Thank you so very much for your reviews on the last chapter! Please note that I respond to all of them, but if you're not logged in or are a guest user, I can't. But just know that I do read your reviews and appreciate them dearly. I always do.
I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
THREE MONTHS LATER
Cindy's POV
"Why aren't they here yet?"
"Libby, relax. Everything is going to be fine." I spoke as I arranged flowers in a vase, intending to place them on her dining room table once I finished.
"I already cleared out space in the fridge. They were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. Do you think they got lost or something?"
"Maybe. This is kind of a new area in town."
"But my parents have been here before," she spoke in a way that told me that wasn't a very good excuse.
"Maybe they're just going to stay here? So they're late because they took long to get ready?"
"Oh, they're not staying for the party," Libby spoke matter of factly. She must have seen the look on my face because she quickly elaborated. "They said they didn't want to stay! They all agreed they wanted it to be a friends' thing. They'll come by and visit all the time so a house warming party really isn't a big deal to them." Adjusting the flowers one final time, I nodded.
Libby, not doing anything to calm herself down, was in the midst of preparations for her and Sheen's housewarming party tonight. Having officially become homeowners and moving into their new place less than a month ago put her stress at an all-time high and the fact that her and Sheen's parents were late dropping off the food they promised didn't help either.
It seemed, based on our conversation a few moments, ago that me and my presence weren't doing much either.
I've spent pretty much all day at their house helping to get ready for tonight. Seeing as I've reached the end of another spring break and will be heading back to New York tomorrow afternoon, I was just as excited (and strangely anxious) for tonight. I hadn't always planned to make it home for break but with everything going on with Libby, it worked out perfectly. Similar to her wedding, I'll be here for her special day, just like she was there for mine three months ago.
But even though Libby was there for my party and getting me through my hell of a hangover the following morning, it wasn't easy to forget, try as I may, who I, essentially, spent the night with. I wasn't entirely pleased with it, something I made sure to tell Libby once we were alone.
"So how are you feeling?" Libby asked as she twisted the cap off a large bottle of fruit punch flavored Gatorade and handed it to me.
"I feel like shit, thanks for asking," I replied as I took the bottle from her and gulped down a good portion of it. Libby gave a small smile, though it didn't seem like I had fully answered her question. "What is it?"
"Do you- do you know if Jimmy stayed here the whole night?"
"I can't be sure of that, to be honest," I answered truthfully as I nodded slowly, trying to keep my hair wrapped in its towel.
"The sofa bed has been pulled out," Libby pointed with her thumb in the direction of the living room and replied, essentially answering her own question.
"Then I guess he did," I shrugged.
"Oh," she looked off to the side. "We didn't think he would do that."
"We?" I asked, taking another large drink.
"Sheen and I. We- he…. I told Jimmy he might have to stay with you a bit, but I didn't mean the whole night."
"You asked him to stay and care of me? Like I'm 10 years old?" I was already growing angry, starting to think this was all Libby's fault.
"I was going to do it myself. But the three of us found you in Tess's room, hiding, like a 10-year-old," she snapped. "Jimmy volunteered to bring you back here and keep you safe."
I rolled my eyes. "I can take care of myself."
Libby, unexpectedly, let out a laugh. "Not in the condition you were in last night. You were drunk out of your mind." I shrugged, wanting more than anything to change the subject. Libby, knowing what I was doing, looked at me sternly. "Don't be so stubborn Cindy," she said it in a tone I wasn't ready for. "Despite everything that happened between you two, Jimmy is a good guy and cares about you, He will always care about you."
The only thing I hate more than admitting I need help is proving Jimmy right. And, as I slowly regained my memory, it turned out that's exactly how the rest of the night of my party went.
At least, for this event, I could anticipate Jimmy's attendance. I didn't have to be reminded that we have one weekend where our spring breaks clash, so I already knew, without Libby giving me a heads up, that him coming to the housewarming party was a big possibility.
But considering my condition the last time we saw each other, I can't truthfully say I'm entirely prepared to see Jimmy tonight.
Just as I was starting to grow more nervous about it again, Libby's doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of her long awaited, and in some ways, most important guests.
It was only a few short hours later that Libby and Sheen's housewarming party was in full swing. As I anticipated, they invited a lot of people that I hadn't met but really looked forward to meeting. It was the first time I would be introduced to Libby's friends from school and, much like I was for when she met mine, I was excited for it.
I was so deep in conversation with one of them that I hadn't even noticed Jimmy had arrived and was making the rounds, saying hello to everyone.
It took everything in me to look away. Not so much because I knew that I should but because he looked so damn good.
This was, essentially, a casual dinner party. But that problem wasn't that he wasn't dressed for the occasion. It was a mix of not seeing him in months, the nostalgia feeling of being back home, and finishing up my glass of wine that made his seemingly simple outfit of black slacks and dark blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows look incredibly attractive.
I managed to direct my gaze back to Libby's friend. The same couldn't be said though, for my focus. It was lucky for me then, that only a couple of moments later, Libby clinked a spoon to her glass, calling for everyone's attention. Turning towards the front of the room, I saw Sheen standing beside her, a beer bottle in one hand and the other arm wrapped around her waist.
"Hi everyone," Libby spoke, "so now that we're pretty much all here, Sheen and I just wanted to say a few words. We want to just thank you guys so much for being here tonight. Owning a home is a big step for us, as I'm sure you all know, so we just appreciate you guys coming and celebrating it with us. There's lots of food and drinks in the kitchen, so please help yourselves. Thank you again. Babe," she turned her head towards Sheen, "anything to add?"
"Umm," Sheen struggled to find what to say. I couldn't blame him this time, since Libby said all there really is to. "Yeah. Thanks everyone for coming. Enjoy and uhh, oh, please keep in mind that the upstairs bathroom has a really shitty lock, which we're trying to fix. So please just stick to the one down here if you can. Thank you," he lifted his drink in thanks and it was followed by light cheers and applause. Deciding to get to them before they got swarmed with other guests, I approached the two of them. Just as I was taking my final steps, though I got intercepted by an, unfortunate, guest.
Not letting his presence stop me, I reached the happy couple just as Jimmy and Libby were breaking apart from their hug.
"Hey guys," I spoke, a smile spreading on my lips.
"Hi, Cindy," Jimmy spoke, surprising me. "You look good."
Was he even allowed to make a comment like that?
"Uhh, thanks."
"And the gang's all here!" Libby exclaimed, opening her arms so she could bring me into a hug and thankfully ending my awkward moment with Jimmy.
"Hey! Don't forget about Carl," Sheen reminded as I embraced my best friend.
"Was I not the one who tried to reach out to him so he could make it?"
"I don't know what you were expecting. He is in the middle of the ocean!" Sheen spoke like Carl's absence should have been obvious and expected.
"He's in the Philippines. I'd hardly say he's off the grid," she playfully fought back.
"Well, actually…," As Jimmy droned on, likely about world geography facts no one cared about, I looked around at our little group. Technically, I knew that the last time we were all together was when I was at my party when they all found me in Tess's bedroom. But seeing as I was out of it, I wouldn't really count it. Meaning that the last time we were all gathered together was for Sheen and Libby's wedding, whether it be the ceremony or the reception.
Thinking about it, all that happened to get there and what's happened since then, left me with a feeling I didn't know how to describe. Seeing the three of them laughing and talking as if they didn't have a care in the world didn't do anything to make it better.
As quietly as I could, I broke off from the group, hoping, though it probably wasn't likely, that they wouldn't notice me.
I walked to the kitchen to get some food, realizing how hungry I was and that because of helping Libby and Sheen get ready for tonight, I practically haven't eaten all day. Making myself a plate and no longer really in the mood to interact with anybody, I took it out into the rest of the house.
Before I even knew it, I found myself in the upstairs hallway. The photos that hung on the walls there caught my eye and I placed my plate on a side table. Libby told me she and Sheen had these taken, but I haven't had a chance to see them, except for the one on their mantle downstairs, until now. Since they got married very quickly after getting engaged, they didn't take their engagement photos until after they got back home from New York, already husband and wife.
With Sheen and Libby have an extensive and long history, there was no place better to do their photo shoot than… all over town. There were enough photos that this mini-gallery consisted of three large pictures and two collages in between each one. Amongst all of them, there were shots outside the elementary and high school, the park (a great place to take photos anyway), the Candy Bar (of course), and other spots around Retroville. Each location was different, but the one thing all the photos had in common was how completely happy and in love Sheen and Libby looked in all of them.
And that's so great to see.
When I was younger, I don't think I ever could have believed that Libby and Sheen would actually end up together. I'll admit that, at first, I didn't take him, or their relationship seriously. It seems like I was proven wrong yet again with the realization that Libby and Sheen are and have the strongest and most stable relationship that I know.
As good as that is for them, it got me thinking a lot about everything we, my friends and I, have gone through to get here. I can't tell if it appears that everything is happening at a smooth and steady pace or if I'm just falling behind and would rather think about the past than look ahead.
It all feels like it's too much too fast and that I'm just too comfortable with conformity to do anything epic or out of my comfort zone. Because I like the way things were. I miss the way things were. But everything is far too different to do anything about it now.
Taking a deep breath and deciding not to dwell on it any longer, or at least not here, I made my way back downstairs, intending to grab my plate of food along the way.
My path was interrupted when someone exited through the door adjacent to me, which I knew to be Sheen and Libby's bedroom.
Jimmy's POV
Shit.
I luckily managed not to drop the wine glass after it was nearly knocked out of my hand. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stop some of the dark red liquid inside from spilling down my shirt.
"Oh my God, I'm sor- oh," Cindy's voice called out. "Sorry." She glanced down and realized what happened. "Did it spill?"
"Yeah, a bit," I replied as I pinched the front of my shirt, trying to air it out.
"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up." Seeming to know her way, and she probably did since I know she was here all afternoon, she led me a few feet down the hall and into the bathroom.
Within seconds, we were in the bathroom and she had clogged up the drain to fill the sink with water.
"So uhh, big night huh?" I asked, trying to alleviate any awkwardness, as I put my glass down on the long counter.
"Yeah," I noticed she had a small smile on her face once she turned around. "I'm so happy for her. For them. Sheen's really… impressed me, these last few years. He's not the immature, annoying kid he was when we were younger."
"Oh, yeah," I repeated, while noticing the sink was quickly filling up with too much water for this spill of this size. "I don't think any of us would have thought he'd be one of the first to get his life together."
She laughed then, teeth showing, mouth open and everything. It wasn't until now, that she did it, that I realized just how much I missed her laugh.
"So uh, what were you doing in their bedroom?"
"Sheen asked me to get his phone for him. He said he left it charging on the nightstand, but it wasn't there so I was just coming back down to tell him. I guess Libby probably brought it to him."
"Yeah, maybe."
Thinking she forgot about the water, even though the rushing of it was the only other sound in the room, I reached behind her and shut off the faucet, getting a little bit too close.
"Sorry," I apologized when she blinked in surprise, not wanting her to do or say anything else.
"It's okay." It wasn't hard to hear how her voice caught and how much softer it got. I knew it was likely because she wasn't expecting me to be so close.
Looking into the emerald of her eyes and unable to focus on much else, I closed the gap between us and pressed my lips to hers.
It took a few seconds, which I knew was out of hesitation on her end, until she finally kissed me back.
But we shouldn't be doing this. I know we shouldn't. She knows we shouldn't. It's not too late though. We're just kissing right now. If I release her and turn away right now, we'll both come to our senses and can stop ourselves from making a huge mistake.
And that would have been a good plan had she not released that unforgettable moan of hers at that moment.
Screw it.
I hastily gripped onto her hips to lift her and seated her on the counter. Without letting go, I reached down to the end of her dress and ran my hand up her thigh, touching her soft skin. When I reached the part where it met her hip, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no additional fabric there.
"You're not wearing any underwear," I spoke as I kissed her neck.
"It's hard to in this dress," she breathed. As soon as she said the word, I thought back to when I first saw her tonight, with that dress tight and hugging her in all the best places.
"I like this dress."
"I know."
Grinning like an idiot, because she's so fucking brilliant, I crashed my mouth onto hers. I pressed against her immediately after, showing her what she was doing to me.
"Ohh... Jim..." she exhaled, her soft breath bringing a flood of memories. She kissed me again and placed both arms around my neck, one hand going into my hair. Her lips parted instantly, and I was glad to see I didn't need permission. Bringing me closer, our kiss deepened and if felt like not a day had passed since we were last like this.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, keeping her in place, as I indulged in the feeling of having her close to me. Based on the sounds coming from her and the way her head was tilting, meeting each kiss, I could tell she was doing the same.
She gently bit onto my bottom lip and tugged it, eliciting a groan from within me. Moving over to her neck again, I remembered, not that I ever could forget, where she liked it most.
Finding that spot, I took turns sucking and soothing it out. She knocked her head back, exposing more of her neck and let out sounds I know all too well.
Pulling away a bit, I noticed a distinctive red blotch that she would probably give me shit for later. But right now, I didn't care.
"You smell so fucking good," I inhaled her intoxicating scent. Her hand slipped down my chest, gripping onto my shirt, as I pebbled her collarbone with kisses.
"Ahh…." She let out just before I felt her grip onto my hair and pull my head over to meet hers. "Come here," our lips met again and this time, it was accompanied by her placing her right leg around my waist.
Loosing my balance, one hand cupped her face, my fingers running into her golden hair. The other was placed flat on the counter, holding us steady. Before I could brace myself for it, she rocked into me and the heat between our bodies became way too much to handle.
Only two things were on my mind at this moment. One; how badly I needed to be inside her and two; trying to figure out the fastest route to get back to either one of our houses. Or better yet, the lab….
"Oh, shit! Uh, um- I'm sorry."
The loud gasp and harsh shove provided by Cindy pulled me out of my thoughts. Just as I registered what happened, the door closed shut as quickly as it had been opened.
Did that really just…?
FUCK.
"This was so stupid." Cindy mumbled after hopping off the counter, as she faced down and adjusted her dress, trying to catch her breath. Still in shock, I did nothing to fix the throbbing in my pants or tuck my shirt back in.
"Cindy-," pretending not to have heard me, she pushed some hair back behind her ear and stormed out of the room, also slamming the shut door behind her.
While I still have your attention, I'd like to announce a fun little feature I'm starting. In reviews and private message to me, you guys sometimes share songs you think relate or remind you of Jimmy or Cindy or their relationship as a whole. I've decided to compile them all into a playlist created for you and by you. Please check out what we've got so far on my profile and if you'd like to contribute, just let me know the song and artist/band in a message or review and I will add it to the list.
So I was going to give a hint/head's up about their bathroom encounter in my author's note at the beginning, but I wanted to surprise you. Were you? Please review!
