𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 ━━ SARAH CAMERON

26

SARAH WOKE UP TO THE feeling of something heavy leaning against her.

She didn't dare move as she glanced at Kaden who had his head on her shoulder, sleeping while one of his hands was resting on her thigh.

As she sat there, a mixture of emotions flooded over her, causing her cheeks to flush with warmth. The proximity of Kaden, his peaceful slumber right beside her, sent a tingling sensation through her body. She couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment.

Her mind raced, contemplating the events that led to this moment. She knew she should have gone home the previous night, but exhaustion had taken hold of her, luring her into a deep sleep that she hadn't anticipated.

She thought she'd sit on the couch for a while then get Wheezie so they could go home but she ended up falling asleep— Her sister didn't bother to wake her up. Sarah figured she must have been sleeping as well.

The blonde stared at Kaden. The gentle rising and falling of his chest, the soft rhythm of his breath, it was all so mesmerizing, making her forget about the passing hours. She'd never seen him so peaceful before.

As the first rays of sunlight began to filter through the window, Kaden gradually stirred from his slumber. He groaned and unconsciously leaned closer to her, burying his face further into her neck. Sarah stilled and held her breath.

His lips brushed against her skin and his brows furrowed. The familiar hair shampoo spell filled his nostrils and he was about to lean further in before he snapped back to his senses and put some distance between them as his eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of captivating grey eyes that met hers.

There was a momentary pause, an unspoken connection that lingered in the air. Their gazes locked for what felt like an eternity, as if time itself had frozen.

Slowly, Kaden became aware of the situation and quickly adjusted himself, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. It was a rare sight to see him flustered, yet in this moment, vulnerability graced his features, making him even more endearing. "Shit," he cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure, but the lingering traces of a blush remained, adding a touch of innocence to his handsome face.

Sarah couldn't help but smile, although she'd bit her lip to prevent him from seeing it as a mix of relief and admiration washing over her. It was in these small, authentic moments that true connections were forged. Their unspoken bond seemed to deepen with every passing day, they were both aware of that fact.

"You didn't leave," he pointed out the obvious, threading his fingers through his hair as he sat up straighter.

"I fell asleep," she muttered, silently cursing herself for not being able to tear her eyes away. Every movement he made, every word he spoke, held her captive. It was as if the world around them had faded away, leaving only the two of them in this bubble. In the depths of her mind, she wondered what would come next.

He glanced at their positions and cringed. They were both sitting and had been like that all night. "Must've been uncomfortable."

"Surprisingly, I slept fine," she mumbled, nervously running her fingers in circles on the pair of Jean shorts she had on.

"That's great," he wasn't sure what to say. He wouldn't look at her, his eyes were darting around them. "You didn't go home last night. That'd be suspicious."

"Right," she stood up, running a hand through her hair, an attempt to make herself sound more presentable enough. "I'll wake Wheezie up and go home. Sorry for—"

"Don't even go there," he cut the rest of her sentence short with a scoff.l, amusement taking over his features. "Were you seriously about to apologise for falling asleep?"

"I mean," she cleared her throat, "I don't know. Yes?" She sounded unsure of what she was saying, "its not like me. I'm usually responsible." She picked up her phone from the table in front of them and her eyes widened at the number of missed calls and text messages from Ward and Topper. "I better get going."

"Mhm," was all what Kaden gave her, but he kept his eyes on her, watching her every move as she went to wake Wheezie up in Blake's room.

His lips twitched when he heard Blake's loud morning voice shout, "Sarah, get out of my room!"

"Wheezie and I need to go home," Sarah said simply, "unless you want my dad to show up here and beat your twelve year old self for being in a bed with his under-age daughter."

"Im thirteen," Blake groaned in annoyance, "and so is she. Plus, we did nothing. We just slept— like you and my brother did."

"You'd better," Sarah mumbled and the rest of their conversation was ignored by Kaden who decided to get up and go to his own room to do his usual morning routine and get ready for the day.