One Last Chance | Book 3 | Sal Vulcano

Ch. 18

Waking up next to Sal was weird. I wasn't used to the feeling that Sal and I were next to each other, let alone sleeping next to each other. But something inside of me clicked, like this was supposed to happen. We didn't do anything, but I knew this feeling. This feeling of waking up to someone you cared about...

...

I wasn't doing anything wrong sleeping with Sal. It may seem like it since I had a boyfriend, but he wasn't going to last long. I knew I wasn't happy with him. Plus, Sal and I never did anything that would put me into the pit of cheating. I just crashed...sleeping in Sal's arms.

I wanted to do something special for Sal this morning. I wanted to do something that he has always done when he spends the night at my house. I was going to make him breakfast so he could wake up to the great smell of food on the counter. I got up and headed to his kitchen, sticking to my idea of breakfast.

Opening up the refrigerator door, I noticed Sal didn't have much in there. For breakfast, he only had eggs and sausage. I knew that they were busy with the show so I would understand why Sal didn't have any groceries. I grabbed the two items from inside and closed the door shut. But before I could set the things down to start, something caught my eye on the refrigerator door.

On his refrigerator, he had a calendar marked up with everything. Underneath that, though, were photos. Some printed, some polaroids. They were all of Sal and his buddies having a good time. Though, one of them caught my attention. It was one of us two, from earlier this year. In the photo, we were on a Ferris Wheel and behind us was a view of Brighton Pier; it was from the UK tour. Sal had his lips placed on my cheek as my face was all scrunched up, my lips forming a small smile of happiness.

I don't know how long I stared at that photo. I don't remember taking my eyes off of it either. It was drawing me in, flooding my mind with memories of both of us. How happy we were that night. How happy we were on that trip. I don't remember a time, other than last night, that we were that happy.

It hit me how much I missed Sal. How much I miss calling him my boyfriend. How much I miss seeing him light up around me. How much he would just love to show me off. How much Sal would just take time out of his day to come see me and his best friend Lady. It's crazy to know that Sal has impacted my life so much that just looking at a photograph of us when we were happy makes me want to run up and kiss him. It's crazy to see that Sal and I were once so in love, but now we hide it just so that we can rebuild our friendship. Our trust.

I really did miss Sal...

And I realize now Sal is missing me...

>><<

"You didn't have to make me breakfast." A groggily Sal said taking the plate I handed him.

"I insist. You always do it when you come over to mine, so I must return the favor." I smiled.

Sal let out a single chuckle. "It's funny, because this is all I had left in my refrigerator."

"I know," I said. "We should go grocery shopping."

"We should." Sal agreed as he ate a sausage link.

It surprised me on how Sal didn't react to the fact that we both said 'we' should go together. It's like we act like we are still together, nothing has happened. Yet, there is still a brick wall in between us, blocking us from going any further. We can't go anywhere. It's funny as well how I talk about us as we; we is strong for me.

"How's about we go around two thirty?" I asked.

"Why two thirty?" Sal asked as he scrunched his eyebrows together.

"I have lunch with Brian." I replied plainly.

"Oh," Sal swallowed, "that makes sense, I guess."

"Yeah." I replied with a shrug.

We fell into a silence as we finished up our breakfast. When we were done, we set our plates down on the counter and looked at each other. We didn't say anything, just looked at each other. I could see the flashes of love and hope go through Sal's eyes. It was like someone was standing there, making sure they were flashing the right signals back to me.

"Were you serious about what you said last night?" Sal asked with a plain face.

I let out a small burp into my hand. "What are you talking about?"

"You said, before falling asleep last night, that you were going to break up with Brian." Sal stared at me for a few seconds. "Are you really going to break up with him?"

"I don't know." I lied. "I say things, but I don't know if I really mean it."

"So, if you say that you don't like me, does that actually mean you like me?" Sal asked with a risen eyebrow, the corner of his lip turning up a small bit.

"Who knows?" I replied with a shrug.

Sal rolled his eyes. I felt bad, I really did. But I couldn't tell him the truth...

Not just yet...

First I had to deal with Brian. That was going to be a tough roller coaster to get on, knowing Brian has been waiting for this for a few years now...

'I don't want to be with Brian,' I thought. 'I want to be with the man who is in front of me.'