You & I: Autumn Cupid

Chapter 10: Really Weird Secrets

"Hey, Nathan, have you seen James?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah, he said he had to, uh, go to the store. Yeah," Nathan stumbles.

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. This is not the first time I've heard something like this. "Ok. Thanks Nathan."

I walk back upstairs and sit down on my bed. Nathan's excuse is not the first one I've heard. It's been happening more and more often now. The first time was several weeks ago.

Jordan told me he went to the store for some food. I thought it was a bit weird because there was enough food in the house, even enough ingredients for my baking. I didn't think much of it at the time.

The second time Cedrick told me he was outside riding the jet skis. When I went outside, I saw Nathan and Gabe zipping by on the jet skis. James wasn't with them. I walked down to the beach so I could ask them what was up. They told me James was inside. I told them I was just inside and Cedrick told me he was outside. Gabe told me that I just missed him. James had given him the jet ski he was riding. I kept getting ping ponged back and forth until I ran into James coming through the front door. He said he was out getting supplies for a video.

I stop thinking about all the weird secrets the boys are keeping and walk downstairs for a drink. I open the fridge door when I realize something is wrong. So wrong, in fact, that I almost spill my cup. It's too quiet in here. I set my cup down and start walking around the house, trying to find the boys. After a full search, I find no one. I pull out my phone and try calling James. When I hear his answering machine, I angrily blow a puff of air out of my mouth.

"Hey Sugar," I start my message. "The guys disappeared on me and I figured they were with you. Let me know when you get this message. Love you Sugar." I blow a kiss before hanging up. I head up to my room and start planning more videos. After a half hour of not focusing, I stand up and decide to take a run around the island. I pull my hair back and take off out the front door, my earbuds blasting my favorite music. I get to a big hill on the property and feel the wind on my face as I run down. I crash into someone and feel their arms grab me and keep me up. I look up into the loving blue eyes of my boyfriend.

"Hey Sugar," I say as I pull out my one earbud.

"Hey Babe. Sorry the boys disappeared on you. I wanted to show them something I found at the store."

"So important they run out without telling me?" I quirk an eyebrow and rest my hand on my hip.

"It was really important," he whines.

"Sure. If you count the newest Nerf gun model really important." I gesture to Nathan, holding a massive Nerf gun with a large magazine.

"No, that wasn't the important thing," he says nonchalantly.

"Oh? Then what was so important, oh handsome man?"

"Uh," he stalls. Obviously he's lying to me.

"Don't lie James. You can just say it was the Nerf gun. I won't judge." I give him a wink before sauntering back toward the house. "I'm getting a shower. You can tell me what was so important when I get out." I blow him a kiss before booking it back to the house.

I run up to my room and shut my door before dramatically throwing myself against it like an old Hollywood starlet. I can't believe that he's my boyfriend. I go into my bathroom and turn my phone the whole way up in volume. I open the YouTube app and music fills the bathroom.

"Wise men say only fools rush in.
But I can't help falling in love with you."

The lyrics by the king himself flow through my phone's speakers. This song really suits James and I. We both might have rushed into the whole living together thing, but we both were scared to live on our own anymore since the break in at our previous homes. Still, we fell in love before all of that happened. I think we fell in love that night I spent in the hospital.

I turn off the water and dry myself off. I walk into my room and grab some random clothes out of my drawer. I walk into the kitchen and start making challah. It's bread that you have to braid before baking. I wasn't gonna make a YouTube video about it, so I just jumped right into it. I was working the dough when James came down the stairs yelling my name.

"In here Sugar!" I call back, nearly up to my elbows in dough.

"Hey Babe we need you for a video."

"I'm kinda busy right now."

"What are you making?"

"Challah. It's braided bread."

"Cool." He stops talking and shakes his head, his long hair flying. "I'm getting distracted. We need you for this video."

"What is it and can I finish kneading my bread first?"

"Sure," he jokingly sighs before constantly asking if I'm done.

"Are you done yet? Are you done yet? Are you done yet? Are you done yet? Are you-."

"Yes, Sugar, I'm done," I say as I cover my dough so it can proof. "Now what did you need me for?" He walks behind me and covers my eyes with his hands. "What's going on?"

"I told you. It's for a video. We're giving stuff away but right now we're looking at a computer screen and whatever we look at first we get."

"Is that why you went to the store?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I don't believe you for one second James Amendola."

"Oh of course you do. Now keep your eyes closed."

"Here's our special guest!" Nathan announces to the camera. "Wait. What happened to you?"

"I was making bread. Don't question it."

"Anyway, whatever you look at first on this computer screen is what you're gonna get, ok?"

"Ok," I respond, James's hands still covering my eyes.

"Ready? Set. Go!"

James's hands are gone from my eyes and they immediately land on some Unspeakable merch.

"You got the merch!" Gabe yells while Nathan grabs a box.

"Don't dump it on me I'm covered in dough!" I shout before jumping out of the way of the falling merchandise.

"Sorry about that."

"You good. Now, I gotta get back to my bread. Let me know if you need help with anything else!" I call before walking back downstairs. I get back to my bread, starting to braid it. Once it is in its final shape, I cover the dough and place it in a warm spot of the kitchen. By the time I'm done, the boys come into the living room by the kitchen with a bunch of massive trashcans painted like red solo cups.

I laugh as they shuffle them, lots of expensive items underneath. I help them shuffle until I have to put my bread in the oven. Once the bread is done, James and I drive around trying to give away some of the items we won today.