"Hey Olive," I greeted.
"Hey Will, how was your day?" she asked, grinning at her son as she unbuckled him from his car seat. I grabbed a few of the grocery bags.
"Oh, it was fine. We had lots of fun today, didn't we BJ?" I directed my words to my little nephew, who waved his hands around and blew spit bubbles in response. My sister-in-law and I grinned at each other as we made our way into the house. Brad greeted us with a smile and took his son from Olive's arms.
"Hey Will, what's up?" he asked.
"Nothing much, just bringing in groceries," I answered. Olivia took the bags from my arms.
"I'll take care of these, you go on upstairs. You've got a visitor waiting." She smiled and headed off into the kitchen. I took the stairs slowly, dragging my tired body up to my room. I opened the door and smiled when I saw Isaac sitting on the end of the bed, something in his hands. He looked up, but didn't smile. It didn't register in my mind that something was wrong, so I just stumbled over to him and lay down beside him on the bed.
"Oh Ike, what a day," I groaned, draping my wrist over my eyes. He didn't say anything, so I moved my arm and looked over at him. "Ike? What's up?"
"Were you just going to keep lying to me, or were you planning on eventually telling me?" he asked, his voice low and cool. I sat up, confusion clouding my face and my tired state being forgotten.
"What are you talking about?" I replied. Isaac held up what had been in his hands when I had come in, and my eyes widened. It was the letter I had received just a few days ago. I looked around and, had I not been so tired when I first walked in I would have noticed the other letters I'd received also sitting beside Isaac on the bed. I looked at him with large eyes. "I-I don't…"
"Will, why didn't you just tell me? I hate the fact that I can't trust you to tell me when something important like this comes up," he started, tossing the letter onto the other stack and getting up. I grabbed the pile of letters and tried to hide them with my hands. "I mean, here I am thinking that we have the whole summer together, and you're just secretly planning to run off again."
"No, I'm not-" I stopped suddenly and looked down at the letters. I know for a fact that I had hidden them in one of my drawers in my dresser. In order for Isaac to have found them…
I looked up at him again with accusing eyes. "You went through my things? How dare you! You disrupted my privacy! You have no right to do that!" I shrieked at him. Ike returned my look with one just as identical, if not colder.
"I wouldn't have had to do that if I hadn't known you were keeping things from me," he shot back.
"It's none of your business!" I insisted, standing up and going back to my dresser to return the letters. "If it had anything to do with you, I would have told you right away. But this doesn't concern you."
"Doesn't concern me?" Isaac was by my side in a flash, his hand gripping my shoulder. "How can this not concern me? Willow, you're leaving me, again. That man in the letter said that he would be sending you a plane ticket next week. How does you leaving me not come across as a concern?"
"Because… You don't understand," I replied, pulling away from him and walking to the window, keeping my back to him. I was on the verge of a panic attack. No way this can be happening, not today…
"No, Willow, you don't understand. You don't seem to understand that I love you and you going away is just going to turn my world upside down." Isaac stopped talking, and we were silent for a moment. I heard him move, and then his voice was right beside me, softer this time. "Please tell me what's going on."
I took a little breath, keeping my eyes trained on the birds that were fluttering around the bird feeder outside, willing myself not to look away. "My professor… He got me into this internship that is practically impossible to get into. This internship it's… well, it's probably the best thing that could ever happen to me. I'd be stupid if I gave it up. I have to let my professor know by Thursday what I'm going to do, and if I go, I'll leave next week."
Isaac didn't say anything at first, then, "So you haven't decided yet?"
"I have, I just haven't sent my reply," I said quietly.
"And what? You're just gonna leave? How can you do this?" he asked, his voice rising again. I finally brought myself to look up into his eyes. They were emotionless and void.
"How can I do what? Follow my dreams? Um, let me think about that for a minute," I answered coldly. I started to step away, but stopped and turned back to him. "No, you know what? How can you do this? How can you stand there and act this way about something I've only wanted since forever? What gives you the right to make me change my dreams? How can you act like this?"
"I'm not making you do anything! You're not hearing me-"
"You're right, I'm not," I agreed, walking over to my desk and grabbing a pad of paper.
"I just don't get why you didn't tell me about this earlier. We could have worked this out; talked this through…"
"Worked this out? You think that by telling you earlier, you could have talked me out of leaving?" I asked, looking up at him. "You know what? You're right. I don't understand you. I don't think I ever really understood you."
"No, don't say that. We did understand each other. But you kept this from me, and this is important. This makes me think that I didn't really understand you, either. You didn't think I'd be upset?"
"No… yes… I don't know. I thought you'd support me; honor my decision. But I guess that's just a little too much to ask of the great Isaac Hanson, who gets whatever and whoever he wants, isn't it?" I asked, cringing inside at my words and cursing the fact that I couldn't stop myself. I grabbed a pen and started hastily writing a reply letter to my professor. Ike looked a little taken aback at my statement. He then narrowed his eyes.
"My status has nothing to do with you treating the people you love like their opinions don't matter and that you leaving is not important to them," he said in a low voice. I stopped writing and threw my pen down on the desk.
"Yes! If this is how the people I love are going to act, then their opinions don't matter at all," I said firmly. We locked eyes, but didn't say anything. I turned away from him and stared down at the paper, my written words suddenly blurring when tears filled my eyes. Ike reach out to touch my shoulder.
"Look, Will, I'm sorry-"
"Don't… just don't, Isaac," I whispered. He stopped and I could feel his eyes on me for a moment before he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Once he'd gone, I turned to look at the door and let my tears fall freely. They soon turned into sobs and I laid my head on my arms on the desk, not hearing a soft knock on the door. Olivia's gentle voice filled my ears, trying to sooth me, and she rubbed my back. No matter, soothing words were not what would mend the damage that had just been done.
"Don't be a sore winner," he grumbled. I ignored him and proceeded to do the "Running Man" dance move, then churned the butter. When I stopped and looked at Taylor, his annoyed look melted away and a smile returned to his face. I grinned back.
"It's okay, Tay. I'll let you win next time," I assured him. He nodded, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, sure. Let me win. Okay Zac," he answered sarcastically. He turned away, and I ran up behind him, knocking the basketball out of his hands. I laughed evilly as I ran around him and headed towards the hoop for a lay-up. "Oooh, sneaky. Nice, but I can do better."
I tossed the ball at him and nodded, beckoning him forward with my hands. "Bring it on, bro," I challenged with a mock-serious look. He dribbled and went to make a shot, and I checked him. I grabbed the ball and dodged away, pausing at the 3-point "line" (a line we had drawn in pink chalk), and made my shot. The ball sailed through the hoop.
"Nice shot," a voice complimented. Tay and I looked at the front door to see Megan watching, two glasses of ice water in her hands. "Anyone thirsty?"
What followed was a mad rush to the front steps, grabbing hands, and spilling water as Taylor and I gulped down the much-needed liquid. Megan left us sitting on the stairs with our drinks, and went over to get the ball. She dribbled a few times and made a shot.
"I used to play back in junior high," she explained, retrieving the ball again.
"Wanna join us?" I asked. "I'll go grab Jessi and we can play 2 on 2." I jumped up and ran into the house, looking for my younger sister. When I found her, she was doing homework and mom wouldn't let her come play until she finished. I went back outside to tell Taylor and Megan that I'd be referee for a game, but heard a new voice when I stepped out the door.
"Hey Tay, Jessi can't-" I stopped when I saw Hannah, our next door neighbor. She smiled when she saw me and waved.
"Look Zac, our fourth member. Let's play. Girls against boys," Megan suggested. I smiled and nodded at Hannah, and joined them on the "court."
"Ready to be humiliated?" Tay teased them, grinning over at me.
"Don't count on it," Meg teased back. We began the game and I stole the ball, shooting a lay-up instantly. Taylor and I high-fived while Hannah and Meg exchanged annoyed looks. I tossed the ball to Megan and she moved forward, dribbling the ball. Taylor ran up to her and grabbed her around the waist, throwing her over his shoulder. Megan squirmed and laughed.
"Hey!" she yelled. "Personal foul!"
"Quick, Zac!" he called. I grinned and ran around Hannah to get the ball, but she was faster than I was. She got the ball and ducked out of my reach. She stepped up and made a shot, gaining a point for the girls. I offered her my hand for a high-five, and pulled it out of the way quickly just before our hands connected. I laughed, and ran away. I just happened to look towards the end of the driveway then and saw someone in the shadow of a tree move, then disappear. I shrugged, thinking it was a fan or some member of the media, and went back to the basketball game.
"Hey Ike, what are you doing? I know you've moved out and everything, but you're still allowed in the house," he joked. I didn't laughed, didn't even attempt a smile. Taylor sensed that something was wrong and stopped fooling around. "Hey, you okay? What's wrong?"
"I don't think I can talk about it right now," I answered, staring at my hands on the wheel. "Did someone page me?"
"Yeah, mom did," Taylor answered, concern still in his voice. "She wanted to invite you and Will over for dinner. Look, Ike, whatever it is, I'm sure talking about it will make it better."
"No, Tay, talking about it won't. Tell mom I say thank you for the invitation, but I'm not hungry," I told him, starting up the car again. Taylor didn't budge. I finally made myself glance over at him, giving him a much colder look than I'd meant. "If you don't mind removing yourself from my car, I'd like to leave now. Thank you."
"Sorry," he mumbled, stepping back. He closed the door and just stood there, watching me. I ignored him and backed out of the driveway, then tore off down the street. Once again, I didn't remember the ride, but I found myself back at my apartment. Once inside the building, I fumbled with my keys with shaking hands. A door closing behind me startled me, and I turned to see Aaron.
"Hey Hanson, what's up?" he asked. I shook my head and, finding the right key, unlocked my door. He followed me into my apartment. "Rough day?"
"You could call it that," I answered, tossing my keys onto the kitchen table. "I don't really want to talk about it right now."
"Hey man, that's cool. I understand," Aaron told me. "I was just gonna go out and meet some friends for come drinks. Do you want to join me? Drown your sorrows, buddy."
I was going to decline, really I was. But the invitation was there, and I wasn't exactly thinking like my normal self, so I agreed and followed Aaron back outside.
"Isaac's in one of his moods again," he answered. I stopped mid-reach for the green beans and gave Taylor a strange look.
"What do you mean?"
"He seemed annoyed. I made a joke and he just blew me off, and told me that he didn't want to talk about whatever it is that's bothering him," Tay explained. "Then he said he wasn't hungry, and demanded that I get out of his car so he could leave."
Jessi chuckled. "Something is definitely wrong if Isaac doesn't want to talk," she teased. Taylor and I gave her dirty looks, and she widened her eyes innocently. "What? You know it's true, don't pull this on me."
"It may be true, but that's beside the point," Taylor replied. We dropped the subject when our parents entered the room and we said Grace. After dinner and helping to clear the table, I retreated to my father's den and picked up the phone to dial.
"Hi, is Reagan there?" I greeted the woman who answered the phone. There was muffled noise in the background for a moment before my girlfriend got on the phone. I smiled when I heard her ask hello. "Hey babe, what's up?"
"Zac?" she asked. My smile dropped a little. She always scolded me for calling her that, but this time it was different. Had I called at a bad time?
"Well, yeah. Who else calls you babe? Should I be concerned?" I teased. Reagan was quiet for a moment.
"No, I wasn't expecting it to be you, that's all," she said finally. A curious look crept onto my face.
"Oh, you were expecting someone else?" I let my disappointment show in my voice, wondering if she would feel guilty or not.
"No, umm, I just thought you were busy, that's all."
"What do you mean?" I asked, nervously shifting my position in the chair behind my father's desk.
"I have to go, I'm sorry. Bye." She hung up the phone before I could say anything more, and I made a face at the receiver as the dial tone shrieked back at me. Something was definitely not right.
"Some bridal magazine. Reagan, Willow and I are supposed to be going dress hunting next week, and I have absolutely no clue what I'm looking for," she answered. I put my arm around her and moved closer beside her, grinning.
"Well, let me help you a little. Something white, and elegant, and feminine…" I trailed off laughing when Meg gave me a dirty look.
"You're so literal," she complained, closing the magazine and tossing it on the coffee table. She focused all her attention on me then, and rested her head on my shoulder. "Have you heard from Ike?"
I shook my head. "No, and I'm starting to worry. I mean, he's had hissy fits before, but this one seems different. I don't know."
"Have you tried calling his apartment?"
"Yes, and he's either not there or he's not answering the phone," I answered. I sighed and pressed my lips against Meg's left temple. She moved her head slightly and looked up at me with a soft smile.
"Don't worry, Ike's a big boy. He can take care of himself."
"Hmm?"
"The telephone… it's ringing again…"
I sighed, pulling away from the kiss I had previously been sharing with the woman beside me. I reached over and grabbed the phone cord, then gave it a yank and pulled it from the phone. When I turned back to the woman, I smiled. "There, that solves that."
She giggled and twirled a section of bleach-blonde hair around her finger. I replaced my hands on her waist and leaned in to kiss her lips again, then let my mouth roam over her jaw and down to her neck. "Oh Ikey, you know all the best places," she sighed.
I didn't respond, but continued to let the alcohol that was running through me control my actions. Aaron had kept his word, and after a few hours spent in a pub down the street, all thoughts from the day had slipped my mind. The only thing I wanted to think about was Candy, the woman whose skin was so soft it drove me mad. Or was it Sandy? Oh well, her name isn't important. It's the touch of her magic hands on the skin of my stomach that is important. It's her lips that are important…
The night was a blur. I don't remember everything. I'm glad that I don't remember anything, because waking up in bed with a stranger the next morning was enough to remember for a lifetime. The sunlight that poured into my bedroom woke me up, and my head was ringing. This, I was used to. Movement beside me, and the feel of warm, wet lips on the skin below my ear, I wasn't used to. I smiled, momentarily forgetting about the argument I'd had the day before, and rolled over, expecting to see Willow beside me. Instead, a pair of aqua blue eyes and bleach blonde hair entered my view. She smiled up at me.
"Morning baby," she greeted, leaning up to kiss me. I immediately rolled away, and jumped out of my bed, wrapping a blanket around my waist.
"What the hell?" I exclaimed. The girl, whose name for the life of me I could simply NOT remember, sat up and pulled the sheet around her surgically enhanced figure, pouting.
"What's wrong?" she asked. My mind whirled. What had we done? I couldn't remember a single thing about the night before. "Ikey?"
I shook my head and hurried out of the room into the bathroom. I closed and locked the door, then leaned against the sink and looked into the mirror. My reflection, a little bit pale and sickly, stared back at me. "What did you do, Isaac?" I asked myself. "What caused this?"
I couldn't answer those questions, and it scared the hell out of me. I splashed some water on my face and dried it, then rummaged through my dirty clothes hamper looking for something to put on. When I emerged from the bathroom, the blonde stranger was in the living room, fully dressed. She held one of her high-heeled shoes in her hand and was searching for the other one. When I entered the room, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes. Guilt instantly flooded me.
"Hey, look, I'm sorry for that back there… I just-"
"No, I understand," she insisted, finding her shoe. She sat on the couch to put her shoes back on, and I went over to stand in front of her.
"Sandy, I really am sorry. Last night… I really don't remember anything. I'd had a little too much to drink, and I wasn't myself. I'm not like this, really," I insisted. She looked up at me, suddenly annoyed.
"My name is Samantha," she corrected. Oops.
"Yeah, right. Samantha. Yeah. But, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. If there's anything I can do…"
"No, I think you've done enough, thank you," she answered, standing up and grabbing her jacket and purse off the end table. I followed her over to the door and gave her a guilty look.
"I'm sorry," I apologized again. She paused in the doorway and looked at me again.
"You know, you are amazing in bed. It's just too bad you're such an asshole out of it."
Ouch, I guess I deserve that. She turned and walked away, leaving me with a bruised ego. I closed the door and leaned against it heavily. It seems that all women are thinking of me that way lately. I sighed, and glanced at my watch. It was almost 9:30. I decided to take a quick shower and change my clothes, then go find Taylor to apologize for snapping at him yesterday.
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