Celebrity Crush

Chapter 25

Aven's POV:

I think I want to kiss him. 

I basically said it to him, but I freaked out and came up with some lie about a dish, hoping he didn't hear my whisper.

I don't know what this means for me, but my head feels so conflicted; except for when I'm with him. When I'm with him it's like everything makes sense.

He was so ready to comfort me when I got upset and he didn't even know what happened. It was silly that I started crying but his genuine kindness mixed with my conflicted thoughts at the moment just made me emotional.

Now I have to come up with a dish to make him.

He looked so happy with us all around him and I think all of us could feel it, this is the group of people I would be happy to spend the rest of my life with.

I need to forget about these feeling I have for Ezekiel, whatever they are. I value our friendship too much and I wouldn't want him to be awkward towards me if he ever found out how I feel.

We all sit on the couches after eating my dish I made for Z, it was a berry roulade, which is technically more of a dessert but he loved it so it's fine.

Z and I sit together on one and the others on the three-seater, so we can talk about the Italy trip.

"May I ask why we're booking another trip while we're still away?" Bailey says, laughing slightly.

Sandra smiles, "well Aven's birthday is coming up so it's for that but-"

"Wait birthday?" Ezekiel asks, turning to look at me with his eyebrow raised, "sorry for interrupting you Sandra but he never told me his birthday was coming up."

"Yeah, it's September third," I shrug, "anyway continue."

Ezekiel punches me in the arm and sticks his tongue out at me, adorable.

"So, it's for his birthday but it's also for you pair-" she gestures to Ezekiel and I "-to have your conference at Italy with the head of the growing Earth Energy there."

"When is it and who's going?" Bailey asks, suddenly excited.

"We all get to go on this one and we leave on the 2nd of September and we're there for two weeks and we come home on the 17th, so we have Saturday and Sunday to get back into the swing of things before being back at work."

Ezekiel lets out a big yawn making us all chuckle at him, "Z it's only 4pm"

He pushes me slightly, still mad about the birthday thing, before laying his head on my shoulder, nuzzling into me slightly.

"We should play a game," Leanne says out of the blue, "what about we play never have I ever?"

"It's Z's birthday so he can choose," Caylen smiles, looking at Ezekiel far to long for my liking.

"Zeke," Ezekiel says out of the blue, "you can call me Zeke or Ezekiel, but not Z."

I have to hold back my laughter at the look on his face, putting my arm around Z to pull him closer to me.

"Yep of course, sorry," he says looking down.

"Never have I ever sounds good," Ezekiel says, "we should definitely get some drinks in here."

His mood has suddenly picked up and he sits up again making me already miss the feeling.

*time skip- 1 hour later*

"We have been playing for an hour how are you still going?" I ask, directed to all of them.

I chose not to drink again, one of us has to be responsible, especially when there's a lake so close by.

"Because" Ezekiel laughs, dragging out the word, "it's funnnn."

Bailey decides to play some music, getting up to dance and dragging Ezekiel up with her.

"Never have I ever been interested in a guy!" Leanne yells over the music, making Ezekiel, Bailey and Caylen laugh and take a big sip of their drinks.

I look down at my own, wondering if I should be honest or not.

Ezekiel brings me out of my thoughts when he grabs my arm, "dance with me," he whispers sloppily, getting very close to my face.

I laugh before getting up to dance with him, what he wants he gets.

The game continues and on a question about liking girls I have the same internal battle about taking a sip or not but decide to sip it anyway, I'm not ready for that conversation yet.

We keep dancing, drinking, laughing and asking stupid questions for another hour or so until I decide to make them some dinner.

"Nobody is allowed to die while I'm gone," I yell as I walk away to the kitchen.

After about 10 minutes Caylen walks in giggling to himself.

"What do you want Lenny?"

"I just wanted to say," his tone getting serious for a moment, "that if you don't go for Ezekiel soon, you will lose your chance, and I will."

"What the hell do you mean? Ezekiel and I are just friends, idiot and I'm straight," I say getting mad at him, "you can't talk about him like some object who can't make decisions, he can make up his own mind if he wants to go for you or not, but don't be disappointed if you don't like his answer."

"Wow ok fine, I was just saying," he chuckles, trying to play it off as him being drunk, but I'm not stupid.

"Veeee!" Ezekiel yells in a sing-song voice as he walks into the kitchen.

"Hey Z," Caylen says, wrapping his arm around Ezekiel, his tone completely changing.

"Um," Ezekiel says giving him a dirty look and shrugging his arm off, "I don't want you to call me that please."

Caylen puts his hands up in surrender and leaves the room chuckling.

I smile at Ezekiel's reaction. My smile grows when he jumps at me from behind and throws his arms around my neck, nuzzling into my back.

"You smell good."

"I do?" I laugh.

"Yep," he sounds very pleased with himself.

I turn around to face him, letting his arms return to their place around my neck and I hold his waist.

He jumps suddenly wrapping his legs around my waist, both of us laughing when I catch him without hesitation. This only makes him cuddle further into my neck, making a warm, happy feeling spread through my body.

Is this what butterflies feel like?

I place him down on the bed, my arms getting tired, but he continues to cuddle me.

"Are you asleep Z?"

"Hmm no, not yet."

I chuckle, "what do you mean not yet?"

"Well, I could fall asleep."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because you make me feel safe."

Those words make more butterflies erupt in my stomach, and I can't help the smile that stretches across my face. I cuddle into him more, holding him even closer.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"I'm happy I make you happy," he giggles softly, giving my neck a light peck where his face is.

I'm grateful for his drunken state so he can't see the effect he has on me, my tan complexion helping to hide the blush that he's causing.

I have no idea where my feelings are or what they mean, but all I know is that he makes me happy.

He makes me feel whole.