CHAPTER 14: Yeah, I Can
"This is insane." was all she said. "We're both crazy."
"Why are we crazy?" Matt looked her up and down.
"'Cuz we're talking about love and all this other stuff. It's just scaring the shit out of me." She started getting antsy and impatient.
"It's scaring the shit out of me too babe, but I can't push you away just because I'm scared. I may not find a girl like you ever again."
"You won't." She said trying hard not to smile. She knew she had to be serious about this type of situation. She couldn't joke around and play it off like most of the other teenagers who just think it's a big joke.
"I know I won't so that's why I'm holding onto you." Matt said simply.
"And what do you mean you never thought you could fall in love with a girl in 3 hours, 2 minutes and 1 second?" she asked.
"I never thought I could fall in love with a girl in that short period of time, but I did." Matt said. "And it's an incredible feeling."
"So who'd you fall in love with? That skinny tanned blonde girl over there wearing the short jean skirt and pink and white striped halter top?" Lori asked.
Matt looked where Lori was looking then looked back at her. "No, not her. YOU."
"ME? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" she said in complete shock.
Matt laughed and said, "Yeah you and no, I'm not joking."
"This is really not happening. I really am gonna wake up and be in my bed." she said before she walked off, shaking her head.
"You can run, but you can't hide." he said under his breath.
Lori walked over to Greg, who was sitting at a table, and sat down across from him, placing her cappuchino on the table. "Hey Greg." she greeted him. "Look, I'm really sorry about this whole mess. I knew you were looking forward to bowling with Matt. When you guys drop me off at my house or whatever maybe you could go back out and bowl and have some fun. I never meant to ruin it for you. I guess Matt and me were too involved with one another....me I understand why I would be, but Matt, that's a whole nother story."
"He really likes you a lot Lori and you don't have to be sorry. I didn't really wanna go bowling. I just wanted to get out of that stupid hotel." Greg admitted as he looked at her. "He has strong feelings for you so don't push him away. Open your heart to him and let him in. Let him know how you feel. It's cool if you just be honest with him. He's been hurt before and I'm sure he doesn't want to get hurt again so, like I said before, open up to him and don't be afraid to show him how you feel."
"Do you think he really has strong feelings for me?" Lori asked slowly. She looked around the bowling alley and saw Matt slumped down in a chair, hands in his pockets and his head down. He was obviously staring at the floor. She looked away and went back to looking at Greg.
"Do you think he kissed you just for the hell of it?" Greg asked looking at her. "When we followed you to your house you were all he was talking about."
"You're not lying are you Greg?" she asked eyeing him.
Another guys voice answered. "He's not lying. He's telling the truth. You were all I talked about." He sat down beside her and said, "I went on and on about how cute you were and how intriguing I found you to be and how I could easily fall in love with you because you were just so incredible and real. And how I told him about how you were a fan and how you treated me like a regular guy. You didn't treat me like I was 'Matt of Dream Street' or 'Matt from Last Chance' or 'Matt from The Juice'. You didn't ask for my autograph or to have a picture taken with me. You weren't all up in my face like some girls would be. Some girls would be all over me, bugging me for pictures and autographs and my phone number."
She looked at him and didn't say anything. She couldn't speak. Her heart started pounding faster; it felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her chest. Butterflies filled her stomach and when she looked at him she said, "You're a normal guy with an amazing career." Her heart slowed down to steady pace and the butterflies in her stomach mellowed out and a calm-happy-exciting-scary feeling took over her.
He took her hand and pulled her up off of her chair and onto his lap. She put her arm around his shoulders and rested her head on his shoulder. Greg looked at them and said, "You two really are in love." Then he asked, "Aren't you?"
"I am, but I dunno if she is." Matt stated. He rested his hand on her hip and she shifted her weight.
"I'm gonna break your legs." she said trying hard not to laugh.
"No you won't." he assured her.
"OK. If I don't break your legs I'm gonna end up crushing you." she corrected herself.
"You're light compared to some of the other girls I've seen." Matt said. She lifted her head off his shoulder and glared at him.
"Are you trying to tell me that I need to lose weight Matthew Ballinger?" she asked with a serious look on her face.
"You're perfect the way you are Lorr. You have a nice body. Some girls I've dated didn't have any curves at all and you do. You're sexy." he said with a smile.
"Aren't you a sweet one." she said. She giggled.
"You two are making me sick. Quit talking like that." Greg whined as he watched them.
"It's not my problem. It's Matt's. He's being too sweet and way too nice." Lori said pointing at Matt.
"I can be a nice sweet guy. I can be romantic too if you give me a chance." he assured her.
"Oooh. Romantic. I like romantic guys." Lori said stifling a giggle.
"Every girl does." Greg reminded her.
"You want to come back to our hotel and hang out with us?" Matt asked hopefully.
"I can't." Lori said.
"Why not?" Matt inquired.
"I'd rather not say," she told him, "especially seeing how I'm only 17 and a half."
"She doesn't trust herself with you." Greg said loud enough so only Matt could hear.
"Naughty. Naughty. Naughty." He shook his finger at her and she grabbed it.
"Don't tease me. It aint' cool." she stated. She let his finger go and took his hand.
"Aww. I'm not teasing." he said with a frown.
"Don't make fun of me either." she said pointing at him. He took her finger and kissed it then took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. "He's such a softie."
Surprising Lori, Matt whispered, "I love you" in her ear, only for her to hear.
She looked at him and something drew her closer to him. She leaned in and kissed him and backed away.
Matt looked at her and said, "Sweet."
"Sweet?" she repeated confused.
"The kiss. It was sweet." He smiled at her, which made her heart melt.
"Yeah...it was." she agreed.
"Do you two wanna go to the movies?" Greg asked cutting into their conversation.
"I have an idea." Matt was saying to Lori.
"What's that?" she eyed him.
"You should..." his voice trailed off when he heard Greg's voice.
"Is there anything good playing?" Matt asked.
"No." Lori shook her head. "Actually there is."
"What?" the guys asked.
"The Bourne Supremacy," Lori said, "I've already seen it though." Smiling she said, "Matt Damon's in it."
"You like Matt Damon?" Matt asked.
"Yeah. He's so hot." Lori gushed.
"He's probably old enough to be your dad." Matt joked.
"My dad's in his forties. Matt Damon's either in his late twenties or thirties." Lori corrected.
Matt took her cappuchino and took a sip of it and made a disgusting face. "That's way too sweet."
He put it back on the table and said, "It's so gross."
"Matt can't handle sweet things?" Lori joked.
"I can handle sweet things. I just can't handle drinking a cappuchino." Matt said.
"What he means to say is that he can handle you, Lorr." Greg teased.
"He wishes." Lori joked.
"I'm doing a good job so far." Matt insisted.
"Wait till we get into further rounds," she said, "see if you can handle me then."
Matt stared at her and said, "I can handle you."
"You say that now." was all she said.
Chapter 15