Timing Is Everything

Chapter 23

"Jay, watch your fucking hands." I mumble into my pillow.

"So thinking Jay's grabbing your ass wakes you up but not the two of us whispering for ten minutes?" A familiar voice murmurs into my ear as they spoon me from behind.

"Alex!" I whisper-shout in surprise before turning around and trying to see his face in the darkness of my room at my mom's house. "You're back early!"

"Surprise." His deep voice rumbles while he moves an arm around my back and pulls us closer together. I place my hand on his bare chest and then move it up to his face by feel, brushing hair out of the way and then trying to guess where his lips are from there. Our noses bump together and I turn my head, smiling at how good my guess was and how nice it is to have him kissing me again.

"You're gonna have to tell me everything." I whisper.

"In the morning, my love. You've got school in four hours and I'm exhausted." He mumbles back to me. I kiss him again, breathing in the familiar smell of Listerine and sandalwood.

"I love you. Way more than I love Jay."

"I love you too. And I also love you more than I love Jay." He tells me while switching positions so he's laying on his back (literally the only position he sleeps in). I move my arm around him, laying on my side so I can hold his hand with my other.

"Goodnight, hun." I whisper to my hunky boyfriend.

"Goodnight, beautiful." He whispers back, squeezing my hand.

This is one of my happy places. I'm letting my mind wander (mostly on Alex's body, the new playlist I made, and the chemistry quiz I have tomorrow) and I'm at that sweet moment when I'm about to fall asleep when I hear it: the creaky stair of my wooden porch. 

Now, I'm super tired and just want to fall into the sweet release of sleep that I'm about to fall into. And it could have just been a skunk or a cat. But... it takes at least the weight of my twelve year old neighbor to make it creak, and he's probably ninety pounds.

Maybe it's just a super fat skunk or a real chonky cat. Maybe it's Jay leaving. But... He knows about the creaky step and that it's right underneath my mom's window (he almost got caught one night back when we were dating). Maybe it's just the house moving- yeah I know, people are trying to kidnap me for the whole month of March and now's not the time to be lazy.

"Alex, I-"

"I heard it too." He moans.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I'm a light sleeper, I wake up whenever your breathing changes." He sighs as he sits up. He reaches over me to my bedside table, kisses my forehead, and then sits back down, turning his phone on.

"What're you- hey, is that my living room? And my kitchen? Is that my dad's house?" I whisper as he taps through a bunch of live videos.

"Yep." He whispers back.

"I walk around in my underwear when no one's home." I whisper to myself in horror.

"Yes you do." He whispers happily while slapping my thigh. "And I only have cameras everywhere but bathrooms and bedrooms so stop worrying. And just so you know, it's because of these tiny hidden cameras that I'm able to see a short Lara Croft lookalike about to lock-pick her way into your front door." Just as he finishes saying that, I can just barely hear the sound of movement from the base of my stairs.

"Oh dang." I mutter while looking at his face that's illuminated by his phone.

"Wait here and scream if I don't open your loud-ass door correctly." He whispers, climbing over me, kissing my forehead, and then pulling on some sweatpants he left beside my bed. I want to ask him more questions but he's already closed the door behind him without making a sound (how does he do it? I'd love to know) and I'm left alone with my thoughts.