When We Fall Silent

Chapter Eight

I knocked on the door again, twisting my fingers nervously. The door finally opened, and I met a pair of familiar eyes.

"Hi," I said lamely, shooting an apologetic smile. Kat leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. The blank look on her face made my stomach churn with discomfort. I knew she was still upset with me after the last time we saw each other.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

"Look, Kat, I just stopped by to apologize for last time. I was out of line and I'm sorry for being harsh. I know that all you wanted to do was help me."

A beat passed before a slow grin spread across her face. Her hand shot out to grab my arm and drag me inside.

"Oh, I'm not actually mad at you, silly," she teased, green eyes filled with amusement. "I just wanted to make you squirm a little. I know you didn't mean what you said, you were stressed, I get it."

I gawked slightly before punching her arm lightly. "You're the worst! I actually thought you were still mad at me."

Kat's laughter filled the living room with tinkles of sound.

"Anyway," she continued, looking at me with hands on her hips. "What are you doing here? You usually don't drop by unexpectedly."

We made our way over to the couches and plopped down.

"Well I actually did want to apologize to you, but also..." I trailed off, suddenly feeling like some heavy spotlight was cast down on me. Before I could finish my sentence, Kat squealed jumping up and down on the loveseat.

"Omg, don't tell me, it's about Maverick!"

My silence only incited more squealing.

Kat lunged across the living room, kneeling on the ground in front of me.

"Please, please, please tell me everything," she begged me, shaking my hands. I groaned, pushing her away.

"Only if you stop being so dramatic."

Kat's eyes widened and she quickly shot up and sat politely in the space next to me, a printed smile on her face. I rolled my eyes.

"So, Maverick may or may not have slept over at my house...and also seen my underwear," I paused, watching Kat's face twist from excitement to confusion. "Also, we may or may not have danced...grinded I guess on each other at the club when you guys left."

To say she was shocked is an understatement.

I lightly closed Kat's mouth. "If you keep your mouth open like that, you'll catch flies," I joked, the nervousness loud and clear in my voice as I tried to ease the tension around us.

It was her turn to punch me in the arm.

"Jesus, what was that for?"

Then she pinched me.

"Kat, stop!"

"How could you not tell me?! You better spill everything right now or I'm never going to speak to you again," she huffed, backing off for the time being.

I rubbed the spot she pinched, giving in. I gave her the run-down; I told her everything that had gone on between Maverick and me up until this moment. I'm not really sure what changed my mind about telling Kat everything, but I felt like I needed an outside perspective. I haven't heard anything from Maverick since the night he stayed over and he's made no more contact with me besides that note he left. It was so confusing. I didn't understand what was going on and I felt like Kat might know.

"Yeah, he definitely likes you."

The bluntness in her voice made me choke on air.

"W-what, no he doesn't," I sputtered out. "Kat, he calls me annoying at least once every time he sees me. Not to mention the whole 'no friends' thing. I just don't know where we stand. I don't know how to act around him. Before, I just assumed we were friends, so I never really thought about it, it was easy to be around him. But ever since that night at the club, things have changed and now it's like I'm stepping on glass around him. I'm hyper aware of everything he says or does. It's aggravating."