Boy Next Door ✔

chapter thirty-five

C A L E B 

"What are you thinking about?" Mateo questioned. 

We were currently laying on my bed, sharing the same uncomfortably small blanket, with my back facing him. I had warned him to maintain some distance between the two of us but I didn't give him a reason as to why. The reason being: I didn't want to make a fool out of myself and end up blurting my feelings out for him just because I was put into an intimate situation with him. 

"Nothing, shut up and sleep," I complained, rubbing my forehead. "You know, you should have at least switched your music off before coming here."

"How will I sleep then, silly?" he chuckled, letting out a soft yawn.

"You didn't seem to have a problem sleeping over at my place that day without the music playing," I pointed out. 

A minute of silence followed before he rolled over onto his side, pulling the blanket along with him. I let out a groan of frustration and pulled the blanket back over to my side, "Can't you just use the blanket on the spare bed?"

"No," he stated, pulling the blanket over to his side once more. "If you want it that badly then come closer."

"No."

"I'm not going to bite you," Mateo snickered. "Unless you want me t-"

I quickly whipped around so I was facing him and smacked my hand over his mouth, giving him a glare, "Shut up." 

He let out a chuckle and wrapped his fingers around my wrist, pulling my hand away yet not letting go of his grip just yet, "Come closer, I'm cold and I want to cuddle."

"Who told you to show up shirtless?" I huffed. "Convince me, then."

"Hmm," he began. I couldn't see what kind of face he was making at that moment because all the lights in the room had been turned off, so we were left in complete darkness. "I'll stop playing my music so l-"

That was all it took for me to scoot closer to him and throw my arms around him with a smug grin on my face, "You got me."

Mateo let out a breathy laugh and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him. My breath hitched in my throat for the hundredth time that day. Why the hell did he have to be shirtless at a time like this?

"Are you okay?" Mateo whispered. "Your heart's going crazy."

"You're one to talk," I began, already embarrassed. "I can hear your heartbeat from here. Seems like you've been electrocuted or something."

"I can't help it," he hummed, burying his face in my neck, leading to a tickling sensation followed by a thousand volts of electricity rushing through my body. "It happens whenever I'm around you, and I can't figure out why.."

He trailed off and let out another yawn. I stayed still with my eyes gradually widening to the size of saucers. What was he meaning to say by that? Did he feel the same way as I did? No, he can't. This isn't some fantasy world. This is reality - and in reality, your crush isn't meant to like you back. Right?

I let out a breath of frustration and let my fingers tangle themselves in his locks, placing my chin on his shoulder and squeezing my eyes shut. I tried to focus on anything but my obnoxiously loud heartbeat, which obviously didn't work - especially since he was so close to me and I couldn't find it in me to push him away, because I was just that pathetic. 

That night, even though the sound of the music was louder than usual, and the room was uncomfortably hot, being in Mateo's arms led me to having the most satisfying sleep I'd gotten in a long, long time.