Carry Me Home

Twenty-Two

Evelyn

"Where're you rushing off to, Evie?" Hayden said as he noticed me rush pass him and Mason. Hayden took the courage to ask Mason to hang out and ever since then they've been meeting up frequently. Mason's personality roughly contradicts that of Hayden's.

Where Mason is shy, Hayden is outgoing and confident. Mason is patient yet my best friend likes to have things happen as quick as possible. However, despite their differences they both were very good people and they fit together well. Mason just looked like a nice guy with his ash brown hair, stormy grey eyes and amiable smile, and I trusted him to care for Hayden without hurting him.

"Rowan told me to meet him by the canteen since he's coming back from his excursion."

"What I still don't understand is why a class full of medical students went on an excursion to a forest? What was the point?"

"Don't know but I've got to run, Haydie. Bye, Mason." Mason waved back shyly with a light smile.

"Evelyn, wait! Don't let Rowan go into your room, please." I nodded and that's when my suspicion arose again. Perhaps I was right about everything. I opted for a power walk instead of a run when I was halfway to the canteen. That's when a sudden thought passed through my head - I've changed so much in the past week. I never would've ran at the request of someone or waited for them for so long just because they came back after a trip that was a few hours long. This relationship had changed me drastically but I still had a long way to go.

As I leaned my left shoulder against the wall I wondered. What if this relationship ruins me and does exactly what I was afraid of? Was I allowing myself to enter through a door that would lead to my retrogression?

Unexpectedly two arms wrapped around my waist from the back and a head nuzzled into the crook between my neck and shoulder.

"Rowan Hastings, did you actually miss me that much after a few hours?" I asked, pivoting around to see his face. He pecked my lips and nodded enthusiastically. "I see."

"I forgot to take my hay-fever tablet before walking through that dreadful forest, so I just sneezed and had leaky eyes for about an hour," he stated with a glum look on his face. I patted his cheek cheerfully and gave him a grin.

"It'll be ok, Mr Hastings, you'll get through it!" He laughed at my encouragement and at my raised arm. He grabbed the arm and enclasped my fist in his hand.

"Why is it that I want to stay as close as possible to you? What have you done to me in a matter of a few measly days?"

"The same thing you've done to me." We were so interested in each other that we forgot that we were in a public space and that most people were certainly looking.

"Let's go to your dorm," Rowan stated, tugging at my hand to follow his lead.

"Why don't we go somewhere else?" I offered, really desperate to accept Hayden's earlier request.

"I want to meet your new roommate, Angel."

"She's probably in her class right now so she's obviously not in our room. You can meet her later."

"Evelyn." His toned turned serious and he looked at me with no humour in his eyes.

"Yes?"

"What're you trying to hide from me?"

"Nothing," I spat out immediately.

"Then let's go to your room."

"Rowan, please let's not."