Trials Of A Heart | ✔️

15

~Phoenix's POV~

"I'll drive you to and from school, if you like." I offered to Brielle as I put on my shoes in her living room a few hours later, sitting on her couch. She blinked down at me and her full lips formed a little frown, her brows furrowing. "O-Oh, you don't have to do that." She said softly with a shake of her head.

Ellie's soft brown eyes peered down into my darker ones, cocking her pretty head to the side. "I take the bus, remember?" She reminded me, though I really didn't need to be. I was well aware of this information, and that was partly why I was offering this to her. "I know." I said with a nod of my head. I finished pulling on my other shoe and then sat up again, leaning back into her couch. "I'm offering because I want to. We're friends and I don't even live that far from you—maybe ten, fifteen minutes. Your place is on my way to school, in fact. It'd probably save you time, and you won't be late if you come with me instead of taking the bus." I told her, causing her to bite gently on her bottom lip. My eyes lingered on the innocent action and the trenches of my mind turned it into something sinful. "I'll pick you up at nine in the morning." I murmured, dragging my gaze up to hers again.

She shuffled on her sock covered feet, still looking rather uncertain. "But I really don't want to be a burden, Phoenix..." She trailed softly, the sound of my name on her tongue making my hands clench into slight fists. Her voice was so soft and sweet, and it had never sounded so nice coming from someone else's mouth.

"You're not." I responded immediately, my gaze not wavering on hers as she stared down at me. She swallowed thickly and tucked a strand of her pink hair behind her ear. "T-Thank you, then." She said softly, scratching the back of her neck. It seemed that was something that she did when she was feeling flustered, or embarrassed, or just flat out anxious.

Brielle hesitated before she sat down next to me on the couch, her thigh gently brushing mine, but I was pretty sure I was the only one of us who couldn't stop focusing on the slight contact of our thighs. She found me attractive, and of this I was sure, but I didn't know if she dwelled the contact of our bodies in the way that I did. "Can I ask you something, Phoenix?" She asked in almost a whisper, her fingers fiddling subconsciously. I hummed curiously and she glanced up at me, brown eyes shining with her emotions. "W-Why are you so nice to me? You told me you're not nice to other girls. So why did you change that with me?" She wondered, furrowing her dark brows.

I stared down at her. "I told you. I didn't start speaking to you with the hopes of fucking you, like with them." I said honestly, noticing the way her cheeks colored slightly at my words. "Oh. R-Right. I'm sorry, I just...." She nibbled on her lip and turned towards me a little more, seemingly conflicted. "I'm not used to having people want to be my friend, or even want to talk to me. I guess I'm a little subconsciously suspicious when someone does." She laughed it off, but her words were laced with heavy truth and I could tell. It made me frown, but I didn't press her for an explanation.

My hand had a gentle grip on her chin before I even knew what I was doing, causing her eyes to bug wide in surprise. Her face immediately turned five shades brighter and she placed her small hand on my wrist, gripping it. "Calm down, Ellie." I murmured, not wanting her to freak out so much. She squeezed my wrist a bit tighter and peered up at me through her long lashes. I studied her face and leaned in a little closer, flicking my eyes down to her tempting lips as I wondered to myself how soft they'd really feel on mine.

"Y-You're close." She stammered softly, her large chest heaving. It was easy to tell that she was frazzled, her fingers shaking around my wrist. "Does it bother you?" I asked, forcing myself to meet her eyes again. She paused, her lips parting as she stared back at me and then reluctantly shook her head. "I-I guess it doesn't." She said.

"Oh?" I hummed. "How does it make you feel, having me this close, then?" I wondered, able to audibly hear her breath hitching when I leaned in close enough that I could feel our breaths mingling together. Her face flushed again. "Antsy. L-Like I'm waiting for something." She whispered. Truthfully, I was a little surprised she had answered so honestly, but then I recalled that she had a habit of blabbing the truth out to me when she was flustered. I couldn't help the way my ego inflated, knowing I made her feel that way.

A smile tugged at the edges of my lips. "Waiting for something?" I teased, reluctantly releasing my grip on her face. "So scandalous." I murmured playfully, pulling away from her. She seemed to snap out of it, and I knew she realized that she had just admitted something to me she hadn't meant to because she looked absolutely mortified, as if she was about to crawl into a hole out of embarrassment. It was funny, honestly.

She bit on the inside of her cheek and gave me a flustered smile. "S-So..." She began, clearing her throat as she curled her legs up on the couch. I felt her feet gently push beneath my thigh, only a little, and I watched her fingertips trail along the lining of her sock. "Do you really plan to drive me to and from school, Phoenix? I don't want to impose." She said softly, swiftly changing the subject. It wasn't subtle at all that she was trying to change the subject but I didn't mention it because I didn't want to embarrass her even more than I already had.

I couldn't help but to roll my eyes, sending her a rather unimpressed look. "Didn't I say so?" I retorted with a little sass, making her smile softly. She looked down at her hands as she placed them in her lap. "It's really nice of you to be willing to do that." She said, glancing up at me when I stood from the couch suddenly. Seeming to realize that I was about to leave, she stood up as well, her ample chest brushing against my abdomen. My mind wandered into dangerous territory and I found myself subconsciously staring down at her breasts, which were covered by a cropped white tank top that said Boys Lie on the front of it. I swallowed thickly and clenched my jaw, trying to reel my thoughts back in as I diverted my gaze up to hers again. "You really have to go home?" She asked me with a frown, sounding upset about my departure. It made me feel good to know that she wanted me to stick around.

"Sorry, Ellie. I really should get going." I told her, sending her an apologetic look. Yes, I need to get going before I lose my self control and try to get this girl out of her clothes, like I had been thinking of since the moment we met. Friends. We're friends, I reminded myself, yet it did nothing to deter my mind from imagining her naked and in my bed. "Oh, okay." She pouted slightly but, thankfully, didn't protest.

We headed to her front door and I opened it, ready to run down to my car and leave before I fucked myself over even more. Yet I turned around and looked down at her, my desire to see her face contrasting with my desire to leave whilst I still knew I should. She peered up at me as she stood in the doorframe and gave me a sweet smile. My heart pounded and I inhaled deeply. "I'll see you tomorrow." I told her, and she hesitated slightly.

All of the sudden, Ellie stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug, catching me very off guard. I tensed up in surprise, my first focus being that I could feel her body pressed right up against mine, and my second one being that I hadn't yet hugged her back yet. So I slid my arms around her curvy waist, feeling the soft fabric of her pink sweatpants beneath my hands. She was so much shorter than me that I had to bend over to hug her properly, causing my head to be buried within her soft hair. My mind felt in a haze as I hugged her, surrounded by the scent of honey. I could've fucking lost it right there, especially when she pushed up on her toes and gently kissed me on my cheek. "T-Thank you, Phoenix." She whispered, looking flustered as she pulled away.

I could feel my body beginning to heat up, so I gave her a slightly shaky smile. "I'll pick you up at nine." I murmured, before I stepped back and left her apartment the way I knew I needed to.