Attached Strings √

Chapter 14

A/N: This chapter is unedited so please bare with me. Read on...

Chloe's POV

I woke up to a soft breeze of warm air fanning the back of my neck. I turned and my eyes were immediately acquainted with Paul's perfect face.

I can't say I was not enjoying the sight before me, because I sure was, but waking up next to him made way for a lot of questions to pervade my mind.

What will happen tomorrow at school? Are we still friends? Or are we more than that? Of course you're nothing more. Paul has never wanted more from girls and you're well aware of that, what makes you think you're so special?

I had promised myself that I was no longer going to over think everything that took place around me and I intended to keep that promise.

This is why I didn't even bother myself with the task of trying to guess what would happen next between us and told myself that, from then onwards, I would just go with the flow.

I smiled at the thought of me, Chloe Jones, waking up next to a man who was reputable for being the guy girls wished to sink their claws into, a man that all my male schoolmates envied.

I granted myself the opportunity to imagine what it would be like if he had actually taken interest in me, you know, like if he wanted to take things further.

You? His girlfriend? That's just wishful thinking, Chloe and you know it.

My subconscious was right and, knowing Paul, he should've run by now but I knew that the only thing keeping him here, with me, was the fact that he hadn't hit me yet.

Surely that's the only thing keeping him from being bored to death, right? His mission was still incomplete and I knew very well that he had much intention to complete it.

I was taken out of my reverie by the soft kiss I felt being laid on my neck. My skin tingled at the contact and I heard him say, "Morning, sunshine" and, oh God, I could listen to his sleepy voice all day long and still not get tired of hearing it.

It was so deep and lazy and yet so sexy. My lips were craving for his and that was when I remembered... MORNING BREATH!

I sprang out of the bed and hurried to the bathroom. I quickly took my toothbrush, applied some toothpaste on it and I started brushing. I hadn't even realised that Paul was standing beside me before he asked, "You close your eyes when brushing your teeth?"

"Why, of course," I told him, "it's the only way I can truly feel what I'm doing." "You're weird," he said taking the spare toothbrush I had handed to him. "You're not the only one who thinks so," I told him as I bent over to the sink so I could splash some water onto my face.

"That's not the only thing I'm thinking of," I heard him say and lifted my head to find him with his eyes fixed on my behind and then it struck me; I wasn't wearing any underwear.

Last night I had just put his shirt on and did not even spare my panties a second thought.

Okay, maybe that was a bad idea.

Before I could retort, I heard a knock on the door. I went to my closet and pulled out my denim shorts, put them on and jogged to the door. I opened the door and...shit!

I regretted it instantly.

Standing before me was my not so friendly landlord. Couldn't he have come at a different time? I already knew what he was here for, anyway.

"Ms. Jones, you do know that you are three months behind with your rent," he said fixing his blazer, "and it is due to this reason that I am here to inform you that if I do not receive payment by tomorrow," he cleared his throat and continued, "I will be forced to kick you out."

"I will be forced to kick you out."

His words were echoing through my head and I just stood there - dumbfounded. He looked at me as if expecting me to say something and I honestly wanted to tell him that it was impossible.

He couldn't kick me out, not after I've lived here for so long. I wanted to tell him that I couldn't make the payment by tomorrow because I don't have a job and I'm going to school tomorrow. I wanted to make him another 'I'll pay by the end of the month' promise but I knew he wouldn't buy it anymore.

I wanted to let him know of all those things but I said none of them. I was tongue-tied. So I just nodded and watched him leave.

I knew this day would come but I hadn't expected it to be so soon. The worst part of it was that I had no plan, none whatsoever. I had absolutely no idea of what I was going to do, where I was going to go or how I was even going to come up with the money in less than a day.

I snapped out of my thoughts and decided to go inside. I found Paul standing by the couch and he looked at me with pity written all over his face.

"You heard that?" I asked gesturing to the door with my head. "Yeah," he said facing the floor, "I can help you out." I knew he was more than capable of helping me out but I didn't want to be anybody's burden. "Look, I can help you pay your rent," he told me with both hands on my shoulders.

"No," I said with a voice so low I doubted he could hear me. "I'm not a charity case," I voiced a bit louder. He looked at me with disbelief. "I don't believe this," he stated, "why will you not accept help from me?"

"I don't want to be indebted to you, Paul or anyone else for that matter. I don't want people thinking that I befriended you so I could milk you dry."

"What? So I'm not allowed to help you because I'm your friend? Because I'm rich? Is that it? I don't know about you but that sounds pretty twisted to me," he told me with his eyes locked intensely on mine.

"That's not what I meant, Paul. You don't get it," I said taking his hand in mine, "I want to make my own living and handle my own financial issues. I don't want to live off my friends."

His face twitched at the mention of the word 'friends' and I saw an emotion flicker on his face. It was gone before I could really analyze it but I think it was more like hurt? Or anger? I don't know but he did a really good job at masking it.

"So your problem lies with me giving you money?" he asked and I nodded. "Then I'll just borrow you the amount of money needed to settle your debt with your landlord."

I heard his suggestion but it was partly helpful because, even after settling my debt, I doubt the man would want to take me back. Especially seeing that I am jobless and have no financial support system.

"But that still doesn't solve my problem, Paul. Even after paying him, I would still be homeless," he opened his mouth to speak but I held my index finger up to silence him and I continued, "and don't even think of giving me more money to rent somewhere else because other places are much more expensive and I wouldn't let you."

"Contrary to what you had in mind, Chloe I was not planning on paying your rent at another place, I was actually going to suggest something else."

This spiked my curiosity. I was now eager to know about this suggestion of his and so I asked, "Well, what were you going to suggest?"

"Move in with me."

A/N: Now that, ladies & gentlemen, is what you call a cliffhanger. Okay, okay I'm sorry for leaving you all hanging but it's 2am and I'm sleepy.
Moving on to serious matters, do you think Chloe will move in with Paul? Please comment with your thoughts and keep voting.