IGNITE

four.

੭୧ 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫 ੭୧

Pockets of golden light danced against my cream coloured walls, illuminating the faint, green patterns that littered my comforter. The warm summer air blew the light, gauzy curtain that hung above my head, my feet resting atop my white bed frame as I read through the last few chapters of my book, my chest a tight knot of anxiety as I threaded my fingers through Mellie's hair.

The scent of my new, brooding roommate lingered in her fur, a soft aroma of sandalwood wafting towards me every time she shifted, the scent wrapping itself around me as my stomach fluttered.

I swallowed thickly, forcing the image of a shirtless, angry Grey from my mind as I continued reading, trying to lose myself in the words on the page, to escape into my favourite world—but the faint scent of cigarette smoke that streamed into my room from beneath Grey and I's joint bathroom door made my eyes water and nose burn, causing me to snap the book shut, and toss it on my nightstand.

My sweater hung loosely off of my frame as I stood, sending Mellie jumping off of me and into the mess of blankets on my unmade bed. Faint music echoed through the hallway as I approached Grey's half-open door, knocking lightly before intertwining my hands behind my back.

The door swung open, revealing a sweatpant-clad Grey, with a cigarette hanging loosely from his full lips. With a subtle, yet not carefully concealed eye roll, he stepped away, leaning against the doorframe in a silent warning not to enter his room. "What?" His tone was clipped as he took a drag from the cigarette, holding it for a long moment before exhaling, directly in my face.

My eyes immediately stung, and I let out a sharp cough as the overwhelming scent burnt my nostrils, tears pooling in my eyes as I stepped back, waving the smoke from my face. "Please," I panted between coughs, continuing to fan the smoke from my face. "Don't do that."

Grey chuckled, a dark, bitter sound that had my stomach fluttering and my cheeks blushing as he pulled the cigarette from between his lips, examining it closely before cocking his head to the side, a mocking smile tugging on his lips. "What? Princess doesn't like cigarette smoke?"

I shook my head, trying not to shrink back into my sweater at the heat I found in his hazel eyes, or the way his gaze flicked up and down, a judgemental glint in them that had me shifting awkwardly. "It makes me really anxious, so, if you could, maybe smoke on the porch instead?" I swallowed heavily, my throat drying under his watchful gaze, and I averted my gaze to the ground, shifting on the balls of my feet as I bit my lip.

"The scent of cigarette smoke makes you anxious," he echoed, something resembling disbelief swimming in his eyes. "Are you really so sensitive you can't handle the smell of a cigarette? Are you twelve?"

My face burned with embarrassment, my chest clenching painfully at his harsh tone as I averted my eyes from his gaze, feeling an odd sting of shame wash over me at the question.

"It was just a question." My voice was quiet as I shifted, crossing my arms over my chest as I fought the urge to chew on my lip. I glanced back at him, the words dying in my throat as he regarded me with cold indifference. "Nevermind," I muttered, turning away. "It's stupid." I didn't give Grey the chance to respond as I slipped back into my room, burying my face in my pillow as I tried to ignore the stifling scent that filled my room.

✧

"He said what?" Maxine's voice filtered through the phone, shrill and murderous as the sound of her pacing back and forth echoed through her house. "Oh, that son of a bitch! I'm going to kill him, Pipes."

I laughed nervously, knowing the truth that lay behind her words as I crossed my legs beneath me on my bed and ignored the glare Mellie sent my way as she woke from her slumber. "Max, it's fine, really." My eyes flicked up, studying the small, flowerlike patterns that littered my ceiling as I toyed with the frayed ends of my hair. "I mean, it was kind of silly of me to just assume he'd listen to me—"