efore the door closed.
Those haunting eyes. Those mesmerizing curves. I wished I could have seen her smile—just once. That’s what I missed most of all. I didn’t deserve that though. I deserved a slap across the face. I deserved a kick that made me balls retreat into my body. I certainly didn’t deserve to be thinking about her—to be reliving the good memories in my head without letting myself feel the remorse of how it all ended. That was coming though, and it was going to rip my heart into pieces just like it did the day I realized she was gone for good.
“She’s back.” Preston walked up beside me as I held my coffee in my hand.
“Yeah.” I nodded as I continued to stare at the door.
My one fucking regret in life—Eliza Abner.
* * *
Five years ago
“Hudson, just ask her out. She’ll rock your world if you liquor her up.” Preston chuckled and motioned towards Eliza. “That’s what everybody says at least.”
“Yeah…” My words trailed off. “That’s what they say.”
I had been crushing on Eliza Abner for years, but I had never told anyone until the day I let it slip to my brother. I heard the stories. I knew what the other guys said. She was a slut in goth makeup and raven colored lipstick. Most of them didn’t remember the sweet girl she used to be before she started wearing all black. Even her beautiful red hair wasn’t safe from her visible descent into teenage angst. I remembered the girl that used to be nothing but knees and elbows when she lived with the family next door to us. I spent an entire summer letting myself fall in love with that girl, but we were just kids. When the school year started up again, the family next door stopped fostering her, and I didn’t think I would ever see her again. A few years later, she returned to my school, but she might as well have been a stranger. I tried to talk to her a couple of times, but she didn’t seem very interested in reliving the summer we were friends.
And now it’s too late. We’re going to graduate in a few days and then I’ll never see her again.
“Maybe she’ll come to the graduation party.” Preston leaned against the wall and looked over at me.
“I doubt it. She hasn’t been to any other parties this year.” I grunted and turned towards my locker, sneaking a glance at her curves as she walked by.
“Maybe this will be the one—and you can get lucky.” Preston nudged me.
“You guys talking about the party?” Our friend Dave walked up and dropped his backpack on the floor at his feet.
“Yeah. Hudson is trying to figure out how to get into Eliza Abner’s panties.” Preston smirked and motioned to me.
“I hear you can just shake a bottle of liquor and she’ll come running.” Dave chuckled and shrugged.
“You hit that?” Preston tilted his head inquisitively.
“Nah, I don’t really dig the goth girls. I’ve been trying to hook up with Melanie Andrews, but she’s playing hard to get. Not much longer though.” Dave grinned and started opening his locker.
“You only have one more chance.” I raised an eyebrow. “You better move quick.”
“Nah,” Dave smirked. “She’s going to the same college I am. When she gets homesick—guess who will be there to remind her of Andalusia?”
“You better be careful. You might end up marrying her.” Preston chuckled and slammed his locker shut.
“Nah, fuck that.” Dave grabbed his books and laughed. “I’m never getting married.”
“Me either.” Preston shook his head back and forth. “Catch you later, bro.”
“Yep.” I nodded and started walking towards my next class.
Preston and I were brothers, but we didn’t have much in common except football. That was our father’s influence who was a living legend at Andalusia High School from his days on the field. He lived like a rock star when he was our age—and that lifestyle left him with two pregnant girlfriends before he ever graduated from high school. To his credit, he stepped up and took care of his kids, despite the drama that came from knocking up two girls at the same time.
Our family dynamic was weird to say the least, especially after we were old enough to understand how strange our situation was. My Mom married someone else when I was still a toddler, and her new husband wasn’t that fond of having her high school fling’s kid around. Preston’s mother left town shortly after he was born and never returned. He lived with his grandparents for a couple of years before Dad showed up with him one day and introduced me to my brother from another mother—literally.
* * *
The graduation party
“Look how many hot girls came to see us graduate from high school.” Preston put his hands on his hips and looked around like a king observing his subjects.