Lost and Found

Chapter Thirteen

A player is gonna play the game till he meets his match

***

"It was amazing," I told Layla and Jess with stars in my eyes.

The three of us were huddled in Layla's room talking about our boys. I came back to Layla's house from my...hang out...date...who knows what it was. It just happened to be the same night the three of us were planning a sleepover. Jess was overjoyed, as expected, but Layla seemed concerned.

"I'm really happy for you but what about Paul?" Layla responded.

"I'm gonna tell him, but I'm still not sure about Ethan," I responded.

Layla smiled, took a calming breath and said, "Okay so now that we know that, tell us all about this date."

"One, it wasn't a date. Two, you are so biased."

"We know!" Jess and Layla yelled in unison. I rolled my eyes. "Please."

I gave in with a sigh. "It was perfect. Remember that acting program I used to go to but my mother stopped letting me go?"

"Yeah," Jess said as Layla frantically bobbed her head.

"And remember the little farmer's market across the street?"

"He took you there?" Jess said.

"Ugh. Why doesn't Shawn do romantic things like that anymore?" Layla complained.

"Because," I said, "he can kiss you and you won't slap him."

"True." Layla nodded her head.

I looked at the ground trying to hide my blush as I said, "He did it so that I could remember all the happy times we had together."

"Well do you?" Jess asked.

"Yeah. But it's just making me confused." I didn't know what I should do. Every minute I spent with Ethan I fell for him more and more. But what if it was all a game? What if I was walking into another heartbreak?

"Duh," Jess responded, "Remember me with Ian. When he asked me out I had a panic attack. I didn't even talk to him for five days."

"Jess," Layla said as she shook her shoulder, "you were on vacation."

"Oh...never mind," she responded making us laugh.

***

Waking up the next morning was pure and utter torture. Lesson learned, don't stay up till four in the morning. Who knew? Me, being a morning person, woke up at eight thirty sharp. The others were still fast asleep. It took me till nine to wake them up. The only reason I got them up was because Layla's dad came in and, with my help, we threw them into the living room.

Then we ate some waffles and Jess went on her way. Layla and I were picking up her room when Paul called me.

"Hey," I said as I held my phone on my shoulder.

Paul responded, "Hi. Are we still on for tonight?"

"Yeah, of course."

"My dad told me about you and your mom. What happened? Why did you leave?"

I suck in a breath. No, I thought, he can't see what's inside my walls.

"Oh you know, just the normal mother-daughter fight."

"Okay, so you'll be fine if I drop you off there tonight?"

I stood up and started to pace. "No. I won't." Paul was on the edge of overstepping. I wasn't gonna stand for it if he walks off that edge.