chapterthirty

�Hi Natalie,� Elle finally managed to choke out between laughs. �We�re gonna go�swim! Yeah! That�s what we�re gonna do�me and Maddie are gonna go swim�See ya!�

Elle grabbed Madison�s arm and they walked together through the glass doors to the pool area. Elle was still laughing like a hyena.

*******************

�And the flight�s at 2, which means we�re at the airport at 12, so be up and ready to go at eleven,� Walker told his son.

�Got it,� Taylor said.

�Pack tonight, Tay, because we all know how you like to oversleep,� Walker warned.

�I should be OK tomorrow. I�m not going out tonight, so I�ll be asleep early.�

�That�s never stopped you from sleeping till the middle of the day before,� Walker laughed. He suddenly looked like he remembered something. �Hey Taylor, how�s Natalie?�

�She�s fine,� Taylor said. �I miss her, of course.�

�Natalie�s a good girl�I like her,� Walker said.

�I like her too,� Taylor said.

�I�m going to sleep,� Walker said as he turned to leave. �Goodnight Taylor.�

�Nite dad,� Taylor said. He shut and locked the door then grabbed his cell phone. He dialed Natalie�s phone number and sat on his bed. She hadn�t picked up his last call and he was wondering why she never called him back. After five more rings, Taylor hung up on her voicemail, disappointed.

*********************

I lay on my stomach on the middle of Madison�s bed and tried to concentrate on �The Fast and the Furious.� My friends would have none of that, though.

�Natalie, spill it NOW!� Elle cried, looking frustrated.

�Spill what? I have no idea what you�re talking about,� I answered, staring right past her to the TV.

�Spill how you ended up with Brady Gardener on top of you!� Madison demanded.

�Oh, that,� I said simply.

�Yes that! Jesus woman, come on!� Elle yelled.

�Well,� I started explaining without looking away from Paul Walker�s body on the screen. �We were on the couch, and we were talking, then I kissed him. If you had walked in about a minute earlier, you would have seen me on top of him.�

�Hell yeah, Nat!� Elle cheered. �He�s fucking gorgeous!�

�Umm, I hate to be the prude here,� Maddie said. �But aren't we forgetting about a boyfriend?�

�I have no boyfriend,� I said, ignoring the tug on my heart this statement caused. However, Vin Diesel was on the TV now, and the chances of anyone getting me to concentrate on anything else were slim.

�I�m proud of you,� Elle said. �Good not letting him not get you down.�

Madison looked concerned. �Well, are you going to see him again or just never return his calls?�

�I�ll see him. He has my body lotion and I have to return his scarf,� I told her.

�When does he come home?� Madison asked.

I checked out the clock � 1:45 am. �His flight should be here at about 4 this afternoon.�

�Are you sure you�re ready to do this?� Madison asked.

NO! I yelled inside my head. I still love him so much and it drives me nuts that he cheated on me and I was no better than him and did it back! But only in my head did these insecurities fly.

�Yep. I�m sure,� I said, turning back to Paul Walker.