A Deadly Affair

Seven

I've discovered that Ryan runs every morning: and on Sunday, he runs twice. Once in the morning, and once before dinner; which I discovered when he walked into the living room dressed in his athletic wear, which made him so handsome I struggled to speak as I looked up from my laptop. I managed not to gape, and smiled up at him from my spot on the couch.

"I'll be back in like an hour." He says, as he heads into the kitchen; I hear him grab a water bottle from the fridge just as our front door opens, revealing Ben.

"Julie, so good to see you." He grins, before looking to Ryan. "You're getting slow in your old age." He comments, a smirk on his smooth face. I laugh, turning to find Ryan rolling his eyes.

"Whatever, Benji." He sends his friend a smirk of his own. "Be back soon, Jules." He calls, before shoving Ben out the door, who waves, before Ryan manages to get him into the hallway and shut the door, locking it behind him. I stretch, not used to having the house to myself. Ryan is almost always here, besides when he goes for his runs, or picks us up coffee in the morning. I've grown so accustomed to him bringing me a cup of coffee before going to class or work; it's such a nice thing to do, and my heart always flutters when he does it. I frown; thinking of the fact that I never really do anything nice for him like that. I'm always so busy with class, homework, or work that I never think about it; I think that needs to change...

It's almost an hour later when Ryan walks through the door. He pauses when his eyes land on me in the kitchen, stirring vegetables in a frying pan. "Hi," I greet, before transferring the food I've made into a large bowl.

"Hey," His voice is deep, and I wonder how he manages to look good after running for almost an hour; his hair is perfect, and he makes his sweat look good. "I didn't know you could cook."

I nod, "Oh yeah, my grandma Rosie, on my Mom's side taught me." I explain, setting the bowl onto the counter, then grabbing the rice packet from the microwave and pouring it into a bowl, then set it beside the other.

He nods in response, a small smile on his face, showing a small dimple in his left cheek, before he jacks his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm going to freshen up," He tells me, and I wave him off, focused on making sure everything is prepared. I feel his eyes on me as he walks back to his room, but I don't look up, despite how the air in the room has changed. I feel hot under his gaze, but I shove those thoughts away. We're only roommates- it's obvious that's what Ryan wants, so it's what I need to want too.

He enjoyed the meal I made, and to say I wasn't smug about it secretly would be a lie. My greatest secret is I'm a really good cook; Maya and josh always said I should've become a chef, but I really wanted to help people which is how I chose nursing- even if needles terrify me. After dinner, he offered to wash the dishes and I agreed, opting to crash on the couch. I flip through the channels, frowning because nothing good is on; this is why I like Netflix so much better. No commercials and so many choices as opposed to cable which has the same stuff every time. I grin when Ryan flops onto the couch beside of me, obviously tired; the past few weeks have been so easy. We get along really well, and I love living on my own; I miss my parents, especially Mom's breakfast since I have to make it myself now, but I still love the independence. The only issue I have is my growing attraction to the blonde who's sitting only a few feet from me; we have an L shaped couch, so there was a lot of space to sprawl out, but he opted to sit close to me. I mentally reprimand myself, needing a flashing sign telling me no to hang on the wall.

"I say we watch a movie." Ryan suggests; I nod, handing him the remote, ignoring the way our hands brush with the trade. I grab the blanket I leave draped over the couch, and throw it over myself, making sure my hands can't move anywhere inappropriate, like any part of my roommates delicious looking body. "Horror?"

I throw him a glance, before shrugging. I don't typically go for horror movies, but I do get roped in sometimes because Maya loves them. Still, I end up staying up half the night, because I have a nightmare, or think someone's hiding in my closet despite checking it three times. "Okay, but I'll be up all night."

A smirk, before his green eyes meet mine. "It's alright. I'll be right beside you, nothing will get to you." He turns back to finding a movie, and while I know they were harmless words, I can't hide that his protective side fills me with warmth. He's always looking out for me, and between that side of him, and us sleeping in the same bed makes me feel like maybe he wants more; even though I know he doesn't. I just have to continue reminding myself of that.

"You good?" His amused voice fills my ears, and I tear my attention from the TV where another murder just happened; at this rate, I think everyone in this movie dies. I note, in embarrassment, how close I am to him, not even realizing it since I've been so absorbed with the movie. I'm practically sitting on his lap. I'm thankful for the dark room, because the heat from my face threatens to melt off my skin.

"Fine," I note how high pitched my voice is; though whether that's from fear or nerves I can't tell. I turn back to the movie, watching as a girl runs from her boyfriend, abandoning him to be bludgeoned in the living room as she runs up the steps. How stupid. Everyone knows if someone's in your house you should run outside where more people can hear you; I know she's a goner before she even trips and the killer walks up the steps agonizingly slow, welding his knife. My breathing hitches when I feel an arm behind my head; Ryan's arm is inches from me, and I can feel his body heat from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes.

"Are you scared?" He asks, not teasing me. I steal a glance to find he's watching me, a ghost of a smile on his face as the TV light illuminates him. I wouldn't say I'm scared; I'm nervous definitely, but it has everything to do with him and nothing to do with the movie.

"No," I reply quietly, not tearing my gaze from him. "Maya's terrified of horror movies." I add, earning a raised brow. "She's my best friend. We've been friends since we were kids."

He hums as he listens, and the sound causes a dip in my stomach; why is everything he does so attractive? My heart hammers against my chest as I realize how close we are; his lips are only inches away. As if reading my thoughts, I watch his eyes trail over my face and I stop breathing all together as he leans forward, lightly pressing his lips against mine. I lean into him, noting how safe and warm I feel being so close to him. He pulls back slightly, meeting my eyes before he returns his lips to mine; this kiss is more confident, and I find myself melting into him.

"Sorry," He breathes, as his phone rings loudly, causing me to jump. I wave him off not trusting my voice, as he stands and answers his call. I watch him walk outside the apartment, and touch my fingers against my lips. Did that really just happen? Oh my god, he's a better kisser than I even imagined. What does that mean? Does he feel the same way I do? Is that even possible? Obviously it has to be for him to kiss me like that.

Smiling softly to myself, I curl up under a blanket, and lay down on the couch, ignoring the gory movie. I fall asleep, wrapped up in the smell of amber and the feel of Ryan's lips on mine.