Chapter Six - Thalia
CHAPTER SIX
Thalia
REALLY? UNDER THE fucking flower pot? It’s like they’re asking to get robbed.
I shove the key into the front door and plug in my code for their security system, before making a beeline toward the master bedroom where I know Owen and Blake are still sleeping.
I know they’re sleeping because I called both of them and checked their locations. So odds are they’re either having sex or sleeping. I’m so mad I don’t even fucking care if they’re fucking.
They got me into this mess, and they’re going to help me out of it. I throw open their bedroom door after stomping up the steps. Both of them sleep like they’re dead to the world and in about thirty seconds, they’re both going to be dead anyway.
I burst into their room and take a moment to be grateful that they’re not having sex. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve walked in on them, but I try to refrain from scarring myself any more. “You fucking assholes!” I yell, jumping on the bed .
Owen jolts wide awake, nearly pushing Blake off the bed in the process. “Shit, am I late to class?” he asks with a panicked look on his face before confusion warps it.
Blake groans and pulls the pillow over her head. “Why are you yelling?”
“What are you doing here? Wait, how did you get in here?” Owen demands, rubbing his eyes to help him wake up.
I grab the pillow away from Blake. “You told Kiera that I’m seeing someone and I’m pretty damn sure I’m not!”
She blinks and then her eyes open wide. “Oh shit.”
I throw the pillow at my brother who looks just as confused as I am. “Why? Why would you do that?” I cry out because I’m actually really mad at her. But I’m even more mad at Sebastian.
“Blake, what did you do?” Owen groans and Blake sits up as I step backward on their mattress.
“So I kinda maybe told Kiera that you’re seeing someone? She was asking if you still had feelings for Bash, which clearly you don’t. I mean, you two can’t even be in the same room without arguing. I just thought it’d be more believable if she thought you had a boyfriend!”
I drop to my knees at the foot of their mattress, trying not to scream. “Yeah, well now she wants me to bring said boyfriend to their house for dinner! Dinner, Blake! What the fuck am I going to do?”
Owen’s jaw drops as he turns to look at Blake in horror. “You didn’t. Please tell me that Thalia is having one of her dramatic moments, and you didn’t stir the pot.”
She puts her hands over her face to hide. “I’m sorry! I thought I was helping. ”
“You really didn’t help at all by telling her that! Now I have to find someone to go on a fake date with me to the house I used to fucking live in! Correction, you have to find someone for me to go on a fake date with because your little lie got me into this mess.”
“Oh god. I just want to go back to sleep and pretend this is a nightmare from hell. I’m changing the security code so you can’t get in again. Where’s the reset button for the morning?” Owen moans, pulling the comforter up over his head. Yeah, must be nice to be able to hide from this under the blankets.
“Why don’t you just bring Nathan with you?” she asks, referring to a guy who I’ve hooked up with in the past. He’s another photographer I’ve worked with, and those trips abroad make it easy for things to happen.
I scowl at her. “And subject him to another night of arguing with my ex? Do you not remember what happened last time I brought him to dinner with my family and Sebastian?”
That night was horrible. Sebastian and I ended up bickering the entire night, and it was miserable for everyone there. Kiera missed out because she had to study for a test if I remember correctly.
Owen snickers from under the covers, and I throw the nearest thing to me at his head. It happens to be a shoe. Oops .
“Okay, so not Nathan. What about Eric? You guys were cute together and he knows Sebastian, so it’s not like it’ll be super weird?”
Eric and Natalie broke up a year after Bash and I did. After college, Eric opened up his own contracting business and actually did some work on Blake and Owen’s house. That’s how we ran into each other last year. We immediately hit it off, ended up dating for close to seven months. Ultimately, how much I was gone ended things. It was more of a friendship with benefits than anything, but Eric was sweet. I liked him. We broke up a few weeks before I came back in October for Mimi, but we still talk occasionally.
I open my mouth, ready to say hell no , but it’s actually not a bad idea. “I’m sure it’ll be plenty weird. From now on, before you tell Kiera anything about me, please just fucking run it past me first.”
“I really am sorry.”
I glare at Blake who is smiling apologetically at me. “You suck.”
She climbs out from under the covers to hug me. “I know I do.”
“Can I get my bed back?” Owen grumbles, poking his head out from under the covers as I hug her tightly back. I know she had the best intentions, even if it majorly backfired.
“No. Don’t you have a workout or something to go do since you’re supposedly this big shot athlete?” I lean back from Blake to hold up my arm and pretend to flex. “ I’m Owen, I work out every single day for hours and hours so I can stare in a mirror and tell myself I’m pretty. ”
Blake tries to smother her laughter with her hand, and Owen’s mouth drops in disbelief. Then he smiles and reaches for his phone. “First of all, it’s Saturday, and I have a commercial coming up I do have to look pretty for. Secondly, why don’t I call Bash and see if he wants to come over to go for a run?”
“Owen, seriously?” Blake rolls her eyes at my brother. “Don’t be such a baby. I walked in on you in the bathroom doing the whole spiel about how strong and handsome you are the other day.”
His face turns bright red as I lean forward, laughing. “No way.”
He gets out of the bed as Blake giggles next to me. “I’m going to take a shower. Lia, you better not be here when I get out,” he grumbles, shutting the bathroom door behind him.
I try to pull myself together, but one look from Blake has me laughing all over again.
~
I’m attempting to hang another portrait, but I’m struggling to find the hook on the wall. I’m not quite sure where Penelope disappeared to, but whatever. I’m slowly getting down to the last spots to hang stuff and to say it was stressful would be an understatement.
I move it around a little trying to get it to hook when another set of hands help steady the portrait. I almost let go in surprise, but I smile when I see that it’s Eric. “I thought we weren’t meeting until tonight?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light.
He smiles shyly at me, his handsome face a familiar comfort. “Did you consider that maybe I wanted to see you before then?”
The portrait finally hooks after Eric nudges it one way and I let out a sigh of relief before hugging him. I step away a moment later, tucking my hair behind my ears, and placing my hands on my hips. “So what’s up?”
Eric cocks an eyebrow at me. “ What’s up? I think I should be asking you that question.”
I shrug, trying to hide how fast my heart is beating in my chest right now. “Well right now I’m hanging portraits, and later, I think I’ll be taking a sledgehammer to the bar over there.” I motion to the bar where I looked at Kiera and Sebastian’s wedding plans.
“A woman after my own heart. You always have known your way around tools,” he teases, and I gasp at the innuendo, hitting his arm firmly.
“You have a dirty mind.”
Eric laughs deeply, his cheeks reddening. “I swear, that’s not where I was going with that.”
I purse my lips, shaking my head at him. “Sure, Eric. Whatever you want to say.”
He helps me and Penelope hang a few more before my stomach growls hungrily. “I guess that’s my cue to go get lunch. What are you guys feeling?” Penelope asks, and a burger sounds delicious right now.
“Burgers,” Eric says, winking at me, and my stomach flutters a little.
Maybe calling Eric wasn’t such a bad idea after all. I mean, I am here for the time being at least. Nobody is saying that we have to get back together.
I nod as Penelope gives me an all-knowing smile having caught the wink too. “Burgers sound great.”
“I’ll be back in a little bit then. Try not to have too much fun hammering the portraits while I’m gone,” she teases playfully, and I can feel my face grow hot.
“Did she really just make hanging pictures sound dirty?”
“It’s a talent of hers. Can I get you something to drink?” I offer, heading to the back room where there’s a mini fridge filled with water bottles in it.
“I’m okay, thank you.” I can feel his eyes on me as I walk away, and I glance over my shoulder, catching Eric in the process of watching me. “What can I say? I love watching you walk away.”
I laugh in disbelief because he’s something else. When I get back out on the main floor, he’s sitting almost in the exact same spot on the floor as the girls and I were when we got shit-faced on wine and tequila. I sit down next to Eric, opening my water. “So how have you been?”
“I’ve been good. The business is doing well and all. I’ve missed you, though,” he says, sounding a little remorseful.
I glance over at him, not at all surprised we’re already talking about us. Both of us like to cut through bullshit. “I’ve missed you, too, Eric. We were good together, weren’t we?”
“I think so at least.”
“What if we make a pact that if we’re not married by thirty-five then we just go for it?” I ask, chuckling, and Eric smiles at me.
“I certainly wouldn’t be complaining. Life would always be interesting. We’d make pretty kids, but are you sure I’m the person you want to make that deal with?” He raises an eyebrow at me, and I tilt my head in confusion. I’m not quite sure what he means by that? “I always figured you and Bash would find your way back to each other.”
I pull my hair out of the clip it’s pulled back in. It’s useless at its job. “He’s engaged. Plus, he goes by Seb now. I don’t even know who he is anymore, Eric. He’s definitely not the guy who proposed to me.”
“Seb? Oh god, that’s terrible.” Eric laughs, clearly finding the nickname as appalling as I do. “He isn’t married yet, though. If anyone could change his mind, it’d be you.”
I know what he’s getting at because I’ve let my mind drift there as well. It doesn’t matter. Sebastian and Kiera are getting married .
“I called him Seb when he was here with the fiancée while she was on the phone. Bash literally flinched so hard, so I don’t think even he’s used to it.” I don’t want to change his mind. Kiera’s nice, and she’s happy with him. She’s what he wants.
“Why were they here? I thought you were avoiding Bash like the plague?” Eric asks curiously, and I wish it was the truth.
I groan, rubbing my forehead because I’m an idiot. “I’m the wedding photographer.”
“No fucking way,” Eric swears, and I half expect him to look at me like I’m stupid. Except he’s only looking at me with concern. “Are you okay?”
I feel tears well up in my eyes because I’m so far from it. None of this is okay. I try to smile because as far as everyone else knows, I’m fine. “I’ll be fine. Sixty-three days until the wedding, and then I never have to see him again.”
“Is that what you really want?”
No .
“Yes. It was my condition to agreeing to photograph it. I asked him to forget I ever existed, except Kiera has no idea because she’s a fucking saint. I think she wants us to be friends or something, but I don’t have the heart to tell her it’s not going to happen,” I say, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. I brush it away hopefully before Eric can see it because this is pathetic.
“Oh, Thalia,” Eric says, wrapping an arm over my shoulders, and I slide closer to cling to him. It feels nice to be held, I can’t lie.
“I know. It all sucks. The real kicker is that Blake took it upon herself to tell Kiera I was seeing someone. She thought she was helping, but now Kiera wants me to come over for dinner and bring the guy I’ve been seeing. Except I haven’t dated anyone since you.”
“So this is what’s up,” he teases easily, going back to his question. “I’m happy to play along with this if that’s what you want. I’m assuming after all that’s why you called when we’ve only talked a few times since breaking up. I do think if you said no, she wouldn’t be able to blame you. Hell, I’m surprised Kiera’s trying that hard after everything that went down between you and Bash.”
“She doesn’t know. I don’t know what she knows, but I know it’s not everything,” I say softly because it’s not fair for him to pretend it didn’t happen—that we didn’t happen, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
Sometimes when I’m drunk or it’s late at night and I can’t sleep, I let my mind think about what could have been. If he hadn’t proposed or if he’d listened when I said not right now. I wasn’t saying no. But that’s what he heard. And then he left me standing there outside that restaurant.
“You’re kidding, right?” Eric questions, his face surprised. “I just thought she was being polite when I met her at your parents’ house by trying to be your friend.”
“No, I think she genuinely doesn’t know. Isn’t that awful?” I pull away from underneath his arm to drag my hands over my face, groaning dramatically. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Eric looks around the gallery walls, and I follow his gaze to a black and white portrait of the beach I used to go to with my family as a kid. Life was so much simpler as a kid, and I took it for granted. I would give anything to go back to playing mermaids in the surf with my brother.
Eric clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him. “Shit, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the mess he’s gotten himself into, so I can’t imagine how you feel. What I do know is that Bash never should have put you in that position.”
I pretend to pick lint off my shirt because I know that Sebastian shouldn’t have, but he still did. “What’s done is done. I’m in it now. I only wish he’d stop involving me more than I need to be, considering he’s the one who ended things between us.” I waited days for him to come home, but when he finally did, he didn’t want to talk. He told me to go, so I packed my things and I left.
“He doesn’t know what he’s missing.” Eric smiles softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners turning the conversation a different direction.
I look at him curiously, processing the words he’s saying and the potential underlying meaning. “Did you actually mean it when you said you’d go with me?”
His bright eyes roam over my face, and he dips his head in a slow nod. “Lia, I’d do pretty much anything for you. I wasn’t lying when I said I missed you. I never told you, but in college when you said you were going to set me up, I was hoping you meant with you. Natalie was great, and I’m grateful for the time I had with her, but before her, I wanted you.” I catch my jaw before it can fall open in shock because I never realized. We’ll chalk this up to another person I missed having feelings for me in college because I had my blinders focused on Sebastian Walker. “If you were serious about the whole getting married at thirty-five if we aren’t already married to other people, I’m your guy.”
I’m not sure if it’s the genuine sincerity of his words, or the comfort of familiarity, but I lean over and kiss Eric softly. Pulling away, I stare at him, waiting to see what he’s going to do. Eric smiles warmly, and my cheeks flush. “Like I said earlier, there’s never a dull moment with you.” He gently grabs my chin, and I hold my breath as Eric presses his lips to mine again.
Maybe trying things with Eric could be good, and exactly what I need.