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Chapter Nine
Eli's jaw fell lax, and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts and process what had just happened. He shook his head, stunned, then snapped his fingers and pointed towards the hallway, "You. Me. Bathroom. Now."
"But this was just getting good," Adam protested. Eli gave him his best don't-push-me look he had learned from Bullfrog, and Adam reluctantly stood up from the couch.
"And you," Eli turned to Clare and pointed a threatening finger at her, "Stay."
"Eli," Clare protested, but her argument fell on deaf ears as Eli firmly placed his hands on Adam's shoulders and guided him to the bathroom. Once inside, and safely behind a closed and locked door, Eli folded his arms over his chest, leaned against the counter, and said, "So, care to explain what the hell that was about?"
"Come on," Adam rolled his eyes, "It's a dare. You have to do what you're dared. Don't chicken out, Eli. You're the one that gives everyone crap for not carrying out dares."
"This is different," Eli frowned, "Now, why would me kissing Clare ever even cross your mind?"
"Because," Adam tried to explain, "It's really obvious."
"Well excuse me for not catching on," Eli rolled his eyes, "Try to explain to some one of my intelligence."
"I didn't mean it like that, and you know it, ass," it was Adam's turn to roll his eyes, "Just…I know you still care for her, Eli. Every night I'd come over, you'd find some excuse to bring her up. You never got over her. Seeing the two of you together again…I don't know…I thought daring you to kiss her would help give you guys a second chance. I thought once you kissed…you'd realize y'all are supposed to be together, and everything would be good again."
Eli ran a hand through his hair before pushing himself on top of the counter top, "Wow," his eyes bulged, and he didn't exactly know what to say, "Seriously?"
"Don't be mad," Adam winced and sat down on the edge of the tub, "I just…you two were so perfect in high school. I don't want to be all mushy, but when you two got back together your senior year, I really thought that'd be it. I thought you two would get married and pump out a bunch of brats – beautiful girls like Clare, but with attitudes like yours. I thought I'd be an Uncle Adam, and I would spoil the hell out of them. I thought it was finally…but then you broke up with her after graduation and I couldn't believe it. It had only been a few months, but you were scared and I think she was too. I just…I wanted to give you guys a second chancing. Seeing you today, happy – genuinely happy – for the first time in years…I just wanted to…"
"Oh Adam," Eli tilted his head back, "Why are you always so right?"
"Wait…what?"
"I still love her Adam. Damn me for it, but I do. And I think I always will. She's Clare, and I'm Eli. There doesn't have to be reason, sense, or logic. I just know that I love her, and that's all I need to know. I want to get her back, Adam…but I am a guardian angel now, or whatever the hell I am. It's not so simple. I can't just…I can't just kiss her and have it all be back to high school again."
Adam sighed, "Not high school again, but what you're supposed to be now. You two are flirting like crazy. It's pretty intense. She totally wants to kiss you."
"She's engaged you little perv," Eli rolled his eyes, "There will be no kissing."
"But I dared you," Adam smirked, and raised an eyebrow.
"God damn it," Eli hissed, "Why are you doing that? That's my thing!"
"Pretty irresistible, huh?"
"No," Eli folded his arms over his chest and stared at his best friend, passively, "Doesn't faze me."
"Then this might," Adam's smirk grew into a grin, "I dared you, Eli. I dared you to kiss Clare. Remember? It was a dare. Which means, there is no turning back. No going back. Jump in with both feet, and never look back. I dared you, and now, well…we all know what happens when someone dares someone – they have to do whatever they are told to do. Unless of course it's something fuckin' stupid that get the other one hurt or killed…but it's a kiss, Eli. One little, bitty, teeny, tiny kiss."
Eli's eyes shrunk to slits, and he glared at Adam. Eli and Adam both knew that Adam was getting to him, and Eli let out a throaty growl, "Adam, this is absolutely stupid. I am not going to kiss Clare Edwards!"
"She's gorgeous, Eli. She always has been. And she still looks at you like you're the world."
"Stop it," Eli snarled, "I don't want to hear this."
"Why not?"
"Because," Eli sighed, "Maybe I want to get back together with her too? I am a ghost or something…it's weird and it's not as easy as you make it sound. This isn't some Hallmark or Lifetime movie. This is real, as messed up as it is. This is real, and this is not easy. I can't just kiss her and have her realize all these feelings come flooding back."
"But…"
"Adam, one kiss isn't going to change anything. One kiss isn't going to make anything better."
"Grow a pair, and try!"
"Don't," Eli rolled his eyes, "Don't even start."
"What's that mean?"
"Nothing," Eli sighed, "Did that sound like a jab?"
"Because it's you, no," a shadow of a smile crossed Adam's face, "What scares you so much about finally being happy, Eli?"
"Scared?"
"Yeah, you're scared. You're scared of finally being happy! You're scared of finally being with Clare!"
"I am not scared," Eli scoffed, "Eli Goldsworthy doesn't get scared."
"Except when it's Clare Edwards involved," Adam reminded him.
"Okay," Eli's eyes fell to the tile floor, "Maybe you're not quite as much of an ignoramus and I say you are," he admitted, "So what am I supposed to do, huh? Just go in there and grab her and kiss her?"
"Do what feels right."
"Don't get all romantic on me," Eli warned, "Fine. I'll go out and I'll kiss her. But it'll only prove to you how dumb this is; especially when that kiss doesn't change shit, alright?"
"I knew you'd cave," Adam grinned.
"Don't make me beat you."
"I can so take you."
"I'm a ghost. That means I have stealth powers."
"You're just making that up!"
"Fine," Eli's face suddenly got all serious, "But, if you really want to know…they're ninja powers!"
Adam shook his head, "And you say I'm the idiot?"
"Shut up," Eli grinned as he and Adam stood up. He swung his arm over his best friend's shoulders.
"There you two are," Clare said as they finally emerged from the hallway, "I was about to send out a search squad. Now that you two are done doing whatever the heck two grown men do alone in a restroom, are we going to finish playing, or what?"
"Well I don't know," Eli sat down next to her, before pulling her over to him, "Why don't you get over here and find out?"
