2. Bailey #2
“I’m just being dramatic, honestly. I just want to find someone who is going to love me for me.
I feel like all guys want from me is a one night stand.
Like I really thought Daniel wanted more after we talked at the coffee shop yesterday, but tonight just proved he didn’t.
Someday, I’ll find a man who will love me for more than one night, I just wish he would hurry up.
” Aiden goes very quiet for a long minute.
“Bear? You still there?” I look over and see him clenching his jaw, and his knuckles white with how hard he’s gripping the steering wheel.
He gives his head a small shake and relaxes in his seat, “Yeah, sorry. I just don’t know how to respond to that.
You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.
You’re beautiful inside and out. Any man would be lucky to have you, and any guy who doesn’t appreciate every single thing about you isn’t worth your time!
” he says the words through his teeth. He’s told me this before, but something about his tone tonight seems more fired up than normal. Weird.
“Thanks, Bear. You don’t know how much I needed to hear that,” I respond and grab his hand from the steering wheel and interlock our fingers.
This is something we have always done. We have always been tactile with each other. It’s never been weird, and sure people have confused us as a couple more times than I can count, but it’s just how we are together.
We drive in a comfortable silence to my apartment, only stopping for a short moment to grab our Taco Bell.
We walk into my two bedroom apartment with our food, and in this moment I’m glad the roommate I had lined up for the year bailed on me right before the semester started, and I haven’t found another one yet. I don’t really want anyone else around right now. Just me and my best friend.
We end up doing homework until the early morning, and only after he’s turned in his paper and I’ve read the chapters I wanted to get read do we go to my bed and knock out until late the next morning.
I walk into Aiden and the twin’s apartment the following evening and the first thing I hear is, “Bee Bee!” followed by two tiny arms wrapping around my leg. I pick Luca up and give him a tight squeeze.
Tonight we are having the monthly game we started doing during the second semester of freshman year.
The group started out small, just me, Aiden and Sebastian.
The summer before freshman year, we met Chloe and Dallas.
Their family had moved into my old house when my parents sold it after I moved out.
My parents said they didn’t need the space now that I was gone.
They live in a two bedroom condo in downtown Denver now.
They love it, probably because they never have to see me.
They moved three years ago, and I’ve only been there once, granted I’ve only seen my parents like four times since I graduated high school.
Usually, when I do see them, it’s for some gala that they need me to attend.
We play the part of a happy family for the rest of the world but inwardly, we’re all broken.
They sold the house right after I graduated high school, and my junior year of college is nearly done now.
Dallas joined the crew, officially, at the start of sophomore year, when he became a freshman, but we had spent the two summers before hanging out with him.
He’s a great guy. Then the following year we got Maddy, Maggy, and Chloe.
And hopefully next year we will be getting Charly as well, so the group may keep growing, but they’re the family I always dreamed about, and I wouldn’t change this for anything.
“How’s my favorite boy?” I ask Luca when he’s pulled back from our hug.
“I thought I was your favorite boy, Blue?” Aiden comes up to me and wraps his arms around me and Luca.
“Sorry, Bear. You know Luca is the one who really has my heart,” I wink at Luca. Aiden grabs his chest and gasps like I’ve shot him.
“My Bee Bee!” Luca gives Aiden the cutest scowl I’ve ever seen.
I love Luca so much it makes my heart ache. The moment we met Sebastian, he wormed his way into our little found family. When he took custody of Luca, he became ours too.
“What the heck, Luca? I thought you loved me?” Aiden pouts.
“My Bee Bee!” is all the response he gets as I move into the apartment Aiden shares with Magnolia and Maddox.
The living room, kitchen, and dining room area is an open concept with a large island in the kitchen area, along with a black stained wood dining table fit to seat twelve.
That thing was so hard to get into the apartment, but we wanted something big enough for our whole group to share when they came over.
The living area has a TV mounted on the wall, a sectional couch so big it takes up most of the space, an oversized recliner chair, and in the center of the room there is a huge ottoman that we use as a table when we play games.
We used to have a coffee table in place of the ottoman, but when Luca started walking we switched them out because we didn’t want him to stumble and hit his head on the corner.
I head into the kitchen where Dallas and Magnolia are and hug them. They seem to be in some sort of serious conversation, so I go into the living room to greet Sebastian and Maddox. They’re talking about the boys getting together to watch the hockey game the next day.
“Are the girls not invited to watch the game?” I ask, giving Maddy my best big sister face.
“Come on, Bee, you know we love hanging out with you guys, but sometimes the guys need to hang out without the girls.” He at least has the decency to look chastised.
“That’s such bullshit, Maddy! You guys just wanna talk shit about us!” Chloe says coming out of the hallway that leads to the bedrooms and bathroom.
“I would never talk shit Chlo,” Sebastian says, “that’s all Maddy and Dallas.”
“What the fuck, dude?” Dallas calls from the kitchen.
“GUYS! Language! Little ears!” I yell to the group. I press one hand over Luca’s ear and tug him against my chest. “Chloe, Dallas, and Sebastian all need to put a dollar in the swear jar. Come on Bash, it’s your kid!”
I’m honestly trying to hold in a laugh, but this kid is going to go to school someday and say “fuck” and get us all in trouble.
There is a chorus of “sorry” before Aiden chokes out a laugh and says, “Ooooh you guys got in trouble.”
I roll my eyes at him and set Luca down. “Luc, I heard Uncle Maddy say that he wanted to try and beat you at Candy Land.”
His face lights up and he turns and jumps up and down in front of Maddox. The kid is so smart, and definitely cheats at Candy Land, but we let him.
The next few hours go by quickly. With all of us playing random games and eating snacks.
Luca ends up falling asleep in my arms while we watch a movie, and I get up to put him down in the Pack ‘n Play that is set up in Aiden’s room.
On nights like this Sebastian and Luca sleep in Aiden’s room, so Bash can stay and hang out, and Aiden comes to spend the night with me after we are all ready to head out.
I love these nights, and if we could do them every weekend we would, but life is messy and busy and time is so limited.
We each treasure this time we get to spend together, and I know deep in my heart that we will never miss a game night.