Rolling over in the bed, on the farthest right of it, as if to leave the left for Josh, I slowly stood in the darkness, my room only lit by moonlight and opened the window as my body was more than hot from the lack of air conditioning.
Removing my pants, I stand in an oversized Georgetown tee and my underwear before crawling back in and closing my eyes only to meet my sweet, sweet dreams of what could've been. What should have been.
As if to be my wake up call, the morning light streams in directly into my eyes and I roll over to see the clock reads "11:00 am".
Ten missed calls: Momma.
I kick my legs out and yawn, stretch my long legs and walk into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and taking a bite, resting my forearms on the marble countertops as I lean on it for support as I attempt to fully wake up.
Rolling my eyes slightly, I tap my mom's contact and press the speaker phone and leave my position at the counter, heading into the fridge.
Poking around I mentally kick myself as I remember I need to go back into town for fresh groceries in order to survive here.
"Hey hon..." My mom's voice hums through my phone, "I was checking to see if you were alive and to..."
I turn around and I see the frame of a man, releasing my apple at full speed and nail him in the head before dropping to the floor, shielding myself and looking for my next weapon.
"Get out of my house!" I screech trying to collect myself.
"Honey? Are you okay?"
I sit up and peek over the edge of the counter, my heart pounding through my chest and genuinely smack myself in the face when I realize who it is.
"No... I mean, yes I am fine... I just didn't know that Arden would be here mom..." I say as a grin is plastered on his tan face and I can tell he is absolutely mocking me.
"Well Nora... I tried calling at least ten times... Your father and I didn't want you there alo..." And that's enough, I click the end call button and sigh into my hands.
They could have chosen anyone and I mean anyone else besides Arden.
If my mom was good at one thing, it was making a bad situation worse.
"Now that was a show." He says clapping his hands together slowly and walking towards me.
I shake my head, "You don't just walk into peoples homes Arden. I could have killed you." I warn as I stand and tug at the fabric of my tee.
"Don't worry peach I already saw." He says nonchalantly as he rounds the counter and jumps up so he's sitting on it, "And it's not like Josh would care right"
Dagger. Right in the heart.
Arden would be the absolute last person on this entire planet I would have ever wanted to spend any of my free time with, let alone chat it up with after being cheated on and canceling my wedding.
As kids Arden always was the best at everything, whether it was football which he went D1 for or his brand new fancy, big boy, corporate job.
"Nice. Still an ass I see." I comment before walking away into the living room.
"And still hung up on a dick I see..."
I roll my eyes, "You can leave and go back to... I don't know sleeping with all of New York." I retort as I reach down and pick up the apple I threw.
"You wish.. I'm all yours this summer peach."
It was then I felt a familiar flutter arise in my stomach, a twinge of excitement almost of the possibility of this summer.
"Keep dreaming, Arden." I reply, blowing lightly onto my half eaten apple and taking a large bite.
Physically, I probably looked in control, independent or maybe even powerful as I walked out of the frame of the kitchen... Mentally, I was drowning at the idea that Arden was possibly for the first time in my life pitying me. More than likely my mother called his mom, explaining that my boyfriend of seven years, out of nowhere cheated on me, just months before my wedding and it was now canceled. And even more likely, she detailed the days after where I hardly ate and barely had the strength to crawl out of my bed... When she had the opportunity to play mommy one last time, running her thin fingers through my hair, wiping the tears from my reddened cheeks, lightly humming "you are my sunshine" and occasionally kissing my temple.
And most likely, his mother called him and told him the sad, sob story of what my life had come to be and said "Anita called me and the wedding is off... Nora is going to be at the beach house this summer and we are all just so worried... Can you go up every so often to check in on her." I can almost imagine her soft, smooth voice, pleading with him to for once to do something she asks.
As if to call me back to reality his dog butch throttles into me and knocks my 5'11 frame straight to the ground. His warm tongue leaves wet streaks against my cheeks, ones I normally would immediately deny but maybe it's the lack of love in my life or the undeniable sadness stirring in me, but Butch's warm kisses felt almost... Nice.
"Hi honey... Is that my sweet butchey bear?" I hum to him as he continues his assault, sheer happiness in his eyes.
I stay in this position, rubbing his head and making silly faces at him until Arden decides he's going to make an appearance.
"He licks his ass all day, you know that right?" He jabs at me with pure entertainment written all over his snide face.
"And yet, his mouth is probably cleaner than yours." I sneer back slowly standing to my feet, patting him once more on his head, Butches' golden locks soft under my hand and Arden shrugs as if to say "Yeah, probably."
Stepping around Arden's 6 '5 frame, that takes up much of the door frame, he grabs my arm swiftly and gently, "I really am sorry Nora. I never thought that would happen to you."
"Me too." I reply, giving him a small smile, before slipping onto the back deck and sitting down into a large, white deck chair and picking up my book.
____________
Wowza... This book is definitely different from my first book "Living On The Edge of You"! More of a slow burn, adult romance, but I'm really enjoying the structure I have laid out previously!!!
I'm living for giving you guys Nora & Arden;)
I am working to update often, but still revising much of the previously written parts!
With love, littlemixedgirl9
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