Lights, Camera and Love

Admit It

I am not in-love with him. You are not in-love with him, Liz!

That's what I have been repeatedly telling myself all day. It was just a kiss on the cheek but I still can't get it out of my mind.

It's 9:00 in the evening right now and I just came home from Job Hunting. It has been three days and I still couldn't find a decent job. Tomorrow is Saturday and I will be sure to go out all day to look for a job.

I turned the knob of my apartment door only to realize that it's open. Huh? Did I leave it unlocked?

Slowly going inside, I looked around to check if there was a burglar. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Well, except the guy who was sleeping on my couch. I sighed in relief.

Erin's arm was on his forehead. He looked exhausted. I wonder how he looked that way when he doesn't seem to do anything else in his life.

Leaving him on his slumber, I went to the kitchen. Something smelled delicious. I figured Erin cooked something in the kitchen, and I was right. There was a Chicken Pot Pie ready at the kitchen table. He knew it's my favorite. Erin's a great cook. He learned how to cook with his and my mom. I never got the patience to cook, so I only relied on convenience store food and tv-dinner.

I went back to the living room in attempt to wake him up.

"Erin. Hey." I shook his arm but he won't wake. This guy is unbelievable.

"Uhn," he muttered in annoyance and turned. I'm getting annoyed. He is feeling right at home as if this is his apartment. Now that I think about it, where does he live? He turned again to face me.

"Wake up, moron!" I yelled. But before I can hit him he extended his arms and flung me onto his chest. "Whoa!"

His grip was impossible to get out of. I'm not lying on his chest with my face just about 2 inches away from his face. My arms were locked in his embrace. I pouted as I realized he was already awake but eyes closed.

"I know you're awake, Erin. You better let me go or I'll throw you out of the window as soon as I get out of this."

"Then I won't let you go. Ever," he said opening his left eye and smiling at me. I can feel myself blushing again.

"Let go! It hurts!" We fell on the floor as I was fighting to get out of his embrace. Feeling the ache on my back, I tried to get up but Erin's still pinning down with his hands on my arms. His eyes were fixed on me. It was intense and concentrating.

"Erin, you're hurting me, and I don't like this. Stop fooling around or I'll scream!"

He let go, got up and helped me pull myself up. "Sorry about that. I just.. got carried away."

"Don't do that ever again. This is why I don't want you living here with me."

He ignored me and said, "Let's eat. I made your favorite and made is extra delicious." He smiled. My favorite glowing smile of his.

"Okay." I cannot hesitate his good cooking.

We ate quietly which was surprising. Erin never really stops talking even if we ran out of topics to discuss.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked with a worried look on my face. "You're not acting like yourself. If you felt bad about earlier, you can forget it. It's not a big deal for me."

He stopped eating. I waited for his answer which took a few seconds. "Do you hate me, Liz?"

"What? No, of course not. What made you think that?"

"Then let me live here with you," he requested. There was determination in his face. His eyes fixed on me as if this matter is such an important thing for him.

"Why are you forcing yourself to live here? What for? I don't need help. I can manage on my own."

He pressed his lips together and said, "It's not safe. I can help you. There's no problem with that, right?"

I said nothing. It was not an easy decision. After my parents died, my decision to live on my own was final. I even refused my only aunt's gracious offer to let me live with her in Japan.

(Author note: Liz is 1/4 Japanese. Her mother was Japanese-French and her father was an American. But her Japanese ancestry didn't show at all.)

"Not safe? What does that mean?" I asked in confusion.

"You know how tough the world is right now right? I can help you and Jane already approves it."

Jane is Erin's older sister. It's strange for her to agree on this. Something is up and I want to know what. "I'll think about it. Where's Jane? Why don't she live here with me instead?"

"That hurts you know," he pouted and showed his puppy eyes. "I was the one who was suggesting to live here and you want her instead. That hurts my feelings."

"She's a girl so it makes sense that I want her to move here instead of you."

"Jane's busy. She's moved to a University that's three cities away from here so it'll be hard for her to move again," he said simply.

Is he really forcing himself to live here? "Whatever."

His face brightened. "That's it then! I have my stuff downstairs already. I'll get them up now." He got up and hurriedly went out the door.

"What?" Was all I could say. Great, more stuff to think about. But having him here makes me really happy. I just hate to admit it.