"We're all familiar with the phrase 'no strings attached' but what happens when the strings are attached?"
Chloe is 17 years old. She's shy but talkative once you know her, she has one dream - to become a chartered accountant. There is, however, on...
Pull yourself together, my subconscious scolded me, and get off this position.
Hesitantly, I cleared my throat and removed my hands from his chest simultaneously. As if realization knocked him on the head, Paul blinked multiple times and quickly removed his hands from my waist.
"I... uhm... I'm sorry."
"It's okay," I accepted his apology and hurriedly disappeared into my bedroom to get dressed for school.
About half an hour later, I went to the kitchen and found Paul eating. That was expected but what I didn't expect was to find him eating naked. Well not entirely naked but he was half naked and he looked strikingly handsome. For a moment, I just stood there, watching him - mouth agape. He finally looked up at me and asked:
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"Like what you see, Chloe?"
"Oh, please. There's not really much to see anyway," I lied.
"I knew you were gonna say that," he paused, "I made breakfast by the way, come join me." We ate and I kept looking at him. I couldn't keep my eyes off his fine abs and, whenever he caught me staring, he said nothing but the smirk on his face said enough.
We were in the car, on our way to school, when I decided to put an end to the silence. "So...," I trailed off, "have you told Luke about our situation?"
"What is our situation, Chloe?"
"Well, you know, us living together and all."
"Oh, that. Well we'll just tell them that we live together and nothing else."
"What if they ask the reason behind it."
"Then we tell them the truth. They're your friends, Chloe. They ought to know the truth and besides, it's not like you moved in with me for romantic reasons, or did you?" he asked in a very suggestive tone.
"Of course not." I tried very hard to stop myself from blushing but I failed, dismally.
Before I knew it, we were already entering the school's parking lot. I suddenly got nervous. What would people say about me coming to school with Paul in the same car? I remained in the car for a few moments and Paul was just looking at me, studying me like a science project. "What's the matter?" he asked and it was quite clear that he was asking out of genuine concern.
"I'm fine. I'm just thinking of all the stares I'll be getting from your girlfriends," I told him and annoyance was evident in my voice. Why was I so annoyed by the thought of Paul having girlfriends? I didn't want anything to do with Paul so his love life shouldn't have mattered to me.
But it did.
I found myself hating every girl that had ever dared to shove her dirty tongue down his throat. And why is that? Is it because you want him for yourself?
No, it was not because of that. I just didn't like the fact that girls practically threw themselves at him. Don't ask why.
"Don't worry about that. They won't bother you," he said.
What? He was not even denying that they were his girlfriends. He didn't even try to explain that they weren't his girlfriends. He didn't even try to tell me that what he had with them was over. For some reason unknown to me, this tugged at my heart. My chest felt heavy. I was angry and... hurt?
Hurt? Why should that hurt you? Why should you be worried about whether he has many girlfriends or not? You're stronger than this Chloe.
Indeed I was stronger than that. I nodded at Paul and stepped out of the car. He quickly joined me and threw his arm over my shoulder.
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This startled me but I told myself that I wouldn't show it. I just kept walking and braced myself for the hateful glares and the questioning looks I was bound to receive.
True to my expectations, we did get the loathing glares - well at least I did. I dared to look at them with the best fake smile I could muster and I managed to make it look so real, the smile, that is. My smile looked so real that even I started to doubt it's falseness. Was it even fake at all?
I spotted Amber by her locker and I saw that her eyes were fixed on Paul's arm (the one on my shoulder). I was most surprised by her facial expression. I had expected death glares from other girls but definitely not from my best friend. She looked at me as if she wanted to strangle me on the spot and her eyes had not left Paul's arm.
What was wrong with her?
The most puzzling thing was that, as we approached her, a bright smile quickly spread over her face. Gone was the detesting stare and it was replaced by a very welcoming smile - too welcoming. She came up to me and hugged me.
Quickly, before I could even return the gesture, she was in Paul's arms. She was hugging the life out of him and I was not oblivious to the fact that her hug with Paul was significantly longer than mine - too long for my liking.
A/N: There it is, friends, the much anticipated Chapter 16 - quite long, too. So tell me, what do you think is the matter with Amber?
