A Summer to Remember
5
Like a little kid, I was put in ‘time out,’ or at least that’s what it felt like. Once my dad got me off of Tyler I was dragged upstairs into my room. No one said anything to me. They were all just trying to make sure he was okay. It was his fault; he was the one that started it so I don’t know why I was being punished for it. I’m not a child anymore guys, so it’s stupid that I’m locked in my room. Well, not completely, most likely if I wasn’t put up here I’d be trying to punch his face in again. I can still picture his stupid smirk, laughing about how he’d won her for good since she was pregnant with his child. Natalie better hope that the baby gets all of her genes or else that is going to be one ugly mother fucker.
I laid on my bed with minor bruises and scratches on my face. Tyler barely got a good punch on me. Then they started coming upstairs to talk to me. First it was Jackie. Jackie has always been my favorite sister, but don’t tell Jess and Erica. Jackie has been the more athletic one and more or less a little brother, the tomboy of the family. She cracked open my door and peered in and saw me laying down on my bed. I lifted my head up for a second, “Come in Jack,” She smiled and walked inside and joined me on my bed staring up at the ceiling. “So how is he?” “Well you really punched the shit out of him that’s for sure.” I sat up, “Is it really that bad?” I laughed, being only slightly taller than him I never thought that I would do that much damage to him. She nodded her head, “Yep, his face is like, completely swollen and you gave him a beauty of a black eye.” We were treating this like nothing was wrong and actually, it was kinda true. Jackie told me that Natalie’s parents were overjoyed that I hit him, which I was shocked about considering that was their son in law.
I got a text from Erica towards the end of our conversation saying that the chaos was done and I was allowed to come back downstairs. When I did all eyes were back on me. Mom and Dad were talking to the Vaughn’s while Natalie was holding a package of frozen peas to Tyler’s left eye. He was glaring at me with his good eye. Jackie towed me away from him, I still really wanted to ‘talk’ to him though. Then Natalie did something unexpected. She kissed Tyler on the cheek and walked over to me on the couch with no explanation to her jealous husband.
“Pat, can we talk in private,” She said in a soft tone. I nodded my head as we went and took a walk. We only made it to the front door before her husband called to her, “Nat, where are you going?” She ran back over to him, “Calm down I’m just going to talk to Patrick for a bit okay? I’ll be back soon.” She kissed him on the cheek and walked back over to me. The sun was still setting when we started walking around our old neighborhood. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked her, sliding my hands into my jeans pockets. “I wanted to talk about us, ever since we saw each other for the first time in 5 years we really never got to talk, alone.” I nodded my head, “So after you left what happened during those 5 years?”
She proceeded to tell me about how she went home with a smile on her face being greeted by her parents at the airport. But then after a few months she started to get lonely. She started to miss being in Chicago with the guys and living with me. I knew what she was going to tell me next. She was vulnerable and Tyler came in and capitalized on it. At first she wasn’t exactly sure about the whole idea of going out with Tyler again, especially after how stupid it was in high school. Then again, it was a high school, ‘relationship,’ those never really count anyway. She told me the more time she spent with him made her happier and once she was happier her parents noticed and thanked him personally for making her happy again.
That was supposed to be my job. I was supposed to be the one that chased after her and made her happy. But I failed; I failed as a best friend and a good boyfriend. “Nat, I’m sorry for beating up your husband.” Husband, the word tasted like shit coming off my lips. “I know you are Pat,” She brushed my cheek with the delicate pads of her fingers, “And I’m sorry for not telling you anything before, especially about the baby,” I wrapped my arms around her waist, “It’s okay, hell maybe it’ll be fun having a little baby running around the neighborhood again.” She gave a small smile and placed a hand on her stomach. “Yeah maybe, I’m hoping it’s going to be a boy just so it’ll be more likely he’ll play sports. But then again, I’d like a girl to spoil,” she lit up; she was actually excited about the baby growing inside her, and she had a right to be. Shit, if that was my baby, I’d be excited too.
I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Tyler pushed open the door with his right hand that wasn’t holding the bag of peas to his eye, he readjusted the bag, so I only caught a glimpse of what I had accomplished, and damn it was a solid looking black eye; all different colors of the rainbow. It is going to be puffy and beautiful tomorrow, just like Natalie will be in 6 more months. The smile dropped from my face, “Come on Natalie, let’s go, I think we’ve had enough catching up for one night.” Her eyes didn’t leave the gaze of mine, “I’ll be down in a second, just gotta say my final goodbye.” Tyler’s gaze seemed angrier as the moments passed of her staring up at me. But he finally started his way back limping down the stairs.
She looked back at the door making sure he wasn’t there before turning back at me. I wrapped my arms around her tiny midsection and hugged her tight. “I miss this,” “What?” I laughed so the both of us slightly shook. “This, you know, getting a hug from you every night, talking to you until late hours of the night. Just stuff like that.” I placed my chin on the top of her head, “Yeah, I miss those things too.” We stood there and hugged in silence for a little while. I smelled her delicate perfume and closed my eyes and wanted to drift off into sleep with her in my arms, but I knew it was impossible for that to happen these days. “Patrick,” She finally said, “Yeah Nat?” “I just wanted to say that,” she hesitated.
“I’m still in love with you.”
That was the moment I realized that I did still have a chance, and a huge chance to make this right. My heart was soaring when she said those words. I have to admit that after punching Tyler and talking with Natalie, this was the best night ever.
I laid on my bed with minor bruises and scratches on my face. Tyler barely got a good punch on me. Then they started coming upstairs to talk to me. First it was Jackie. Jackie has always been my favorite sister, but don’t tell Jess and Erica. Jackie has been the more athletic one and more or less a little brother, the tomboy of the family. She cracked open my door and peered in and saw me laying down on my bed. I lifted my head up for a second, “Come in Jack,” She smiled and walked inside and joined me on my bed staring up at the ceiling. “So how is he?” “Well you really punched the shit out of him that’s for sure.” I sat up, “Is it really that bad?” I laughed, being only slightly taller than him I never thought that I would do that much damage to him. She nodded her head, “Yep, his face is like, completely swollen and you gave him a beauty of a black eye.” We were treating this like nothing was wrong and actually, it was kinda true. Jackie told me that Natalie’s parents were overjoyed that I hit him, which I was shocked about considering that was their son in law.
I got a text from Erica towards the end of our conversation saying that the chaos was done and I was allowed to come back downstairs. When I did all eyes were back on me. Mom and Dad were talking to the Vaughn’s while Natalie was holding a package of frozen peas to Tyler’s left eye. He was glaring at me with his good eye. Jackie towed me away from him, I still really wanted to ‘talk’ to him though. Then Natalie did something unexpected. She kissed Tyler on the cheek and walked over to me on the couch with no explanation to her jealous husband.
“Pat, can we talk in private,” She said in a soft tone. I nodded my head as we went and took a walk. We only made it to the front door before her husband called to her, “Nat, where are you going?” She ran back over to him, “Calm down I’m just going to talk to Patrick for a bit okay? I’ll be back soon.” She kissed him on the cheek and walked back over to me. The sun was still setting when we started walking around our old neighborhood. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked her, sliding my hands into my jeans pockets. “I wanted to talk about us, ever since we saw each other for the first time in 5 years we really never got to talk, alone.” I nodded my head, “So after you left what happened during those 5 years?”
She proceeded to tell me about how she went home with a smile on her face being greeted by her parents at the airport. But then after a few months she started to get lonely. She started to miss being in Chicago with the guys and living with me. I knew what she was going to tell me next. She was vulnerable and Tyler came in and capitalized on it. At first she wasn’t exactly sure about the whole idea of going out with Tyler again, especially after how stupid it was in high school. Then again, it was a high school, ‘relationship,’ those never really count anyway. She told me the more time she spent with him made her happier and once she was happier her parents noticed and thanked him personally for making her happy again.
That was supposed to be my job. I was supposed to be the one that chased after her and made her happy. But I failed; I failed as a best friend and a good boyfriend. “Nat, I’m sorry for beating up your husband.” Husband, the word tasted like shit coming off my lips. “I know you are Pat,” She brushed my cheek with the delicate pads of her fingers, “And I’m sorry for not telling you anything before, especially about the baby,” I wrapped my arms around her waist, “It’s okay, hell maybe it’ll be fun having a little baby running around the neighborhood again.” She gave a small smile and placed a hand on her stomach. “Yeah maybe, I’m hoping it’s going to be a boy just so it’ll be more likely he’ll play sports. But then again, I’d like a girl to spoil,” she lit up; she was actually excited about the baby growing inside her, and she had a right to be. Shit, if that was my baby, I’d be excited too.
I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Tyler pushed open the door with his right hand that wasn’t holding the bag of peas to his eye, he readjusted the bag, so I only caught a glimpse of what I had accomplished, and damn it was a solid looking black eye; all different colors of the rainbow. It is going to be puffy and beautiful tomorrow, just like Natalie will be in 6 more months. The smile dropped from my face, “Come on Natalie, let’s go, I think we’ve had enough catching up for one night.” Her eyes didn’t leave the gaze of mine, “I’ll be down in a second, just gotta say my final goodbye.” Tyler’s gaze seemed angrier as the moments passed of her staring up at me. But he finally started his way back limping down the stairs.
She looked back at the door making sure he wasn’t there before turning back at me. I wrapped my arms around her tiny midsection and hugged her tight. “I miss this,” “What?” I laughed so the both of us slightly shook. “This, you know, getting a hug from you every night, talking to you until late hours of the night. Just stuff like that.” I placed my chin on the top of her head, “Yeah, I miss those things too.” We stood there and hugged in silence for a little while. I smelled her delicate perfume and closed my eyes and wanted to drift off into sleep with her in my arms, but I knew it was impossible for that to happen these days. “Patrick,” She finally said, “Yeah Nat?” “I just wanted to say that,” she hesitated.
“I’m still in love with you.”
That was the moment I realized that I did still have a chance, and a huge chance to make this right. My heart was soaring when she said those words. I have to admit that after punching Tyler and talking with Natalie, this was the best night ever.
