Alaina Clark

Chapter 10

I spent the rest of my shower thinking about my kiss with Dean. If things get awkward between us I will never forgive myself. How could I have known that Dean was going to turn his head to kiss my cheek at the same time I was going to? Our friendship has always been physical but not in that way.  Although I'd be lying if I said that was the first time I've kissed him.  But Dean and I we are strictly platonic, despite what everyone else thinks. Maybe things won't be awkward after all. The thought comforts me as I finish washing my hair. I lazily run my razor over my legs removing the small hairs that were growing back. After I got dressed in a black pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt I stole from Dean long ago, my usual attire. I slip in my black converse and a headband to keep my damp hair out of my face. Once I'm all dressed I rush over to Dean's. I burst through the front door and head to the kitchen, as soon as I walk in I take a seat in my stool. Elbows on the table and chin in my hands as I watch Dean prepare lunch. I'm not sure what he's making because I'm not really paying attention to it, no, my eyes are on Dean. I watch as he walks around the kitchen and notice that his shoulders are slightly tense. He turns around and places a sandwich in front of me with a glass of water. It looks really good. He takes his seat in front of me and I note that his meal mirrors mine. We eat in silence, but not our usual silence which is comforting. This silence is cold and unwelcoming. I try to lighten the mood by moaning around my sandwich. But it doesn't work, Dean stays quiet. An unreadable expression on his face as he watches me carefully. The rest of the meal is spent in that awful silence, neither of us tries to get rid of it. Looking at the clock I notice it's five, dinner with Elliott is at seven. Crap I had forgotten about dinner. This is going to be a long day. "It's five so I'm going to go get dressed." I say softly trying to hide my frown. I stand up and walk towards the front door when he doesn't reply. When I'm about to open the front door a hand on my shoulders whips me around as Dean pulls me into a hug. My arms tighten around him as I immediately hug him back. This is his way of saying that everything was going to be okay. That things between us wouldn't get awkward and that dinner with Elliott will go great. Dean Miller. The man that can voice his emotions without saying a word. After a while, we reluctantly let go and I walk back home. After slipping on my tight red dress. Making sure my eyebrows are still perfectly plucked I begin to do my makeup. Curling my eyelashes then applying mascara. Highlighting my cheekbones with a rose gold blush, making them seem both rosy and luminous. My eyeshadow matches my cheekbones, and I put on a light brown lipstick called "Approaching Storm". It's one of my favorite shades. I admire it while I put on my black heels. A thin four-inch heel completes the scrappy lace up shoe. I really do like this look. As soon as I finish my makeup I curl my hair in big loose curls, using a bobby pin to keep my hair out of my face. Grabbing my black purse I throw in my phone and my lipstick, just in case I need to re-apply. Excitement courses through me, making me want to run down the stairs. But I decide against it because I will probably trip in these heels. Once I walk down the stairs I head out and lock the front door behind me. Before I know it I am walking into Dean's house. Closing it behind me I walk up the stairs and head towards Dean's room. "Dean!" I call out one I'm at the top of the stairs. "In here!" He calls back and my assumption was correct, he's in his room. I open the door to the room and walk to sit on his bed. Dean's dressed in black dress pants and a red dress shirt paired with a black tie. I note that my dress is the exact same shade as his shirt. "Matching outfits, how cliche of us." I say with a small laugh, trying to ease the tension in the room. Dean huffs out a laugh through his nose "Come on Sparkles! I know how much you secretly love it when we match." he says with a wink. I hate to admit it but his words are pretty accurate. We are always accidentally matching and I love it. "Whatever." I mumble unable to think of a good comeback. "You ready to go?" He asks standing directly in front of me. I nod and he holds out his hand which I quickly take. He leads me out to his car before opening the passenger door for me. I thank him and he nods in acknowledgment before closing the door and making his way to the driver's side. After buckling our seat belts Dean turns the car on and we drive away. Realization suddenly dawns on me. I am about to meet Elliott. My nerves return and every breath I take is more suffocating than the last. I begin to fidget with my hands on my lap. Dean notices the shift in my mood when he glances at me. He reaches out to grip both of my hands in his larger one. "Relax." His deep voice says softly and he lightly squeezes my hands for reassurance. Inhaling and exhaling deeply I can physically feel the nerves leave my body. I will never understand how Dean is able to do that. How he can calm me down with a simple touch or a simple word, sometimes both. It's always been this way, ever since I met him. I'm not even going to question it, I'll simply be grateful for it. "Sparkles." Dean says pulling me out of my thoughts. "We're here." He says and I look away from big blue eyes and look around. Noting that we are indeed parked outside of Anthony's. He steps out of the car and walks around to open the door for me. Slipping the strap from my purse over my shoulder I take his hand as he helps me out. Silently praying I won't fall in these heels. As we walk towards the entrance Dean looks up and notices the dark clouds covering the sky. "I wonder what the forecast says." He mumbles thinking out loud. "Fifty percent chance of rain and fifty percent chance I fall in these shoes." I say with fake enthusiasm I often hear from meteorologists. Dean laughs at my joke before he leans in and whispers "I would never let you fall." The words bring a sense of comfort making my heart flutter "I know." I whisper back with a small smirk on my lips. Standing in front of the door, my hand still in Dean's and oddly enough the nerves don't make a reappearance. Looking to my right, my eye level only reaching up to Dean's chest I notice his tie is slightly crooked. I quickly pull my hand from Dean's and hurt flashes through his eyes as a small frown appears on his perfect lips. Wait... did I just think about his lips being perfect? Chill out Alaina he's your best friend. My subconscious reminds me and I quickly tell her to piss off. "Your tie's crooked." I explain to Dean as my hands reach out to fix it. "There." I state with a smile once his tie is straightened out. "Thanks." He mumbles with a small smile. I am relieved to have gotten rid of his frown. I hate seeing Dean upset, and would do just about anything just to see him smile. "Anything for you Dean." I repeat the words he's told me countless times before.His smile widens and he takes my hand in his once again. "Ready?" He asks nodding towards the door. I nod in response. It's going to be a long night.