Page 82 of Until Now

“I’m really sorry, Officer. We were just trying to have some fun. Please don’t tell our parents.” Teagan practically fell to her knees pleading with him.

“You’re free to go, ladies. In the future, if you’re going to throw a beach party, do it where there aren’t so many residences, huh?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you so much! Let’s go girls.” Teagan had started to push me and Elizabeth away, but he stopped us.

“Actually, I need to speak with Ms. Villa. I’d be happy to take her home afterwards.”

“I can drive,” I finally said.

“You probably shouldn’t, you have been drinking after all. Wouldn’t want to end up with a spot on your record, would we?”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Not at all.”

“I’ll take the car, Nin,” Elizabeth interrupted us. She knew John wasn’t going to give up until I agreed to talk to him, but I know she still regrets not sticking around. Wonders if she would have been able to prevent what happened next.

When they left, John dismissed the other deputy — he was going to take me home, I’d had too much to drink. The other deputy was suspicious, but didn’t question it. As soon as John turned back to me, I knew I was in for a fight. We hadn’t spoken since I told him to ‘fuck off’ and hung up. But, the yelling didn’t come. He was quiet as he asked me to explain to him what he had done wrong.

“Look at what you’re doing, John. This! Right here. You want to control everything I do.”

“That’s not true.” He reached for me, his thumb grazing my cheek. “I miss you, Nina.”

“Funny way of showing it.”

“What was I supposed to do? Did you want me to show up on your doorstep and profess my love for you?”

“You didn’t even try.”

“You didn’t want me to.” My lack of a response was enough for him. “Get in, I’ll take you home.” He pushed me towards the door, but I planted my feet. “Nina, please get in the car.”

“Make me.”

John’s body stiffened at the challenge. We shared an intense stare, neither backing down. He knew better than to take the bait, but he was losing his resolve. I don’t know why I did it, I guess because I was lonely those few months without him? I had grown used to having someone there and missed the warmth of his touch. He pushed me against the car and crashed his mouth to mine. His hand shuffled for the door handle and he pushed me inside covering my body with his own.

The reignited flame was put out a month later.

“Honestly, I don’t know that I want to see him again,” I say while taking a sip of my wine. "It was fun while it lasted, but that’d be like opening Pandora’s box.”

“You sure it doesn’t have to do with a certain someone?” Eileen’s tone suggestive.

“No…I don’t know, maybe. I mean, I was over Jay before, but sometimes, when things with Lee would get rough, I’d think about it. But, I haven’t in a while.” I swish the wine around my glass. “In the end, I was kind of relieved that Teagan told my mom. It was easier to end things that way than if I had to do it myself.”

“He was kind of possessive.”

I think back to the many fights with John, each one usually stemming from his behavior towards me. “Kind of?”

“I was trying to be nice.”

“What about Nick and this Sheyenne girl?” Eileen finally asks the question everyone wants to know.

“He says they’re just friends, but I don’t thinkshegot the memo,” Elizabeth giggles. “Josh said she was up their ass the whole time he was at the house the other day. Freaked out because they were working and she decided to sit on the workbench wearing white pants.”

Oh no, I already see where this is going.

“Got a big ol’ grease stain right on her backside.” Elizabeth smirks behind her wine glass. “That’s what she gets for wearing white pants around a garage.”

“Is Nick leading her on?” Eileen asks the question I want to know.

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