JoJo gave me a puzzled look but decided against probing me. “Well, let’s go get the rest of the stuff so we can start setting up.” She checked her phone and threw it on the skinny wooden table pushed up against the wall. “I told everyone to start showing up around seven, so we’ve only got a few hours.”
I calmed my breathing down and sent up my silent screams to God. “Fine. You go first. I’m gonna pee.”
She didn’t answer; she only pranced out the front door, making sure the balloons stayed put. The second she was out of my house, I let out a huge huff of air. I tried to think rationally at first. Maybe it was his friend’s house…which was pretty doubtful unless they were rich. Maybe it was his parents’ house and he was just visiting…highly unlikely. Maybeeee, it was a fluke. Maybe my eyes played a trick on me. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d done that.
For months after I got the news, I thought I saw Alexander everywhere. I would see his dark blond, cropped hair peeking through an aisle at the grocery store, or I’d see him jogging down the street, which would then lead to me following him, only to find out that I’d just semi-stalked some dude exercising. My eyes loved to play tricks on me. All. The. Time.
I quickly realized th
at I should have been done peeing by now, and JoJo should be back dropping decorations off in my doorway, which she wasn’t, so I panicked.
I ran over to the door and peered outside. Shit! There was JoJo with her straight, ember-colored hair, chatting it up with Lucas. I moved away quickly and pressed my back to the cool wall as if he was going to see me standing there, creeping. If he wasn’t so damn attractive, I wouldn’t care. He was kind of a dick at the hospital, anyway. So why am I freaking out?
I slithered my way along the wall, its smoothness rubbing my back through my t-shirt, and then I rounded the corner, slowly sliding to the floor. No biggie. I would just hide out here…forever.
Whenever I’ve acted bitchy towards someone (read as: beautifully sarcastic and witty), it’s only ever because I either 1. Knew the person really well so they knew I was kidding, or 2. Knew that I would never see them again. I mean, seeing Lucas again wasn’t exactly that absurd, considering I only lived twenty minutes from the Marine Corps base, but most Marines either lived on base, or in the town that the base resided in. Obviously, there were the few that liked to live on the wild side and stay even further away, but not many. It would be a drag to drive that far to work every day; I would know. My brother used to complain about it every time he needed a break from the barracks and would come crash on my couch.
“Are you pooping? You’re taking forever!” JoJo exclaimed while walking through the door.
I let out a small laugh and shook my head as I stood up and rounded the corner. She was standing there with about five bags on each arm, black hair sticking to her face.
“No, sorry.”
I grabbed the bags off her arm and laid them on the tiny kitchen island.
I’ve been renting my house since I graduated college a couple years ago. I thought long and hard about where I wanted to live after I graduated, and I always came back to this little town. It had its benefits. Not too close to base, so I wouldn’t have to be surrounded by the foul, embarrassing memories my dad left us with; but just close enough that I could still feel at home and be near Alex.
I knew that Alex wouldn’t always be based here, but out of all the places we lived as children—this one was our favorite. Our absolute favorite. I’m sure it had a lot to do with the fact that when we lived here (the first time) our parents were still in the “honeymoon” stage of their marriage. My dad didn’t deploy a whole lot when he was stationed here, either, which definitely made a big difference during that time in our lives.
Once we came back here the second time, after living in Arizona, things started to dwindle in my parents’ marriage. It was probably one of the crappiest times of our lives. The bitter taste of betrayal still lays on my tongue, but the good always outweighs the bad. Always.
JoJo piped up, “Oh, hey. I invited your new neighbor tonight.”
I dropped the small box of plastic forks, hearing them clatter as they hit the hardwood floor.
“WHAT?” I yelled.
JoJo threw her hands up like she’d been caught stealing something from our local grocery store. “What? I thought you would want to meet him. Don’t worry, he isn’t a potential boyfriend…he’s a Marine.” I saw her roll her dark eyes at my ridiculous rule, but I’d given up explaining that to her a while ago.
“I know who he is! I didn’t want him to come!” I said, picking up the forks and busying myself so she couldn’t see my face.
“Wait. What? How do you know him? Did you already meet him when he moved in or something?”
I let out a big breath and lowered my shoulders. “No. I met him at the hospital a few days ago.”
JoJo’s mouth hitched. “And?”
I looked away, grinning. “I may have been a bit…rude to him.”
JoJo grinned. “What did you do?”
A laugh crept its way from deep in my belly before I began telling her just how rude I’d been to Lucas.
Four
My small living room and adjoining kitchen were filled with the balloons, bouncing off each and every dark wall. There was a banner hanging over the small archway that read “Welcome Home!” and little paper stars dangled from the ceiling. This was exactly how my living room would have looked a year ago if Alex had made it back safe and sound. But he didn’t, so here we were: celebrating my best friend’s fiancé’s homecoming, and that of the other friends who we’ve surrounded ourselves with over the past few years.
JoJo and Ryan have known each other for far longer than she and I have. Ryan went to grade school with JoJo, whereas I didn’t meet JoJo until middle school. They dated a few times throughout high school, broke up a few times, then ended up back together after they realized that there wasn’t really anyone else in the world who they’d rather be with.