The Many Faces of Tully

I recover from my embarrassment by the time we make it to Wal-Mart. He didn’t bug me about it anymore, and it didn’t seem to bother him at all. He grabs a shopping cart and we go in.

We start with non food items, like my mom taught me. We get toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, hand soap, bar soap, shaving cream, and razors. Then we get paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, laundry detergent, and bathroom cleaner.

I bump into Jace’s arm a lot as I try to dodge people and their carts. He gets the items that are on the higher shelves and I get butterflies every time I see his stomach. I look at his forearms and his biceps and watch his muscles move under his skin when he reaches for something or turns the cart. I am head over heels for him.

I am reading the back of a box and not looking where I am going. I am trying to see if this floor cleaner is good for tile, hard wood, and linoleum seeing as we have all three. All of a sudden I am being tugged to the side by my belt loop. I stumble into Jace’s chest and look up from the box.

I was just about to run into a little old lady in one of those scooter carts.

“I am so sorry,” I tell her, embarrassed.

“That’s okay sweetie,” she says and she keeps rolling forward.

“Thanks for saving me.” I look up at Jace. I realize I’m still leaning against him so I straighten up.

“My pleasure.” He smiles at me, and then keeps walking forward, not batting an eye.

My heart is melting at the fact that he pulled me from my belt loop and not my arm. I have a thing for belt loops. I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved it when a guy pulled a girl to him with her belt loops. Either to hug her or to kiss her or whatever. After I told Peter that, he would always do it to me if I was upset or if he really wanted to make me happy.

I freeze. I just thought his name without my heart squeezing painfully. It is now, but I thought about him so casually. Am I finally starting to cope with it? Will I finally be able to think about him without it hurting so much? Will I finally get to remember all of the happy times? Will he finally become a happy memory instead of a painful one?

I know it’s because of Jace. I haven’t liked anyone since Peter. There I go again, thinking of him so casually. But, I drew myself a line after Peter. I told myself I couldn’t get emotionally attached to anyone any more, but here I am, getting emotionally attached to Jace. Could that have been the key? Moving on from him would help it not be so painful? I’m almost giddy at the fact I can think his name now.

“Tully?” Jace is at the end of the aisle, looking back at me. “Are you okay?”

I smile at him. “Yeah. I’m great. Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts.” I hurry up to him.

“Can I ask what these thoughts were?” He glances over at me.

“The past. I realized the thoughts aren’t as painful as they used to be.” I can’t stop smiling.

“Good. I hated that method to get your heart going anyways. It’s cruel.” He smiles too.

“I think Nash’s way was cruel. Don’t ever have him pull a gun on me again,” I threaten him, but I’m smiling.

“Honestly, that was almost as hard to watch as the time you went up against the twins. I swear if you hadn’t turned into a dragon and shocked me, I wouldn’t have been able to heal either of them if you had exploded instead.” His tone is angry and ashamed.

“Yeah, that time was horrible. I think I hate Damon’s power worse than exploding. At least I know what’s going to happen when I explode. I don’t like being at his expense.” I’m wrinkling my nose in distaste.

“It was way too perverted and I’m glad it didn’t get any further. I mean, I would have stopped it if he tried, but still.” He’s still angry.

“Thanks. I’m glad you don’t like watching girls strip down,” I tease him. I don’t like it when he’s angry. It’s so unlike him. He’s always so easy going and a lot of times he’s just quiet and calculating. His mood is either neutral or happy and I like that Jace a whole lot better than angry or sad Jace.

“Who said I didn’t like watching girls strip down? I just don’t like girls being stripped down against their will. Even though you were doing it yourself it still wasn’t you, it was Damon. If it was just you, doing it because you wanted to, I wouldn’t have objected.” He flashes a smile at me.

“Good to know.” I didn’t know what to say. He laughs.

“I felt like a Peeping Tom during that. It was horrible. I wanted to look away but I couldn’t really because I had to watch to see what happened.”

“Oh sure, that’s why you didn’t look away.” I laugh.

“Like I said before, I didn’t like the way you looked then. Sure you had a nice body but you just looked so serious, all the time.” He bumps his body into mine and I stumble sideways slightly.

“Thanks for that. I’ll try not to change into someone who looks so serious all the time.” I bump into him this time but he doesn’t even budge an inch.

“Yeah, do that next time will you?” he teases me. I just smile at him.

We get into the grocery section now so we focus on getting stuff. At one point Jace stretches across the aisle behind me to grab something we are passing and he grabs my waist to steady himself. My heart thuds unevenly for a second but I don’t say anything about it and neither does he.

We hit the produce section now. It was my dad’s favorite part of shopping. For as long as I could remember he would always grab a fruit or vegetable and make a horrible fruit pun but I always cracked up laughing. I remember laughing so hard that I fell on the floor. I miss him.

I look at a cantaloupe, pick it up and stare at it for a second. I reach over and grab honeydew. I look at Jace with a smile on my face already. He raises an eyebrow at me. This was my dad’s favorite joke.

I start shaking the honeydew slightly to make it seem like it was the one talking. “I love you so much. We should run away and get married.” Then I shake the cantaloupe. “I love you too, but I cantaloupe.” I make a pouty face.

“You did not just make a fruit pun. Please tell me you are joking,” he groans at me. I smile at him.

“I have more than fruit puns. Lettuce go this way and I’ll show you.” I pull the cart forwards. I pick up corn. “Are my puns too corny for you? Are you going to shuck me out of here?”

He rolls his eyes.

I pick up carrots. “Do you not carrot all for my vegetable puns?”

“No. I don’t,” he sighs.

I reach over and pick up strawberries. “I’m berry sorry you feel that way.” He groans. I pick up some grapes. “I think I’m doing a pretty grape job at it if I do say so myself.”

“I can’t believe you have so many of these,” he exasperates.

I pick up a peach. “Am I making you s-peach-less?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he groans again.

I pick up a tomato. “Oh come on. These used to make me laugh from my head to-ma-toes.” I smile. I pick up a squash.

“Let me guess. I’m squashing your spirits?” he says dryly.

“Peary good!” I point at the organic sign. “You’re a natural.”

“Oh my God! How many of these do you have?”

“Beets me.”

He sighs loudly. I stop for a while. I can’t help myself though when he is comparing two peaches.

“You seem to be in a pickle.”

“I can’t believe you are still going. Did you like research fruit and vegetable puns or something?” he questions to me. I know he doesn’t really mind. His tone is too joking for him to be serious about it, and he would be holding his face different. He wouldn’t have a small smile on his lips. I only see it because I’ve been studying him.

“No, I didn’t. My dad did this every time we went shopping. So now I do it.” I shrug and walk over to the apples. “What kind of apples do we get again? I always forget.”

“Red Delicious,” he sighs with relief.

I smile mischievously and reach over and pick up an orange. “Orange you glad I didn’t say a fruit pun?”

“You’re not going to do this every time are you? Cause if so I think I might have to withdraw my invitation to go shopping with each other. I’m not sure if I can handle this every few weeks,” he teases me.

“Of course I’m going to do this every time and you better learn to love it. No take-backsies,” I say back to him.

“Take-backsies? Are you five?” He looks at me incredulously.

“And a half.” I stick my tongue out at him. He starts laughing.

“Do I need to hold your hand so you don’t run around the store? Do I need to buy you candy for being such a good little girl?” He chuckles to himself.

“Of course.” I start skipping forwards. “And I want a Popsicle.” I look at him over my shoulder. I make it to the check-outs and wait for him.

When he finally catches up to me he is shaking his head. “Go pick out your Popsicle while I go check-out.” He pats my head.

“Yay!” I squeal and go find the ice cream cooler.