The Game ✔

Chapter fifteen

My feet stop in front of that door once again. It's been a while I realize and nerves are back in place just as I touch the handle. I live that moment once again.

I knock but no one answers. I try to open it but it's locked. I try again and call her name but she doesn't answer. I start to shake as I try to break in. I keep on punching the door and kicking and screaming until it finally falls open.

And there she is.

I wake up screaming and looking around in panic. I've been sweating my hands won't stop shaking. I see his face. I see her face.

And I'm crying.

''Lexa?'' My head snaps toward my open window and at first, I think I imagined the sound of his voice, it's so far.

I get up on wobbling legs and walk up to it. Ayden stands in his room only in his boxers and stares at me.

''Nightmares again?'' He asks louder this time.

I only nod and I hear a sigh in the distance as he rubs his neck, thinking I guess.

''Want to come over?'' He offers and I know it's a big effort since he's still mad at me.

''It's fine.'' My voice croaks as I speak. He gives me a look.

''Alright, I'm coming over.'' 

''Ayden-''

''No, you won't change my mind. Now come downstairs to unlock the door.'' He says before disappearing.

I wipe off my wet cheeks before walking downstairs. I'm surprised my mother didn't hear me, usually, she runs upstairs. I guess she's now used.

I unlock the door just as Ayden arrives in front of my door and I open it for him. He looks at me a while before entering and closing the door behind him. He puts an arm over my shoulders and pulls me along with him toward my bedroom.

He goes straight to my dresser and pulls out another pajama that he hands to me.

''Change, you're all sweaty.'' He says and I don't argue. I take it and go to the bathroom to change it before coming back. He's already in my bed, his clothes on the floor. I climb into bed and snuggle into his chest, still shaking.

He pulls me close to his chest, ''It's fine.'' He whispers in my ear.

After a while, I start to relax against him.

''You saw her?'' He asks. I only nod. ''It's over now.''

Yes, it is.

I lay my head in the crook of his neck, sleep taking over me. 

My alarm rings loudly in my bedroom and I groan rolling over to end the pain. Someone else next to me groans and I almost jump.

''Oh hey.'' I say blushing.

''Hey, beautiful.'' He mutters as he rubs the sleepiness from his eyes.

I roll so I face him entirely, looking at the way his disheveled hair stands in the way. He glances at me before smirking and rolling to face me.

''How about we don't go to school today?'' He asks staring into my eyes.

''How about you don't miss another day of school or you'll be expelled.'' 

''It's just so much easier when there's no one else around you.'' He says as he rolls back on his back.

I blink back, trying to work out the words he just said.

''So you don't like me when I'm surrounded by people?'' I demand, a bit hurt.

''I just mean you're different, Lexa. Like yesterday, what was that show with Daisy? It was like you'd become her with your nasty comments.'' He tries a glance toward me but I'm already slipping out of bed, walking away from him. ''Lexa wait-''

''No.'' I cut him off. ''If you're here to comfort me just to bring me back down again, I don't want you here.''

''No, it's not that way-''

''You were right, we need to stop this.'' I wiggle my finger between us two, ''This unhealthy thing like you said. We're just hurting each other.''

He gets up and makes a move to take me in his arms but I stop him, ''Please, leave. I don't want you here.''

He shakes his head, looking around to find something to say, ''I don't get it. Why is it so hard to be together? Why can't we just be?''

''I don't have the answer to that question,'' I answer and turn around. ''I'm going in the shower and when I come out, I want you gone,'' I whisper and get inside the bathroom, leaving him behind.

''You look tired,'' Cameron tells me in the car.

''Is that your way to tell me I look bad?'' I ask laughing. I don't even know from where I take the strength from.

''Can you even look bad?'' He smirks staring at my face.

''Smooth.'' 

I look out the window to the cold world outside. I don't know how I managed to sleep my window open and wake up in sweat this night since it's a frozen land this morning with frost everywhere.

I close my eyes and lay my head on the window, feeling like resting for a moment. Too soon though, Cameron puts his hand on my thigh to wake me up.

''C'mon sleeping beauty, we'll be late for school.'' He says and gets out of the car. I sigh and follow.

The day is slow and awfully painful for my eyes. Lunch arrives after what seems like forever and this time I sit next to Cameron and right in front of Darwin. I don't know why I already like this much Darwin. Yes, I've spent one week with him for the Game but it's so much different. In a way, he makes me think of Ayden.

Cameron keeps my hand in his through my meal and as we speak with the others, at one point I lay my head on his shoulder.

I don't know how long I drift off into darkness or how long it takes for everyone to see me sleeping on Cameron's shoulder, but at some point, someone shakes me awake.

''Hey, princess.'' I blink my eyes open and see that everyone has left the table unless Cameron and me.

''Oh no, are we late?'' I say realizing there's no one else in the cafeteria and start getting up but Cameron stops me.

''Let's ditch.'' He says smirking at me.

''Ditch? Hell no, I've done it too many times recently.''

''But you worked on our project, so doing school work while ditching isn't really ditching.'' He points out. ''Change is good and you need to sleep.'' He chuckles.

''I don't want to go home,'' I mutter.

He sighs and thinks for a while before saying, ''Let's go to my house.''