The next week was rough. I avoided the lot like the plague, but since I had quit my job and just brought what I could fit in my car that was going to have to change. Gemma was happy to let me work at the garage, and I had managed to get an apartment for the time being.
About a week after I returned to Charming, Gemma called me and told me Juice wanted to talk to me. She sent him to my apartment and I waited anxiously for him.
A soft knock on the door had me jumping before walking over and opening it. I let Juice in and he took a seat on the couch that Gemma had insisted on giving me. She single-handedly furnished my apartment, something I promised to pay her back for. She told me not to worry since she had been bugging Clay to update their furniture so she just has the prospects move her old stuff to my place.
"Why did you leave?"
"I couldn't handle being here. I felt like it was my fault, like there was something I did wrong."
He sighed a little. We'd had this argument when we found out too.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said. "Why'd you tell me we were gonna figure shit out together?"
"I thought we could. Then you got called away by Clay even though he knew I needed you and I realized that we weren't going to process shit. You'd throw yourself into the club like any good Son and I'd be left at home handling my own shit as the girlfriend of a prospect."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I let an amused chuckle escape before biting my bottom lip to keep from laughing at him.
"I was 19 and pissed at the world. And you. I know now that nothing I could've said would've kept you at that apartment with me. You need the club and they needed you."
"I came back. I got to the clubhouse and Clay could tell something was wrong. He and Chibs both decided I couldn't handle whatever was going on so they shipped me off. I went back but you were gone. I tried to call. You didn't even leave a note."
"I'm sorry," I said.
"Me too."
It fell silent as my eyes watered. He looked up at me and I saw something in him break.
"Come here," he said, sliding his kutte off and laying it on the back of the couch before opening his arms to me.
I didn't move towards him so he nodded a little and turned to face me.
"I never should've left you alone," he said.
"I understand Juice."
"Guess we were both pretty young and dumb huh?"
I nodded and wiped my eyes.
"I still love you," he said softly.
"I love you too. I don't know where we go from here though," I said.
He shrugged. "Forward. It's the only option."
"What about us?"
"I want you to be my girl again. Not yet but some day. So why don't we get back to being friends and then we'll work towards dating again."
"I'd like that a lot Juice," I said. He nodded and leaned back a bit.
"Wanna get outta here?"
I looked up at him, waiting for an explanation of his question.
"I've got a small house now. We could order a pizza, smoke some weed, play Mario Kart," he said.
"Just like two years ago?" I asked.
"We always were our best when we could be ourselves."
I agreed and we headed out to his bike.
When we got to his house, he started to set up the game and I called and ordered the pizza and some breadsticks because when we get stoned we love carbs and candy.
Juice must've read my mind as he dropped a massive bag of Sour Patch Kids on the coffee table.
"Pizza will be here in like half an hour."
He nodded and looked over at me.
"You should've grabbed comfy clothes," he said.
"I'm fine Juice," I said.
"How're you supposed to relax in jeans and a crop top?"
"Carefully," I said. He shook his head and disappeared to his room. He returned a few minutes later with one of his shirts and an old pair of my shorts.
"Is it weird I kept them?"
"Maybe a little," I said.
He pointed me in the direction of the bathroom and I went to change while he rolled a joint for us.
When I returned to the living room, he was setting up the game so all we had to do was hit play.
"Thanks for this Juice. All of it," I said. He just nodded and handed me the joint. I took a hit and allowed the tension to leave my muscles as I sat down with him.
"You're my girl. I know what you need," he shrugged a little as I handed the joint back to him.
I nodded and took a drink of water before grabbing my controller.
"Let's get this shit started."