Writing's Second Taste

Chapter Thirteen: Deal

"We just talked, to be honest," I said, forking a piece of chicken into my mouth.

Emma nodded along, eating her own meal. After the sunset has finished, we were silent when we went back down, and never once did we mention that our hands were still clasped together the whole time. When we released because we had to go into the separate apartments, my hands felt cold without his but I just assumed that it was due to the fact that his body heat was no longer by my side.

Emma and Andy have already ordered food when I entered the apartment and although she didn't pry, I could see from her fleeting looks that she was curious. I sat her down when we got our meals and started telling about everything that happened with Adam, sparing the story about my ex for when we were going to fill the night with chatters before falling asleep.

Her brother sat opposite to us on the grey loveseat, also paying attention to what I was saying. He did need an explanation though for my sudden runaway move earlier when we crossed paths so I didn't mind.

"You fancy him," it wasn't a question like Emma's when she said the exact words to me, but it was a statement. I rolled my eyes, grabbing a throw pillow before chucking it towards his direction. He avoided with ease before shrugging, "Denial is the beginning of a person's road to acceptance."

"Why do people keep insisting that I like him?" I groaned, my fork stabbing my food, "I like him as a friend but what you're implying is that I have some sort of crush on him."

"Which you do," he told me, all confidence oozing in his voice, "I'll give you twenty-five quid if you never fall in love with him and a hundred if you marry somebody else sometime in the future. If you do fall in love with him and farther along, marry him, you owe me the same."

It was a huge gamble and I was thinking that the reason why he was so confident was because he already has a manageable income due to his writing. Even I don't know what the future entails, we don't know what happens and I can't possibly stop myself no matter how much I tell myself not to for the sake of money.

However, I missed the times when I was stubborn and didn't back down from a challenge.

"Deal."

Emma giggled next to me, shaking her head, "This is going to bite you both on the arse at the end."

"Not if I win," Andy smirked, finishing up his meal and standing up to go to the kitchen.

"Your brother is frustrating," I blew out, drinking my glass of water after eating the last bites of my food, "How can you live with him?"

"Let's trade siblings so you can find out," she laughed, crossing one leg over the other, "You'll take Andy and I'll take Sam."

My little brother, Sam, was the same age as Emma and even though I was fairly close with her, she and him get along better because they both claim that they were the black sheep of the family. I don't see them that way but there's definitely some kin shared between the two of them.

And speaking of the little rascal, I kind of do miss him. Mom was home often but she was constantly busy because she brings her work from the office while dad was out for the whole day and will come back just barely in time for dinner. It was usually just me and Sam; although we do argue a lot to the point it frustrated our mother on a daily basis, it was us against the world in most cases.

I remember when I rushed inside our apartment that the day when I broke up with Justin. I was a mess, to put it lightly. I sprinted into my room and continued to let out the sobs I managed to hold in on the way home. He knew instantly that there was something wrong but he never asked. Instead, he opened my bedroom door and sat next to me while I cried my eyes out. He was silent but that was the kind of comfort I needed at the time. He was also the one constantly worrying about me during my slump. I barely left the house, something I never did when I was in high school.