Escape | Updated Weekly

15

Inside the house Chloe and Tom were snuggled up on the sofa,  watching TV. They both gave us an odd look when me and Mac entered the room together. "Hey" I was a bit sheepish, Chloe had a look that me feel nervous sometimes. "We bumped into each other outside" I explained, I don't think she believed me. "Did you get your phone back?" asked Tom. I nodded back. I was suddenly aware that I was still wearing Mac's shirt I tried to pull my hoodie over me to hide it and darted into the kitchen, leaving Mac to once again pick up the slack of distraction.

"What's going on?" I jumped at the sound of her voice. Chloe had followed me into the kitchen and I hadn't even realized. "Jesus Chlo, don't sneak up on me" I put my hand to my chest, my heart beating faster now, trying to calm itself down.

"Nothing is going on" I finally said. She leaned up against the side, still giving me that look. Then she softened it. "Okay" she shrugged. "You and Mac seem cozy together". That was random. So far all they had actually seen was us walk into the house together. I doubt she would have recognised his shirt. Surely she didn't know anything. "Not as cozy as you and Tom" I replied trying to casually brush it off.

"Dani said he left you two down here last night". This started to get weirder. Like she wasn't even trying to have a conversation and just wanted to throw facts at me. I didn't see how it could possibly be suspicious that me and Mac were the last ones to go to bed, there was no way in hell she'd heard us with how drunk she was, and we were so careful.

"oooookay" I said, purposely longing the word out to make it clear that I didn't understand what she was getting. She reached into her jumper pocket. "Yeah. So I was just wondering if you know how your panties got stuck between the sofa cushions' '. She pulled her hand out of her pocket. Indeed she was holding my panties, the ones Mac had carefully removed from me the night before.

I had no explanation, I don't think there was anything I could say at this point. I bit my lip just staring at her. She dropped my panties on the side. "Don't worry, I grabbed them before Tom saw"

"Please don't tell anyone Chlo"

"I don't even know what to say. I mean clearly you slept together... or did something involving your panties coming off"

I glanced at the door that separated the living room and the kitchen. Tom and Mac were talking about something, completely unaware of the conversation going on in here.

I closed the gap between me and Chloe keeping my voice low.

"Okay fine. We slept together. I don't know what any of it means yet so please. Please... don't say anything"

"Eve, I really don't think you and him is a good idea"

Was she serious? It wasn't even that long ago that she was trying to set me and Mac up, now she's changed her mind all of a sudden.

"Again... I don't know what's going on with us"

"I've heard things about him"

"Like what?"

I didn't mean to sound so defensive over it, I just didn't understand how there could be bad things going around about him.

"He's been in fights. A lot of them. He can't stay committed, he beat up his own father for Christ sake"

I rubbed my temple trying to take it all in. Who the hell had she been talking to? I wondered if Tom had told her this information, but surely if Mac wasn't good to be around then Tom wouldn't wanna be around him, and he knew Mac better than us two put together.

"Chloe you're over reacting"

"No I'm not"

She raised her voice, it caught the attention of the boys. They briefly looked but then quickly went back to their conversation. I couldn't understand why she was so bothered by it. "I'm just trying to look out for you," she breathed. I grabbed her hands. "I know" she gave me a hug. 

"Can I be honest?" I said she pulled back, leaning us against the side again. "He makes me feel all...." I wiggled my hands around trying to demonstrate what I meant as I couldn't find the words to describe it. "Really?" I couldn't tell if she didn't believe it or if she was disgusted by it. "Seriously Chlo. I don't know how to explain it. Everything just feels so good with him. And we haven't talked about it yet so this really could be nothing". She handed me my panties, I shoved them in my pocket quickly. It was getting  weird having them paraded around. "So" Chloe said. "How was it?". I rolled my eyes at her. Trust her to want the gory fucking details.

She seemed to loosen up once we were on the same page with this whole 'Mac situation, and she promised to keep it between us. I even made her promise to not even tell Mac that she knew. Everything was so fresh and there was no need to make a big deal out of things.

"Do you wanna be his girlfriend?" she asked, she had her back to me as she filled the kettle up with water. I shrugged even though she couldn't see me. I hadn't even thought that far ahead. I still hadn't even processed the fact that we kissed and spent the night together. "I don't know" I said simply. "He's never had a relationship. I'm just worried you'll get hurt". I could see where she was coming from, but I never saw that as an issue in anyone let alone Mac. There could be a reason for it. Maybe he never thought of having one. He might not even be thinking about one now. I knew I was stressing myself out too much over it so I asked if we could just change the subject. Thankfully if you give Chloe the chance to talk about anything she wants, she comes through. We didn't speak about Mac again for the rest of the night.