Catch Me

Chapter Twenty-Eight: She's So Embarrassing...

Chapter Twenty-Eight: She's So Embarrassing...

Haleigh stood in the middle of the Applebee's parking lot, she was oblivious to the cold white flakes as they fell upon her fair skin. Zander's eyes were staring her down, waiting for her reaction to the story he had just told her. Her heart beat steadily in her chest as she concentrated on her breathing. She scraped the side of her worn out converse sneakers along the snow covered pavement while she contemplated what to say next. She wasn't even sure if she believed a single word that had escaped Zander's mouth tonight. She could hear Zander sigh heavily then take a couple steps toward her. She responded by taking a few steps back, still unsure of the situation.

"Haleigh, I swear she means nothing to me." He repeated again. He stopped taking steps in Haleigh's direction as she continued taking steps away from him. She remained silent. Her eyes continued to stare at the snow covered ground beneath her feet. "Hales..." He proceeded in his attempts at conversing with the speechless girl standing before him. "Let me drive you back to the dorm at least." He offered holding out his hand for the keys that had begun to shake in Haleigh's hand. She was just now beginning to feel the coldness of the Vermont winter.

After a few more moments of silence Haleigh finally handed Zander her car keys, then walked to the other side of the car before opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat. Zander then joined Haleigh in the car, turned the key into the ignition and cranked the heat. It didn't take long for the small Subaru to warm back up. Haleigh sighed, then focused her attention to the falling white flakes as she stared out of the passenger's side window.

Zander pulled the car out of the Applebee's parking lot and headed in the direction of Haleigh's dorm. An awkward silence filled the car. It didn't take long to make it back to campus. Zander pulled into the student parking lot, found an empty space and parked Haleigh's car. He turned off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition before handing them back to Haleigh. She took them from him with little emotion, then opened the passenger's side door, and slipped out into the cold air once more. She waited for Zander to get out and close the driver's side door before locking the car. Haleigh then turned toward the dorm building and began walking toward the entrance.

She stopped suddenly when she realized Zander wasn't following her. He had begun walking in the opposite direction toward his apartment. His head was tilted down, as if he was looking at his feet as he walked away from Haleigh.

"Zander." Haleigh called, finally speaking to him. Zander stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of Haleigh's voice. He turned to look at her. "Come on..." She motioned toward her dorm building, then turned back and continued walking, not waiting for Zander. By the time Haleigh had made it to the stairs of the building Zander had caught up to her, obviously excited that she had invited him inside.

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Haleigh rid herself of her winter jacket and soaking wet converse as soon as she made it into her dorm room. Zander followed close behind her. She sat down at the head of her bed, her back leaned up against her mountain of pillows. Zander's gaze fell upon Haleigh as he stood awkwardly in the middle of the dorm room.

"I really am sorry Hales." He broke the awkward silence as he again, brought up the situation that had happened a couple weeks ago. Haleigh flinched at his voice. She knew they had to discuss this, but she really didn't want to. The only reason she had invited Zander to her dorm in the first place was so that he wouldn't freeze to death on his walk back to his apartment. She also felt bad for ruining his dinner.

"I know you are..." Haleigh nearly whispered and she glanced at her feet.

Zander slid his leather jacket off of his shoulders and placed it on the back of Haleigh's desk chair. He made his way over to Haleigh's bed and sat on the edge, still unsure how to act around her.

"Are we cool?" It was a question he regretted as soon as he had said it, but he needed to know.

"It was just a kiss?" Haleigh could barely hear her own voice, and was surprised that Zander had heard her at all. He nodded in response. Their eyes met for a third time that night, and Haleigh could feel her heart thumping loudly in her chest. Could she really trust Zander? If he could hide this from her what else could he be hiding? The thought of falling back into his clutches, and getting hurt again was making Haleigh sick. She brought her knees to her chest as she again began to concentrate on her breathing. She wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Is there anything else that I should know?" She finally asked. She watched as Zander sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes darted away from hers, and focused on something on the other side of the room. Haleigh's heart skipped a beat in her chest as she watched Zander intently.

"There's nothing else." Zander assured Haleigh. He sighed and refocused his attention back on Haleigh. She let out a sigh of relief, and relaxed a little. Zander reached his hand toward Haleigh and gently touched her cold hand that was resting on her knee. She shivered slightly and pulled away. Zander's face fell. There was still an awkwardness lingering between the pair. Haleigh wished she could snap her fingers and the weirdness would vanish, but all she could picture was Zander's lips on another girls'.

"Hales..." Zander's soft voice seemed to echo throughout the room. He moved slightly in Haleigh's direction, and she froze. He continued to inch his way toward her. Soon he was cradling the side of her face in his left hand, he glanced over her pink cheeks before he looked deeply into Haleigh's bright blue eyes. Silence filled the air again as Zander leaned in. Haleigh released her grip from around her knees and relaxed as Zander's face moved closer to hers. The nerves and hesitation Haleigh had been feeling since the moment Zander had walked into the restaurant that night seemed to vanish in an instant as Zander's soft velvet lips met hers. Her breath hitched in her throat and the time seemed to stopped. It was like all of a sudden nothing in the world mattered. There was only Haleigh and Zander.

Haleigh was the one to deepen the kiss, she gently slid her tongue along Zander's bottom lip as Zander's hand snaked around the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him. He was soon leaning over her, on hand gripping her clothed hip as their tongues connected. Haleigh's back rested on the mountain of pillows she always kept on her twin sized bed. She could feel herself becoming excited as Zander's fingers teased at the waistband of her skinny jeans. He gently moved his hips against Haleigh's as she let out a tiny gasp of pleasure. Haleigh played with the hem of Zander's signature white t-shirt before slipping it gracefully over his head. She could hardly control herself as Zander's chiseled chest became visible.

The sound of a key turning in the lock of the door echoed through the room. Zander quickly sat up in Haleigh's bed as soon as the door flung open. Sam and Charles burst through the door.

"Haleigh I swear-" Sam stopped mid sentence as soon as she glanced around the small dorm room. Zander sat shirtless on Haleigh's bed. Haleigh's hair was in slight disarray and the couple were both out of breath. Sam smirked knowingly in Haleigh's direction.

"Way to go dude." Charles shamelessly chuckled and held out his fist for Zander. Zander hesitated, then shyly bumped fists with Charles. Haleigh could feel herself blushing.

"Charles." Sam scowlded. Charles shrugged his shoulders as if he was absolutely clueless that he had done anything wrong. Sam then began rummaging through her dresser pulling out a few articles of clothing and filled the bag she normally took to Charles's house when she spent the night there. "Sorry for the disruption, please continue." She smirked and then turned pulling Charles by the hand, the couple left the room.

"God..." Haleigh rolled her eyes. "She's so embarrassing..." Haleigh sighed as she fanned her hot face.