Method Acting || Joe Keery

F I F T E E N

I look at Joe and I can't find the words. I can't believe that he doesn't hate me for being so selfish. Tears fall down my face.

"Joe," I whisper.

"It's okay," Joe whispers to me.

I lay my head back against my seat and close my eyes. My body is tired and my mind is tired. After a few minutes I find myself falling asleep and unable to fight it.

When I wake up, the sky is dark. Joes hand is still in mine and when I look over to him I see that he'd fallen asleep too. I reach over and push him a little bit to wake him up.

"Joe," I whisper.

Joe starts to stir and opens his eyes, smiling as he looked at me. He looks around as he realises it's night time.

"Sorry, I wanted to let you sleep, but I guess I fell asleep too," Joe chuckles, rubbing his eyes.

"That's okay! I would have let you sleep too, but it looks like it's getting late. We shouldn't sleep here overnight," I say looking around.

Joe nods and turns on the car.

"I'll drive you home," Joe says.

I nod as he looks over to me, and sit back as he starts driving. I look at his face as the streetlights illuminate it, marvelling at his jawline, his cheekbones and his nose. His face is a work of art, and my hand feels empty now that he's not holding it.

That mixed feeling of lust and guilt I get when I'm around him settles in my stomach once again, but I decide I still like it more than pretending to be strangers.

As we pull up to my house, Joe turns to me and holds my hand again.

"I don't want to leave you," He whispers to me.

I look into his eyes, my chest tightens and I am acutely aware of every breath moving through my lungs. I swallow and I know I shouldn't say what I'm about to.

"Then stay," I whisper.

* * * *

I wake up the next morning with Joes arm around me. I don't move, I lay there for a moment, just trying to enjoy the closeness but the shame takes over, and his skin touching mine feels like fire.

I get up and rush into my bathroom and wash my face. I start trying to control my breath and telling myself not to freak out. Everything is going to be okay.

I walk back into my room and see Joe putting on his shoes.

"Charlee? Are you okay?" He asks me when he sees my face.

I bite my lip as I fidget with my hands.

"What happened last night can't happen again," I say finally.

Joe runs his hand through his hair and then walks over to me. He puts his hands on my shoulders. Something he does when he's trying to reassure me.

"We didn't do anything wrong Charlee," He says to me.

I look up into his eyes as I reach my hand up and put it on top of one of the hands on my shoulder.

"I know. We were just sleeping. But, what would Gemma think? How would she feel?" I ask him.

He closes his eyes and lets out a breath. When he opens his eyes again, he takes his hands from my shoulders and takes a step back.

"You're right. I'm sorry for putting you in this position," He says to me.

"I asked you to stay," I say.

"I wanted to," He says softly.

My phone starts to ring and I rush over to it. I see my mums name flash on the screen, and I'm both relieved for a way out of the conversation with Joe, and nervous about what she's going to say.