for, liar

Chapter 56

I spent the next couple of hours helping Maddy find storage for her new collection of paintings. We blast music pretty heavily throughout the apartment and I'm starting to actually enjoy this time. I hate to say that I already miss Miles and I literally haven't stopped thinking about him since I got out of his car.

I lift up one of the eight by twelve canvases hiding under the coffee table. "This one is my favorite so far."

It's a landscape painting of a dark blue sky and a hill that overlooks a collection of mountains. It looks beautiful and oddly familiar.

"You don't remember where that is?" she asks.

Now I feel bad that I don't. I wish I did because she seems disappointed.

"No, where is it?"

"It's where we went when Selena's dad took us camping that first time in middle school. I had a dream about it the other night. I had totally forgotten what it looked like and then I saw it again."

I stare at it and suddenly the memories start flooding back. I couldn't recall that trip at all until now. I can't believe I somehow blocked that out of my memory. 

"Oh my God, I do remember that."

Selena wanted to ditch her dad so she made us sneak out of the campsite and go off into the woods. We got lost for three fucking hours and they had to send a rescue squad to find us. It was embarrassing but definitely a night to remember. How could I have forgotten that?

"Those were really great times. At least we have memories to look back on, I guess." Maddy says.

Her eyes travel across the canvas in my hands and back off into space. She's distracting herself from any memory at all now. I know it still hurts her.

I pull one of the plastic containers I had for storage and remove the few things I had stored in there to make room for Maddy's art. She still hasn't mentioned what made her want to create an entire portfolio over the weekend besides saying it was her way to "cope". I guess it's better that she turned to art and not drugs again.

"My mom wants to meet Miles." I tell her out of the blue.

She doesn't seem to mind me breaking the silence because she loves hearing about my drama for some reason. Not that this is anything but something interesting to talk about.

"Oh, yeah? Are you going to let her?"

She shoves another painting down the side of the box. She's not being delicate at all and I'm worried she's going to ruin it.

"I don't know yet. Wouldn't that be making it like...really serious?"

She shrugs her shoulders and taps the edge of the plastic container. Her acrylic nails make the strangest sound.

"Isn't that what you want, though? I feel like you keep bringing it up to convince yourself you don't want him to meet your parents and make it serious, even though deep down you definitely feel the opposite and want to make things serious."

I do have a bad habit of talking myself out of heavy life choices that I probably would benefit from. I want nothing more than to be able to go with my gut like Maddy but I'm always sketched out about taking advice from her because everything she tries blows up in her face and I have to be the shoulder to cry on. It would be a nice turn of events.

"I do want that. I don't want him to think my family is crazy or anything. I also don't want him to see the fucked up relationship I have with my mother."

"Your relationship is not fucked up. She's just a bit of a narcissist and you two butt heads occasionally. It's no biggie, just try not to fight in front of Miles." She responds.

"Have you met my mother?"

Maddy giggles and snaps the lid on the plastic box filled to the top with artwork. "Yes and she loves you, even if she has a weird way of showing it."

By four, I've got my laundry washed and started cleaning up around the apartment to eliminate the mess created by Maddy's painting sessions. She did a decent job at avoiding paint jobs on any important furniture or fabric. I sent her up to the grocery store to buy soy sauce for tonight's dinner. It feels great to not be fighting anymore so I'm actually looking forward to having dinner with her.
I do my best to prepare a variation of chicken stir fry. I got an insane craving for it after my beach trip, thanks to Lauren. It ends up being a whole bunch of random vegetables and rice thrown into a pan with some chunks of chicken. It smells good so I haven't lost faith in it yet. Maddy makes me question it when she gets back.

"What did you put in it?" She asks and leans her face over the pan to take a look.

"Uh, broccoli, bell peppers, onion, green beans, butter beans, and I think okra or brussel sprouts. I don't even know."

She laughs and sets the jar of soy sauce on the counter. "Do you want me to take over?" she offers and reaches for the spatula in my hands.

I swat it at her and shoo her away with my other hand. "No! Let me cook dinner. I have to learn at some point."

"Can it be on a night where I'm not actually starving?"

I wanted to laugh but I think she was serious. Damn, she really has no faith in my cooking skills. I can't blame her.

"Just give it a try and then you can complain."

I scoop a variety of veggies onto the spatula and hold it in front of Maddy's mouth. She blows on it for a few seconds to cool it down and slowly takes a bite. She has zero expression on her face until after she swallows. Her lips curl up into a smile and she nods her head.

"That's actually really good. I'm proud of you."

Now she was being genuine. I love this side of her.

"I learn from the best." I shoot a compliment and wink at her.

She laughs and grabs two plates from the dishwasher. "I know I'll never reach your expertise but it is nice to feel like my cooking has improved."

"It definitely has. This time I was actually able to get it down and keep it there!"

"I can change that, smartass."

I lift the spatula again and start running towards her. She screams and runs around the kitchen laughing. I reach over to turn off the stove before I burn the place down. I've almost made that mistake a couple of times since we moved in.

"I'm not chasing you! I'm starving now too!" I yell and stop to catch my breath.

"You are so out of shape! You're going to the gym with me tomorrow whether you like it or not."

Revised;