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10. Megan

"So what's the deal with you and Pete?" I yelled over the blaring sound, nodding at the stage where Pete was currently screaming into the microphone.

Angie shrugged her shoulders casually, a smirk sliding onto her lips. "He's amazing in the sack. It's hardly romance of the fucking century," she dragged her eyes away from him "unlike some people I could mention, Megan."

There was a silence as Angie and Carolyn glanced at each other, rolling their eyes as I ducked my head and blushed.

"Well?" Carolyn eventually broke the silence "Spill it."

"What?" I asked widening my eyes innocently. "There's not much to tell. I like him, I think he likes me," I trailed off, biting my lip. Well, technically there was something to tell, but I didn't want to sound sad and desperate, even in front of my best friends.

"Bullshit," Angie had a habit of cutting directly to the chase. She could read me like a book. And I knew I would crumble under her intense gaze in about five seconds flat.

"He told me he loves me," I blurted. Four seconds. That was a record.

"And that makes you sad, because......" Carolyn examined the worried expression on my face, her tone laden with sarcasm.

"Because it's only been, like, a month and I think I feel the same," I sighed heavily.

That was only half the story. Because nothing is ever that straight forward, right?

Well, actually in this case, it would seem it was indeed that straight forward. We were in bed. I hadn't even got my breath back from our latest round of acrobatics. Joe leaned over me, kissing me intensely. Then the words just slipped from his lips. Easily, with no prompting. "I love you." Just like that. The problem was the aftermath. I didn't say anything. Nothing. Not even an awkward "Thanks". Or a toe-curling "Aw that's sweet". I was rendered mute by the most beautiful words anyone had ever said to me.

"Ooh, that's gotta hurt," Angie winced at me.

"Understatement of the century," Carolyn added with a slow nod.

That wasn't even the worst of it. He had tried to make light of it. Tried to say that it didn't matter if I didn't feel it was time to say it back. He would rather I waited until the time was right, until I meant it and yadda yadda yadda. You know the drill. But the expression on his face told a different story. He had been distant with me ever since.

The whoops from the surprisingly large crowd who had gathered to watch Joe's band brought me back to reality. They were downing their instruments, taking the applause and leaving the stage.

"So just tell him," Carolyn, ever the voice of reason made it sound so simple.

And she was right. I would. Soon.

Pete and Joe were approaching us, elated and sweaty from their exertions. Pete gathered Angie into a sloppy kiss, prompting her to smack him away from her.

"Ew, you stink," she squirmed, resisting his attentions. It only made him struggle harder, pulling her against his sweaty chest.

"You don't usually mind me working up a sweat," he grinned suggestively at her.

I watched their eyes lock and suddenly she was on him like a rash. Jeez that girl was a bundle of contradictions. I turned away quickly as their exchange became increasingly heated.

"Hey you," I smiled up at Joe, placing a hand on his sweaty chest.

He smiled down at me, the smile not quite reaching all the way to his eyes. That instant light that used to beam out when he saw me had been muted to a 40 watt bulb. He pecked a kiss on my lips, grabbing the beer Andy offered him from behind me. He drank thirstily from it, turning a little away from me and striking up a conversation with a hovering Patrick. Guitar talk. I zoned out.

"Hey, why so sad," Andy asked, dipping close to my ear, attempting to keep our conversation private.

I sighed "Aw, just, I don't know. Joe's been a little distant," I felt uncomfortable talking to Andy about his best friend.

Andy nodded, a puzzled expression on his face. "I noticed that. He nearly bit Pete's head off earlier when he asked if you were coming. It was weird. It's not like him."

Great. So now I had changed his whole fucking personality. Yay me.

"Did you guy's fight? He was being weird when we asked him if you were going to his parent's for Thanksgiving. He said something really strange about being with people you love at Thanksgiving," Andy shook his head.

My head snapped up. "What, Andy? What did he say?" I don't know why I was panicked by his statement, but my heart was suddenly thudding in my chest.

"I don't remember exactly...." he shook his head again, vaguely.

"Think. Please. It's probably important," I begged him, prompting him to throw me a "crazy chick alert" expression.

"Uh, he said he preferred to be surrounded by people who loved him at Thanksgiving. So you wouldn't be there." Andy gave a strangled laugh "Which was weird cause he's not really the sentimental type. But he seemed a little down about it," I barely heard the end of his sentence.

I grabbed Joe by the hand, pulling him away from Patrick mid sentence.

"Hey, I'm talking," he yelled at me as I pulled him right outside the club.

I pushed him right up against the wall.

"What the hell.." he began to protest.

"Shut up," I commanded him, pointing a finger in his face. "Shut up and listen to me."

He looked at me bewildered, but he was quiet. He crossed his arms over his chest in a protective stance and waited, not meeting my eyes.

I took a deep breath.

"I want you to come to Boston for Thanksgiving. I hate it. It's a stupid holiday and since my brother died it totally sucks at my parents because we barely even tolerate each other much less give thanks for anything," I rambled, not pausing for breath. I swallowed back the bitter taste in my mouth as the thought of my father swam into my head.

"So it would be nice for me if there was someone who I actually love there to make it easier for me," I eventually finished, watching his face closely.

It took him a few seconds to digest what I said. His eyes rose slowly to my face. When he met my eyes, his expression softened and he dropped his arms, letting his guard go with them.

"You mean.." he started, still a little apprehensive.

"I love you," I blurted, not letting him finish.

He hit me with the full beam of his smile. Genuine. Relief flooded me. For all of five seconds, before reality hit.

Shit. What had I done. I was going to have to take him to meet my parents.

The phrase out of the frying pan into the fire had never been more apt.