Forest Through the Trees

Chapter 3 (Alex)

When I got the call from Scar that Jamie had forgotten to pick her up, I wasn’t surprised at all. Earlier that day, he and I had hung out and played some C.O.D, and never once did he mention her coming home. I had considered mentioning it, but truth be told, I was getting tired of bailing him out.

Especially with her.

Of course, she called Jamie first. Yet who was the one who actually showed up after he curbed her?

That's right. Me.

The way I see it, Scar is just too fine to be treated like that. If she was with me, there is no f*****g way I would ever forget about her. Sure she can be a b***h, but even then she is hot. I guess I have always had a thing for redheads with a temper.

I stop. Reminding myself yet again that she isn't just some girl. She is my best friend's girl.

When I finally get to the airport in my dad’s beater, she is standing out front waiting. Even after such a long flight, she still looks fantastic. Her red hair pulled up in a high bun, loose strands falling at the sides. Her face is mostly covered by bangs and big dark sunglasses with white diamond-studded frames and she has on a green, low-cut top, whitewashed jeans, and heels. She has a slender build but damn, those legs go all the way up. She has the kind of body that can look good in anything... or nothing. The only thing to complain about would be her breasts. They are a little on the small side.

Not that I am allowed to have an opinion, I reminded myself.

Fuck it, I can still look.

She is standing with her arms crossed surrounded by matching purple floral luggage.

When she sees me pull up, she comes to the window and poked her head inside.

“What the f**k took you so long? Did you have to break into the dump to steal this piece of crap?” She says this as she looks around my car with disgust.

I am used to people treating me like s**t. But there came a day when I realized that I didn’t need to take crap from people without giving it back. Scar is hot, but she needs to have a little respect for the guy who drove an hour and a half to pick her up. So, I put the car in drive and start to roll forward slowly.

“Well if it doesn't suit your royal highness, then I'll just leave and you can wait for Jamie.”

Scar purses her lips. She is stubborn and used to getting exactly what she wants, when she wants it, and definitely is not used to people talking back to her instead of bowing and begging to be near her.

But that's not me. I will never beg anyone for anything. I am an asshole at heart, and she knows that. So she knows that I could very well drive away and leave her stranded.

I start picking up speed as I count down in my head. How long before I scare her enough to come after me?

I get about ten feet before she waves me down and I hit the breaks. I throw it in park and make her haul her stuff up to meet me.

“Alright, sorry I insulted your “wheels”, and thanks for the ride. I don‘t want to be stuck here all night, or all month before my parents realize I’m missing.” her eyes glazed over as she thinks about that.

Like me, she has it tuff, but in a different kind of way. Unlike mine, her family is rich. They own a lot of property in our town too, but her parents are never around, and when they are she is the least of their concerns. That kind of makes me sad for her. At least my dad would remember to pick me up. Hers should be here for her, especially when she has been away all summer.

That brings me back to thinking about Jamie, and how he also stood her up.

What a d**k. What was wrong with him? How could he do that to her after what she already has to go through? Just another person in her life that she can’t count on.

I get out of the car and help put her bags in the back.

When we get on the road, she pulls a charger from her purse and starts studying the dash.

"Where is your USB port?"

I give a humorless laugh. "This car was made in 1995".

"So?"

"So. You are lucky it even has an engine" I roll my eyes at her.

She sighs. "Fine, then can I use your phone?"

I hand it to her and she looks it over. Probably wondering what it is. It's my dad's old slid flip phone from work. It doesn't have a fingerprint scanner. Hell, it doesn't even require a password. In fact, it doesn't even connect to the internet. I can't help but feel a little embarrassed. Someone like her who has the latest iPhone has probably never even seen one of these. I say nothing as she rolls it around in her hand, letting her figure it out herself.

Before long, she is on the phone with Jamie.

She is practically screaming at him. We both know that deep down Jamie is a good guy. Maybe a great guy even. But he can be an i***t. And definitely stretches himself too thin. Usually, I am on the other side when she goes off on him. The one telling him she is a b***h. It makes me wonder how many other times he has deserved it as much as he does right now.

When she hangs up she looks away from me and out the window. I sneak a peek and see her lip quiver slightly as she rests her head on the glass.

She is quiet for a long time and I don't know whether or not I should ask if she was OK. A few more moments of silence and I decide I will take the chance.

“You alright?”

She flinches a little when I speak like she was lost deep in thought.

“Mhmm.” she nods as she hands me my phone back. “Just tired.”

She goes quiet again for a moment before saying in a low voice, “He can just be such a moron sometimes.”

She rests her head against the window again and I can see that she does look exhausted. I reach into the back and grab my sweater, handing it to her. She takes it with a soft thank you smile.

“You can nap if you want to. I will wake you up when we get there.”

She nods and the rest of the trip is silent apart from her light snoring.

When I pull up to her house, her parents are just leaving. They get into their fancy car without so much as a look our way and drive off. Scar is still sleeping and I am relieved that she doesn't see that, even though I am sure that it's a common occurrence.

When I see them turn the corner, I lean over and put a hand on her shoulder to wake her. She is in an awkward position that I am sure must be killing her neck. Her mouth is hanging open slightly, and she has my sweater draped over her like a blanket. Perhaps the flawless Scarlet isn't so perfect after all. But I can't help but notice that even like this she is still so beautiful.

I push that dangerous thought out of my head. “Get a f*****g grip” I mumble to myself as I shake her gently.

“Hey. Sleeping Beauty. You’re home.”

She wakes with a jump and instinctively wipes her mouth. She blushes a little as she looks at me with a frown. "What are you looking at?"

"You. You're a mess," I tell her, opening my door and stepping out. "And you snore in your sleep."

I close the door on her before she can come up with a sarcastic reply, and start taking her stuff out of the back.

I help bring her bags up to her room. Which is no small feat. Firstly, because her room is on the third floor at the farthest end of her massive house. And secondly, when I say “help" I mean, I carried everything but two small bags and her purse. By the time we get there, I am about ready to collapse.

Her room is big. Well, of course. But it just feels bigger and colder today. I have spent a lot of time here, studying the purple wallpaper while she and Jamie make out on her bed. That sounds weird, but when you are a third wheel, you DON’T get used to it, but you learn to accept it. Scar and I have always been pretty close friends too. I guess you inadvertently become that way when your best friend is dating someone. You just see them a lot. Maybe more than you should sometimes.

I walk over and flopped down on the end of her bed. It is big and comfortable. On her ceiling are glow-in-the-dark hearts that I never noticed till now. It is only just getting dark and so they aren't bright but the last bit of sunset filters in through her tall windows, making the purple in her room shine. I liked being in her room, especially when Jamie isn't. I can relax more when he isn't around. Don’t get me wrong, he is my best friend. And of course, I love him like a brother, but sometimes I just get tired of always coming second place. And that is always how it feels when I am with him.

She takes off her sunglasses and her heels, fixing herself at her dresser. We make eye contact in the reflection and she gives me a tired smile.

“God I am so exhausted.” She says, walking over and flopping down on the bed beside me.

We don't say anything for a while. Both of us are tired and just enjoying the quiet without having to be alone. I know we both have that in common.

“Thanks for coming all that way to get me." She doesn't turn to look at me and keeps staring at the ceiling. "Without you, I would have been stuck.”

I look over at her and see a tiny tear in the corner of her eye.

“Sure” is all I manage and have to look away. I hate it when girls cry. I never know what to say.

She yawns then and rubs her eyes, wiping that tear away.

Her yawn causes me to do the same and I can't help my heavy eyes. Her bed is so big that both of us fit easily laying across it. And that for me is a big deal. At home, laying properly on my own bed, my feet hang over the edge. I guess that is just what happens when you are 6'6. But not this bed. The king-size is as wide as it is long and it is perfect for me. Scar is tall for a girl too. If I had to guess I would say she was about 5'9 or so. But thin and she looks ridiculously small swallowed in this mass of comforter and pillows.

She yawns again, and I realized that I should probably leave and let her get some sleep. She is probably jet-lagged and still has unpacking to do.

I sit up and move to get off the bed, but she grabs a hold of my arm. Her hands were so soft and warm and her touch sends a familiar jolt to my stomach that I pushed away.

“Please don’t go". She says almost desperately "I don’t want to be alone right now. Can you just stay a little while longer?”

I don't look at her. I can’t. Can’t handle the look on her face. Can’t handle her eyes. This is such a bad idea. Not that I am stupid enough to think anything would happen. But knowing how bad I want to stay means I really shouldn’t. But I can’t bring myself to tell her no.

So instead I just nod and lay back down beside her.

We just lay in silence for a while. The both of us just staring off into space. Neither of us wants to move or wreak anything by saying something.

After ten minutes or so I hear her breathing change and a genital snore start. Asleep, she rolls over and rests her head on my shoulder, draping her arm over me. She holds onto me so tight I don't move a muscle. Frozen, in shock and not knowing exactly what to do. A part of me is afraid that it will end if I so much as breathe.

She smells so good. Her head is pressed up under my chin and her soft warm cheek is on my chest where the V in my shirt dips. As good as it feels, it feels equally as bad.

I tell myself that there really isn't anything wrong with this. So what if she is sleeping on me? But then I am reminded of how much pleasure I am taking from cuddling with my best friend's girlfriend and feel my stomach twist.

I weigh my options.

I could go.

I should go.

Go back home and lay in my own cold bed.

Alone.

Or I could stay.

Jesus, I want to stay. I want to stay so, so bad.

Fuck.

Option A might be the wiser of the two. But option B just moved and wrapped her leg around me, and it is now inconveniently, or conveniently placed between mine. So at this point, option A is obliterated and option B I have absolutely no hope of resisting.

Fuck it.

I’m not going to think about right and wrong here. I have a beautiful girl between my legs, and I don’t give a f**k that she isn’t mine.

I’m an asshole, it is expected of me, right? Besides, when will I ever get another chance like this? It will never happen again so I will enjoy it while I can.

I gently wrap my arm around her and hold her against me. She lets out a small sigh and snuggles in tighter. She feels so good pressed against my body. I relish the moment and let my mind wander as I also drift off to sleep.