Page 4 of Trusting You

“That guy that studied with you like every day during summer school. You were talking about him all the time before you came to see me. Before…” her lips slammed shut as her eyes went wide. “Never mind,” she shook her head.

“Never mind what? You can’t do shit like that, Emma,” I narrowed my eyes on her. I knew what she was going to say, but I was hoping to avoid talking about him.

“You were all about library guy until you met Aaron,” she closed her eyes as she pinched her nose. “Please tell me you’re not turning down guys because of my cousin. He’s such a player, Mel.”

“I’m not turning dates down because of him. I just haven’t met anyone worth my time. I have too much going on at home anyway,” I brushed her off. I liked to keep my personal life to myself. I didn’t share information about my past or any part of my family with anyone, not even Emma. I’d been burned one too many times in the past, and had learned from it. Over the last two years I’ve worked to move on, and be a different person, a better person.

“Good, I’m glad,” she gave a quick jerk of her head.

“Why’s that?” I folded my hands on the table in front of me.

“Because I can tell him to go fuck himself when he calls me again. He’s been harassing me for weeks to get your number. I didn’t want to overstep, but he’s family and it’s time to be blunt,” she grumbled and then I watched her face transform in front of me. “When Brock comes to visit you need to come out with us and bring a date. We’ll take lots of pictures and then I’ll put them on Instagram and tag him. Maybe if he’s sees you’re not interested, he’ll leave me alone about it.”

“I don’t want to be mean about it. Doesn’t that seem a little bitchy?” I finished off my coffee and slumped back in the chair.

“Sometimes you have to be with his type. Aaron’s always been this way. He thinks he can have whomever he wants and he treats women terribly. I want to show him that you’re not going to fall for his bullshit. You’re not falling for it, right?” she leaned forward like we were sharing a secret.

“No,” I murmured.

“That didn’t sound to convincing,” Emma shook her head. “I knew this was going to happen.”

“Knew what was going to happen?” I crinkled my forehead as I tried to figure out exactly what she meant.

“You like him, and despite the fact that he was a total douche to you, you want to forgive him,” she wagged her finger in front of me.

“That’s not true,” I argued. I was lying through my teeth, but I was not about to admit to her that I was losing the battle against my heart. I hadn’t even been on date with him, but I knew Aaron was special. He tried to come off as this macho jock, but I know that somewhere inside is a scared boy and all this is a front. How do I know this? Because I’m the same way.

“Say whatever you want,” she waved her hand, “but I know the truth.”

“Can we pretend that you don’t? Just for a little while?” I whined. “I not ready for any deep conversation yet, and I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to let somebody like him in. Can we just pretend that none of this happened, and that I’m not going to be hurt if I see him with another girl anytime soon? Aaron Sutter will never want to be with someone like me. We’re nothing alike, at least not anymore.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Emma looked at me confused.

“I’m too tired to get into it tonight, and way too sober. One day when I’ve had some wine maybe I’ll tell you. Let’s just say, you don’t know me. You think you do, but you don’t and if we’d gone to high school together, we wouldn’t have just been in different circles, we would have been on different planets.”

“Fine, you get a pass for now, but Mel,” she reached across the table and gripped my wrist. “You’re not a bad person. I don’t know what you did to make you think that you are, but I do know that a bad person couldn’t have supported me the way you’ve done over the last two years.”

“Fair enough,” I stood and pushed my chair under. “I gotta get to class. See you tonight. We can study together.”

“It’s the first week,” Emma called as I walked away.

“Never hurts to get ahead,” I waved my hand in the air as I weaved through the dining hall to head outside.

Chapter 2

Aaron

I thought when she left I’d be able to forget about her. No such luck. Melinda Brooks plagued my thoughts. I tried ignoring them for months. I went to class, met up with friends, went out with multiple women, but it didn’t work. Every time one of them would touch me, or kiss me, or anything my brain wanted it to be her. Her soft hands touching me. Her plump lips kissing me. Her warm body surrendering to me.

I’ve gone almost stalkerish to spy on her. I look at her Facebook page each week. I bug my cousin, Emma, as often as I can without pissing her off, and lately I’ve even become closer friends with Brock.

When Brock started dating Emma, I thought it was a mistake but he proposed over Christmas break, so he’s soon to be family. To say I was disappointed that Mel didn’t come with Emma for break would be an understatement, but I understand. She has her own family to spend time with. Although, the fact that she lives on campus when they only live twenty minutes away is odd to me. To each their own.

Now, why am I talking so much about all of this? Well, right now I’m sitting at the bar that I’m too young to be in waiting for Brock and his coworkers to show up. My dad works with him, but he’s busy today so I can get away with this. I go to school nearby, so I come home more often that Emma. Emma mentioned that Brock was planning to come visit her in a few weeks, and I’m hoping to convince him to take me along. I have no idea how I’m going to do this, but after six beers I’m feeling rather confident.

“Dude!” I shouted as I almost fell off my stool. Brock busted out laughing as he weaved through the crowd.

“How many of those have you had?” he chuckled as he stopped and leaned in beside me.

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