Saving Nicole

Chapter 17: Something I Can Do

Nicole's POV
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Dallas grunts quietly and pulls away with a hiss. His cheeks are bright red, but he runs a hand down his face before I can see him anymore.

Carly's eyes are wide from surprise. She looks embarrassed to have caught us like that and she ducks her head. "I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry!" She says quickly, placing the stack of clean clothes on Dallas's dresser before rushing out of the room. Her beautiful brown hair streams out behind her in a fishtail braid.

I feel more blood rush to my cheeks and my ears turn red. I'm so embarrassed. I was just about to kiss Dallas. Would Carly have been okay with that? My eyes slide sideways to look at the blond boy from the corner of my eye.

His elbows are on his knees, his face in his hands. He just sits there a few seconds. His back is rigid, the muscles tensing and drawing my eye to them. It's embarrassing, but I can't stop looking.

Disappointment and humiliation roll off of Dallas in waves, making me feel horrible. I scoot closer to him, swallowing, and then lean against his side and resting my head on his shoulder. My arm wraps around the backside of his torso. Dallas doesn't move. But he tenses up more and I hear ragged breaths leaving him. I have no idea what I'm doing.

I move my arm up and down on his back, scratching him with my nails gently. I close my eyes when I hear him let out a shuddery breath and the muscles in his back relax. After some time, I hear soft snores coming from him, his head still in his hands.

He must have been mire tired than he looked to have fallen asleep so fast. Usually it's me who falls asleep. I quickly stand up and place my hands on his shoulders before pushing hard to get him to fall backwards on his bed. His head tilts to the side, looking peaceful and relaxed. His chest moves with the rhythm of his breathing.

Now that he's asleep, it's safer for me to look at him. I feel guilty and embarrassed, but I can't stop looking at his chest and his stomach. His muscles are clearly defined from the lighting of the room and I throw away the thought of touching them.

Forcing myself, I pull my needy eyes away and grab his ankles from the floor and bring them up so he turns vertically on the bed rather than horizontally. I decide whether or not I should go in search of some pajamas for him. He's still in his swimming trunks which are damp and cold.

After some time, and the fact that I know his room inside and out from the amount of time we spend in it, I find some pajamas and underwear. If you think I'm changing him, think again.

I'll tell Carly. He's not budging.

I heave myself to my feet and place a small kiss on his cheek before walking to the door, glancing back to see Dallas turning his emerald eyes to me. My eyes widen and I quickly book it out of there, Dallas calling after me once.

When I reach downstairs, Carly is washing the dishes. I smile at her, offering her some help(which she declines). I pretend upstairs didn't happen.

"Dallas fell asleep. I found some pajamas and set them next to his head on his bed." I tell her. She nods, looking at me with the same beautiful eyes that Dallas has.

"Thanks, dear. You going home? " at my quiet nods, she continues. "Be safe. It's late."

I nod and walk through the kitchen door into the hallway leading to the front door. It's past the stairs, and you know who is standing at the stairs? Dallas. He's in the pajamas I put on his bed, but his arms are crossed. His eyes look droopy and tired.

"Nicole. Why didn't you stop when I called you?" He asks, his voice slightly hoarse from sleep.

"You need to sleep. You're exhausted. And I need to go home." I respond, tilting my head at him.