NOTE: Hey, to those who have gotten this far! I hope you're enjoying it. I promise you, Chris and Lia will eventually spark a romance--and it'll be worth the slowburn!
I apologize for the last couple of chapters being so late. I've been stuck with schoolwork and family issues. But, the 13th chapter is in progress! And it won't be too long before we have a romance in our hands ;)!
Anyway, enjoy your read!
9:02 AM
Have you ever heard of the saying, "hitting rock bottom?"
That's exactly how Lia felt. Except add extra rocks... and layers and layers of horse shit onto it. Then, let a homeless person piss onto it. Sounds like a fun time, right?
The morning sunlight peered into the window brightly. Too brightly. How bright did the fucking light have to be? Of all days, it had to brighten the whole goddamn civilization of Phoenix.
Her eyes remained closed. There was a slight 10 seconds of comfort she felt--until it crumbled into pieces when everything kicked in, including the horrific feeling she anticipated to be a hangover.
She dug her face into her pillow as far as she could, wishing she could rewind everything. Take everything back. Return to Evan and her dogs and call it even. No more fights. Nothing would go wrong between them ever again if she could've just returned home.
Lia's eyes slowly opened. She squinted, blinking a few times to register everything. Looking out the window, the sky was a perfectly clear blue. How ironic.
She rose up slowly to make sure she didn't pass out. Hearing a man's grunt beside her, she quickly jerked back. She had completely forgotten Chris was there.
He was still sleeping. God, did he look disgusting. Hangovers were not pretty on him. Then again, she couldn't be saying anything. She knew she looked like hot dogshit.
Waiting until the room stopped spinning, she got to her feet, making her way towards the desk where she figured she left her phone. The only things on it were Chris's keys, some kind of butterscotch candies, and folded towels.
Lia sighed. She wasn't in the mood to scramble around the room to look for her phone. Especially with a sleeping elephant in the bed. She scanned around, finally locating it. It hid under the comforter that dangled from the corner of the bed. She grabbed it, instantly checking her notifications, before noticing it was at 8%.
Damn it.
She made her way towards the outlet, stealing Chris's charger and plugging it in. She heard slight grunts while he slept, and to each one she rolled her eyes. She sat against the wall, rubbing her head.
Opening a text from Ranya sent shortly after they left, she had to reread it a few times before responding. Her mind was barely functioning.
"Where'd you go?" The text read.
Apparently Mariah never gave Ranya the message that they had left.
"We were both tired. Staying at a hotel. Call me when you get the chance." She replied, watching the blue message send.
She set her phone down. There were no messages from who she really wanted--Evan. Why hadn't he spammed her phone by texting her, calling her a gazillion times, or even going as far as finding her location and driving to her? Was he really fine on his own at the house? That idiot was probably fucking a bunch of others floozies.
She cackled. Even she knew that wasn't true.
It was all silly. She decided Evan just needed some time to cool off. It had only been a day. Everything would be fine.
Chris grunted again.
At the sound, Lia froze. She had also completely forgotten about what happened between her and Chris the previous night.
Oh God.
Oh God.
As if she couldn't feel more sick, her stomach churned. Her skin tingled with fear as she froze, unable to move. She almost kissed Chris. Chris. Her best friend. Her best friend that was in a long term relationship with her other best friend.
It really was not Lia's best week. Double whammy.
Everything was going to be fine. Everything was going presume regularly. They'll talk about it, and decide how it only happened due to the influence of alcohol. Nothing was romantic there. It was Ranya getting to her head.
You know what? Everything would be fine because they didn't even kiss. Not a single peck. They would be alright. They were best friends.
The tightness in her stomach seemed to fade away, but not all of it. She chewed away at the inside of her cheek, gazing out the window.
Chris stirred. Lia couldn't see him on the bed because she was sat on the floor. Getting up, she held her head. The room sure loved to spin.
"What...is that?" she heard Chris ask, digging his face in the pillow. His voice was low and hoarse.
"Hm?"
She waited for a response. God, he was a moron. He looked like an idiot first thing in the morning.
"The light. Turn it off."
Lia rubbed her eyes, rolling them. She made her way over to the desk and grabbed a folded towel.
"That light you're referring to is our sun," she spoke. "So I can't really do anything about that."
Chris groaned, slowly turning his head towards her.
"Why're you here?" he asked.
"Where would you like me to go?"
He checked the time on his watch, then pinched the bridge of his nose. Sighing, he made his way out of bed, almost stumbling into the wall before catching himself.
"Sleep well?" Chris asked, grabbing his phone.
"Surprisingly. You?"
"Like a baby," he muttered, tapping away at his phone.
There was a pause. Nothing but busy city ambience filled the room.
"I'm gonna take a shower," she told him.
Chris looked up at her, nodding.
She made her way to the bathroom, which really wasn't that bad for an Arizona hotel. She tried to figure out how to turn the strange knobs the right way. As soon as she did, she stepped inside. The hot water and cleanliness made her feel better. And the fact that she hadn't showered in a day and was finally able to.
Wait a second.
She froze. She had forgotten she didn't have another change of clothes. She was so stupid. Stupid, stupid. What was she going to do? She really didn't want to have to change back into her dirty clothes. They had sweat, alcohol, and probably some form of regurgitation on them from the club.
She could just wash them in the sink, and wait for them to dry.
Minutes went by, and she felt as if the shower washed some of her worry away. She stepped out, folding the towel around her wet body. The bathroom was humid and foggy. She wiped around her neck area, soon wiping the steam off the mirror in front of her to see herself clearly.
She groaned. There were faint dark circles around her eyes, which she didn't know was from mascara or lack of sleep. Grabbing her clothes, she turned the sink knobs on. Hand soap probably wasn't the best option, but it was all she had to work with.
As soon as she finished, she wrung the water out of her clothes. She hung them on a rack to dry. She didn't feel as dizzy anymore, but she was starving.
About to leave, she hesitated. She didn't want Chris to see her in a towel. Maybe there was some sort of hairdryer she could use to dry her clothes faster.
No, it didn't matter. He wasn't a total pervert. He was just her friend. Her friend, Chris. Her best friend, Chris.
She turned the knob, making her way out of the bathroom slowly, the colder air immediately hitting her.
The sun was bright, lighting the whole room. She awkwardly made her way to her phone, avoiding eye contact with Chris. She couldn't tell if he was looking at her.
"You said you were hungry?" he asked.
She remained with her back turned.
"Yeah... are you?"
"I could go for a nice breakfast," he told her. "Maybe throw it all up afterwards."
She giggled, unplugging her phone. She was surprised he wasn't being all awkward and weird.
"If we plan on going somewhere," he started. "I think towel blouses are frowned upon in this area. You might have to change first."
Lia turned towards Chris, squinting in annoyance.
"No, I was planning on pitching it to Vogue."
Chris laughed, though holding his head. His hair was all messy, his black shirt dingy, and eyes irritated.
"Washing your clothes?"
Lia nodded, holding her towel tightly.
"How long will it take?" he asked.
She shrugged.
"Couple hours, maybe."
"I could go buy you some extras," he suggested.
Lia rolled her eyes.
"God, I know you're a big-back, but if you're that eager for food then go to the buffet." she snarled. "Besides, you don't have a car to take."
Chris smirked, shaking his head.
"I don't eat from buffets anymore. When we did that low-rating YouTube video, I was on the toilet for hours."
"Smelled like dank-ass fish in there," she joked.
"Yeah."
There was a silence. She couldn't believe he was actually communicating with her, after what had happened hours before.
"You think they have Netflix on here?" he asked, grabbing a television remote on the nightstand.
"Maybe," she said, laying herself on the bed. "I'd be surprised, though. It's an Arizona hotel."
"Let me see."
Chris fondled with the television, flipping through what seemed like endless apps that seemed to get them nowhere he wanted. He cursed a few times, before grabbing the television guide. Lia rolled her eyes, watching him struggle--as per usual. He clicked around a few more times, and finally landed on the Netflix icon.
"There we go," he cheered, though stopping himself when we got too dizzy. "I'll watch it, too. I need to lay down."
Both of them sat on the bed, skimming through on what to watch. Lia suggested Bleach, and at first Chris agreed, before steering towards Demon Slayer. Lia disagreed, asking for the remote. She was turned down; because God knows why Chris had to pick the dumbest selections.
"Attack on Titan?" She offered.
"No."
"Beastars?"
"Hell no."
Lia sighed in annoyance, yanking the remote out of his hands.
"Attack on Titan it is."
Chris scoffed, eyeing her coldly.
"What? No--"
"Shhh," she shushed, selecting her choice. Chris groaned, shifting himself in bed.
"You're lucky you're in a towel."
The words didn't register immediately for Lia, but kicked in moments after. She tensed, turning her gaze towards him. He looked back, but not in the same way--almost as if he didn't notice anything wrong.
"Hm?"
"What'd you say?" she asked him.
"When?"
"A few seconds ago."
Chris looked away in thought.
"I said that you're lucky you have a towel on."
She tensed even more, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.
"What would you do if I didn't?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Bounce you off every corner of this hotel room."
"Oh," was all that Lia replied with. God, she was becoming a creep. Her mind always had to go straight to the gutter.
"What'd you think I meant?" he asked her.
Lia felt a blush coming on. She shook her head, dismissing it.
"I just misheard what you said."
They continued watching television. Lia occasionally checked her phone for any texts from Evan--none. And each time she winced. Why couldn't he just at least text her?
11:14 AM
Lia's stomach began growling. She was starving her ass off.
"Alright," she finally uttered, clicking off the television. "Let's go. Food."
Chris got up too, adjusting his clothes.
"Are they dry?"
"Probably not fully," she said. "But I'm starving my tits off. So if I have to dine in swamp clothes, then I will."
Chris smiled, with the expression as if he were to say "fair enough."
"Are we checking out?"
Lia stopped in thought. She had no idea.
"I won't have a place to stay. Atleast I don't think," she told him.
"I won't either. Can we book another night?"
She almost agreed immediately, however Evan came to her mind. What if he texted her sometime that day, asking for her to come back? What would she have done then?
No. She had to be realistic. Evan was stubborn. He wouldn't text first, that wasn't him. She hesitated, before soon deciding.
"Yes."
Chris nodded, and Lia made her way to the bathroom to change. Her clothes weren't exactly the driest, but her stomach was eating her alive, so it'd have to do. She adjusted her hair, acknowledging the fact she looked like absolute dogshit. Sighing, she met Chris outside in the hall, to which they made their way to the front desk.
11:45 AM
The streets were busy. Hot. Crowded. Muggy. A typical day in Arizona.
Lia regretted drinking, only because they didn't have cars to drive to and from. Hers was left at Mariah's, while Chris left his at the club. She had called Kevin and asked him if he could drive over and just take an Uber back, to which he agreed--but it wouldn't be until later. She was stuck with her best friend that she almost puckered it up with.
She couldn't get that off her mind. She needed to, be she couldn't. She felt too guilty about it. Too ashamed. Icked out. Not because it was Chris--well, not all of it--but because of the whole situation with Evan and Vi.
She couldn't remember what led up to it. All she remembered was she gained some aspect of consciousness as she leaned in, so much that she could feel every feeling in her body. The opposite of numb. Every emotion, every physical sensation, everything. But she forced herself to stop thinking about it. It was done with. All she could think about was how he felt.
"I'm thinking a nice burger," he suggested, as they walked along the street sidewalk.
Lia shook her head, the feeling of her damp clothes on her body giving her some stupid irritation.
"It ain't even Sunday," she told him. "You're already out here wanting burgers at eleven in the morning."
Chris checked his watch.
"It's almost noon. It's a reasonable time."
"Too bad they don't have nasty ass shrimp tacos here," she muttered.
Chris laughed.
"We still haven't gotten our lemon trouffle."
Lia smiled, nodding in agreement. She was in a real good lemon trouffle mood for some reason.
"Sure," she agreed. "I think El Chullo is a good option. You fine with walking a mile or two?"
Chris looked ahead, nodding.
"Sounds good to me."
They dragged their feet along the concrete. Lia had a slight headache, which she couldn't decide was from the constant worry she had felt or her hangover. Or the fact that it was 100° outside and they were trudging a couple miles to get a goddamn decent meal.
"So..." Lia began, and knew where it was heading. The word came out before she even thought it. She stopped herself before she asked.
She would absolutely not ask Chris anything. She didn't want to know what he thought about last night. She didn't want to know his feelings about it. She didn't want to know. She wanted to forget it and move on.
"So?"
"Did you have fun last night?"
Goddamn it! She asked. She was such an idiot. She literally told herself not to ask. It just came out of her. God, she was stupid.
Chris shrugged, as if he wanted to say "eh."
"I don't really remember much," he started. "But I came out alive. So I guess that determines if I had a blast."
Lia laughed nervously, shuffling her feet against the concrete. Music played over the cheap speakers that aligned across the buildings, all the way towards the downtown shops and food spots.
"What about you?" Chris asked. "Did you have fun?"
Lia swallowed what seemed like a golfball, trying to find words to speak.
"Oh, I don't know..." she uttered. "I can't really remember anything either."
Chris nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"We were really drunk," he spoke.
Lia twitched.
"Mhm."
He started to laugh, turning his head towards her.
"I can't believe we just left them there."
Lia forced a laugh, but something clicked. If he remembered how him and her had left, wouldn't he have remembered what happened twenty minutes before? Was he lying? Did he really remember them almost kissing, and wasn't telling her?
She pinched herself. She needed to stop acting crazy. It was over with.
They continued along the sidewalk in silence. The scorching sun caused a layer of sweat to form on her clammy skin. She repeatedly wiped it away, breathing out. Chris was sweating, too. The ends of the hair framing his face were wettened at the tips once again. His skin was glistening from sweat.
The streets were becoming more and more busy. People were gracing the streets with their friends, partners, or families. A group of teenagers rode their bikes along the other sidewalk, cheering and laughing.
It truly was a beautiful day outside. The sky was perfectly clear; and a beautiful columbia-blue color. The energy was radiant--but what Lia felt on the inside seemed like a shitshow storm.
They arrived at the end of the street, waiting for what seemed like 900 fucking years to cross. El Chullo stood right across from them. It didn't seem too busy, which came as a surprise to both of them.
They made their way towards the entrance.
"Ladies first," Lia joked, holding the door open for him.
"Very funny," he sneered, ducking his head as he entered. Lia followed.
The place was nicely chilled. Lia immediately felt relief--and less tense. The interior was beautiful; like classical antique styled, however casual at the same time. It smelled amazing, like the best breadsticks you could ever smell.
A miniscule lady stood at the podium. She greeted the two, her smile gummy and bright.
"Do you have reservations?" she asked enthusiastically.
Chris shook his head.
"We do not."
The lady nodded kindly, grabbing a handful of menus. She instructed the two to follow her. Lia looked around, surprised and how newly renovated the place looked.
They were seated at a two-seated table--obviously. The lady set the menus down as the two sat.
"I'll be with you guys in just a moment," the lady told them, to which they smiled and dismissed.
As soon as she was gone, Lia grabbed a menu. She hoped there were some decent selections for her limited options.
"Have you seen that TikTok of people ordering chicken fingers at 30-years-old?" Chris suddenly asked, laughing as he scanned his menu. "It'll be like a mexican resturaunt, and they're so fuckin' picky that they order a six-dollar chicken finger dish?"
Lia laughed, and that time it wasn't exactly forced.
"No," she said. "But I don't blame them. I be doing the same thing."
Chris smiled. There was a silence, except for the quiet chattering of a couple a few tables away and the music coming from the outdoor seating.
"I think I'm gonna get the Bluefin Tuna," he spoke.
Lia's mouth filled with saliva. It sounded amazing.
"Yum. I'm gonna ask if these samosas have gluten."
Chris gazed at her menu, inspecting the dish.
"Gluten-free..." he read, squinting. "I don't know about you, but I think that's a dead giveaway."
Lia rolled her eyes, setting the menu down.
"That's what it says, right? But last time I ate a so-called 'gluten-free' dish at a resturaunt, they either lied about it or just laced my pasta with osmotic laxatives."
Chris sneered, stacking their menus. The lady returned, holding a notepad and pen.
"Can I get you guys started off with drinks?"
"I'll do a water, please."
Lia shot a smile at the waitress.
"Two, please," she told her. "Thank you."
"Would we be able to order our food now?" Chris asked her, handing the lady their menus.
"Of course! What can I get started for you?"
Chris explained what he wanted and how he wanted it. That dumb ogre. All peppy and giddy like a stupid, happy prat. A stupid prat who feels no wrong. Oh, no. All he wants to do is piroutte along the streets of rainbow-fucking-candy-land while he shimmers pixie dust over maternal orphans--as if it would make everything go away.
"And for you, ma'am?" The lady asked Lia.
She immediately snapped out of it, feeling a slight blush forming. She smiled nervously, pointing to the samosas on the menu.
"This is one hundred percent gluten free, right?"
"Yep!" she exclaimed. "The samosas, the sauce, you name it."
Lia grinned widely.
"Perfect. I'll do that."
The waitress smiled, collected her menu again, and vanished.
It was just her and Chris. Again. Always. Of course it was. She didn't know how to talk to him anymore. Not in an "I don't want anything to do with you" type-way, but in an "I feel terrible for what happened between us and can't seem to form words" type-way.
Chris tapped his fingers on the table, exhaling. Lia cleared her throat, the amount of awkwardness she felt was unbearable.
"Lia," Chris spoke.
Lia darted her eyes toward him immediately. She knew that tone. That tone was serious Chris. Oh, God.
"Hm?" was all she could manage to say.
Chris shifted awkwardly in his seat, scratching his jaw stubble.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
Lia froze. Yes, she was fine. Well, no. No...yes. Yes she was. Well, sort of...
No, she wasn't alright. Nothing had been "all right" for her. Nothing was going to be "all right."
"Yeah," she lied. "Why?"
Chris shrugged.
"Is it because I suggested we drank?" he asked. "Listen, I know I told you I don't drink. And I don't, but--"
"I'm alright," Lia interrupted.
Chris studied her. His eyebrows narrowed. She could tell he wasn't buying it.
"No, you're not."
Lia clenched her jaw, twirling a damp strand from her jean shorts. She couldn't lie to him. She just couldn't. Chris was her best friend. He clearly felt like he was in the wrong for something--and he wasn't. It just drove her crazy that he wasn't affected by their almost-kiss.
She hesitated, adjusting in her seat uncomfortably. Chris leaned in attentively.
"Alright..." she began. "Here's the thing..."
Before she could say anything, the waitresss swiftly arrived at the table with their waters.
"Here's those waters for you," she spoke sweetly, setting them on the table.
Chris and Lia thanked her, and the lady whirled away in a flash. Great. Now Lia had to go back to what she was saying.
"You were saying?" Chris said, leaning towards her.
Lia took a huge sip of her water, spinning the straw around.
"Right...well--uh..."
That fucking whore came back again, as swift as ever. Of course that dim-witted bitch had something else to say. Couldn't she see that Lia was trying to say something important?
"Would you like your tuna pan-seared?" the lady asked him.
Chris looked at Lia, then back at the lady.
"Uh, yes. That's fine," he answered, to which she gave a thumbs-up to.
As soon as the waitress was gone, Lia sighed dramatically. Chris laughed.
"Alright..." he uttered. "You were saying?"
Lia did a 360 in her seat.
"I don't know," she started. "Will I be expecting any new interrogators? Is someone gonna come ask if I want my samosas fried with car oil to substitute the butter?"
Chris chuckled, gesturing for her to continue what she was saying.
Lia sighed.
"Okay...um..." she started.
She avoided eye contact with Chris, but could tell his eyes were on her. She fondled with her cup, trying to think of words to say.
"Do you remember everything that happened last night?"
Chris sat in thought, shrugging.
"Sure," he spoke. "We drifted, headed to Kevin's club, drank a little, booked an Uber, and hit the sack at the hotel."
Lia winced. It was in that moment she realized he didn't remember them almost kissing. Seriously? Of all moments, he didn't remember that? Was it not special to him?
Not that she cared--because she didn't at all. She was far from caring. Her ego was a little deflated, but that was all.
"No..." she proclaimed. "I mean...everything."
Chris stared at her, as if trying to understand.
"Not every single detail of it," he told her. "But most of it, sure."
Lia leaned back in her seat slowly. She swallowed, wiping her nose.
"Do you?" he asked her.
Lia smiled nervously, feeling the sweat coming--and not because it was blistering hot outside.
"...Yeah!" She squeaked.
Chris shot her a confused look. He moved the glasses out of the way, trying to understand her better.
"Lia," he spoke. "What's going on?"
"Can we talk about this later?" Lia asked, beginning to feel anxious.
"But--"
"Later, Chris," she pleaded. "Please."
Chris leaned back in his chair in thought. There was a silence between the two, and it was one of the worst silences ever. Lia tried to focus on the pretty music outside to keep herself from going complete apeshit. Chris tapped his foot, looking towards the kitchen.
"Wanna record a little vlog for YouTube?" he asked her, his tone nervous.
Lia shook her head.
"Not good enough content."
Chris smirked awkwardly, taking a sip of his water. Lia did as well. There was a shared silence. It wasn't necessarily an uncomfortable silence...but just a silence of sinking in.
Lia didn't know what to do. She didn't want to fuel the fire even more. Besides, if Chris didn't remember, who cared? Would she want to make things even more awkward by telling him? What good would that do?
"So," he started, twirling the straw around in his glass. "How do you feel?"
Lia looked up at him.
"About what?"
Chris shifted in his seat.
"I hope you don't mind me asking," he began. "But how do you feel about...Evan?"
Lia tensed at the mentioning of his name.
"What about him?"
"Your whole situation. It seems like you and I are going through the same thing."
"Yeah..." Lia somewhat agreed. "Kind of--"
"How long do you guys usually stay mad at eachother?"
Lia bit her lip.
"That's the thing," she spoke. "We usually make up within a few hours. But it's been, like, two days."
Chris nodded in understanding. There was another silence.
"What about you and Vi?"
Chris sighed, running his fingers through the front of his hair.
"We've never actually broken up. I just find it hard to believe that she'd break up with me over something so stupid." He cleared his throat. "I don't know. We've been together almost a decade. We live together. Everything. Then, she breaks up with me because she can't trust me. All because I drifted."
Lia listened attentively, nodding her head.
"Do you think it's something else?" He asked her.
"What is?"
"The reason why she broke up with me."
Lia shrugged. She really didn't want to make assumptions, especially since Vi was one of her best friends. She didn't know what to say. Her mind was everywhere.
"There could be," she said. "I wouldn't assume, though."
"Is there another guy?" He asked.
"I--I'd hope not. I'm sure she wouldn't--"
"Is she a lesbian or something?"
Lia narrowed her eyebrows at Chris in disbelief.
"After dating you, I wouldn't be surprised."
Chris scoffed, shaking his head.
"I'm sounding crazy," he spoke.
"You are."
The waitress arrived quickly with their food. What was that--five minutes? How did it take only five minutes to prepare their dishes? She felt a little unsafe eating it.
"Bluefin Tuna," the lady said, to which Chris gestured it was his. Lia received hers next. It looked fairly appetizing.
The two thanked her, and she darted away.
"That was quick," Chris spoke.
"I thought the same thing."
They began eating in silence. She didn't know how to carry on with the conversation.
"So..." Chris suddenly asked, after swallowing a bite. "Where did we leave off?"
Lia waited to swallow before talking.
"Something about lesbians."
Chris chuckled, taking another bite of food.
"I guess the point here I'm try to make...I have nowhere else to go. I don't have the preparations to make a flight to Vegas."
Lia nodded, listening carefully.
"You don't have a place to go, either."
Lia stopped chewing, listening even more. She felt her heart ache slightly.
"We can't stay in a hotel forever," he told her.
Lia dug her fork in a samosa.
"Where are you suggesting we go?" she asked. "A ditch down by 48th Way?"
Chris shook his head.
"Not necessarily," he replied. "...We could always--well, nevermind."
"No, no," Lia exclaimed, setting her utensils down. "Finish. We could always what?"
"No..." Chris shrugged it off, avoiding eye contact.
"You started saying something," she spoke. "You have to finish it."
"It's a stupid idea. It won't work."
Lia rolled her eyes.
"Is it stupider than us getting drunk at Kevin's club and--"
She halted herself, covering her mouth. Chris looked up at her, his expression quickly changing.
"...And what?"
"Nothing," Lia squeaked. "That was the end of it."
Chris studied her carefully, his eyes narrowing.
"No..." he breathed out. "There's more to it. What did we do?"
"Nothing!" Lia replied, clinking her utensils against her plate. She chewed aggressively and panicked. She felt Chris's eyes on her. There was no turning back. She started something, too.
"You just got on my ass about not finishing my sentence," he argued. "And--"
"And yet you're still not finishing it," she argued back. "Hypocrite."
"Then I will!" he proclaimed. "Let's call Vi and Evan and ask to sort things out."
Lia froze. Did he really just say that? She was expecting something totally different. He wanted to fix things with Vi?
"...What?" was all that managed to escape.
"Come on, Lia," Chris pleaded. "We can't do the hotel thing forever. A few nights are fine, but--"
"I'm not going back until Evan reaches out first," Lia explained firmly, though she knew that probably wasn't the honest truth.
"But who knows how long that'll be?" He argued. "It could be days. Weeks. Maybe a month or two."
Lia shook her head, unable to form any words.
"That's wrong," she replied, swallowing what seemed like a huge golfball. "That's not true at all."
"Sometimes we have to be the bigger person," Chris said gently.
Lia rolled her eyes, not knowing what to do with her hands, so instead she pretended to look for something. She fought back hot tears, but she couldn't let Chris see that. She cleared her throat, adjusting herself.
"Evan will reach out as soon as he can. I don't know about you and Vi, but a breakup is a breakup." Lia hoped she didn't go too far with her words. Yet, she wanted to continue. "If you so badly don't want to stay in a hotel, we can always just ask to stay with Ranya, Mariah, or, damn--even Kevin. But the last thing I'll do is contact Evan."
Chris stared at her in slight disappointment. She saw it in his brown eyes. Part of her felt bad, but she knew Chris didn't understand exactly what went down between her and Evan. It wasn't just one small argument to move on hours later. Clearly, it was more than that. It always was. Besides, Chris and Vi broke up. Why would he think it's any good of an idea to start something up again, even if he considered it "being the bigger person?"
"So..." he spoke, his tone in defeat, picking at his food. "We're just gonna stay in a hotel forever, huh?"
Lia squinted, trying to understand his idioticness.
"What?" she uttered.
"You know," he began. "Since we don't have a house anymore, I figured we'd be booking the next 50 years of our lives into Mountain Shadows Resort."
Lia rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
"Chris, shut up," she told him, taking a bite of her food.
"This is our future," he spoke.
"I still have a house," she countered.
"Doesn't look like it."
"I have more of a house right now than you do," she snapped, setting her fork down. "You got kicked out. I didn't. There's a difference. You're kicked out and I'm not."
Chris stared at her blankly, his jaw clenched. Lia immediately regretted what she said. She had never been cold like that towards him.
"Sorry," she muttered, guilt tugging her.
Chris sighed.
"No, I'm sorry," he replied. "It's the breakup that's making me this way. I'm talking out of my ass."
"Then where do you usually talk out of?" Lia joked, trying to make light of things.
Chris chuckled.
"Clearly my actions match my words."
The waitress came around, questioning if the food was alright, and if the two needed anything. They declined and thanked her before she scurried away. Chris reached for his phone.
"Kevin's on his way to drop the car off," he informed her, shoving his phone back in his pocket.
Lia nodded, picking at her food.
"Do you wanna do anything after this?" he asked her, his tone softened.
Lia looked up at him.
"...Like what?"
Chris shrugged.
"I don't know. Anything."
"Sure," she accepted. "Can Ranya come?"
Chris nodded.
"I don't see why not."
Lia reached for her phone, and texted Ranya. Her sister was probably extremely hungover and passed out in a ditch or tucked in a dirty mattress that layed around in Kevin's dirty cubicle. Mariah was probably with Kevin in the car.
"I'm not really feeling the lemon trouffle today," Lia told him, hoping he didn't feel bad.
Chris studied her, frowning.
"Why not?"
"I'm full."
Chris breathed out, smirking.
"Next time."
Lia didn't know how to feel. But thinking of Ranya, she knew her sister would go absolutely crazy if she found out her and Chris almost kissed. Lia wouldn't say anything about it. Not to anybody. There was no point--nothing even happened. She didn't even know if she wanted to tell her she and him were drunk.
Minutes went by before the two finished their food. They paid the check, tipped well, and exited, waiting on Kevin. Lia knew things were a little rocky, but she also knew that eventually everything would be just fine. They were fine. Everything was good.
Things wouldn't get worse.