Runnin' Out Of Air

chapter 9

Melody

I walked into Summer's apartment planning on taking a nap since we still had a few hours until we had to be at the restaurant but the second I lay down my thoughts started going crazy in my head. As much as I loved spending time with Summer, Stephen, and Kennedy I couldn't wait  for the wedding to be over with so I could get back home and back to my life but what kind of life was I trying to get back to? One where all my friends were co-workers? Where all I did was work and go home to an empty house? Where I spent my weekends either alone reading and listening to music or at the bar. That really wasn't much of a life. I'd been happy with it all up until this point. I had been alright with spending the majority of my time alone but just being here today with friends made me realize how much I was missing. My friends were all here in Nashville but I couldn't just quit my job and move out here, could I? Then there was Eric, I wasn't sure what it was about him but did I really want to be somewhere that i would constantly be around him? of course not. I didn't like how I would get so confused around him. I just needed to get through this next week and then I could go home. It wasn't going to be the same and I was going to miss my friends but L.A. was my home not Nashville. It was like two separate worlds.

 I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. Shit, I needed to jump in the shower. I hated rushing through showers but I had no choice today. Getting out of the shower I grabbed a cute skirt and top and threw them on with sandals. I did my make up really quick and threw my still damp hair into a ponytail. I was out of time I had to get to the restaurant. That's when I realized I didn't know where the restaurant was and I called Summer who said she'd send someone to come pick me up. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door so I went to open it. There standing on the other side of the door was Eric. I wasn't very happy about this but there was nothing I could do about it now. I grabbed my purse and followed Eric out the door making sure to lock up behind me. Eric showed me to his truck and I couldn't help but admire it as I climbed inside. The drive to the restaurant was slightly awkward, I would never understand the obvious tension between us that had been there since the first time we met almost a year ago. 

When we got out of the restaurant I hurriedly got out of Eric's truck and went inside. Eric followed me in and the hostess showed us to our seats where the only person missing was Peyton. I guess I wasn't the only one running late. Chase was giving Eric a strange look when we walked in together and when Eric went to pull my seat out for me. I was sitting between Eric and Chase and just when I didn't think things could get any more awkward the waitress was setting water on the table and dumped a whole glass of ice cold water right in my lap. I went into the bathroom and started patting my skirt dry but it was useless. I had to take my skirt of and put it under the hand dryer to try and dry it. It took awhile to dry and more than once someone would walk in the bathroom and give me funny looks because I was in my underwear but I didn't really care. Returning to the table I almost didn't recognize Peyton, she had almost no make up on and her hair was just thrown up. The most shocking part was that her dress looked like it might actually go down to her knees and she wasn't wearing heels. She was also sitting in what had been my seat between Chase and Eric and I had no problem with that as I sat between Stephen and Chase in my new seat. 

I don't know how I got through dinner and I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one that felt the tension in the air but if anyone else felt it they didn't let on. The plan had been to all go out after dinner but Chase said something about a party at the lake and everyone thought that sounded even better. well everyone but Peyton it seemed. She acted like she wanted to go but I saw a look on her face that I'd seen many times in my life. It was the looks I'd gotten the time my foster family was taking us camping and I asked a friend from school to come with us, the same look I'd gotten when I'd asked one of my foster mothers if she could take me fishing. It was that "I'd rather be doing anything else" look. We all went back to Stephen's house where we climbed into two vehicles. The guys all rode in Eric's truck and us girls rode in Kennedy's truck.  When we got to the party we parked next to the guys and by the glow of a huge bonfire it hit me. The truck next to us, Eric's truck, was awfully familiar. I'd seen that truck last night when I'd been with Chase. My eyes flew to Eric's and I knew in that moment that the interruption the night before hadn't at all been by accident.