Deep Red [STEVE HARRINGTON]

CHAPTER FOUR

(    word count: 1,001    )

CHAPTER FOUR:

↳ BREAKFAST AT LEE'S

     AMELIE JONES WOKE UP SUDDENLY the next morning to her father yelling very loudly. The young girl's heart was beating frantically as she heard her father call out.

"Why the hell is there a teenage boy sleeping on our couch?"

Lee nearly hit her head against the ceiling and she hopped off her bunk bed and scurried out into the hallway to see her father, Ronald, standing in front of a shirtless Steve.

The blonde tried her best not to blush at the sight of his naked chest but on her father who stood, waiting, for a reply.

"D-Dad, this is Steve." Lee stuttered, wondering where her mother was. She knew it was early in the morning, around six, when her father went to work.

"I know that," Ronald sighed, "he already told me that. Why is he here?"

"Mom told him he can stay over." Amelie breathed out, holding a hand up to her heart as she tried to catch her breath.

"Really?" Ronald raised his eyebrows at the sight of his stuttering daughter.

"Yeah," Lee replied earnestly, smoothing out her hair by pushing the blonde strands behind her ears. "After we were at the Halloween party she told him he could stay."

"As long as he wasn't in your room," Ronald Jones mumbled, glaring at the teenage boy who was frightened. Ronald wasn't in the mood for anymore talking– he just wanted his damn coffee before he had to go to work.

Lee waited until she heard her father take his cup of coffee and slam the garage door closed as he headed off to work.

"Sorry about that," Lee said awkwardly as Steve sat down on the arm rest of the couch. He rubbed his eyes, waking himself up to make sure that happened. That had never happened at Nancy's before.

Lee didn't notice the stare Steve gave her which dropped to look her up and down as he noticed she was wearing a pale pink nightgown.

"It's okay, Lee," Steve said with a smirk as she approached him. She hovered nearby, wondering what she should do.

"Do you want breakfast?" Although it was 6 am, the two would have gotten ready for school in an hour anyway. Before Steve could reply, Amelie's Mom walked in.

"What was your father yelling about?" Susan asked as she fixed her bonnet on her head. Lee noticed the half opened robe her mother had on.

Susan Jones was hysterical from laughter as Lee retold her the events prior.

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     AS LEE AND STEVE ATE BREAKFAST, Susan Jones chatted their ears off. Each were on the other side of the table, glancing at each other silently. Neither realised that when the other was looking at the other.

"Lee, I'm going to go now," Susan chirped, standing up from the table. "I have a huge meeting today and I plan to get promoted." Lee smiled and said her goodbyes, happy that her mother was climbing the ladder of success. Her mom walked to the bedroom to grab her purse and put on make up, leaving the two alone.

Steve and Lee sat in silence and Lee quickly finished her food and took it to the kitchen sink to clean. She heard Steve stand up as well and she became tense when she felt him right behind her. Lee placed her plate in the sink and Steve's arm reached around her to place his in the sink on top of hers.

Amelie Jones couldn't breath as she turned around to look up at Steve in wonder. She stared deeply into his eyes, marveled in the hazel colour. She knew that her blue ones couldn't compare to his breathtaking beauty, and she wished she could stare into them more. Even with the drama of him kissing her after he ended it with Nancy.

"Lee–" Steve began, reaching to her to cup her face with his palm. However, the clink of Susan Jones heels hit the tile nearby and Lee turned back around to the sink to finish washing the dishes– and to hide the blush that coated her cheeks from both her mother and Steve.

That was a close call.

As her mother left, Lee snuck away from Steve to finish getting ready for the day. The young blonde stared at herself in her mirror as she applied her staple red lipstick.

"Are you ready to go?" Steve asked and Lee looked past her reflection to see Steve leaning against the doorway, watching her carefully. Both didn't know what to say to the other, like normal.

Lee smiled as she put away her lipstick and grabbed her bag, following the teenage boy out of her room and to his car. As Lee trailed behind, she noticed he kept wearing her dad's shirt. She wondered when he was planning on giving it back to her.

When the duo arrived to school, they sat in the car and stared out at the children getting off of the school bus. They were silent for a moment but the tension was there, leaving the two worried.

"I'm sorry."

Lee was startled at the words that fell from Steve's lips. She turned to him, noticing the frown on his face, his hand tapping the steering wheel nervously.

"I know that I've said this already but please understand, you're not a rebound, Amelie. You're so much more than that."

Lee blushed at his words, tucking a strand of blonde hair that would always fall down.

She knew that what was happening between them could be real— but it was so wrong because of Nancy. They were her friends and how would she manage to stay friends with them? She probably wouldn't. Nancy would hate Lee.

"I swear I'm going to prove it to you, Amelie Jones, you mean more than anything to me."

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happy new year! next chapter will be more insight into their friendship and what steve means :))