The Truth In My Lies

05

     MADISON

Eric: Due to the storm, there's probably not going to be a lot of customers today so you can take the day off. See you Monday.

I stare at the message on my screen. For once, Andrew was right.

"See? I told you so." He gleams with satisfaction after reading the message.

This morning was less awkward than yesterday. We didn't wake up embraced in each other's arms. Instead, we were on total opposite sides of the bed.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Tell Kaiden and Alyssa we're playing Monopoly when I get out." He says. I watch as his back muscles contract under his skin as he searches for some clothes in his drawer, then he disappears into the bathroom.

I don't think he's being serious about playing Monopoly with them, but I still open Andrew's door to see if their awake. I spot Kaiden immediately. He's sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal, shirtless. A dribble of milk slides falls off the spoon and slides down his toned chest. For a second, I fantasize about licking it off him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." He grins.

I blush in embarrassment, realizing he probably just saw me staring at him. I hope Alyssa didn't see me, but when I look around the apartment, I don't see her anywhere. I assume she's still asleep.

"Good morning." I reply and walk into the kitchen. I don't know what exactly I'm looking for. I just want to make it seem like I didn't just walk out of Andrew's room to see what Kaiden was doing.

"Sorry for keeping you up all night. We kind of got carried away." He calls from the couch. My back is turned to him, but I can hear the smirk in his voice.

"You didn't keep me up all night." I grab a breakfast bar from the pantry. Truthfully, he only kept me up for maybe an hour. After Andrew told them to quiet down, they did.

"Oh, so Andrew kept you up all night then?" He teases. I hear his footsteps pad across the carpet into the kitchen. He puts his bowl into the sink, ignoring the empty dishwasher.

"No, he did not," I reach past him and wash his bowl out before I put it in the dishwasher. Andrew has the same bad habit. "Anyway, Andrew wants us all to play Monopoly when he gets out of the shower. Don't ask me why."

He looks at me like I've grown two heads. "Monopoly at ten in the morning?"

I shrug and open my breakfast bar. I cringe when I see it's apple flavored. I hate apple flavored things, but I've already opened it and I don't want to be wasteful.

"You didn't ask if you could have that." He points at the breakfast bar in my hands.

I take a bite and push back the bitter flavor. "Andrew doesn't mind if I have one."

"They're not Andrew's, they're mine." He clarifies.

I pause mid-chew. Should I apologize? Give him the rest of it? I don't like it anyway. I saw some blueberry poptarts, but I know those are Andrew's favorite and there was only one packet left. "Uh, sorry. Do you want it?"

He shakes his head. "No, your germs are on it."

"I only took one bite."

"So? I don't want any of your germs." He opens the refrigerator and grabs the orange juice carton. I know he's going to skip getting a glass and go straight to drinking out of the carton. It irritates me so bad. Like I predicted, he takes one big swig and puts the cap back on before placing it back on the shelf.

"Maybe I don't want any of your germs." I gesture to the orange juice.

"I bought that. I can do whatever I want with my things." He closes the refrigerator and walks over to the pantry.