A/N: so yeah I'm definitely not half way through so this is probably going to be longer than 6 chapters. I'm still working on the road to verona so hopefully there should be a new chapter of that tonight or tomorrow.
When we get back it's almost time for dinner. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?" Kirstie volunteers to my mom as soon as she walks into the house. "That would be lovely Kirstie. Ella and James have gone out so it'll just be us, your dad, Esther and Darien." I follow them into the kitchen. "Avi go help your dad clean up the dining room, we'll be fine in here." I look over to Kirstie to check that she's ok with it but she's already stirring the contents of a pot while grinning at my mom so I assume she's fine. "Mom sent me to help in here." My dad looks up from where he's sorting through some papers "Where's Kirstie? Helping out in the kitchen?" I nod and pick up some books from where they're lying on the middle of the table. "Your mom's so glad she's here. We all are."
"Yeah, I am too."
We set the table and call Esther and Darien down. When we sit, my family leave a space next to me for Kirstie automatically. Once she's helped my mom put the food on the table she walks around the table and I pull out her chair for her. She laughs and her cheeks turn pink as my parents smile at me proudly. "Such a gentleman." Kirstie rests her hand on my arm and looks across at them "Well you brought him up so it's no surprise." They look at her affectionately and out of the corner of my eye I see Esther raising one eyebrow. I know she'll be on my case later but she can hardly say anything now. "So how was helping my mom?" Everyone's having their own conversations now so it's just us. "It was nice actually. She's so sweet. She was just telling me how happy she is that you met me."
"Not as happy as I am.' She blushes again and I watch as she tries to concentrate on her food.
After dinner we decide to hang out in my room. She settles herself on my bed with her phone as I sit on my chair and pick up my guitar. I'm playing around aimlessly when I hear her phone's ringtone. "Scott's trying to facetime me. Should I answer?"
"Sure. Would you like me to leave?" She frowns at me "of course not, don't be stupid. He'd work out I was here anyway since it's obviously not my apartment and I don't fancy lying to him."
"Ok, shall I sit on the bed or?"
"You can come and join me in a bit." "Hey Scott."
"Kirstin. How's LA, you're not lonely are you? Hang on that's not your apartment, where are you?" She looks over the top of her phone and smirks at me and my mouth returns the smile automatically. "Well actually I'm hanging out with one of our friends." She beckons for me to come and sit on the bed.
"Avi." Scott's shocked and pleased expression makes us both laugh and he glares at us. "Not cool guys. What's going on?" I look at where my face is on the screen and then shuffle closer to Kirstie so that we both fit on. "Well Kirstie couldn't go to Arlington to see her family so I invited her to come here with me to see mine." The position I'm in is getting uncomfortable so I stretch my legs out and gesture for her to lay hers over the top of mine. This puts us both at an angle, partially facing each other and making it easier to both be in view of the camera. Scott clearly picks up on our increased closeness as he narrows his eyes shrewdly. He obviously decides it's not worth mentioning though and just smiles instead. "Avi that's so sweet of you." I shrug and Kirstie rolls her eyes. "He's right you know, it's really sweet." She's not facing the phone anymore and I just stare into her eyes without thinking about how that must look to Scott.
"Um guys. Do you want me to give you some privacy?" I turn away quickly and see Scott's smirk. Kirstie gets over it quicker than I do. "Shut up."
"Actually, speaking of privacy I'm just going to go and speak to Esther so in case you're done when I get back. I'll see you when we're back in LA."
"Bye Avi." I gently lift her legs off mine and squeeze her shoulder before leaving the room and I guess the domesticity of the moment must get to me or something because when she fake pouts at me I feel like I should kiss it away. I try and push the thoughts out of my head but images of her lips fill my mind to the point that I barely even notice myself knocking on Esther's door.
"Oh it's you, come in." She opens the door to let me in and I take a seat on the chair. She curls up next to Darien on her bed and they both study me intently. "What?"
"You managed to leave her side then?" "Well she's speaking to Scott so I thought I'd give them some time to talk."
"So he knows she's here then?"
"Yep, it was pretty obvious she wasn't in her apartment. Plus it's not like it's a secret." Darien looks up from his phone to smirk at me but Esther's expression is more serious. "You know he's going to assume things right?" I shrug my shoulders "Maybe he will but it's nothing we can't handle." Darien looks uncomfortable with the tension and interjects before she can speak again.
"When are you planning on telling her?"
"Telling her what?"
"That you like her." He says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm not telling her I like her because I don't"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. She's great but I don't think of her that way."
I don't sound as convinced as I intended to so it's not a shock that neither of them look like they believe me. "Ok. Just one question. Have you thought about kissing her? Like seriously thought about it?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Just tell me the truth." I squirm in the chair, not comfortable with their interrogation.
"At some point in the last three years, I have thought about kissing her. I mean she's attractive and not a horrible person so yes the thought has crossed my mind."
"I don't mean when you first met, I mean recently." I seriously consider not telling the truth but I'm a generally honest person and I know I can trust her. "Yes." She nods. "See the whole bringing her here and talking about her all the time and cuddling up to her could just be friendly but if you're doing all of that stuff and you want to kiss her then you definitely like her." "What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if we get together and it doesn't work out?"
"Then it'll hurt. You just have to decide whether it's worth taking that risk."
