He gave me a cute smile back. "It's ok. Drive safe." He says before pulling me into a hug.
I stiffed slightly but still hugged him back before pulling away.
After that I couldn't get out of the house fast enough.
"I'll see you another time, I really got to go now." I said and I speed walked over to my awaiting car.
I felt his eyes burning into me as I drove away.
I turned one last time sending him a wave, which he returned back with a smile.
I drove away home until he was no longer in sight.
Arriving back at my house soon after.
As soon as I entered the front door I called to Kira down the hall and told her I was just heading for a shower and then I would be back down.
I had to wash the chlorine smell from my body that was now causing a headache.
In my bedroom I closed my door behind me and striped off my old clothes and walked into my bathroom.
I placed my clothes in the hamper in the corner.
I turned on the shower and waited for it to heat up before stepping in.
I grabbed my sponge and shower gel and proceeded to wash the pool smell from my body, then finishing off washing my hair.
Still standing under the lukewarm water I couldn't help but think back to what I heard
Nathan is in love with some girl.
I know he never said the word 'love' but I could tell by his tone that's what he meant.
My chest went tight and started to hurt, my eyes filled up with tears blurring my vision.
Why did the thought of him being with someone else hurt so much?
It's not like he has ever led me on or showed me any interest (in a romantic way) in the past. I never really told him anything to indicate that either.
But even when.
No I can't
I felt the tears start to fall from my eyes.
I slouched down to the floor of the shower until I was effectively sat down and hugging my legs to my chest.
Before I knew it I was crying my soul out. I felt physically sick to my stomach; my chest felt like someone was sat on it.
I felt more depressed than any other time in my life and nothing was going to fix it.
I was stupid really.
That's right I was in love with my bully.
I think I must be brain damaged or something.
How can I still feel this way?
When we first met he was so sweet and treated me like a princess, but after a while he charged into
Well I already told you what he was.
But I always had hope the old him would come back to me.
And today I through he had, but I guess I was fooling myself to think he would think of me as anything but a friend.
I lay still clutching my legs, crying for what seemed like forever.
That is until I heard a knock at my bathroom door.
"Hope? Are you Ok in there? You've been in there for over an hour now." A concerned voice asked from the other side if the door.
I stood up and quickly grabbed my towel, wrapping it around myself.
I cleared my now slightly raw throat and answered back "I'm Ok. I'll be right out" I said with a slight croak in my voice that I tried to hide but failed.
"Are you sure? You sound like you've been crying?" They asked again.
"I'm OK just give me five minutes while I get dressed and I'll be down." I quickly said back in a better but still ruff sounding voice.
The person on the other side agreed and I guess they left.
I finished off drying myself, trying not to think back to earlier, which was sure to cause my tears to return.
Instead I blocked it out, well at least temporarily. I chose to think about Kira's soon to be born babies.
I stood in front of the mirror that was over the sink and sighed.
My eyes were bright red and swallow; there was no hiding the fact that I was crying.
I turned on the cold tap and began to cup the cold water and splash my eyes, hoping it would take away some of the redness at least.
I turned off the tap and looked back to the mirror and shook my head.
'No change at all' I said internally.
Maybe makeup would help a little, but probably not much.
I looked around the room and then remembered using it this morning in my bedroom.
I walk to the bathroom door I stepped out still in my towel having forgotten my clothes in my distracted state earlier.
As soon as I stepped into my room I couldn't help but laugh.
On my bed fast asleep was Ricky hugging in his arms my childhood plush pig 'hammy'.
I quickly covered my mouth as not to wake him and tip toed over to the side table where my phone sat.
I internally thanked him for clearing my brain if only temporarily.
Grabbing it, I found my camera app and smiled.
This would be great blackmailing material, plus he looks super cute, I had the force myself not to laugh again.
I spent the next minute taking several photos of him before deciding I had enough.
I put my phone back on the side and decided to get changed before waking him.
I choose to wear a simple vest top and sweatpants, I took them into the bathroom and got a changed just in case Ricky woke up.
That would be traumatic for both of us.
When I was finished I walk back into the bedroom to find him still on the same place, fast asleep.
I felt bad thinking about waking him up, but then I remembered what he did to me this morning.
I walked over to my dressing table and picked up the item in question before going back to the bed.
Ricky
I started to worry when after an hour Hope still wasn't out of the bathroom.
I told my sister Kira who was also waiting that I would quickly go check on her and make sure she is ok.
I stepped into her room and was surprised to find her not in there, but still in the bathroom and by the sounds of it, still in the shower.
I knocked at the bathroom door hoping for an answer.
"Hope? Are you OK in there? You've been in there for over an hour now." I called with my voice full of concern.
I heard her moving about before the shower stopped.
"I'm OK. I'll be right out" she called back sounding as if she had been crying.
"Are you sure? You sound like you've been crying?" I asked feeling more worried than before.
"I'm OK just give me five minutes while I get dressed and I'll be down" she assured me.
I grunted back an OK.
But didn't believe her.
Instead of waiting I decided to have a lie down on her bed and wait to confront her.
But before I knew it I was fast asleep.
"Rrrriiicckkkyy." A drawn out squeaky voice called me from my sleep.
I slowly began to pry my eyes open.
"Ricky." I heard again.
I grumbled some incoherent words before finally managing to open my eyelids.
I swear I almost had a heart attack.
There in front of me was the scariest plush rabbit I have ever seen.
"Hello Ricky." The little rabbit demon toy seemed to say again.
My eyes widen as I literally launched myself off the bed screaming and falling off the other side.
It's only then as I stood back up I noticed my evil little sister laid on the floor laughing, clutching her stomach plus Robbie the rabbit doll.
I glared at her as I strolled over to where she was.
"Was that funny?" I said with my hand on my hips as I stood over her.
She sat up and looked at me. "Yep, pay back is a bitch." She said sticking her tongue out.
I just shook my head when I remember this morning and grinned.
"Good job." I said still smiling.
We teased and would of play joke on each of, but never anything to harm each other.
Unlike my friends’ who when we were younge
r always tended to go a bit too far and end up hurting her by accident.
I was mad at first, but when we started to go to college together we had a long chat and I realized they really were good guys and never intended any harm.
Hope stood up and placed Robbie the rabbit on the bed next to Ham.
Yes she loves plush toys and owned a lot and I mean a lot.
It was only then I noticed her red puffy eyes.
My smile fell and a frown took its place.
"Are you sure you are OK Hope?" I ask her as I put one of my arms around her shoulder.
Her smile drops, but she quickly brings a slightly less genuine smile back.
"I'm OK Ricky, don't worry." she paused and patted my back "Come on we should finally go down. Kira's gonna kill us" she said almost running away.
I watched her walk away, even though she had a smile on her face, I could tell by her eyes she wasn't really happy.
I would have to ask Matt and Nate tomorrow when I see them if anything happened today which upset her.
God protect them if I find out they have been playing jokes on her again.
They may be my friends now, but no one hurts my family, even my best friends.
Hope
I sat down at the dinner table with Ricky, Kira and her husband Robbie eating the perfect food Kira had made with the help of her husband.
"So Hope, me and Robbie wanted to asked you and Ricky something?" Kira said while we were eating.
"Yes?" Ricky said with a mouth full of food.
"We were thinking and wanted you both to be god parents to our little one when it's born" she asked hopefully.
I grin and ask. "Are you serious?" She nods.
"Yes, we want someone in the family and think you two would be perfect." Rob adds.
"I would love to." Ricky grins back.
"Me too." I say jumping up and running over to Kira.
I hug her and rest my head on her rounded belly.
"Hello in there." I say tapping her bump, making her and Rob laugh.
After we finished dinner I went back upstairs to collect my phone, remembering I promised to call Heather when I got home.
I sat on my bed and unlocked my phone, noticing I had several text messages.
Looking through them they were all but one from Heather.
All of them said something along the lines of 'Are you home?', 'Are you ok?', 'Did you have an accident?', 'Why haven't you called me yet?', 'Call me you making me worried' and a lot along the lines of that.
The last text was from an unknown number.
I furrowed my eyebrows together trying to think who it could be before opening it.
'Remember you are mine!' What the hell? Who would send me something like that?
The only person I could think of was Dean, but he wasn't that type of person, was he?
I decide to finally call Heather and asked her what she thought.
I dialed the number and she picked up after only one ring, which made me laugh.
"God woman where have you been?" She quickly asked.
"Worried were you?" I tease.
"Sorry, I was in the shower and having dinner and stuff and forgot about you." I tell her honestly.
"I should hit you. You have no idea how worried I was. I was getting really to come out and search for you." She almost growled.
"I'm sorry. Hev, forgive me?" I say sweetly.
She sighs. "OK. So what you been up to?"
"Kira asked me and Ricky to be the baby’s godparents." I say, grinning.
"Really? Wow that's great!"
"Yeah I can't wait." I said honestly.
I thought about weather to ask her about the text.
"Hev" I said having second thoughts,
"Yes?"
"I was just wondering if you have given my number to anyone?" I ask.
"No why?"
"It's OK. I just got a strange message from an unknown number"
"What did it say?" She asked sounding slightly worried.
"I'll show you tomorrow. Probably someone just messing with me" I said, trying not to sound to creeped out.
"Are you sure?”
"Yep, anyway what you wanna do tomorrow?" I ask.
"Not sure yet, I'll come around to yours tomorrow and then we'll decide"
"OK sounds like a good plan" I agree.
"Oh yeah, did you know Ricky and the twins went to the same college?" She asks me, changing the subject.
"No, really?"
"Yeah, that's why he asked to speak to Nate earlier. Apparently they are all best buddies now." She explains.
We finished the chat after a few more minutes and we say our goodbyes, before hanging up.
I got up from my bed and decide to confront my brother.
I stood outside his door and knocked.
"Come in." He called out.
I stepped inside and Ricky was lying on his bed looking at his laptop.
When he saw me he sat up and smiled.
"Hiya Hop. (his name for me) What can I do for you?" He asked.
I walked over to him and sat down next to him. "Why didn't you tell me you go to the same college as the twins and also that your now ‘Best buddies’?" I ask sounding annoyed.
He sighs and looks to me apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just I know how much you hate them. I was going to tell you." He trails off "I'm sorry, are we still friends?" He looks genuinely sorry.
I shake head but smile. "You’re stupid. I'm not mad, I'm just annoyed I had to hear it from someone else and not you." I confess.
"Really? I'm sorry, I thought you would be more angry." He said, pulling me into a hug.
"So you ready to tell me why you were crying yet?" He says while pulling away.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Mothering and Dirty Dancing
Hope
"I wasn't crying." I say looking down.
Ricky looks at me with a knowing look.
"Come on Hop, I know by now when my little sis has been crying" he states looking at me with sorrow.
I just sit there and say nothing.
"You know you can tell me anything, right? I would never judge you."
I look back up and him with a smile.
I can't help but get teary eyed.
"Thank you Ricky." I say surprised by how sweet he could be.
"After all what are big brothers for?" he adds.
"When did you become so sweet?" I ask as a tear falls from my eye.
He gives me a sad smile and wraps his arm around my shoulder.
"Don't tell anyone that, I don't want to lose my bad boy image."
I laugh through my tears.
He is maybe a bit of a player, but I've never really thought of him as a bad boy.
"Bad boy?" I scoff, raising my eyebrow.
He pretends not to hear me and continues to hold me, rocking from side to side.
"I'm not a baby." I laugh.
"But you are." he pauses and grins. "You are my baby sister"
I roll my eyes whilst shaking my head.
I can't help but wonder why he doesn't have a girlfriend.
He is a really kind hearted guy and any girl would be lucky to have him.
"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" I ask him suddenly.
"Not really found the right girl I guess." he says nonchalantly.
We sit in silence for a while.
"Thank you Ricky"
"What for?" he asks pulling away slightly whist giving me a questioning look.
"For being the best brother and always cheering me up even when you don't realize it." I truly meant it.