Page 26 of Yorix

Shit. Now I’d gone and added in new roommates he’d think I’d lived with, when what I rally meant was kids I’d roomed with at Astronomy Camp. Now I’d dug myself into an even deeper hole! My mouth didn’t pay any heed to my inner turmoil, though, as it just kept going, almost of its own volition.

“You could maybe invite your longest dog walking customers? They might like to come, see that you’re okay, and it won’t cost them anything. Be like a mini vacay for them, all paid for by the Mylos.” I placed my hands together in a pleading gesture. “Please think about it.”

He glanced over at Oshar and Korah, seeking their opinion.

“Whatever you want is fine by me,” Oshar said, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy,” Koshar added.

Chris breathed out a breath, turning to look back at me. “And Yorix is okay with that?” he asked.

“Oh, I think it’s a wonderful idea, given the situation,” Yorix replied.

“And we can get tickets to the big luau there later in the week and have some of Duke’s famous hula pie, and go sightseeing together when we’re not in our rooms doing other things.” I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.

He took another deep breath, and I was sure he was about to say no, only for him to come out with. “Okay, then.”

“Really?” I squealed.

“Really.”

I almost knocked my coffee over as I jumped up to run around the table to give him a big old hug. “Thank you! And when you guys are our kids’ guncles, we can tell them the cute story about how we all met and got mated and then married all at the same time!”

“Guncle?”

“Gay uncle, silly. And don’t look at me like that. He’s not knocked me up yet. At least I don't think so.” I hoped not, as I wanted to go to school first, but then we’d had a lot of sex and I wasn’t sure if Mylos had super sperm, and I needed to be on alien birth control instead of human. I really needed to check that out ASAP. Ulalily could probably tell me. Wait - if I were preggers, she’d have told me. Whew. Now to sort out the birth control and talk to Yorix about it. But first -

“Okay, I guess we’d better nail down some details so we can ask Xero to wedding plan it for us!” I eyed his shirt pointedly. “It’s not like you can even put your shirt on correctly these days, so good thing I’ll be around!”

“Yay,” he replied in a barely audible voice, earning him another giggle from me. He smiled at me wryly.

“Um, where’s the little girl’s room?” I asked, and Chris stood up to show me the way.

“You okay?” he asked me. “You seem stressed. Were you that worried how I’d react to your suggestion?” he asked me quietly.

We reached the bathroom door, and I knew this was it. I had to come clean, even if it meant losing the plans we’d just made and his friendship forever.

“I’m sorry!” I choked out, big fat tears rolling down my face. “I lied! I didn’t mean to!”

He stared at me, dumbfounded, pulling me into the bathroom and shutting the door behind us. “What? When?” he asked.

“Back at the Center and kind of just now,” I hiccupped. “I told you I lived with roommates. That was only kinda true.”

“Okay? Explain,” he said, his voice still gentle.

“When I graduated high school and decided to take a gap year, I got a job and started paying a small amount of ‘rent’ to my folks. My roommates are my mom and dad. Um, and my brother.”

He laughed. “Is that all? Wait, so what roommates were you talking about inviting, because you’d named your parents too?”

“The ones from astronomy camp. We shared the same room since we started going in seventh grade. Do you forgive me? I swear, I'll never lie to you ever again!”

He laughed. “I know you won’t, if that one bothered you so much. So the furniture from Ikea?”

“Mama took me shopping my freshman year to get a more grown up looking bedroom.”

“Aha.” He booped my nose. “Just be completely honest from now on, okay?”

“I just didn’t want to mention my parents that day,” I said softly, nodding.

“Oh…” He pulled me in for a hug. “Your heart was in the right place, honey, but don’t do it again. Also, you need to wash your face. You kinda look like a raccoon now.”

I turned to look in the mirror and laughed shakily despite myself. He was right, I totally did.

“I’ll leave you to it. All is forgiven, but never again, no matter what, yeah?”

“No matter what,” I agreed, taking his proffered pinky, hooking it with my own.

“Pinky swear,” we said in unison, shaking.

Then he left me to clean my face up and do my business.

“Waterproof mascara and eyeliner from here on out,” I vowed as I desperately tried not to make it worse. At least my conscience was now clear, and I hadn’t lost my new best friend, who apparently still wanted to have a double wedding with me.

It was all good, I decided, and then remembered all the bathrooms had an assistant. One who could help me with some makeup remover, perhaps.

“Hello, bathroom assistant?” I called out.