Chapter 7
Ephram stretches, his back is sore and he can't for the life of him remember what drove him to sleep on the couch. Suddenly though Ephram realizes that he isn't in his apartment in New York nor is he on his father's couch in Everwood, he and Amy had fallen asleep talking in her house.
"Shit." Ephram jumps to his feet startling Amy awake.
"What happened?" Amy asks rubbing her eyes and glancing around her.
"We fell asleep talking." Ephram responds, "I have to get going, they are going to be wondering where I went, what time is it."
Amy glances at her watch, "5:30."
"Shit." Without another word or backwards glance Ephram leaves the house before he can think about how right it felt waking up next to Amy Abbot.
Slipping into his father's house Ephram can't help but hope that Misty had fallen asleep before she even had a chance to realize that he hadn't come home.
"Where the hell have you been?" No such luck, Misty is sitting in the kitchen waiting for him.
"Amy and I fell asleep talking, I would have called but I didn't plan on falling asleep." Ephram states knowing how stupid it sounds even before the words come out of his mouth.
"You and Amy." Misty states nodding, "of course why didn't I think of that. I mean I fall asleep at the teenage love of my lifes house all the time."
"Misty, you are overreacting." Ephram states trying to keep his low enough not to wake up the entire family.
Misty licks her lips and nods, "right, I'm overreacting."
"Well aren't you? I mean it was an accident, you are acting like you don't trust me. You've known me for nine years, we've dated for that period of time and you don't believe the fact that I fell asleep at an old friends house? You make it sound like there is something else going on between me and Amy."
"You mean to tell me there isn't?" Misty questions standing up slowly from her seat at the counter.
"Of course there isn't, what makes you think there is?" Ephram asks.
"I just feel like I don't even know you since we came here Ephram." Misty does nothing to keep her voice low, "I feel like every time I turn around in this town you spent three months I learn something new about you. Like you aren't even the person I know and love and have been dating for nine years."
"Misty I didn't tell you about Amy, I'm sorry. When I first came to New York it hurt to much to talk about her and by the time I got over her it didn't seem like it mattered."
"There's the first thing!" Misty exclaims, "I started off as some rebound girlfriend. You would have dated anyone in New York just to get your mind off of Amy freaking-perfect Abbot."
"That's not true..." Ephram begins, knowing that that's exactly how his relationship with Misty had started out.
"It is true! But I got over that because I figured you were over her but I'm beginning to think that you're not."
Ephram stares open mouthed at her, "what?" By this time Nina, Andy, Delia and Sam have made their way downstairs and are watching the fight quietly.
"How come you didn't see fit to tell me you had breakfast with Amy yesterday?" Misty demands.
"Great here comes the psychoanalysis." Ephram sighs.
"That's right, here it comes." Misty voice is hard and cold.
"So then are you going to tell me why I didn't see fit to tell you I had breakfast with Amy?" Ephram asks.
"As a matter of fact yes, I honestly think you are just do dense to realize it. Subconsciously you couldn't tell me that you had breakfast with Amy because you felt to guilt about seeing the woman you love behind the back of the woman you are currently dating and living with."
"I'm not in love with Amy!" Ephram exclaims, frustrated.
"Oh really?" Misty asks sarcastically, "you haven't gotten over the love of your life from the age of 15. Ephram when are you going to wake up and realize it?"
"Never because it doesn't exist."
"It exists and I don't plan on waiting around for you to figure it out. I've called and had my ticket moved up to the 9:30 I'm taking the car. Ephram I don't think I can be with you anymore." Misty brushes away a single tear slipping down her cheek and grabbing a duffle bag Ephram hadn't even noticed at first she grabs the rental car keys and walks out of the house. Stopping only briefly to state, "it was nice meeting you."
"What the hell is she talking about?" Ephram demands of his family but the expressions on their faces only seem to confirm what Misty had just said. Unsure of what else to do Ephram sinks on to the barstool staring at his family. Everyone but Andy hurrying back up the stairs with various excuses, with the exception of Sam who mumbles something about sleep.
"So..." Andy states moving to stand in front of Ephram.
"What do I do?" Ephram asks running a hand through his hair.
"You could go after her." Andy suggests.
"Right." Ephram stands up.
"Ephram sit down." Andy orders and Ephram obliges. "Or you could think for a minute."
"About?" Ephram urges his father, whom he hasn't ever gone to with a problem, to give him all the answers he needs.
"How you actually feel, because if Misty is right and you are still in love with Amy you can't go chasing after Misty to come to realization that you aren't in love with her."
"And if I am in love with Misty aren't I going to lose her if I let her leave for Denver without me?" Ephram inquires.
Andy shrugs, "I don't know. But don't you risk hurting Misty if you take off without thinking first."
Ephram's face drops into his hands, "I don't know what to do."
Andy pats Ephram on the back, "welcome to adulthood." Andy goes about making breakfast, an ability he has greatly improved upon in nine years as Ephram sits in silence.
"I have to go after her." Ephram finally states.
Andy nods, "all right call the airport and see if you can get your flight switched. But if I can offer some advice why don't you catch the flight to New York after Misty, give her some time to cool down."
"Yeah, that's a good idea."
"Thanks for taking me to the airport." Ephram and Andy make their way through town an hour later, "I know it takes up your entire day."
"It's fine, nothing to worry about. There's Amy..." Andy points across the street where Amy and Katie are walking. "Maybe you should say good-bye, I know a certain little girl would be heartbroken if you left without saying good-bye."
Ephram nods, "your right, could you pull over?" Stepping out of the car Ephram calls, "Amy!"
Turning at the sound of her mother's voice Katie stops Ephram and runs down the street toward him, "Ephram!"
Ephram catches Katie easily in his arms, "wanna have breakfast with us?"
Ephram shakes his head, "I can't. I actually just stopped by to say good-bye."
"You're leaving?" Katie's face falls and if Ephram isn't mistaken Amy's does also.
"Yeah I have to go home to New York." Ephram responds.
"I thought this was your new home?" Katie suddenly has tears streaming down her cheeks.
"What gave you that idea sweetie?" Amy asks.
Katie shrugs, "I don't know. I thought he was gonna stay and be my new Daddy."
Ephram shifts uncomfortably and Amy looks embarrassed, "I don't know where you got such a silly idea."
"You guys were sleeping together last night, I thought he was gonna move in with us like Stacie's step-daddy."
"I just came to say good-bye." Ephram directs this comment at Amy over Katie's sobs.
Amy nods, "well thank you, for everything."
"It was nothing, I should get going, my flight leaves in three and a half hours."
Amy nods, "of course. It was nice seeing you again."
Ephram stretches, his back is sore and he can't for the life of him remember what drove him to sleep on the couch. Suddenly though Ephram realizes that he isn't in his apartment in New York nor is he on his father's couch in Everwood, he and Amy had fallen asleep talking in her house.
"Shit." Ephram jumps to his feet startling Amy awake.
"What happened?" Amy asks rubbing her eyes and glancing around her.
"We fell asleep talking." Ephram responds, "I have to get going, they are going to be wondering where I went, what time is it."
Amy glances at her watch, "5:30."
"Shit." Without another word or backwards glance Ephram leaves the house before he can think about how right it felt waking up next to Amy Abbot.
Slipping into his father's house Ephram can't help but hope that Misty had fallen asleep before she even had a chance to realize that he hadn't come home.
"Where the hell have you been?" No such luck, Misty is sitting in the kitchen waiting for him.
"Amy and I fell asleep talking, I would have called but I didn't plan on falling asleep." Ephram states knowing how stupid it sounds even before the words come out of his mouth.
"You and Amy." Misty states nodding, "of course why didn't I think of that. I mean I fall asleep at the teenage love of my lifes house all the time."
"Misty, you are overreacting." Ephram states trying to keep his low enough not to wake up the entire family.
Misty licks her lips and nods, "right, I'm overreacting."
"Well aren't you? I mean it was an accident, you are acting like you don't trust me. You've known me for nine years, we've dated for that period of time and you don't believe the fact that I fell asleep at an old friends house? You make it sound like there is something else going on between me and Amy."
"You mean to tell me there isn't?" Misty questions standing up slowly from her seat at the counter.
"Of course there isn't, what makes you think there is?" Ephram asks.
"I just feel like I don't even know you since we came here Ephram." Misty does nothing to keep her voice low, "I feel like every time I turn around in this town you spent three months I learn something new about you. Like you aren't even the person I know and love and have been dating for nine years."
"Misty I didn't tell you about Amy, I'm sorry. When I first came to New York it hurt to much to talk about her and by the time I got over her it didn't seem like it mattered."
"There's the first thing!" Misty exclaims, "I started off as some rebound girlfriend. You would have dated anyone in New York just to get your mind off of Amy freaking-perfect Abbot."
"That's not true..." Ephram begins, knowing that that's exactly how his relationship with Misty had started out.
"It is true! But I got over that because I figured you were over her but I'm beginning to think that you're not."
Ephram stares open mouthed at her, "what?" By this time Nina, Andy, Delia and Sam have made their way downstairs and are watching the fight quietly.
"How come you didn't see fit to tell me you had breakfast with Amy yesterday?" Misty demands.
"Great here comes the psychoanalysis." Ephram sighs.
"That's right, here it comes." Misty voice is hard and cold.
"So then are you going to tell me why I didn't see fit to tell you I had breakfast with Amy?" Ephram asks.
"As a matter of fact yes, I honestly think you are just do dense to realize it. Subconsciously you couldn't tell me that you had breakfast with Amy because you felt to guilt about seeing the woman you love behind the back of the woman you are currently dating and living with."
"I'm not in love with Amy!" Ephram exclaims, frustrated.
"Oh really?" Misty asks sarcastically, "you haven't gotten over the love of your life from the age of 15. Ephram when are you going to wake up and realize it?"
"Never because it doesn't exist."
"It exists and I don't plan on waiting around for you to figure it out. I've called and had my ticket moved up to the 9:30 I'm taking the car. Ephram I don't think I can be with you anymore." Misty brushes away a single tear slipping down her cheek and grabbing a duffle bag Ephram hadn't even noticed at first she grabs the rental car keys and walks out of the house. Stopping only briefly to state, "it was nice meeting you."
"What the hell is she talking about?" Ephram demands of his family but the expressions on their faces only seem to confirm what Misty had just said. Unsure of what else to do Ephram sinks on to the barstool staring at his family. Everyone but Andy hurrying back up the stairs with various excuses, with the exception of Sam who mumbles something about sleep.
"So..." Andy states moving to stand in front of Ephram.
"What do I do?" Ephram asks running a hand through his hair.
"You could go after her." Andy suggests.
"Right." Ephram stands up.
"Ephram sit down." Andy orders and Ephram obliges. "Or you could think for a minute."
"About?" Ephram urges his father, whom he hasn't ever gone to with a problem, to give him all the answers he needs.
"How you actually feel, because if Misty is right and you are still in love with Amy you can't go chasing after Misty to come to realization that you aren't in love with her."
"And if I am in love with Misty aren't I going to lose her if I let her leave for Denver without me?" Ephram inquires.
Andy shrugs, "I don't know. But don't you risk hurting Misty if you take off without thinking first."
Ephram's face drops into his hands, "I don't know what to do."
Andy pats Ephram on the back, "welcome to adulthood." Andy goes about making breakfast, an ability he has greatly improved upon in nine years as Ephram sits in silence.
"I have to go after her." Ephram finally states.
Andy nods, "all right call the airport and see if you can get your flight switched. But if I can offer some advice why don't you catch the flight to New York after Misty, give her some time to cool down."
"Yeah, that's a good idea."
"Thanks for taking me to the airport." Ephram and Andy make their way through town an hour later, "I know it takes up your entire day."
"It's fine, nothing to worry about. There's Amy..." Andy points across the street where Amy and Katie are walking. "Maybe you should say good-bye, I know a certain little girl would be heartbroken if you left without saying good-bye."
Ephram nods, "your right, could you pull over?" Stepping out of the car Ephram calls, "Amy!"
Turning at the sound of her mother's voice Katie stops Ephram and runs down the street toward him, "Ephram!"
Ephram catches Katie easily in his arms, "wanna have breakfast with us?"
Ephram shakes his head, "I can't. I actually just stopped by to say good-bye."
"You're leaving?" Katie's face falls and if Ephram isn't mistaken Amy's does also.
"Yeah I have to go home to New York." Ephram responds.
"I thought this was your new home?" Katie suddenly has tears streaming down her cheeks.
"What gave you that idea sweetie?" Amy asks.
Katie shrugs, "I don't know. I thought he was gonna stay and be my new Daddy."
Ephram shifts uncomfortably and Amy looks embarrassed, "I don't know where you got such a silly idea."
"You guys were sleeping together last night, I thought he was gonna move in with us like Stacie's step-daddy."
"I just came to say good-bye." Ephram directs this comment at Amy over Katie's sobs.
Amy nods, "well thank you, for everything."
"It was nothing, I should get going, my flight leaves in three and a half hours."
Amy nods, "of course. It was nice seeing you again."