Chapter 27

"LOREN ELIZABETH TATE!" Nora yelled.

Loren jumped up; she looked around, "What?"

Nora motioned to the clock and Loren saw that it was 8:00; she was an hour late for school.

"Sorry, I forgot to set my alarm." Loren said getting up. She looked down and saw that Eddie was gone.

"Hurry up, and get to school."

"Are you driving me?" Loren called from the bathroom.

"No, I have job interviews, Loren we talked about this."

"But my car died mom! You were supposed to have someone look at it." Loren said coming out, fully dressed; she sat down to put on her make-up.

"I can take her." Max said walking in.

"No you don't have to-" Nora started.

"I want to," he smiled and whispered in Nora's ear, "One way or another, she's going to be my daughter."

Nora blushed, and walked out, "Uh, just tell me when you're ready." Max said, holding back a giggle; he loved making Nora blush.

Loren smiled and looked at him suspiciously, "Okay, thanks."

He winked and walked out, Nora was making herself tea, "Don't even think about it." she said.

He put his hands up, "What!" he smiled.

"Don't try to scare me," she turned, "and don't look at me like that; you know that's what you were about to do!"

"How did-"

"I am a single mother; eyes in the back of my head." she kissed him.

"Uh-uh" he said turning her around after she started to walk away. He held her face and pulled her into a passionate kiss that made her head spin every time.

"Eh-hem" Loren cleared her throat.

"Oh, ready?" Max said pulling away.

"Yeah, but uh, you can finish up here; I'll just wait in the car." she smiled at her mom.

"Well that was awkward," Nora said when Loren left the room.

"I better get going." he said kissing her.

"Thanks again."

"You can thank me later."

Nora giggled, "I really hope you're sense of humor didn't get passed onto Eddie."

"Why? I'm hilarious."

"And very… seductive and perverted."

"All the more reasons to love me." He said walking out. He climbed into the car and saw Loren texting Eddie.

"Thanks, again, Max." she said leaning back and he pulled away.

"No problem." He smiled at her.

'Where did you go?' she texted Eddie.

There was a moment of silence before Max said, "Loren, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Does me being with your mom freak you out?"

"No, why would it?"

"Well, because you and Eddie…"

"Oh… Well, I guess it's strange and awkward but Eddie and I being together shouldn't stop you two and vice versa."

"How are things between you and Eddie?"

"Better than ever, you and my mom?"

"Wonderful."

"Is this car ride awkward for you too Max?"

"Very." They laughed.

"Well we should get used to it because either way our situations turn out, you're going to be my dad." she smiled.

"What?"

"Well, if you and my mom get married or Eddie and I do…"

"No I meant, you would think of me as your dad?"

"Max, you're as close to a father as I will ever get."

"What happened with him anyway?" Max knew the answer but he wanted to hear Loren's side of the story to get closer to her.

"Well, he left when I was little. I barely remember him, actually. I remember mostly good things about him, others are just argument he and my mom had. I haven't heard from him since."

"Not even-"

"Not even my birthday or Christmas or when my grandma, his mother, died."

"Loren, I'm sorry if I..."

"Oh no, don't worry about it. I mean, it's nothing I usually talk about but nothing to get upset over. He means nothing to me. I'll call you dad before I call him dad."

Max pulled up to the school, "Here we are."

"Thanks again Max." she said leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

"Have fun." he said as she got out of the car. Once he saw that she was in the school he pulled away.

Loren walked to her locker when the bell rang. People poured out of the classroom and Mel came running up to her.

"Where have you been?"

"I over slept."

"Too much time with Eddie?" she laughed.

"Actually he came over and spent the night."

"Ugh, I want a boyfriend like him."

"Um, Adam."

"Well, actually that's what I wanted to talk about."

"Oh no."

"He's mad at me."

"Why?"

"I told him about Ian."

"Oh Mel…"

"The weirdest part is that, I don't care that he's mad."

"So what you want to dump him?"

"He's leaving right after graduation for New York, Lo. I think I've wanted to do this for a while."

"Just make sure, you don't do this because you're afraid of getting hurt."

"What?"

"Don't dump Adam because you don't want the heartbreak when he leaves; and don't go running to Ian cause you don't want to be alone."

"Why can't you let me be a mess?"

"Because I love you."

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Eddie walked into his apartment, still groggy. He had gotten up so fast when he heard his dad and Nora come into the house. He looked at his phone and saw he had a message from Loren.

'Where did you go?'

He smiled, 'Snuck out, fell asleep in my car, just got home.'

He laid down on the couch and tried to fall asleep but Jake kept calling him, "What" Eddie answered.

"Good morning sunshine." Jake said.

"Sorry, what's up?" Eddie said sitting up.

"Elizabeth Harper wants an interview with you and Loren."

"When?"

"Tonight; live"

"I'll call Loren."

"Hurry, the want an answer as soon as possible. Hey how are the songs coming?"

"Fine." Eddie hung up.

Loren texted him, 'Thanks for sleeping over : )'

He dialed her number, "Hey" he said.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Elizabeth Harper wants to do a live interview with us tonight."

"Sure, sounds like fun."

"Loren are you in class?"

"Yep."

"The teacher made you answer?"

"Yeah."

"Love you."

"Okay, bye." He could hear her eyes roll. He laughed as he hung up and started cleaning his bedroom. An hour later Loren called him back.

"Oh my God stop calling me." He said putting his pillow down.

"Shut up, when's the interview?" she smiled.

"8, my place."

"I'll be there at 5."

"Maybe we could have some pre-show fun?"

"How about after-show?"

"As long as we have fun." Eddie said. "Did your teacher make you put me on speaker?"

"Thank God no. I get enough people trying to be my best friend because of all the attention. They heard that everyone would be all over me."

"Poor little famous girl."

"Shut up." she said smiling.

"Listen I wanted to talk about last night."

"What about it?"

"The you moving in with me after graduation thing."

"Oh, that?"

"You hate the idea."

"No, I love the idea, I just don't know how my mom will take it."

"And?" he said hearing the hesitation in her voice.

"And it makes me think we're moving too fast."

"I don't think so."

"Not now, but if we move in together too fast, we start arguing which leads to periods of bitter anger which leads to break ups which lead to-"

"LOREN!" he laughed, "Calm down. It was just a thought; I love sleeping next to you and waking up next to you in the morning. That's all I want."

He heard the bell ring in the background and Loren sighed, "We'll continue this later."

"'Kay, love you."

"Love you too."

Review please. Don't expect 28 anytime soon- school...