Unravelled

[CHAPTER 31]

CHAPTER 31

Lara's POV

The following evening there was just a slight drizzle, and I had spent my time after school with homework and assignments. I had my laptop on my lap and a few sheets of printed Dickens scattered on my bed. I reached for my mug of hot cocoa a couple of times only to remember that I'd finished it in the first fifteen minutes. The empty mug had been sitting on my bedside table for hours.

I burned through the whole afternoon with a thousand word English essay, and I had worked through two chapters of geometry, which was about all I could handle. I tried understanding the literature I had in front of me to answer the reading comprehension questions Miss Monte gave earlier today but I only managed to get a few blanks filled with its answers.

I took a glance at the clock on my wall and it was a few minutes after six. I flopped on my bed, ready to close my eyes and almost wished I could sleep all the way until the next morning. But I had a night out with Charlotte and Daniel.

I decided to call it a day, seeing that I'd surpassed my daily revision hours. At least now I wasn't going to be hauling around my guilt all night. Though I was feeling so comfortable snuggling in my bedsheets, I forced myself up to get ready. I grabbed my towel and headed straight to the bathroom. Even with the space heater running, I could still feel the cold and I really wondered how I was going to get through the night outside.

Once I had dried my hair, I positioned myself in front of my mirror. I looked at the cosmetics on my dressing table.

Should I put on some makeup or should I go natural?

After a few seconds of consideration, I thought of minimal makeup with only a sweep of eyeliner and some lip gloss. I picked out a black cashmere sweater and a blue printed floral skirt, and then tugged on a blazer. I wrapped my beige colored scarf around my neck and took a look at the mirror again. Since my hair had lost its wave from the shower earlier, I decided to straighten it out. I was waiting for the straightening iron to heat up when there was a rap at the front door.

"Coming!" I hollered from my room.

I double checked my clock with my watch to make sure I wasn't late. And no I wasn't, they were just too early. I switched off the iron, thinking that I would just have to go with it. I did one final check in the mirror, and fluffed my hair to at least give it some volume. I ran downstairs and opened the front door.

"Daniel, you're early-" I didn't finish my sentence. Instead of Daniel, I found someone else on the other side of the door. He was wearing jeans, boots and a gray sweater. "Jayden?"

"Lara," he addressed me, his hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?"

He peered behind me into the house, as if to check if there was anyone in there. I was still bewildered to find him on my doorstep. "Nobody's home, only me."

He looked like he came here for a reason, which I was about to find out. Before I repeated my question again he asked, "Are you going to invite me in?"

My jaw almost fell open at his question. Not only didn't I expect him to show up at my house, he actually asked me if I was going to invite him in. I hesitated.

Should I invite him in? Question was, was I allowed to? With no one else at home? I didn't think my mom would be too happy to hear this. She definitely had a strict policy of inviting guys into the house without her supervision.

He made his way inside without waiting for my answer. I took a step back while he closed the door. He walked to the couch without a single word.

Now that he was inside, I felt nervous than ever. I wondered if my mom was going to kill me if she found out about this. But as long as we're not in my bedroom, I guessed that should be fine. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to find out about this. I'd just have to make sure he left before my mom got home.

I strolled to where he was standing. Our eyes locked for a moment before he asked, "Going out on a date?" He tried to keep his tone casual but it didn't sound anything like it.

Something was wrong.

I flinched when my mind registered what he just said. Date? I wasn't going out on a date, was I? A date with Daniel? Even the thought of it sounded ridiculous.

"No I'm not. I mean, it's not a date. What exactly are you doing here?"

"Are you going out with Daniel?" he asked and I noticed a slight change of his tone. He must have overheard our conservation in his car, so I wasn't that surprised he asked me that. I decided to not answer him until he told me what was going on so I merely stared at him.

After a few counts he finally said, "I came by to make sure you're alright."

Just like that, my stomach flipped though I wasn't sure what caused that. I almost asked him to repeat his words to make sure I didn't hear him wrongly or if I imagined that.

"Why wouldn't I be alright?" I asked.

He opened his mouth to say something but words didn't come out. He let out a sigh and plunked down on the couch. I could see he was having a hard time choosing the right words to say so I slumped down beside him, waiting for him to speak.

I looked down at my watch. Daniel and Charlotte were going to reach soon so I urged him by saying, "Look, my friends are coming to pick me up. Do you have something to tell me?" Not that I was going to leave until he said something. "What's going on?"

"Daniel is not as good as you think he is," he began.

I did not expect to hear that. Before he said anything farther I said, "You don't even know Daniel."

He nodded. "Until you told me about him." I didn't expect the sentence to be over but apparently it was.

I contemplated if I should remain silent and let him continue, or if I should say something.

"Daniel..." I tried to find the right words to say. "He's really nice. I've been out with him a couple of times. He got me home safely, every time." Now I was wondering if those times I've been out with him were called 'dates'. "Besides, Charlotte's coming with us too."

"Charlotte," he muttered. I didn't think now was the right time for me to introduce Charlotte to Jayden so I didn't.

"Do you have some misunderstandings with him or something?"

"Lara, there are some things I can't tell you but you have to trust me," he said, slowly. His eyes then sliced into mine as though to communicate a silent Do you trust me?

"If you can't tell me then what's the point of you being here?" I paused before forcing myself to spit out the next line. "You've grown on me, you need to leave now. They'll be here in a few." I didn't mean any of those words. I just said that so that he could tell me about things.

Things that I thought I should know.

His black eyes flickered over me. "If I tell you about him, will you hear me out?" I was positive the phrase 'hear me out' here meant 'believe me'.

"Of course I will," I said, trying to sound more confident than ever.

"Then cancel it."

I blinked. "What?"

He gestured at the coffee table where my phone was placed at. "Cancel your plans tonight and I'll tell you what I know."