for, liar

Chapter 34

When we get our coffee and bagels, we take a seat in the back of the café away from everyone else. Maddy goes on and on about Damian and I feel like my head is going to burst. I casually nod and sip on my coffee, waiting for a chance to talk about something that isn't so negative. I always want to be there for her when she needs me, but this negativity is putting me in a horrible mindset that I don't want to be in after last night.

"So yeah, that's basically it. He hasn't contacted me or anything. What an asshole." She concludes and huffs.

At least she's fuming with anger instead of sadness. I can take rambling over constant crying any day.

"That sounds really messed up. I'm sorry he did that. Really not cool."

She shrugs it off and slaps a huge glob of cream cheese on her bagel before taking a bite. I giggle and glance around the café, not really sure what I was looking for.

"What about you?" She asks with a mouthful.

I scratch the back of my neck and shrug. "Well, not much. I mean...sort of. Miles invited me to meet his mother at her beach house in Myrtle."

Her eyes widen in shock and she nearly chokes on her bagel.

"Already? Shitttttt. Things are getting serious."

"Oh, hush. Meeting parents isn't that serious."

She shakes her head and keeps chewing. She's making a bigger deal out of this than it actually is. Yes, obviously there's some significance in meeting your boyfriend's parents, but it isn't crucial. People bring dates to family functions and you never hear anything about them after that. I wouldn't want that to happen to me, I just can't be thinking too much about this.

"You'll be fine. You and Miles seem to really like each other." She says and takes another sip of her coffee.

I tap my leg subconsciously and let out a deep breath. "We do, but still. Besides, I totally made things awkward the other night."

Her eyes shoot up at me.

"What happened?" She questions and grins.

I know she just wants to hear about all the drama. I always give in and fulfill those needs of hers.

"Well I tried to make an...advancement. I think I made him really uncomfortable because he totally pushed me off." I vent.

Her mouth drops. "He did not!" She yells in shock.

"He said now wasn't a good time or something. I don't know." I mumble and sigh.

"You got rejected? That's wild. Weren't you wearing that sexy black dress?"

I nod and purse my lips. She shakes her head and takes the last bite of her bagel.

"Yeah, I dunno. It wasn't the right time. I guess I get it." I say and shift in my chair.

She takes out her phone and makes a face before shoving it back in her pocket.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing." She responds and awkwardly sips at her coffee again.

We stayed in the café for a good hour to talk. She continues rambling on about Damian and I sit and listen like the amazing best friend that I am. I haven't seen her this distraught over a guy since Peter Thacker sophomore year of high school. They dated for two months and she caught him kissing her biology partner in the hallway at lunch. She couldn't take the heartbreak so she basically called off dating forever. When she started going out with Damian, her outlook on everything had started to turn around. Now it's over and I'm dreading what's about to come.

"It's only three months though. It's better like this so at least you didn't get too attached. There's so many guys out there who would kill to go out with you." I encourage her.

She shakes her head and hangs it down. "You don't get it. I haven't felt this way about anyone in my entire life."

I do know. I know what it feels like to find someone and put everything in it just for it to crumble right in front of your eyes. I know what it feels like to believe you found that person and felt lucky to have experienced such a deep connection at that young of an age.

"I do get it. It was the same with Ben. I thought I'd never get that feeling again. I thought my life was over and no one was going to love me the way that he did but I was so wrong. Not even because of how it's been with Miles, but because it's just not how life is . You can fall in love many times and each time will teach you something new until you find your forever. It sounds cheesy as hell but it's true."

She lets out a deep breath and nods. I think I'm finally getting somewhere. Obviously I have no idea how my relationship with Miles is going to go. I'm not rushing into anything and I'm definitely not assuming he's my end all because I'm falling-

Oh shit. What am I saying? Or-...thinking? I'm not falling. I just really like him. I'm allowed to really like someone. I'm allowed to be in love too, I just can't tell if this is what that is just yet. I should be able to tell. I've felt love before.

My head is all over the place.

"Let's get going." I say and rise from my chair.

Maddy agrees and gets up with her cup in her hands. We drove back to the apartment with only the low volume radio playing because we both hate car silence and she was too sad to actually listen to the music.

She walks straight to the bathroom and shuts the door. She's probably going to take a therapy bath to make her feel better. I think I might need one myself. I know I just showered but baths really hit differently when you're depressed or have too many things on your mind.

I rest my laptop on the toilet seat facing the tub and sink down into the hot water. My muscles and bones relax and I can feel the stress melt right off, even if it's only temporary.

I binge watch a few episodes of Parks and Recreation and am able to forget just about everything for a couple of hours. I hear rustling and something shatters, causing me to break my binge streak. I reach over and pause the episode with my pruney fingertips.

"You okay Mads?" I called out.

She doesn't respond. I climb out of the tub and wrap a towel around myself before jogging out of the bathroom and down the hall to her bedroom.

"Maddy!" I yell again.

At this point I'm freaking out. I'm not really sure why.

"We're fine!" She mumbles.

We?

I walk in and see Miles and Maddy crouched down on the floor picking up pieces of a broken vase. His eyes darted to mine and back to the floor.

"What happened?" I ask and raise my eyebrows.

"Uh...I got out of work early. I just came by to bring you these." Miles says and stands up with a bouquet of flowers in one hand. "Maddy was trying to get me something to put them in but she dropped it."

"It was an accident! I'm sorry!" She blurts and continues cleaning up the remaining glass.

"It's fine, you just worried the hell out of me. I was also surprised to see you." I tell Miles and let out a deep breath.

He chuckles and nods. "Yeah, I can tell. I like the pink towel."

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