Skins & Needles (COMPLETE)

Almost Like Belonging Part 1

Charlotte

Over the next three days, Arsen and I began operating in a sort of routine. He would leave for work early, and by the time he was back after dark, I would have dinner prepared. We'd eat, share some banter, and then part ways before conversation got too deep. I could tell by the way he watched me sometimes, or the lighter flirtatious things he would say, that he might have been more attracted to me than a simple roommate for a week, but he always stopped. He always walked away, and I knew it was because I would never be a part of his world.

During the days, I found peace on Arsen's large back porch; it spanned the whole width of his house and had a nice lounge swing that looked out into the woods, and I would spend my time sketching the scenery with the supplies I'd grabbed from my apartment. I started out drawing miscellaneous critters and funky cactuses, but after a day of that, I began working on a full-detail landscape with my colored pencils. Maybe I'd give it to Arsen to remember me. Or, maybe I would keep it to remember my time here.

On day five of my stay, something changed. It was the middle of the afternoon, and I was on the back porch in a crop top and shorts. It was hot, but a nice breeze made it bearable. Everything was still and quiet, until the door behind me abruptly busted open, and I threw my sketchbook to the ground in bewilderment.

"Arsen!" I gasped when I turned to see who it was. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"I couldn't find you," he said, and I saw the remains of what could have been worry slip from his features. "Sorry I startled you."

"I mean, it's your house," I laughed lightly, my heart still pounding wildly. "Are you mad that I'm out here?"

"No, Charlotte," he sighed, and moved to sit on the swing next to me. "I just..." He paused when he saw my exposed midriff and booty shorts, but shook his head and looked away. "I couldn't find you and was afraid something had happened."

"Well, here I am!" I took the opportunity to stretch my legs and back, pretending not to notice when his eyes flicked down to where my top rode up. I wasn't necessarily trying to seduce him. If that was the case, I would take much more drastic measures, and I did originally plan on changing shirts before he returned.

But that didn't mean I wasn't going to toe the boundary line. It was a primary source of entertainment while they had me literally stuck here, and, if I was being honest, I had a stupid crush on Arsen, and I was an adult, and unless he asked me not to, I was gonna flirt with him, dammit!

"What are you doing back so early?" I asked as I recollected my fallen notebook and pencils. "Slow day on the criminal market?"

"Very funny," he drawled, pushing us into a steady swing once I had all my things. "Actually, I wanted to let you know a handful of people are coming over tonight, so you don't need to cook. Not like you have to anyway. Just a heads up."

I twisted my hair in thought for a moment, mentally taking inventory of the kitchen.

"How many people?" I asked. I had an idea, but it would be limited by numbers.

"Let's see," he thought aloud. "Me, Adrian, Macy, Nathan, Ethan, and maybe one extra if Ethan brings a random."

"So six or seven?"

"Including you, yes."

I tried to swallow the brick that had suddenly manifested in my throat as I realized I was an afterthought, but it was hard, and I doodled on the cover of my notebook until I could make myself speak again.

"I think I have something I can make, if you don't already have other dinner plans," I told him, trying my best to sound casual and not overly eager. Was I trying to prove myself or something? I knew I never could, but my subconscious wouldn't let me quit trying.

"You really don't have to do that, Charlotte."

I looked up to see him staring into the woods, one eyebrow slightly tensed as if deep in thought.

"I wouldn't mind." I shrugged and pulled my legs up to rest on the swing. "We— um— you have the supplies for it."

Arsen was quiet for a while, and I was afraid I'd overstepped my bounds of "prisoner under supervision." Who did I think I was, his wife? Hosting dinner parties for all his closest friends and family? Stupid, stupid.

"What is this idea of yours?" Arsen asked finally, and I looked up to see him smiling faintly, if not a bit tiredly. My chest fluttered, but I choked back my excitement before responding.

"Well, I have a few..."