Eachtra

Resting Grinch Face

A muscle cramp rouses me from a really bizarre dream about an orangutan who escaped from the zoo, and I peel my eyes open. Sunlight covers my body in vertical stripes, flickering through a set of blinds in a room I don't recognize. I shift my body with a groan, and that's when a notice the something or someone beside me. In a rush of embarrassment, everything comes back to me. The break-in. Liam. The roadtrip.

I jerk up and knock my head against Liam's chin, who dozes next to me with his arm around my shoulder on the dark couch in his apartment. My cheeks flush red as he wakes up and his pale eyes flicker open. My head was on his chest. I slept on his chest. In his apartment. All night long.

I skitter away from him to the other end of the couch, my head pounding. "Uh, hi. Keidy, Keidy Henshaw. Remember me?" I need to get out of here. What was I on last night that made me agree to a Christmas tree roadtrip?

"Morning, Keidy," he says. Ah, his accent, my drug of choice. Not to mention his eyes, jawline, and biceps, among his other amiable attributes. He covers his mouth as he yawns, stretching one arm over his head. "Are you ready for a road trip ye'll never forget?"

"Uh, are you sure that's such a good idea? My car's kind of old. It might not last that long--"

"No excuses, Keidy." Liam rises from the couch with catlike grace. "Let's go find you some pine trees."

He takes my hand and pulls me to his feet. With my typical lack of grace, I trip over the scarred leg of the coffee table and plow into his chest. His arms catch me and I linger for longer than I should. There's something warm and comforting about Liam--despite his charm, he strikes me as trustworthy in a world full of deceit.

"I have to pack," I murmur as an excuse. "Should I--I'll pick you up in an hour?"

"That works for me," he says, reaching an arm behind his head to scratch his back. I definitely remember why I agreed to the roadtrip. "Pack winter clothes," he adds. "I've always wanted to build a snowman in America."

I nod and give up on trying to find words in my early-morning confused state. Instead, I grab my coat and my backpack, including samples of the Virginia Pine, and run for the door. "Uh, okay. I'll...be back," I stutter. I'll definitely be back. I like Liam more than I hate Christmas.

I stumble out the front door and towards my apartment, blinking against the harsh sunlight. After the surreal night before, I'm disoriented and embarrassed. This feels a little too much like the walk of shame even though nothing happened that I should be ashamed of--except for the breaking and entering. That was an error in judgment.

My feet carry me down the snowy sidewalk to my apartment, but I hardly notice the cars whizzing by or the honks of a gaggle of Canadian geese.This Liam-induced fog has convinced embark on a roadtrip all over the northeast with a boy I just met. I make a mental list of pros and cons, my approach to all major decisions. I still have time to back out...if I want to.

Pros: Liam is freakishly attractive and his accent makes my insides commit mutiny. He's been nothing but charming and respectful since we met. I need to go get the pine samples with or without him. I could do with some company since I've spent the holidays alone for the last few years.

Cons: As much as Liam entices me, he endangers me as well. He evokes a vulnerability that makes me uncomfortable and uncertain. Most of all, I could fall for someone like Liam and I can't afford to risk my heart. Also, he could be a serial killer, but I know jiu-jitsu.

Essentially, I'm afraid to go on this roadtrip because Liam is just shy of irresistible. I've lived a very safe life--I learned my lesson in high school. I discovered that when I trust someone, I give them the right to hurt me, and most of them will. Is Liam any different? I can't tell, but there's only one way to find out.