The Beginning of Us (19 page)

“Hi, I’m Danny Thomas and this is my buddy
,
Skylar McBride,” Danny introduced us to the girls. To my surprise
,
the brunette didn’t do the talking.

“Hi Danny and Danny’s buddy, Skylar. I’m Kylee Anderson and this is my best friend and roommate, Mira Adams,” the red head said.

Mira. God that name is so fitting. I think I’m in love, I thought to myself.

“Well, Kylee and Mira, do you guys have plans tonight? Skylar and I were thinking of doing a little sightseeing. That is, if you’re up for it,” Danny teased the girls while stroking his index finger on Mira’s bare arm.

Those two were so lost in each other; I knew all hope was lost for Mira and me.

“Sure Danny, that sounds like a good time. Right Kylee?” the beautiful brunette finally spoke and it was the voice of an angel. But I noticed that she didn’t take her eyes off Danny’s the entire time we had been standing here.

“Another one bites the dust, huh Sky?” I thought to myself
.

Present …

I barely have enough time to gather up my stuff before she bolts from the meeting. I know she needed to hear what happened. I thought it would help her, but it looks like I hurt her. Yet again, whenever I’m around her, I feel guilty. Will this feeling ever go away?

“Mira, please wait up. I’m so sorry if I hurt you. I thought it was okay that I talked about that,” I say as I chase her, trying to catch up. She is running through the parking lot to her car.

“Skylar, it’s okay. I know you had to talk about it to move on. I thought I was ready to hear it. But I, I just can’t. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your meeting. It won’t happen again,” she says, still crying.

“It’s fine. I promise. I’ve talked about it before in other groups. When Ky said you were coming here, I thought maybe I could help you. You’ve been locked away for months. Not talking to anyone about Danny. I just wanted to help,” I say, not realizing that she has no idea this is a set up.

“You guys planned this. You knew I would be here? What is this, one big fucking joke on Mira?” she screams, her
voice full of anger and tears still streaming down her face.

“It wasn’t like that. Ky called me and said she was worried. I found this place and figured it was close to home and still within your comfort zone so I thought you might come. I came a few times to scope it out and realized that this one was better than the one I had gone to in the city. We really just wanted to help you, Mira. I swear,” I plead with her. She just stares at me, with her
face full of tears that don’t show any sign of stopping.

Mira turns away from me and resumes her retreat to her car. I know I can’t let her drive in this condition. The guilt from Danny is still too heavy on my heart to even consider letting her drive. What if she wrecked? I won’t survive that.

“Mira, please let me drive you home? You’re in no condition to drive.”

She doesn’t say anything
,
but gets her keys out and moves toward the driver door. As she goes to put the keys in to unlock the door, I put my hand on hers and her emerald eyes hit mine.

“Skylar, it’s fine, really. I can drive. I’ll be fine. I just have to get out of here,” she says
,
with my hand still on hers. I pull her hand into mine and with my free hand, take the keys away.

I beg her, “Mira, really, I’m not letting you drive like this. Your eyes are swollen from all the crying. It’s the least I can do for messing up that beautiful face of yours.”

Shit. Did I just say that out loud? In four and a half years, I have
never
told Mira that she was beautiful. To my surprise, she doesn’t pull her hand back. I think she even relaxes a little. She looks down at our hands, still together, and then back up at me.

She gives me a weak smile, “Ok, fine. I won’t argue this point with you, sir. Thanks for the ride. I probably shouldn’t be driving.”

She walks to the passenger side and gets in as I hop into the driver’s side. “Do you remember the way to my apartment?” she asks me as I put the car in reverse.

“Yeah, I’m sure I can manage,” I joke with her. I could probably navigate my way to her apartment blindfolded if I had to.

She looks in my eyes again, and I am lost in the deep, lush green
.
She finally speaks when we pull up to the apartment complex parking lot. “Thanks again, Skylar. I know it hurts you talking about it just like it hurts me, but thank you. I needed to hear it and I’m sorry we didn’t talk sooner.”

I am a little overjoyed that she didn’t just get out and walk into her apartment.

“Mira, you know I’m here anytime you want to talk, right? I would like to think that we are friends too,” I say, trying not to stare at her too hard.

“Same goes for you, big guy. We are friends. Danny would want us to stay close. Nobody knew him better than we did. Maybe we can get together for coffee or lunch or something?” Mira asks while she is fumbling with the laces of the U of M hoodie she has sitting on her lap.

“Yeah, I would like that a lot,” I say back to her honestly

Chapter Three

Mira

Over the past few weeks, Skylar and I have seen each other on a weekly basis. He usually drops by just to check on me or invite me out for coffee. I forgot how much fun he is to be around. He’s constantly joking around with me, reminding me that I’m alive. God, I needed this.

It’s been about seven months, give or take, since graduation and I still don’t have a job. I graduated from U of M with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing. I wish someone would’ve told me how pointless this degree would be. Seven months and no job offers. It’s not like I have really tried, though.

Today is my day
, I think to myself. I will find a job. I scour the classified ads in the newspaper and job posting boards, with no luck. I’m not going to be able to support myself much longer. My parents have been helping me out for some time and I can’t continue to live off of their support.

After another hour of online job searching, I finally find an ad for an Office Manager at a large real estate firm downtown. Hell, I guess I’ll just send in my resume, what’s the worst that can happen?

As I pack away my laptop, preparing for a nice well-deserved nap, I realize that I haven’t seen Kylee or Skylar over the last couple of days.

“Maybe something is going on with those two,” I mumble, suddenly feeling a hint of jealousy. What the hell is going on with me? A few minutes later, Kylee comes walking through our front door.

“Where have you been lately?” I ask her with an inquisitive look on my face.

“Job interviews, networking and growing up,” she snaps back at me. Whoa, where is all of this coming from?

“Ky, I was just messing around. I haven’t seen you in a few days and kind of missed you. What’s going on?”

“I didn’t know it was official until this afternoon, but remember the job I applied for in Grand Rapids a few months ago? Well, I had my final interview today and they offered me the job,” Kylee says.

“OH MY GOD! Ky, this is amazing news. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I would have helped you get ready and driven you to the interview. Why don’t you look happy?” I asked, noticing her eyes were focused on the floor.

“Mira, didn’t you hear me. The job in GRAND RAPIDS hired me. I have to move. I can’t manage a two-hour commute to work and then another two hours after work. They want me to start next week and told me they would help me relocate. Ya know, put me up until I find a suitable place. But I don’t think I can leave you yet.”

The hell you’re not
, I think to myself. “Kylee Renee, we have been best friends for ages. You have been my rock during the past few months and I am eternally grateful to you for that. But now, it’s your time. You’re moving out, I’ll help you pack. Grand Rapids or bust,” I say to my friend.

I am elated for my friend. She busted her ass through college, only to be constantly overlooked. This is her time to shine and I’ll be damned if I let her stay because I might be lonely when she leaves.

Kylee runs over to me and plops on the couch next to me. Her smile is bigger than I have ever seen.

“Mira are you sure you won’t need me around? How are you going to afford this place by yourself? Who will be your new roommate? What if they become your new best friend?” Kylee starts running questions by me a million miles a minute.

Just as Kylee begins to spout off more questions, Skylar comes strolling through the front door. Does he think he lives here?

“Hey, where’s my coffee mug?” Skylar says as he walks into the kitchen to rummage through our fridge.

“It’s in the same place it is every morning, Sky. It’s above the sink,” I respond.

“You’re the best,” Sky says, winking at me. “So, what’s new?”

“Oh nothing, other than Ky got a fancy new job in Grand Rapids. Isn’t that the best news?” I joyfully say with my eyes beaming at my best friend.

“Shit Ky, congrats. When do you start? That’s going to be one helluva drive back and forth to work,” Skylar said as more of an inquisition than a statement. He must know that she isn’t going to drive that far to work every day.

“Well, if you must know, Sky, the company I am working for is going to put me up in a hotel until I find a suitable place to live out there. I start next week. This weekend there will be drinking and packing and of course, heavy lifting. Your help will be appreciated,” she says with grin on her face.

“Mira, are you going to stay here or look for a smaller place?” Skylar asks me while sitting on the loveseat across the room from the sofa that Kylee and I are sitting on.

“I guess I’ll just stay right here. I’ll put an ad out looking for a roommate to help cover costs. This is a great apartment with cheap rent. I’m sure that I’ll have no problems finding someone that wants to live here with me,” I say honestly.

“How about you move into my house?” Skylar asks. I almost choke on my drink. Did he really just ask me that?

“Um, thanks Skylar, but I would rather keep my apartment,” I say, trying to stay calm. How can my dead fiancé’s best friend ask me to move in with him?

“Okay, then how about I move in here with you? My house is too big for just me and the landlord told me that he intended the house to be for several people and not just a single guy. If I don’t have a roommate, he wants to put it back on the market since I can’t sign the lease alone,” he responds.

Skylar has a large three-bedroom house. Throughout college, Skylar, Danny and their friend Trent all lived there. There was always a party going on. I spent plenty of time in that house. I know every inch of that house like the back of my hand but I love my apartment.

“That’s a great idea. Then I wouldn’t have to be so worried about Mira being here all alone and you can be a man and fix the leaking sink.” Ky is joking about the sink, but I can see in her eyes she is serious about Skylar moving into the apartment.

“Well, I guess if you were planning on moving anyway, I have an open room if you want it,” I say, sounding shakier than I would like.

“Great. Settled. I’ll come over this weekend for the drinking, packing and heavy lifting. We can put all Ky’s stuff in the living room until a truck or whatever comes and I’ll move into her room at the same time,” Skylar says, beaming and winking at me. That wink. Why does he keep doing that?

The rest of the week flies by. I receive a call about the resume I submitted to the real estate firm. I have an interview at the company on Tuesday of next week. That should be enough time to recover from the booze fest that Kylee is planning. I hope she realizes that we’re not in college anymore. It’s been months since I’ve had a drink. This is going to be trouble.

On Friday evening, Skylar comes over with boxes, pizza and a fifth of tequila. Oh hell, tequila and I are not the best of friends. To be quite honest, I have either two sides when tequila is involved. I am either a raging bitch or a horny slut. Let’s hope I’m a bitch tonight. I’m not ready to be a little slut this evening.

We’re all sitting on the living room floor around the coffee table, eating pizza and listening to the radio, trying to get in the mood to disassemble Kylee’s life of the past four years. As I’m getting ready to take a bite of my slice, a Rihanna song comes on the radio. One that Kylee and I had learned a dance routine to in our junior year. We both look at each other and start laughing.

“Does someone want to fill me in on what the hell is so funny?” Skylar asks, looking at the two of us like we are bat shit crazy.

“Oh my God, Mira, do you remember this song? That bitch-ass dance teacher thought this song was the greatest thing ever written and choreographed a routine to it,” Kylee laughs. My stomach hurts so badly from laughing. I remember this song and I even remember the dance.

“Wait, there is a dance? I have to see this dance. If this is going to be the last time we’re all together here, I need to see this dance. This dance is now on my bucket list, ladies,” Skylar says biting his lip to keep from laughing at us.

Maybe it’s the tequila or maybe it’s me being sentimental about my best friend moving away, but fuck it. We’re dancing and we’re going to give it our all.

We get up and move the sofa back to the wall. We both start doing this stupid routine that we had learned two years ago. The dance reminds me of the cheer routine from Bring It On and I can’t help but double over laughing so hard I can’t continue. There are only so many times you can use jazz hands and pelvis thrusts in one dance.

As I’m holding my mid-section, laughing so hard, tears spilling down my face, I look over at Ky and she is going to town. She’s singing about feeling like she was the only girl in the world and finishing the epic routine.

She finally realizes that I’m no longer dancing with her and she tries to hip bump me causing us to fall over, giggling like teenage girls.