Lie For Me

s e v e n t e e n

       Chapter Seventeen: Julia's

   

   We walked inside of Julia's approximately ten minutes later, and I couldn't help but feel a strange euphoria as I looked around at the old timey diner. I hadn't been here since the day before my dad died six years ago . . .

"Sammie is that you?" A familiar voice asked, and I quickly found myself wrapped in a pair of arms and enveloped in the smell of cake batter and grandma perfume.

  As she pulled away I smiled. "Hey Julia sorry to drop by unexpected, but I thought you'd be open already . . ." I said as I glanced around at the empty dinner, and saw Shane, her seriously attractive grandson at the counter watching with curious eyes.

Julia sighed sadly. "No, we are open honey, business has just been bad now that the highshool was moved further into town, and more businesses opened."

I bit down on my lip in shame feeling as if it were my fault. 

"And who is this?" She said suddenly, and I glanced to where she was looking completely forgetting that Ryder was with me.

        "Oh this is Ryder Knight, Ryder this is Julia she's kind of like a grandmother to me." I said, and Ryder reached out to shake her hand, but instead found himself wrapped up in a hug.

"Hey Shane!" I called waving after noticing he was still staring at me.

He nodded in return. "What's up short-stop?"

        "Are you seriously still calling me that? That was like what seven years ago I was only nine for crying outloud." I complained, and he laughed.

"I was only nine short-stop, and even I realized that you shouldn't have stopped yet on that hill." He replied smiling, and I rolled my eyes.

        "If I hadn't stopped who knows what would've happened." I said rolling my eyes grinning at him.

"Uh, you wouldn't have went flying into a tree that's for sure." He replied cracking up laughing.

I hugged him over the counter. "Who knows I was a very unpredictable nine year old, and luck was definately not on your side either."

"No it wasn't then, but it must be now for you to finally come back." He replied as I pulled away, and I saw a look in his eyes I wished I hadn't.

        We had been down that road before only three years ago, and it hadn't worked out the way either of us had hoped it would.

"So what can we do for you?" Julia said as she came around the corner, and I looked back to see Ryder staring at me with a look I couldn't place resting in his eyes so I gave him a weird look which he chuckled at.

"Do you still make birthday cupcakes?" I questioned as I rocked back on my heels, and Ryder exhaled behind me.

"Sammie . . ." He started but I turned around shutting him up with a look.

        "Yes we actually do, what kind would you like?" Julia asked, and I turned around to face Ryder who frowned at me with uncertainty.

"I don't really eat sweets Sam." He told me as he ran a hand through his thick hair, and I felt very tempted to run my hands through it as well.

"Yeah, I can tell in more ways then one, Just pick a flavor Ryder." I ushered him shooting Julia and  Shane an apologetic smile which Julia smiled at shaking her head at me.

"Do you guys have red velvet cupcakes?" He asked flashing Julia one of his award-winning smiles that I could tell just melted her heart.

"Yay my favorite!" I cheered, and practically jumped on him and completely caught him off guard as he stumbled a bit to keep us both from falling. "Sorry . . . I just got excited your going to love Julia's red velvet cupcakes, they are to die for Ryder."