Change Your Mind (Completed)

Chapter 22

    The apartment was silent when I stepped through the door. Some peace and quiet for once.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come home," Grace chastised as she walked out from the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

"It's not even six yet." I rolled my eyes and brushed her shoulder to fit through the narrow space she left.

She grabbed onto my arm and yanked me back towards her. A low hiss escaped my lips, she simply smiled. Grace was small but strong, "Were you with Jake again? Are you two getting serious?"

"No I wasn't with Jake and the last thing I want is to be serious with anyone."

"Come on, Avie, being in a relationship isn't so bad and you know that. I don't get why you're still against it, it's been a year and... wait. So if you weren't with Jake, who were you with?"

I tugged my arm out of her grasp and looked her straight in the eyes, "It doesn't matter."

"Oh! It's Zoey's friend, huh. What was his name again?" She trailed off, eyes shifting away from me as she thought about it, "Nick. That's it, his name is Nick."

"Yeah, sure. It was Nick," I lied, mentally kicking myself for how unconvincing my voice sounded. Grace raised her eyebrows at me and the pieces began to click in her head. Her brows got impossibly higher and her lips formed into the shape of an 'O'.

She shoved my shoulder multiple times and shook my body, "It's Mr Hunter. Oh my gosh, you're dating our teacher!" She practically yelled. I placed my hand over her mouth to get her to shut up but she licked it.

"Ew, what's wrong with you?" I complained, wiping my hand in my pants, "No, we aren't dating. He just wanted to talk to me so we had a conversation. That's it."

Grace's eyes were filled with scrutiny, "If you say so." She shrugged, trying her best to be nonchalant but failing miserably.

"Yes I do say so," I said with a fake smile then turned and walked away.

I whipped out my phone and sent a quick text to Jake asking him if he wanted to come over. He said he was busy for the entire day, but I still had to try again. I probably looked so desperate. He texted back twenty minutes later, after I had snuggled up in bed, ready to take a nap.

Jake: Sure. I'll be there in 30 mins.

Forcing myself out of the bed with a groan, I was about two minutes away from regretting my choice. My body was craving the rest although I never did anything nor went anywhere that often.

Within fifteen minutes, my teeth were brushed and my relatively clean home was spruced up a bit. A soft knock at the door pulled me away from my phone that I was using just to pass the time.

"Hey." Jake smiled as soon as the door opened. I stepped aside to allow him to walk in and that's when I noticed a brown paper bag in his hand.

"What's in there?" I questioned, closing the door behind me.

Jake raised his eyebrows and hid the bag behind him, "So I can't get a proper 'hey' from you but you can ask about what's in a bag?"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms under my chest. He tilted his head to the side and waited, "Hey," I huffed after a few moments of silence. He grinned and held the bag out to me. I snatched it and marched over to the couch, throwing myself on it with a loud sigh.

"You're so dramatic," He said and nudged me with his elbow. His brown eyes were lit up with amusement as he draped his arm over my shoulder and hugged me to his side. I peeked into the bag and saw two ham and cheese croissants as well as a scone. Without a second thought, my hand was in the bag, fishing out one of the croissants to munch on before placing the bag on the coffee table.