Wasn't Expecting That (Near To You - Chapter 3)

It seemed like it had taken a thousand years but we finally made it to my building. I would never admit this to him, but I was grateful he had offered to walk me home. I probably would have ended up with a PI charge, due to passing out on the sidewalk somewhere, if he hadn’t.

“This is it,” I told him, motioning toward the steps that lead to the door of my two-flat style building. I was really glad that I had the first floor apartment right now. Walking up the steps to the front door was hard enough for me. I almost fell on the few steps, but luckily Beau’s arm was still wrapped firmly around me to give me balance.

He stopped in the foyer with me as I dug for my front door key in my coat pockets. I fumbled with the key for a few minutes before he gently took it from my hands. “Here, let me.” He said, softly. Or at least I heard it softly. I was probably just so intoxicated that I was losing my hearing too.

He opened the door and helped me walk inside to my sofa. I let myself fall onto the soft cushions with a thud and immediately took off my shoes. Heels were definitely not for me. My feet were killing me, even as drunk as I was right now. I watched him as he looked around at my apartment. If I’d have been sober I probably would have wondered what he was thinking, but all I was worried about was finding my Tylenol. I knew I was in for it tomorrow if I didn’t take any. I stood up again and walked past him into the kitchen to get the bottle of pills off the top of my refrigerator. Normally, it wouldn’t have been an issue but trying to stand on your tip-toes in my current condition wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

I started to fall again, but before I knew what was happening, there were two arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I turned around and we were a little closer than what I had anticipated. I could feel the heat in my cheeks and knew I was blushing. Maybe he’d blame it on the alcohol. “Uh…” I fumbled for something to say, “I just need my Tylenol.” I shrugged.

He kept one arm around my waist, reaching the bottle down and onto the counter behind him in what seemed like one small motion, before he pulled me in even closer to him. He was grinning at me like an idiot. I hated him for it. He knew right then that he had me exactly where he wanted me. “Stop looking at me like that.” I managed to get out. I couldn’t make eye contact with him. I knew if I did exactly what would happen.

“Like what?” He asked, feigning innocence. He knew exactly what he was doing. I felt his thumbs drawing pictures on my lower back. This would happen now. When I’m drunk, and impressionable, and I haven’t gotten any in god knows how long.

He put a hand up under my chin, forcing me to look into those stupid hazel eyes. I stared at them for just a second. Those hadn’t changed either. They still had those same little gold flecks floating around and my god they were the most beautiful eyes I had ever stared into. “God damn it.” Is the last thing I can remember saying before my lips were on his. His hand made its way from my cheek to the back of my neck, pulling my face into his. All the bourbon made it blurry, but there was no denying that our spark was still there. No matter how bad I’d like to.

We paused for a moment and he gave me a look that said: Are you sure? I nodded, and grabbed his hand, leading him down the hall to my bedroom. Sober me would definitely be disappointed in the morning. Right then though? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that familiar spark that was flowing between us like an electrical current. All that mattered was that feeling I got as his lips touched me all over. All that mattered was that for just a moment in time, I was 19 years old again and my heart was so happy it could explode.

I woke up that morning with a pounding in my head and his arms draped lightly around my waist. I looked around the room trying to make sure I hadn’t just had some really crazy ass dream the night before. Our clothes strewn about the room and his skin on mine told me it was reality. I moved his arm off me carefully, trying not to wake him. I was pissed at myself for this, but his sleepy face scrunching up and watching him half wake up long enough to roll over in the bed still made me smile a little.

I looked at my clock. I had to be at work in twenty minutes and I hadn’t even showered. I rushed through a shower and got ready for work. All the while, Beau slept soundly in my bed. As much as I was hating him right now, he looked too peaceful to wake up. Besides, after last night, we had a lot to talk about.

I scribbled a note out and stood it up on the night stand for him to find when he woke up:
Had to get to work, stay if you can… we need to talk. Coffee in the kitchen.
See you later, Tay

It was a slow day at work. Thankfully, fast days never meant anything good. I spent the day doing paperwork and nursing my well-deserved hangover. Finally it was time to head home. I had went over in my head what I was going to say all day and still hadn’t figured it out yet. I was hoping it would all just come to me. If he was even still there waiting. Knowing Beau, he was already long gone by now.

I walked through the front door to find him sitting on my couch strumming his guitar. “Did you bring that with you last night?” I asked, kind of confused. I couldn’t remember him having it.

He chuckled, looking up at me, “No, I had someone come drop it off to me.” He told me and went back to playing around. I sat my stuff down on the counter and walked over to sit next to him on the sofa.

“So, about last night…” I started. I still wasn’t sure what I planned on saying, but I had to start somewhere right?

“I’m sorry,” he started, looking up at me after he leaned his guitar against the coffee table, “I honestly wasn’t planning on that happening. Old habits.” He shrugged at me.

I definitely knew what he meant by that. Between the influence of alcohol and the memories we shared, there was no way I was going to say no to him. I was sober now, and that meant it was time to get real. “Yea, well, it can’t happen again.” I told him pointedly. There was no way I’d ever go through a heartbreak like he had put me through, not with him or anyone.

He reached out and took my hand, “Listen, I know we didn’t leave things on the best terms, but I’m glad we’ve crossed paths again, Tay.” He told me. I didn’t know how he could just come back into my life so quickly and still have this effect on me. “I’ve been missing you since the day you left.” He said, raising his hazel eyes to meet mine. There were those damn butterflies again.

“Yea, well you should have thought about that before you destroyed me.” I told him, letting my emotions slowly get the best of me. Something I usually prided myself on not doing. I could tell that hurt him but I wasn’t really sure if I cared or not anymore. “I left because I never wanted to see you again, yet here you are. In my city, my bar, my fucking apartment.” I continued. Now, I was just being brutally honest with him. I was so glad when I got to leave Kentucky. I couldn’t have gotten away fast enough. All those feelings I felt then, were almost as fresh to me now.

“Taylor, I’m sorry. Do you really think I thought I’d ever run into you?” He pleaded. I just shrugged my shoulders and he continued, “Sure when I found out I where I was coming, the thought crossed my mind, but I thought, Chicago is a big city. What are the chances of me running into her?”

“Well apparently the odds are pretty damn good.” I seethed. I was still pissed. Paddy’s was my safe place from the world and he just showed up out of nowhere. Is nothing sacred anymore? Was this the universe trying to play some big joke on me? If so, I didn’t find it very amusing at all.

“Taylor, just hear me out, I’m in town for a few days, let’s just go get dinner and catch up.” He pleaded with me. I wanted to say not only no, but hell no. However my subconscious apparently had other ideas.

Before I even knew what was happening I felt myself say, “Sure, whatever.” It still blew my mind the control he had over me without even realizing it. It pissed me off, but it blew my mind too. I was like a little groupie around him. Whatever he wanted he could have. I hated that anyone could make me submit like that. It wasn’t me.

“Seriously?” He asked, I gave him a look that said don’t give me time to change my mind. “Ok, great. Awesome. I’m gonna…” he stood up, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. “I’m gonna have Chris come back and pick me up so I can go get cleaned up. Can I just, can I come back here and pick you up around 7?” He was grinning like a kid in a candy store. I could tell he hadn’t really expected a yes. Hell, I hadn’t either. I just nodded to him and he dialed his cell to call whoever Chris was.

“I’m gonna go get ready, don’t be late.” I told him as I walked into my bathroom and turned on the shower again. Yes, I was one of those weirdos who took more than one shower a day. I went ahead and climbed into the warm water. I heard him yell his goodbye a few minutes later and the door closed behind him.

What in the world have I done now? I wondered as I scrubbed shampoo into my hair for the second time that day. I really hoped I wouldn’t end up regretting this, but something in my gut told me I was going to. My gut was almost never wrong.