Chapter 21

"Sonny," Chad pleaded through the closed door, "Please, please, open the door, baby," his voice dripped with pain for his girlfriend, "Please."

Sonny hadn't made a move to the door, and she didn't plan on it.

"Sonny," Chad said, "I have a key to every room in this house, please don't make me go get it."

"You're lying," she said for the first time, "You have a key to every room in this house except this one."

"Sonny, what are you talking about?"

"I have it in my hand, Chad. It wasn't that hard there's a bowl in the kitchen that said 'key's to rooms in the house' and each of them are labeled. So I took it."

"Sonny," he said disbelieving, "are you serious? That's like…that's crazy. Why would you do that? I wouldn't have gotten it! I'm not coming in the room unless you want me to come into the room."

"See, you're false to your word."

Chad paused. He shook his head, "I'm confused."

"You said you would have gotten the key, but then you just said you wouldn't."

"So?"

"You're lying." She whispered the last part, "I don't even have the key."

"So you are lying too?"

"That's not the point."

"Then what's the point, Sonny?" He asked quietly, desperately wanting to see Sonny's face.

"The point is," she murmured, "that if you don't even tell the truth about the keys to a house, how do I know you're telling the truth about what you said in the car?"

Chad bellowed, "SONNY! God, I thought you knew me. You know when I'm telling the truth, Sonny you just proved th-"

"No! Chad I know two sides of you…and sometimes I can't decipher which one is talking. Is it the stuck up Chad Dylan Cooper who would say that to any girl?" She questioned. Soft foot steps made there way to the door. She reached for the handle shaking slightly. "Or," she said softly as she opened the door, "Is it my soft sweet Chad who's never said anything more true in his whole life?"

"The second one," he said nodding.

"It's not that simple because if it's the first one-"

"Which it's not."

"Then," she continued as if he hadn't even spoken, "You would be lying about that too."

She tugged Chad's tie lightly absentmindedly. Her hands searched for something to do. She was begging herself not to fall right into his arms.

"I'm not lying; I meant every word I said, Sonny." Chad truly felt like crying. He was so tired of this crazy emotional rollercoaster he was constantly on with Sonny, yet there was no way he was getting off of it because he knew what he would get out of it. He would get his Sonny, the one that he loved, and she would get him. He would be all hers. And yet…something was always wrong when they were in Hollywood. If they were in Wisconsin everything would have been fine. He'd figured that out. He'd learned, willingly, to love Wisconsin in the same way that Sonny loved it. It had honestly become a second home to him. But maybe that was just because everything seemed to be so perfect there.

She tugged on his tie a little bit harder, getting his attention.

"Chad, you know I love you."

His jaw started trembling, "Yes," he said quietly.

"But, its just hard sometimes! This isn't easy, Chad."

"I realize that, but when you do this to me, Sonny…It tears me apart. Sonny I don't know if you've realized, but you have changed me so much. I'm so much more emotional towards people now, and all my emotions are for you, Sonny. You're literally the only reason why I feel emotion to this day because I didn't use to."

"Chad you didn't change you've just brought the real you back out."

"No, Sonny the real me wasn't this nice. I was nice sure, but you…you've given me so much more, Sonny."

She reached her hands up to the collar of his shirt. She flipped the collar up, and fingered the tie.

Chad tried his best to ignore her motions against his neck. To much avail, he failed. He forced his eyes shut, making himself think of something, anything, other than Sonny. Her fingers, he noticed, slipped from the outside of his collar to his neck inside of his collar. He gulped.

"I always knew you were nice," Sonny said quietly.

"N-no…you just hoped I was nice, you always hope for…for…the b-best in people."

She didn't notice his tense edge. Her hands trailed to the back of his neck where his neck hairs were sticking up. He shivered under her mesmerizing touch.

"I guess that is true," she gave to him.

She leaned her head on his chest breathing slowly. In. And. Out. She reached to his blue button down shirt. She undid the first to buttons, and then her hands returned to his neck. So when she laid her head this time on his chest her cheek would brush against his bare chest.

"Despite everything," she said, "I love you, Chad," she said quietly. She kissed his chest momentarily before looking up to him. His eyes opened and he felt a surge of emotion he'd never felt before. He had no idea what it entitled.

"I love you, too." He said quietly. Hoping her eyes would leave his, he smiled at her. "You know…" he said, "I'm getting a bit tired. Maybe I should sleep on the couch, that way you don't have to go to bed right away."

"Well…are you sure?" she asked quietly.

"Umm, yeah I think it might be best."

"Well okay."

She smiled faintly at him. She did her best to not show that she saw every emotion that ran across his face, though she didn't know what most of them were. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, fearful of how he would receive a kiss on the lips. Chad seemed oddly tense, or maybe even hostile. So she let it go thinking he had a rough day.

"Good night, Sonny, I love you." He said.

He kissed her lightly on the lips.