The girl with the bad reputation

Chapter 17

When I woke up the cold feeling made me shiver. His warmth wasn't here anymore and a slight disappointment washed over me. Next to me was empty and a little letter was on my nightstand.
'I hope you slept well. I didn't want to wake you up or cross boundaries. I went home when you fell asleep. I made sure you were comfortable.'
I sat up in my bed to see Hamilton standing looking at the painting filling the wall. He turned to me and gave me a lazy smile "good morning sleepyhead".
I laughed and said "good morning" with my hoarse sleeping voice.
His focus remained on the painting, he kept staring at it. It was as if he was memorized by it like I was yesterday.
"That wasn't there last time I was in here" He stated confusion laced in his voice.
I thought back to when I was laying on bed doing my homework while he was standing painting for my joy. How he stood focussing and not letting anything distract him.
My thoughts then went to the kiss we shared. The kiss was magical. The way he took my breath away.
"No, we- I painted it yesterday," I said, cursing under my breath.
Hamilton and Caleb are incredibly overprotective over me and they are kind of best friends as well. So it would make sense if he would rat me out, but he sucks. Also, this lie wouldn't even last two minutes. I couldn't paint even if my life depended on it.
"Heath, not to be rude. But you can't paint. So that could never have been you. Second Caleb ratted you out. He told me yesterday when he followed you guys here." he smirked.

Caleb is dead

"I knew, he followed us home. Anyways, do you like it?" He glanced back and said; "it's quite amazing, he really captured your picture." He sure did. He caught every emotion in that picture. Every little fine detail. Kaden was something else. Something else in a good way.
I smiled, "he did" I said.
My mind was occupied with him. It was filled with the memories of him and me talking. Not only talking but also the stuff without words.
My head was all over the place. I had told him things only my closest friends knew. Something that was dear to me and now a guy I've known for a few weeks knows.
Why was Hamilton home from college?
"Wait, what day is it today?" I asked. Somehow nervous about the answer because last time I checked the watch the clock said 10:43:21 am.
If the day was a school day I had to pay a visit to the principal's office.
"It's Saturday. Why else would I be here?" he winked. It suddenly made sense. He shouldn't be here, he was supposed to be at college. Not home.
My face lit up and I jumped out of bed and into his arms in a hug.
"I missed you" I mumbled into his hard rock shirt from New York.
"I miss you too Heather even though it's only been like 2 weeks" He said calmly.
I gave him a look that said, 'So what?'.
He shook his head and laughed it off. "So, how's your love life going lil sis?"
I looked at him analyzing the words coming out of his mouth, one by one. I tasted the words 'love life and said, "I never had one, and I don't have one now."
He looked at me, mumbling something walking towards the door.
"If you say so," He said, and an evil smirk played on his lips.
Which I knew too well and all I could think was.
fuck.
I speed-dialed Aubrey's number and called her to see whether she would like to come over.
Ten minutes passed and she stood at my door knocking.
"What's up hoe, how are you doing?" She said happiness floated in her voice.
I smiled and shook my head walking further into my house with her behind me.
"I've been great, even though we saw each other yesterday."
Aubrey stopped and looked at me and I looked back at her confusion in my expression.
"No chicka. I didn't see you all day Friday? Like what happened! It feels like the last time we talked was like a month ago chicka!" She exaggerated.
Don't underestimate her. She's a woman of culture, her parents are from two different countries. Her dad is from Spain and her mother is from the USA. She's skinny but well worked out. Aubrey had that kind of mix in color. She had mid-tanned skin which made her glow. The type of tan a lot of girls tries to fake.
I mean her style in clothes tells you nothing about her personality. I love her two sides. It might be because her mother is from Australia and her non-biological father is from Africa. So, her half-siblings are like her best homies.
Her biological father died when she was 7, he was from Spain. It's probably where her Spanish accent comes from and her small comments in Spanish are from. 
"I'm quite sure I saw you yesterday A" I tried slightly confused. I'm sure we talked.
She stood there looking torn. About what I wouldn't know. Maybe she was right. Maybe we hadn't seen each other. I had been spending time with Kaden, to be fair.
As we walked up to my room she finally began talking.
"We didn't. You were busy with Kaden. Where I was too busy winning our bet, cabrón"
She went on a date. A date.
She's wanting to win. I can feel that. She's eager.
"He's a real sweetheart, by the way." She giggled. 
I couldn't help but admit that it was quite awesome of her.
But this was a wake-up call that I had a bet to win. Which meant Kaden had to wait.
Aubrey stopped in her tracks as she entered my room. Her eyes were focused on the painting.
"When did you become such an artist?" She said, amazed.
I laughed quietly, shaking my head.
"You know I'm awful at art. I didn't paint that. Kaden did..." I was happy at the memory of him concentrating.
Her eyes remained on the wall again.
"Heather, what's going on between the two of you? I never heard you share such information with anyone except us. But he is incredibly talented, I must say".
We talked for a couple of hours about what happened with Kaden and I. Also about her love session with Nathan.
Suddenly Hamilton barged into the room with our knocking. His clumsy ass fell face-first into the carpet on my floor. He looked up at us with a defeated grimace.
Aubrey and I sat laughing at him wondering what to do with him.

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(Edited 23/01/-22)

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