The Golden Boy

Different

There he came, arms wide open and a blindingly white smile dazzling on his face. I even resisted the urge to cover my eyes. "You missed me, Fy-fy?"

My feet moved on their own accord and I sprang myself upon the stupid i***t. I've spent almost all of my childhood with him but in our sophomore year,u we had to separate. Ever since, it was only Bree, Ryan and I. So now that he is here in months, yeah… I missed him.

"Oh shit." He murmured into my shoulder. "Fiona Rosa Marriott actually willingly hugging me? Am I dreaming?" And that got him a punch in the ribs for ruining it.

"And now I regret it 'coz you stink."

He made a horrified face and sniffed his armpits and mumbled, "Do I?"

I rolled my eyes and they landed on the group piling out of the kitchen, a bowl in each their hands and forks in their mouths. Bree tipped her's up.

"Ry made pasta. You guys want some? It's still hot."

"f**k, yeah." I said and started to move when he scoffed behind me.

"Oh, yes, yes. Eat the f*****g pasta I made. Don't care about me being here in so long. I don't mind."

And just because my mood was too good since lately, I tugged him along by his elbow. "Move your ass, loser. Gotta do a lot of catching up with ya."

He chuckled and let me manhandle him to the kitchen where I settled on the counter with my pasta.

Both his parents were chefs and Ryan naturally inherited their passion for cooking. It was his favorite thing to do and my favorite thing was to gobble up anything he made. He was that good.

"So," he cleared his throat as he sat beside me, nudging my shoulder with his. "Who's the pretty boy?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

I raised mine. "Who?"

"Blue eyes…cute face…broody personality? Out in your living room? Ring a bell?"

Shit.

I forgot that he was even present in this house. Well, not really forget. It just slipped my mind. I slid down the counter and immediately started making a bowl for him, too. f**k, I can't believe a little pasta can make me forget that Chase was in my house.

"You gonna talk?" Ry pestered from behind, arms crossed.

"He isn't broody." That's what I replied.

"Really? 'coz he was giving me those nasty ass glares when you hugged me. I actually thought my forehead burned for a second there." He touched the center of his forehead, as if for additional touch.

"Bullshit," Chase Hartford was not someone who glared at strangers. He was one of those people who smiled at them for no reason and instantly became friends with. That's how it was with me, anyways. "And why would he even do that." I challenged, handing him the bowl.

"I don't know. Maybe because he's your boyfriend and he was jealous that you gave me a hug." He shrugged, following me out.

"He wasn't jealous."

"So, you mean he's your boyfriend?"

"No!" God, I could smack him in the nose. He doesn't handle it well. "He's only a friend. And he doesn't have any reason to get jealous by you, either way." I whispered, trying not to be heard by anyone else.

"Well, he doesn't know that, does he?" He drawled, biting back a smile.

"Doesn't matter." I grumbled. Actually, it did.

In my living room, the t.v was mounted on the wall and a coffee table and honey yellow couch sat in front of it where the twins were seated, arguing while fighting to win the authority of the remote.

Bree and Ashton were sharing the loveseat and a frown adorning Chase occupied the two-seater on the right.

His expression made me think if Ry was saying the truth. That Chase was jealous.

Is this odd that the idea pleased me?

But the slight pout on his lips made me want to kiss his doubts away. And if he really was jealous because he thought something entirely wrong about me and Ry, I don't think I'm going to be able to refrain myself from laughing in his face.

I snatched the pasta for Chase from Ry's hand and made my way directly for the seat available beside my currently moody…frankly, I don't know what of mine he is.

"What got your panties in a twist?" I tried to joke, dropping the pasta in his lap.

All I got in response was a blank stare and it wasn't even sarcastic. That made me frown because it was so unusual of Chase. He eyed the pasta in my hands, then the one on his lap and then stared where Ry was on the couch getting along with the group like the goofball he was.

Chase grabbed the bowl and unceremoniously dumped it on the table, gaining everyone's attention. And then his hand twitched like he wanted to undo his actions but refrained.

Everyone went back to their chatter leaving me to conclude that the pasta didn't deserve his rudeness just because Ry had made it.

The person he was currently jealous of.

I announced. "I have some movies upstairs. You guys wanna watch anything?" Unsuspiciously, they all starting listing the things they wanted to watch and I stood up. "I'll just bring eveything down and we can choose. Chase, help me with it?"

Without looking at me, he stood up and followed me to the stairs.

I don't know if everyone was oblivious to the fact that I specifically called him or they just didn't want to point it out because they already knew, but I was okay with that as long as they won't pester me about it later.

Although, I knew that Bree and Ry are not gonna leave me alone from now on. They were a lethal duo, I'll tell you.

I was grateful that I had inherited my mom genes so that I was always the child who keeps their room clean.

Because right now, a boy was standing in my room. For the first time—except Dad, Pops and…yup, Ry.

Chase was eyeing the Avengers themed posters on the walls, when I shut the door with utter slowness, as if he was a rabbit I didn't want to scare away.

But of course, he had good hearing.

He eyed the closed door and stumbled his feet to the bay window and dropped his ass there.

Heaving a quiet sigh, I walked to him and tried to cup his jaw. Tried, because he instantly removed my hands form his face and looked down.

I frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?" No reply. He only fiddled with his thumb as his teeth worked on his lip. "Chase…talk to me." I urged.

He was making me feel like I had done something wrong when it was all about a miniscule misunderstanding.

But thinking about it, from his perspective, I actually could be wrong. Very wrong.

I totally won't feel nice if I heard that he was doing all that what he was doing when he had a chick on the sidelines.

"It's nothing." He mumbled, still not looking at me.

"Then, it definitely is something." I tried to hide my amusement. "Why won't you look at me?"

I appreciate his determination when he snapped his eyes directly to mine to prove me delusional and stated. "I told you, it's nothing?" But as I gave him a look that said 'I don't buy your bullshit', he breathed out. "I don't like Ryan."

Ah, the bluntness. I like it.

And did I mention the sour expression on his face when he said his name? Like said Ryan asked him to sniff his armpits?

"But why?"

"Leave it. It's stupid." He grumbled and looked away, but I wasn't gonna have it.

I tilted his chin up and smacked my lips on his. I swear his eyes literally twinkled. "I don't care if it's stupid or not. Tell me, anyway."

And as if he was on a spell, the words tumbled out of him. "I didn't like it when you hugged him in front of everyone. I know how you act usually. I've noticed that you don't even spare a glance to any guys, except me. But you never touch me like that openly either so, I didn't like it when you did it with him. I got afraid for a moment that I'm not that special for you yet and I might just lose you in no time. I really don't want that."

I was stunned into silence.

I never thought a guy would fret this much over prospect of losing a girl. But who was I kidding? Of course, he was Chase and he was nothing like other the selfish ass suckers. After all the time I got to spend with him and got to know him, I should have started seeing 'Different' imprinted on his forehead in bold capital red letters.

I climbed on the seat and straddled him, delivering a kiss to his cheek. "First things first, Ryan is actually my cousin." I smiled, watching his dumbfounded face. "And… I don't think you'll be losing me anytime soon."

He chuckled as the tips of his cheeks turned pink. "That's a relief, honestly." He spoke while pecking kisses sweetly into my neck.

"Uh-huh?" I raked my hand through his hair and tilted his head all the way up so I could look him in the eye "And

reminds me… I'm a promise keeper."

And with our latest conversation in the back of our minds we got lost in whatever this was happening between in us.

The movies were thoroughly forgotten , thought.