Old Flames Die Hard

Chapter Five

I've never been so happy to come home before in my life.

I enter our kitchen to a bunch of Isaak's soccer friends, including Chase, Connor's little brother, eating pizza like pigs and playing Fifa on the living room tv. I try my best not to slip on the piles of soccer thermals sprawled all over the floor, and eventually make it to my room.

Once I shut the door, my shoes fly off, the light goes off, and I literally fly under my covers.

~

I'm not sure if its in my dream, but I hear a light tapping on glass. Maybe it's my mom in my dream. When the tapping becomes more frequent, I wake up and realize someone is tapping on my window.

I glance at my apple watch and see its 2:30 in the morning.

Who could be coming to see me at 2:30 in the morning?

I open my blinds and am shocked to see Thomas staring back at me. I do not want to see him. I shut my blinds and turn to go back to bed when I hear my phone buzz.

I feel the strongest urge to just see what it says.

I walk over to my phone and see a text from him.

X: You might want to change from that adorable tube top. It's really cold outside : )

How can he act so normal? I can't believe I'm doing this, but I go into my closet and change into an oversized Nike Air sweatshirt, put on some ugg boots, and throw my hair into a messy bun.

I grab some pillows and extra blankets to make a figure shape under my covers.

I haven't snuck out in probably about a year. The year I did it, my parents were having a couple's party, so it was a lot louder than it is right now.

I flick the lock switch to unlock and slowly slide my window to the side only enough for me to squeeze through. Once I'm through, I slide it back shut.

As I walk up to him on the sidewalk, he breaths heavily, making a trail of smoke come from his mouth. "I forgot how cute you look when you just wake up." He admits.

"Why are you here?" I ask, trying to get to the point.

He folds his arms, "Why are you here?"

I'm about to say a snarky comment back when I realize I don't really know why I'm here. I could have easily told him to leave. He would have.

One day when we had gotten into an argument over who knows what, I yelled for him to go away and he immediately left peacefully and later texted me that he is so sorry for throwing a curveball at our relationship.

I look down, again not knowing what to say. He's almost always right. I'm just scared he's right about what he's about to say.

"Tay, I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that there still is a spark. The spark is larger on one side for sure, but I think it's safe to say there still is a spark on your side. Am I right?"

I bite my lower lip, not wanting to answer his question.

I start to quiver a little from the cold, dry, Utah winter air.

He quickly grabs the blanket from his right hand and unfolds it, extending it in front of him for me to go into so he can wrap me up.

I gulp, "I have to go."

"You don't have to. Please, admit you don't want to see me because you know what I'm saying is true."

"Fine!" I yell, louder than I had hoped. I quickly, in reaction, put my hands over my mouth. When I hear my house still silenced, I look down and take a deep breath.

"Fine, you're right." I admit.

Thomas lifts the blanket up again.

I fold my arms, "And I hate you for being right. It's taken me so long to mend what you've broken and I'm sorry but I'm not going to let my attraction to you blow up to what it once was."

Thomas lowers his arms, "Tay-"

"Don't 'Tay' me. We may be in the same friend group, but that sure as heck doesn't mean we are going to be the way we were again."

He's about to take a step towards me when I quickly say, "I'm exhausted. Please leave."

I turn back to my window and open it just as carefully as I had on my way outside. I climb inside and look back at him. He's still looking at me, defeat but persperation in his eyes. He turns around and goes to his car. I shut and lock my window tight and shut my blinds.

I change back into my white tube-top, put my sweatshirt and ugg boots back the way they were before, and hop back into bed. I rip my hair out of the messy bun he apparently likes so much.

The audacity of him to come here and try to prove me wrong. I may still have an attraction to him, but that doesn't mean I can't flip my magnet to the repel side.