His Safety Net

Chapter 18

       "Don't say that! I-I'm going to hang up on you."

       "You're still so fucking cute. Alright, I'll hang up now so I don't make you even more flustered. But I might text you certain things while I'm at bowling."

       "Please don't. I'll block you."

       "Nah, you like me too much."

       "That's debatable. So... I guess I'll see you later. O-or talk to you later if you don't stop buy. Either way... Yeah..."

       "Yeah, I'll see you later."

       After we hung up, I left my bedroom and walked downstairs, heading to the kitchen to help my mom cook dinner. It was something I used to do all the time, even when I was very young. But I ended up stopping after everything happened because I never felt like I had to energy to do so.

       At least now, it helped keep me distracted. Not too much, though. I couldn't chop any vegetables or anything because it meant holding a knife and that wasn't the best thing for me to do right now.

       As Mom and I were still working on dinner, my grandparents showed up. Tulip was the first one to greet them, running over and giving both of them a hug. "Hi!"

       "There's my fellow fangirl," Grandpa said. "Tell me, any new ships?"

       Tulip sighed. "No. Still the same ones."

       Grandpa was always obsessing over 'ships', fictional or real. He had been ever since he was a teenager and he didn't let go of it. He was so excited when he found out that Ryder got a girlfriend and Orchid got a boyfriend.

       I wondered if he would have the same reaction when he found out I had a boyfriend...

       When Grandpa saw me in the kitchen, he walked over and gave me a hug. "How's my favourite grandson."

       "Uh, I heard that," Ryder said as he walked down the stairs.

       "Not everything is about you, Ryder," Grandpa said.

       Grandma walked over to the kitchen as well. "I heard that the mayor asked you to paint a mural in the city hall. That's amazing, Nolan. I can't wait to see it."

       I smiled slightly. "Thanks."

       Dinner was soon ready and once it was, we were all sitting at the dining table to eat. Grandpa immediately starting asking Ryder about Mae, and Orchid about Atticus. I loved him but he could be a bit too overwhelming with all of his shipping.

       I just really hoped he didn't ask me if I had a girlfriend yet. 

       As the conversations were droning on, that I wasn't really paying attention to, my cell phone buzzed with a message. I really shouldn't read it while I was eating dinner, but I was curious since I didn't get text messages often.

       I really should have remembered that Jerome said he might text me certain things while he was bowling.

       And I really shouldn't have been reading the message as I was drinking some water because the next thing I knew, I started choking on the water.

       "Are you okay?" Orchid asked me. 

       I couldn't answer right away. I had to wait until I was done coughing. When I could finally breath again, I said, "Y-yeah. I'm fine," as I texted Jerome STOP FLUSTERING ME before putting my phone back into my pocket.