Chapter Six:
Falling

"I'm fucking moving to Las Vegas," Natalee announced one day after work.

It had been about a month since Greg's visit and Luca and Greg talked but never about anything serious, more about how their day was and how work--including Luca's fake government job--was going. They never said anything about them being together or anything remotely related to the future.

"What are you talking about?"

"What didn't you understand about that sentence?" Natalee remarked. "I'm fucking moving to Vegas."

"Why?"

"Why not?" Natalee asked. "What's holding me down here? Step one, I'm going to quit my job. Step two, I'm going to pack my shit up. Step three, I'm going to drive myself to fucking Las Vegas!"

"Where are you going to live?"

"Nick's."

"You guys just met! Aren't you guys jumping the gun just a little bit?" Luca asked, outraged.

"Well, you could always come and be my best roommate ever." She gave Luca a cheesy smile.

Luca's life wasn't going anywhere and talking Greg was the only thing she had to look forward to anymore. But she still had doubts.

"I need a couple of days," she said.

Natalee groaned. "Do something spontaneous! Adventurous girls get all the fun," she said, pointing to herself and smiling playfully. When Luca didn't respond, she rolled her eyes. "School ends next week Friday. Can you get me a freaking decision by then?"

Luca nodded slowly.

Natalee felt it necessary to remind Luca everyday about her deadline. She made a countdown on the fridge with Post-Its and waited until Luca was in the middle of her bowl of cereal to walk into the kitchen and tear the numbers off every day.

"One day!"

Luca rolled her eyes and kept reading the newspaper.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lu," Greg said.

Luca smiled. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Hmm…nothing too much. How about you? How many days?"

"Tomorrow's the day," she said. Luca had been keeping him updated on every aspect of her life, why leave this one out?

There was a silence.

"Any idea what you're going to do?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, I've had my mind made up for a while now. Just adding a little drama to the mix."

"Time's up," Natalee said, sitting on the stool next to Luca.

"Believe me, I know," Luca said with a spoonful of Life in her mouth.

After Luca didn't say anything else, Natalee sighed. "So, don't leave me hanging!"

"You have to wait until I tell Greg," she said.

Natalee groaned. "So much for loyalty."

"Well, actually, I've known Greg longer so…."

"Whatever," Nat said.

Luca watched as Natalee walked into the bathroom to take a shower, ran around looking for clean socks to get dressed, and finally leave before calling Greg.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Greg."

"Time's up," Greg said.

"Okay, Natalee," Luca said, laughing.

"So?"

She didn't say anything.

"If you don't tell me right now, I'm going to jump out of a window," Greg warned. He laughed.

"I'm coming," she said, almost inaudibly.

"What?" He'd heard her, he heard the smile in her voice, but he wanted her to scream it.

"I'm coming to Las Vegas," she said, louder.

"With a little feeling, Luca!"

"I'm fucking moving to Vegas!"

They rented a U-Haul and were off.

Luca wanted to stop at every tourist attraction on the way to Vegas. Natalee started to get pissed after a half hour of driving.

"We're not stopping, Luca."

Luca decided to call Greg instead.

"We're leaving California. We just hit Nevada, Greg!"

Natalee looked at her. "I've never seen you so annoying," she said.

Luca shrugged, phone still attached to her ear. "I'm excited."

"For a girl who was so reluctant to come, you sure are making the best of this."

"I'll call you when we get to Vegas," Luca said. "Bye.

"God, this was seriously the best decision I've ever made, Nat. Thank you." Luca smiled.

"Hey, Lu?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you told him yet?" She turned her head and took her eyes off the road for a second.

Luca's face became more distraught by the second. "Do you really think I need to? I could really get a job there in astrophysics. I mean, he's not going to ask for my back taxes."

Natalee shook her head.

"The past is past, right?"

Natalee kept her eyes on the road.

"I'm fucked. Oh, shit. I can't go through with this, Nat. I'm going home."

"Luca, you're overreacting," Natalee said. "It's just one little lie, just tell him."

"You keep saying this 'tell him' stuff, but you don't understand how hard it is for me," Luca said. "You're not in this situation."

"Luca! I wouldn't be in this situation," Natalee said. "I would have told the truth."

Luca looked out the passenger's side window and then at Natalee. "If I knew I was going to be falling in love him over the next three months, I wouldn't have lied either."

Natalee looked at Luca now. "Luca! Love?" She smiled. "You love him?"

"Falling is what I said, actually," she said, blushing.

Natalee rolled down her window and stuck her head out. "Luca's in love!"

"Falling," Luca corrected her again.