On Days Like These - Chapter Two
Notes: First, let me apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. I will try to update more frequently from now on. My aim is to try to get at least one chapter out per week. Other than that, hope you enjoy, and please continue to leave reviews. They mean a lot! ;)
***
The B&B is hot and stuffy as I walk through the doors; sweat dripping off my body, my head pounding. Me, being the adventurous sort that I am, decided to take a long jog around the creek, in order to clear my mind and sort through the dribble that resided there. Now, half an hour later, I had returned, the dull ache in my back making me grimance in pain.
"Water," I pant breathlessly to Bessie, who is absently kneeling by the kitchen counter, leafing through our monthly bills. She looks about as tired as I feel.
"Geez Jo, you look like something the cat dragged in," she told me with a smirk, filling a glass of water for me from the pitcher. I gratefully take it, downing the glass in a few quick gulps. I lazily slump into a nearby chair, a sigh emitting from my mouth as I sink back into it.
"I better change," I say after a moment, finally finding the energy to stand again.
"What's the ocassion?" Bessie asks me, still busy scanning over the documents that lay before her.
I shrug. "Nothing."
"What's wrong with the clothes you're wearing, then?"
Glancing down at myself, I crinkle my nose in distaste. "They're all sweaty."
Bessie raises an eyebrow at me, but doesn't say anything. She knows that something is up, so I might as well spill the beans. Nothing to lose, right?
"Pacey's coming over," I finally say, shifting my weight from one foot to the next. I'm nervous as hell all of a sudden, and I don't quite know why.
"Isn't he supposed to be in L.A with Audrey?"
"He's supposed to be," I say, and my voice got real quiet. "But he's not. He just got back earlier this afternoon."
A knowing smile crosses her lips, but it is quickly replaced by the concerned big sister smile that I have often come to know. "So when's he coming over?" she asks, with an amused chuckle in her voice. I have no clue as to what is so funny.
"In about half an hour," I tell her. "Which is why I need to change."
"So get going, then." She shoos me upstairs with a wave of her hand, but not before asking one final question. "Is Audrey coming over with him?"
I shake my head no. "I don't think she came home with him. She's probably back at her place for a few days. Resting, no doubt. A summer of Pacey will do that to ya."
A grin spreads across her face. "You should know."
What is she getting at? "Yeah, I should...go get changed. See ya."
20 minutes later, a loud rap sounds at the door, and I figure it's probably him. Licking my dry lips, I nervously smooth an invisible wrinkle in my tank-top before heading to the door. I pull it open - and just as I suspected, he's standing there.
"Hey Potter," he says, hurrying past me. "You look nice." His words are almost an afterthought; something he's always said and doesn't give much thought to. It does feel a little different, standing here with him. We've both changed so much - but yet just seeing his face brings me back to lazy Sunday afternoons curled up on the couch, our arms entwined, planning the future that we would never have.
"You don't look too bad yourself," I reply casually, offering him a seat as he follows me into the living room. He plops down onto a nearby armchair, and I, on the couch. After a moment, silence descends upon us, and I don't like it. "So...tell me about your summer in L.A with Audrey."
"It was crazy."
"Your summer or Audrey?" I manage with a chuckle.
"Both."
Giggling, I nod my head. "Sounds about right."
"She sure is hard to keep up with. Seems we went to a different party every night." There is an edge to his voice, and I wonder about that.
"But I thought you were the original party animal, Pace."
The grin slides easily onto his face. "That I am."
"So what was really the problem?"
"My, my, curious tonight, aren't we Josephine," he says teasingly. "Why are you so invested in my relationship with Audrey anyway?"
"Because..." I stammer for a moment, having been caught off guard. Quickly regaining my composure, I force what I hoped was a fairly sincere smile to my face. "Because I care about the both of you. You should know that."
"Is that all?"
"Of course that's all!" I say rather loudly, not bothering to hide the obvious anger that entered my voice. "What else could it possibly be?"
He holds up both hands, as if to signal some kind of truce. "Woah. Sorry I even asked..."
"Is it so wrong that I don't want to see either of my friends hurt?" I continue on, my defenses coming on high alert.
"No, nothing wrong with that at all," he agrees. "It just sounded like there was something more there."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "Like what?"
"Like, oh, I don't know...jealousy perhaps?"
I give him my famous death glare before letting out an amused chuckle. The things that boy comes up with. Me, jealous? "You're getting far too cocky for your own good, Witter."
"That's what you love about me."
I scoff at him, rolling my eyes. "You wish."
"Oh, I wish for a lot more than that," he points out, leering at me in his typical Pacey way. It was almost kind of cute...in a deranged sort of way.
"Oh, please. Spare me your perverted fantasies," I mutter sarcastically, but there is a joking tone to my voice, so he just laughs.
When did this happen? We had been on the verge of fighting, over something I can't quite grasp, and now here we are; slipping back into our usual routine. It's always that way with Pacey and me.
As we continue to bicker and swap stories about the summer, I find a grin spreading across my face, pleased that we had settled into some type of comfort zone. To be honest, it hadn't been this easy to talk to somebody in a long time. A very long time.
Notes: First, let me apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. I will try to update more frequently from now on. My aim is to try to get at least one chapter out per week. Other than that, hope you enjoy, and please continue to leave reviews. They mean a lot! ;)
***
The B&B is hot and stuffy as I walk through the doors; sweat dripping off my body, my head pounding. Me, being the adventurous sort that I am, decided to take a long jog around the creek, in order to clear my mind and sort through the dribble that resided there. Now, half an hour later, I had returned, the dull ache in my back making me grimance in pain.
"Water," I pant breathlessly to Bessie, who is absently kneeling by the kitchen counter, leafing through our monthly bills. She looks about as tired as I feel.
"Geez Jo, you look like something the cat dragged in," she told me with a smirk, filling a glass of water for me from the pitcher. I gratefully take it, downing the glass in a few quick gulps. I lazily slump into a nearby chair, a sigh emitting from my mouth as I sink back into it.
"I better change," I say after a moment, finally finding the energy to stand again.
"What's the ocassion?" Bessie asks me, still busy scanning over the documents that lay before her.
I shrug. "Nothing."
"What's wrong with the clothes you're wearing, then?"
Glancing down at myself, I crinkle my nose in distaste. "They're all sweaty."
Bessie raises an eyebrow at me, but doesn't say anything. She knows that something is up, so I might as well spill the beans. Nothing to lose, right?
"Pacey's coming over," I finally say, shifting my weight from one foot to the next. I'm nervous as hell all of a sudden, and I don't quite know why.
"Isn't he supposed to be in L.A with Audrey?"
"He's supposed to be," I say, and my voice got real quiet. "But he's not. He just got back earlier this afternoon."
A knowing smile crosses her lips, but it is quickly replaced by the concerned big sister smile that I have often come to know. "So when's he coming over?" she asks, with an amused chuckle in her voice. I have no clue as to what is so funny.
"In about half an hour," I tell her. "Which is why I need to change."
"So get going, then." She shoos me upstairs with a wave of her hand, but not before asking one final question. "Is Audrey coming over with him?"
I shake my head no. "I don't think she came home with him. She's probably back at her place for a few days. Resting, no doubt. A summer of Pacey will do that to ya."
A grin spreads across her face. "You should know."
What is she getting at? "Yeah, I should...go get changed. See ya."
20 minutes later, a loud rap sounds at the door, and I figure it's probably him. Licking my dry lips, I nervously smooth an invisible wrinkle in my tank-top before heading to the door. I pull it open - and just as I suspected, he's standing there.
"Hey Potter," he says, hurrying past me. "You look nice." His words are almost an afterthought; something he's always said and doesn't give much thought to. It does feel a little different, standing here with him. We've both changed so much - but yet just seeing his face brings me back to lazy Sunday afternoons curled up on the couch, our arms entwined, planning the future that we would never have.
"You don't look too bad yourself," I reply casually, offering him a seat as he follows me into the living room. He plops down onto a nearby armchair, and I, on the couch. After a moment, silence descends upon us, and I don't like it. "So...tell me about your summer in L.A with Audrey."
"It was crazy."
"Your summer or Audrey?" I manage with a chuckle.
"Both."
Giggling, I nod my head. "Sounds about right."
"She sure is hard to keep up with. Seems we went to a different party every night." There is an edge to his voice, and I wonder about that.
"But I thought you were the original party animal, Pace."
The grin slides easily onto his face. "That I am."
"So what was really the problem?"
"My, my, curious tonight, aren't we Josephine," he says teasingly. "Why are you so invested in my relationship with Audrey anyway?"
"Because..." I stammer for a moment, having been caught off guard. Quickly regaining my composure, I force what I hoped was a fairly sincere smile to my face. "Because I care about the both of you. You should know that."
"Is that all?"
"Of course that's all!" I say rather loudly, not bothering to hide the obvious anger that entered my voice. "What else could it possibly be?"
He holds up both hands, as if to signal some kind of truce. "Woah. Sorry I even asked..."
"Is it so wrong that I don't want to see either of my friends hurt?" I continue on, my defenses coming on high alert.
"No, nothing wrong with that at all," he agrees. "It just sounded like there was something more there."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "Like what?"
"Like, oh, I don't know...jealousy perhaps?"
I give him my famous death glare before letting out an amused chuckle. The things that boy comes up with. Me, jealous? "You're getting far too cocky for your own good, Witter."
"That's what you love about me."
I scoff at him, rolling my eyes. "You wish."
"Oh, I wish for a lot more than that," he points out, leering at me in his typical Pacey way. It was almost kind of cute...in a deranged sort of way.
"Oh, please. Spare me your perverted fantasies," I mutter sarcastically, but there is a joking tone to my voice, so he just laughs.
When did this happen? We had been on the verge of fighting, over something I can't quite grasp, and now here we are; slipping back into our usual routine. It's always that way with Pacey and me.
As we continue to bicker and swap stories about the summer, I find a grin spreading across my face, pleased that we had settled into some type of comfort zone. To be honest, it hadn't been this easy to talk to somebody in a long time. A very long time.
