IM SORRY I HAD TO SPLIT IT UP IT WAS WAY TOO LONG
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"I swear to god Calvin if you raise your voice at me one more time," I said, casually looking at my nails.
"I'm being serious Rachel," Calvin said lowly with his arms folded.
"And you think I'm not?" I scoffed looking up at him. "Calvin you accused me of sleeping with my friend. Boyfriends are supposed to trust their girlfriends." I said through grit teeth. "Or am I wrong?"
"You know what, can you blame me? This guy lives with you. And--and I see the way you look at each other like you two are in love or something!" He began to raise his voice and I glowered. "But I'm with you, you idiot! If I wanted to--which doesn't sound like the worst idea at the moment--I could be with him instead of your distrustful ass!"
He scowled. "Then why don't you?" He crossed his arms.
"Excuse me?" I stood and crossed my arms as well.
"If you think it's such a good idea if you think you can just waltz to him, then why don't you?"
My jaw tightened and it took everything in me to not uppercut the fuck out of him. I let out air through my mouth to calm myself. "Fine."
He raised a surprised eyebrow. "Fine?"
I nodded. "Yes, Calvin, fine," I spoke sharply. "If you don't trust me, then I guess I can say fuck it to this relationship." I walked past him towards the door. I could tell he was trying to think of something else to say because his face was turning a bit red. "Fine. That's fine." He said like he didn't care.
I chuckled turning the doorknob and looked back. "I already said that hun, but you can try again next time, though I doubt there will be one." I gave a fake warm smile. "Auf Wiedersehen, asshole." I waved curtly before slamming the door behind me.
As soon as I got back to my own apartment, I downed a single shot of tequila and sat on the floor in front of my bed.
"Cry over no man." I said to myself before muttering "Get drunk over no man." I set down my shot glass. I very rarely got drunk, considering I had an abnormally high alcohol tolerance, so I simply rarely drank. The variety of alcohol I hid in the back of the cabinet was mainly to celebrate-- unless it was used to drown out my anger and sorrows but we won't talk about that.
There was a knock and I sighed. "No one's home..." I said lowly, looking down.
There was no reply and for a moment I believed whoever was there had walked away and left me alone.
I didn't want to be alone.
"You okay?" Steve's voice asked from the other side and I looked over at the door.
"...Yeah..." No.
"Are you sure?" He asked, concerned.
"...I don't think so."
He paused for a moment. "Do you want to be alone?"
I didn't speak for a few seconds. "...No." I pulled my legs to my chest.
The door opened slowly and he peeked his head through. "Hi." He said, easily.
I gave a light chuckle. "Hi, Steve." I smiled softly.
"Mind if I join you?" He asked.
I shook my head and put my hand out for him to figuratively (or literally) take it. He closed the door behind him and came over to where I sat and sat beside me, minding the shot glass. He picked it up. "It's eleven in the morning and you're already drinking."
I shrugged and looked down. "You know I'm not a big drinker, Steve."
"Rachel."
"Calvin and I broke up," I said with pursed lips.
Steve's face quickly became serious and I chuckled a little. "I broke up with him, Steve. It's okay. You don't have to break any bones." I leaned on him.
"What happened?" He inquired.
I shrugged. "I dunno... the trust factor I guess. Our relationship didn't have much of it." I fiddled with my rings on my fingers.
Steve didn't say anything.
"Y'know Rogers..." I laid my cheek on his shoulder. "You're the most consistent thing in my life right now."
He looked down at me.
"Thanks for that."
Again, he said nothing but I felt his fingertips graze my palm.
I looked down at our hands.
My phone began blaring Wannabe by the Spice Girls and I panicked suddenly.
"Motherfuckers and cheese..." I mumbled reaching back for my phone on the edge of the bed.
I looked at the caller ID and I made a yikes expression.
I looked at Steve. "Don't breathe." I put my finger to his lips and answered the phone.
"Hi, mom." My voice accidentally raised an octave and I cringed.
"Rachel." My mother said from the other end, probably having heard the sharp change in my voice--y'know that voice you make when you're up to something but you don't want your parent to know.
"Yes, mother?" I maintained my voice.
"I'm just calling to remind you that today is Thanksgiving."
My eyes squeezed shut and I cringed again. "Fuck fuck fuck..." I took my finger from Steve's lips and covered my own. "I forgot mom, I'm so sorry."
"Mhmm." She said over the phone, knowing damn well that with my job and school it was nearly impossible to remember family affairs. "Well it's only eleven AM, so you still have enough time to make something--assuming you haven't yet--and make it here before it gets dark and dinner starts. And you're still bringing your boyfriend right?" As mother talked, I ran my hand over my face stressfully. I took a deep sigh. "No mother, I'm not. Sorry."
"Rachel, honey did you break up with him?" She asked over the phone and I hung my head.
"You know what I'm going to try to make it, mother, but there are no promises. I have a lot of things to work out." I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"I hope you make it, baby. I love you."
"Love you too, mom." I sighed. "Bye," I said, hanging up and tossing my phone. I didn't even look at Steve when my head hit his shoulder with an irritated and distressed sigh. "Bourbon," I mumbled.
"What's the matter?" He asked.
"Remember I told you I had to go up to Orange County for Thanksgiving?"
"Yes..."
"And that I was taking Calvin..."
"Oh.."
"Yeah..." I nodded my head. "Yeah. My whole family was expecting me to bring someone because I seem to be the only one who's never really had someone you know?"
"You're young, Rachel. You don't need to have someone just to have someone, trust me."
I looked down. "You sound like my father."
He didn't respond but I felt his arm snake around my waist.
A small tiny thought.
"Steve..." I looked up and he looked down at me.
"I'm just going out on a limb here but..."
The thought instantaneously enlarged.
"Would you be my boyfriend?" I asked, trying my hardest to sound calm and casual but I failed. I avoided looking at him and kept looking forward and his neck made an unusually swift turn.
"You want me to meet your family?" He asked incredulously.
"I'm not sure if I'm being completely serious--"
"Why would you want to do that?"
"My family is bothersome. If I'm single, It's all they talk about. They'll pester me about it until I break down and yell at every single one of them to leave me alone and then they'll get frustrated because I'm frustrated and it just isn't fair." I sat up and threw my arms up. "All my mother wants out of me is to be just like all my other siblings, have a consistent love life, a kid or two, and some b-list job so I can spend time with family. Do you know what I do for a living Steven? I translate for people. I travel all over the world and translate for important people. It's what I'm good at, and it's what I like to do, and it's most definitely what pays the bills. I won't give up what I love to do because my mom hates it." I sat back with my arms folded and looked straight ahead with my tongue between my teeth.
I could feel Steve staring at me. "You and your mother have issues with each other?"
I shrugged. "Only when she's trying to control me. And what with my temper and all we have these frequent flash arguments that end in me hurting her feelings or vice versa."
I let my head fall back and covered my eyes with my palms. "You know what, with everything going on right now, I think I can afford to skip Thanksgiving."
"No," Steve said quickly, making me look up at him. "What?"
"You're not going to skip Thanksgiving. I'm going to be your date." He said, with a small smile.
I was slightly alarmed. "What? Why would you do that?"
"Because you need to be with your family. You'll never know if it'll be your last time to spend with them."
My express was concerned, but I couldn't find it in myself to say anything else.
"...Steve, you don't have to..." I started but he gave me this look that made me shut my mouth instantly. He was hurt.
Without saying another word, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him, resting my cheek on his chest. "I'm sorry."
After a moment he responded. "Don't be."
•••
IT WAS TOO LONG SO I HAD TO SPLIT IT UP IM SORRY
HOW WAS YOUR THANKSGIVING
GOOD
GREAT
UM
ITS ALMOST DONE I PROMISE