Porcelain Skin (NOW ON AMAZON KU)

26. A Bugly Sleeper

I sit on my bed staring at Mercy's stiff form like a creep until there's a muffled rap on the door. I dash as stealthily as possible across the room and tug the door open. I put a finger to my lips as I usher him inside. I'm impressed to see him dressed in a pair of fitted jeans and a long-sleeved, button-down, black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

I see a smile fall into place as his eyes skim over Mercy's unconscious state, and then he turns quickly to shoot the smile at me, and he totally catches me staring at him. His lips slowly relax into a curious smirk. My body ignites instantly.

"She actually looks peaceful," he whispers to me.

"Yeah, for once." I snort. "She usually resembles something closer to an ogre. She's a bugly sleeper."

"Bugly?" He doesn't look impressed by my made up word, which makes me laugh. He doesn't know it's not made up, it was an accident. One of those instances where your brain thinks of two words at the same time and the only way for your mouth to comply is by combining the two.

"Yeah, butt ugly—bugly."

"Rude." He chuckles. "So, nothing having to do with bugs then?"

My mind instantly returns to my odd dream where bugs were flying out of my hair, and I squirm uncomfortably, bringing my hand up to brush through the knotted strands. That's when I realize I still have bed head and dragon breath. "Grick!"

I'm not sure what I was trying to say, but the confused word makes me sound like a moron. Trevor doesn't seem to notice as he continues to examine Mercy's even breathing.

Who am I? I'm supposed to be trying to impress Trevor, and instead, I personally invite him over to a front row seat of my morning face. I'm pretty sure Trevor's fighting to keep his breakfast down right about now. I'm debating whether or not to dart into the bathroom and salvage as much of my appearance as possible, but I can't muster up the energy to care enough. He's already seen me with pit stains and butt sweat, and now he's seen the bird's nest that somehow grows out of my head every night. As long as he doesn't try to kiss me we're good.

Having him get a taste of my morning breath, literally, would probably send us both to our graves prematurely. Me, from mortification; Trevor, from actually spewing his guts out.

I pull my thoughts together while tucking some of them away in the very depths of my mind to hopefully never be heard from again. I peek at Trevor and cringe when I find him watching me now. He's probably assessing the damage that sleep does to my appearance.

"So, what's got you all dressed up?" I ask, forgetting to whisper. My eyes fly over to where Mercy is, but thankfully, she hasn't budged.

"Work," he answers simply.

Work? He has a job?

"How 'bout we move out there so we don't wake the beast," he says, while tipping his head towards the door.

I nod in agreement and we both slide out.

"Where do you work?" I ask, after shutting the door behind us and turning to face Trevor.

"I guess it's not really work  work. It's just an internship," he explains, while straightening out his rolled up cuffs. "See, I'm majoring in art and illustration, so I've—"

"What? No way! That's awesome" I interrupt out of shock. "Sorry, go on." I flick my hand at him to continue.

"So, I've got this internship with a magazine company, and I have to spend four to six hours there each week. I go in for a couple hours every Friday since I don't have class until later."

"That's so cool," I gush. "What's the company?" He gives me a withering look as if wishing I didn't ask that question.

"Don't laugh," he says as he rubs the back of his head.

I smile as I pinch my lips together.

"It's called Kids Discover," he sighs. "It's an educational magazine for kids. I just help with some of the graphic design aspects of it. Nothing major, but I am learning some things."

"Is that what you hope to do when you graduate?" I ask, making myself comfortable against the wall.

Trevor mirrors my actions as he leans against the wall opposite me. "Naw, not really. I'm actually aiming to do some book or movie illustrating, but we'll see. It's a pretty tough job to get into, so I really gotta push myself to get out there."

I'm nodding in complete understanding.

"What about you?" he questions. "You're doing some kind of music composition, right?" My eyes widen, and he can see the surprise in my expression. "You mentioned it to Mike that day we were tricked into getting drinks together."

I scan my memories until I land on that day, and a small 'oh' forms on my lips. "Yeah. I'm surprised you remember." I look down at my bare feet. They're nearly blinding compared to the dark beige carpet under them. Some sunshine would do me some good.

I tilt my head to glance back up at Trevor.

"I love music, and I love writing, so I just put the two together. I also play the violin," I explain, "and that helps me know how a piece will sound when it's played, instead of just hearing it in my head."

He's nodding like he completely understands.

"I actually do a bit of writing myself," he says. I remember him mentioning that he plays piano, but I didn't know he wrote.

"I found this old barn," I start to tell him, and then freeze.

He notices the sudden pause in my train of thought because he's eyeing me strangely.

I'm wondering if I should go on. Can I trust him with my secret place? We've definitely grown closer, but he also did say that he was planning on playing nice until the semester was over so we wouldn't kill each other. Now I'm wondering if any of this is real, or if he's just getting through our time together.

Why would he bother hanging out with me if he didn't have to, though? He volunteered to help with my prank on Mercy. But then again, if his night of dropping oil-filled balloons from the roof was any indication, he enjoys a few pranks occasionally. So maybe it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the thrill.

I peek up at him, trying to read the emotions on his face. If that were the case, then why was he here now. Maybe he just enjoys the after-effects of his work. But something in the way he's been treating me lately makes me trust him, and I'm wondering if that's a bad thing.

"You found a barn?" Trevor asks, his brows raised in question.

I laugh breathily. "Yeah, um... so I found this abandoned barn where I go to unwind sometimes." I decide to risk it, hoping he doesn't get adventurous and try to find the place. "I take my violin with me and just play for hours. It's got the most beautiful acoustics. So warm." I smile, and I catch Trevor mirroring my expression. "It's my favorite place," I add timidly.

"I've got a place like that," he tells me gently like he's trying to reassure me that it's not stupid to have a special place. "I'll have to show you sometime."

I gulp as I search for any sign that he might be messing with me, but there's nothing. He looks completely genuine. Is he serious? He's offering to let me into the one place he goes to find solace and peace. Is he opening his door and letting me step inside? Giving me a glimpse of the heart that beats beneath his chest? I offer him a soft smile as warmth spreads out from my rib cage and pulses into my fingers.

"Well," he huffs as he pushes himself off the wall, "I gotta get going. My shift starts in forty-five minutes, and it's a half an hour drive. I'll catch you later."

I just nod stupidly as he makes his way down the hall. I don't move until he's stepped into the elevator, offering me one more smile before he disappears.

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