I Write Romances, Not Live Them

Chapter 13

“All I’m saying is that I don’t want to sort of fall in love with fifty different people. I’d rather find one person and fall completely, deeply in over my head.” -Anna White, The Light and Fallen

 

I'm not sure how long we laid there without saying a single thing. There were noises-it is New York after all-but they seemed to fade into obscurity until it all was quiet, a silence that's so rare you don't have the heart to break it.

Trying not to make a sound, I slipped my flats slowly off my feet, they felt disgusting and clingy. I think I cringed when they hit the ground, our little bubble of silence had been popped too early. I sighed in contentment, one I had been holding in. It quickly turned awkward around us, but I didn't know what to say. I clasped my hands on my stomach and stared at the black sky again and imagined my own stars to fill it.

From beside me, I could have sworn I heard a giggle. When I risked a glance over, sure enough Elliot was trying to stifle a giggle. Men don't giggle, they have too much pride for that. But alcohol makes everyone a little but humbler.

Just the sight was enough to light up a smile on my face, soon I was giggling, then Elliot was laughing, then we were both laughing. Nothing was even remotely funny, yet it was hilarious.

"Why... are we... laughing?" I questioned, barely able to talk, much less breathe.

The widest, silly grin stretches across his face as he began to sing, at a high volume and extremely pitchy "Because you don't know, uh oh! You don't know you're bee-you-tiful!" he stressed, screaming the song in the street and making blood rush to my cheeks, both from my laughter and flattery. "And that's what makes you beautiful!" Elliot made the movements of the last drumbeat that would end the song.

I never stopped laughing and he joined me again; if we weren't already on the ground, we would have been. Back by the club some people that gathered by the doors were eying us with confused and crazy expressions. It only made the entire situation funnier.

"What was that about?" I finally asked, turning my head to the other direction, Elliot's bloodshot eyes were tearing up.

"Haven't you ever wanted to break out into song before? Just once, I wanted my life to feel like a musical. " he reasoned seriously.

I thought about it for a moment before seriously answering back "In my book, the only good movies where people burst out into song are animated."

Elliot finds my honestly amusing, "Really? I pegged you as more of a Mary Poppins kind of girl."

I shook my head against the sidewalk. "There's a lot you don't know about me. "

My words had two meanings. But even I'm not stupid enough to admit to Elliot, drunk or not, that I'm plotting with my evil genius best friend to make him mine. He may have been acting childish, but our ploy wasn't childish, it's ludicrous, crazy, and completely out of the norm. If he found out, all I would ever be is the crazy chick with the girlish crush on him.

Elliot turned on his side and propped himself up with his arm, something about it had a very feminine feel to it. "Oh, do tell." He exclaimed, leaning his head on his arm, settling in like I was about to spill the latest gossip.

I smirked mischievously, "Why should I?"

"Because I wanna know you, actually know you." I watched those clear ocean eyes look into mine and my own thoughts were lost in them, like a boat in the current. I just wanted to get lost in them, and there was no where I would have rather been than on that dirty sidewalk next to him.