Secrets Not Lies

Chapter Ten - Electricity

I wasn't able to deny that I enjoyed Phil's company anymore. I started taking every opportunity I could for us to hang out, which wasn't hard considering we lived together. I was content the whole week after I'd hit my head as I fell into a routine.

Brooklyn and I hung out basically every other day and although I might not have liked kissing her as much as I should've, I still enjoyed it to some extent. Her bubbly personality always seemed to cheer me up.

On the days we didn't hang out, I thought of small things to do with Phil. We'd spent an entire day playing Crash Bandicoot, taking only short breaks to eat leftover pizza from the night before. Although he still didn't seem to be opening up to me, we chatted and I was starting to learn more things about him.

Phil smiled at me as I walked into the kitchen a week after hitting my head. I motioned toward my outfit and straightened hair.

"Look, I'm actually ready not an hour late," I showed off with a proud grin.

"For once," he chuckled. "But we're still running late so we'd better get going."

I glanced at the clock before we both started heading down the stairs. Chris had invited us over yet again to try another run-through of the script as the last had been a mess. I wondered if he'd actually been busy or had given us a little over a week to cool off on purpose. I hoped Phil and I didn't have another one of those terrible days ever again.

Phil stopped me after I'd stepped off the last stair in the entryway, asking me to turn toward him. Just as I expected, he brushed my fringe out of the way so he could admire my healing forehead.

"It's looking really good," he told me and I nodded, having already seen it in the bathroom mirror.

Thankfully, all my dizziness and headaches had passed after only a couple days, and soon the only thing left of the fall was the purple goose egg. My fringe covered it for the most part which I was lucky about.

As Phil turned from me and reached for our coats, I combed my hair back into place, making sure it fell over the bump. I slid my jacket on and remembered the cold, and how Christmas was approaching. I was excited to see my parents again, as it felt like too long. Although Phil was great to live with, no one could beat my mum.

We wandered from the apartment, Phil locking the door after us.

"I don't think Chris'll be expecting us so early," he commented once we reached the stairs.

My smile grew with amusement as I pictured their faces when we showed up only half an hour late. It was the first time in a while I'd actually put effort into being on time. I had been in such a good mood recently.

"Can you believe it?" I questioned, bracing for the cold as Phil held the door outside open for me. "It didn't take me half an hour to straighten my hair."

Phil glanced sideways as he shuffled along, clearly cold. "I still think you should just wear it natural," he remarked.

"Definitely not," I stated. My hair was a mess of puffy curls when I didn't do anything with it.

"Wow, I can't wait for Christmas," Phil said as he admired the Christmas decorations through a shop window we were passing.

I smiled as I looked over at him, noticing the overwhelming excitement glistening in his blue eyes. "You're like a child," I told him, earning an elbow in my side.

"You can't tell me you aren't excited too," he stated.

"Of course I'm excited," I agreed, "but I don't jump up and down every time I see something Christmas related."