Chasing Charming ✔️

13 - Nothing To Apologize For

I walked out of the bathroom and saw the definition of hot standing in front of me. Eli had on a pair of grey sweatpants and a white shirt. His hair was tousled and still damp from the pool. I shivered.

"You cold?" He asked.

He looked down at my legs as if to check for goosebumps, but he lingered far too long.

"Woah," he whispered to himself. I snickered, and he blushed, acting as if he did not realize that he had said that out loud.

"You know I was wearing fewer clothes before, right?" I teased him.

He chuckled. "Shut up."

We walked downstairs and went straight to the basement. Kyle and Jones were already down there, eating pizza and drinking Pepsi. Brodie had joined them too, and he smiled and waved at me from the couch. He had his face stuffed with two pieces of pizza.

"Gross Brodie," said Eli. Brodie grinned at him; his mouth closed this time.

"What are we gonna watch?" I asked, assuming that is why the three of them were planted in front of the massive TV.

Kyle and Jones turned towards us, just noticing that I was standing behind Eli, and their eyes went straight to my legs. Okay, so maybe it's a guy thing. I moved behind Eli, feeling a little self-conscious, and both boys looked away sheepishly.

"We should watch Face Punch. It's new!" said Kyle happily!

"Doesn't that one have a lot of blood in it?" asked Jones, who suddenly looked a little bit nauseous.

"Yes, it'll be fun!" said Kyle.

Jones pushed his pizza away from him.

I had never heard of it before, but both Brodie and Eli seemed game to watch. I was never opposed to violent movies. Usually, I would prefer a supernatural horror rather than a gory movie called Face Punch, but who knows, it could be fun.

I grabbed a slice of pizza and sat down at the farthest end of the couch, away from the boys. Pulling my legs up close to my chest and happily munching on my pizza while Eli set up the movie and Jones begged for the boys to choose something else.

My happy corner was short-lived, though because Brodie had decided that me sitting far away wasn't fun or chaotic enough for him, I suppose. He grabbed my leg and pulled me toward him. I almost fell off the couch, but Brodie had successfully dragged my body right next to his.

I grunted, but I moved upright and stayed where I was.

Eli sat next to me on the other side and threw a blanket over my legs. I looked at him, confused.

"You seemed cold earlier," he explained.

Oh. My shiver that Eli had mistaken for being cold. I would happily take the blanket, though, so I snuggled up in a ball, in between the two brothers.

Eli turned on the movie.

The movie kept me distracted until about halfway through. I guess I had scooted closer to Eli throughout the film, or maybe he came closer to me because I was now leaning against him, his arm around the back of the couch. I had not even noticed until I placed my head back slightly and felt it on his shoulder. I paused and felt his breath hitch.

I pulled my head up and looked at the screen, trying to ignore what had just happened.

There wasn't much room for Eli to move away, but he managed to scootch a little further down the couch.

I put my head down on what I thought was the back of the couch, but my head went to rest on Eli's arm this time, which he had not moved away.

"Sorry," I whispered, going to move away.