More Than I Bargained For

Chapter Four: It's Complicated

(The picture to the right is Evan!---------->)

Chapter Four

Grady and I talked for hours that night at the park. We talked about who we were, our favourite things, hobbies, music, each other. Little things about each other that you know and learn when you first meet someone.

Grady's favourite colour is blue. When he was thirteen he had braces. He was born in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 27. He's an only child.

I learned so much about him in so little time. It pretty much did feel like we were...kind of made for each other. Him for me, and I for him. Together it felt like we were in our own little world. For a week straight we met in the park late at night and talked for hours on end.

"Love!" my mother shouted up the stairs.

"Coming!" I shouted back, closing the double doors that led to my balcony. I walked lightly across my room and flitted down the grand staircase, joyful from the events from this past week. "Where are you?!" I yelled checking the dining room.

"Outside, by the pool!" my mother yelled in return.

I walked past the staircase and outside through the sliding glass door. "What's up?" I asked my mom.

"Have a seat," she said. She was sitting at one of the tables staring distantly at the pool.

"What?" I asked her impatiently.

"Grady's been...a little distant lately? Or distracted. Like he has something else on his mind," she turned to me.

"This relates to me how?" I asked, puzzled.

"Do you know why? You're hip, you have flings. Help me out," my mother smiled.

"Haha, chill! Don't take his distance too seriously. When did this start?"

"A week ago. After we all had dinner at his restaurant."

Gulp. That's when we started talking and getting closer. God, I hoped he wasn't blowing my mom off for me. We don't need any suspicions. But we weren't doing anything wrong...were we?

"Whoa, one week. Code red, code red," I said sarcastically. "Chillax. You're stressing over nothing. You're making it bigger than what it really is. You're turning it into something it's not. Relax. Work might've gotten busy, maybe he's tired. If it is really bugging you, just talk to him about it. To me it seems no biggie. Stop blowing things out of proportion."

"You're right, honey," my mother sighed. She gave me a tight hug.

"Everything will be fine," I said.

"I know. I know." She stared off into space.

I watched her for a minute then headed back up to my room. Sitting on my bed I thought about my mom and Grady. Grady and I. Nothing was going on. We didn't do anything wrong. So why did it feel that way? He's dating my mom, and we're friends. Nothing more, nothing less. And that's all it would ever be. And that's all it could ever be.

* * *

I chuckled at Brendan, a guy Auden, my best friend, set me up with. He was nice...and that's about it. Not much of a connection. No sparks present.

"I bet that was embarrassing," I said between bites of pasta.

"No doubt," Brendan said smiling. "I just love it here," he said referring to By The Sea, the restaurant we were having dinner at. "I love the atmosphere. It feels so homey."