Little Lies

23. Cupcake

The apartment feels cold when I get back. I suppose it's yet to feel like a home, and maybe it never will feel like one. It is after all just a temporary arrangement until this whole fiasco is over with, but something about it just feels odd. I feel terrible that I'm here, enjoying luxury—an apartment overlooking one of the greatest cities in the world, with all the food I could imagine and a huge TV to watch all the movies I want, but I have no one to share it with. Of course it's just like me to ruin things, I should have just kept my mouth shut instead of giving my opinion to Rory. If I did, perhaps she'd be here now. The both of us enjoying a glass of champagne.

It's even worse that the one person who is giving me all this hates my guts just as much as I hate his. You'd think we'd be able to find some common ground and get along, but it's like he makes it his mission to make my life more difficult.

I head to my bedroom with one of the boxes I somehow managed to pack before leaving and another two which were still boxed up from when I moved from my dorm. That's one thing I can be thankful for I guess. During them onto my bed, I pour my clothes out and begin to fold them up neatly before putting them in the draws. As I go through them, I start to wonder whether Leon was right when he said I needed a new wardrobe. All I have is skimpy dresses and midriffs—not that there's anything wrong with those, but I suppose they wouldn't give the best impression for being his girlfriend.

Oh gosh, I'm going to be his girlfriend. I hadn't even thought about that being my title. My whole life is now going to revolve around this man, where he goes and who he sees. I'll no longer be plain old Phoebe, I'll be Leon Camdon's girlfriend. Foul, I cannot believe I agreed to this. Not that I really did.

Half an hour passes and I look down at my phone to see it's almost seven-thirty. I thought this man valued promptness. Wasn't he the one who said he wants me to arrive half an hour early in the mornings? Don't dish what you can't serve, Mr. Camdon. Whatever, I'll just serve myself dinner and put on a movie until he decides to show up.

Another hour passes and I've already eaten the roast lamb and potatoes that had been prepared and stored in the fringe. I'm half way through some shitty horror movie on Netflix and I haven't received a single message from the man himself even after I texted asking if he was still coming. For someone who lives literally upstairs, you'd think it wouldn't be that hard to communicate and arrive on time.

Maybe he isn't coming after all.

***

I jolt awake at a bang, my eyes trying to blink away the haze to figure out what the hell that sound was. I look back towards the TV only to realise it auto played another horror movie, this one looking ten times scarier than the last. When the hell did I fall asleep and how long have I been out for? Thank fuck it's a friday night and i don't have to wake up early tomorrow, it feels like I've been slammed in the face with a brick.

I sit up on the couch, pushing off the blanket draped over me—hang on...I don't remember putting a blanket on.

I look up and let out a scream when my eyes land on the person seated in the other lounge. One leg crossed over the other, and staring intently at me, Leon doesn't look the least bit phased by my surprise. "What the actual fuck?" I yell at him, not concerned about waking anyone else in the complex up. "What the hell are you doing here? How did you even get in the apartment, you are fucking insane I swear! Are you trying to scare me to death?"

Leon blinks and leans back into the couch. "Are you done?"

I stand up, crossing my arms over my chest. "No, I'm not. You have no right to just waltz into this apartment at some ungodly time of night and just...what were you even doing? You know what, I don't care. You are such a creep." I take in a deep breath of air, and stare at him with narrowed eyes.