Upside Down ✔️

Chapter 18

"I hopped off the plane at L.A.X. with a dream and my cardigan
Welcome to the land of fame, excess, whoa! am I gonna fit in?
Jumped in the cab, here I am for the first time
Look to my right, and I see the Hollywood sign
This is all so crazy, everybody seems so famous!" I sang loudly, not caring all that much if Kenneth liked my singing or not.

I flipped the pancakes and glanced up to see him smiling at me, before realizing he was caught staring and looking away. "What?" I asked, looking back at the pancakes as they finished cooking, putting the last one on the plate stacked with five before going to the table. I looked back to see Kenneth pouring two glasses of milk for us, putting chocolate syrup in one before turning to me. "Yes, please." I answered his unasked question that I could see coming. He chuckled and poured syrup into the second glass, stirring them both and carrying them to the table. 

I smiled and took my usual seat facing the window that allowed me the dull, uneventful view of the street the apartment, or flat as Jasper called it, stood on. Kenneth took a seat beside me and began serving our pancakes and maple syrup. For the first few moments, we only stole glances at each other, bashfully smiling when we were caught, not speaking a word as we ate in silence. It wasn't until Kenneth asked his question. 

"I don't want to pressure you or make feel rushed, but I was wondering if you've decided on when you'd be wanting to go back home, or if we should start looking for our own apartment." he spoke hesitantly, staring down at his pancakes instead of looking in my direction. 

I sighed, pushing a piece of my pancakes around the plate as I thought about how to reply. "I have thought about it, and I think that I need a few weeks, maybe a month, to pack, get things situated to move back, and say goodbye to this place and Jasper. I've been here for 3 months, and though it may not seem like a long time, I've created a routine and friends here that I need to say goodbye to. But I do plan on moving back with you." I explained to him, glancing his way to gauge his reaction. He had looked up at me at some point during my explanation and was intently listening to me as I spoke, and now offered a soft, understanding smile to me when I finished. 

"I understand. I can help with your packing and we can take things one step at a time, until you're ready to move back home. I won't rush you, but we should let your parents and mine know that we'll be moving back home." He explained, taking my hand in his own. 

"Aren't your parents expecting you back soon? You were still living with them last I checked, during your fake engagement." I asked, and it was true. It's one of the many reasons his engagement (that at the time I didn't know was fake) hurt me so badly, was how much his parents in the gossip magazines' pictures seemed to adore this fiance. It hurt that they all could so easily replace me. 

"I was, until you left. Then I packed a bag, told my parents the fake engagement was off and went to search for you." He seemed to become nervous now as he scratched the back of his neck, before saying, "I've only called once in the three months I was looking for you because I ran out of cash. My mom yelled at me for not calling more, and threatened no more money if I didn't call soon that I'd found you and you'd forgiven me. And here I am, so we should call both your parents and mine if we're going to have the funds to head back." Now he was smiling a little wider, playfully looking at me as we both began chuckling just imagining his mother's reaction when she hears I've forgiven him (mostly). 

"Well, then let me clean up the kitchen and we can go make these very important phone calls." I chuckled and gathered our plates, while Kenneth gathered the cups and followed me to the kitchen. 

He washed and I dried as we worked like clockwork, one dish after another, and in no time we were done. I handed him a dry towel to dry his hands with and when he took it, he placed a soft kiss to my forehead, causing a smile to form on my lips as my cheeks began to warm. I knew with him treating me so sweetly it wouldn't be long before I would completely forgive him.