Addicted to Green

CHAPTER 15

NAVINA

My eyes flutter open, and I feel a warm body pressed against me. I see Caden. A small smile forms on my lips. He stayed. I look at his soft sleeping features. His closed eyes and the light shining in from the window make him look ethereal. He's wearing a black, baggy hoodie and sweatpants. Always black. I swear he was made of black... not in a bad way. I start to think and notice the light shining through the windows...

School. Oh shit.

I try to grab around to find my phone. I feel it and look at it, my eyes widening as I shake Caden awake. "We're late," I say, and his eyes open too. He immediately puts an arm around me.

"It's too early," he murmurs. His deep morning voice makes me go feral, but I retreat and focus. It's eight-thirty! First period starts at eight! I'm a half hour late.

"No, it's too late!" I say back.

"What?"

"School," I say, getting out of bed. I look at messages from the group chat. I reply saying I'm late but on my way. Caden groans and looks around. "Come on! Aren't you going to school?" I wonder as I go straight to my closet and pick out clothes. I close the door before he can answer and put them on. Once I walk out, Caden's eyes are closed.

"Caden!" I snap, and my fingers snap as well.

He opens his eyes harshly. "I'm up. I'm up," he mutters.

"Are you going to school?" I ask as I put my hair in a low ponytail. I walk over to Caden. I do have an hour if I just go to second period. Which I will. There's no point in going to first period. Plus, I would rather be late and pretty than ugly and early.

"I don't know. Are you?" he asks, mumbling through a slurred and sleepy voice.

"Obviously," I say.

"Then sure. I'll go." He starts to get up and clutches his side.

"Do you want me to look at it?" I ask him. His eyes are sleepy, and his lips are plump and kissable.

Stop focusing on his lips, Navina. He's hurt! Do you not respect?

"If you want," he shrugs. I clear my throat and walk over to him.

I lift his shirt, and his heat radiates towards me. Near the wound, I see that the gauze is the same and some blood seeps through. "I should change it. Did you change it before?" I ask, looking up at his deep, pale gray eyes that are fixated on me.

He shakes his head. "No," he mutters. He seems so tired.

I nod. "I'll change it," I say as I walk over to my bed and kneel. I grab the kit out from under the bed and open it. I take an alcohol swab and walk back over to him. He lifts his shirt, this time not too much. I see some of his olive skin and toned muscles on his stomach.

I take off the bandage, placing it on my vanity after closing it so no blood gets anywhere. The wound doesn't look infected, which is great. I dab it; he doesn't wince this time, so he must be really tired, or it doesn't hurt.

I then put on the same gauze that I used before. His olive skin is taut, and he seems fit. As I put on his bandage, he lifts up more of his shirt, and I see another long, jagged, thick scar on his side just below his fresh one. I frown but don't speak about it as I put the gauze on. The scar disappears under his pants and also under his shirt where he's holding it. Jeez, I wonder what that was from.

"Done," I say, taping the last side.

"Thanks... again," he says, swiftly putting his shirt back down, covering his scar.