The Mesh (Raura)

Chapter 14

Laura's POV

Awful, fearing noise slowly wakes me up from my sleep. I groan and listen to it a little better.

Oh. It's just Anna's voice.

My lids are heavy and I can't open my eyes for a few seconds.

"Rise and shine, lovebirds. Reality check; we have no time to have a hangover because we have classes to attend in an hour. ", a warm pillow is thrown at my face and I squeak.

Two unexpectedly comfortable arms tighten around my shoulders.

"What the..", Ross mumbles and I look up at him. His eyes are squeezed shut, trying to prevent as much light as possible to get inside.

I chuckle at his cute expression and look down to find that I am in between his legs, my back against his chest.

"How did we fall asleep this way?", I question but don't move away just yet.

"I don't know. We hugged when the sun came out, that's all I remember. ", Ross speaks and Anna giggles.

"You guys are so adorable together! Ross, please be her boyfriend, I am begging you. ", Anna begs and I look at her horrified.

"Stop making jokes, Bannana. ", Ross glares at her and Anna gasps.

"What did you just call me?"

"Well, by your full name. "

"Anastasia is my full name, you jerk. ", she walks back into the room.

"Whatever you say, Bannana. "

I chuckle at their exchange of teasing and notice that I'm shivering.

"I'm cold. ", I say as I realize my blanket has fallen down and is now rolled beneath our feet. Ross' blanket is wrapped around me from behind a moment later.

"Payback. ", he whispers.

"Ross, you're only in your underwear!", I yell and cover my eyes when I notice his bare legs.

"So?"

"So get dressed and don't grind against me like that! Personal space. ", I scold him and somehow pull myself to stand up.

Ross' eyes meet mines from below, piercing through me seriously, as much as teasingly. "Since when do you care about personal space with guys, Miss Laura?"

Frown forms on my face immediately. I don't feel comfortable with him calling me out like that. "You are not just a guy, you are.. my friend... and what's that supposed to mean?"

He joins me in standing and we stare at each other for a moment. His eyes suddenly can't bare the tension for some reason as he looks away from me.

"Well, just that. "

"Was it some kind of insult behind the joke?", I raise a brow.

"It was just the truthful question, Laura. ", he looks at me again, this time without fear or embarassment. "It's up to you how you take it. Why are you getting mad over me saying something like that? You slept with that uptight, almost blown up from too much muscle jerk, waiting for someone to accept his boner like you did just to get the sperm out. "

My eyes widen at his choice of words. He continues.

"And you are embarassed to sit with me when I'm in my underwear? Lame. "

I feel my head getting heavy and the weird sensation appears around my eyes. 

I supress the unfamiliar emotion and stare into his eyes, fearless.

"I lied. I didn't sleep with him. "

Ross puts up a surprised expression which soon drops and is replaced with anger? And embarrassement?

"Why lie?"

"I don't know.. it all happened quickly and.. I didn't want to be seen as a loser, you know? The great sleeping around Laura building up dignity and shit like that. I am still the same, I wanna be the same as I've been up until now. "

"But you are not the same. I don't know about sex, sheesh I don't want to get into your sex life but I told you last night, I noticed the change in you. There's no going back. ", he speaks now softly.

His words cause the rage in me to blow up to the surface, unlike last night when they were soothing.

"I don't wanna change! I can't do anything normally anymore! I can't have sex, I go around rejecting guys and plus I cried twice in someone else's presence and I'm letting people in. I'm becoming too soft, damn it! I don't want that. ", I shudder with anger.

"I like you either way. ", Ross comes closer, his presence overwhelming. "No matter how you change yourself, you'll always be you. Whoever you are, you are one whole person that's always been constant, that never disappeared. That's how I've felt you for all these years. You don't have to pressure yourself with your personal changes because there are people that will always accept you for your nature, no matter how it manifests. "

I feel my cheeks burning and look down. "I don't need sweet talk. I just want peace of being familiar with my personality. This just a little changed me feels like a stranger taking over my body and mind. "

"I think you are stronger now. You were too vulnerable before even if you seemed tough to others. ", he admits.

I glare at him. "And I think you have no right acting like my personal adviser anymore and asking me why I can't look at you in the underwear and shit like staying over night, because you have a girlfriend. ", I remind him but it's more for myself so I don't forget it that there is a girl whose feelings will be hurt and who will try to rip my head off for this.

He just stares at me dumbfounded. "It's friendship. We are friends. "

"Since when do friends sleep on each other half naked? "

"Are you saying we are more than friends?"

"I am saying we act like that. "

"This conversation is absurd. ", he turns away from me.

"Yeah? Then don't go hinting that I am a whore with your jokes when you are the one who should be paying attention to what he's doing. You have ties, I have none. ", I turn around ready to leave.

"Fine. You want me to withdraw? I can do that. Just tell me one thing. ", Ross' hand is burning my wrist as he grabs on it. My heart beats faster and this is exactly the kind of reactions that I hate.

"What?"

"Why didn't you sleep with him?"

I pause for a moment but don't turn around. My chin lowers and lips tremble, cracking up from sourness.

Is this possible?

I realize one crucial, new era announcing thing.

I care what he thinks of my dignity as a woman. My heart feels ashamed before his judgement.

"I just kept thinking of someone else. ", my freedom is gripped by the chains from now on.

He releases my hand but I don't feel free. I feel ties for the first time.

Emotion ties. Ties of heart.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Here it is my babes! Vote and comment for more!!

I want you to be super active with feedback to get me to update sooner!