Always Yours

“You’re joking right?”.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. He had to be joking because I was not getting on the back of a motorcycle. Not now, not ever. I valued my life too much.

“Come on”. He smirked. “Live a little”.

He passed me a helmet, but I was hesitant to take it.

“I think you should drive me home in your truck”. I didn’t take the helmet instead I crossed my arms over my chest.

“One day baby. One fucking day and I’ll get you on it”. He laughed.

Yeah, well that day wasn’t today.

He pulled up a few houses away from mine and cut the engine. I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed spending time with him. The more time I spent with him the more I was getting to know him and the more I was getting to know him the more I was falling for him.

Was I getting to know the real him?

“You still wanna come for dinner tomorrow?”. He asked.

“Should be okay”. I still had my parents to worry about. They worked yes but knowing my luck tomorrow would be a day they would finish early or have a day off.

“Your mom?”. He asked.

I shrugged. It was complicated he knew that. I only had a few more years and then I could leave and never return.

“Thanks for today”. I unclipped my seatbelt. “It was fun”.

“Aubrey”.

“Yeah?”. I turned to look at him.

“The fuck are we doing?”. He asked.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Oh.

“We’re doing what friends do. We’re hanging out”.

“Just friends?”.

My stomach tightened. I was already breaking my own rules by hanging out with him so much. I couldn’t bring myself to drop my guard completely and just do what I wanted.

A little bit of me was still hesitant about whatever this was. I was waiting for him to tell me this was all a joke and laugh in my face and yet he hadn’t. Was I being a fool? Was I missing my chance at true love?

Now I wanted to laugh in my own face. This was ridiculous. I was sixteen and I was thinking about true love. Knowing my luck, I would grow old alone with several cats.

“You’re never gonna give me a chance, are you?”.

“Franko I-…”.

“You better go”. He started the engine to his truck. “Probably best you don’t come to dinner tomorrow. Best we stop hanging around as much”.

He was right. I was giving him false hope and that wasn’t my intention. I didn’t want to lead him on, but I still hoped we could at least be friends.

I guess not.

“If that’s what you want”. I whispered.

“Fuck no Aubrey but”. A sigh fell from his lips. “You’re driving me crazy babe”.

“I’m sorry”.

“I like hanging around with you darling, but you make me feel things I ain’t never felt before”.

“Same”. I felt the lump appear in the back of my throat. I had feelings for him, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go without acting on them.

“Then why the fuck ain’t we together?”.

“You know why”.

“Fuck your parents Aubrey”.

I wish it was that simple, but I couldn’t risk it no matter how much I wanted to. They would kick me out, disown me. I would have nowhere to go. I would have nothing.

“Can I be honest with you?”. I whispered.

“Always darling”.

“I like you Franko, I like you a lot and if things were different then yes, I would want to be with you but unfortunately, I can’t. I can’t take that chance. I think you were right we should stop hanging out as much. In fact, it’s probably better if we don’t see each other anymore”.

“Shit princess”. He pulled his smokes from his glove compartment and lit one up. “That really what you want?”.

“No”. I chewed the inside of my cheek.

“Never even gotta take you on that date”.

I smiled before leaning over and placing a kiss on his cheek. “Maybe one day”. I whispered before getting out and walking the short distance to my house.

He didn’t drive off until I was inside.

..

Turns out my parents were in fact working late. There was a voicemail left on the answering machine from my mom. Money was left under the clock for me to order pizza and she apologised for not being home to make dinner.

It’s not like I wasn’t used to it by now.

I kicked my shoes off at the door and dumped my backpack at the side of the couch. I made the right decision even if I didn’t agree with it. It was better for the both of us if we just stay away from each other. In time the feelings I had for him would fade and I’d go back to pretending I hate him.

It wasn’t long before Alice was barging through my front door eager to know what was going on between Franko and me.

“I want every detail”. She grinned.

“There’s nothing to tell. We’ve decided it’s better if we don’t see each other anymore”.

“What?”. She frowned. “Why would you do that? I thought you liked him?”.

“I do”. I chewed the inside of my cheek. “It’s complicated”.

“Doesn’t have to be”.

“Yeah right”.

“Let me guess your parents?”.

I nodded. “But it’s better this way and he understands that nothing else can happen between us”.

“Yeah, I’m sure Franko going back to whoring around is what everyone wants”. She rolled her eyes. “He’s a mean bastard at times”.

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t stop whoring around”.

“Wait”. She frowned. “You said nothing else can happen between you. Did something happen?”.

“We kissed”.

A squeal fell from her lips as she bounced to her feet. “Is he a good kisser? What does his lips feel like? God, I’m jealous”.

“Jealous?”. I pursed my lips.

“Eh yes. Franko’s fucking hot”.

I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t like the feeling that appeared in the pit of my stomach at hearing her say he was hot. I mean he was; he was beautiful but her saying it left a bad taste in my mouth.

“Are you staying for dinner?”.

“Can’t I’m meeting Tommy at the diner, and I still have to go home and change. Do you want to come, and we can grab dinner there?”.

“Yeah”.

“Yeah?”. She grinned. “Seriously you want to come?”.

“Sure, why not”. I had nothing better to do and it would save me eating dinner alone.

“I’ll be back soon get ready”.

She was back and honking her horn in less than half an hour. I grabbed my jacket and the money under the clock before heading outside.

“There’s a party tonight”.

“I thought we were going to the diner?”. I clipped my seatbelt into place as she pulled away from my house.

“We are I mean after”.

“Where’s the party?”.

“That big empty space across from the clubhouse”.

Of course it was I don’t know why I bothered to ask. They were all obsessed with seeing inside it. I don’t know why it wasn’t anything special.

“I think I’ll pass”.

“Suit yourself. The offers there if you change your mind”.

“I won’t”.

“You need to lighten up Aubrey. Before you know it, you’ll be old and thinking back about all the times you missed out”.

She wasn’t wrong. I was sick and tired of constantly worrying about getting into trouble or what my mom would do if she found out. I wanted to go to the party. I wanted to drink beer with my friends or in my case friend.

I wanted to have one night where I didn’t need to worry about anything. I wanted one night just not to care.

As we pulled into the diner the butterflies erupted in my stomach at the sight of Franko. He was leaning against his truck a cigarette hanging from his mouth engrossed in whatever Tommy was saying to him.

It wasn’t until the car stopped that I put two and two together.

“Alice?”.

“Yeah?”.

“Are we having dinner with Tommy and Franko?”.

“Oh, did I forget to mention that Franko was joining us?”.

Yes, yes, she did.