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“Our relationship wasn’t easy. Quite the opposite actually. We fought a lot. She could be really jealous, which in high school I always thought was annoying. I couldn’t even talk to another girl in the hallway without her getting upset. We actually broke up often over it.” Man, I haven’t thought about this shit in a long time. I forgot how jealous she used to get. “But, we were in love. We’d break up and then we’d get back together. It’s just what we did. She started to grow up our senior year and we started to make plans.”
“Wedding plans?” She asks, tucking her leg over mine and pulling me closer.
“Wedding plans. Life plans. All the plans,” I chuckle. “She loved life and she was just so ready to get out of school and be adults. We got a small one bedroom apartment right after high school, above the bar. Saved all of our pennies to afford it. Then this house came up for sale and she loved it and I loved her so we scrimped and saved some more to put the down payment on it and my mom co-signed the loan for us.” I laugh, tears stinging the back of my eyes. “She had this vision of the way she wanted the house to look and I worked really hard to bring that to life for her. I took all the things I learned working construction and started updating things around here. We were happy,” I finish, letting out a heavy sigh
. I shrug my shoulders. “And then she died, right in the middle of this incredible life we were trying to build,” she looks at me with a sad smile.
“Do you miss her?” she asks, snuggling closer and tucking her small body against me. I run my hand down her back and look her in the eye.
“Every day,” I whisper back honestly and something passes across her face. We stay like that a while longer, until it’s time to go get the kids.
Lex
The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are changing colors. It’s been a rollercoaster so far with me and Ford. I sleep over there more often than I sleep at home. I’m loving teaching at the school and having Clarissa here has been amazing. I finally feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be.
Now it’s Saturday and I’ve been planning a get together with all of our friends and us and Ford’s family. It will be the first time all of us will really be together as a big group and I’m super excited. Ford was hesitant to invite everyone over, but I persuaded him. I’m at the counter in his kitchen putting the finishing touches on the burgers before we throw them on the grill when Ford strolls into the kitchen, all broody and whatnot.
“Remind me again why we're doing this?” he grumbles, grabbing a beer from the fridge and eyeing the ever-growing group of people in his backyard.
“Because you love me,” I quip, spinning around and shoving the tray of hamburger patties at him and say seriously, “now go forth and grill.”
He grunts before pressing a kiss at my temple and sulking out the back door. I snag my glass of wine from the counter and make my way outside. Everyone is here and then some. We’ve invited some of the teachers we work with and their families, so there’s about half a dozen kids running around out back on top of ours and Avery’s. She’s here with Gen and Blake. Sophie’s here with a couple of girlfriends and Jaxson showed up about twenty minutes ago. Clarissa is of course here and we’ve also invited a couple of people from the neighborhood.
I drop down in the Adirondack chair next to Riss, who’s chatting with Jaxson and a couple other guys from the neighborhood. But I’d have to say I think Jax is more interested in Avery than talking with these guys. He’s barely taken his eyes off of her since I walked into the backyard. The group of guys break up and wander off to find their wives and that leaves just Clarissa, Jaxson, and me.
“Jax, if you stare much harder, that poor girl is going to take a restraining order out on you,” Clarissa says, and I crack up. Jax narrows his eyes at her.
“Whatever,” he grumbles, downing the rest of his beer and striding over to Ford at the grill. Apparently, that gives Avery the opening she wanted to come over and sit with us because not long after, she’s plopping down in the chair Jax just got out of.
“Hey babe,” I say, grabbing a White Claw out of the cooler beside me and tossing it to her. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
She heaves out a sigh and gives me a sad smile, “yeah, I am. The kids are, too. Thank you for inviting us.”
“Of course. You’re family.” I gently remind her, and myself if I’m being honest.
“Alright, enough of the sappy shit. When are you and Jaxson gonna fuck each other out of your systems?” Clarissa asks, and Avery sprays her drink all over herself.
“Oh my god,” Avery hisses, “he’s my boss, Clarissa. And he fucking hates me. What makes you think we would fuck?!” She finishes quietly, cutting her eyes to make sure Jax isn’t listening.
“Oh, sweet girl,” Clarissa says, patting her on the knee and giving her a sympathetic look, “there’s a fine line between love and hate. And that line, is fucking.” She says with all the wisdom in the world.
“God, you’re such a bastard, Dean!” Is shouted from across the yard. I turn and look towards the commotion and discover Whitley and Dean have entered the backyard and they’re already involved in a full-blown argument. Well, not really an argument, more like Whitley is hollerin’ and Dean shaking his head and grinning.
“Don’t forget baby, you used to love this bastard,” he calls as she storms away from him and flops down in the chair beside Avery.
“That son of a bitch,” she seethes, leaning forward and ripping the white claw out of Avery’s hand and downing it. “Why’d you invite him?”
“I didn’t, babe. Ford did,” I say, as if that is going to calm her down at all. Things have just been ratcheting up between the two of them and I’m afraid if they don’t resolve it, one of them will end up dead. She shakes her head.
“He just gets under my fuckin’ skin, ya know?” She says and we all murmur that we do know, we listen to ‘em every day.
“Anyways, enough about me. Who wants to tell me what’s up with Jax and Avery since this bitch won’t talk?” She asks and Ave groans, dropping her head back against the chair and rolling her eyes.
“Fine line, Avery. Fine. Line.” Clarissa reminds her, raising her drink in salute. Avery flips her the bird and we all laugh.
???
It’s later in the evening and we’ve all ate, drank, and laughed. The adults are gathered around the bonfire while the kids play flashlight tag. The music is low, playing some country ballad, and I’m curled up in Ford’s lap and he’s running his fingers through my hair. Jax and Avery are sitting together, and Whitley stormed out about an hour ago, so Clarissa and Dean are chatting. Most of the other families have dispersed and it’s just us and our close friends now. Nina and Steve, her boyfriend, popped by to eat and headed out to a movie.
