Page 54 of The One I Hate
My instinct is to get under her skin. Make her unable to forget that I’m here. But I won’t. Not today. This is a big day for her, and I don’t want to ruin that.
I can do that any other day and all the days going forward.
However, that doesn’t mean I can’t sit here and cast glances at her that she doesn’t see.
Her hair is down, which is a change from the last two times I saw her. The red is fading and the blonde is starting to show through, which makes me smile. I miss my blonde Bug. She has on black leggings and a flowy blue top that’s cut just low enoughin the front to be modest, but also drive me insane. Especially since I know what those magnificent breasts feel and taste like. Her makeup is done, and she’s wearing a red lipstick that is making me hope for round two, only so I can see a ring around my cock.
“We’ll shut our traps if you shut your jaw,” Wes says, giving my apparently—and unknowing—hanging jaw a tap up to close my mouth. “As my Pops says, no one likes a man who drools.”
I wipe my mouth and ignore my asshole friends laughing at me. Of course there’s no drool, but I needed to make sure.
“Just fucking listen to the speeches and be polite,” I say.
“Oh, this is so good.”
Shane’s comment blends into the crowd as everyone starts applauding for Mona to come up on the makeshift stage, which is really a few wooden boxes pushed together.
“I didn’t know this many people could fit in this place,” Mona says, getting a small laugh from the crowd. “I started this diner more than forty years ago. And frankly, I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew that I could cook a few decent meals and I wanted a place to call my own. I never knew it would give me the years it has with you fine folks.”
A round of applause hits as Mona continues to talk about her favorite memories. Which makes me think of my favorite memories here. Dinners after football practice when my mom didn’t want to cook. Me and the guys coming here after school, thinking we were hot shit while also thinking this was our version of “The Maxx” fromSaved by the Bell. My first date was here. And this is where I survived my first heartbreak.
“Simon! ’Bout time you came in to see me.”
I look up to Mona, and I must not do a good enough job of hiding my sullen expression.
“What’s the matter? Why do you look like someone ran over your dog?”
I look down at my phone again before back up to Mona. It’s the text I wrote for Bug, begging and pleading for her to just call me back. Send any sort of message that she’s okay. But like all the others, it won’t go through.
I’m blocked.
What did I do? Was it the kiss? It couldn’t have been, right? It was an amazing kiss. The best kiss. A kiss I didn’t want to end. And I thought she felt the same.
When she first didn’t answer me, I thought maybe she was just busy. And then I called. And called. And left message after message. I started to get worried.
So when I went back to campus this past weekend for my roommate’s birthday, I made a beeline for Perks. I needed to see her. Make sure she was okay. That’s when I found out she quit.
I might not be the smartest guy, but I know when to take a hint.
She’s gone.
“It’s nothing,” I say quickly. I can tell she knows I’m full of shit, but she doesn’t press me.
“How about some pancakes?” she asks. “Those always cheer you up.”
I start to nod my head but stop. “No. Can I get french toast?”
Mona cocks her head. “Since when do you eat french toast?”
I shrug. “It sounds good.”
Mona taps my hands before walking away as I let Bug’s voice and smile infiltrate my memory for the hundredth time today.
Because when I think of french toast, I will forever think of my Bug.
We had gone to get breakfast after a final—I got my usual pancakes while she ordered french toast. I didn’t realize my breakfast order was going to lead to a twenty-minute dissertation on how and why french toast was the superior breakfast food and that pancakes were trash. I, of course, egged her on by insisting pancakes were better.
It riled her up. I loved it. I just sat back and watched as she got so passionate over breakfast food. She was so cute. Determined. Fiery.
