Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 77

"Dude, where are you? It's past eleven."

I sigh and then more patiently because I can't scream because I'm polite, "Evening, Lyra. How was your day?"

There's a pause. And then in a panicked voice. "Are you in trouble? Are you hur—"

I interrupt her before she works herself into a heart attack,

"I'm fine. I'm at a work thing. I'll be late. Go to sleep."

There is static.

"Oh. Okay. Just come home with all your limbs." I hear some flustered fumbling in the background

I don't hide my smirk, "Worried?"

"Bite me. You just need them to bring back groceries. We are going to starve. I texted you the list." She answers easily

The smile slips off my mouth. "Nothing is open at this time."

"Your problem. Should've answered my calls earlier. If I starve to death I'll kill you. Find someone else to charm." the line cuts off

I remove the phone from under my ear and resist the urge to stick my tongue out at the screen.

Fine, I will.

------------------------

I blink at the empty depths of my coffee mug feeling a little betrayed. I could've sworn I made a cup like two minutes ago. I blink at the time.

Shit, maybe it was two hours ago.

"I love you Madame Bronte. But you and I. We are done." I say, or more accurately, mumble incoherently as I press submit at 3am

I tilt my head from where it is lying despondently on the table to look at the mug. I should wash it. I should definitely wash it.

I force my legs to heave my body out of the chair feeling like it has absorbed three grown men.

It takes me a good while to register the half-naked blonde at the foot of my door. My delayed reaction was arguably probably terrifying.

"Who are you?"

"Who am I? Who are you?" she asks

"I live here." I exclaim and then, "Well, it's complicated."

"I don't know he had a girlfriend." The poor thing looks positively traumatized as she wrapped the billowing shirt around herself.

"He who?"

"Hey I think you—" Aiden stumbles out of his door in his unbuckled trousers and without a fucking shirt. Holding a bra. He looks at me. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

Oh.

Oh.

"I was working." I say and then hurriedly at the shivering lady. "I'm just his roommate. I'm sorry, I'll just—"

"No, no, I was just leaving."

"No, please." I smile in pain. "I am really very sorry. I just wanted to...mug, sorry. I—okay." I step inside the room and shut the door loudly with a beating heart

I try not to listen to the muffled noises outside and I definitely don't almost cry when Aiden knocks sympathetically on my door. I open it just a crack and peer at him apologetically.

"I really didn't mean to cockblock." I say quietly and he snorts holding out his hand

I place the mug on his palm.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend." I mumble creeping out the door behind him as he walks to the kitchen. The light bouncing off his bare back as he moves around makes it really hard for my 3am brain to focus.

"She's not my girlfriend." He raises his eyebrows at me and then goes back to washing my mug

My eyes catch a glimpse of white in the darkness of the room and I pick the piece of paper up. I scoff a little. "You sure about that?" and raised it at him

He looks at me and then the number on the paper before leaning over and snatching out of my hand. He sighs and chucks it in the bin.

"Dude." And I punch him on the arm. "That's a bit mean, don't you think?"

"She's not here." He grimaces holding where I hit him. I hit him again.

"She was here not a minute ago."

"It's not going to happen." he says before putting the mug on the shelf

"Why not?"

"Because it never does." He replies in the same tone

"Why not?"

He turns around slowly. "It just doesn't, okay?"

I open my mouth and then shut it. "Okay." He nods and then turns around to leave. "Why did you kick her out so soon though?"

"Because I don't do pillow talk. And I don't like spooning. It gives me neck cramps." I go to open my mouth and then I hear him go. "No." I close it.

"Seems a little harsh, is all." I say with a little shrug

"Why, how long do you spoon for?" he turns and asks teasingly, his eyes glinting in the moonlight

And before I could stop myself, I have already winked at him and said, "Come find out."

He stops in his tracks and I don't really wait around to see what his face looks like. I pat his arm, where I slapped him, playfully and skipped into my room with my heart out of my throat and halfway across the living room.