Just You and I

Chapter 21

It wasn't long before I heard a door being open and closed and voices slowly drifting into the room. I wasn't sure why but I didn't really want to go and confront Alex just yet. So I tried listening in to see if I could pick up pieces of the conversation that was going on outside.

"...I get that babi but you're the one who brought him home last night. So I'd say it's your responsibility to take care of him okay?"

"Mama but you know that if it were anyone else I would've, but this is Jake! I've already told you the weird situation we're in right now...."

Woah wait.... Has Alex told his mom about us hooking up every time he got drunk.....?

"No that's it. NO MORE excuses. I'll quickly fix up breakfast and I want you to take this medicine and water and go take care of that poor child."

"But ma-"

"Upstairs NOW Alexi"

"FiNE" I heard Alex grumble out.

"Thank you bubba"

Then I heard soft but heavy footsteps quickly getting closer and panicked a little. But in two giant and silent leaps I was back in the bed with the sheets over my head. I turned my back against the door because I didn't know how convincing my fake sleep face actually looked.

Then I heard the gentle twist of the doorknob and a slight creek as the door opened. For some reason I could intensely feel Alex's presence in the room. I could feel it even with my back turned to him as he moved up closer. I felt my heartbeat weirdly fast. It could've been because I was feigning sleep but was pretty sure I'd get caught, or it could've been because when I actually do face him today I'd have to talk to him about why and HOW I'd actually ended up in his bed.

I felt the bed dip down right behind me and the sheets were gently pulled off of my face. I tried my best to look asleep and silently prayed it seemed real. But the reason as to why I was feigning my sleep was a mystery even to me.

Alex made no movement for a few minutes. But then he suddenly placed his hand on my forehead, where it stayed for a few seconds.

"You've still got a temperature..." He whispered. More to himself I suppose.

Am I sick?

I heard him softly sigh. "What am I gonna do with you Miller?"

He slowly moved his hand from my forehead to my shoulder, where he started rubbing soothing circles with his thumb just under the sleeve of the tank top I was wearing.

This. What he was doing to me right now. It felt so intimate. Such a simple touch shouldn't have meant anything to me. But it did. My entire body felt so comforted and fluttery under his touch. How did he keep managing to do that to me....?

But what suddenly hurt was that I'd probably never feel that touch again. And as much as I wanted to stay in this moment for as long as I possibly could, I needed to face facts: Alex Moody was never going to be mine. The sooner I believed that the sooner I could get on with my life without having to get so flustered around him all the time.

I stirred a bit in my fake sleep, and that seemed to do it cuz Alex instantly took his hand of me and moved the bed, leaving me feel slightly empty inside.

"Hey Miller... you feeling any better....?"

I tried my best to act like I'd just gotten out of sleep so I slowly turned in the bed to face him, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

Alex was leaning on the desk next to the door now watching me.

"Wahhh... Alex....? Where am I... what... What happened last night? Where am I?"