The Hybrid

Chapter 9

I roll my eyes before running upstairs to grab my laptop. Rushing back down the stairs, I see that he's sitting on the couch and taking out his books. Placing the laptop on the coffee table, I take out my own before looking at him with determination.

"Let's do this!"

Two hours later, I'm laying on my back on the hardwood floor, half my body on the soft carpet. I groan and rub my eyes before sitting up and looking at Kaden. Double taking, I snatch the pencil from behind his ear and stare at it before looking up at him.

"You thief! I've been looking for this for the past hour."

He grabs it from me before lifting the cover of my biology book and handing me the same pencil. Blushing furiously, I mumble out an apology before looking down at the textbook. My head is starting to hurt at this stage and honestly, I just want to sleep.

"Do you want to work on the rest some other –"

"Yep, see you in school." Kaden rushes before packing up his things.

I gape at him with a hand to my chest. "You wound me, Reid. Am I not entertaining enough? Is the world of science not good enough for you?"

He replies with a half shrug, ducking when I throw a cushion at him. Smirking, he ruffles my hair before standing and picking up his bag. I walk him out whilst making plans on our next meetup to work on this project again. But before he's out the door, he turns around and rubs the back of his neck. I look at him expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

"Um...I heard what Alexander said to you about me after Biology."

Leaning against the door frame, I cross my arms. "And? Did you hear my reply?"

He nods. "I'm not the good guy you think I am, Aurora. Alex is right."

"You are, you just tell yourself otherwise. Look, when I said you're my friend and a good person, I wasn't just saying that to get Alex off my back. I meant it. I'm not one to listen to the rumours, Kaden."

He smiles at me, a rare smile that I do not see as often. I can tell my words mean a lot to him based on the look in his eye. Holding my hands out for a hug, I laugh when he pushes me away, grumbling about how he isn't some softy. Saying our goodbyes, I watch him cross the street before heading back inside and closing the door.

I power off my laptop and tidy the area before picking up the bowls of snacks and carrying them to the kitchen. Now, what to make for dinner? I think. The idea of ordering takeaway is very tempting as I eye the stack of various menus from restaurants and fast food joints placed oh so conveniently on the kitchen counter.

Before I can ponder further on that thought, knocking sounds on my patio door that leads out to a small deck outside and connects to a garden. These gardens are enclosed with a wall as there is a thick forest right behind the apartments. My heart thuds wildly against my rib cage, an uneasy feeling growing inside me at the thought of whoever or whatever is outside. Pulling the blinds up slowly, my eyes widen when I see Vulcan standing there. Unlocking the door, I pull it open.

"How the hell did you get into my garden?!" I ask, trying to calm my breathing.

His green eyes that I missed are now dark and roaming over my figure. I take him in as he stands there in his navy shirt and grey sweatpants with trainers on his feet. He has a five o'clock shadow and seems tired, as if he has lost some sleep or was up working late. Or maybe he was with his girlfriend the whole time? There's that damned thought again!

"I'm sorry if I scared you. Have you eaten?" He asks, holding up a bag of takeout food from McDonald's.

I swoon, both at the sound of his voice and the sight of McDonald's. Regardless, I stand there and stare at him, keeping my expression void of any emotion. How can he come back after nearly two weeks when I'm just starting to think that I will never see him again. It's crazy how my heart had ached; how much I had missed him. I don't know if it's it normal to feel like this or if I'm completely crazy.