SCYTHE

9.𝑳𝒊𝒂𝒓

As bad as I thought living with a stranger would be, it wasn't.

Alec was a quiet guy who had nothing to say. He spent every day with Grandma, helping her until I came home from work. I would then take his place so he could have some time to rest. You wouldn't think, because of his appearance, that he's capable of taking care of an older person. Don't judge a book by its cover, right?

Everything was going nicely until we met in the kitchen at one in the morning.

Since my last sleepover, I have begun to like sleeping just in shorts. It was more comfortable, and my body temperature felt ideal.

However, I forgot about Alec completely. And I wasn't wearing an oversized T-shirt to hide my body. I merely had a satin top on. I don't wear clothes made with this fabric, but it's just perfect for sleeping.

I was looking through the fridge for a bottle of beer when I felt someone standing behind me. I quickly turned, ready to throw some punches, yet then I realized it was Alec.

"I must've startled you." He chuckled. His eyes quickly traveled up and down my body. Because of the darkness, he believed I wouldn't notice, but my vision was excellent.

I instinctively covered my chest with my hands. I wasn't wearing any bra, and he could see my nipples clearly.

"T-Turn around!" I yelled quietly.

He moved his hands up in defeat and turned around. Soft cackles escaped his mouth.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me." I nudged his shoulder, and I didn't even know where that need to touch him came from. His shoulder was stiff and hard as a rock. If he wanted to slap me this instant, I would be lying dead on the cold floor.

"Listen, Eleanor told me you made a friend, and she wasn't happy when you didn't mention her." He said.

Did Grandma tell him that? She usually doesn't open up to people easily. I guess it's in our blood.

"Yeah, it's true. I made a friend." I replied, grabbing the beer from the fridge and opening the lid.

He halfway turned around. "Did something happen between you too? You look rather upset. Worry across your face."

Is it so visible?

Since the morning we last saw each other, we haven't talked at all. Madeline didn't even visit me at the bar. Clearly, she's angry with me.

"We just have complicated personalities, I guess." I scoffed.

He turned his body fully toward me. "Don't worry, I won't look at you." He informed me. "In my opinion, you should reach out to her. Good friendships are rare these days."

I took another swallow of the icy beer. Maybe he was right. Maybe I should reach out to her first. I was the one who made this mess in the first place.

"Thanks for the advice. I'm awful at creating connections with people." I laughed.

He leaned his body against the edge of the dining table. "I must disagree. You charmed me." He smirked.

My poor way of helping him charmed him? Some men are easy to impress, I suppose.

"I'll accept your compliment." I smiled and took another sip of the beer, which was half empty.

When I looked up from the beer bottle, I couldn't help but stare at him. His raven hair was perfectly laid against his chest. Through the window blinds, the moon's light shone off the silver piercings on his face. He was wearing plain sweatpants and a black tank top, but to me, he looked like the most attractive guy I had ever seen.