blindsided

•chapter seven•

a knock on the front door sounds causing winnie to jump up from the couch. i push pause on the vampire diaries rerun and stand, wrapping the christmas patterned blanket around me. hey i know it's not even thanksgiving yet but you can never start christmas too early.

i pad to the door where winnie is peaking out of the low window. i unlock the door and open it to reveal ronan leaning coolly against the door frame.

"took ya long enough princess. " his face brightens when he sees winnie wagging her tail at him at my heals. he crouches down to pet her and she runs away from his embrace.

"what are you doing here?" not that i mind. wait, what?

"it's saturday. you told me it'd be fine to come today... and i'm guessing by what you're wearing you forgot. " his eyes scan my wardrobe and i grow self conscious. i look down to see my superhero pajama pants and a huge black tshirt with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. my cheeks heat up.

"wait right here," i quickly run upstairs but stop when i realize i left ronan there. "sorry- come in. you can just- i mean- make yourself at home i guess. "

ronan chuckles and steps inside with the tiny puppy in his hands.

i run up two flights of stairs to get to my room and throw things around trying to find something presentable to wear.

i throw on a pair of black leggings with a maroon long sleeved shirt and a pair of fuzzy grey socks. i let my chestnut hair down from the bun leaving it wavy. i swipe my lashes with mascara before grabbing my binders and phone from my bed.

hopping back down the stairs, i hear the tv being played again. i curiously turn to the living room and peek my head in to see ronan lounging on the couch with winnie laying in his lap.

"make yourself at home why don't you." i chuckle and plop down with all of my books on the couch next to him. He hands me a cup of coffee from Maple's like he promised he would bring me and I thank him.

"what is this show?" his eyes are glued to the tv in utter fascination.

"the vampire diaries?" my eyebrows knit together as i flip through our notes and papers. i notice myself doing that more often, furrowing my shaped chestnut brows together.

"yeah, can we start it from the beginning?" his eyes turn to face me, lit up like a kid's on christmas.

"yeah, sure. but we have to get some of this work done. " i giggle and reach for the remote to play the pilot of season one.

"did you put on makeup?" he suddenly asks.

"uh, yeah?"

"i like you better without it. " he decides to himself. i blush and continue to scramble through papers.

as the tv plays in the background we, mainly me though while ronan focuses on the tv, work on different ways to organize the information.

"i have an idea, i can walk around the neighborhood and ask people whether or not they drink coffee and then record their cholesterol. "

ronan turns his attention from the tv to face me with a weary expression.

"you're going to ask people what their cholesterol is?"

"i mean, only people who i know. mostly everyone is really good friends with my parents. "

"where are your parents speaking of them?" now his full attention is turned towards me.

i look down at my hands as though they are the most interesting thing in the world.

"they uh- they're in europe. "

"europe? for how long?"

"six months..."

neither of us speaks for a few seconds.

"so like, they won't be home for thanksgiving or christmas?" he questions.

i take a sip of my coffee and nod my head, waving my hand to dismiss his look of pity simultaneously. when i explain to him my situation, i decide to leave out the fact that they'll be missing my birthday too.

"yeah but it's fine, i'm used to it. and besides, i have winnie to keep me company now." i look over at the small puppy lying on ronan's lap sound asleep.

"that's still crappy though, having to be alone on the holidays." he reaches over to the remote to pause the tv.

"i'll just go over to lacy or maleana's or something."

he gives me a weary look but lets it go. or so i thought.

"well if you end up having no where to go, the boys and i usually celebrate the holiday's together. my mom has the family over and we're greek so there are a lot of us and quite frankly i don't like any of them. so it'll just be the boys and i.

i am touched by his offer but i know that the holidays are strictly for family so i politely just leave it at thank you with a maybe.

"i still don't think that's a good idea to go and ask people what their cholesterol is though. " he says and gives me a look.

"i guess. we can record our families stats and write those down?" i suggest. ronan nods his head, liking this much safer and not so nosey method.

"how did you come up with this anyway?" he asks me.

"i uh..." i hesitate for a moment, ashamed of my answer. "i kinda found the idea online. " i take another sip of my coffee.

ronan laughs at my ashamed expression and pats me on the back lightly. tingles explode from that spot and i almost choke on my drink.

"that's my girl. "

i look up into his blue eyes with mine and i smile at him. we work on our project that doesn't look like it needs all the way until april to do, my mind on ronan the entire time.

••••

lolololol its the 17th and the full novel is going to be done by the 30th. dear lord. thanks for reading! vote, comment, etc!