Hanging Pawns (The Fate Series Book 2) (10 page)

“So, then you will go out with me?” He laughs without looking up.

“No,” I deadpan back, causing him to laugh again.

Putting his arm under my knees he lifts me up to walk out to my bed.

“I can walk, you don’t have to carry me,” I say as he sets me down on the bed.

“Yeah, but then you would have lost some Band-Aids in the process and all my hard work would be for nothing… Goodnight, love.” He sends me one last smile.

“What happened to Darlin’?” I ask, a strange pain fills my chest.

“I think love is more accurate; you are not my Darlin’.” He winks before he leaves.

I lie back, tossing his words around in my head.

Not his Darlin’… heart beats painfully in my chest.

Does that mean I’m his…?

No. It doesn’t. It’s just a nickname.

I won’t allow myself to do this to him or myself… It isn’t fair to either of us.

I’m almost asleep when I hear a light tapping on my wall. My turncoat heart jumps with excitement, and against my better judgment… again, I smile and reach behind my head to tap the same rhythm back.

Cuddling into my bed, my thoughts are filled with visions of the boy next door and what it would be like if I could have him.

“The years teach much which the days never know.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pulling out a hoodie, I toss it over my long sleeve shirt and slide my lined running pants on. November is quickly becoming colder and colder as it gets closer to winter. Well, by our standards of winter that is. On the East Coast, I’m sure people have already broken out their winter jackets and are cursing about how much they hate the cold.

Thanksgiving is two days away, and I am planning on a nice quiet fall break alone since the twins and the guys are going to their parents’ houses in the Hamptons for the holiday. Taking a quick jog down the steps I hear Molly on the phone with who I’m guessing is her sister, since she is telling her that she has to go because it’s Thanksgiving and something about their Uncle Sal beating the crap out of Simon if she wants. I walk into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water overhearing Morgan on the phone with her mother about her pain-in-the-ass friend and what time their plane will land. Giving them both a silent wave, I head out the door to start my morning routine. I run down the steps, heading out on my regular route. I wonder what it would be like if I had a family like theirs: a family who is so supportive of their kids and doesn’t make them feel like they should be more or treat them like they are less. The ringing of my phone breaks my daydream. Without looking at the caller ID, I answer it to my father’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Hi, Mea.” His voice always brings me to a halt.

“Dad?” I ask.

Silence.

“Hello?” I say again.

Pulling the phone away from my ear I look down at the screen and see the call ended. I turn around and begin to walk home since I’m no longer in the mood for a run.

I rush up the steps, bursting through the front door just as Molly and Morgan are on their way out with their luggage.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay alone? You can come with us, you know. Our parents love company!” Molly tries yet again to convince me to go.

“Yeah, just look at the dipshits next door. They never leave when we’re all there,” Morgan adds.

Giving them both a hug, I wish them a Happy Thanksgiving from the doorway and watch them get in the limo with the boys. Josh left yesterday to go home, so I am completely alone. I scan the kitchen for food and realize we have nothing more than Ramen noodles and peanut butter. Thanks to a small diner down the street I managed to find a job that pays well enough so I’ll be able to run out and get something appropriate for the holiday. I grab my purse and head to the local market to get everything I’ll need for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Spending two hours at the store (most of which was spent in line with people getting their last-minute things), I’m finally home. Putting the turkey in a casserole dish to thaw, I stick it in the refrigerator along with cheese for sandwiches and the six loaves of bread for stuffing. Not to mention a few bottles of wine. Ripping open a bag of flour, I begin to cut butter into it to make pie crust. By the time I am finished with all the prep work and clean up, it’s after midnight. I decide to lie on the couch and watch some TV since I don’t have enough energy to walk up the steps. Tapping my nightly rhythm on the coffee table, I fall into a deep sleep.

“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”

~ M. Scott Peck

The next morning, I wake up to no loud music blasting through the wall and a very quiet house. Pulling myself off the couch, I turn off the TV and check on the turkey that is thawing at snail speed in the refrigerator. Grabbing my phone, I take off for a run leaving everything until I get back. The excitement of having my own holiday bursts through me and I beat my normal time.

When I get home, I take a quick shower and rush downstairs to make the filling for the pie and rip the bread apart for stuffing. By the time I’m finished the turkey is… still frozen. Crap…

I wonder what Molly and Morgan would do… My phone signals from the other room that I received a text.

---- JOSH ----

Happy Thanksgiving

What are you most

thankful for?

---- ME ----

To be alone.

How is your day?

---- JOSH ----

It’s not bad and

don’t lie, you

miss us all, me

the most though.

---- ME ----

Nope. I’m sitting

here in a very

quiet house reading

and catching up

on bad TV shows.

It’s soooo relaxing.

---- ME ----

Random question…

if you were Molly

and Morgan what

would you do with

a frozen turkey?

I stand against the counter biting my thumb, waiting for his reply.

---- JOSH ----

Do you need medical

attention? I would

not ask those two.

In fact, when faced

with a difficult

situation NEVER

wonder what they

would do, or if you

do, then do the

opposite of what

you think they

would do.

I laugh to myself, nodding along with the text.

---- ME ----

So what would you

do?

---- JOSH ----

Not buy a frozen