Since Summers

eleven : trouble in paradise

I chuckled. "What do you want to know?"

She grinned and the smile reached her eyes. "You know me." She gave her shoulder a little shrug. "I wanna know everything."

I slid my gaze across the shoulder of my navy blue jacket and straight into her eyes. Her eyes were blue in the center and surrounded by green, reminded me of the blue sky and the green forest.

I swallowed hard. She looked exactly like she was three years ago. Except that she was no longer a seventeen years old girl, she was twenty years old now. Her lips were no longer bare, they were painted bright red. She looked grown up. I dropped my gaze on the floor and let out a deep sigh, secretly hoping that I wasn't making a huge mistake now.

* * *

It was almost eleven PM when I finally realized I was spending too much time chatting and drinking when I should get home and face the problem instead of delaying it like a coward. I grabbed my jacket from the back of the sofa beside me and stood. "I gotta go now, Faith."

She put her half-empty glass on the table and stood. "Okay." She reached for her purse and dug around inside. "Here," said Faith, putting a piece of bubblegum onto my palm. "Don't want to get you in trouble. Whoever's at home probably doesn't want to see you drunk."

I looked at the piece of bubblegum in my hand and smiled. It reminded me of those high school days when we sneakily broke in her grandparents' liquor cabinet and got ourselves drunk. I had those days when I wanted to get drunk and blame my father for everything while she blamed her parents for ditching her to live with her grandparents. Back then, she always had bubblegums handy and gave me a piece so I could chew it on my way back.

"Safe trip home, Ty! Call the cab, you may not fully drunk but I don't like the thought of you driving!" shouted Faith as I walked toward the exit.

I laughed and yelled back at her, "You're not the boss of me!"

She rolled her eyes. "You wish!" Typical Faith for always wanted to have the last say. I pressed the call button on the wall and stared at the spot between my shoes as I waited for the elevator to come.

* * *

AUTUMN

"Thanks for the ride home." I adjusted the handle of my bag and looked up to meet his eyes. "Again." This was the second time Phraser has sent me home but the first time he actually sent me to the right building. I was being silly for the first time and made him drop me at the hotel a few buildings from here.

He scratched the side of his head and looked at the ground. "Anytime."

I nodded and turned around but he caught my hand, surprising me altogether. I looked at his hand holding my wrist and then looked at Corbin who was still inside the car. The blonde guy blushed as he was caught staring and slid his eyes to observe the car ceiling. "Phraser." I tried to pull my hand from his grasp but his hold was too strong.

He looked up and there were worries on his face. "Are you gonna be alright?" A hint of British accent slipped into his voice.

I frowned and lowered my brows. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I tried to pull my hand again and this time he let go.

He briefly nodded as he pressed his lips tightly together. "Just making sure." He turned his attention to the crowded sidewalk and moved back to his car. He opened the car door and looked at me over his shoulder one last time before he got inside and drove the black vehicle off into New York's heavy traffic.

I stood on the sidewalk for a couple of minutes, wasting my time as I tried and failed to figure out what was all about.

* * *