Protector of Hearts

PoH Chapter 4

<Start author's little speech>

Author's Note: So Lin's little "story" she mentions may have to come sooner than she thinks >:D Thanks as always for the votes and comments, they really do make me feel happy :D

Romance that have those scenes where the girl/guy is having their doubt stage, you know the one, right? where they're just filled with confusion and some readers just want to give them a hard slap on the face, say, "Snap the f out of it!" and then point out that they're going to end up with whatever love interest that's the most obvious choice. So I'm sorry for anyone that have a deep hatred for those scenes, swear to whatever there is to swear at that there are going to be barely any scenes like that. The bare minimum.

So, votes, comments please :D And to risk it this time (to end off the updating every day thing and because chapters do take a while to write and edit and edit and edit again), how about 5 votes and I'll update the next day or else I'll update three days later. >3< I guess I'm pressing my luck, but still... worth a shot :D Thanks, hope you enjoy the chapter!

</End author's little speech>

           When a person tells you to expect the unexpected, my first thought is, “It’s not like you can come up with every way life will inevitably screw with you.”      

            “Do ya want to know why?” he gave a small smile.

            Not in particular, no.

            “Because she was bitching about ya,” he said matter-of-factly. “And no one bitches ‘bout my Lin.”

I felt a sudden tug on my arm and his lips met mine.

            …

            Holy fuck shit. Excuse my language, but that was definitely needed. I mean, here I am, nine or ten PM, in my best friend’s room while he’s fucking making out with a statue.

            Soon enough the grip on my arm slackened and he stopped. I realized that he had fallen asleep and I quickly walked, yes, I didn’t run, out of his house.

            What had surprised me even more was myself. Because I had started to kiss him back.

            That was (obviously) my first kiss. And it was with my best friend. Just like in the games. It’s cliché, but I never really foresaw it. Don’t ask why, but I always try to imagine how something’s going to end up, like the habit of guessing how one of my games will turn out transferred itself into real life.

            I buried my face into my pillow before leaping right up and onto my laptop. I see why girls liked to do that. It felt… nice, to say the least.

            I went onto Facebook, like, you know, every other person. Trent was online (and if you magically forgot who he is, he’s my older brother. By…I’m not sure. Two, three years?) thankfully, or else I would’ve thrown my PSP against the wall in utter whatever, which wouldn’t have been a good idea. At all.

            I sent a PM since IMing always managed to lag my web page. I don’t talk (or else I would just call Trent), and it’s not because I’m not capable of it, it’s because… well, that’s a story for later.

            “Sis, what’s up? You don’t really talk to me,” he had replied to my simple hello. After that, I relayed the entire story of Aleck. Trent, if anything, should’ve been born a girl because he was fantastic at girl advice.

            No reply.

            I went to sleep. I would have to, so I could get up early tomorrow, and find some spare cash since my part time job as a lifeguard didn’t pay enough for me to buy fifteen tubs of ice cream.

            ****

            I yawned as I opened Aleck’s door. He was sitting at the kitchen island, where there were bar chairs around it. He was gripping his head with a plate of waffles in front of him.

            “Ugh, Lin, I’m having the worst hangover right now,” he groaned. “What happened last night? All I remember is breaking up with that cheating, bitching whore and the rest is a complete blank.”

            I raised an eyebrow. Maddy had been cheating on him? The two looked pretty happy together, or as happy you can seem when you’re eating each other’s faces.

            I took away the plate of syrupy waffles and instead gave him some plain toast a few minutes later along with some water and aspirin.

            “Thanks,” he smiled. “Yeah, she was cheating on me with Kevin, the one from our Pre-Calc class.”

            Of course he would have no recollection of what happened last night.

            “Lin, what’s up with that look? Something bothering you?” he asked, giving me that worried face. “Did something happen last night? Come here.”

            Though he did say that, he got up himself and wrapped his arms around me, his head resting on mine (he’s been hugging me like this whenever he thinks I’m upset since we were five, and he’s always been dead on).

            “Are you worried about me? I’m over Maddy. She doesn’t deserve a second thought,” he said soothingly.

            I felt something growing inside my gut. Anger? Sadness? Frustration? I was trying to forget about it, just the entire thing, like he had. Was I frustrated that he didn’t remember? But I didn’t have any feelings for him, not before, and not now.

            Good god, I’m starting to sound like a whiny bitch you hear about when they go through something like this, confused thoughts just filling up your entire brain.

            But in the end, I’m acting like them right now, aren’t I? Full of something that can’t really be named. I hate myself for even thinking this way.

            …The longer Aleck hugs me, the more frustration’s building.

            No feelings whatsoever. That’s what I keep telling myself.

            Or… are there?

            “You fucking ignoramus, is this really the one time you have to get it wrong?!”

            Aleck suddenly froze.

            I clapped my hand to my mouth.

            Oh shit. Oh fucking holy shit.

            His house began to shake.