Project Runaway ✔️

Chapter Two

Two

"Here, I know you love the first bite of peanut butter." After a rocky dinner with unexpected visitors, Tanner and I spent the afternoon talking on my my stairway. I sat across from Tanner, one step above him as we shared a jar of peanut butter, the only thing my mom had besides gumbo since she hadn't gone shopping in a while.

"It is the smoothest." I acknowledging, taking a large scoop from the jar. I hated to see such a smooth surface ruined, but I sure did love to eat it. Without much care about sharing a spoon, I handed the utensil back to Tanner.

I locked my lips, stretching my sore legs on the carpeted step.

"I'm sorry Heidi came here unannounced and butted in on your conversation with your mom. She's been on edge lately." He explained, picking off a piece of lint from his jeans.

"Why so?" I questioned him.

"Paranoid that I'll leave her, which if you ask me, is the cause of a guilty conscience. Heidi is constantly talking to other guys. Believe me, I'm not some hypnotized boyfriend that can't see what's right in front of me."

"So why do you stay with her?" I blurted, taking the jar back so I could enjoy another guilty bite.

"It's easy, I guess. I know she's not serious about us and it relieves the stress of being a perfect boyfriend." He shrugged.

"Ah, so you don't want the hassle of being a good boyfriend?"

"That's how I felt - past tense. I don't think I'm the same person I was junior year when we started dating."

I crossed my legs, realizing I was wearing a skirt and not my usual jeans. Good thing it's dark on the stairway.

"You know, when you started dating Heidi, I cried a little. That's how much I hated her and thought you could do better." I laughed it off, but Tanner didn't find it funny.

His blue eyes softened and his calloused hand reached for mine.

"Lilah, you're breaking my heart."

"Really? Because mine is beating really fast. I'm sorry, Tanner; I never meant to say anything to upset you. It's just...in my mind, I always imagined...us being together." It wasn't my fault in my mind he was a great guy; who wouldn't fall for him?

"You know I love you, but you're too perfect and our friendship is too perfect for me to ruin that." He squeezed my tiny hand. Shouldn't I have a say in judgement? He was perfect, too, but unless he realized it himself, I knew I could never change his mind on us.

"But imagine the look on my brother's face if we would be a couple." We laughed in unison.

"That's almost worth it." He winked.

"To each his own. Just remember that I won't always be here waiting for you. One day, I'll move on." Probably not.

"I know you will." He smiled sweetly, taking one last bite of peanut butter, licking the tip of his pointer finger to clean off.

Checking my phone, I realized it was already eleven at night.

"Shoot, you better get going." Now that Tanner no longer lived next door, it took him a while to get home across town. Regardless of being eighteen, he felt the need to be home at a good time as to not worry his parents.

Heidi was at a sleepover, so she wasn't concerned on getting Tanner home safe, but I was - not to toot my own horn, of course.

I followed him down the steps straight across to the front door.

"I'm going to miss you while you're gone. It's the first summer we've ever been apart for so long."

"Not true. You left me here alone with Ryan one summer when you went to Arizona." I told him.

"Oh, that is true. But I came home early because you were sick.  I don't know if your sickness made me come back early or my home-sickness; it was the perfect excuse to come back and see you. So no matter what, I'm still going to miss you since it's the first time you're ditching me for weeks." He sighed, reaching for the door know.

"You already know I'm going to miss you like crazy, Tanner." We said out goodbyes for the night and I trailed off into the kitchen for another snack.

On my way there, I found my mom sitting on a bar stool, photos filling the marble island.

"Can't sleep?" I said in a steady voice that wouldn't startle her.

"No, I'm used to working nights and since I worked the morning shift, my sleep schedule is in disarray."

"Are those pictures of Dad?" When my father passed away from cancer when I was younger, we vowed to keep his memory alive with good thoughts and happy memories like he wanted. We talk often about his life and accomplishments, and that's how we've managed to stay strong.

I fiddled with my father's old watch around my wrist, knowing that no matter how much time passes us by, my father is still with me.

"Ah, yes. I'm finally organizing them."

"Here, I'll help you."

"Thanks, hon. I wish Ryan was home to help, too." Ryan wasn't finished with finals until next week, so when he arrived home, I would already be in Texas and won't see him until the wedding.

"Ryan would have lost it if you heard him suggest I go out with a guy like Patrick. Jesus, I would have loved to live to see that."

"Oh, I know; let's keep that mistake between us. Let him have his moment in the sun at college before he has to worry about you and older boys." Hm, moment of the sun was going to give me skin cancer with the way he brags about having a football scholarship to play running back at University of Louisiana.

"Older boys? Mom, you know who I like." I turned away shyly, pulling out a stool on the side of her.

"I'm very aware. Tanner is a silly boy, but I've always liked him. I always believed that one day, at the eleventh hour, you two would be together; don't tell your brother I said that. Tanner may not see it, but it is there to be seen. The only reason I offered to introduce you to Patrick is so you could have some fun for a little while." Hey, I have fun! Just last week I played laser tag with my little cousin.

Okay...I see her point. It's not my fault most guys in town don't hold a flicker compared to Tanner.

Mom sincerely thought Tanner and I could be endgame material? Hmph, it's funny because not too long ago Tanner said the complete opposite. I knew, at one point when I was ready, I'll have to move on and take my mother up on her offer to introduce me to someone.

Maybe.