rebound | ✓

chapter thirty one

I can't sleep.

I don't know how long I've been staring at the ceiling. I was reading a book online, hoping it would lull me to sleep but I gave up when I got invested into the book and instead of it making me sleep, it kept me up till three in the morning. I sigh and check the time for the umpteenth time. 03:12am. I sigh once more before tossing and turning over to my side.

That's all I've been doing. Tossing and turning. You'd think after crying until my eyes swelled that I'd fall asleep, I was sorely mistaken. Instead, it made me overthink everything else and I feel like I'll never get some shut eye. I huff a breath and glance at the sleeping giant next to me. He has his arm thrown across his eyes then the other on his stomach.

I huff angrily and try to close my eyes, to sleep. "Something wrong?"

"Eek!" I squeal, my eyes as wide as saucers, "shit, Devontae, you scared me." He sits up, rubbing his eyes, "you really thought I couldn't hear your loud ass huffing and puffing next to me?" I roll my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest, I smack my tongue against my teeth. I turn on the lamp on my side and sit up as well.

He chuckles, throwing his legs over the bed and stretches. His tank top raises up his toned abdomen and I can't tear my eyes away from looking at his defined V. "C'mon, let's see what we can fix up for you to sleep?"

Begrudgingly, I slide out from under the covers sitting on the edge of the bed, I get up and I follow him down the stairs, to the kitchen. "Okay, what are you in the mood for?" He asks me, leaning with his hands on the counter, looking at me, I shrug, and he sighs, "look, we got Flamin' Hot Cheetos, regular Cheetos, Pringles, Lays, Doritos, Takis, Reese's Pieces, M&Ms, Hershey Kisses, Hershey chocolate, Oreos..." That makes my ears perk up.

"Oreos sound good." He nods in acknowledgement. "Oreos it is. Ice cream?"

"Only if it's cookie dough." I say, with a grin. The corner of his lip lifts and he grabs a packet of Oreos and ice cream out from the fridge and two spoons. "You got chocolate milk in there too?" I ask.

"Yeah, sure." He reopens the fridge and takes out a jug of chocolate milk, "you can take two mugs from the first cabinet." I go around the grand island and open the first cabinet, taking too large mugs for the both of us, I find a bottle of whipped cream. "You got everything?"

I nod enthusiastically, "mmm hmm."

We leave the kitchen, and we go back up the stairs and into his room, he lets me in first and enters after me closing the door, with his elbow. He sets the stuff down on the bed. "Okay, I gotta show you, my specialty."

"Ooh, I wanna see this." He says sitting on the bed, I hand him a mug, and I open the jug of chocolate milk and pour some in the mug he's holding, pouring three quarters of the dairy product in the cup. I close the container with the milk and set it down. All the while I can feel Tae's eyes on me, setting my set alight, "you're staring."

"I know."

I laughs silently shaking my head, taking the whipped cream adding a generous amount of it on top. Then finally, I grab the packet of Oreos and crush them in my hand while they are still in its packaging.

When I'm satisfied with the crushed cookies texture, I open the packet carefully and sprinkle some on top of the whipped cream. "Voila!" I say when I'm done. He eyes the drink, nodding his head in approvement. As he brings the mug up to his mouth, I watch him expectantly as he takes his first sip. He starts with a small sip to taste then takes a large gulp of it, licking the whipped cream off his lips, "This is fucking delicious."

I beam at him, "thanks." I begin making my own, "by the way you're also the first person made it for." Devontae takes another sip from his mug, "I'm honoured."

I sprinkle the crushed Oreos onto my drink, and I take a sip from my drink, "you should be, I don't go around sharing my secrets, you know. What, why are you looking at me like that?" I ask when I notice Devontae staring at me way longer than normal. "You got some whipped cream on your lip."

I sticks out my tongue, running it across my top lip, "I got it?"

"Uh, no."

I try again, "Now?"

"Not even close. Here," He sets his mug down on the nightstand, gingerly wiping the whipped cream off the corner of my top lip, I stare at him, not blinking as he does so and just like what he did with the ice cream those many months ago, he places his thumb in his mouth, sucking on it. Yep, exactly like the ice cream situation.

I can feel my insides melt and her heart fluttering, making a curse the fact that I can't squeeze my thighs together to provide myself with some relief. Now's not the time. Not now. As much I want to, I can't. "We should get some sleep." I say and he pauses, with his hand on my cheek, the warmth from his palm, heating my face. He drags his palm down my face to my neck and almost like he's in pain, pulls his hand away from me, "yeah, yeah. You're right." He clears his throat awkwardly and I climb under the sheets, forgetting all about my chocolate drink but remembering quite vividly how his palm felt on my skin.