Seven

Chapter 24

The intro to Seventeen Going Under by Sam Fender begins to play through my head phones and I turn them up a little louder. It's probably damaging my ear drums but I'll worry about that when I'm older and going deaf, blaming my younger self for not taking better care of me.

I love this song, the suppressed aggression behind every line is definitely fitting with my mood today and I hum along to the alternative tune as I stack the fridges.

I'm busy facing the front of the fridges, making sure all the packs of drinks are facing the right way and the labels are neatly visible when a feel a tug on my right ear. The headphone is pulled from my ear by someone behind me and before I can turn around to look I feel a hot breath hit the shell of my now empty ear.

"What are you listening to?" That slow, rasped voice whispers in my ear.

No, surely it's not? Maybe I'm day dreaming again?

I turn around almost expecting no one to be there and that my deranged mind has just imagined his voice but no.

Seven is standing behind me, looking down at me expectantly, waiting for my answer. My eyes blink a few times making sure I'm not seeing things and he's not some apparition my mind has conjured up.

"I-I...what are you doing here?" I stutter in astonishment. I can't believe he's here. Standing in front of me. I really would think I'm hallucinating right now if it weren't for his sweet aroma permeating my senses. He really is here.

"I came to talk to you." Seven says, those viridescent eyes I've been missing gazing into mine. Finally seeing him after two weeks is making my knees weak. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed the sound of his voice, the smell of his cologne, the warmth that radiates off his body and soaks into me - flushing my skin immediately. I can feel it now, the heat crawling up my neck to my cheeks.

I pull the other ear bud out of my left ear and step back to create a small space between us. Looking him up and down, he looks different. His hair is a little messier than usual, and...is he wearing a hoodie?! I don't believe it! Seven's actually in casual clothes for once, a plain black hoodie, black jeans with black vans. I never thought I'd see the day where Seven wasn't wearing formal clothes.

I pull my eyes away from his outfit and back up to his face.

"Why? I'm at work..." I can't ignore the skipping in my chest from finally seeing him. But I remind myself that I'm angry at him about the whole Destiny thing. He lied to me about her. And the hurt from knowing he has no problem being caught with Destiny but won't kiss me at a night club where no one would find out, is embarrassing.

And just like that, my feral mood bounces back.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd appreciate me just turning up to your apartment." Seven scratches the back of his neck.

"What do you want Seven?" I roll my eyes at him and step around him, going to the back of the store to grab the mop. He follows right behind me.

"I was uh, wondering if maybe you'd like to uh, maybe do something together after you've finished?" His speech is broken as he struggles to think of how to word his query.

I stop in my tracks and turn back around to him, my brows skewed in confusion.

"What?" I mustn't of heard him right. Is he asking to hang out? 

Seven runs an awkward hand through his messy hair as he looks at me.

"Are you busy after you finish here?" He asks. I don't know what to say. I can't believe he's even here, wearing a fucking hoodie and asking me to hang out.