Infliction

7

I decide to head back inside. Those emails probably weren't even meant for me. But something is odd about them. No one else knew about that night, and it's bizarre why it's only coming up now. I clear my head back inside the house, pushing all thoughts at the back of my mind.

"Hey Kyle, you'll be sleeping in my room. I couldn't find the sleeping bag for you to camp outside," she smirks playfully, but I don't think she was joking at all.

"Don't be scared. I don't bite," I tease her as I follow her to her room.

"But I do," she stops suddenly and I almost bump into her.

"In that case sign me up."

"You'll sleep on the floor, don't mess with me," she warns. A smile forms on my lips.

"So I was gonna sleep on the bed?" I can't help but ask and she gives me a long, cold stare.

"Hurry up and change. Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

"What if I don't have pj's?" I ask. I've noticed that my questions are slowly irritating her. And that's a good sight.

"Well I don't care what you do and don't have. If I say you change, then you damn right do it, understood?" She stands before me with one hand on her hip and another poking my chest.

"Yes ma'am," I say quickly and she hurries out the door. I'll never admit how scared of her I was for a moment there.

I take a short shower and wear black sweatpants, a black vest and white ankle socks. I dry my hair with the shirt I had on and hang it in the bathroom.

Upon entering the kitchen, I see that they are both sat at the table. I sit in front of Tess and make sure to put my feet on either sides of hers. We ate dinner and talked about random things, and I also got to learn a little about Tess' background.

~
"No dear," she said, trying to convince me to go to upstairs. After dinner Tess went up to her room and I decided to stay and help Julia clean up.

"Julia, I hardly get to wash dishes back at home. Thus dinner was even the first home dinner I've had that wasn't prepared by one of my mother's maids."

She smiles at me and decides to dry the dished instead. Once we're done cleaning the kitchen, we go lock the gate outside and I park my car in the garage because she's so persuasive. It's apparently for safety purposes. We walk back into the house and round up everything else.

"Good night," she says when I stop outside her bedroom door. She takes my hand in hers and squeezes gently before going into her bedroom. I walk up the stairs and knock on Tess' one before entering.

Tess' POV

Dear diary.
Thursday, 22:49
I'm glad mom and Kyle are warming up to each other. He looks happy around her. I overheard them talking and he said something about him not getting to eat meals prepared by his own mother, and that actually made me feel bad for him.

I look out my window and see my mother and Kyle laughing as they walk from the gate.

The sight makes my stomach churn. I shake my head as I take an eraser and remove what I'd written down. I close my book and hide it under the mattress, then I get into bed and pull the covers over myself.

I hear the door open after a short while and I feel movement behind me as Kyle pulls the covers from my face.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now," he says in a soft whisper.

I sit up straight and position his pillow so that it's at the footrest. That way I can kick his face whenever. Just joking. But seriously, I wouldn't hesitate kicking his handsome face.

"There's a plug next to the mirror. Your phone can charge there overnight. And also, you can put your watch and necklace in the drawer," I say. He just nods and does as I'd suggested.

"So what do we do now?" He asks as he switches the lights off and gets in bed. I don't think he has noticed his pillow at the other end of the bed.

"We sleep," I say shortly as I pull the duvet cover my face. I'm trying to avoid a conversation because he looks exhausted and I don't want to keep him awake.

"Oh, and in case you didn't know, your pillow is over there," I point to my feet without uncovering my face. I can feel his stare on me and it takes literally every fibre in my being to not look at him.

Kyle's POV

"Are you avoiding me?" I ask her after a silent debate of whether I should or should not. She keeps quiet for a long time and I almost start to believe she's either falling asleep or she's ignoring me.

"I'm not," she says, her voice coming out muffled. "I just want you to rest because you look tired, that's all."

"Please come here," I pat the place where her feet in cute pink and orange socks are.

"Okay," she crawls and snuggles next to me. I put my hands on her waist and pull her towards me. She tenses against my chest and I run my hand up and down her arm, smoothing out the goosebumps.

"Good night," I whisper in her ear and put my left leg on top of hers so that she won't leave during the night.

🕠

The alarm rings at half five in the morning. Tess is still fast asleep and I don't want to wake her up just yet. I take a shower and come out after five minutes.

"Tess," I shake her shoulder and wait for her response. Nothing.

I shove her shoulders a little roughly to wake her up. She turns to where my pillow is and runs her hand to where I was sleeping. I watch her hand freeze when she finally realises I'm not beside her and she sits up straight and scans the room before her eyes meets mine. I smile as I look down at her.

"Go take a shower," I whisper to her as I help her out of bed. I could get used to this. She just nods and gets into the bathroom and after a few seconds the shower is turned on. I quickly make the bed and pack my stuff away.

I wear black ripped jeans and a navy blue Adidas t-shirt. My haircut is a quiff: cut short on the sides and growing longer in the centre, so I just run a hand through my hair so make it lie flat.

I finished putting my socks and sneakers on when Tess walks out already dressed. She has dark blue skinny jeans on and a black tight fitting black tank top. She's tied a black flannel around her waist and her make-up is lightly done. She's only applied a thin layer of facial powder, mascara and lipstick. Don't ask me how I know these stuff.

"Stop that," she bumps my shoulder as she walks past me.

"Stop what?" I smirk as I watch her butt sway behind that flannel.

"Checking me out," she says as she bends over and takes her Classic Vans out of the closet. She gives me a knowing look as she wears her secret socks and pulls her shoes on her feet.

"You'll get used to it." I pull the drawer and take my wristwatch out.

"Slept well?" She ask as she comes to stand beside me, looking at herself in the mirror as she puts on her diamond earrings.

"Yes, but I know you slept better," I say as I remember her trying to feel if I was still in bed beside her.

"Couldn't you know less?" She rolls her eyes as she walks out.