Realize That It's Gone

Chapter Thirteen

Warnings: Angst

Word Count: 2165

Author's Note: I'm glad all of you were enjoying Tyler finally stepping out of his comfort zone a little in the last chapter :) and I hope you enjoy this chapter too! 

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"Did you need the soap?" Tyler asked.

You leaned over a little so that you could better see into the plastic bucket that you were currently filling with the hose.

"Yeah, do you mind bringing it over here?"

Tyler grabbed the bottle of soap that you had carried out from the garage and handed it to you. You tried to take it with your free hand, but you quickly realized you wouldn't be able to hold it, open it, and fill the bucket up at the same time.

"And can you open it?" you asked, giving him your best cheesy smile.

Tyler sighed dramatically, but it was only for show. He happily took the bottle back from you and unscrewed the cap.

"Do you want me to pour it too?" he asked, mouth curled up into a half-smile.

"If you don't mind."

Tyler began to dump soap into your half-filled bucket. Bubbles began to form along the top, swirling around the edge. Pretty soon, bubbles were the only thing you could see.

"Ty! Tyler! Stop, that's too much soap," you giggled, reaching out to put a hand on his arm.

"What? Oh, sorry. The bubbles were mesmerizing."

Tyler put the cap back on the bottle and set it off to the side before wandering back over to sit in the grass. You had decided to invite him over to wash your cars together - a task that you had been meaning to do anyway - so that you could figure out exactly where you stood with him, now that you had been on your date with Josh. Although Tyler had said he was cool with the entire situation, you had a gut feeling that things weren't exactly as they seemed.

Not to mention that you were still trying to work out your own feelings.

"Ok," you announced as you wandered around the side of the house to shut the water off. "I think we're ready."

"Do you have sponges?"

"Yeah, they're by the bucket!"

By the time you arrived back in the driveway, Tyler had already slathered the hood of his car in soapy water. Even if you didn't end up clearing anything up with him today, you were glad that Tyler's car would at least get washed, for once.

"It's looking better already," you smiled as you grabbed your own sponge.

"Hey, the dirt on my car is part of its character."

"How do you expect to get a date if your car is filthy?"

"If a girl can't look past my filthy car, then she doesn't deserve to experience all of this," Tyler said, reaching his dry hand up to run dramatically through his hair.

You snorted and continued to scrub the dirt off your own car. "Is there anyone you're interested in, Ty?"

From where you were standing on the far side of the car, there was no way for you and Tyler to see one another. You were glad for it, you weren't entirely sure that you would be able to keep your face from betraying more information than you intended it to.

"There is one person, but I don't know if it's going to happen."

"Why not?" you asked, scrubbing the side of your car a little more vigorously.