Flashbacks: Head Versus Heart

Chapter Seventeen: You Could Be the One (Colt's P.O.V)

My sister told me Peri was coming in for the weekend since my parents were going out of town, it gave them a chance to have their house to themselves for a girls’ weekend.  I was hoping to find a way to stop by, just to see her.  Even if it was for only a few minutes. I never had the closure I wanted when our relationship ended. It never made sense to me, why we broke up. It was the summer I was leaving for college, right before she started her junior year of high school. Her dad had just gotten a new job, in a bigger city a few hours away… we could have made it work. While it wouldn’t have been easy, we could have done it. I never really forgave her for giving up on us so easily.

Maybe that was because I couldn’t understand why we had to break up just because we were moving apart from each other. Folks go off to college and move all the time, you don’t break their heart because you’re a car ride away from each other.  It’s not like she was moving halfway across the freaking country. She was moving a few hours away, and I was going to a university close by, too.

Peri wasn’t my first ‘real’ girlfriend, but she was absolutely the longest and most meaningful relationship I had ever had. We grew up together, learned everything together, and all the crazy things I did as a teenager – she was with me. Needless to say, I already knew I was making a big mistake when I picked up the phone and called her. Making decisions was never my forte, except this time I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t give a damn about it. I could have easily called a taxi, or anyone else… but I didn’t.

I called my ex-girlfriend, instead. It had been a long time since I last saw her, close to two years. While we didn’t necessarily keep in touch, she was best friends with my sister, so I still heard about how she was doing and what she was up to. Peri always updated on social media, where I was able to see what she had done over the years and stay involved from afar. Better than not being in her life at all, I guess.

I made sure I wasn’t drunk, I had to be careful about how I approached this. I knew she was living her life, and I was, too.  Hell, I was living a damn good single life, but I missed her. Which is why I was surprised when I called her, and she agreed to pick me up without any hesitation. My mind was racing and guess I hadn’t planned this far ahead. If I really wanted to be with her again, I had to shoot this shot and make it count. I was so anxious waiting for her to pick me up.

When she got to my friend’s apartment complex, she called and as anxious as I was, I couldn’t wait to see her. I rushed downstairs and played it cool. As soon as I saw her, I was f****d. She was so damn beautiful, still. I asked her to drive me back to my parents, because I knew if she dropped me off at my apartment, she wouldn’t stay.

If we went back to my parents, she would still be there. I planned to tell her how I felt when we got to my parents’ place. I needed to take this risk, she was all I thought about – and I couldn’t have a real relationship with someone else when she was all I thought about.

The car ride back to my parent’s was quiet and tense. I tried to make conversation a handful of times, but Peri seemed really closed off. Once we pulled up, I grabbed my backpack out of the backseat and headed into the house, trying to be careful about my next words. I had forgotten my parents were doing updates to the guest bedroom, so I asked Peri where she was staying… s**t. She was in my room?

If I would have known she was going to be in there, I would have taken down the photos I left up of us. It was easier to keep pictures of her up at my parents, because I didn’t really bring other girls back there, since I had my own place back at school. I tried to break the tension between us by reminiscing about the prom we went to together. She was so pretty even then, but I couldn’t discredit what the last two years had done for her, and damn, had the years blessed her.

Peri always had great boobs, but looking at her now… I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I noticed Peri had started packing her things up, but I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by asking her to stay in here with me. I wanted to work things out with her, I also couldn’t stop thinking about how much her body had changed and how incredibly hot she was. Time to nut up, kid.

“Peri… wait.” I hollered at her.

“Yeah?” She looked at me, with sad eyes.

“Stay here, stay with me tonight” I had to say it, or I would regret blowing my chance at working things out. I didn’t expect her to stay, but she agreed to. Not before I blubbered on about how much I missed her and needed her to stay with me.

I still had clothes at my parents. Before heading to bed, I changed into some basketball shorts and a tank, while Peri cautiously edged into my bed. It was so weird both of us being back here together, and I resonated with her caution.