Countless (SHAYTARDS)

Chapter 24

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After fifteen minutes of lying together, we agree to walk to my hotel.

"I don't want to-" Cesar slowly talks. He looks at the ground with his mouth slightly agape. I can tell that he can't find the right words. "Uhm, lose you... Again."

"I know, me neither." I respond as I nervously tap my fingertips on the side of my thigh. Was he waiting for me to say something to make everything better? I don't think such a thing exists. I wish it did, and if it does, I wish I knew it. Right now.

"We will be going to Vidcon this summer, you live near there still, right?"

"Ya, but that's still..." He pulls his hand out of his swimsuit pocket and counts on his fingers, "six months away." Despite the sad topic of discussion, I smile at his childishness. I know everyone counts on their fingers (even though our teachers tried to teach us not to), but when he does it it's so much cuter.

We turn the corner and I see my hotel half a block down the road. "I don't want to leave you yet," he whines like a little kid. Who am I kidding, we practically are still little kids.

"You should come up to my room." He seems surprised my my statement because his eyes widen and he gives me an "are-you-sure" look.

"Your parents wouldn't mind?" He was obviously nervous.

"I don't think so."

"Well, then yeah, definitely!" He sounds much more peppy than he was minutes ago. I caused him to become just a little happier. There is no better feeling in the world.

We finally reached the building and stared at the lobby. I looked back at him and he put his hand out to me. I hesitantly grabbed it, feeling butterflies even though there wasn't a romantic reason as to why he is holding my hands. When we we finally got to the elevators, the "up" button was already pushed.

"Hey," said a too-familiar husky voice. It made me jump, as it was inches away from my ear. The warm breath on my neck gave me goosebumps. I spun around and came eye to eye with Jake. I jumped again, but this time it was to get farther away from him since he was horrifyingly close to me. "What's up babe?" He slurred his words. I gently coughed as the scent of alchohol overwhelmed my head. I stepped towards Cesar, who was probably completely bewildered at this point. I put my hand on my chest to prevent myself from vomiting all over the other people waiting for the elevator.

"What the hell, are you drunk Jake?" I question him. He was way underage, but he seems like the person to break every law known to man.

"Me? Nahhh." He reaches up to my arm that is on my chest and I hit it away. The door to the elevator opens and I follow the small but slow crowd of people in.

"Wait, who's he?" Jake calls after us. Cesar turns around; I know he wants to say something, but I pull his hand towards me and the elevator door closes in front of us.

When we reach our floor and start down the hallway I can tell he was uncomfortable from the encounter with Jake.

"He's a YouTuber." I confess. He looked up at me and we kept our pace slow.

"I don't like the way he was looking at you," he said sternly.

"I know, I'll be fine." I didn't bring up the topic of him kissing me because I know that would enrage Cesar. He would turn around on his heels, right here, and beat Jake down. Jake deserves it, to be honest. But I'm too nice.

The awkwardness lingered in the conversation until we reached my room. I knocked on the door so I wouldn't have to use my key card, and surprisingly Brailee opened the door.

"Cesar?" Her jaw dropped and her voice got really high. She wrapped him in a friendly hug and Emmi came to the door.

"Emmi, you remember Cesar right?" I ask. She shrugs and puts her hand out and Cesar shakes it gently.

"Where's Mom and Dad? I ask as I sit on the end of the bed.

"They brought Brock and Daxton swimming with Kayli, Casey, Gage, and Winston." Emmi states.

"And Gavin?"

Emmi gestures towards the bathroom, and a sound of a toilet flushing occurs as if it was on cue. We all laugh and Gavin comes out, giving us all weird glances.

"Who's that?" He asks. "Cesar?"

"What's up Gavin?" Cesar gives him one of those weird guy hug things where they do a high-five-fist-bump-hug-pat-on-the-back in one swift movement. Gavin was always overprotective of me with Cesar until he finally got to know him, and now I think they're just long lost best friends.

"Well we've just been sitting here on our phones doing absolutely nothing, so why don't we go to my room and watch a movie?" Brailee suggests. Everyone agrees with the idea and we closely follow Brailee to her family's room.

Cesar and I fell to the back of the group and walked side by side. He subtly puts his arm around my waist and rests his hand on my side. His gentle touch fills me with butterflies and I feel pins and needles run through my fingers.

When we get to Brailee's room, she opens her laptop, which is connected to the tv so we can all see, and scrolls through Netflix. The rest of us get ourselves comfortable. Gavin sits on one of the fancy puffy chairs with an extra blanket thrown over him. Emmi saves a spot next to her on the bed for Brailee, leaving Cesar and I with the couch. We awkwardly assemble ourselves on the sofa and throw an extra sheet over us- Cesar is against the arm of the couch and I am right next to him with my legs stretched out across the remainder of the cushion. Brailee closes the curtains and turns off the lights to make it seem like a movie theatre as much as possible.

Brailee plays a movie that is able to keep us occupied, but not one that has you on the edge of our seat.

Cesar put his arm over my shoulder. Half an hour into the movie, I became quite restless and pulled my knees up to my chest. I was tired from the sun at the beach, even though it was only 5:00. Without thinking, I let my head fell into Cesar's chest and used the palm of my hand as support like a pillow and found my self falling into a deep sleep next to the boy I was falling for.

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-carlie