to make things awkward | fillie

15 | mum's best friend

The second Finn left her apartment, Millie felt a sense of loss. She hadn't realized how much she had been depending on him today and quickly decided that she would invite him over for dinner. She wasn't sure why she hadn't thought of it before, after all, it was her first dinner with Lucy, Finn certainly deserved to be there too. But she wouldn't send the invite right away, that might seem desperate, she'd wait at least an hour.

She stood in the middle of her living room staring at a framed photo of New York City that, like the photo in Lucy's room, transitioned into a television. She considered turning it on just to have some noise in the background because Simon and Garfunkle were right, silence had a sound, and right now, it was way too loud.

But then her doorbell rang and she saw on her security screen that it was Noah Schnapp trying to be buzzed into the building. She squinted at the screen though, not trusting her eyes, because Noah was living full time in LA, why would he be here?

He looked up at the security camera and pointed to himself, mouthing, It's me! Let me in!

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, knowing he couldn't see or hear her. She looked over her shoulder at the closed bedroom door and then back to Noah. What—was she going to pretend she wasn't home? He had been one of her best friends for years and he was actually in the same town as her for the first time in forever. Despite the fact that he was essentially the reason she was in the mess that she was, she let herself feel the excitement that always came so naturally at the sight of his happy eyes, and she buzzed him in. Just a few minutes later she opened the door.

"Milayyyyy!" He yelled.

It made her laugh, "Noah! What are you doing here?!"

He clobbered her with a hug and then pulled back, "What? I can't visit my best friend out of the blue?"

She noticed him looking over her shoulder and she looked behind her but saw nothing.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, her skepticism growing by the second.

"Huh? Oh no, nothing. Just checking out the place." he walked past her, "You move the couches?"

"No." she said, turning around to follow him into the living room. Trying to move past the weird feeling she had in her gut, she said, "I see you still haven't lost that beard."

His hand rubbed his short and well trimmed beard that dulled his usually sharp jawline.

"Love or hate?" he asked.

"Hate. . . myself for saying it, but I love it." she smirked.

He shook his head, walking toward the fridge, "Jake said the exact same thing."

"Great minds." she shrugged, then registered that further, "Wait, when did you talk to Jake?"

"Hm?" he turned his head in her direction, the fridge wide open in front of him.

"Close that if you're not looking." she scolded.

"Oh." He refocused, grabbed a beer, then shut the fridge.

"A smidge early, don't you think?"

He popped the cap off using the edge of the counter even though she had a bottle opener on the side of the fridge and said, "But it's five o'clock somewhere, right?"

She didn't want to give Lucy the impression that she and her friends were heavy drinkers, but she didnt didnt want to use that excuse right now. As far as Millie knew, Noah had no idea that they were not alone. That she was suddenly some form of a mother again. That at any moment, they could be interrupted by a nine year old.