Imperfect

Twenty-Four - Callan:

After our walk yesterday, Alyssa barely managed to stay awake before she crawled into her tent and passed out. She must've slept deeply because she didn't have a nightmare and wake up screaming like she had done a couple of times while we'd been away. Now, the sun was high in the sky and the rest of us had wolfed down a quick breakfast before staring to take down the tents.

We were moving on today and as per my end of the deal I made with Alyssa, I had convinced the guys to rent a house for a few days rather than camp. It would be nice to change up our meals after having barbecue's every day since we arrived and I had to admit that a proper bathroom with a nice hot shower was enticing.

"Cal," Elliot called from where he and Ben were lifting the barbecue into the back of the car. "Can you wake her? We need to get her tent down."

I turned from where I was stuffing mine and Noah's tent into its bag to where Alyssa was still sleeping soundly. Not even the sounds of us packing up had woken her. I didn't particularly want to pull her from her peaceful slumber but I knew they were right, we needed to get moving soon enough so we could arrive at the house in time for check in. With a huff, I left Noah to pack up and moved towards her tent.

From outside I could hear her breathing softly and I felt a strange clenching sensation in my chest. For all the times Lys had pissed me off over the years, I couldn't deny how nice it had been to see her relax slightly this week. She was still her bratty self but her moments of vulnerability reminded me that she was human. That she was young and had suffered a lot over the past few months. It made me want to protect her, a feeling I'd never really had before.

Ever since I walked away from my family, I'd been on my own. Sure, I had my friends, but we all were capable of taking care of ourselves. I'd never had to worry about someone else, not the way Ethan had to worry about his sister. It was strange to get a glimpse into what that felt like, to care about someone and want to protect them from harm. It left a strange feeling in my stomach.

Slowly, I peeled the zip sealing the tent closed upwards, creating a small gap. Through it, I spotted her blonde hair splayed around her like a halo. She had a small smile on her lips and clutched the covers up to her chin, clinging to them like a child to a safety blanket. I smiled at the look of content on her face. I opened the door a little wider and faltered when I caught a glimpse of her bare leg draped over the covers.

I swallowed as I followed the path up from her foot which was close to my hand, her long, creamy legs, her bent knee and then the curve of her ass before it disappeared beneath the covers. I couldn't help but stare at her soft skin, realising with a sharp cough that I couldn't see the line of her underwear because she wasn't wearing any. I felt my heart hammer a little quicker at the thought. The slightest movement as the covers would slip further off her body, revealing everything.

I felt my dick twitch in the confines of my trousers and tried to shake off the images in my head. Any arousal and lust washed away and was replaced with guilt when I looked back to the relaxed, peaceful look on her face. This was Alyssa. Alyssa who had been through enough already, who didn't need anyone, let alone me, thinking about her in that way.

As gently as I could, I reached over and tugged the covers out from underneath her leg so I could cover her up. I knew she wouldn't want me to find her like this. With a suddenly dry throat and clammy hands, I reached over and shook her gently until her eyelids fluttered and she let out a groan.

"Hey, princess," I called softly.

She reached up and rubbed at her eyes, allowing the covers to slide downwards, hanging low over her chest. I forced myself not to look, reminding myself over and over that she was Ethan's sister. When she adjusted to the bright sunlight streaming through the white material of the tent, her gaze landed on me.