Unexpected

• Chapter Twenty-Six •

His wet hair has begun to fall over his eyes again tempting me to push it back. Since I'm still not sure on where I stand and because of my conversation with Denzel, I resist.

For a little while longer, we all stay in the pool playing games and just lounging around. Eventually, the others get out and leave me and Abel behind.

I look at the clock and see that it's just after 5; we've been in the pool for over 3 hours. No wonder my skins all pruned.

"Abel, do you mind if I leave the pool now?"

"Not at all Brown Eyes."

I swim to the edge of the pool and pull myself out. I grab the towel from where I threw it earlier and turn back to face Abel who's still in the pool. I find him staring at me with what looks kind of like adoration but also desire. Typical.

Clearing my throat, Abel focuses on my face and smiles sheepishly. I wrap the towel around me completely and end up looking like a burrito.

"I should probably head home now."

"No! Don't go yet, it's not that late."

"I know but-"

At that moment, Abel's mum walks in causing me to stop mid-sentence.

"Keziah, would you like to stay for dinner tonight? I'm making my special couscous!"

I look towards Abel who's nodding his head and staring at me with pleading eyes. I succumb to both of them and agree to stay longer.

"Fantastic! The food will be ready in like an hour so I'll see you then!" His mother spins in her heel and hums her way out of here. She's such an interesting woman.

"We can head back up to my room if you want." Abel leaves the pool and heads towards me. He grabs his towel and uses it to briefly dry his hair and body. The remaining droplets roll down his caramel coloured body making him all the more enticing. His hair has curled even more and looks a shade darker from the water. Right now, he looks like a full-blown Abercrombie model and it is kind of making me feel a little bit insecure.

Because of that, I leave the pool house and start heading back to the main house.

I retrace my steps back to his room knowing that he's following closely behind.

Quietly, I grab my clothes and head to his attached bathroom. Abel watches me silently with intense eyes probably feeling confused at my sudden change in attitude.

Before I fully shut the door, I ask him if I can have a shower.

"Yeah, of course. I'll get you a spare towel."

In the meantime, I turn on the water and wait for it to get hot. I pick up my clothes and intend to put them in a corner away from the shower.

"Here you go." I'm so startled by his reappearance that I accidentally drop my clothes into the running water.

I groan loudly at my mistake feeling annoyed and frustrated.

Obviously sensing that I'm close to an emotional breakdown, Abel tries to calm me down.

"Don't worry about it Brown Eyes, I can just get you some of mine."

He takes my wet clothes to put in the dryer and returns with a pair of black tracksuit bottoms and a grey hoodie. I thank him and proceed to shut the door and get in the shower.

While washing off the chlorine, I feel myself getting overwhelmed by my insecurities. Standing next to Abel earlier, it made me think about how unequal we are based on looks alone. With his exotic skin tone, dark curls and deep blue eyes, he's an absolute Adonis. And I'm, well I'm just me. He's got the body of a swimmer; lean but very well-toned. It makes me think that he'd prefer someone skinnier than I am and just less me.

I don't like feeling this way, but I still can't help it. I'm hit by such an intense wave of emotion, that it causes several tears to roll down my cheek mixing with the shower water. I sniffle quietly, not wanting Abel to hear.

I stay under the faucet a bit longer and try to rein in my sadness and put on a happier face.

I step out and dry myself before putting on the clothes Abel gave to me. The bottoms are way too big and keep falling down so I pull on the strings as tight as they can go but they still feel pretty loose. On top of that, the hoodie swallows me whole. I roll up the sleeves on my arms to stop them from restricting my movement too much.

This really isn't how I planned to look when meeting Abel's parents. Well, I've already met his mum but not his dad. I hope it doesn't make him see me in a certain way.

I finally leave the bathroom and find Abel laying on his bed watching TV; It looks like he showered too and dressed up in some basketball shorts and a long sleeved shirt.

"Your clothes are a bit big on me."

"No, you look great Brown Eyes. They suit you way more than me anyways."

I shake my head in disagreement and tug at the bottoms. "You don't think your dad will mind that I'm dressed like this right? I didn't intend to meet your parents wearing your clothes, especially at dinner."

I bite my bottom lip out of nerves and play with the hem of his hoodie while looking everywhere except at him.

I feel Abel's presence near me just before he grabs my chin gently to face him. "Clothes don't make a person Brown Eyes. My dad will like you because of your personality, not because of what you're wearing."

And with just those few sentences, I feel slightly more calm. The feeling of my insecurities are still there, but for the sake of Abel and this dinner, I push them to the side.

For the next half hour, we entertain ourselves by watching some TV. Having learnt my lesson from before, I text my parents to let them know I'll be home later than planned. While doing this, Abel plays with my hair, twirling it around his fingers. Most of the time, I can't even focus on what is playing because of the closeness between Abel and I. His scent is intoxicating and he makes my heart beat rapidly. It's such a foreign feeling; being so affected like this by someone. It's actually kind of..nice.

A gentle knock on the door has Abel telling the person to come in.

"Dinners ready." Monroe Says this so quietly that I almost miss it and then runs away.

"Come on Brown Eyes. I'm starving." He slaps his hand on his stomach and rubs it enthusiastically.

I chuckle at his boyish behaviour and follow him out the room.

It is then that I realise something. I actually remembered all his siblings names. Points to me people. Points. To. Me.

• • •
A/N:
It's so easy to feel insecure about yourself; whether it's your body or your personality and I don't think most people realise. It's a lot simpler to hide it and act like nothing bothers you even though it does. People fight battles with themselves daily about their own insecurity and that feeling of worthlessness can become so unbelievably overwhelming sometimes. But everyone's beautiful in their own special way.
Make sure to try and talk to someone about how you're feeling if you can. Keeping it bottled up often makes it worse.

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