I listened carefully as Chellie said her piece with me. I was caught a little off guard when she made a comment about not making him wait longer… was she kidding? Did she really have room to talk? Not so much. The rest of what she was saying did have some legitimacy though.
“Chel, I’m never going to choose him over you, and I am so sorry if you thought that I would even for a second. I admit I’ve been scarce this week because I like how I feel when I’m with him, but if you were pissed you should have brought this up before instead of ditching me as well, fighting fire with fire won’t get us anywhere.”
“I didn’t feel like I should have to come running to you to play third wheel. It was like you forgot me, and I wasn’t going to go crawling and begging to be included.”
“So what now? I can only say I’m sorry so many times before it has no meaning anymore.” I sighed, running my hand through my hair.
“Don’t let it happen again.” She said, looking at me with a small smile.
“I just made some tea... you wanna come in for a while?” I offered.
“Uhh no, I’ll stick with water, Flower Child, thanks.” Chellie said. “That brown water you refer to as ‘tea’ is offensive to my taste buds.”
I ignored her and asked, “Wanna go shopping today?” That should get things back on track.
“Do people in hell want ice water?” she asked, giving me a look that suggested I was a little crazy for even asking her like there was a possibility she might not want to.
“Guess that’s a yes” I said, laughing. “So, can I be honest with you about something?”
She glanced at me, “I do prefer honesty.”
“Who are you to say anything about making him wait? You’ve never made him wait for anything!”
She scoffed, “We don’t have that kind of relationship. If we were datin’, he’d be waitin’. But since it was just friends-with-benefits… pretty much whenever is good.”
I shook my head, it still didn’t make any sense, but whatever… at least she didn’t hate me anymore.
-----
“So things are good between you two, again?” Nick asked, as we walked along the beach, hands held and all. I know… so cheesy, but SO nice.
“Indeed they are, my love.” I smiled, wondering if he’d notice what I’d just said.
“Your love?” he stopped, causing me to jerk back, because I hadn’t realized he stopped and our hands were still attached.
“Yes…” I said slowly.
“Your love?” he asked again, smiling and pulling me toward him, to put his arms around my waist.
“Hey Nick…” I smiled, knowing what he wanted to hear.
“Yes Ashleigh?”
“I love you.”
"I love you too."
"Which is why I'm going to apologize..." I started to say.
"For wha-" Nick couldn't finish his sentence before I pushed him in the surf.
"This!" I giggled.
"Oh, I am so going to get you back." Nick grinned, starting to run after me.
I squealed and started to run away, but almost immediately got tackled in the sand, with Nick on top of me. Before I could sit up, Nick picked me up and ran in to the water with me again dropping to his knees when he was about waist deep. I screamed at the immediate temperature change, but then I looked up at him. It was kind of like the whole world stopped for a second, and our eyes met, and it was just this... feeling. Like God was saying, "took you idiots long enough!" And everything was the way it should be. I made the right choice, and Nick wasn't going anywhere.
-----
"Smack that, all on the floor, smack that gimme some more... Smack that, oh, oh oh..." I was rocking out in my kitchen again, as I so often do when I'm alone and in my underwear, when I turned around, AGAIN, to see Chellie and Nick standing there, Chel with a $1 in her hand, and Nick trying to stifle his laughter.
I turned the music off, walking out of the room. "I fuckin' hate you both." They both seemed to have an uncanny sense of when I was doing something embarrassing.
"Oh come on Ash, we love it when you dance!" Nick called, as they both walked after me.
"Just wait... one day I'm gonna catch one of you doing something stupid. Just you freakin' wait!"
Nick came and sat beside me on the couch, and Chellie on the other side of him. He put his arms around us both, and I leaned my head on his shoulder.
"So what am I doing with my two favorite girls tonight?"
"Umm, eating is probably always a safe bet with you." Chellie remarked.
I couldn't help but laugh, because she was so right.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't even act like both of you can't put some food away, too!" he retorted.
Chellie and I looked at each other and said at the same time and I said, "not like you can!"
----
CHELLIE
Over the next few weeks, I began to feel better about the general situation. I hadn’t been forgotten about again – yet – though I had called at a few inopportune times. Whoops. We’d managed to spend time together without things being too weird, but I’d also found time to hang out with both of them, just the two of us. It seemed like things were going well for them… neither one could stop talking about the other.
I sat across the table from the two of them (and they were totally holding hands under the table, of course), rolling my eyes at their couple-y ridiculousness so often I was pretty sure I had legitimate concern they’d fall out of my head. “C’mon… I’m gonna gag… this is disgusting.”
Ashleigh giggled and Nick flipped me off.
“Yeah, fuck you very much, too.” I grumbled at him.
“Oh, I will!” Ash said and turned Nick’s head to kiss her.
“Oh my god. Seriously. I can’t deal with you two anymore.” I was losing my appetite and the food hadn’t even arrived yet.
“So… what are we doing for Thanksgiving?” Nick asked, out of nowhere.
“I don’t know what you guys are doing for Thanksgiving, but I sure as hell am not spending it with the two of you.” I said.
“What? We always spend holidays together!” Ashleigh protested.
“Not anymore.” I told her.
“Why not?” she asked.
“‘Cause the two of you would be fucking on the table while I’m wrestling with the damn turkey!” I retorted, way too loudly because people at other tables turned to look at me.
Nick nearly spit out the soda he’d just taken a drink of and Ashleigh looked a little surprised.
“Oh, don’t even act like that… you know it’s the truth…” I was cut off from saying anything else by the arrival of the food, which I still wasn’t really in the mood for.
There was silence for a few moments while Nick and Ashleigh chowed down and I nibbled at my French fries. Then, mid-bite, Nick looks at Ashleigh and then at me and goes, “Okay, so if you won’t do Thanksgiving… we do Christmas with our families… but you know, my birthday is coming up…”
“Aaaannnddd…”
“Any chance I could get the two of you together that day?” he asked, looking all hopeful.
I rolled my eyes again, I should have seen that one coming. I glanced at Ashleigh, who was looking a little wide-eyed. “Shouldn’t you have asked your girlfriend about that first?”
He shrugged, “I figured I’d ask you both at the same time, ‘cause I knew you’d say ‘yes’ and then you could talk Ash into it.”
“Oh good, I’m still the slut here. Nice to know things haven’t changed.” I said, sarcastically.
“I didn’t say you were a slut, you’re just… kind of a freak. I’d knew you’d be down for it.” He said, very nonchalant.
I couldn’t really argue with him, because I’d told him before that I wanted to have a threesome with a guy and another girl… but it was not about to be the two of them. I shook my head. “Not with you two.”
“Why not?” they asked in unison.
“THAT is why. You two are together. I’m not getting involved in that.” I told them.
Nick scowled, obviously not having expected that.
“Oh please, don’t even start. She should be plenty to keep you occupied for quite a while… I’ve heard about her…” I said, laughing.
Ashleigh looked like she couldn’t tell if she should be pleased or offended and I chuckled at her. “I’m just sayin’… you should know enough tricks to keep him busy.”
“What do I know??” she asked, like she was trying to think really hard about what she should know.
“Surely I’ve taught you a few things!” I said, wondering if all those talks had given her no ideas.
“I don’t have as much practice as you!”
“Okay… I’m so done with both of you today.” I pushed my food away and said, “Nick, thanks for paying for my lunch…. I’ll talk to you fruitcakes later.”
I left the restaurant, knowing they were talking about me, but basically unconcerned about it. I could see them through the window as I went to get in my car, scooting closer together on the seat and Nick slipping his arm around her.
I got a text as I was pulling out of the parking lot from Nick. “You mad??”
I stopped and wrote back, “nah, nothing I won’t get you back for later…” then tossed my phone in the seat.
I really was fine with them together, but it sort of made me want someone of my own. I laughed at the idea of double dating with them, that would be all sorts of crazy. Since they hooked up at Halloween, maybe I’d get lucky on the next holiday. If they did do something for Thanksgiving… hmm… I wonder if AJ would be there… I’d always had sort of a crush on him….