Five
MIA
“Ialready ordered your favorite tacos and a cherry margarita. I’m actually pretty sure they only keep stock of the cherry ingredients just for you.
Did you sleep with the owner or something?
” AJ is sitting in one of Rory’s hoodies and her green shorts she loves so much.
But she is wearing a smile that seems to be making more appearances now.
I love how Rory makes her soul less clouded with gray.
I’m sure the stress of his big fight being gone is also making her feel less burdened too.
“His son,” I clarify for her. She raises an eyebrow but then starts laughing.
“I was joking, Mia!” She sputters through her laughter. I just shrug my shoulders. I wasn’t. It was one date and it was a good date. We hooked up in the back of the restaurant after he took me dancing. I love dancing. And it was when I first moved here.
“He was really nice. Great dancer.” I take my seat as the waiter brings our drinks over and AJ leans forward, squinting her eyes at me. Back to her normal self, this will be fun.
“Are we doing this now or after drinks and tacos?” She offers.
I take a breath, “I fucked your best friend. It melted my brain. It was three months ago. Hasn’t happened again. Nothing else to say.” I take a chip and top it with too much salsa.
AJ is back to laughing. And honestly, it’s unsettling. This girl never laughs this much until after she’s had a few drinks.
Pointing a chip at her, I demand, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
She clears her throat before taking a huge sip of her drink and scooting mine closer to me. She nods her head for me to start drinking. I normally don’t need this much encouragement.
“Remember the first time you made me come and get margaritas and tacos with you?” She’s still got laughter bubbling out of her as I take a healthy sip of my drink, “And I told you that I fucked my best friend?” I nearly spit the cherry flavored tequila right out of my mouth.
She’s now coughing from laughing so hard.
I quickly take my phone, snapping a picture to send the group chat for evidence.
She has her head thrown back so far I’m surprised the chair isn’t falling over and her drink is nearly spilling from where she is still holding haphazardly.
WEST HAVEN DELIQUENTS
Mia
Rory come get your girl. She’s been body snatched.
Eli
Leave her alone. She laughs sometimes.
Maxwell
WTF. I wasn’t invited.. Again.
Rory
Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll come get you both.
Mia
Always the perfect guy, Rory. Thank you.
Oliver
Any of us would come and get you. Doesn’t make him perfect.
Mia
He always offers. Who wants to have to ask a guy to do something?
AJ
I don’t need anyone to come get me. Ask Mia why I’m laughing.
Mia
Actually don’t ask me shit. Forget I even sent this.
Maxwell
This feels like maybe I should come and crash Margarita Monday.
Eli
If they wanted you there then they would have invited you.
Oliver
I actually would like to know what they are talking about. I support crashing it. You can also take them home.
Rory
Please make sure she eats, Mia. You too. Enjoy your tacos and tequila!
Mia
We will call if needed. Bye now.
I take her phone and my phone and set them to the side. I throw a chip at her, that she easily catches and starts nibbling on.
“Don’t you dare tell them.” I threaten. The last thing I need is the entire gym thinking there is more than nothing going on between me and the resident sad boy.
I remember when Rory first got here and we were invested in every move he made with AJ.
She doesn’t know that but I don’t want to be on the other end of being watched like that.
The West boys are nosy and petty. Even Eddie.
“Oh the guys absolutely know.” She crosses her legs in the chair and leans on the table.
“They are triplets… You're one of the smartest people I know. You know that they know.” Fuck. She’s right.
She seems to be over the laughter that was possessing her, just in time for our tacos to come out.
I can’t help but dance a little in my seat.
I love tacos. AJ takes a huge bite of one before waving her hand in the air.
Swallowing she says, “Okay, do your Mia thing. I’m better now. I’m sorry.”
“What Mia thing?” I ask as I finish off my first drink. The tequila hitting my body in just the right way.
“Freak out. Act like it isn’t a big deal. Freak out about him not making it a big deal. Then actually be honest. It’s always a process for you.” I watch her shrug as she takes another bite, “I respect it.” I don’t know if I should be annoyed that she knows me so well or thankful.
I’m over the freaking out stage though and guilt runs through my body. If I had talked to her when it happened then my brain could have felt healthier about it a lot sooner. “Did you know that he has a house?” I ask, deciding to go in a different direction.
She drops her taco mid bite. “He took you to his mom’s house?” I watch all signs of joking leave her body and a seriousness wash over her.
“He told me it was his house…” Realizing now that it belonged to his mother makes my chest squeeze. That house is a link to the mother he never even met. God, and I basically attacked him in his bed in that house.
She nods her head a little before saying, “He bought it from Eddie a few years ago. All the guys got some kind of life insurance pay out when they turned twenty one. He used his portion to pay off the rest of the mortgage and buy the house. They haven’t lived there for a while but Eddie would never sell it to anyone but one of his sons.
It was a very intense family dinner that night.
” Her eyes turn a little glassy as if she is recalling the memory.
It is still so mesmerizing watching how she perfectly fits into their family like she was always destined to be there.
Just to watch how supportive and loving they all are to each other.
“It’s a beautiful home.” I think about how perfect the bones were and the way the air felt warmer. I lied that night. The house wasn’t creepy or cold at all. It was full of peace even though I’d never been there before.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe he brought you there. He doesn’t ever bring girls there. It’s like his sacred place.” That revelation weighs my chest down like I swallowed a handful of rocks. “And that’s where you guys…” I hate when she is in my head like this and doesn’t even know it.
“Had sex? Yeah, AJ. He took control of every inch of my body and then I blacked out from it. Literally. Woke up the next morning, and left before he even woke up. And we haven’t talked about it since.
” I watch her process everything I just said and she just stares at me.
I hate this part about her. She has this scary way of not letting her emotions play on her face.
I’m not that lucky. I’m always showcasing every ounce of feeling I have.
And I feel everything. All the time. It’s the most inconvenient and honest thing about me.
“Do you like him?” AJ’s voice is soft but strong. She’s protective of Oliver. But she also loves me. I can tell she is trying to be the best for both sides right now and I just wish I could tell how she is really feeling.
“I don’t know how to answer that.” That’s the most transparent answer I can give her right now.
Because, of course I do. When his hands are on my body, I have a visceral reaction.
But also, he doesn’t even date. I date too much.
I love dates. I love having conversations with people.
I love going out and doing things. Attraction to someone doesn’t equate to relationship compatibility.
“Does he like you?” I watch her closely as she asks the question. Her expression still doesn’t change.
“I don’t know.” I take a deep breath to try and steady myself.
“We haven’t talked about it. At all. I shut him down any time he even makes a small comment about it.
I don’t want it to be a big deal.” That’s the truth.
It was the best sex I have ever had. But I know that going there will be messy.
And two people can hook up and move on. It can happen.
Even if those two people are very active in each other’s lives.
“Then we won’t make it a big deal.” And just like that, she makes everything feel normal again. AJ has always been able to do that. She doesn’t limit my emotions to just one thing. She lets me feel whatever I need to when I need to and is always just right by my side.
When I get home though I can’t stop thinking about the fact that Oliver never takes girls back to his home.
Which then makes me think about all the things I would want to do to make the home more updated while keeping its beauty.
Then I question if that would upset his mom if I make the suggestion but the way Eddie talks about her, she wouldn’t want that home to stay stagnant and in the past. Eddie once told me that she saw beauty in everything and was always ready to create more.
And I’m constantly thinking about creating things.
Our lives are too short and the world is too vast to not create.
I find myself texting him before I even register in my brain that I'm doing it. He doesn’t know that I had the whole conversation about his mom with AJ and I want to keep it that way.
Mia
This could make your house less boring.
Oliver
Is this your way of telling me you made it home okay. Did Rory come and get you?
Mia
You’re supposed to be trying to be nice to him.
Oliver
I was nice to him at the party. Ask him.
Mia
What do you think of changing the living room wall to something like this? It would break the space up.
Oliver
You’re persistent.
Mia
Just trying to take my charity work seriously.
That’s you. You’re the charity case in case that wasn’t obvious.
Oliver
You did good today with training.
Mia
Don’t compliment me. It’s weird.
Oliver
From what I remember, you like praise.
Mia
fuck you.
Oliver
I like this. You texting me.
I toss my phone on my bed, deciding to not respond to him.
I don’t know why I’m sending him home improvement plans.
Now that I know it was his mom’s house… my heart wants to know it even more.
I don’t even know what her name was. None of the triplets talk about her and I didn’t want to ask AJ earlier because I don’t want her picking up on how curious I am about the woman who created Oliver.
Telling her about everything that happened made my heart feel lighter though.
I knew deep down that she would never have been upset anyway.
I think a part of me wanted to just keep it a lost memory for a little while longer.
But now something is shaking it loose, not allowing it to stay buried.