Easier to Lie

Chapter 12

I woke up in my bed with the comforter over me. Alone. I slipped out of bed and went to the kitchen where I was greeted by Leah making pancakes.

"Hey, you," she tried to sound coy and I mocked her oversized smile, "So, Eric left to take a shower and see his mom. He'll be back, and before he gets back you're going to spill some details."

I grabbed a plate of her pancakes and followed her to the couch, "No details, really."

"Don't you do that. You guys slept on the chair together! He carried you inside before he left. You're hanging out today, alone. Just the two of you. DO you like him? Does this mean you're over Frankie?"

I loved the excitement in her voice. She was becoming my Leah again. "I don't know, maybe. He's cute and really sweet."

"He's always had a crush on you, ya know?"

"No way! Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious."

I had never thought about Eric that way. Or in any particular way. He's been the goofy guy for as long as I've known him. We barely spoke one-on-one. I realized I really didn't know him.

"Summer isn't over," she interrupted my thoughts, "talk to him, Reg, he's a good guy."

"I will," I promised her. Part of me was getting excited to spend the day with Eric. I was nervous, but not in the usual bad way, "What are you and Adam doing today?"

"Just hanging out until he goes to work. I may try to find a job around here today."

"You want to work during the Summer?"

"I'm also meeting with a college advisor tomorrow. Wanna go with me?"

"You're really serious about staying?" I don't know if I was scared for her to stay or if I feared going to college without my best friend.

She licked the whip cream from her fork. "Yeah. I like it here. I want you here with me."

"I'll think about it," I told her, unsure if I would truly think anything about staying. I liked living in Sedona, it was home.

Eric was watching a soccer game when I came out of my room. The hot water lasted forever here, it was incredibly difficult to get out of the shower. Leah came in every few minutes to rush me along.

"Ready to go?" I asked him as I tied my hair back from my face.

He was wearing a nice polo shirt and shorts. His high top black Converse matched mine. "Yeah, if you are," the way he smiled at me sent shivers down my spine. I liked it.

His car smelled like a thunderstorm. I didn't mind that the floorboards were covered in fast food drive-thru bags or that the backseat was ripped to shreds from his dog. It was Eric's car; his style was all over it. I liked his car.

"So, when are you getting your license?" He remembered how I was afraid of driving.

"I've actually got it back in April. I think I've only driven, like twice, though. And I'm pretty sure only one oft hose count because the other was just up and down my street."

The sound of his laughter was contagious and sexy. "You want to drive this? It's a Honda, it's easy to control."

"I don't know the first thing about this car. My dad was teaching me drive his 4-Runner."

"I can see you driving an SUV. You're totally going to be the cool soccer mom."

"A soccer mom? No, thanks," I chuckled. "I don't think I want kids."