3: How Did We Fall In Love?

I kept to myself relaxing out in the sun, scared I would break down yet again. I didn’t know how I felt throwing that journal in to the lake. Relief? Sadness? I was confused. That was something I felt like I would hold on to for the rest of my life. No matter what would happen in my life, Steve will always be a huge part of it. He’s helped me grow in to the person I am today. Was that a good thing though?

I heard strumming of a guitar from behind me and smiled. He’s gotten better at the guitar. I chuckled thinking about the day he went out and bought his first acoustic. He was so excited, and within two hours of having it he was frustrated and angry. “I’m musically challenged!” He shouted tossing the guitar on the bed and storming out of his room. I kept encouraging him to play though. Now a sweet, soothing sound filled the air surrounding us in the middle of Canada.

“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,” I heard from behind me, and I immediately turned around in the lounge chair I was in to look at Brooks. “It’s not warm when she’s away. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone, and she’s always gone too long anytime she goes away.”

I got up from my chair and walked up to him, sitting down next to him on the bench.

“Wonder this time where she’s gone. Wonder if she’s gone to stay. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone, and this house just ain’t no home anytime she goes away.” He bumped his shoulder into mine and stopped singing.

“Since when do you sing?”

“That was the first time outside of my shower.”

“Honest opinion, or no?”

“Honest.”

“Great song, probably one of my favorites, but . . . keep it in the shower.”

“Whatever,” he laughed as he got up and set his guitar down. I watched as he tore his shirt off and grabbed my hand, pulling me up off the bench. I followed him down on to the dock, and he jumped straight in to the water. I sat on the ledge of the dock, and allowed my legs to soak in the polluted water. Polluted only because his words were now in the bottom of the lake.

“Are you still thinking about it?” Brooks asked floating in front of me.

“No,” I stammered out a little too quickly and sharply.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“It’s hard Brooks, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh right, because when Molly left me after two years of dating it wasn’t hard at all. Come on Niko. I just want you to be happy again. Can you please be happy?”

“I will. It’s just . . . I don’t know. I go through these swings where I’m just down right confused and miserable, and that’s happening right now. It’s like relationship bi-polar. It’s sickening. I love you though, that’s all that matters.”

“You say you love me but you won’t put out, what kind of shit is that?” I kicked up my foot, splashing water in his face. Seeing the look in his eyes after he wiped the water away, I knew I was done for. Sure enough, not even thirty seconds later I was in the lake with him.






“You need to call your boss and tell him you won’t be back until Wednesday.”

“What? Why?”

“Did you honestly think I was okay with you leaving the day before my birthday? Besides, Mike’s on his way out here.”

“I didn’t want to leave before your birthday, but I can’t take that much time off of work. I have to use my vacation time accordingly, and I don’t think I have that much left as it is.”

“How much do you get paid an hour?”

“Why?”

“I’ll match what you would get paid, to spend my birthday with me.”

“Damnit Brooks. It’s fine. It’s okay, I’ll go call him.”


After pulling some bullshit lie out of my ass for my boss, I walked back in to the house and found Brooks rummaging through the kitchen. “So you said Mike is on his way out here? Like driving out here? That’s a long ass drive. When will he be here?”

“Yeah, it’s about ten hours, and he should be here within the hour, he called an hour ago from Weyburn.”

“And when were you planning on telling me?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise. But you know, I can’t keep my mouth shut about anything.”

I rolled my eyes as I pushed him out of the kitchen and took over preparing dinner. What was I going to cook for dinner? I look in his cupboards, Kraft Dinner after Kraft Dinner. I laughed as I made my way to the refrigerator. I opened the freezer and mounds of meat were piled high. Looks like we’ll be BBQing. I pulled out a few steaks and grabbed some seasonings out of his pantry and went to town.

By the time the meat was sizzling on the grill I heard a commotion in the house. I looked in and sure enough there was that all too familiar mo-hawk making his way out toward me.

“Hi girlfriend,” he smiled, and at that instant my knees buckled just the slightest bit.

“Hi boyfriend,” I smiled back and waited till he was right in front of me to throw my arms around his neck.





Three glasses of whiskey were held in the air and we looked from one person to the other. After a fun-filled dinner with Brooks’ family, the three of us were back at his house with a fresh bottle of whiskey and not a damn care in the world. Well almost, I had a 1 PM flight home, with a three hour drive to the airport. Being an international flight, Brooks and I had to leave the house no later than 8 AM. Whiskey and early mornings usually never mix very well.

“Here’s to my two best friends spending my birthday with me, acting like boyfriend and girlfriend, but most of all putting a smile on this girl’s face,” he smiled at me and we clinked our glasses together. I took a sip of my glass, but before I could take it away from my mouth, Mike’s fingers were on the bottom of my glass pushing it up, causing all the alcohol to go down my throat. When it was all gone, I set the glass down and felt my eyes water up and my mouth salivate. “You asshole.”

“You’re one of the boys, you need to drink like one of the boys.”

“No, that’s one rule I will never abide by.”

“So we need to come up with a story,” Mike smiled as Brooks filled our glasses up again. I grabbed my glass and slid it away from Mike. He was known for filling my glass without my knowledge.

“We met through Brooks. It’s true and it’s believable.”

“How did we fall in love though? And how long have we been together?”

“I fell for your baby face two months ago,” I laughed reaching out and pinching his cheek.

“You do that again and it will get ugly. I’ll do something to that hair of yours.”

I grabbed a piece of my chemically dyed jet black hair and twirled it around my finger.

“I liked it better blond,” he said bluntly as he sipped on his drink.

“I like it black,” Brooks added all while looking at the label on the bottle.

“Thanks Brooks, I like it black too,” I smiled at him and he looked up at me quickly and flashed a smile before turning his attention back to the bottle.

“Anyways, so we fell in love two months ago. Is there anything Steve knows, that I need to know too?”

“I hate grasshoppers.”

“She hates grasshoppers.” Brooks and I both answered at the same time.

“Wait, what? Grasshoppers?”

“The resort we’re going to, it’s covered with grasshoppers, and little Miss over here hates them. She’s terrified of them.”

“So if I see one I can just pick you up and rescue you?” When I looked at Mike again, his bottom lip plumped out, I got that weird feeling again. When did he get so good looking? Thinking about being in his arms made me lose my train of thought.

“Um, yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”

“BUT NO SEX!” Brooks shouted and I laughed. “If I can’t sleep with her, nobody can.”

“It will be fun,” Mike smiled. The side of my mouth curled up, but it didn’t do much more. I was still dreading going.

“One can hope,” I mumbled just as the timer for the oven went off, alerting me the birthday cake I made was finished. I excused myself and headed into the kitchen.

As I was icing the cake I felt a pair of hands land on my waist. I froze in place and by the smell of the person behind me I could tell it was Mike. “If I’m going to be your boyfriend, you can’t stiffen up when I touch you.”

“You startled me, that was all.” I turned around and leaned up against the counter, he took a step forward.

“We have to make it look believable you know.”

“I honestly plan on being drunk the whole weekend, so whatever you think.”

“Just one.”

“One what?” He took another step forward and placed his hand on my jaw, pulling my face toward his. The minute his lips came into contact with mine, I lost my footing a bit and slid down, but his hand found the small of my back, keeping me in place. Our lips moved insync, and not for one moment did I think we were faking this. The sparks emitted from his lips to mine were unmistakable. He pulled away with a smile on his face, and I could only imagine I looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He winked at me before walking away. What the hell just happened?