On The Edge Of Falling

Make A Believer Out Of Me

As I looked around Billy's house, I couldn't help, but feel completely comfortable. Like I was at a best friends house. I felt far more comfortable here than I did at my own bloods. "Here let me show you the guest room." Billy said, as he led me up the stairs.
He swung open the door of the guest bedroom. It wasn't much. Just a queen sized bed, and a dresser, but it did have a television, and it was clean. I couldn't ask for much more than that. "Thank you, very much for this. Not many people would help out a complete stranger." I said, as I rolled my suitcase further into the room.
"Honestly, I don't know why I did. I mean, it'll be a good check on my karma, right? Plus, Zak really likes you."
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure."
"No, he does, I can tell. He wouldn't continue to ask you out if he didn't."
"Pretty sure he's only interested in one thing. He'll be disappointed to learn I'm not that type of girl."
"Oh, yeah? Is that why you're standing in a strange mans home right now?" Billy smirked. I took a step back towards the window and shown a deep look of concern.
"Wait, is that why you invited me here?"
"Oh, my god, no!" Billy waved his hands back and forth and let out an obnoxious laugh. "I was joking. I swear, I would never do that." Billy assured. I deeply exhaled in relief and sat at the edge of the bed.
"Well, I'll stay here for tonight and then I'll get out of your hair. I mean, I appreciate the kind gesture, but I should probably head home tomorrow." Billy smiled at me, and told me I was welcome to stay as long as I needed to. He looked at me with a stare of curiosity. I felt like he could sense that there was something I still wasn't sharing.
"Is there a reason why you didn't want to go home earlier? When you had that call with your mom, you looked a little freaked." Billy said, as he crossed his arms and leaned against the dresser.
"No, nothing bad, it's just...my mom can be really pushy. Don't get me wrong, I love her, ya know, but sometimes I wish she would let me do what I want to do. I just want a change."
"Well, maybe, you'll find one here."
"Yeah, maybe."
"So, you want to watch a movie or something?" Billy asked, as he rounded the dresser, towards the door. I stood from the bed and grinned at the fact that he was being so nice.
"Actually, I would love to take a shower." I shrugged, still feeling the residue of Chelsie's apartment on my body. Plus, being man handled by the touchy police officers.
"Yeah, of course. Bathrooms right down there." Billy said, as he pointed down the hall. He made his way to the stairs. "If you want to join me for popcorn and a flick, I'll be down here."
The shower was hot, and relaxing. The steam opened my senses and finally, I felt stress free. I wasn't worried about staying here with Billy anymore. I could tell he was truly a genuine man. Its not every day a man welcomes you into their home, for good reasons that is. I stepped out of the shower, onto the soft, fluffy white bath mat. As I dried off my body, I heard the distant ring of a cell phone. I paused my movement to get a good listen and I rushed to my bedroom, once I realized it was my cell.
As I grasped my phone, I groaned, as I saw my mothers photo on the screen. As much as I didn't want to listen to her lecture me about my life, I swiped the green. "Hi, mom."
"Addilyn Rose, please, explain to me why your Aunt Debra just called me and told me that your cousin was arrested! What is going on there?"
"Mom, I had nothing to do with it. We went to her filthy apartment and the next thing I know her and her roommates are being carted away in cop cars."
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I don't know, I didn't want to freak you out. I'm fine."
"Where are you, Addy?"
"I'm...uh, at a hotel."
"You're staying at a hotel alone?"
"Yes, mom, I took a vacation and I plan on enjoying it." I rolled my eyes, as my paranoid mother continued to shout through the phone. Even states away, she made me feel like a child. "Mom! Just stop!" Silence took over our conversation. My mother had never heard me talk to her in that tone. "I am a grown woman, I can take care of myself! Now, I appreciate you caring so much, but I'm going to finish my vacation and I will see you when I get home!"
"But Addy..." It took everything I had to press the red button, and end the call. I felt terrible for treating my mom that way. After all, she was just concerned, but her smothering was getting out of hand. I turned my cell off and plugged it into my charger. I wasn't going to deal with another argument from her.
After I got comfortable in my pajamas, I made my way to the living room. Where Billy was planted in his lazy boy, with a bowl of buttery popcorn. The smell caused my stomach to growl, considering it's only contents for the day was a few bites of salad. Billy looked up from the black television screen and smiled. "Hey, how was your shower?"
"Relaxing, thank you." I narrowed my brow, as I glanced at the blank screen. "Is this what we're watching?" I asked, with a laugh. Billy returned a laugh, as he tossed more popcorn in his mouth.
            "No, I haven't decided yet. You can choose, I have comedy, horror, action..."
            "What about your show?"
            "You want to watch Ghost Adventures?"
            "Sure, why not?"
            "So, do you believe in ghosts?" Billy said, as he flipped through his recorded shows, landing on the ghost adventures folder.
            "I don't know, not really." Billy looked at me with widened eyes and let out a ironic chuckle. "So? Make a believer out of me."
            "Okay, prepare to have your mind blown." Billy said, as he scrolled down through the episodes. He finally clicked on one.
            "Stone Lion Inn?"
            "Just watch." Billy grinned.
            Almost an hour later, and Billy continued to laugh at me, as I leaned forward on the couch and shoveled the popcorn in with wide eyes. "Oh, my god....the door fucking creaked open...oh, my god someone opened the door, Billy!"
            "I know, I was there." Billy laughed.
            "Oh, my god...is it going to close?"
            "Just watch..." We were both dead silent until, BOOM! The door slammed and I gasped as I watched the guys jump up in shock. Billy watched my reaction and wore a satisfied grin. Watching only one episode of Ghost Adventures really opened my eyes to another world.
             The episode was over, and as Billy stopped the recording he looked to me, waiting for my critique. "Holy shit." Was all I could utter.
            "So, are you a believer now?"
            "I'm pretty damn close. I want more." I laughed along with Billy, as he turned on the next episode. Zak's handsome face popped on the screen. As much as that man angered me, I couldn't hold back a smile when I saw his gorgeous eyes through his nerdy specks.
            "You like him."
            "What? No, I really don't."
            "Addy and Zak sitting in a tree..."
            "No, please, stop." I laughed, with a disgusted curl of my lip. "I think he is arrogant, and disrespectful."
            "Oh, he's not that bad. He's a really good friend once you get to know him." I rolled my eyes in disbelief and turned my attention back to the screen.
            "And what about him?" I said, as the bald guy, which Billy called Aaron, came up on the television.
            "Jesus Christ, Aaron is a damn saint." Billy laughed. "Seriously, he's a great man. One of the best friends I've ever had. Same with Jay, just genuinely a good guy."
            "So, Aaron's a nice guy, You and Jay, are nice guys, and then you have Zak. Doesn't seem to match up."
            "Man, you really like him."
            "I do not! He's a jerk!"
            "Oh, please, watching you two today was like watching two kids fighting on the playground. You get at each other because you're attracted to one another."
             "Hey, I've been with my share of jerks, I don't need another one to deal with."
             "Alright, alright, keep trying to convince yourself." Billy smirked and stood up with the empty bowl of popcorn clutched in his hands. "I'm making more popcorn." Billy entered the kitchen and I was left alone in his dark living room, while watching a creepy ghost show. But I had to admit, the sight of Zak made it much more enjoyable. Billy was so unbelievably correct it was killing me, but I wasn't going to let my slight attraction let me fall. I had fallen for an arrogant asshole before and look where that ended up.
              Our night of ghost adventures binging was over and you could consider me hooked. Billy and I said good night and I still couldn't stop thanking him for all he was doing for me. I turned my cell back on, just checking to see if I had missed any phone calls. I was relieved to see that I hadn't. My bed was even more comfortable than my own bed back home. My exhausted body sank right into the mattress and the cool satin sheets wrapped around me, relaxing my every muscle. Just as I was fading into sleep, my phone began buzzing against the wooden table beside me.
            The bright screen blinded me, as I picked it up to see who it was. "Of course." I sighed, before I answered. "What do you want?"
            "Hello, sunshine." Zak said, I could practically hear him grinning through the phone. "What are you doing?"
            "I'm in bed."
            "Oh, yeah? You alone?"
            "Obviously, I am, but why would it matter anyways?"
            "What are you wearing?"
            "Wow, you are a piece of work, Mr. Bagans." I said, trying to keep a smile from stretching across my face.
            "I think you love it." His voice seemed to send tingles down my spine, but I didn't want to feed into his seducing game. "Tell me you love it."
            "You're a pig." I couldn't contain a giggle, which caused Zak to laugh out with success.
            "I knew it, you can't resist me."
            "Why are you so confident you will win me over? You could have any girl you want."
            "I love a challenge."
            "Whatever, can I go to sleep now?"
            "Can I join you?"
            "Goodnight, Zak."
            "Hey, make sure to fill me in on all the details of your wet dreams about me."
            "The only wet dreams tonight will be your own and that's the only way you'll ever get me in your bed." I ended the call with an accomplished grin on my face. I was able to fight the seduction tonight, but how long was I going to be able to deny it?