Bruises

7: in the closet

I wake up, my mind fuzzy. I slowly open my eyes, my vision dainty and wary. I grumble and turn, somebody's arms wrapped around me. Soon what happened yesterday hurtles upon my thoughts. I smile and blush lightly, and sink into Ayden's hold even more. I keep replaying everything over and over, the fire and all.

For minutes I lie there, slimly awake. I didn't want to get up; I didn't want to leave his embrace. Eventually I feel his body pulse with alertness and I turn to see a sea of blues and greys. A smile paints itself across my face.

"Good morning Smith," he manages to whisper in my ear before he falls back into a sappy pit of exhaustion. I pull myself directly against him and curl up into a ball, absorbing as much warmth as I can.

"Good morning," I squeak. The house was quiet from what I can hear, the occasional bird singing outside his window. I exhaled strongly; my breathing rubbing up against Ayden's bare torso. Everything was quiet, until a door closed loudly next door

I felt myself twitch with fright, and soon Ayden and I were upright in the bed. I was turning in circles, my mind flustered and not clear at all, trying to figure out what to do.

"Ayden!" I heard a high pitched, loud voice shout down the hallway. Ayden put his index finger up to his mouth to remind me to be quiet, and then guided me over to his closet. He opened the door as fast as possible while still being quiet and gently nudged me in along with my things, reassuring me that it was fine. I crawled into his closet under the packed row of clothing pieces thrown over hangars. I pulled my knees up to my chin and slowed my nerves and hushed my breathing. I listened carefully as his bedroom door was pushed open. "Ayden," the same voice said again, "Mom wants to know why you were home so late last night when you said you were just going to Zack's house."

I could hear Ayden sigh through the walls of the closet. "I'm not allowed to stay out late at a friend's house?" there a massive hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Don't ask me," the voice said, "But if I were mom, I would suspect that you would be at a party. Maybe with a, perhaps, a girl?" I bite my lip. I could feel the nervousness seep out of my pores. Ayden stuttered, trying to catch an answer unsuccessfully. "Aha! So where is she this time huh? Hiding under the bed again, in the shower, maybe, in the closet?" This time I really got a kick out of it. A kick right in the nerves. I practically shut off my breathing, trying not to flinch or move a single muscle. I heard padded steps near the closet, and backed up real good into the wall. I wanted to sink through the thick structure, and fall right back to the moment of peace just before the annoying girl had interrupted. For heaven's sake, I didn't even know who she was.

"Annabelle!" Ayden managed through his teeth; I could hear the struggle in his voice to try and keep calm, but it really wasn't working. Then all at once I was caught red-handed, found in the closet. There was a gasp of success, a flash of morning light, and hand yanking me out of the closet all coming into my perspective in a mere matter of a second.

"Who is this girl?" Annabelle hissed through her teeth. She resembled Ayden quite well; she had blonde hair and pretty blue eyes, not the exact same beautiful shade as Ayden's, but close enough. She wore heavy winged eyeliner and a thick layer of foundation that made her skin look flawless. Some of her hair at the top was teased, adding volume to her thin body.

"Annabelle!" Ayden growled again in response. She rolled her eyes.

"Ayden, it's fine," she sighed. "Now tell me who this is and what you were up to last night."

"This is Winter, Winter Smith. I was at a party last night that was at Zeke's house," he looked down at his bare feet.

"And what about the taking home part? You guys didn't-," she was cut off by a groan from Ayden and heavy blushing from me.

"Annabelle shut up! No," he rolled his eyes and pried her hand from my forearm and gently pulled me towards him so he was breathing upon the top of my head. Annabelle slowly made her way toward the door.

"Annabelle," he was practically burning with impatience, "don't even think about telling mom. We're going to sneak out."

"Five dollars," she giggled and Ayden huffed in pure anger, startling the shit out of me. "I'm just kidding, geez Ayden."

"Thank you Annabelle," he rolled his eyes and shut the door quickly after her.

"Is it really true? Have you brought a lot of girls home before?" it was the only thing that was able to hang on my mind and still keep my attention.

"No," he sighs and plops upon the unmade bed, "my sister just likes being an ass in front of my friends or in this case, "crush", just to embarrass me or piss me off," I felt my stomach flip in relief; I didn't want to be falling for a player.

"Okay," was all I could manage, "good," I smiled at him warmly.

"So how about I take you home, cutie?" I smile and nod at him, letting his hand guide me wherever he yearns to go.

A/N:

Hey guys! So I finally uploaded the right thing this time...

I was really tired and I was uploading at a later time so I was not at my brightest...

LOL!

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