Boy Next Door ✔

chapter twenty-six

C A L E B 

"Okay," I said, cracking my knuckles. "I know something we can do."

"What is it?" Mateo questioned, fanning himself with his notebook. 

There had suddenly been a blackout in our apartment complex and we had absolutely nothing to do without the internet, which was why we had been spending the past forty minutes complaining about how bored we were. 

"We're going to clean your place," I declared. "This place is too messy and you know it."

Mateo gave me a threatening glance, "Don't touch my stuff."

"Do you have anything else in mind?"

When he didn't answer, I continued with a smug grin, "It's settled then. Get up, it's time to get cleaning."

"Geez, you're so bossy," Mateo complained. Nonetheless, he got up and set his notebook aside, sauntering over to the door and pulling it open. 

"Are you trying to escape?" I gasped dramatically.

"No, stupid. It's so we can get some air."

"Let's start off with all these books then," I started, pointing at all the random notebooks which were scattered across the floor in a desultory manner. I crouched down and began gathering some of the bigger books so I could stack the smaller ones on top of them when Mateo crouched down beside me.

"Is there something I can do to convince you to do something other than cleaning?"

"No."

"Okay then," Mateo began before extending his arm out towards me, handing me a bottle of apple juice. "Here."

"Is this for me?" I questioned, taken aback.

"Do you see anyone else?" he snorted, pushing the bottle against me. I accepted it with a subtle grin.

"Are you trying to bribe me with food?"

"Yeah," Mateo confessed, watching me take a cautious sip of the juice to make sure I wasn't being poisoned. "Is it working?"

"No," I responded after letting out a pleased noise at how delicious it was. 

"Can I have that back then?" he started, attempting to snatch it from me. However, I was too quick and hid it behind my back.

"Why?" I questioned, tilting my head in a smug manner.

"Because give and take, that's why," he stated simply before attempting to reach for the bottle behind my back. 

I was about to inform him that that's not what give and take really means, however, in the process of attempting to get the bottle from me, I ended up falling onto my back and he ended up on top of me with his hands placed on the floor, a startled look on his face. My eyes widened when I comprehended the position we were in and we both stayed there in silence, staring at each other without saying a word. 

My heart was hammering against my ribs like a crazed tiger prowling at its cage and I was pretty sure he could hear it. I waited for him to get off me or say something to save us from the awkward situation we had found ourselves in, because I sure as hell couldn't come up with anything - I was too busy suffering from a potential brain-stroke.

However, instead of doing so, he reached his hand out for my face and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear before tracing his thumb over my cheekbone ever so gently. His gaze averted to my lips and he cupped my cheek with his hand gently. He began to lean in slowly, a mesmerized expression on his face. 

Meanwhile, my heart was performing stunts in my chest. My stomach was twisting itself into knots and I felt my entire body freeze. My breath hitched in my throat and I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks, indicating that I was, indeed, blushing. 

And when I shut my eyes so he could close the frustrating gap between us, he did the most unexpected thing ever. 

He reached for my hand and snatched the bottle of apple juice from me before getting off of me with a victorious grin on his face, waving the bottle in the air, "Got it."

I quickly sat up, my mouth agape, unable to form any comprehensible words.

"Are you okay?" he asked, tilting his head. "You're turning red."

Instead of responding, I shot him a quick glare and went back to arranging the books, wishing the Earth would just envelop me whole before the embarrassment could.