It's three in the afternoon and Owen and I are cuddling in my bed.
It's not like we had anything better to do. We were still waiting on my laundry to get done, and both Charlie and Savannah were out doing who knows what. So it was just a mutual agreement to get back in bed.
We lay in silence for a while, neither one of us really needing to say anything. He played with my hair, I rubbed his stomach. I have no clue what my love language is, but if I had to guess, it'd probably be physical touch. My family was never touchy-feely, I mean, I probably hadn't been hugged in years until I came here. Maybe that's why I like cuddling with Owen so much.
Even though silence is a good thing sometimes, my mind tends to wander when it's silent. And this time, it's wandering to the anxiety I have over having to move back home.
"Owen?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you about something?" I ask, instantly regretting the statement because it sounded like a bad thing. "Wait- sorry, I can feel your heartbeat speeding up. Promise it's nothing bad, I just need to talk it out. And you're my go-to person."
"You had me scared there for a second," he sighs. "What is it?"
"I've been thinking... about what's going to happen after I leave here. I mean, I haven't talked to my parents since that phone call a few months ago, and for all I know, they could've thrown all of my stuff out already. I'm not exactly sure what to do. And I'm super scared to ask."
He stays silent for a minute, looking down like he's thinking. "Do you have some other relative that you could possibly move in with? I don't think going back to live with your parents is a very good idea. Just from the stories I've heard from you, and what I've seen you go through, they seem very toxic, and you don't need to be in that kind of environment."
"You're right- I can't move back in with them. I've thought about maybe moving in with my aunt. She has a pretty decent size house, and she's single so she lives alone. She's probably one of the only non-toxic members of my family."
"That'd be good. Maybe you could get her to talk to your parents about it so that you won't have to."
"Maybe, hopefully. I don't think I can deal with the wrath of my parents right now."
He takes my hand and intertwines my fingers with his. "Hey, don't worry, I'm gonna help you as much as I can. You're never gonna have to suffer by yourself again, I promise."
I could cry. "Thank you, O."
"Anytime, Jenny. You know I'll always be here for you."
"And I'll always be here for you."
He smiles. "So, how about we call up this aunt of yours and see what she thinks? I'll be right here beside you if anything goes wrong. Plus, I don't want you procrastinating this. I know how you are."
"You're probably right," I sigh. Reluctantly, I get up from our very comfortable position and grab my computer. I pull up FaceTime and find Aunt Lauren's name. Owen seems to notice me hesitate, so he grabs my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. I run my fingers through my hair quickly, making sure I look presentable. And after a few more moments of hesitation, I click the button.
It rings a couple of times until she picks up. The camera is pointed at the ceiling when she first picks up, but a few seconds later, she points it to her smiling face.
"Jennifer! To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asks.
"Hi," I say, kind of at a loss for words. I haven't seen or talked to her in a while, which makes me very scared for this conversation. "So... I have a really weird request."
"Go for it," she encourages.
"You know I've been working on that TV show for the past few months, right?" I ask, and she nods. "So, we're finishing up filming soon, and I kinda sorta need a place to stay. My mom and I got in a really big fight a couple of months ago, and I don't exactly want to move back in with her."
"Are you asking if you can stay with me?"
"Yeah..." I say hesitantly. Owen squeezes my hand, helping reassure me. "I just, I don't know where else to go."
"Aw, yes you can stay with me. I know how your mom can be, and my brother isn't much better. You're always welcome here," she smiles, and I let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay, can you maybe inform my parents about it? I'm gonna need to move my stuff in at some point. I have been thinking about getting my own place somewhere, but I need somewhere to stay while I figure out all the details."
"Okay, I'll talk to my brother and see what we can do. He may be able to lay it on your mom a bit easier than any of us can. Don't worry, I got your back."
"Thank you so much," I say. "Seriously, I've been dreading moving back pretty much ever since I got here."
"That good, huh?" she smirks. "I'm guessing you've made some friends. Or more-than-friends?"
I smile and look over at Owen. I silently ask him if I can introduce him, by looking at the computer then back at him. He nods, and I push the computer over so that he's in frame.
"Well, who's this?" Aunt Lauren exclaims.
"Aunt Lauren, this is Owen. Owen, this is Aunt Lauren."
"Hi!" Owen says, grinning and waving at the computer. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Owen," she smiles. "So, are you Jennifer's friend?"
"Well, I guess you could say that," he says, pulling me into a tight side hug. "Jenny here is amazing."
She gives us a knowing smile. "I'm happy to see she has at least one good friend there with her. Or more-than-friend?" she smirks.
"More-than-friend," Owen answers for me, looking back at me and grinning.
"So sweet," she says. "Well, Owen, I do hope you're treating her well. And hopefully I can meet you in person someday."
"Don't worry, I make sure to treat her really well. Right, bugaboo?"
"He really does," I agree.
"I'm so glad to hear it. Well, Jennifer, let me get in touch with your dad and see what we're gonna have to do. I'll keep you updated, okay?"
"Gotcha."
She gives me a reassuring smile. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Owen. And Jennifer, I'll see you soon."
We exchange goodbyes, and I hang up. Immediately, I let out an enormous sigh of relief and throw myself back against my pillows.
"See, Jenny? That wasn't too bad," Owen says.
"Yeah, at least she agreed to it. Now to see how my mom reacts."
"Well, in your defense, she was the one who told you not to come crawling back to her. So, she can't do anything. Plus, you're nineteen, she can't make you live with her."
"Yeah, that's the only thing giving me consolation right now."
He lays down beside me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "Look, let's just trust your aunt for now. She's got this. And you know I'm gonna be here through it all. Can't have your mom ruining your last weeks here, right?"
"I guess," I say, giving him a half-smile. I hear my phone buzz, and I see a message from Aunt Lauren. My mind immediately expects bad news, but all the text says is "Owen's cute" with a winky face at the end. Owen looks over my shoulder and laughs at the text.
"I am pretty cute, aren't I?"
"Eh... you're okay," I joke, and he gives me a fake-mad face. "Totally kidding. You're really freaking cute."
"Thanks, Jenny," he smiles, cuddling beside me once again. "You're really freaking cute too."
