The Guardian

Chapter 16

I climb up the balcony and sneak into Nevaeh's room sticking my next note on to her mirror.

Ho Hey – The Lumineers.

I sneak back down and head straight in to the shower. I step out of the bathroom, towel around my waist, feeling much better than I went in.

"I don't know how I never saw it." I hear the voice coming from my bed as I step back my heart beating a tad faster. Not because it's Nevaeh but because I wasn't expecting her there. I hold it together well though.

"Never saw what?"

"Your abs, that should have given away that you're actually really great at rugby," she answers.

"You were too busy trying to touch it. I'd let you if you want to," I raise an eyebrow at her and smirk.

"Put some clothes on Cruz, your nakedness is going to your head," she laughs, which is a sound I haven't heard in a while, at least not directed at me that is.

"I could drop the towel?" I move my hand to the knot holding it together.

"No! My eyes!" she rolls on to her front holding her hands over her eyes. I take the opportunity to dress as fast as I can with sweats and a t-shirt having to do for now.

"Ok you can open them, I'm decent again." I say to Nevaeh.

"When were you ever?" Oh so we've progressed to joking around now.

She's still lying on her front when I climb on to her and start tickling.

"Elijah please no, please stop," she gets out between laughs and gasps for air.

"I want to hear you say Elijah is the hottest guy ever."

"Never." She responds and I continue with tickling her.

"Ok ok, what if I said something else," she concedes, her voice dropping.

This has me interested, "like what?"

"Let me turn over?" I do as she asks and I lift off her a bit giving her room to turn. She puts her hand to my cheek and looks into my eyes. If I don't calm down she'll hear my erratic heartbeat.

"I think you're...a sucker." She laughs, catching me by surprise and shoving me off of her. She makes a break for it but not two steps from the bed and I use my forearm to grab her around the waist and throw her on to my bed. This is war. I'm relentless in my tickling and only stop when my own sides start to ache from all the laughter and drop down on to the bed next to her.

"Why are you really here Nevaeh? I know you better than to think you're here so that we can be friends and all will be well," I ask.

"Why do you call me by my full name and not Nev like everyone else?" she counters.

"Because I'm not everyone else, you have a beautiful name and don't change the subject."

She lies on her side to face me, our faces inches apart.

"Ho Hey by The Lumineers. This one saddened me. Is this how you feel about not knowing where you belong. Because we're all still your family you know, even though you and I are no longer together. This is where you belong." She says to me, her eyes sad.

"Is that all you got?" I ask. "What about I don't think you're right for him and you belong with me?"

"Is that all you wanted me to get?" she questions me.

"I'm lost Nevaeh. You are everything to me and I can't be with you. It kills me. There isn't anything I wouldn't do to get you back and believe me I'm trying."