Falling For Mr. Sundae | ✔

22. Ohio

My mom was sitting on the couch with a bowl of sugary cereal resting on her belly and a daytime talk show on the tv. I joined her, watching the women around the table give their opinions on the latest celebrity gossip.

She always wanted our bonding moments to be over exercise, but I preferred this type of bonding. We didn't say anything to each other until a commercial started.

"How's the job going?" She asked, in between spoonful's of cereal.

"Good." Was all I told her. She didn't need to know about Julian just yet. "How's the nursery coming?"

She sighed. "Still stuck on picking a color scheme."

"You know who's really good at stuff like that?" She gave me a look that said don't even try it. But I tried it. "Me. I'm good at interior design. So, if you'd just confirm that your carrying my little sister then I can help."

"That's up to your father," she said, taking another bite of cereal. "He's got his mind set on doing a reveal."

I put on my best pout. "Please?"

"He threatened to take away my foot rubs if I told." She finished off the last of her cereal before pushing herself up from the couch. "And I need my foot rubs."

"I'll rub your feet!" I called after her in one last attempt to get information. She ignored me as she walked off into the kitchen.

Nova started barking from the backyard which meant we had visitors. The doorbell rang and when I pulled the door opened the mailman was already back in his van. How did they move so fast? 

There was a small brown box on the porch addressed to me. I took it up to my room to open it. The return address was from Ohio. I don't even think I knew anyone from Ohio and I haven't done any online shopping recently.

I cut the tape with a pair of scissors. Inside was a blue jewelry box. Inside of that was a silver key chain in the shape of Ohio, a small heart in the middle of it. There was only one person who'd send me something like this. Adam.

I pulled the key chain out of the box, turning it in my hand. That's when I saw it was personalized. Inscribed with our initials and the date we made our relationship official. He and his dad went to Ohio almost three months ago. I didn't even question why I didn't get a key chain that time.

I almost went to add it to the others before remembering I'd thrown them in the trash. I couldn't throw this one away. It wasn't something he picked up at a gas station. It was personalized. It was personal. I couldn't keep it either.

My only option was to return it and finally close the door on my relationship with Adam for good.

He didn't live too far away, so I walked. It gave me time to go over what I wanted to say to him. If this was going to be the last time I planned on speaking to him then I needed some answers. Closure.

"Elisa Robinson." I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of Bobby's voice. He wore a big smile on his face and held a small Pomeranian in his arms.

"Robert Hall," I mimicked. "What are you doing over here?"

"What? Us east siders can't hang out around your nice fancy houses?"

"That's not what I--"

He let out a laugh. "I'm just shitting you, Elisa Robinson," he said, adjusting the dog in his arms. "My mom lives over here. Dad lives on the east side."

"Best of both worlds."

"Exactly," he agreed. After a brief pause he groaned. "Great, now I have the theme song to Hannah Montana stuck in my head."

"Sorry," I giggled.

"Anyways, where you heading?"

I glanced down the street. Only a few more houses before I arrive at my destination. "Adams," I replied.

His eyebrows shot up, getting loss in his mess of curls. "Oh. Are you two..."

"Hell no." I couldn't get the answer out fast enough. "I'm just returning something."

"God, give me a heart attack why don't you?" He crutched his chest and let out a relived sigh. "You've kind of grown on me this summer. It would've sucked having to disown you for screwing with my boy."

I blinked. "What?"

"What?" His tone was different from mines. His was more confused and laced with false innocence. My eyes narrowed at him, but that didn't seem to bother him as he thrust his dog out towards me. "This is Bella."

The dog in his arms looked bored and unimpressed by my presence. I accepted the subject change and went to pet Bella. That's when she livened up with a growl and a barking. I snatched my hand back so fast.

"Forgot to mention that this little ball of fur is pure evil," he chuckled, petting the dogs head.

"Right, well, I have to go get this over with," I told him, waving the key chain box in the air. "I'll see you later."

We went our separate ways, but I swear I heard him humming Hannah Montana.

I'd been on Adam's porch a million time. Yet, somehow, it felt like I was trespassing. Adam opened the door after I rang the doorbell a few times. He was surprised to see me. I was surprised at how painless being so close to him was. I had prepared myself for another hit like the one I took the other night. But I felt nothing of significance.

"What are you doing here?" He question was genuine, as was the curiosity in his eyes.

I held out the tiny blue box and he took hold of it. "It came today."

His brows knitted together as he opened it and then recognition took over his face. "Damn, I forgot about this."

I held back a snarky comment about him being too preoccupied with sleeping around. I didn't come here for a fight. I came for answers.

"Do you love her?" His eyes widened slightly, taken aback by my question. "Because if you do then that almost makes what you did understandable. But if you were just horny--"

"That's not what it was," he defended. "Melanie and I--"

"I don't need the details." I didn't want to know how they met, when they met, or how long they'd been sneaking behind my back. I only came for one answer. "You never answered my question. You love her?"

He scratched his brow with his free hand. "I don't know about all that. It's just...different."

That was the best answer I was getting out of him. Maybe that was his way of saying he was in love or maybe he's just hopped up on the honeymoon phase. Either way I was satisfied with the answer.

From the way he talked it didn't sound like a fling. He didn't break my heart on purpose, his just wanted someone else. How could I be mad at him for that?

When I left, letting the gate close behind me, the break up felt official. More official than him dumping me. More official than me throwing out all of his stuff. It was like that keychain was the last remaining piece holding me back.

Now I felt new, refreshed. Ready to take on anything. As I made my way back home all I could think about was the Fourth of July barbecue. The fireworks, the food.

Julian.

+ + +

The door on Adam is closed, locked, nailed shut. 

Now Elisa can completely move forward with her life.

Thanks for reading <3