Authors: Monica Miller
“Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Nicholls,” I assured her. “I’ll be here all day. Matt would hate me at the end of the day, but doesn’t matter.”
“I could never hate you,” Matt whispered and I gave him a smile as his mother checked his temperature again.
“The same as yesterday,” she sighed. “Look, Emma, if this gets any worse you call me, okay? And… Call a doctor too. And… I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Nicholls, I can handle it, okay?”
“You’re sure you don’t have anything to do?”
“Even if I had, do you think I could actually focus on it knowing my best friend is sick?” I asked and she smiled and then looked at Matt.
“You two are just perfect together,” she said and I felt my cheeks burning and Matt couldn’t retain a smile.
“Don’t you and dad have counseling today?”
“Oh, yes, but I thought I could just come home and…”
“No, no! You have to go,” I complained and Matt took my hand. “I can take care of him. You go work things up with Mr. Nicholls, okay?”
“Yes…” she answered and looked at Matt who shrugged his shoulders. “Make sure he takes his medicines in three hours and make him drink this tea while it’s still hot, okay?”
I nodded and she kissed Matt’s forehead and I smiled as she left the room.
“This whole “best friend” thing is actually annoying the crap out of me,” Matt commented after we heard his mother’s step walk away.
“Look, it’s just…”
“I was joking, Emma, god! You have no sense of humor lately! Why don’t we go downstairs and make something to eat?”
“You’re not supposed to leave the bed. Stop fighting against it. That’s the reason you’re like that.”
“Maybe I’m still like this because secretly I want you to be worried and take care of me.”
“Then you’re just an arrogant, selfish jerk,” I casually said and he laughed.
“Why, thank you, Ems,” he said with a smile. “But you don’t need to compliment me all the time, love.”
“So do you want something to eat?” I asked sitting closer to him and running my hand through his messy hair and he nodded. “Okay, I’ll make you something,”
“I wanna go too…” he said and he made that puppy eyes and I sighed.
“Nope. You stay here, Nicholls, okay? I can… work it out, I guess.”
“You know you suck at cooking, baby. I can help,” he said pushing all away all those blankets. “God, I was dying here,” he said as he pulled a grey shirt over his head. “Coming?”
“Matthew…” I started but he took my hand in his and with the other one took his cup of tea. “Fine…”
We went downstairs in silence because I just hated I couldn’t win with him. He never listened to me and now he was so sick and still acting like he was invincible, and he didn’t care about it.
“Stop worrying, baby,” he said as he pressed his lips on my forehead. “I’m fine. I just need something good to eat. Mom treats me like I’m in the hospital,” he said opening the fridge’s door.
He started taking everything out of the fridge including every syrup and sauce he found and placed them on the kitchen counter. It was like he was going to war or something. I didn’t say anything, because if I learned something lately it was that Matt never listened to me.
“God, this is so good!” He said when he took a bit of a sandwich with… caramel syrup or something? “Here, have a taste,” he said pulling the toast in front of me like I was two year old and I laughed and shook my head. “It’s good, Ems, try it!” He insisted and I shook my head one more time. “Oh, you’re driving me insane,” he said as he poured more syrup on his toast. Of course it all started to fall around and he just laughed. “This is so good…” he said as he licked his thumb. “You’re not hungry at all?”
“No, I just wanna see you in bed again.”
“Oh, Emma, always so eager,” he commented and I felt my cheeks burn. “You’re so cute when you’re blushing, by the way. I love that,” he commented as he finished his toast and I sighed, tossing a piece of bacon at him. “Oh, I wouldn’t do that, Miss West. Two can play that game.”
“We’re not playing anything, Matthew, you’re sick! C’mon.”
“You’re so boring! What happened to my funny Emma?”
“Funny Emma is worried about you.”
“Okay, Emma is just adorable,” he said as he leaned into me and kissed me. “I know! Food fight. This is what we have to do!”
“What?” I asked with my eyes wide open. “What are you, three years old?”
“Nope, just bored,” he said as he took the caramel syrup and raised an eyebrow. “Vanilla or caramel, Ems?”
It only took me two seconds to realize Matt was actually serious about this and I jumped out of my seat and he started laughing. Okay, didn’t he have fever and was coughing all the time? Why was he acting so careless?
I didn’t have the time to find the answer when I found myself all covered in… strawberry syrup and he placed his arms around me.
“Told you,” he said with a shrug and leaned to kiss my lips, but I just tossed the vanilla syrup on him and he stared at me and I was surprised I was doing this.
Five minutes later the entire kitchen was covered in all types of syrups, sauces, and other things I really didn’t want to think about. I was hiding behind the kitchen counter and I knew for sure Matt was on the other part of the room.
“Found you!” Matt said and I jumped as he started laughing. “Oh, this is all gone,” he said when he realized his caramel syrup was gone. “And I liked it! This is a sad moment,” he continued taking a step closer to me. “But I bet you really taste good, Ems,” he said as he leaned and kissed me.
The next second I felt something on me and I realized it was jam. Really? Did I fell for that?
“Is it just me or is really hot here?” Matt said as he took two steps away from me and he pulled off his shirt.
“You’re not playing fair.”
“Why? Am I distracting you or anything? Oh, I remember, Miss West that you said you find me hot.”
“Because… You have a fever right now?” I answered and he stared at me in shook.
“Oh, you’re so paying for this,” he said and in the next moment he was in front of me and lifted me on his shoulder and I started laughing and yelling to put me down again. “I can’t hear you! Did you just say I am smocking hot, Ems?”
“No, put me down!”
“What? The most beautiful man you’ve ever seen? So cute, love!”
“You’re awful!”
“Handsome? Yeah, I’ve been called like that.”
“Just put me down!”
“Okay,” he said and next seconds I was standing on my feet again and I felt a little dizzy and I had to place my hand on his shoulder for support and he gave me a sweet smile.
“I kind of think it’s really hot here,” I said as I pulled of my shirt and he started at me. “Yes, two can play this,” I agreed and started running again.
“Matthew!”
We both stopped when we heard voices coming from the hall and we stared at each other.
Let’s take a little review. He was really sick and I shouldn’t have let him go out of bed and now here we were after a food fight in the kitchen and we were both shirtless, but I still had my leopard print bra and we were covered in syrups and everything.
And now Matt’s mom was in the kitchen.
Man, we’re in trouble!
I thought when her eyes landed on us.
Chapter 21
This feels like falling in love
~*~
E
mma
W
est ~*~
I took my time after getting out of the shower and I felt tired. I wondered what would have happened if Matt’s parents didn’t show up. He was shirtless and looking as good as always with ketchup, vanilla syrup and mayonnaise on him and I was only wearing my lace leopard print bra and I had strawberry syrup all over my hair, and ketchup and other few flavors.
I took a shirt out of Matt’s closet and also a belt I thought it could look good on top of it. Matt’s shirt was longer than some of my skirts so it felt like a mini-dress. I unbuttoned two buttons from the top and sat for a few moments on the edge of his bed.
Opening his nightstand, I found my Prom earrings there. I remember I pulled them off while making out with Matt because they were bothering me.
And yes, I do remember every detail of that night too well. Not that I think about it often. Because I don’t. That would be weird, since he’s my best friend and all… And it’s not just that, but we really work as friends. When I do think about it, it feels surreal. It’s been so long since that happened I’m not even sure that’s real. I think it was… product of my pervert imagination when it comes to Matt. I remembered the dream I had before he moved to Los Angeles and I scolded myself for it. It wasn’t my only dream like that, and I shouldn’t have them. He’s like the greatest person in the world, but neither of us are actually boyfriend/ girlfriend material. The longest relationship I had is with Morgan and it lasted for three months, then we broke up, got back together for a month, broke up again…
The thing I hate the most is that no guy I’ve been with made me feel the way Matt does. No one made me feel shivers down my spine, or made my heart beat that fast like it does when Matt looks at me.
Our first time together here, my first time actually, was perfect. But I couldn’t afford myself to have anything with him because I didn’t trust myself with him. It’s messed up. I decided to stop thinking about it and I shoved my earrings into my pockets and headed to the kitchen.
Matt was still there cleaning, as his mother told him and his lips turned into a soft smile when he saw me.
“You know, you look really hot in my shirt,” he commented and smirked and I rolled my eyes. “Ready to give me a hand here?” he asked looking around the kitchen.
I shook my head and he glared at me then I laughed and went for a mop and started cleaning the floor. I couldn’t believe we were so immature! Matt was always a little bit immature, because that’s just how guys are, but I was the mature one and acting like that… Well, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy that. And after all, Matt was still shirtless, covered in syrups. And it was really funny, but he glared at me every time I laughed.
After about two hours the kitchen looked clean, cleaner than it was before we even started the food fight. I sat on the floor and leaned my head on the fridge. I was so tired I could sleep there.
“That was something,” Matt said with a grin as he sat next to me. “We should do that again sometimes.”
“Yeah, you name the time and place,” I answered and he laughed. I let my head on his shoulder and he took my hand in his. “By the way, how are you feeling? We shouldn’t have…”
“Oh, stop it,” he cut me off. “I’m fine. I needed this, do you have any idea how you feel after you lay in bed for a few days? I was so tired all the time!”
“Yeah, but you’re fine now, right?”
“Yes, Emma, stop worrying, okay?” he said and slowly caressed my cheek with his thumb.
After what happened these days between us in New York and here, at Hilary’s party on Valentine’s Day and the way he kissed me in the rain… I can’t say I was expecting any of this, but I am not complaining. I love the feeling of his hand on mine, the way he looks at me and how my heart starts beating when he kisses me. I have no idea what this means for us and I have no idea what will happen when we’ll get back to Los Angeles, but if I learned something so far is that you have to enjoy the moment.
And the moment was here, Matt holding my hand as we stood there on the kitchen floor, both of us tired, and he was still having marks of our rebellion on him.
“I am so tired,” he whispered and I laughed and rolled my eyes. “I’ll go take a shower and I’ll take you home afterwards, okay?” he asked and helped me get up.
“Sure,” I answered with a smile and he nodded as he made his way up the stairs.
I smiled to myself then went to sit on the couch and I started switching channels. I always do that. I can never find something interesting on TV. But switching channels saying “I don’t like this”, “nor this” is more interesting.
“Hey,” Matt whispered and I suddenly opened my eyes and he smiled. “Sorry I woke you, you should stay here tonight.”
I couldn’t believe I’d fallen asleep in five minutes. I knew Matt wasn’t the type who’d just stay in the shower for hours so it must’ve been about 10-15 minutes, 20 tops since he was all dressed up in a pair of jeans, a Beatles t-shirt and a jacket on top.
“Oh, no, my mom would just freak out,” I said and sighed. “You know how she’s like and since she doesn’t really trust this thing, us living together in L.A. is… I don’t know.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said and took my hand.
We walked in silence towards his car and he opened the door for me as he always does and we drove in silence till we reached my house. The only thing I heard was a random song in the radio, but its volume was low.
“It’s so weird having to take you home,” he said when we reached to my house. I nodded.
It felt weird after living for over a year now with Matt having to stay in a different house.
“See you tomorrow though, right?” he asked and I smiled.
“Like I have a choice,” I said with a sarcastic tone and he glared at me. “Sure, Nicholls,” I added and he smiled.
I reached to open the door and he grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him, crashing his lips onto mine. I kissed him back without hesitation and wrapped my hands around his neck. It was weird how relaxed I was kissing him, since he was my best friend and yet he made me feel so many different sensations.
We stood there another five minutes I guess, then I noticed the light was on in the living room so, even though I didn’t want to, I had to.
“Okay, I’ll pick you up at 10. I think it was a good idea to come back home,” he said with a smile.
“Yeah, some of us should be working now, but who cares?”
“Your boss tells you when you have to work, Miss West, so now we can… I don’t know. Have a vacation. It’s on me, don’t worry,” he said touching my cheek with his thumb and I felt shivers all through my spine.
“I have to go,” I told him and he nodded and kissed me again. I could get used to this.
“Me too,” he replied and as I walked out his car I wondered if I said that out loud.
My parents were still awake when I entered the house, they were watching a movie in the living room and the house seemed empty… I wondered how they manage their time now since Rick and I were living in Los Angeles and for the first time in about 20 years they were alone again. That must be hard for them.