My Annoying Yet Possessive Bad Boy

Chapter 34

🎲Crystal's POV🎲

I remember a long time ago in middle school, when Laura and I were getting lunch in the cafeteria. We laughed and talked about the recent show we watched at our sleepover. I walked in front of her, confidently demonstrating my backward walking skills. I remember laughing and closing my eyes, which was a foolish thing to do because the next thing I knew, I had tripped over someone's backpack and was falling.

Everything felt like slow motion. I could see Laura reaching out to me, but I knew it would be too late. I would fall and humiliate myself right there in the cafeteria, in front of everyone. I shut my eyes tight, bracing for the inevitable. Suddenly, I felt someone catch me from behind. My breath hitched and my face flushed, but when I opened my eyes, my worst nightmare seemed to come true. The jock Laura had been telling me about, who supposedly had feelings for me, was the one who caught me. I had been avoiding him like the plague.

My stomach dropped. I wouldn't have minded if a zombie eclipse had started right then, or if the fire alarm had gone off. Even better, "Hey ground! Do you mind opening up and swallowing me? I promise I'm tasty. And if you think I'm not seasoned enough, don't worry-we're in the cafeteria; I'll gladly put some pepper and salt on myself."

That's how I feel now. Scratch that. That's what I want right now. In this small room with Ben, I wish I had some needles so I could stitch up my big mouth. I wish I could find that genie in Aladdin's lamp and wish for the ground to swallow me. The only issue with my plan is that the kitchen isn't close by right now. I would have to be one of the Totally Spies to get past this guy, season myself, and let the ground swallow me.

"Crystal?"

Did you hear something? Because I sure didn't.

Ben reaches out, and I think my heart stopped. Oh no, I can't go out like this. I need to pay the girls back for putting outfits in my bag that I haven't seen yet but know will make me strangle them.

He cups my cheek and speaks softly. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Besides, I don't think that's such a good idea."

My chest tightens at his words, and I feel a little disappointed. But before my brain can agree, my heart bursts in, ties my brain to a chair, puts duct tape over its mouth, and with an evil smile, speaks again. "We can put pillows between us. I mean, the bed is big enough, and I promise I don't snore or cross the line," I say quickly, wanting to slap myself for my idiocy.

Ben chuckles as if he knows what's going on in my head. My head and my heart are in the middle of a WWE match, and it seems my heart might walk away with the belt.

"Crystal, are you sure?" Ben's voice is gentle, his hand still resting on my cheek. I can feel the warmth from his palm seeping into my skin, making it harder to think straight.

I nod, swallowing hard. "Yeah, I'm sure. It'll be fine."

Ben's eyes search mine for a moment longer before he lets out a sigh and smiles. "Alright, if you're comfortable with it, then let's do it. Pillows it is."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and nodded again. "Great. Pillows it is."

We set our bags down and decide to continue exploring the rest of the house. There's a beautiful deck out back, complete with lounge chairs and a grill, perfect for enjoying the sunset and having a barbecue.

Ben decides to take the initiative and make a snack for us. He insists on being the head chef, but I manage to sneak in and take over some tasks, much to his mock annoyance.