Harassenger: Backseat Admirer ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Was the grocery store in Salty Edge or something? What took you so long? I was beginning to worry."

With drenched hair and bags full of groceries that I carried in one load, I hurried into the beach house, Mick opening the door for me. Quickly, he draped his moto jacket over me, warming my chilled body.

"I got caught in traffic, sorry."

His look was perplexed with confusion and worry.

"You sure? You should know by now I can tell when you're lying."

Outright ignoring him, I walk further into the home, which was lit up by exquisite candlelight instead of electricity.

"What happened here, and where is everybody? Is there a seance going on that I missed?" I asked.

"The electricity went out because of the weather. Holt and Della are trying to call the police department to see what's going on and make sure someone knows about the issue m. Trixie hasn't come out of her room since then, but she's probably texting that guy of hers."

"This is just great. We can't go outside, I can't read in this lighting, and I can't even eat because the stove won't work."

"Hey, calm down. It's a gas stove so I can cook something up top. We might have to settle on ramen noodles instead of a delectable pizza." I didn't want noodles, but his offer was thoughtful so I didn't fight him on it. Plus, I was so hungry I could've eaten anything.

"I guess I'll have noodles."

We sat across from each other in the candlelight eating packs of ramen. As quiet as it was in the kitchen, we could hear the echoes of an angry Della on the phone with the police.

"How's the meal?" Mick asked, ignoring the drama queen down the hall.

"It's...edible." I said hoarsely.

"At least we had something to eat."

"Right. And we have pizza for later when the power decides to grace us with its presence again. But next time, you can do the shopping."

"What happened at the store? Were you charged with theft? Did the store police catch you steeling an apple in your bra?"

I looked over, through the ugly floral centerpiece that one of my dates had given me.

I dropped my fork, giving him a less than graceful stare.

"No, doofus. It's nothing really. I just saw someone I didn't want to see."

"Ex lover with a grudge? Did an ex lover try to hit you with an apple?"

"What's up with you and fruit? No, I met up with my grandma."

"What's so bad about that?" He wondered.

"I'd rather spend a day with Della than see my grandmother ever again."

"Tell me." He ordered, crossing his hands together on the table, the flicker of candlelight near his face causing his eyes to glow like a deer's caught on camera.

"After my father died, my mom had gotten into an accident of her own. She broke her arm and her leg falling off a ladder trying to fix our leaking roof. I needed someone to help me run the gym, because I was a teenager and there was no way I could juggle that and school, along with helping my mom with her doctor visits. So, I told my grandma and she told me I could figure things out on my own. She never came to visit my mom, her only daughter, and didn't help her own grandchild who needed her. I was lost without my father and a disabled mom. Somehow, God was on my side and I was able to overcome the odds and maintain the business, and I wheeled my mom in to check on the business every weekday. It was a struggle, and after everything I had been through, I was stronger because of it. I hadn't seen my grandmother since that happened, well, until today."

"She sounds like a piece of shit. Did she talk to you?"

"She saw me first and came up to me to talk. I didn't say much and I tried to get out of there as fast as I could. She wants me to hear her out." I stated.

"She should be hearing the slap that she deserves. Okay, so I'm against violence, especially old ladies, but she deserves to be set straight for what she put you through." Mick must either really like his ramen, or he must be pretty angry with the way he chomped on his food like a beaver.

"I'm trying to put everything behind. I should listen to her to let her know I'm not mad anymore. I'm not mad and I want to move on like things have been. She can ignore me and I'll continue to ignore her. There's no need for discord."

"You don't deserve to feel that kind of heartache. She sounds like my father. I asked him for a car in high school, and when he said no, I asked to borrow his for school. He told me to get a job and that he wasn't funding anything other than the roof over my head. He was spiteful and ruthless, and he didn't have the kind of love a father should have. And when I think about someone treating you like that, it pisses me off." Mick slid his chair out, taking his dish and tossing it into the sink. 

"Awh, you care about me." I said, getting up to follow his footsteps that were heading to the living room. It was dark, so I used the wall for leverage and to make sure I didn't trip. I bumped into Mick's back on the way, causing him to jerk forward. Luckily, he was a strong man with the balance of tighrope walker. He managed to save us both from falling.

"I'll light a candle on the coffee table if you want to sit on the couch until the electricity comes back on."

The matches, the he thought were on the coffee table weren't there, and we both assumed Della and Holt took it to light their bedroom, and we weren't about to go in their room with the screaming match that was probably going on in there. Even though they left the hallway, we could still hear Della on the phone through closed doors. I was glad the rain drowned out most of her voice.

We sat together on the couch, the darkness of the room causing me to feel sleepy. My eyes struggled to stay open, so I cuddled onto the couch, digging my socks into the crevasse of the couch next to Mick's leg. Somehow, my head hit the something hard, and at first I thought it was the book I was reading on the couch earlier. I figured someone picked it up and put it on the headrest so they could sit down. I snuggled closer, and when the object moved against me, I realized it wasn't a book at all.

"No one's watching us. You don't have to cuddle up to me." Mick didn't budge, leaving me with the choice to move away. I wanted to move, and I should have, but I couldn't. I felt as if I was physically being pulled to him.

"I'm tired, Mick. Let me rest for a second." That was the last thing I remember before falling on the sleep against Mick Conrad.