Liar, Liar

Chapter 5 - And the Elevator Doesn't Ping

I am sitting on the floor when Fern comes in after taking out the trash. The whole kitchen floor is now covered in paint, and so are my legs. The day has gone fast and I've been stuck in the creations I have been painting for hours. When I look up, my neck aches and my back chimes in unison with it. That's not what surprises me though.

"Look who I met outside!" Fern points out and nods towards Adam. My stomach drops and I suddenly feel very self conscious about my ratty outfit.

"Adam. Hi," I squeak and stand up, pulling on the material covering my body. "What's up?"

"Hey, uhm..." He glances at Fern who only hums amusedly and walks away into the living room. "Do you wanna join me downtown to get stuff for the party?"

"The birthday party or the..."

"The engagement party, yes."

I purse my lips and nod, stepping over my newest painting and brushing past him into my bedroom. My hands reach up to touch my cheeks and they are burning. I wish my body would stop reacting this way every time I even think about him.

We drive downtown in his aged car. Surprisingly, it's looks clean and polished inside, despite its rugged exterior. It smells like him from top to toe.

After parking, we walk into a big party store, glitter and confetti surrounding us on every shelf. Everything is cliché and tacky but Ashley will find the humor in it too. We prance around, picking up both confetti and glitter. I throw in party horns and Adam finds party hats. Unlike the other times we have hung out (sober), it isn't awkward at all. In fact, I find myself actually relaxing and having fun.

"Adam, come look at this party game! We have to buy it!" I shout into the open as I pick it up, not even caring about the other costumers. Whoops. When he doesn't answer I look away from the shelf and turn around, my eyes roaming the store to try and find my missing friend. "Adam?"

I start walking around. I'm confused as hell as to why I can't find him. The store is big, but not that big.

It's when I turn a corner that I scream, my hands letting go of the stupid party game so it crashes to the ground. Adam takes off the monster mask and laughs loudly at me as I almost sob into my hands.

"Your face!" he howls.

"Why'd you scare me like that?!" I whine, picking up the game again and hitting him lazily with it. "God, you're such a dumbass."

Adam smirks and we make our way to the check out after agreeing that we had had enough time in here now. He doesn't get a say in if we are to buy the game or not, because to be honest, I feel kind of annoyed that he managed to scare me like that. I've never been the girl so easily frightened, but a minute ago I sounded like a fourteen-year-old girl.

"Are you hungry?" Adam asks after we've visited a couple more stores. It isn't until he mentions it that I realize that yes, I am hungry.

We find a food court and sit down after ordering our food at a Chinese stand.

"So, where do you actually work?" I question after I remember that I never got an answer out of him the last time. Adam seems to remember that too and smiles.

"I'm a receptionist," he states.

My eyebrows raise. "Really?" I didn't take him for the type. But then again, he doesn't look like the type of guy Ashley used to date earlier either.

"Yeah."

The beeper vibrates and blinks wildly and we go to pick up our food. After that the afternoon goes by quickly, much quicker than I'd like it too. It seems like every time I meet Adam, time flies like no time has gone by. I barely get to appreciate it before the day is over.

"Could I keep the party stuff at your place? I'm afraid Ashley will find it at mine," Adam asks when we sit in his car once again. I nod.

"Yeah, of course," I say, then think about something I kind of don't want to ask about for several reasons. 1) it might be none of my business and 2) I actually don't want them to. However, I ask anyway. "Uhm, why don't you live together? I mean if you're getting married and all..."

Adam readjusts his hands on the wheel and clears his throat. "We actually don't have a solid reason for that," he admits, shrugging his shoulders. "We sleep over at each others place all the time anyways, and even though it probably isn't the same, we've never felt as if anything was missing, I suppose."

I swallow hard, forcing myself to smile a meek smile. God, of course I know they stay the night at each other's house. I'm not stupid. However, it hurts to hear him say it out loud. Maybe it was for the best that I never spoke to him before, it hurts really bad. It hurts because I'm just always reminded that I am so close yet the furthest away that I've ever felt. When we didn't speak, I could at least hold on to the foolish hope that he might've fallen in love with me instead if he got to know me.

Adam parks the car outside my building and we both jump out, grabbing all the bags we collected throughout the day. Apparently, we needed half the mall to throw a surprise party, including tablecloths, soda, cups, wine, snacks of all kinds and what more. After a couple of hours, we figured it would probably become a picnic instead of an indoor party.

The elevator ride is filled with jokes and laughter, just like the rest of the day has been. I try to tell Adam that he doesn't need to laugh at my God awful jokes, but he tries to convince me they're genius.

"I'm serious, that was a genuine laugh!" he exclaims as we step out of the metal box. "No, cow goes moo!" he mimics my knock knock joke. I crack a smile and shake my head. That's my worst joke so far, but seeing him laugh makes it worth the slight humiliation.

"You are still a dumbass." I unlock the door to the apartment and step in, setting the bags on the ground by the shoes. I turn around quickly, only to find Adam less than a foot away from me.

Our lingering smiles fade fast as the proximity registers in both our minds. I'm waiting for the elevator to ping and Ashley to walk in, but that doesn't happen. We're in my apartment, alone for the moment, and the tension is building by the second.

My eyes flicker up and down from his eyes to his lips, and all thoughts of Ashley disappear when I see him do the same. My heart beats like a hummingbird's and my legs feel like spaghetti. I'm standing on my toes to reach him.

And we kiss.

It feels natural to arch my back and bend my neck to meet him halfway. Everything is perfect, like two puzzle pieces coming together as they are supposed to. I can't think about anything but the way his lips mold with mine and how his arms snake around my waist. I've never felt as content as I do in this moment.

But I've never felt as rejected as when he pushes me away either.

"Shit," he curses and backs away from me. My heart feels like a thousand pounds in my chest when he does. The air feels a million times colder than before. I want to object, say something – anything – but the words are stuck in my throat. He stares at me, as if he doesn't understand what is standing in front of him. I'd like to explain to him that it's a girl with a cracked heart, and if he walks away from me now, it might just shatter.

But before I get to do that, that's exactly what he does.

*heart aches
That's what I feel at least. How do you feel about what just happened?