Caffeine | PUBLISHED

20. Demi-Creme

I shut the window behind him as he pulled himself to a sloppy stand.

"Aspirin," he slurred, swaying in his spot. "I missed you."

"Isaac," I said, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him to sit on the bed. He sat with no objections and I stood in front of him, crossing my arms over my chest. "It's literally four in the morning. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to kiss you."

I raised my brows, my eyes wide. I was not expecting that answer. "W – What?"

"That night," he continued. His eyes dragged over my body and I suddenly became extremely conscious of the fact I was dressed in my pyjamas with no bra. I tugged on my shorts, pulling them lower.

His eyes flickered back to mine and his brow furrowed in thought. "At Rebebaba's."

I blinked. "Riley's?"

"Riley's!" He grinned. A hand reached forward and rested lightly on my waist. Immediately,I warmed beneath his calloused fingers – at the drunken way he gripped my waist over my pyjamas. He leaned forward to the point he was almost tumbling off the bed. "I wanted to kiss you so bad, but then Marcy..."

"Marcy?" I stammered. At the sudden sound of my voice, his fingers tightened, and my shirt rode up, his hand brushing the bare flesh beneath it. I shook my head, trying my best to ignore it. This was all too much. "Who's Marcy?"

Isaac groaned, his voice growing quiet and breathy. "Marcelina. I loved her. I don't want that. Not again."

I furrowed my brow at him. Marcelina? I ran through every Marcelina in my memory.

Marcelina... Marcelina... It wasn't a common name. The only Marcelina I knew – I blinked in realisation. 

I vaguely remembered a Marcelina Pepper – Chloe's sister who had graduated last year. Was it that Marcelina?

I met Isaac's eyes to find him watching me carefully, his brows drawn together as he studied me. I blinked, self-consciously running my fingers through my messy, bed hair.

"Did you..." I trailed off, the words dying in my throat with a choking sound as Isaac's fingers suddenly pushed my white pyjama shirt up, resting his warm palm against the skin of my waist.

He gripped me tightly, pulling me forward so suddenly that I nearly fell on top of him. I rested my hand against his shoulder, steadying myself. He gazed up at me, his eyes suddenly looking very sober and dark.

"I can't stand seeing you with Sebastian."

I blinked, trying to ignore the touch of his skin against mine. My brow furrowed. "Sebastian? We're just friends."

He grunted at this, scrunching his nose in distaste. We paused for a moment, silence falling heavy between us, before he released my waist and fell back against the bed. The mattress squeaked loudly as he fell back, his head thumping against the blankets.

"Why are you awake?" he muttered. "It's late."

I shuffled on my feet awkwardly, towering over Isaac as he laid on the bed. I wasn't sure if it'd be strange to sit beside him, so I wrung my fingers and stared down over him.

"My insomnia," I replied slowly. My gaze moved to the ceiling. I'd spent so many nights staring at it, waiting for sleep to hit me. "I can't sleep. I lie down and I just start thinking of all the terrible things that can happen. All the embarrassing things that have happened."

I paused, chortling out a stuttered laugh, "The antidepressants definitely don't help."

Isaac sat upright. He swayed on the spot. His hands braced on the bed to keep him steady. He sent me a lopsided smirk, his eyes falling half-shut in a lazy smile.