Say What?

I didn’t know what to say to her when she finished her story on what happened that night; just hearing that Ben would try to get her to sleep with him knocked me off balance a little. I know it sounds stupid but I still think of my nieces as the little girls who used to play dress up and collect stickers.

“What are you thinking Aunt Anna? Are you mad at me?” Cassie looked worried. “You aren’t going to tell mom and dad, are you? If dad found out that Ben wanted to sleep with me, he would kill him and I don’t want that to happen!”

When I told her I wasn’t going to tell her parents, she looked relieved but that changed when I added, “I think you should talk to them,” she started to shake her head. “Cass you don’t have to tell your dad but I would suggest that you talk to your mom. And I know you think she’ll flip out and not be cool about it but trust me, your mom is very understanding.”

“But why do I have to tell them anything?” She whined, “I didn’t sleep with him and he didn’t try to force me, so there’s nothing to tell!”

“Maybe not,” I told her. “I just don’t want you to feel that you can’t talk to her about this stuff.” She told me that she would think about it. “So what are you going to do about Ben?” I asked her.

Cass frowned, “I told you I didn’t want to date him anymore.”

“Oh right,” I felt kind of stupid. “So you don’t feel anything for him anymore?”

“Well,” Cassie sighed. “I don’t hate him but…I don’t know Aunt Anna. I’m mad at him. He was a jerk! How could he go out and do that? What the hell is wrong with him? Just because I wasn’t ready to have sex, he decided to go and make out with the first girl that he sees? If he loved me he wouldn’t have even thought about being with anyone else. I hate cheaters!”

I nodded, glancing down at my plate.

“Oh Aunt Anna I didn’t mean…”

“It’s ok Cass.”

“It’s not the same thing though,” she told me.

“Yes it is! I was dating Josh and I kissed Jordan; there’s nothing different.”

“Yes there is!” She placed her plate on the coffee table in front of us before turning to me and taking my hands in hers. “Ben was a jerk who went looking for someone to make out with because I wouldn’t sleep with him; you didn’t come here planning on kissing Jordan! You didn’t mean to hurt Coach Baker while Ben wanted to hurt me!”

“No Cass,” I shook my head. “What I did was wrong and Josh got hurt, that’s all that matters.”

“What about Jordan? He’s not innocent in all this! Why isn’t he suffering for his mistakes like you are? Why did Bella take him back so easily?” I told her what Jordan told me Bella said to him. “That sounds like a load of crap,” she told me. “I know if I started to date someone and they were actively chasing their best friend, I wouldn’t stand for it!”

I went to tell her that I could see Bella’s point but I was interrupted by the front door opening. “Anna? Cass? Is it ok to come in?” Jordan called from the porch.

Shaking my head, I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like we are sitting here naked as we talk Jordy!” I could hear his laughter but I didn’t make out what he said. “How was the food?” I called out to him.

“It was great,” he replied, his voice getting closer and then he appeared around the corner with Jenna half asleep in his arms. “I was so hungry I ate all of your food too.”

“I see,” I got off the couch and made my way over to him. “Was she sleeping?” Jenna’s forehead was against Jordan’s neck and she was holding her Dora doll up to her face so I really couldn’t see her but when I spoke, she lifted her head and gave me a tiny smile. “Oh,” I lifted my hand to her head, softly stroking her hair. Tilting my head so that I was more level with her, I spoke quietly. “You are a very tired little girl, aren’t you?”

Jenna rubbed her eyes and gave me a tired little sigh. “Yeah,” I smiled at her and she reached out her hand to me, wrapping her fingers around mine when I took her hand.

“I should get her ready for bed,” Jordan told me.

“Oh ok,” I glanced at him before looking back at Jenna. “Give me kisses?” I leaned in close to her and she leaned forward, opening her mouth to slobber on me. “Eww,” I chuckled and she giggled.

“Can I have a kiss good night too?” Cassie jumped off the couch and joined us. Jordan held Jenna out so that she could slobber on Cassie’s cheek before he turned to head down the hall.

“Jordan?” I was surprised to hear Bella’s voice, I didn’t hear her or Wade when they came in and I didn’t see them standing there while I was talking to Jordan.

“Give me a minute,” Jordan called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the bathroom to clean Jenna up before putting her in her crib.

Once Jordan was gone, I introduced Cassie to Bella - forgetting that they had already met – and Wade. “I guess we should sit,” I said after all the pleasantries were out of the way and silence settled over the room.

Cass, Wade and I all went to sit down but Bella was still standing in the same spot, glancing down the hall every couple seconds.

“Bella come sit down,” Wade nodded to the empty chair across from him. When she didn’t move Wade sighed, “If it bothers you that much Bella, say something to him!”

“I did,” Bella barely whispered. “But I guess it doesn’t matter to him,” she choked and then spun around, running from the house, slamming the door behind her.

Cassie poked me in the leg with her foot and gave me a questioning look, when I shrugged, we both turned to Wade. He glanced back and forth between the two of us a couple times and then growled in frustration. “Jordan isn’t as perfect as you two think he is,” was all he said.