two can play at this game | cg

7

catching feelings
——————————————————
The horn of a nearby car startled me, making my body jolt upright. A familiar Range Rover was parked on the sidewalk and I attempted to focus my eyes on the figure opposite me. I suddenly realised I was still outside, on the porch steps, with a throbbing headache and the memories of last night starting to flood back. "V, why were you sleeping outside?" A raspy, cute voice asked me. My vision finally cleared and landed on the guy walking towards me, almost making me choke.

"Did I really just call him cute?" I sighed, not realising that I said my thought aloud. Carl chuckled which made my cheeks turn bright red with embarrassment. "Thanks I guess." He extended a hand to me, which I took as I stumbled to my feet. "But you need to answer my question, baby. Why are you outside?" My head span so I clutched onto Carl, trying to steady myself. "I'll explain in the car.."

"Wait, don't you need to get a shower and change out of those clothes?" He asked, gesturing to the house behind us. I shook my head at his idea, biting my lip anxiously. "It's too risky, my moms inside." Carl raised his eyebrow at me and said "What did you do now?" I stuttered, trying to put an explanation together in my head before replying "M-my mom kicked me out because I was home late and she thought I was sleeping around again.."

"Again?" He asked, furrowing his brow as I slapped myself with the palm of my hand after realising what I had just admitted. Suddenly, I heard the front door being unlocked which made me panic as, if my mom saw me with Carl, my life would be over. I grabbed his hand and led him to a corner of our yard where we jumped behind a bush. I put my finger to his lips and peeked out from a small crack in the leaves, watching my mom walk down the path. I made sure she was halfway up the street before standing up. "Okay Ness, what does 'again' mean?" Carl pressed as I lead him round the back of the house.

"Nosey much?" I rolled my eyes in frustration. "Look, last year I was having a really shit time so I ended up sleeping around a little bit and getting into all sorts of drugs. My mom found out and went fucking crazy, threatening to kick me out if I did it again. So when I came home late last night, she assumed I'd gone back into my old ways and didn't let me in." Carl smirked. "You know V, maybe we're not as different as you thought.." He had a point. Whilst I constantly judged him for sleeping around the school, no matter how much I wanted to deny it, I had done the same thing only a year ago..

I dropped my head so I could look at the floor but Carl lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "Wow, I've been such a bitch to you." A sigh escaped my lips as I thought back to all the times I'd yelled insults at the horny teenager. "I'm not complaining." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Bitchy Nessa is hot as fuck!" I playfully pushed his arm before opening the cellar doors and disappearing into the darkness. My phone flashlight lit the way as we tried to find the door that led us to the first floor of the house, glancing at the old photos and discarded furniture that had been collecting dust.

The house seemed quiet and empty, indicating my mom hadn't returned from The Alibi Room or wherever she'd disappeared to earlier. I led Carl upstairs and straight into my room where I gathered some clothes to throw on. "Don't look." I demanded, making sure he covered his eyes with his hands. I grabbed the denim shorts and oversized shirt that were lying on my bed, pulling them on over my underwear. I also tied up my hair before turning back to Carl, who was staring at me eagerly.

"I told you not to look!" I squealed, chucking a pillow at him. With the usual smirk plastered on his face, he walked towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist. His eyes flicked between mine and my lips, looking as if he could lean in at any moment. Although I was tempted to close the space between us, I unhooked myself from his grip and strolled over to the window, pulling out a cigarette from the box in my nightstand drawer. After a few drags, I passed the fag to Carl before staring back out at the street below.

"So," My voice broke the silence. "I've told you some of my past, what's yours?"

[end of chapter]

this book just hit 100k reads, ily guys aaaaa