Walking The Line | ✓

Chapter Eight

"That bitch!" Lily exclaimed, slapping a hand against her thigh, the one that wasn't holding the glass of red wine I'd offered her minutes ago.

"Pea-brained!"

"Horseface!"

I'd come back from Kühl's apartment to find that while I was gone Lily had showed up on a surprise visit. Realizing I wasn't home she'd made use of the set of keys I'd given her in case of emergency. So by the time I came back she had already gotten comfortable.

The first thing I noticed the moment I stepped in were the pair of nude heels dropped carelessly on the floor by the side of the door. Then there was the suitcase a few feet away. And then came the squeal.

The following moments were a mix of laughs, sobs, hugs and bounces as we greeted each other after almost four months of being apart. Our encounters always were the emotional kind, not to mention that Lily was one hell of an emotional woman.

When we managed to disentangle from each other I'd offered her something to fill her stomach after the five hour flight from NYC where her office was. It didn't take me long to realize the only thing left was the turkey in the fridge and a bag of crackers. Searching the cabinets for a bowl where to put the snacks I came onto a bottle of red wine I'd stocked away from one of my latest visits to the supermarket--sometimes a glass of red wine and a good movie was everything I needed to relax and take my mind off of things. I'd completely forgotten about that one though, so I couldn't help but let out a little whoop when I found it.

We'd sat our butts on the cream rug covering the space of my living room, snacks between our legs, glasses of wine at hand as we talked about everything and anything. In between glasses I told her about my life here and she told me how things were going for her in the big apple. She'd asked about my neighbour, more than curious to know if our relationship--or lack thereof-- had progressed in the last few days. I'd asked her if she'd met anyone interesting, what lead to a whole explanation of why she had sworn off dating for good.

Thus why now the bottle of wine lay empty at the side of the couch, it's last remains swirling at the bottom of our glasses.

Somehow I'd ended up telling Lily about my talk with Julian's mother and how good that went for me--notice the irony here-- I guess we'd taken one or two glasses more than we could handle because now we were hurling insults and giggling like two schoolgirls.

That was something I wouldn't be proud off a few hours later when I finally sobered up.

"I won't be held responsible for my actions if she ever dares to register on my online sessions."

"Or call my phone."

"Or contact me any other way."

"I mean...what the hell?!"

Lily was loosing it. Totally losing it. Her face was pinched in disgust, her hand slapping time and time again with every word that escaped her mouth.

Her breaking point had been me saying how Mrs Johnson had called me an 'inexperienced twenty something year old who had snuck through the border' to my face. One I was half Mexican, two my parents were legal. I was born and raised in New Haven and prior to that my mother had been born there too. American through and through.

I'd been furious when she'd directed those words at me, but now looking at Lil I was rethinking ever sharing my talk with Julian's mother to begin with.

I wouldn't put it past her to say those words to her face if their paths ever crossed.

"Pray that I never bump into her Van." She threatened. Though her words didn't hold as much menace as she would have hoped considering she was on her way to being inebriated. I appreciated the sentiment though. It was nice to know you had friends who would do anything to defend your honor.