Guilty || E.V.

ch 3. dinner

i woke up to my phone ringing loudly on my pillow beside my head.

i sat up quickly before remembering how much i'd drank the night before, and rested my head in my hands as the throbbing headache and nausea took over.

glancing at my phone out of the corner of my eye, the call ended, and the time showed that it was after noon.

one missed call from an unknown number.

closing my eyes and rubbing my forehead, it hit me.

i had forgotten that i'd given Eddie my number, and now he was calling me to schedule the ukulele lesson he'd offered me.

nerves spread through my chest. should i call him back?

my phone chimed, and i lifted it hesitantly to look at the notification.

unknown: Hey Kat, it's Eddie. Call me when you get the chance.

i groaned, when my phone went off again. i peeked at it through squinted eyes.

unknown: Eddie Vedder, that is.

i laughed, took a deep breath, and hit the call button.

it rang once before he answered.

"good afternoon," he said happily. "did i wake you up?"

"no," i said, my voice startlingly hoarse and strained. "okay, maybe."

he chuckled. "how are you feeling?"

did he really care? or was he just making small talk?

i tried to push those thoughts out of my head. i could barely walk without toppling over the night before. anyone would've asked me how i was feeling.

right?

"if i'm being honest," i said. "miserable."

"bummer," he said. "so, no music lesson today?"

"no, no," i said. "i'm not that miserable. i still wanna come."

"how about around five o'clock?" he asked.

"sure," i said. "if you'll text me your address."

"of course," he said. "i'll see you at five, then."

we hung up, and a few moments later, he'd sent me his address.

i got up to look in the mirror, and was completely startled by how awful i looked. my hair was a tangled mess, my mascara was streaking down my cheeks and i'd slept in my clothes from the night before.

so i took a shower. and i debated with myself for forty-five minutes over what to wear, because i had an overwhelming need to look my absolute best.

and soon enough, i was walking out my front door, shaking with anxiety and rubbing my throbbing head.

+++

the Vedder home was in a massive cul-de-sac of beautiful, newer homes, and i was completely taken aback when i pulled up in front of the one that the address led me to.

their house was relatively large, but still cozy and lovely looking. it wasn't what i was expecting at all - even though Eddie was older and had his life figured out, he still had a bit of an edge to him, and for a dad, his style was still dark and grunge and young for his age.

it was completely understandable that girls my age drooled over him.

i parked and got up to the front door, and reached out to knock on it gently.