She Fears Love

Four | Meeting Again

Aleah

I was nervous.

It had been more than a couple months since I'd last seen Britney and I was afraid I lost my spot in her list of preferred people.

Judy told me she'd been missing me, but what if she was just lying to get me to actually help her. Or maybe she just had hope I'd be able to keep her under control for an entire three day weekend.

I knew it wasn't easy for most people to reach Britney's soft spot. Ever since Nathan brought a girlfriend over to meet his family and Brit got attached only for the girl to break her brother's heart, she was picky on who she let in.

Since I wasn't someone threatening Nathan's heart, she eventually accepted me. It wasn't easy at first; I had to earn her love and acceptance. She made me promise never to get with her brother, which was not a problem at all. Nathan was like a brother to me. 

We had almost every single class together in middle school. The one year we didn't have two classes together, we made sure to change our schedule to make sure it matched again. We were inseparable until it was time for high school.  When my dad placed me in a private school he paid way too much money for and Nathan went to public school.

We found our way back when he found me in his mutual friends online and added me.

One day he asked if I could babysit his sister when I told him I had been looking for a job and now here I was. Back at their front door, too nervous to knock.

The door opened without me touching it and Judy ushered me inside as she struggled to put her earrings on. "What are you doing out in the cold, dear. Come on in."

"I just got here," I lied. I had been shaking like a chihuahua and my teeth were still clattering a bit, even as I walked into the warm house.

She gave me a look and I waited for her to say, "I saw you through our doorbell camera. You did not just get here."

My cheeks warmed almost instantly despite how cold my face still was from the fifty degree weather outside. Last time I was here they didn't have one of those cameras. That meant she just saw me standing outside like an idiot for the past ten minutes.

"You remember everything my angel needs or do you need me to remind you, dear?" Her and her husband were rushing to get their luggages ready for their vacation. He was dragging three behind him with a duffle flung over his shoulder out to their car as Judy struggled to throw another bag strap over her tall husband's neck. Eventually she just followed him out with it instead.

I set my stuff down on one of the couches before going over to the last duffle sitting by the door to carry it out to them. Funny thing was I didn't doubt only one of the duffles belonged to her husband. They'd only be gone for three days, but she wanted to be prepared for anything that could happen in those three days. Most of the items would remain unworn but the time she came back.

Brit was nowhere to be seen and I figured she was still sleeping. It was far too early for her to be up yet.

Once they were ready to go, Judy handed me a hundred dollar bill. "She's been asking for pizza a lot so you can use this to buy it." I nodded as she closed my fingers around the bill. She beamed at me and pet my hair like a mother would her child. "I'm so glad you're able to look after my baby again. She's really been missing you. And so have I."

"Had to take some time to myself, I'm sorry."

She waved me off, fixing the bun on her head. "No need to apologize, I know life happens, dear." With a sigh, she felt around her pockets as if to make sure she had everything and smiled at me. "I think it's time we start to leave now. Will you be okay?"