Chapter 9: Angel

My friends laugh as Penelope tells a story as she sits watching us all work.

“You’re random.” Gavin says handing me a cloth I can use to clean this car’s motor.

“I like being random. Being boring isn’t fun.” She giggles.

God, the way she smiles. The way she laughs. It makes me happy.

I don’t often feel happy but every time I’m with her I feel it. I feel a lot of things. And I couldn’t help but smile with her this morning.

“Nice ass.” I hear a voice behind me.

I groan and turn around seeing my ex-girlfriend, Angel.

She is not a fucking Angel.

“What do you want?” I cross my arms leaning against the car.

“My car’s broken down, what do you think, asshole?”

I walk over to her car and pop the bonnet.

“Your radiator’s hot, needs water on it.” I tell her like I do every summer.

“You are such an asshole.” I hear Angel following up behind me as I go back to the garage.

I ignore her. I’m so done putting up with her bullshit.

We dated for 3 months about a year ago. And she’s clearly mad at me.

I broke up with her because she was stealing my money.

I ignore her ranting and I go up to the fridge and grab a drink of water. I can feel Penelope watching from beside me as she sits on the small kitchen bench we have out here.

“Who’s that?” She asks.

“My ex.”

“Oh.”

I take a few gulps of my water and then hand it to Penelope, “Drink.”

I need to keep her hydrated and fed.

She drinks a few gulps and I take the bottle putting it in the fridge.

“Who’s this?” I hear Angel beside me.

I sigh, “Penelope, Angel, Angel, Penelope.”

“Hi!” P chirps.

Angel frowns, “Hi?”

“I like your hair.” Penelope smiles.

“Aren’t you cute.”

“Thank you.”

I rub Penelope’s thigh and she glances at me before blushing.

“How old are you?” Angel starts talking to Penelope like she’s a child.

“Twenty.”

“Going for the younger ones hey Parker.” Angel nudges me.

“Why are you still here?” I glare at Angel. Can’t she just fuck off?

“I haven’t seen you in forever, Parker.”

“There’s a reason for that.” I grip Penelope’s thighs tighter as I rub them. Her small hands go on top of mine and I release the tight grip on her thighs.

“I didn’t even do anything.” Angel rolls her eyes.

“You stole from me, Angel. I think that is something.”

My stomach knots and I begin to sweat as I start to get even more anxious than usual.

“You took it the wrong way.”

I shake my head, “I don’t think I did.”

I start to breathe quicker and I can feel myself getting more worked up.

“Time for you to go, Angel, we’ve got work to do.” Wes says.

Oh thank fuck.

I hiccup and gasp slightly as I try to breathe.

I don’t focus on Angel leaving or what they do to get her to leave.

“Hey, are you okay?” Penelope asks holding my forearms.

I nod and force myself to take deep breaths as I calm myself like usual.

I tilt my head back as I take a deep breath.

I’m fine. I’m fine.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” I feel Penelope’s thumbs rub back and forth on my wrists.

“Yep I’m fine.” I take one hand off her and rub my eye and quickly replace it feeling worse with the loss of contact.

“Do you want a hug?”

I look back down at her as she looks gently at me.

“I give really good hugs.” She smiles.

“Hugs aren’t my thing.” I mumble.

“We can make it our thing.”

She shimmies closer to the end of the bench and sits up straight. We’re chest to chest as she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer.

She gently rubs the top of my back and it feels so good.

“Put your arms around me.”

I slide my hands up her thighs and around her waist, making sure not to touch her back where she told me.

“See, isn’t this nice.” She whispers.

I pull her closer, “Mhmm.”

I never want to let go. I don’t even care my friends are seeing this. I don’t even care about anything else.

I just care about her arms around me.

I feel calmer than before. I feel like I can breathe.

“Jingle bingle, perry winkle, friendly pickle, wingle mingle.” She giggles.

I lean my forehead against her shoulder, “You know that song doesn’t rhyme.”

“Oh well, I like it.”

I smile against her and I can feel her smiling too.

“Parker, are you going to stand there forever or are you helping?” Gavin asks.

I groan, “I’ll come help.”

Penelope is first to pull away and I stay for a moment before moving.

“Now go work.” She smiles, her cheeks pink.

I kiss her forehead and walk back to the car to begin working.

“You so like her.” Wes says.

“How can I not like her?” I lean down and continue changing parts on the car.

“She makes you a nice person.” He laughs.

I don’t want to be a bad person to her. How could she even want to be with me if I’m mean to her.

It’s not like I’ll ever be good enough for her. She’s so pure and harmless. I’m a volcano ready to erupt.

It’s not long before I explode and I ruin everything. Everything I’ve worked so hard for could all slip away from me if I’m not careful.