Chapter Five
The Truth of the Consequences
The unrelenting sun beat straight down and into his bedroom window quite aggressively and most aggravatingly as it made its ascent across the sky. Adam rubbed his face, turned over and covered his head trying to get out of the heated assault, but it was no use. The sun was up and at it already this morning. MORNING?! Adam shot straight up on his bed, his head pounded as he tried to remember. Did he clean the pool last night? His head hurt. The rose bush, had he planted that? Oh crap, he had forgot he had to mow the lawn too! Oh God, he was in trouble! God? Oh no, he couldn't miss church too! He grabbed his aching head to try and make it stop. What time was it? He took a peek at his iPod docking station. 7:30. Okay he still had a little time. What happened? He raised his knees and leaned forward bracing his elbows on them as he rested his aching head in his hands for a moment.
WHAT HAPPENED?! Adam rubbed his face again, he got nothing. What in the world happened? Think! THINK!!! Why can't I remember anything? He questioned internally. WHAT HAPPENED?!!! His mind screamed, a little too loud for his own comfort too. His head felt like it was splitting down the middle. His vision was blurred and he was having a difficult time keeping both of his eyes open at the same time. Finally he digressed and just opened one. It sufficed and allowed him to swing his legs over the edge of the bed to stand, but that was a little more ambitious than what he was ready for. As he pushed off from the side of the bed, the floor and the swirling motion in his head had other ideas and launched him straight down back down onto the edge of the bed fast.
The floor became a rocking vortex beneath him. Adam put his head down into his hands and tried to make the world slow down for a moment. Wait….his bed? Why was he in his bed? Wait was he in his room? He jerked about trying to look at his surroundings, but his eyes were having a difficult time adjusting to the light let alone focus on anything else in the room, it was all a massive blur and….. Oh God how his head hurt, the light hurt his eyes and his temples throbbed like there was a heavy metal drummer playing a double set inside of his skull! Sucking in a deep breath, Adam rubbed his temples as if that was what it was going to take for him to open more than one eye to battle the light's optical assault. A quick cursory glance around the room allowed relief to wash over him. Yes, he was in his own room.
Adam let out a huge sigh before once again trying to get to his feet. This time he was a little more conditional in his measures though. He closed both eyes and held his arms straight out in front of him for balance and let his thighs maneuver his ascent slowly away from the edge of the mattress. Yeah, that seemed to work a little better than his first attempt. Slowly he peeled open both of his eyelids, but squinted from the harshness of the light that asserted its way through the window. His vision was still extremely foggy and the intensity of the sunlight pouring in caused him to want to close them. Adam sighed in frustration, rubbed his face once more, then tried again fighting it to the utmost this time. It was no better this time either, but he at least won in keeping one eye open as he focused on the floor first before trying to look around further.
His room was even messier than he had left it yesterday. The clothes that he had worn yesterday were scattered all over the place. One of his Converse tennis shoes was hanging on the back of the door, the other off the light over his bed. What in the world happened? Slowly he opened his other eye a little at a time. His gaze fell on the reflection in his dresser mirror staring back at him first, revealing a much disheveled look. His dark hair stood straight up and out in every direction possible. He ran a tentative hand through the tangled mess as to not agitate his pounding head. His hands then dropped to his chest and hard earned abs rubbing them hesitantly as he still tried to focus. It wasn't until his gaze followed his hand down his body in the reflection in the mirror that he realized he was in fact standing in all of his glory and completely naked! In a knee jerk reaction Adam sat back down on his bed grabbed the comforter and tried to cover himself, but a moan coming from the other side of the bed behind him pierced the quiet of the room.
“Mmmmm…..give ‘em back!” The voice was muffled by a pillow. He looked up again into the mirror trying to make sense of what he had just heard. A female's voice was coming just from behind him on the bed. He was sure of it. Adam closed his eyes to the image before him, but for only a moment as curiosity won out. He wanted to know who the voice belonged to. He could make out a form, but not who it belonged to. Did it really matter who it was in bed with him, only that there was a someone in the bed with him and it was definitely a female someone?!
Frantic, Adam reached for his discarded pants and jumped in them as fast as he could so he could make a break for the bathroom and shut the door. Panic set in! What had he done? He leaned against the bathroom sink. He couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror. The gold band with the ruby on it circled his left hand, it had belonged to his grandfather. It is a symbol of the promise you are making with God from this day forward to stay celibate until marriage. He heard his parents recite the words that the youth pastor had asked them to repeat after him. His head pounded. His parents had taken such pride in him knowing that he had made the choice to do it. Adam could see them now as they slipped the ring on his finger while they stood in front of the congregation. His father smiling proudly and his mother shedding tears. He had promised to not have sex until he was married. His head pounded, blood rushed through his ears like a tidal wave! What did he do?!
Leaning heavily upon the sink with both hands, his head hung heavily on his shoulders, he stared at the ring again. Should I take it off? Why can’t I remember what had happened, and who I did it with? He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to admit that he might have had sex out of wedlock. I made a promise! Tears stung his already burning eyes. His family was huge on promise keeping. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror. Although his pants were on now, his feet and chest were still bare, but he might as well have been standing in the middle of the lunchroom at school totally nude. He was so ashamed. He felt such guilt, and what about the girl laying in his bed in the next room? What kind of promise, if any, had she made? Adam! You are more responsible than this! You’re smarter than this! He screamed at himself and lowered his head again. Think, think, think Adam. What happened last night? He pressed himself so hard internally to remember that the blood began rushing again through his ears making him feel as if he were going to be sick. Suddenly, his fear became a reality, and he was glad that he was already in the bathroom otherwise he might not have made it.
He couldn't be sure how long after getting sick that he stood there trying to force himself to remember, but it worked…. well, somewhat. Slowly bits and pieces began to resurface and give him images that he tried with all of his might to decipher. He had come home to a house full of Edensville High students...... tried to find Lucian......found Lucian.......talked with Lucian in his dad’s office and.....and.....and......
“Ahhhhh!” He yelled in frustration, but froze when he heard the occupant of his bed stir. When she didn't make a move to get up he felt relief wash over him and tried once more to push past the block in his memory, but…..nothing. The rest was a complete and utter blur. Now he had a girl in his bed, a naked girl, his mind tossed in, if my own attire is anything to go on. What were his parents going to do when they found out? His mom, oh no, his mom was going to cry. She was so tenderhearted like that. She grieved so easily. His dad on the other hand, oh dear God in heaven how his dad was going to kill him! He had to find Lucian, get this mess straightened out and get the girl in his bed gone!
Adam splashed his face with cold water in hopes of getting the rest of the fog out of his head, then rinsed the vomit taste from his mouth with mouthwash before opening the door between the two rooms. First things first, he needed to find out who was in his bed. He took in a deep breath as the door opened revealing the lump under the comforter, the boldness that he had mustered faltered. He needed her to wake up and get out of there before anyon
e else found out. That was the plan, but now seeing her laying there, the plan was falling apart. Did he really need to wake her? I mean he could just let her sleep and when she woke up exchange pleasantries before she left, right? Or did he need to offer her breakfast first? Man, he was in unfamiliar territory here and what was the protocol on this kind of thing anyway?
Finally, with as much boldness as he could possibly muster, Adam headed over to the bed to see if he could catch a glimpse of who it was under his comforter so maybe to call her by name. She laid face down, her bare right arm slung over onto his side of the bed. What was he saying? His side of the bed? There were no sides, the whole bed was his! She lay with her face away from him. He eased closer. She was blonde by the looks of the back of her head that was now out from under the comforter, and she was nude down to her waist where, thankfully, the blanket covered her from hips on.
“Hello…” he whispered, but she didn’t move. He inched closer. “Hello…” he whispered a little louder, but still no response. He put one knee on the mattress to lean over her. If he could see her face then perhaps he could just stand at the door and call her by name saving them both a great deal of embarrassment with her waking totally nude and him dressed now, well partially anyway. The weight of him on the mattress caused her to shift. He froze and waited for her to settle back down. Her hair completely covered her face.
“Hello?” He whispered again. Her shoulders and back were lean and lightly tanned. Adam leaned in a little closer and lifted the hair off of her cheek. Suddenly, all the blood in his body went cold, and he forgot to breath. The occupant of his bed was none other than Eve! Eve St. Clair lay totally nude in his bed! Adam jumped back so hard that he fell into the dresser rattling everything, from the mirror and cologne bottles, to his Star Wars action heroes.
Eve stirred on the bed and moaned. “Mmmmmm shhhhh be quiet.......I don’t want to get up yet!” Grumbling rather harshly and kicking at the bed and its blanket. Adam jumped away from the dresser like he had backed into a fire and got burned. He froze where he stood and waited until she settled back down. Then, and only then, did he slide his feet sideways to the door and his escape. The wooden surface was cool against his bare back, affording him the escape he needed from the room and the situation for the moment. Adam opened the door and slipped through it as quickly and silently as possible. His exit now complete he stood on the other side of the closed portal and leaned against the it trying to regain his breathing with his eyes squeezed shut. He worked on controlling his breathing, but no amount of breathing exercises he did would help the fact that his life was forever changed. His innocence, and possibly that of Eve's was….. gone.
Adam heard a cough that it brought him out of his deliberation. The hallway was littered with cups, bottles and teenagers, drunkenly passed out teenagers. He was never going to get out of this one alive. His dad was sure to slaughter him when he found out. He let his head fall back against the door twice, hard. It must have sounded like someone knocking. He heard Eve stir inside.
“Yeah?” She called out, throwing him into a total panic. Adam did what he had to. He followed his already moving feet down the hallway and ran.
Lucian. He thought. He had to find Lucian. He would help straighten this all out. Adam had it all figured out. If he took responsibility for letting Lucian, Miriam and Eve in, and if Lucian would just tell his mom and dad that he had opened the house up to the other kids then maybe that just might keep his dad from annihilating him entirely! Yeah, he needed to find Lucian right now!
By the time he had made his way downstairs to find Lucian, Adam had witnessed many of his classmates lying around his parent's home on all kinds of different surfaces. Didn’t anyone go home? Noah Arkley was on his mom’s marble kitchen counter top clutching a near empty bottle of Jack Daniels close to his chest and drooling.
“Noah.” Adam touched his shoulder and shook him slightly. No response. “Noah!” He shook him harder this time and nearly shouted in his face.
“Dude! Don’t yell, I’m right here!” Noah called out, but had yet to even open his eyes. Adam had no time for this kind of thing. He sighed heavily and took in a deep breath to calm himself.
“Noah?” He grabbed the front of Noah’s shirt speaking rather condescendingly and broken, but with an edge. “Have…you…seen…Lucian?”
Noah shook his head. “Nah man, I’ve been too busy checking out the backs of my eyelids.” Noah smirked. “I got some really good news though!”
“Yeah and what’s that?” Adam questioned curtly.
“There are no leaks!” Noah broke out into a huge drunken grin, still not opening his eyes to look at Adam. Adam let go of Noah's shirt and shoved him back down to the counter top before calling out openly to the house.
“Has anyone seen Lucian Black?” No one answered, but his question was loud enough that it stirred several inhabitants of the house and pool area. Like mice, they began waking and scurrying about. Ham, Shem and Japheth lay on the floor near the hearth still pretty messed up.
Adam called out to Japheth. “Dude, you seen Lucian?”
He shook his head. “Nah man.” He stretched and yawned. “What time is it?”
Adam was agitated. “I don’t know. Your brother is the one curled up to my mother's coo-coo clock. Ask him! I gotta find Lucian!” Adam spat out in disgust.
The other two football players stirred from their makeshift beds on the floor near Japheth. “What’s going on?” Shem rubbed his face. Ham shrugged and rubbed his head before stretching with his own wide yawn.
“He's looking for Lucian.” The other two guys shrugged.
Ham smiled at Japheth and pointed at Shem. “Dude, look he caught the coo-coo!”
Shem was holding the German clock’s coo-coo bird in his hand. “Hey! What do ya' know?!” He held up the little bird like it was a prize to be won. Those around him began to clamp like he had won the grand prize in a carnival game. Shem grinned from ear to ear in pure delight.
In utter disgust, Adam left the three and their entourage to go out to the pool area. Lucian had to be around here somewhere. It looked like no one else had left last night, why would he have? The student body from Edensville High littered the pool area. Their red solo cups dotting the back yard like paint spatter. He refused to say passed out because that would mean he was admitting to the fact that there had been drinking going on in those red solo cups, and he wasn't prepared to face that yet. Adam found Abraham and Sarah side by side asleep on a couple of loungers holding hands.
“Hey, you guys seen Lucian?” Abraham had stirred when he heard Adam shouting from the kitchen. He was looking around and re-familiarizing himself with his surroundings.
“Not since last night. Why what’s wrong, man?” He rubbed his face as if trying to erase the slumber from his countenance with a swipe of his hand.
Sarah shifted on her chaise. “What’s going on?” She queried.
He squeezed her hand. “Adam's looking for Lucian.”
She squeezed his back and winked. “Morning.” She then turned to look up at Adam and smiled again. “Uh…he was headed into the garage the last time I saw him, but that was like 2:00 this morning. Boy, we had a great time last night. It was so good to see everyone and get a ride in that big ol’ truck Adam! Great Party!”
Adam heart skipped a beat. He was sure of it because up until this moment the blood in his body had been pumped from his heart throughout his body, but it had to have stuttered because now every drop within him was pooled collectively in his feet. He hadn’t even thought about his dad’s truck. Suddenly, Adam's feet took off in the direction of the garage. His mind raced faster than his feet moved. He shoved through the wooden gate that led from the poolside to the driveway. He let the door slam with a loud bang. Good. He thought. Maybe by the time I get back everyone will be awake and get out! Adam was running so fast that he nearly ran into the garage door, but stopped himself short and took in a deep breath before putting his hand
on the knob. He didn’t want to fight Lucian. He had heard some pretty bad things about the guy, but if he had to he would do what it took. Adam turned the doorknob and pushed hard against the heavy wooden door, however, with his adrenaline still flowing he pushed with a little too much aggression. The door hit the wall behind it and bounced back in Adam’s face just as he was stepping into the garage hitting his nose, hard. Blood seemed to spatter everywhere. Instinctively he reached for a rag off of his dad’s work bench and used it to pinch the bridge of his nose to help stop the bleeding. Tilting his head back he waited a moment for it to clot and slow down.
It was a couple of minutes or so before he could lower his gaze and look around the garage, and as soon as he did he wished he hadn't. To his complete and utter horror Adam found that it was empty except for his own red scooter. His dad’s prized, personalized, F450 Series Heavy Duty, candy apple red Ford truck was gone, vanished, nowhere in sight! Adam was on the verge of giving over to a complete panic attack and going postal on the whole bunch when from the front of the house he heard a couple of car doors slam and then his mother's voice gasping in disbelief. The attack would have to wait.
“Oh my word..Edom?....Oh, oh dear, Lord, what in the world is going on?” Martha Grace gasped.
Adam couldn’t make out just what his father had said, but he was sure that his grumble resembled something like, I'll kill him. Adam was positive of that. He felt faint. There was no holding back the panic now. Bile rose to the back of his throat mixing with the blood from his busted nose threatening to spew all over the garage floor. Not wanting to make yet another mess to clean up, he swallowed hard and made a run for the house. He slammed the garage door behind him as he made his way like a frightened rabbit to the laundry room. Adam shut the door solidly and securely behind him, and then in an attempt to completely shut out the world, he closed his eyes real tight, standing in the dark in total silence he clasped his hands together and pleaded. God, please....I don't know how to get out of this. Help! His clamped hands came in contact with his bare chest. That's when it hit him that when his parents found him, and they would find him, he was going to be half naked except for his jeans. He couldn't let them find him like this because when they found Eve it would be obvious that he and Eve had….well he didn’t know what he and Eve had done, but his parents would know!
Adam was in full blown panic mode now and started going through the dirty clothes basket frantically trying to find something to put on and cover himself with it. He was too afraid to turn the light on to search the basket because they'd find him quicker. Again he heard his mother’s voice as it was coming from inside the house now. Adam grabbed something and just slid it over his head. Satisfied that he was covered, at least for now, he leaned against the door and strained his ears to hear the voices of his parents as they came closer.
Step by step their voices came closer. This must be how a victim in a horror movie felt waiting on the mass murderer to find them!! Closer.....closer....and still…...CLOSER! Adam's anxiety level was through the roof at this point, yet they still had a ways to go before reaching the kitchen. They were in the foyer now. He could hear his family responding to those just waking up from the night's events in the living room. He could tell where they were in relation to the sound of their voices echoing down the hall. No matter what they saw they kept making their way toward the back of the house and closer to his hiding spot. It wouldn't take them long to find him now they were so close. From his closeted spot, Adam could even hear his fellow party goers in the kitchen greeting the Graces with Good morning Mr. Grace, Hi Mrs. Grace or a Joshua, you're home! Joshua chimed in from time to time with a Hey man. Was he actually greeting people in the chaos that was consuming Adam right now?
They were now in the kitchen, Adam’s mind raced on the verge of panic. “Run! Just run man! Take off out of the laundry room and run! They can't catch you! You can go straight through the back door and out the back gate, down the street and only stop once you have nothing left to carry you, but stubs! Do a Forrest Gump man! Run man, just run! You need to get out of here! Run!” His mind was screaming so loud that he barely heard the voice of his mother just on the other side of the door in the kitchen. Adam stifled his thoughts by placing his fist up to his mouth and biting it, as if that would help his mind to stop.
“Young man?” His mother's voice sounded troubled. “Noah? Young man?” She cleared her throat gently.
Adam's dad's voice was come out a little harsher than his wife’s had. “Noah Arkley….. Boy, you need to get off that counter right now.”
Edom Grace's voice sobered Noah up quicker than any pot of coffee could have done. Yes, sir came out of his mouth just as his feet came in contact with the tile floor, he tried to scurry out of the kitchen with the bottle tucked under his arm, but Mr. Grace stopped him.
“And leave the bottle, son. I don't believe you'll have any use of it now that it's near empty.” His father's voice sounded steady, even and nonthreatening. Well to those guys maybe, but to his own son, who in his father's eyes held the party, it was going to be a wrath that the gates of Hades couldn't hold!
“You guys seen my brother?” Joshua asked of those lying around the living room.
No, Nah, Nope came from those that had been asleep in there.
Suddenly Ham, Japheth and Shem’s brother blurted out. “I saw him run in there.” Adam wanted to pound him, but knew that was futile because the guy was like a boulder!
“Adam?” His dad’s voice came close to the other side of the laundry room door. “Adam.” It wasn't a question this time. He was stating that he knew that Adam was indeed in the laundry room and hiding. Adam wanted to scream as he saw the faintest turn of the door knob in the dim light, and then before he knew it, the door was pulled open putting him face to face with not only his dad, but his mom and older brother.
“Hi?” Adam waved slightly, his father grimaced, his mother frowned and Joshua stood with what looked like pity in his eyes.
“Adam, what are you doing in there?” His father went into a full interrogation mode.
“I…I…uh….I was afraid.” Adam’s gaze dropped to the floor near their feet. He couldn’t look them in the eye, and there they stood for quite a few moments.
He hadn't noticed when his mother had peeked from around his father’s left shoulder, but she stood with a quizzical look on her face as she perused him from top to bottom. “Honey, what are you wearing?”
Adam's head jerked up to look at her. He could see his brother just behind her trying to stifle a grin as he looked away in complete humor now. Adam took one look down at himself and closed his eyes in humiliation. When Adam had searched for something to put on in his panic he grabbed one of his mother’s blouses, and the thing hit him at his midriff and was buttoned up wrong. Martha Grace asked again, but this time more poignantly.
“Adam Michael…. are you wearing my blouse?” He looked down and saw his midriff exposed. The shame and embarrassment could not be described. It was Joshua that came to his rescue by changing the subject.
“Ummm......Mom, Dad don’t you think we need to get all these guys up and headed home?”
Edom Grace shook the fog and disbelief out of his head. “Uh, yeah, Joshua, you’re right. Martha........”
“Yes?” She tore her eyes from Adam.
“Get some coffee started…… and you probably need to make it pretty stout by the looks of young Noah over there.” Noah stood rubbing his eyes as he leaned against the wall of the Grace's kitchen. “And you mind as well go ahead and start sum breakfast too. I’m sure these kids have got to be hungry after the night they've had.” Martha Grace jumped into action as Edom Grace took returned his gaze to Adam and frowned.
“I ….um....I......” Adam hung his head. He just couldn't meet his father's eyes. “Dad, I…...” Adam began, but the words couldn't get past the lump that had formed in his throat.
“Yeah.” His father's voice was heavy. It held something in
it that Adam couldn't quite make out. He wouldn't swear to it, but he might describe it as hurt? Surely not, he must just be so furious that he can’t speak. Edom Grace looked at his son for a moment longer and then spoke. “I'm gonna go and make sure that everyone is awake and get them started on the clean up.” With that, his dad took one last look and left the kitchen. Adam came out of the laundry room with his head hung low. Joshua standing nearby put his arm around his younger brother in comfort.
“Thank you.” Adam couldn't look his brother in the eyes either.
“Hey no problem bro, we all make mistakes. Let’s get this place cleaned up and we'll deal with it all later, okay? But for now, I suggest that you go and put on something a little less formal for the affair." Adam gave him a playful punch in the arm, Joshua fiend hurt and that’s when the sobering thought hit him of who was still in his room.
“Oh my word…..” Adam's face was sheer terror as he gasped.
“What? What’s wrong?” Joshua probed worriedly.
“Nothing, I’ve got it…. I’ll be right back and whatever you do, please don’t let mom or dad upstairs!” With that, he took the backstairs two at a time to the second floor where he stopped at the door to his room and knocked lightly before just opening it. He waited for her to answer, but when she didn't he pushed the portal open slightly and found her inside scrambling on the floor for something. She had already found her bikini and sarong and was dressed in it, little as it was. However, she still clutched the comforter from his bed to her chest and was dragging it around the floor with her.
Eve heard the door and turned a nervous glance in his direction. “Oh, uh....hi Adam …um…have you seen…my…uh….” She was trying to act normal, but her voice quivered and broke.
“Shoes?” He pointed toward the closet where her shoes look like they had been tossed.
She got to her feet and went to retrieve them. “I’m afraid I don’t know where any of my other clothes are that I came here in.” Her voice was frail and nervous.
“Maybe they're still out in the pool house,” he offered. She nodded in agreement as her gaze darted around the room and fell on the bed where she had just gotten up from totally nude. That's when what was left of the calm, cool, collected Eve St. Clair lost it. Her body crumbled on the floor in a massive heap of comforter, shoes and brokenness sobbing.
“Oh, no no no no no......wait wait wait wait wait don’t cry.” Adam dropped to her side and wrapped his arms around her before he even knew what he was doing. She allowed him to enfold her into his arms and clung to him in her despair.
“Adam…..” She sniffed between sobs. “Did we…. I mean….I don’t know how I….”
He shook his head. “I don’t know Eve, when I woke up I had a hard time remembering anything about last night,” he admitted. He hadn’t forgotten his still pounding head, but it had been pushed to the back burner for now.
“Did you…I mean......then you…were in bed with…..” Her words drifted off.
He nodded his head. “Yeah.....but don't worry I didn’t see anything this morning. You were covered when I woke up.” She moved out of his embrace and wiped at her eyes.
“Here.” He grabbed a clean folded t-shirt and gave it to her to wipe her nose with. He just sat there waiting, not knowing what to say. Eve finally broke the silence. “Well...I...uh... I guess, I should get home…..” She went to stand up and reach for her shoes again, but lost what fragile composure she had gathered, if any, and just sat right back down next to her discarded footwear in total defeat shaking her head and crying.
“Hey….shhhh….." He reached out and stroked her blonde hair. It was just as soft as he always knew it would be, even in its tangled mess. She was sobbing and it broke his heart.
"Shhh….it's going to be alright……" He paused verbally, but kept stroking her hair as he waited for her get the sobs out before he spoke again. When her cries had finally slowed down he found the most gentle voice he could muster and spoke.
"Tell ya' what….I have an idea that might help…." When she didn't ask what, he ventured farther. Why don't you borrow some sweats to wear home? When we find your other clothes I can bring them to you or meet you some place with them,” he offered.
She nodded her weary head. “Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea. You don't mind?”
Adam jumped up and grabbed his favorite Edensville High black sweatshirt and sweatpants and handed them to her. Their hands touched, static electricity sparked between them causing them both to jump. “Ooops, sorry….guess that’s just my electric personality trying to impress you.” She giggled and he smiled. “Hey, um......I got another idea…..why don’t you head into the bathroom and take a nice hot shower. You can use whatever you need....it always helps me to let the worries of the day wash down the drain.” He paused and waited on her response. When she didn’t move or say anything he added, “Hey, are you hungry? My mom is making breakfast for everyone downstairs.”
She lowered her head. “Oh god…your mom is home?!” Her tears doubled. He wanted to drop to his knees and embrace her again, but thought he had pushed it enough already so he opted for sitting down across from her cross legged and letting her cry. She cried for a good ten minutes or so before lifting her head wiping her nose and stealing a glance back up at him. “Adam?” She questioned in a slight voice.
“Yeah?” He answered with his whole heart. If she had asked him for the world at this moment he would have given it to her.
She hesitated and then gave a little giggle. “Um….What are you wearing?” She pointed at his chest.
Clueless and totally focused on her, it took a moment for him to realize what she was asking him. “Oh this old thing?” He waved his hand at her. “Girl please, didn’t you know I like to feel pretty too?” He didn't know where that had come from! He just said it to make her laugh he guessed, which worked.
“You're funny. I never knew that about you.” She gave him a sideways look and grinned.
He grinned back. “Well there's a lot we never knew about one another.....” Their eyes met.
“…..'til now.....” she added before looking away.
“Eve, I don’t know what happened last night and I am so sorry for that. I should have been more responsible. I know that's not an excuse, but just know that I would never want to bring you any kind of pain or embarrassment....ever.”
She nodded her head up and down several times in agreement before speaking. “I know that Adam. You are such a great guy, please don't beat yourself up, I should have been more responsible too. I just wish I could remember something......anything...... that happened last night.”
Adam shook his head. “Yeah, me too.” A knock on the door startled them both.
Joshua spoke from the other side of the door. “Hey bro?” Eve turned her head away.
Adam's eyes darted from her to the door and back. “Uh, yeah, can you give me a minute bro?” Adam asked.
“Sure man, mom's just asking how many people are up here so she knows how much food to make.” Adam frowned and rubbed his forehead before answering. “Well, I...uh....” He watched Eve to see if it was okay that he say she was with him, she nodded without making eye contact. “I...I...uh...I guess if there's no one in the hallway or in any of the other rooms it would just be the two of us then.”
He heard Joshua shift on the other side of the door before asking a hesitant question. “Uh, bro, would that be just you and I or do you have someone in there with you?” Joshua wanted clarity. Eve finally met Adam's questioning look, but the look in her eyes negated what her slight smile and nod were trying to say.
“Uh, that'd be two in here bro.” He didn't explain any further. He didn't need to. Adam waited until his brother had moved on from the other side of his bedroom door and heard him opening and closing other doors down the hall checking for more overnight visitors before he got to his feet. He held his hands out in invitation for Eve to take them. Timidly she placed both of her shaking ha
nds in his and allowed him to pull her up alongside of him. He didn't make a move to touch her. They just stood there for a moment with their heads bowed low over their joined hands. He wanted to take her into his arms again, but thought that would be too much for either of them at this point. He was just as vulnerable as she was, but he was trying to be strong for them both.
Adam broke the silence. “Tell ya' what, why don't you go on and take a shower, collect your thoughts, freshen up, do whatever you need to do, and I'll meet you downstairs when you are ready. There are fresh towels in the closet and anything else you might need already in there. Well except for makeup….I don’t let just anyone use mine.” Her head jerked up, he was teasing her again. She smiled genuinely this time. “Seriously, just go and take as much time as you need. I'll meet you downstairs when you're done. Okay?” She nodded looking up into his eyes then lowering her gaze to look down at their joined hands. Adam was hesitant to release her hands. No matter what had or hadn't happened, he was standing here with the love of his life and holding her hands. It was really nice to be able to hold them like this.
Suddenly, without even thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead for a brief moment then returned to his full height, which stood a good six inches above her. He didn't know where that had come from either. Instinct maybe, love perhaps, but all he knew was that he wanted to make things right and for her not to hurt anymore. To his relief, she didn't run or release his hands, but slowly raised her gaze back up to meet his and smiled again. They stood just like this for a long moment. It felt good, it felt right for him, however, insecurity burst through his psyche because he couldn't tell what was going on behind those crystal blue eyes of hers.
Adam’s flight mode from earlier was still in gear. The longer she went without saying something the more he thought about running away from this situation too. What if she rejected him? Was she going to scream at him? Shove him and tell him never to kiss her again? Worse yet, was she going to say that while she liked him a lot, and he was a great guy, she just didn't look at him in that way even after whatever happened last night? That would definitely be the worst that she could say. He was sure of it. For a guy to be put in the friend zone was utter death to the hopes and dreams of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. His mind was running so fast that he couldn't stand the silence any longer, and whether it was an attempt at keeping her from putting him totally and forever in the forbidden friend zone, he broke the silence.
“It’s going to be okay Eve, I promise. I won't say anything about this, to anyone. Scouts honor.” He held up his fingers giving the Boy Scout salute.
Her solemn gaze broke into a smile again. “You were a Boy Scout? I didn't know that.”
He returned her light smile and shrugged. “Like I said, I guess there are a lot of things that we don't know about each other.” She nodded again and returned her gaze back down to their hands still joined.
“Yeah, I was thinking about that....." Her thumb stroked the back of his hand.
Adam froze, here it goes, the death sentence to the forbidden wasteland of the friend zone.
"....maybe we should do something to remedy that.” Innocently Eve looked up into his dark eyes, and then gave his hands a slight squeeze.
The pent up air rushed out of Adam's aching lungs. He smiled. “Yeah?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I think I'd like that.”
His grin intensified. “Yeah?"
She nodded and his grin deepened and showed his perfect smile. "Me too.”
Eve released her soft hold on his hands and picked up the sweats that he let her borrow heading into the bathroom. Adam turned to open the door to his bedroom and give her some alone time to get ready.
Her voice called out from the bathroom doorway and stopped him. “Adam?”
He turned. “Yeah?”
Eve took in an unsteady breath. “I know what people think of me at school because I'm a big flirt, and I have a bit of a reputation as a party girl with a lot of friends and popularity, but I.....I just want you to know, all of that is just an….act......I've never.... I mean, I …....”
Adam took a small step towards her. “Eve it's okay, you don't have to explain yourself to me.”
She looked down at the sweats in her hands and shook her head. “Oh I know, but I just didn't want you to think that I do this kind of thing all the time......” Her words faded.
“Oh gosh no! I would never think that of you,” he assured.
She choked back a sob and turned back toward the door. He stood there watching her as she fidgeted with her fingernails and the doorjamb for a moment. “Thank you.....” She shrugged her shoulders a little.
“...for?” He questioned.
She shrugged. “.....for saying that.....I just know how people talk, and well, it's important to me that you know that I'm a.....was.... a virgin before....well um..... you know.” Her smiled faded and she wasn't meeting his gaze anymore. His heart went out to her. He wanted to run to her and hold her. She looked so dejected. She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door between them.
Adam’s head hung heavily on his shoulders as he opened his bedroom door and ran straight into Joshua coming out of their parent's bedroom. “Whoa! Hey.....” Joshua called out.
“Hey…..” Adam responded less than enthusiastically.
Joshua righted himself and stood there looking at his younger brother. “You okay, bro?”
Adam shook his head and looked up into his brother’s eyes for help. “I don't know. I mean how can I undo something that I never meant to do in the first place and don't know if I really did it to begin with?”
Joshua placed his hand on Adam's shoulder. “You can't.”
The weight of Adam's head felt like a 20 pound bowling ball as it hung on his shoulders in defeat. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.”
“But hey...” Joshua interjected, “On another note......and not trying to change the subject mind you, because as you know I am no fashionista, don't even claim to know a lot about the fashion world, but I believe you should really think about changing your shirt before heading back downstairs.” Joshua motioned toward Adam still wearing their mom's blouse. Adam laughed out loud. What a mess this day was. He took a minute and stepped back into his room grabbing his favorite college t-shirt before stealing a glance toward the bathroom door where he heard the water turn on.