Joel Hokka / Blind Channel - ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS (English)

13 - too late for denial

"It was really fun to have you over. Text me when you get home safe, yeah?" Joonas watched me struggling to pick up the heavy box that I had to now deliver to his best friend living upstairs. I truly wasn't mentally prepared to encounter the older one right now, especially not after the conversation I had with Joonas about him, but I also couldn't take the box home with me again.

"Yeah, we should definitely hang out more! I'll text you as soon as I get back but right now-" I finally managed to pick up the heavy box by securing it with my right arm and pressing it against my chest. "I need to give this to Joel." I continued and grunted because of the heavy weight I had to carry as I walked away from the door and towards the staircase that led upwards.

"Oh right, good luck with that." I heard how the door closed behind me as I proceeded to walk up the stairs. I truly had no idea how I managed to carry that box the whole way from Aleksi's apartment to Joonas because right now my arm was already feeling tired after holding that thing for only a couple of seconds for that matter.

Finally I reached the third floor. I could already see the nameplate with Joel's last name on it hanging next to the door from far away. The closer I got towards that door, the more nervous I got. Why hadn't I just come up with a simple excuse as to why I couldn't drop that box off with Joel? I could have just pretended that I forgot it at Joonas' place and no one would have suspected a thing.

"Don't be such a pussy Naomi. Let's get this over with real quick." I tried to encourage myself with a few simple words that didn't however seem to show any effect because as soon as I rang the bell I wished I would have disappeared into thin air. To me it felt I was standing there, waiting for a response for hours when in reality only a few seconds had passed until the door opened and Joel was standing in the door frame. I was ready to drop the box, turn around and run away as soon as I could take a full look at him.

He was wearing a black long tank top with a yellow print on it, that really emphasized his tattooed long arms to the fullest. Until now he had always worn a black hoodie or a black leather jacket when I saw him but now that he presented himself to me with his bare arms covered in tattoos I was distracted even more by his appearance. He was also wearing matching black jeans that were ripped at his knees. My view shifted to his beautiful blonde hair that he had sweeped over to one side of his shoulder. It was a little bit messy but that fitted his whole appearance even more. Not to forget his deadly cold eyes that were looking at me, like they could see right through me.

"From Aleksi." I quickly said before Joel could open his mouth and stretched out my arms in his direction, hoping the blonde haired man would just grab the box and close the door infront of me again.

But Joel didn't even think about letting me escape out of this situation so easily. Instead he casually leaned against the doorframe, looking at me in amusement.

"Not even a hello? Did no one teach you respect and manners?" His voice was sounding dangerously low. How was he able to turn every situation into one of his little games he liked to play, that man was unbelievable. But this time I would't give in, this time I would not play along.

"Joel just take the stupid box please." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath trying to stay calm to not burst out in rage and yell at him like I almost always did when the blonde one tried to upset me on purpose.

"Are you trying to learn how to maintain self control lately? I mean you really should. Not that you end up desperately with my hand around your pretty little throat again. That would be a shame." Everytime I thought I had experienced the most absurd things there were when I talked to Joel, he exceeded himself once again. I could feel my cheeks heat up from both, anger and embarassment at the same time. I truly hated him for bringing up that memory from last night I had tried to delete from my memory with all power.