Her roommate is a boy

11 Rules and Settlements

Hey so, I added chapter 10's last paragraph (written in italics) for you guys to know where they stood since this is in the same moment as that.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Thank you for the support you've been giving!
xo

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We sat down and he got the small table closer to us so we could use it for our food. Guess we were ready for our talk...

"So..." Taylor started as he looked me straight in the eyes. "Tell me something, baby." He said "baby" in a protector caring way instead of his usual smirking fuckboy way.

"What?" I said as I played with the salad on my plate using my fork.

"What's this about having a steady home, princess?" First. Time. Ever. He actually called me princess!

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have any childhood traumas. I just miss my family. I talk to my parents almost daily but I don't have them around, I don't eat homemade with love - my mother's special - anymore..." Then I started lowering my voice. "I am afraid to hang up each time I talk to my grandparents because I haven't seen them in forever and they're not exactly young. I fear that..." He pulled me close, hugging me and kissing my forehead. I never felt safer. This guy was a stranger to me 6 months ago and now he was my home.

"It's okay, Ali. You don't have to say anything else if you don't want to. Tell me just what you want to let out." He was being the most sensitive understanding guy... I never would have guessed there was this side to him.

"Thank you, Tay. I really appreciate this. It's the first real talk I've had in months. I mean, we have great friends, but I've only known them for so long and I don't hang out with them long enough to open up... And high school friends seem to be so distant... And you do not need to listen to any of this really!" I tried to get up, but he tightened his embrace. I thanked every muscle in his body for existing and keeping me close.

"Don't be silly, please! I know I don't need to. I want to. Now, if I let go, will you promise to use your freedom only to eat and nothing else?" He was still kissing my forehead once in a while. We had cuddled up into this comfy position where I was between his legs and with my back agains his chest. I wanted to kiss him so badly. And it wasn't a sexual need this time. Was I falling for this guy?

"I promise, but keep those arms available to embrace!" I said as I crawled forwards and ate the rest of my meal. His burger was long gone so he was just finishing the chips he had. "Anything you'd like to share, since we're at it? It really helped me, just so you know." I said turning my beck around to look him in the eye. His eyes traveled from his chips to my eyes. The mood got heavier and I was afraid I had said something stupid. I said hurriedly "You really don't have to!" He kept his gaze locked on mine.

"I want to, but I'm afraid of how you might react..." Every single muscle of his jaw was contracted. What could get him to behave like this? It was definitely something big.

"There's only one way to find that out, T." I said as I got back into my comfy seat, secretly hoping he wouldn't forget to hold me tight. Which he didn't.

"I love it when you call me T, you know?" His strong embrace was giving me shivers. "It may be because of your other friend, but I like it! And it always comes in a different time... Sometimes when you're distracted, sometimes when you're talking straight to me..."

"I can't believe you've noticed that..." Or a tone of other things. "You've got an eye for detail! Did you know that?"

"Well, Ali, you don't. I have an eye for details that concern you... I am addicted to you, is it really that hard to miss? I want you so badly!" He broke his hug and turned me around, leaving my surprised look right in front of his heavy look. "Oh, you didn't expect this at all, did you? How can you be so smart and miss all of these signs?"