A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I had much incentive and am already almost done with the next chapters. Since it's spring break, I can get the chapter up really fast (I hope). Anyway, I know it was a kind of predictable thing with the whole Suze/ Jesse situation, but I honestly couldn't think of what else to do with it…so there ya go.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zip.
Chapter 3:
The plane stopped and Keith and I stepped out. The bright California sunlight hit my eyes, but thankfully I remembered to bring sunglasses this time.
This time.
I felt a pang in my chest as I remembered how long ago it had been when I'd first stepped off this plane. When I'd first met Jesse. He wouldn't be in my window seat this time. That was for sure.
I wished I could go back, erase all of my feelings for him, and not fall in love. But it was impossible. And, truthfully?
I'm not sure I wanted to.
Forget him, I mean. Sure, the logical side of my brain wanted to beat the shit out of him. But the part of me that loves—loved—Jesse would give up anything to be with him again.
The unfaithful bastard.
I blinked back into reality. Keith and I grabbed our luggage from the luggage thingy and walked to the parking lot. Okay, my mom should be out here somewhere…I mean, we totally called ahead and everything. I wasn't going to show up out of the blue, or anything. I'm not that socially retarded.
I looked around. And saw the sign. For a minute, I really thought I was sixteen again.
WELCOME HOME SUZE!
Doc held one end of the sign, Brad the other.
Wait, was that DOC? NO WAY! MY LITTLE BROTHER GREW UP.
Erm, Stepbrother. Oh, screw it. He was totally like the little brother I never had.
I ran forward and flung my arms around Doc, then my mom, then Andy, then Brad. Doc had, at eighteen, really grown into himself. At six foot four (I was guessing…god almost as tall as Jesse….BAD SUZE), he was taller than Brad.
My mom was totally emotional about the whole thing. She hugged me, and cried, and hugged me some more, then hugged Keith. She'd only met Keith once, and I felt like dog poop, I seriously needed to visit more often.
Andy walked forward and shook Keith's hand. Andy looked…older. That was the only way to describe it. He had laugh lines around the corner of his eyes and his hair had started to gray a little in a few areas. I realized it had been a good year since I'd seen them last.
My mom was still my mom. She didn't look any different to me, but that could have been just me.
Even Dopey…Brad, gave me a hug. He looked a lot more 'grown up' than the last time I'd seen him.
When we passed the ocean on the way home, I made a mental note to go to the beach at least once during my trip here. I was still as mesmerized by the ocean as ever. The way the water lapped at the shore, it reminded me of my life in some sort of twisted way. Repeating over and over the same thing, yet not ever exactly the same.
Okay, that almost didn't make any sense to me.
We rode home in almost complete silence after the 'how are you's' and such. I couldn't help but feel like there was something they weren't telling me. Brad and Doc avoided eye contact, my mom looked troubled.
"So, Suzie, any new friends that you want to tell us about?" She emphasized friends, which let me know she wanted to know if I had a boyfriend or not.
Try not. Men sucked.
Okay, there were a few exceptions, but the majority were filthy dirty liars. Like Jess—cough
"No, not really. Work keeps me really busy."
We pulled into the driveway and I noticed there were two foreign cars in the driveway. One was a little black porsh, and the other was a red camero. I had a strong suspicion the camero was Jake's. The porsh, I did not know.
"So," I said, more for conversation's sake than anything else, "who's Jake's best man?"
It was like my words pushed a button and everyone had something to do all at once. Even Keith noticed. Doc had to check the mail box, Brad had to run (very quickly) into the garage, Andy grabbed a suitcase and ran into the house, tugging Keith along with him. Keith looked as stumped as me.
"Mom," I was getting nervous, "what aren't you telling me?" She gave me an overly bright smile.
"Oh, nothing sweetie! The maid of honor is so nice! You'll love her. And Jake's wife is such a sweet girl, I just love her. They make the best couple." She grabbed my suitcase and handed it to me, then shut the trunk of the station wagon.
"Mom…" my voice was half scared and half warning.
"Yes?" We walked inside, she started up the stairs. I heard laughter coming from the kitchen.
"Go put your luggage up in your room, then come downstairs," she waited until she thought I couldn't see her before running to the kitchen.
I shook my head. God, my family was weird.
When I stepped in the room, every memory came flooding back to me. I felt frozen, like a dear in the headlights.
I looked at the window seat. I expected to see Jesse sitting there, reading a book. He wasn't there.
I heard something behind me, turned around.
I would recognize that ugly thing anywhere. It was Spike. But what the hell was that thing doing here? It lived with Jesse.
And shouldn't it be dead by now? It had to be really old by now. Well, maybe not. But whatever.
What was it doing here? I know it liked Jake (surprisingly enough), but like I mentioned, it lived with Jesse…where ever he was. Hopefully in a land far far away…
I set down my things and took a deep breath. I hoped that I could keep it together for the week I'd be here. It was only a week. How bad could it be?
As for the memories? I'd deal with them later.
I walked down the stairs and heard voices coming from the kitchen.
"Why do you need new milk? There's a whole jug of it in the refrigerator…" I froze in my tracks.
I. Knew. That. Voice.
"This is old! I can't make cookies with it, be a dear won't you?"
"Of course Ms. Ackerman." Said the voice I knew.
I was still frozen to the steps. I couldn't have moved if my life depended on it. I was scared out of my mind. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.
I stared at the entrance to the kitchen. A tall red headed figure (Also known as Doc) was dragging an even taller figure out of the kitchen and ushering him to the door. The man laughed, turned and froze.
I stared, wide eyed.
How? No. It wasn't. It wasn't… but HOW?
Play it cool Suze, just play it cool.
HOW CAN I DO THAT? I CAN'T JUST FORGET EVERYTHING!
YES YOU CAN.
Okay.
I walked down the steps in a daze. The tall, black haired, muscular, sexy figure looked at me, strangely.
"S…S…Sus…Susannah?" I almost froze at that voice. So silky…so sexy…
NO. BAD SUZE.
"Hello, Jesse."
A/N: So what did you think? CONSTRUCTIVE criticism (or praise…) please. And many reviews would be much appreciated.
