Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 5

Sleepy brown eyes opened to an unfamiliar room. I struggled to remember where I was when I felt heat coming from my side. Looking down at my companion, the memories rushed through me as I watched him sleep. He was handsome, there was no doubt and as I stared at him I knew that nothing had changed. It was as if we grew older apart but our love had also grown stronger. Sighing softly as I turned to the bedside table to look at the clock I noted that it was a little past eight.

“Sean,” I called out, whispering softly unwilling to actually wake him up though I knew I had to. “Sean, wake up.” I shook him lightly and he groaned in response. “Sean.”

“Joyce?” he asked as jade eyes fluttered open. My breath hitched at the mention of my second name, only one person ever called me that. “You came back to me,” he said, his arms wrapping tighter around me. “Just like you promised you would.” He snuggled closer to my side, burying his face in the valley between my breasts. Heat flowed through me at his actions but I refused to acknowledge the fact that he had called me by my second name.

Suddenly the door slammed open to reveal both Antonio and Tracy panting for breath as they stared at us in shock.

“Anne?” was the only word to come out of Tony’s mouth.

“Hi Ton-ton,” I replied cheerfully.

“What’s going on here?” Tracy asked.

“Oh nothing much,” I said with obviously feigned innocence. “Hey Sean, could you let go of me?” I asked the man who looked so comfortable lying next to me.

“Why should I?” he asked sleepily.

“I have to prepare,” I said. “I’m leaving in a few hours.”

“No, you can’t,” he almost sobbed. “You can’t leave me again Joyce.”

“Jake, I have to go,” I cursed at the slip of my tongue but I couldn’t take it back. “How are you feeling?” I asked as I tried to change the subject.

“I feel like I’d been run over by a truck and now, a herd of zebras are stampeding in my head.”

“Let me up and I’ll get you something for that hangover,” he reluctantly let go of me and cradled his head. I motioned for Tracy to follow me as I said, “Hey Trace, could you come with me?”

“Yeah sure,” she said. “Let’s go,” she took my hand and dragged me out the room. We waited outside for the confrontation we both knew would come but all we could hear were their muffled voices through the door.

“Huh?” was all Tracy could say. “I expected more… fireworks,” she continued.

“Yeah, me too,” I replied. “Come on.”

We were quiet as we walked to my room both immersed in our own thoughts. I worked mechanically as I took my pill box from my school bag and a glass of water from the fridge. The almost deafening silence was broken by the shrill ringing of my phone.

“Hi mom.”

“Hi sweetie,” my mom said. “I was just wondering what time you’ll be back home.”

“Sometime after breakfast mom,” I told her. “I promise I’ll be home before lunch.”

“Alright, I just wanted to make sure.”

“How are the kids?” I asked as if I was the mother.

“Well Sharon and Ricky are still asleep but Jason’s awake,” she informed me. “Do you want to talk to him?”

“Sure mom,” I said. There was a rustling as the phone was passed on and then my baby brother’s voice came across the line.

“Good morning Anne!” he greeted me cheerfully.

“Good morning baby boy!” I said just as happily.

“When are you coming home?” he asked. “I miss you so much and Ricky and Sharon were annoying me so much last night and… and…”

“I’ll be home before lunch today baby boy.” I assured him. “Don’t worry alright. Now give the phone to mom.”

“Okay Anne! I love you.”

“I love you too,” I told him. Again there was a rustle as he gave the phone to mom. “Mom, I’ll be home soon.”

“Alright sweetie,” she said. “Take care and say hello to Fred and Marianne okay?”

“They didn’t come but I’ll tell Tony to pass the message on. Bye mom.”

“Bye Anne.”

“I know Antonio’s cousin,” Tracy suddenly spoke as I closed my phone.

“You do?”

“I know that he’s your ‘childhood sweetheart’,” she told me. I looked inquisitively at her so she continued, “He told me about your past with Sean.”

“Did you know Sean personally?” I walked over to the bed, momentarily forgetting the cure I had promised said person.

“Yeah,” Tracy looked me in the eyes as she said, “He’s my best friend. We’re close to each other though not as close as you are with Tony.”

“Could you tell me more about him?”

“Of course,” she patted the spot next to her on the bed. “You know he’s a good person.” She said as I sat down beside her. “He’s generous when he wants to be, he’s nice, and I’ve never seen him treat a girl other than the way we’re supposed to be treated. He’s always ready to help but he doesn’t like being used.”

“Do you know what happened between him and the girl?” I asked.

“Of course, but I think you should hear that story from him.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry I know he’ll tell you. That’s if you tell him who you are.” I opened my mouth to say something but she cut me off, “I won’t say anything until you do, I promise.” She said. “Now I think we need to get back because he needs this hangover remedy you have.” She chuckled.

“I have half a mind to let him stew over it for little while with the stunt he pulled last night,” I muttered.

“Last night?” she waggled her eyebrows at me.

“I meant what he did to the living room.”

“But you said something about last night,” she said. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” I insisted but she only continued to stare at me. I huffed, then stood up and left the room, ignoring the snickering girl following behind me. Knocking quietly on the door, I waited for their response as I stood with the chuckling girl still standing behind me. I opened the door at their approval to find both men sitting on the bed; they turned towards us as we walked inside the room.

“Hey Sean,” I greeted the green-eyed man whose face looked so tired. “How are you feeling?”

“Really bad,” was his curt reply, I could only chuckle in amusement.

“Here drink these,” I said as I handed him two aspirin and a glass of water.

“Anne, what time do you have to be back?” Antonio asked.

“I need to be back before lunch but if you’re ready now I’d like to go home.”

“Alright,” Antonio said. “Let’s go eat so I can drop you off.”

“Goodbye Sean,” I said to the other man. “It was nice meeting you.” He stared back at me suspiciously, his green eyes narrowed before he nodded.