyes. I reached up to touch her cheek and she flinched away as if it hurt. I froze this time, both literally and inside.
"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, very puzzled, not knowing what was going on. Chloe finally blinked. Her eyes focused onto my face and she let out the breath she had been holding. "Oh...." she whispered, sounding worn. "I-I'm sorry. I zoned out for a moment...." she apologized, reaching up to kiss me in apology. I kissed her back gently, but I was still confused. She had never looked at me like that before. She almost looked afraid of me.
That was my greatest fear.
Her kiss told me she wasn't afraid, but what her eyes had shown a minute ago was totally different. She had totally blocked me out. I knew that was what people did to protect themselves. I did it all the time. But why would she do that to me...? Why would she shut me out like that out of nowhere?
I backed off a little, not wanting to push anything, and we finished packing. Our flight was early, and we would arrive in California Thursday afternoon... right in time for an early Thanksgiving dinner with her family.
Author's Note: Well well well... sounds like it's going to be a nice peaceful thanksgiving for them all :P. Or not. We shall see. So what do you guys think about this chapter? What do you think about Alice's decision to date both guys? Is she digging herself her own grave or fixing the problem? And what do you think is up with Chloe? Hm...
So, for the blog this week. Nothing really big. The character profiles have been worked on, not totally finished, but some are pretty far. We do have a picture of Chloe up on her profile though, so all of you who have been waiting, we have it now! You can leave a comment on the blog or whatever and tell us what you think of her! :) p.s. also some pretty sexy pictures of the Hope guys up there.
That's all for now....except KEEP VOTING! If you have not voted, I'll kick your butt :P. Go to my profile and click the link I have up there and it'll bring you to the voting place. Support Hope & Forgotten Hope.
Bye everyone! Hope you have a great day!