she was untouchable.

10 | wanting.

"Wanna come over?" Zeke's head pops though my window, the rest of his body dangerously hanging out of his own window.

"I'm reading" I reply with my own smile. Looking back down at my book I hear him sigh.

"Wanna come over and read?" He asks again.

"What?" I look up suddenly.

"Come over a read." He says with a stupid grin.

"Fine." I groan as I pick myself up from my bed and start to head for the door.

"What are you doing?" He blurts out.

"Going through the front door like a regular person?" I say like he's an idiot. Considering he's hanging out of his window and through mine he probably is.

"Ugh but that's so far away just come through the window." He shuffles back in the most awkward way possible.

"No way in hell." I scoff.

"Come on I won't let you fall." He promises.

"How? by holding my hand?" I raise a brow in question.

"Good point. The front doors probably your best option." Zeke says after a moments thought.

"Probably." I mimic with a small giggle.

"Hey wait!" He yells. "Can you give me a hand." He asks as he struggles to move back into his own room.

"You're joking right? we just had this conversation." I roll my eyes.

"Don't worry. I can do it myself." He reassures.

-

I was trying to read but he was distracting me. He wasn't doing anything in particular he was just there. His skin was just there. He was on his phone across from me. He was on his stomach leaning on his elbows, his brows nit together with concentration. I stared back up at the ceiling but my eyes drew back down towards him. What if? What if I just touched him with a finger? What if I - no. I looked back up to the ceiling. My eyes gradually crept down again. His skin so inviting. I could just reach out and touch it.

After putting my book down I reached over only stopping a few centimetres short of his bare shoulder. My breathing became uneven. I couldn't. But I had to try. All I had to do was lean a little closer.

"Why are you breathing like tha-..." he stopped short once he looked over and saw the concentration on my face. I was staring at my finger. Willing it to just move a little closer. But it wouldn't budge.

As my brows knit together in confusion as to why I was so afraid Zeke moved his hand so just like mine it was out pointed ready to touch. "Focus on your breathing, not me." He spoke quietly. My eyes slowly trailed up his arm towards his eyes as I focused on my breathing.

In and hold and out.

In and hold and out.

In and hold and "Oh my god I can't!" I practically bolted of the bed and stood against the furthest wall. My breathing erratic and uneven.

"Hey hey hey it's okay just breathe... in and... out... in and... out." Zeke gets up and walks in front of me. His eyes caring and hands stretched out. "I'm right here. Look at me. I'm right here." He steps back. "Look where I am. You're okay. You're okay." He says softly.

"I can't believe I just tried to do that. I've never done that before." I was confused. I had been fine until I met him. Why now? Why him?

"You okay?" He asks once I begin to breathe at normal rate.

"Yeah." I sigh leaning against the wall and then sliding down to the ground still bewildered.

Moving to stand next to me he copies my movement by leaning against the wall and then sliding down. "We can try again another time. If you want I mean." He says after a moments hesitation.

"Yeah. I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." I smile. I'll try again. Tomorrow.

Zeke reaches up onto his bed grabbing my book and hands it to me. "You still wanna hang out and read?" He asks hopefully.

I think for a moment before asking "How about we go to your silly hideout?"

"It's not silly!" He says jumping up and spinning to face me. He holds out his hand to which I place my book and still holding on he helps me up with a laugh. "Come on, let's go. We can get ice cream on the way."

"You sound like an excited schoolgirl." I laugh as we leave his room.

"Hey loser, where are you going?" Alaina asks as she shoves Zeke.

"What did you just call me?" Zeke mocks offence.

"Where going.." I start to say.

"It's a secret." Zeke blurts out.

"Oh, your stupid hideout." She sighs. "Your gonna have a great time with there one couch and the two cockroaches they have." She tells me.

"How do you know about it." Zeke questions.

"You not as good at keeping secrets as you think you are." Alira rolls her eyes as she joins us in the hallway.

"Where are you going?" I ask Alaina. She was wearing a cute summer dress and heels.

"Nowhere." She defends as she hides her bag behind her back.

"She's got a date." Alira smirks.

"There are no secrets in this house ugh." Alaina says as she closes her bedroom door behind her with a loud sigh.

"It's her first date. She's really nervous." Alira smiles innocently as she walks away.

"Ugh can we go now all this talk is making me nauseous." Zeke says as he walks down stairs mumbling.

"Alaina?" I stand behind the closed door.

"Yeah." She groans from the other side.

"You look very pretty... I hope you have fun today. I'll see you later and maybe you can tell me about it." I tell her.

I start to leave when I hear her door creak open. Stoping I turn to see her head sticking out. "El. Thanks." She smiles.

"You'll do great." I encourage.