JC's whole body trembled as he stared into her dark blue eyes. He had taken the chance... but was it worth it? Maybe... but right then, it didn't seem like it.
He had heard that she had married Ben two months after he left and he tried to deal with it over in Europe. The miles... oceans between them helped somewhat, but it was still there.... and now seeing the diamond on her finger, it seemed real. It wasn't a bad dream anymore. This was real. Almost too real for him to handle.
"Josh?" she said softly, reaching her hand out to him.
Lightning struck and he jumped, startled. Quickly, he scurried to his feet, ignoring her hand. He shoved his hands deep within his pockets. and looked at her nervously. "Hazel... I can explain."
"Explain what? Why you're here?"
It was so weird to be having a somewhat normal conversation with her again. But in a way... it seemed like no time had passed since they had last seen each other. And that's exactly what made him feel so weird about it.
"We were just driving and I saw you..." That wasn't a lie. He was just leaving certain things out. "And I-"
"Just kept driving by?"
"Well, I hadn't seen you in four years...."
Suddenly, they heard a throat being cleared and they turned to Chris, who was leaning over the roof of the car. JC turned back to Hazel. "Can we use your phone?"
As they started to walk to Hazel's house, a little boy opened the door and ran towards his mother. "Mommy!" he called, holding out his arms so she'd pick him up.
"Benny, what did I tell you before?" she said, scooping the three-year-old up in her arms and balancing him on her hip.
Benny grinned. "To come outside and play!" he squealed before noticing the two strange men standing next to his mother. "Who're you?"
"These nice men had car troubles and they need to use our phone," she explained to him, setting him down on the top step and opening the porch door.
Benny turned around and smiled up at JC and Chris. "I can use the phone!" he bragged. "Can I press the buttons?"
"Benny, you don't need to press the buttons now. It's bedtime."
"No..." he whined, grabbing onto JC's pant leg so that if his mother grabbed him she wouldn't be able to pull him away. "Lemme push the buttons first!"
Hazel handed JC the cordless and pointed to the sofa. "Sit there."
He looked at her questioningly, but sat down anyway. He got his answer when she plopped Benny on his lap. Benny immediately took the phone from JC and positioned his finger over the buttons.
"What should I press?"
"Five," JC answered.
Benny tilted his head up towards him and looked into his eyes, then back at the phone. He pointed. "This is five?"
"Yes, it is." JC supported the phone in his hands while Benny pressed the number.
"What's next?" the little boy wanted to know.
"Eight."
Chris watched carefully from his spot by the door, but his thoughts were interrupted when Hazel came out of the kitchen with a piece of paper in her hands.
When Benny was done dialing, JC took the phone from him and put it to his ear. After several rings, Justin picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Justin... Chris' car got a flat tire and we don't have a spare. I'm gonna call a tow-truck, but can you come and pick us up?"
Justin looked down at his girlfriend, Mary and sighed. She leaned up, kissing his neck. "You know what, JC... I'm kinda busy right now... can't you call a cab or something?"
"Hold on," JC replied.
JC put his hand over the phone and looked up at Chris. "Do you have any money? Justin's busy and he says we should call a cab." He held the phone further away. "If you ask me I think he's just lazy..."
Chris snickered. "Probably... but no... I only have a few bucks. Not nearly enough for a cab."
"Damn," JC said under his breath. "I mean... darn! Darn!" He looked over at Hazel, hoping she hadn't heard him swear in front of her son. She did.
"Josh..." she said in a warning voice. "Be more careful."
His face turned red. "Sorry..."
Luckily, Benny hadn't heard because he was too fascinated with the phone. Somehow he had managed to get it out of JC's hand without him knowing and was now talking to Justin.
"Who're you?" he said into the phone, laughing. "Justin is a funny name..." He paused and listened. "Yes, it is!" Quickly, he moved the phone away from his ear and held the phone back out to JC. "He's stupid."
JC laughed. "He sure is." He put his ear to the phone. "Did you hear that, Justin? You're stupid. Now get your... um... I mean... get over here and pick us up!"
He heard Justin snort. "No. I already told you that I'm busy."
JC felt his anger rising, but he pushed it back down for the sake of Hazel and Benny. "Okay..." he said after talking a deep breath. "I guess we'll just have to find some other way home. Bye." He hung up the phone to find Benny bouncing on his lap.
"Play cars with me!" he cried.
JC looked down into the boy's eyes before Hazel swiped Benny off his lap and pulled him towards his room. They were such a familiar shade of blue... almost like Hazel's eyes...
"Say goodnight, Benny," she told him.
Benny crossed his arms. "Goodnight," he said in a reluctant voice.
Chris chuckled once mother and son had left the room. "Cute kid," he commented.
"Yeah..." JC agreed, staring into the doorway where they had exited. "He looks just like Hazel."
Chris turned, setting his gaze on JC's day-dreaming face. "You really think so?"
Chapter 3
What Might Have Been
JC {Fiction}
My Fiction
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
Email me: irishgirl982@yahoo.com