Counting Minutes | Gay MxM |

10. Letting In

It's true. I couldn't just leave, because everything about you and your family fascinates me.

I stared at his answer for a long time. I was crazy, so of course he found me fascinating.

"Yeah, I'm virtually a freak show!" I snapped angrily, and continued while I was at it, "But you know what? This isn't the circus, and I'm not for your entertainment!"

Blake mouthed the word 'no', stepping closer to me. I stepped back out of instinct, and he lifted his hand, gesturing for me to stay put with pleading eyes. He stared at me for a moment, and when I didn't move, he lowered his gaze carefully, starting to write. While he did so, he kept glancing at me like making sure I wasn't going anywhere.

You're not a freak! I know I did wrong by stalking you, and I shouldn't be here. I tried to leave, but I just couldn't. I've never met anything as beautiful as you, and I really just want to know you better.

What to believe? I wanted to believe him, and frankly, all the evidence supported him. We had nothing worth stealing. He knew that. Even if he had found something interesting, he would've taken it already. If he was a rapist or a murderer, he would've done something to me or to my family already – I'd strangle Joy personally if she left that damned window open ever again – so I really couldn't understand why else would he be there.

"You have a really weird way of making friends," I noted, putting my paintbrush away. I felt weird and sad all of a sudden.

I didn't look at him, or what he wrote. I cleaned the palette and went to wash my hands in the bathroom, trying to understand what was going on. My heart was beating faster, and I was eager to return into my living room, but I tried my best to stall, so I could get my mind back in order. I wanted to believe Blake. Why? I had no idea; it made zero sense. I just really wanted to believe him.

When I did go back, I didn't see Blake anywhere at first. I rushed to the walls and peered out, and sighed in relief when I saw him leaning against the railings behind the flowerpots. Blake turned his head and saw me. He came back to the wall and looked at me with a sad smile. I decided to just ignore the fact none of this made any sense. I had been alone for so long, and he was the first person I could talk to without skype or the intercom without getting overly nervous. I couldn't just throw this opportunity away, no matter how crazy this was.

"It's ready," I said, and Blake frowned in a questioning manner.

I grabbed my painting and turned it around. He stepped back, placing a hand on his chin as he took a good look at my art with a light frown on his face. He nodded a few times in an approving manner, like he was a critic of some sort. Then he applauded, looking around as if there were a huge crowd next to him. I chuckled at his playful act, and even laughed when he covered his mouth and whispered something to his invisible friend, pointing at my painting with a smile.

"What are you doing?" I chuckled.

Blake stopped playing around and looked at me into my eyes. He spoke something, and I didn't need him to write it down to understand.

"You look beautiful when you laugh," Blake said slowly, with a tender look in his amber eyes.

I blushed hard and hid behind my painting. I bit my lower lip in order to stop myself from smiling so widely, but it was useless. I had no idea what had gotten into me! I was being irrational and careless! There was a criminal flirting with me!

I stopped to think about the thoughts I just had. I was not in any kind of denial about what was going on. He wasn't here to just make friends with me. He was definitely flirting with me, and I... I had no problem with it. With the flirting. I did, however, have a problem with him being a criminal. At least I wished I had. But, there was one thing that hadn't even crossed my mind yet. Criminal or not, the guy on my balcony was in fact, a guy.