My eyes open and I sit up quickly in bed only to hit my arm against the bedside table. "Ouch," I say and look down at my arm. There's a small cut by my elbow that starts bleeding when I touch it. I must have scraped it on the corner. I walk out into the hallway and find the door that leads into the bathroom. I turn on the light and flinch due to the brightness. I open my eyes wide and let them adjust, then move toward the drawer that contains bandages. Or at least the one I think has bandages. I find one that's big enough to cover my cut and open the package. Slowly, I fit the bandage over my cut and press down.
After turning off the bathroom light, I move back out into the hallway, shutting the door behind me. I stare down at my feet as I move toward the bedroom. A few seconds later, I smash into someone and lose my balance. He grabs my arm and steadies me. "Oh, I'm sorry," I say and look up to see Alex staring down at me.
"That's alright," he says and smiles.
"How did you sleep, Alex?" I ask, trying to be polite. He's still holding onto my arm and it doesn't seem like he's about to let go anytime soon.
"Great, and you?" he asks, moving slightly closer to me.
"Fantastic."
"I noticed that John didn't sleep on the couch last night."
At that comment, I remove my arm from his grip. "Yes, that's right."
"Is that because he was in there with you?" he asks.
I take a small step back. "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"
"No, not at all," he says, smiling.
"I felt bad... I'm a guest in his house and I'm making him sleep on the couch. We're good enough friends so there's no shame in sleeping in the same bed," I mumble. But I don't know whether I'm trying to convince him or myself.
"Friends," he says, sounding mesmerized. "Yes, I'm aware there's no shame in that."
"If you don't mind, I just want to get back in the room now. I'd uh... Really like to get changed," I say and look down at the long shirt and pyjama shorts that I'm wearing and move forward in an attempt to get to the bedroom. His arm comes up in front of me and blocks my way of passage. Two of his fingers come up and rest under my chin. He pushes it up and his eyes lock with mine. My bottom lip trembles so I put it in my mouth and bite down softly. His stunning blue eyes roam over my body and I cross my arms over my chest. He grins and lets his hand slide down the wall. I stand there, frozen for about a minute before finding it in myself to move my legs. Right, left, right, left. A few more steps and I'll be in that room with John. But is that where I want to be?
Yes, of course it is.
I open the door and step in only to find the bed empty and I hear the soft beat of water against the tub coming from the shower. I run my fingers through my hair and walk over to the bed. I pull the sheets and blankets up and over, spreading them across the bed in a sloopy attempt to make it. Then I look over to where my clothes lay on the floor. I cross my arms at my waist and grab the hem of my shirt, then slide it of slowly. I take my clean shirt off of the ground and throw it on over my head. I put my jeans on quickly. After yawning, I turn around and see John standing behind me in a towel.
For a couple of seconds, I stand there staring at him, dumbfounded. Then, when I can finally think straight, I remember that this is his room and he would probably like to get dressed. I smile and say, "I'll just wait... Outside," then make my way over to the door again.
He catches me by the waist as I walk by him and his grip tightens when I turn to him. He grins and presses his forehead to mine. I smile and rest my hands on his chest, closing my eyes. We stand there for what seems like forever before his lips find mine and invite me in a kiss that leaves me breathless when he pulls away.
"See you out there," he says, letting go of me.
I run my fingers through his wet hair and laugh. He smiles and shakes his hair in my direction, splashing me with water. I shake my head and walk out of the room with a huge smile on my face.
There's something about him that gets to me. The way he grabs my hand when he's excited, the way he holds me in a way that makes me feel safe and secure, the way he can touch me and feel so familiar and so... right and the way his kisses take my breath away like no other has ever done.
I love him. But does he love me?
