Always Yours

She set me up. Franko and I had agreed it was better if we didn’t see each other anymore and here we were about to have dinner together.

I wonder if he was in on it?

Surely not, right?

“It’s just dinner, come on”. She looped her arm through mine and dragged me to where they were standing.

I hated the smell of cigarette smoke, hated smoking and yet with Franko it didn’t bother me.

“Princess”. He nodded.

“Hey”.

“We eating cause I’m starving”. Tommy threw his arm around Alice’s shoulders as we headed inside.

Of course, she tried to pick a booth by the window, but Franko suggested we sit way in the back, out of sight and out of view of the door.

I was grateful for that, and I knew I was the reason he did it. When my eyes landed on his I mouthed a thank you. He smirked, nodded then motioned that I sit on the inside.

“Babe, do you want to share?”. Alice asked Tommy.

I for one wasn’t sharing my food. Scanning over the menu I was stuck on what to get. Nachos or a burger. Suppose I could get both.

“Do you want to share?”. Franko whispered causing me to jump.

Why was he so close?

A chuckle fell from his lips. “Looks like I got my date after all”.

“Not really”. I frowned keeping my eyes on the menu.

“How so?”.

I chewed the inside of my cheek nodding towards Alice and Tommy. If this was a date they wouldn’t be here. But I also thought we weren’t going to see each other anymore?

“I can change that darling”.

I bit back my smile. See, it was so easy with Franko. Everything felt right when I was with him. I felt like me when he was here.

“I thought we weren’t going to hang out as much?”.

“Seems your little friend set this up darling. I just assumed you wanted to see me”.

“Who could say no to a free burger”. I grinned.

“Free?”. He raised his eyebrows.

“We’ll be back”. Alice spoke as she and Tommy slid out of the booth and headed for the back entrance.

“Are they allowed through there?”. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to see Alice again for the rest of the night.

“Who cares”. He shrugged. “Means I get you all to myself”.

A shiver rocked through my body as I felt his breath against my neck. He was too close, and this wasn’t helping me control the situation.

I cleared my throat before my eyes scanned over the menu once again. I couldn’t concentrate on anything with him this close. His smell, his touch, he was killing me.

Doing things to me that I didn’t fully understand.

“Aubrey?”.

“Huh?”. I squeezed my eyes shut before opening them again. I had to stop that. I had to stop falling into my own little world when I wasn’t alone.

A chuckle fell from his lips. “Do you wanna get out of here?”.

“No”. Yes, yes, I did. I could spend all day every day with him and that was the problem. I was in too deep, and I wasn’t sure I was able to stay away from him now.

“Fuck”. He ran a hand through his hair. “You mind if I go for a smoke?”.

Why did it suddenly feel weird? I moved so he could get past and instead of going out front he headed through the back.

He must have smoked about 10 cigarettes because by the time he came back I was ready to go home. I was done with this, and I was never going to dinner with Alice again.

I didn’t even get to eat. I don’t understand why they thought leaving me to sit by myself was okay. If I wanted to do that I’d have stayed at home.

“Can you take me home?”.

“You wanna go home?”. He frowned.

“Thats what I said”. I got up from the booth. “But if you don’t want to, I can walk”.

“You ain’t fucking walking Aubrey. We’re miles from your house”.

I shrugged. I shouldn’t even be here with him and I’m a little annoyed with Alice for leaving me. Don’t invite someone to dinner and then do a disappearing act with your boyfriend.

That’s not cool and for her to set me up like that wasn’t cool either.

“Stay and eat something please”.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. I knew my parents wouldn’t be home for another few hours, but I didn’t want to be here anymore. I had wasted enough time sitting about.

“I just want to go home”. I chewed the inside of my cheek. “I’m not really hungry anymore”.

“Whatever you want princess”. A sigh fell from his lips as he passed me his keys. “I gotta sort something but I won’t be long”.

“So, I’ve to drive myself home?”. I was confused as to why he gave me his keys.

“Nobody drives my truck but me sweetheart. I gave you my keys so you could wait outside”.

“Right”. I felt the heat creep up my neck, but he didn’t say anything else, so I took me and my embarrassment outside.

I waited and waited some more. The fact that he made me wait again only worsened my mood. Gritting my teeth I got out of his truck and slammed the door shut behind me.

I was done with waiting, and I was done with waiting about. I placed his keys on the hood of his truck and started on my walk home. The sun was setting so there was still daylight and hopefully I would make it home before darkness fell.

I was freezing. I couldn’t feel my toes, nor my fingertips and I was the idiot that didn’t wear a warm jacket. I didn’t think I’d need one but then again, I never thought I’d be walking home.

I made it about 10 blocks away from the diner before he caught up with me. Blasting his horn like an idiot and almost running me over as he pulled up onto the sidewalk.

“I fucking told you not to walk home”. He yelled, jumping from his truck.

The loudness of his voice made me flinch. My mouth became dry as I wrapped my arms around my body.

“Get in the fucking truck Aubrey”.

I didn’t move.

“It’s not safe out here”.

“I’m fine”.

“Get in the truck. Don’t make me ask again”.

A sigh fell from my lips, but I did as he asked. I didn’t like it when he acted this way. I wasn’t afraid of him but when he lost his temper it wasn’t a pretty sight and he usually said things that hurt.

I clipped my seatbelt into place and waited for him to start the engine. I could feel his eyes boring into the side of my face, but I kept my head forward and my eyes locked on the parked car in front of us.

“Can’t be doing shit like that Aubrey. It’s not fucking safe out here”.

I made a face. I wasn’t doing anything. I did nothing wrong. I wanted to go home, and I was sick of waiting about.

“Why didn’t you just wait?”. He started the engine and pulled out onto the road.

“I did you were taking too long, so I left”.

“Then you come inside and get me. You don’t fucking walk home on your own”.

“Stop yelling at me. I’ve been waiting all night I wasn’t waiting any longer. I went to dinner and didn’t even get to eat”.

“I’m sorry for yelling but baby I can’t have you walking about these streets on your own”.

I frowned when I noticed he didn’t take the right exit. This wasn’t the way to my house. “Where are we going?”. I asked.

“I’m taking you to the clubhouse for dinner”.

“That’s not a good idea. Please just take me home”.

And he did. He drove me home without another word spoken between us. He parked down the street from my house turning off the engine.

“We agreed not to see each other as much”. I spoke.

“Your friend set this up darling not me. I’m just making sure you got home safely. She obviously doesn’t give a fuck about you”.

“Hey”. I frowned.

“Call it how I see it”.

“Okay whatever”. I unclipped my seatbelt and opened the passenger door. “See you around”.

Like always he didn’t leave until I was inside. What I didn’t expect was to find my mom sitting at the kitchen table.

Her car wasn’t in the drive.

“Sit down Aubrey. We need to have a chat”.