Moving Forward Or Falling Behind

Chapter 2

Anya

My first night home was uneventful. I helped make dinner and cleared off the laundry table so we could all sit with each other. After dinner Lee Anne was ordered to take a bath and get ready for bed. I helped Benji clean up the kitchen and put away left overs. He called it an early night around nine o'clock. Exhausted from my drive myself I was welcoming an early night of sleep. I turned on something to watch on Netflix while I was texting my best friend , Devon. She was still living in town and excited to know I was back. We made plans to go out for drinks tomorrow night.

The lights in the house were off with only the glow of the TV screen as a light source. I switch programs to continue a K-drama I'v been watching. I lay down across the couch trying to get comfortable under my oversized plush blanket. I hear footsteps behind me and sit up to see who's walking through. Luca is headed to the fridge. He pulls the door open, pulls out a beer, opens it and walksinto the living room sitting on the large chair.

"You're still awake?" I question.

"I'm trying to talk to Natasha about when she is going to take Lee Anne for another weekend" he glares at his phone typing out a message.

I felt like he didn't want to be bothered so I turn my attention back to my drama. The couple on screen were confessing their feelings for each other.

"You still watch this bullshit?" Luca looks up to the TV screen

"It's not bullshit. It's sweet, simple and romantic" I defend my show.

"It's unrealistic you know right?" he looks over to me. his tired eyes trying to look amused waiting for my next defense.

"You mean to tell me that a super attractive C.E.O. from some major company ISN'T going to see me in the streets and fall in love with my poor college student ass? Blasphemy, Luca." I roll my eyes for dramatics and smile at him.

Luca chuckles to my response.

His phone goes off again and I lose his attention and his smile goes back to a grimace as he downs another large swig of his beer.

My anger boils inside me hating Natasha more than ever for acting this way towards Luca. They've been together for about seven years. Seven years and now she's trying to cut off contact with him and her sweet daughter.

I wish to see her and slap her around for hurting Luca like this. He has done nothing but take care of her and their little family. The sweetest, most compassionate big hearted guy is now having to deal with her bull s**t. His rose colored glasses finally shattered he is now seeing what the rest of us have seen since day one.

I have to calm myself down internally. Close my mind off to what is happening to him. The past four years I decided to move on from him will not go up in flames like this. Natasha will always be apart of his life. He has grown into a new identity that I do not know well. Luca the father is not the same as the Luca I knew growing up.

I have to let go and keep moving on and what better way than going out with my girl friend the following night.

The next night

Friday night! I have music blaring in the guest bathroom while I finish getting ready for my night out with Devon. She was picking me up around nine o'clock which is closing in as I finish my final touches. My usual wavy midnight hair is styled straight with a slight curl closer to the bottom laying naturally pass my shoulders. My gray eyes are smoked out to perfection making the light color pop in the flourescent bathroom lighting. I check my outfit inthe mirror one more time. I'm wearing my maroon crop camisole, black ripped denim, and my maroon converse shoes.

I have simple jewelry on to decorate myself. I do a final touch up on my lipstick. My phone goes off and Devon announces her arrival. I exit the bathroom, grab my black handbag and my set of the house keys, announce my departure to the boys and leave the house.

Devon's purple Jeep is sitting at the edge of the driveway. She pops her head out of the window with a wide smile plastered onto her face. Her chocolate brown hair tossled up into the wind of the evening. Music blasting out of her speakers and I know tonight will be a fun night.

The bar is busy from the get go. Parking was a nightmare and luckily it was summer and I decided against wearing heels tonight since we had to park a few blocks away. The music was blaring, the dance area was packed, the bar was lined with people waiting for drinks and we had to find Devon's boyfriend and his friends in this crowd. It took a few minutes, but we found them in a circle booth in the corner off from the dancing area.

I've met her boyfriend, Micheal, before over Christmas break. He was a kind guy. He often takes care of Devon's crazy self and keeps her in check before she gets too wild. He was around her height of five foot seven. He wore glasses, kept his dirty blonde hair short and wore basic jeans and t-shirts attire.

I was introduced to two other guys tonight. One named Jesse and the other one was Kota. Jesse was around the same height as Micheal which is still taller than me by three inches. He was very muscular from what I could see. He wore a tight white tee and dark denim jeans along with some black Vans. His hair was a dark brown or maybe even black hard to tell under the dim lighting in the bar and cut short. Kota was tall like my brother and Luca around the six foot range. He has longer lighter colored hair almost like honey. His body was toned but not as built like Jesse. He wore black denim, a graphic tee and white pair of converse. A waitress brought over a round of shots for the group and a beer for Micheal and some mixed drinks for the other boys. She took Devon's and my order and left to put them in. The group threw back the first round of shots after Devon and I hit the dance floor.

Three more rounds of vodka shots and one and a half mixed drinks later I was feeling weightless and happy. The music pounded through my body as we danced. Michael and the boys rotated on who would watch our belongings at the booth. In between songs we chose to ignore to catch our breathe and wet our dry throats we'd have small chit chat of getting to know each other. Jesse and Kota both worked with Michael at a local hardware stop. Jesse and Michael were the managers while Kota was the assistant. The boys were all nice.Michael called out our final song to Devon and I before he would be "taking our drunk asses home".

He took the keys to Devon's jeep and drove me home after getting the address from Devon's texts from earlier. He waved by to his friends and helped us walk to the car. he opened the back door for me holding it as I crawled inside carefully closing it behind me and I curled up watching my world spin a little harder in the cooler air of the night. He helped Devon into the passenger seat and buckled her in giving her a sweet kiss on her cheek before closing the door.

Michael got in himself, buckled up, turned the radio on and lowered the volume to a whisper. I was entertained with my sinning world and didn't notice the car stopping infront of my brother's house.

"Do you need help inside?" Michael turned back to look at me as he asked the question. Devon was already asleep against the window. I shook my head no and sat up, gave myself a second to gather my thoughts and belongings, got myself out with my bag and headed inside.

I struggled to unlock the door a little bit, but when I opened it Luca was glaring at me from the other side.