Chapter Forty Eight
2456 Words
I'm sure you'd have been able to guess even without being told that sleep was well… let's just say, not a friend.
It literally stayed at an unreachable distance, hurling thoughts about the kiss at me.
Worse of all, my body actually hated the lights for coming back on at that exact moment.
Why couldn't it wait just an hour later.
This was stupid and so unlike me, and I hated that fact.
I hated how my body wished it hadn't pushed him away and just let things deepen into something more… you know.
By midnight, I was certain there'd be no sleeping so I tried creating the first chapter of my book, but Austin had even occupied that also.
After much trying, I gave up, collapsing on the bed for who knows how long.
It was only when the rap came on my door that I jumped off the bed, heart racing.
“It's me,” Austin's voice echoed, only increasing my heart race.
“Coming,” my feet shuffled towards the door as I willed myself to calm down the entire way.
With slightly shaky hands, I reached for the knob, pulling it to reveal the most breathtaking figure one could ever see.
He was clad in black suits and trousers with a white shirt inside.
His hair fell over his forehead in a way worth drooling over, only adding more beauty to his already hot self.
It didn't help that the scent of his cologne pleaded with me to draw closer to him and forget whatever reason we couldn't do such.
“Morning,” I tried composing my tone, ensuring to not give a hint of how I felt internally.
He returned my greeting with a curt nod, “I'm off to work now, but told Katie about last night and she's on her way so you can either take one of my cars back home, the keys are at the drawer next to the TV,”
“Or you can drive with her if she's offering to do so,” he suggested, not giving a hint of emotion towards last night's incident.
I just nodded. Anything to keep me from pulling those perfect lips of his to mine.
“You can have anything in the fridge if you're hungry, and I'm sure your cloth's dry so you can wear that.”
He seemed to be done so I planned on escaping back to the room when he spoke.
“And about last night,” those words alone were enough to give me a heart attack.
Who knows, maybe one was knocking at my door because, with the rate at which my heart had been racing recently, there was a high chance.
But I wasn't going to let it explode now.
So I raised a hand, “no, I don't want to talk about it.”
His brows furrowed a little. Just a little. “You can't avoid it forever, you know?”
“I didn't say I will avoid it,” my tone came out a little sharp, which was a contrary action to my shaky insides, “but I'm not just ready to talk about it.”
"But I want to—”
“Please,” I cut him off again, dropping my hand, “let's discuss this some other time.”
“When?”
Maybe never, “later,” why was he even so keen on talking about something that'd obviously be a very awkward conversation.
He glanced at the Rolex watch on his hand, then nodded, “I've got to go,”
“Okay, bye,” I watched him turn, then strode away.
Soon, the sound of the door closing and his car zooming off filled the air.
A breath I hadn't been aware I was holding flowed out of my nostrils.
Things might take a rough patch from here.
***
I was searching for something eat worthy in Austin's fridge when the door flung open, revealing an extremely worried Katie with Kelvin behind her.
“Oh dear,” she rushed to throw me in her arms, “Austin told me and gosh, how do you feel?”
After the hug, she scanned me from head to toe as though searching for a scratch.
“Oh goodness,” her gaze landed on my knees which the doctor had helped patch up, “those jerks, if I get a hold of them—”
“Woah, cool down lady,” I had to respond to the steam pouring out of her reddened body.
She huffed, “can't believe something so heinous happened to you.”
I shrugged, “nothing much happened, Austin was there to save the day.”
Now her eyes turned question filled, “how did he get there to be a hero? He never told me that.”
Now that she pointed that out, it made me wonder what he was even doing in that place at that particular time.
But I replied to her curious gaze with a “I ‘o know.”
She rolled her eyes, a teasing smile planted on her lips, “so how did you two spend the night? Was there any kissing scene?”
A teasing wink was thrown my way, and I had to bite back a blush.
She was so right.
“Hey,” Kelvin thankfully came to my rescue, which reminded me, we were supposed to go ring shopping today.
“Hi,” I eyed them both, “why are you two coming together?”
He shrugged, pocketing his hands, “she crashed at my place last night, feigning boredom,” then he leaned closer to whisper, “I'm sure she's just missing my presence.”
“Dream,” she apparently heard, playfully smacking his arm.
But of course that didn't move a muscle from him, instead a smile was directed her way. “It's true though.”
“Obviously it isn't, I'm not that pathetic.”
Even after the stress of everything, I found myself laughing at the couple, “so you admit to be pathetic.”
She rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance, “whose side are you on? Your best friend or her boyfriend you just met.”
“Hey, I met you two three years ago so it's kind of like a shared friendship,” I joked, earning a head shake from her.
“Guess you're alright.”
“Hmm, I'm glad about that,” he sent a questioning look my way.
Something Katie didn't notice as she sauntered towards the room, so he quickly mouthed, ‘I’ll send you a message’.
I nodded, following her to the room so nothing would be suspected.
She was sitting on the bed, taking off her shoes.
“I told Oliver about it before coming here,” she successfully pulled out one leg, then struggled with the other.
“Oh, how did they react?”
“They wanted to come quickly, but I convinced them you were in safe hands,”
“Uh,” I wanted to ask if she meant her or Austin, but Kelvin interrupted by coming in.
“Hey guys, I've gotta get going now, alright?”
Her brows furrowed, “why? Didn't we just get here?”
He shrugged, “got some things to take care of,” then pocketed his hands again.
I was starting to guess his hands were shaky and so he didn't want her to see them.
This dude was obviously nervous.
Cute.
“Bye,”
She didn't look satisfied with him, especially when he just left.
There was a few seconds of silence, before she spoke, “something's off with him.”
My mind raced with those words. Was she suspecting something? Had we not been too good at hiding it all?
Oh, shoot.
“Really? Why?” At least I didn't sound too eager or too casual that she'd have her suspicions.
The shoe finally fell off her feet, but she didn't make a move to lay on the bed, “he's just not been acting himself.”
“In a good or bad way?”
“Certainly not good,” her gaze dropped to her fingers that fiddled with her dress.
“What's wrong?”
“He's changed,” there was hurt laced in her tone.
“How?”
“He's…” she trailed off, seeming to search for the right word, “he's become less loving towards me.”
Hmm, I could assume it had to do with the nervousness he felt about proposing.
But I had to play in a game of obliviousness, “in what manner?”
She drew in a deep breath, her cheeks reddening even before she spoke, “we don't have s*x anymore or—or chat like we usually should.”
I had to bite back a smile, because one thing was sure, Katie wasn't a fan of talking about her intimate life.
For her to speak, it was something she'd probably bottled up and needed to burst open.
“Hmm,” I succeeded in feigning lack of knowledge.
“Last night, I was bored and decided to pay him a visit,” her voice shook a little, “and normally, it was a very intimate tine where we should just, you know.”
I nodded (not that she was facing me to see), watching her cheeks redden even further.
“But he was just like we should cuddle to sleep and nothing more,”
That wasn't so bad, right?
But I didn't say anything, giving her room to continue.
“And sometimes, I start talking about our future, and maybe when a video of someone getting married pop up and I start telling him how I want my marriage to be, he'll just change the topic like that isn't an option.”
“Oh my,” I gasped a little, “does that mean he doesn't ever plan on getting married?”
“Today he didn't even give me any usual goodbye kiss and just left, not even turning back to me.”
I would've laughed if her voice didn't shake again.
“So, what do you think?” My tone dropped like this was a big moment.
“That he is tired of me and wants to break up,” she broke into a fit of tears after those words.
It was obvious she'd been thinking about it for a long time.
“Oh dear,” I reached for her shoulders, gently petting her, “this is why I say love is not an option.”
The sharp look she shot me was enough warning to not joke in this serious situation.
But how couldn't I joke when I knew all this was drama.
By new year, she'd think back at this time and cringe at how she didn't notice the signs to be, a nervous man about to propose.
“What will I do with my life if I don't have him,” she sobbed in my shoulder, “he's my life. I'll be doomed.”
“No you won't,”
“Maybe I did something wrong,” she suggested, seeming to search her brain for what could've made her the reason for their soon-to-be breakup.
“No, maybe he's just being weird at the moment because of some kind of manly hormones.”
She scoffed like that was the most stupid suggestion ever, “obviously I did something, who knows, it could've been because I used to tell him no then when he'd ask for sex.”
She really was going to regret this later, so I better enjoy it while it lasts.
“Or I might be acting too clingy, calling him every night and sending messages then going to his house unannounced.”
“I'm sure he's the one at fault, not you,” I defended, glad I didn't sound too much on anyone's side.
She shook her head, “no, he's too perfect to be at fault.”
“You're also perfect—” I recalled when she farted at her friend's dad funeral when every one was crying over the deceased, “—ish, but no one's perfect.”
She giggled amidst sobs, “perfect-ish? Seriously? Does this have anything to do with the funeral fiasco.”
A laugh escaped me before it could be controlled, “you literally got all the humans there staring at you in shock.”
“I was fifteen, when will you let that go,” she rolled her eyes, brushing herself from my grip.
“Either way, I'm sure Kelvin also has an embarrassing moment like that, so you shouldn't worry.”
She rolled her eyes like I wasn't making sense, “you shouldn't tell me not to worry because you're not the one noticing his changes.”
I sighed, hoping to be able to hold it in any longer, “why don't I talk to him about it, how ‘bout that?”
She sniffed in, before nodding, “yes, but please if you get a negative reply, don't tell me.”
“The chances of that are low,”
“Or in fact, don't tell me at all if you get any reply,” she ignored my comment, “please don't even tell me when you plan on talking to him.”
I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes, “okay, I'll not tell you when I talk to him, but right now, I need assistance in writing the first chapter of my book.”
Her brow shot up, “what's wrong?”
“I've got to submit something tomorrow else I won't write it again.”
A gasp, followed by widened eyes came from her, “why?”
So I explained it all for the next ten minutes.
If she thought I was stupid for telling Jordan that, she didn't let it show and just rubbed her palms together, “let's get to business then.”
“Hmm, but I'll first want to head home, you bought your car?”
She shook her head, “came with Kelvin, but he left without even asking how I'll get back home.”
Oh boy, was she going to start the he doesn't love me scene again?
“This is enough proof that he's falling out of—”
“Come on girl, don't overthink, I already said I'll talk to him,” I patted her back, “we'll drive home with Austin's car.”
Then I could write the first chapter and see if I can make it to buy a ring.
Most importantly, I need to know if I can get the kiss out of my head.
- Writer
