Cookie

11

"What happened, cookie?" Liam says as soon as I answer him. "You were so excited about this earlier, why did you change your mind?"

I can see from his voice he's not angry, but worried, even if he's pacing around wherever he might be now, I can hear his steps on a wooden floor. I am thinking about what I should tell him, how I could justify myself without actually telling him what made me reconsider my earlier decision.

"Did Tiffani do something again? I swear she'll hear me if she..."

"No," I say sighing. 

Why would I lie about this? I mean, if I tell him the truth he will probably be thanking me for it, I am sure he would like neither my dad to talk with him nor his dad. What guy would like that anyway?

"I told my parents about you..."

I start and realize it doesn't sound right so I quickly correct myself before he gets his chance to say anything. 

"I mean, about you teaching me self-defense and I don't know if you know but my dad and your parents work together."

I expect him to be surprised that's why I pause for a second.

"Oh, I knew they were working together, Nat."

"Hmm, thanks for mentioning it."

I say ironically while rolling my eyes, which of course he couldn't know because he doesn't see me.

"Sorry, cookie. So, they don't want you to learn how to defend yourself? Do they even know what you've been through?"

"No, they don't know what happens in college, Liam, and I want it to keep it that way so please, please, don't you ever talk about this with your parents, ok? Promise me, Liam! Promise me you will not talk about it, please! "

"Calm down, cookie, I will not tell anyone. But you could tell them a guy hit on you and he didn't take your 'no' so you thought it's time for you to..."

Somehow it makes me very uncomfortable the idea of a guy hitting on me and hearing him talking about this even more.

"Liam, they are ok with me taking self-defense classes, or whatever, you training me," I say to stop him talking. 

I go to my bathroom to let the water run to fill the bathtub, I even put some lavender bath salt to have a nice scent in the room, and I start undressing. 

"So why the change of hearts, Nat? Come on, talk to me, it's like I have to pull every word out of your mouth, cookie..."

I can almost see him in my mind frowning and realize we talk for 10 minutes and I still didn't tell him what happened. 

"You're right, sorry. It's just that my dad heard your mom saying you are the rebel one and he wanted to talk to your dad so he would talk to you and tell you to behave. "

He starts to laugh making me blush because I know he's laughing at me and my overprotective parents.

"Oh, no, cookie," he says still laughing. "I have a better idea."

I don't say anything as I wait for him to stop laughing and tell me his idea while I step into the bathtub.

"Take your time, Liam."

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of this" he says suddenly stopping his little happy phase. "What are you doing there, cookie? It sounds like you're in a pool or something. If you have a pool, Nataly, I'll move in it."

I start laughing hearing how thrilled he seems about the idea of a pool. So he likes to swimming, ha?

"Just a huge bathtub. Sorry to disappoint."