Where I Found You

Chapter 41 - Alyssa.

Chapter 41 - Alyssa.

I stay over at Jack's house on the night before his birthday, because Jack says he doesn't want me alone in my house while my parents are still in Cornwall.

His dad welcomes me with open arms, as usual. Dan is strangely quiet, and I don't understand why until Jack tells me privately that he's broken up with his girlfriend. But I think everyone is happy about that. I play with Jess, helping her do different hairstyles on her dolls - I show her how to do a fishtail plait, too.

His dad orders a Chinese takeaway for us all. I find it nice to eat late like Jack's family, unlike at my house where dinner is served at six.

"How's it going at Cambridge, Alyssa?" Michael asks me.

"It's good. Work's hard, but I find it interesting." I pause. "Jack told me about his plans. I think it's gonna be great."

"What if I end up in a university half way across the country?" Jack says.

I look down at my plate. "It'll be fine. We'll still keep in touch."

Stella looks up and grins. "When I'm older I hope I have a relationship like you two."

I giggle as Michael glances sternly at her. "Well you're waiting until you're eighteen before you're even allowed to talk to boys," he says, and that's when we know he's joking.

All of us laugh, and Jess looks at him confusedly. "But there are boys at school. We all talk to them. They are rather disgusting, though."

"I thought the exact same thing about girls when I was your age," Dan pipes up.

"And what about now?"

Dan seems to blush, and then he stays silent.

-

Later that night, I'm taking out some pyjamas I brought with me from my overnight bag, and all of a sudden I see Jack begin to strip out of the corner of my eye.

"Jack!" I exclaim.

He laughs and sits down on the bed, watching me after taking his shirt off. "What? You've seen everything now, Alyssa."

I can't help but blush fiercely, and I look down as I put my bag down on the floor. "Just because . . . Well . . . It doesn't mean you can start walking around me with no clothes on."

He laughs loudly, and then stands up, grabbing my hands and kissing me gently. "Please don't tell me you're going to get changed in the bathroom."

"I am."

He groans and then laughs, before kissing me again, his arms sliding round my waist now. "You know what, that's somehow sexier than you not caring about your modesty. Even though I have seen you naked."

I groan this time, and then rest my forehead against his shoulder, my cheeks ablaze. "I can't believe this."

"What?"

"That we're having this conversation." I laugh and pull away, then go and walk out of the room, into the bathroom. I realise that my heart is still thumping madly, and I change quickly before brushing my teeth and walking out, back into his room where he is sitting on his bed still wearing his jeans and no shirt.

"Alyssa, if you really must know. I sleep with no clothes on," he tells me seriously. "But the other times you've been here I didn't want to make you faint so I made an exception."

"You're lying," I tell him, then laugh. I walk past him, slipping under the covers and lying down. My eyes widen as he stands up, unbuckles his belt, and then takes off his jeans. Then he comes and climbs into the bed beside me wearing only his boxers after switching the light off.