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The fact was, the moment I met Braxton at twelve years old, he became my first crush.My only crush.He was swoon-worthy to a young girl like me… make that every girl for that matter. At his age and as popular as he was, it was shocking how nice he always had been and how he’d never acted annoyed when we were around. Three young girls clamoring for his time and attention couldn’t have been easy, but he was a good sport about it. The summer right before he left for boot camp held some of my best memories. I was heartbroken right alongside Alley when he got on that plane.
Back then, I was so young, more childish-looking than kids my own age, painfully shy and I’d known that as I got older, my teenage infatuation would eventually fade away. Today at twenty-four, I was what most people would say was just the girl next door, nothing special. And even though I was about to see Braxton for the first time in more than a decade and I wasn’t that little girl anymore, I doubted he would even notice me. Not that I wanted him to. I was over that silly schoolgirl crush from so long ago.
Yeah right, keep telling yourself that Jurnee.
As I raced down the hall, my nerves of seeing Braxton amped up and my thoughts were swirling in a million places, I almost plowed right into Summer waiting for me at the end of the hallway by the living room.
Summer is blonde with green eyes, where Alley has jet black hair and blue eyes. It’s like night and day, with me stuck in the middle. I was like dusk, with my dull brown hair and brown eyes. I always felt plain compared to them, though they never made me feel that way and always said that we were like a perfect sandwich, with me being the best part in the middle. The sisterhood wasn’t complete until I came along, they said. Meeting these two when I first got adopted, attending a new school and had no friends at all, meant everything to me.
So there was Alley, and then there was Summer. Summer was model beautiful, rich, and crazy smart. Her parents are your typical country club type and may not have been as awful as Alley’s parents, but they still were not what you would call nurturing. Quite frankly, they were snobs and often expected things to be a certain way. Hence Summer’s rebellious streak, which drove her to do her own thing. Despite all she had and even wanting to break away from her parents, I still asked myself sometimes how she ended up with us. But I tried not questioning that too often because I’m so damn glad she did. And even with all the money, beauty, and personality, she is the most down to earth person I know. Summer has one of the biggest hearts, is loyal and so darn sweet. Kinda like the best Golden Retriever a person could have by their side.I am not sure she would like me comparing her to a dog.I held back a giggle as the thought popped into my brain.
Even though we saw Summer this way, she didn’t see herself the same because of her epilepsy. The struggles it brought to her while growing up and how she had to adjust her life to take care of herself had been a challenge, but her medication had been controlling the seizures for a long time now. Even through the tough times, Summer always tried to be positive and bring a sunny deposition into both Alley’s and my world. She was our light at the end of the tunnels of life.
We all seemed to have our roles and the three of us meshed perfectly together.
I’m pulled from my thoughts about my two besties, and if I’m being honest a certain hot, former Marine, as Summer grabbed a hold of both my shoulders to slow me down before we collided. “Let’s go girl, you're about to see your fantasy in the flesh.” Then she laughed like she just said the funniest thing on earth.
I knew I shouldn’t have ever told them about that damn crush. “Oh stop, that was forever ago.” She gave me the whatever look along with her whatever hand gesture, then turned around and headed toward the door.“I think we watchedCluelessone too many times growing up,” I said to her retreating back.
She whirled around. “You can’t watch that movie too many times. We all need a girls’ night and watch it again, just like old times.”
“Okay you’re right, and a girls’ night sounds awesome!” I exclaimed as I followed her toward the door with a ton of nervous energy. Almost in full panic mode, I grabbed my purse and started giving myself a silent lecture.It was just a crush, you’re twenty-four for heaven’s sakes. Time to get a grip because the moment for infatuation is long gone.
Alley had already headed over to meet her brother at his new place and help him organize stuff for a bit before heading to the bar for his welcome home shindig. So it was just Summer and I on the drive over. Summer was her cheerful self, singing away in the car to her favorite 80’s music, while I was contemplating jumping ship and making a run for it so I didn’t have to face the same guy I was trying to pretend didn’t matter.
But I didn’t really think barreling out of a moving car would be so smart, so I stayed put.
I continued to lecture myself during the drive to the bar. He and a buddy of his from his old unit had decided to move here after their time in the military and start their own business. I didn’t know much about it yet, but it was some sort of security business, self-defense training, and other stuff.
If knowing I was about to see him shortly didn’t spike my adrenaline like I just consumed one too many shots of Fireball, I didn’t know what would. It was really no big deal though because even though I was all grown up, he was still older and way too hot for me.
Sooo out of my league.
When we walked into the bar, my eyes landed on him immediately. It was as if he was a beacon sending off a signal. Like a moth to a flame. Nerves be damned, it was more like I was being zapped with a live wire.
Finally some brain cells seemed to come back to life and I realized I was insane for even coming.I can’t handle this. I am not sure what I was thinking, but before I could turn and bolt, Alley let out what sounded almost like a battle cry and ran towards Summer and me. “Finally, you two show up,” she said.
“I think maybe I should just go. This is for your brother and his friends.”
“She is just scared to see her dream man,” Summer blurted out, a smirk on her face.
“First of all, you’re not going anywhere, Jurnee. You're my best friend and you're staying to celebrate my brother being back stateside. Second, we are going to have a great night out, all three of us,” Alley stated. The look on her face was her don’t-even-try-to-mess-with-me look, so I knew at that moment, I was not getting out of this.
Can I do this? But Alley was right, we should be here with her because she is ecstatic that her brother is finally back for good. He could have gone anywhere and had so many offers for different jobs, yet he picked coming back to Portland. Neither he nor Alley spoke to their parents any longer, so they were the only family each other had; they meant the world to one another. I was filled with complete joy for them both, knowing that brother and sister would be spending quality time together again made my heart sing.
“You’re right Alley,” I said. “Don’t get smug with me for admitting that either.” Her look was exactly that, smug as hell.Whatever,let’s do this. “Okay girls, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Whoop!” Summer shouted. “Let’s get this party started!”
“Damn right!” Alley yelled.
Now all attention seemed to be on us after their insane hollering. Though it was that one pair of insanely deep green eyes that were trained on me right then, the ones which seemed to be looking straight into the depths of my soul, that had me all gooey inside. I’d never felt like that in my life and it confused the heck out of me. I didn’t have time to analyze it any longer because both my friends grabbed a hand and started dragging me straight toward that piercing gaze that was locked right on mine.
My only thought:Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.
Braxton
I was vaguely aware of the people chattering amongst us, the music thumping loudly through the speakers around the bar, and glasses clinking, as I hung out with my buddies. All of it was a bit faded and distant to me as though the beautiful goddess I was looking at, had me in a trance of some sort.
