Ink Cursed

Chapter 14

Ink Cursed

Chapter 14

“Kamryn.”

“Yes?” I whisper, pretending to pay more attention to the movie than to Chase.

“Since we kissed and everything, does this make us a couple?” He looks down at me with a sincere look of confusion.

“It depends.”

“On you and I?”

“Precisely.” Chase and I would make a cute couple. Our features don’t contrast, and we’d make something interesting out of us together. Maybe relying on somebody isn’t such a sin in my book anymore; it’s something I can do with Chase.

He has his shifting eyes glued on my face, and he seems like he’s biting on his tongue, afraid to hear my next words. I stroke his fingers and release him of his physical tension.

“I want you to meet my dad.” Chase is shocked, considering his fallen jaw. “No secrets; you’ll meet Barbara, too.” I’m coming along with it as I go. “For her birthday!” I pipe up, feeling incredibly successful with my conversation flow. “Tell me you’ll come.”

He grins, swallowing up my words, and his grin gets wider by the second. “You want me to meet your dad? And Barbara—whoever that is.”

“My dad’s girlfriend,” I explain, realizing it’s the first time I address Barbara as such a word. It’s time I come to full acceptance. “She’ll adore you—I’m sure my dad will, too!”

His smile is still plastered on his goofy face as he removes his gaze from me and to the screen. My dad will like Chase, I’m sure of it. And maybe he’ll be glad to know I’m preoccupied with someone new and something other than studies. It’s going to be just fine, I convince myself.

“Do you need anything—popcorn, water…” I calm down worried, hospitable Chase and run my hands through his hair which seems to comfort him.

“I don’t need anything, Chase.” I smile at him and rub my chin a bit before letting out a wince. He catches my hand swiftly, stopping me from further harming. My eyes widen, and I start to think that maybe this is better: having someone to be there for me. “I just feel tired.”

Chase mumbles an agreement and helps me onto his bed.

“Anymore blankets?”

“If I have any more, I’ll be suffocating!” I exclaim, laughing from my soul. He turns away, smiling, and falls onto the floor before the TV. “Chase? What are you doing?”

He rises quickly at the sound of my voice.

“N-nothing. Do you need something?” he jumps up, more than ready to fulfill my desires, but I have none. But a question.

“Why aren’t you lying down here next to me?” I throw a pillow to the ground and pat the sheets next to me. “Come here.”

And now Chase is blushing in this dim light. He avoids eye contact as he lifts the sheets and slips in next to me. My body is on fire with just the fact that Chase is lying in the same bed as me only a few inches away.

Then I feel his fingers wrap around my arms, locking me in a secure embrace.

“Is this all right?”

“Yes.”

When I wake up, I can’t believe I even fell asleep. After a few seconds, I start to believe the whole scenario with Chase was only a dream, and then I feel him breathe softly next to me. His chest rises and falls peacefully, and his face is relaxed—something I’m probably only going to see when he’s asleep. My cheeks flush, and heat powders my face at the thought of waking to Chase every now and then.