🔞I May be Falling in Love // Hwang Hyunjin🔞

🖤Chapter 17🖤

I'm having trouble sleeping. Every part of me is tired and wants to sleep, but my eyes refuse to close. I keep checking my digital clock and see that it is 4:06AM, and I decide there is no point in trying any longer.

I get out of bed quietly, throw a large t-shirt over myself because I normally sleep in just my underwear, and sneak out to the living room. It's difficult to be quiet in our apartment without waking each other up as the floor boards creak louder with each step. I finally get to the kitchen without waking Cole and open the refrigerator to find nothing. There's raw meat and vegetables, but nothing to snack on, which causes me to softly grunt. I walk over to the sofa and lie down, my legs dangling over the arm rest, facing Cole's room. That's when I decide to make my way to his door and open it just a crack to find Cole snuggled up on the right side of his bed, the duvet covering his ear. He always said he sleeps with his ear covered because he was afraid someone would whisper into it. I've always thought that was cute, and I'm smiling as I lean against the door frame, arms folded across my chest admiring his cute state.

"Audrey?" Cole rasps before yawning.

'Shit was he staring at me the whole time?'

"Cole, You are awake!" I jump in my place, startled by his words.

I start walking into his room as he turns on his lamp and sits up straight, the dim light of the lamp highlighting his well-built physique.

"Well, yeah. You were just staring at me." He laughs with a puzzled expression before patting the empty side next to him and motioning for me to sit. "Why are you awake at this hour?"

"I'm having trouble sleeping; I've been tossing and turning all night." I fidget with my fingers before tucking my legs under his bedsheet, trying to cover as much of myself as possible because I realise I'm still in just my panties and a t-shirt.

"What are you thinking?" He asks, turning his entire body to face me.

"I'm not sure."

"Why don't we take tomorrow... well today, off? I can contact Chris on our behalf and we can go to the arcade like old times." He says this as he gently wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to rest my head on his naked chest. I wrap my arms around him and feel my eyes getting heavier as he turns off the lamp and continues to hold me. I feel his tight muscles on my back and fall asleep, much needed.

"Wakey, wakey."  A bright voice calls, and my eyes pop open. Cole approaches the bed while wearing grey sweatpants and holding a coffee mug.

"Can you tell me the time?" I yawn and sit up, taking the mug from his grasp and bringing it to my lips.

"Ten-thirty."

"You really should have woken me up! That's way too late!" I playfully punch him with my free hand.

"I woke up early to call Chris, went back to sleep, and then woke up around ten a.m., so don't be mad at me." Cole states and takes a seat next to me. "Did you sleep well?"

"I actually slept well."

"That's great."

Suddenly, I hear my phone ring, but it sounds much closer than it should because I had left it in my room. That is, until I notice my phone lighting up on Cole's bedside table.

"Harley has been calling you all morning." He says as he hands me my phone.

"Did you tell him I was staying home today?" I enquire before answering the phone.

"Where the fuck are you?" Harley's voice is enraged, indicating that Cole did not inform Harley.

"Sorry, I thought Cole would have informed you... I'm staying at home with Cole today to have a day to ourselves." I ask myself if I should tell him the truth or lie, but why would I lie?

"It would've been nice to receive a heads up."

"Once again, I'm sorry Harley; I'll make it up to you tonight." I offer before hanging up, not realising that Harley can interpret that sentence in a hundred different ways, ranging from good to pleasureable to bad.

I finish my coffee and place my phone face down on the bed, noticing Cole's sad expression.

"What?" I ask.

"Are you all right?" He asks as if I had just received the worst news of my life.

"I'm fine; you should have informed Harley for me."

Cole reaches out his hand to take the empty mug from my grasp before I stand up and quickly adjust my shirt, hoping Cole doesn't notice how high it rides up. I walk out of his room, my face flushed of embarrassment, and back into mine, reaching for the doors to my wardrobe. I choose a simple blue halter-neck top with black straight-leg jeans as my outfit for the day and head to the shower. The one thing I dislike about living with Cole is that we share the bathroom, which also happens to be connected to his room, so it's embarrassing when I forget my towel and have to scream Cole's name while I'm butt ass naked in the shower using the curtain to cover as much of my body as possible.

We both finish getting ready and meet in Cole's car; I'm always waiting on him because he takes twice as long just to choose his outfit when he usually just wears black skinny jeans and a black t-shirt with a toothpaste stain on it.

We drive to the nearest arcade, which neither of us has ever visited. It is small and retro from the outside, with a neon sign out front and claw machines placed along the front with barely enough space between each one. We walk in and our jaws drop to the floor at what we see. Arcade machines line every wall, there's a bowling alley and café in the back, as well as pinball machines and dodgems in the middle.

"Holy shit." Cole says something under his breath and runs straight towards Donkey Kong, while I look for a hockey or ping pong table. I laugh at how excited he is as he approaches the machine, slightly jumping up and down. I tilt my head in awe as I watch him grow excited over the classic arcade game.

"Audrey?" As I stand at the bowling alley watching families compete against each other, I hear a familiar voice call from behind me.

I freeze in my place knowing exactly who is calling my name.