What It Seems | Wattys 2023

Chapter 54

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask while placing my hand on his cheek.

He shook his head.

I arched my eyebrows into sorrow. "It doesn't make you any less than human. You're getting help; everything will be okay."

"I think you're the only thing that keeps me sane." I grinned at his comment.

"My pleasure."

He cackled. "I love you, Rose. I hope that you won't grow tired of me and grow old with me instead," he smile hugely.

"I don't think I could ever grow tired of a dork like you."

***

BAYLOR

I watched her concentrating eyes watch herself glide the razor slowly across my jawline, trying to be careful. She had already done the other side of my face.

"I can't believe you actually kissed me with stub on my face," I spoke, smiling at her as she grabbed ahold of my bicep for support as she sat up because she couldn't reach me any further.

She lightly smirked. She softly huffed and placed her free hand on the back of my neck and pulled my head closer.

"You're so tall," Adalynne commented.

"And you like it." I rose an eyebrow, signifying that she had been put on the spotlight.

She scoffed, "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Umm, that'd be you."

Adalynne huffed, "Stop being so cheesy."

I snickered and kissed her forehead. She placed the razor on the counter and threw her hand to wipe the shaving cream off of her forehead. She slid her finger under my chin and wiped the white cream on my chest. I pinned her back to the mirror so she couldn't escape me when I grabbed the can of shaving gel.

"Baylor, please don't. I don't have any clothes to change into."

She began squirming, which made me laugh. I held my index finger on the top and out came the gel, right in her face.

I threw the can on the floor and exited the bathroom, running down the stairs and heard her yell.

"You're so dead!"

"Oh, my gosh! It's in my eye! I can't see!" she exclaimed and I couldn't help but bust into a fit of laughter. When I saw her escape the stair case, one eye was closed and there was smeared cream on her face. I was standing behind the island, laughing to an extent.

"Baylor please help me. I can't see and my eye is burning," she cried.

I stopped laughing and grabbed a cloth from the drawer and ran warm water over it. I waltzed over to Adalynne and dabbed her eye with the cloth.

And at that moment, I was slapped on the side of my face with a handful of shaving cream. She was giggling as she tried to run away, and just before she got to the stairs, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her over my shoulder. She squealed and tried to grab ahold of my shirtless back.

"Okay, okay, I won't slap you anymore! I call a truce."

I softly slammed her on my couch and pinned her arms behind her head. I pretended that I was leaning down to kiss her, and right before I placed my lips on hers, I turned my cheek and she received cream on her lips.

She wasn't able to wipe the cream off her lips due to her arms being pinned behind her head.

"Say you're sorry." She shook her head negatively.

"I'll love you forever and a day if you let me go." I didn't let her go.

"Please, Baylor," she whined.

"Pleaseeeee."

I sighed and just before I let her go, I asked, "Truce?"

"I promise."

I let her arms go from behind her head and I got off of being on top of her. She stood and gazed at her outfit.

"Oh, well would you look at that. I have shaving cream all over my shirt thanks to Kent," she huffed.

"Kent?"

"Mhmm, you."

I shrugged my shoulders. "You can walk around topless, I don't care."

She slapped my arm and began to walk upstairs. I followed her, and while she was walking up, I squeezed the curve of her butt.

She yelped. "Perv!"

Adalynne walked into my room and stood in front of my Chester drawers. She stared at me, and I knew what she was about to ask.

"Go ahead, I don't care."

She opened the drawer and reached for a simple, plain t-shirt. I walked back to the bathroom to finish shaving the spots that she left out due to the shaving cream fight. I rinsed the razor out and placed it back in my drawer. I put on some aftershave and then patted my face dry. I cleaned up the shaving cream along the sink and then threw the cloth in the dirty clothes basket. I walked out of my bathroom and saw the back of her body, shirtless but with a bra on. The pale skin glowed with the scar along her spine and the dimples right above the band of her shorts.

I wrapped my arms around her bare, flat stomach and kissed her neck: one spot I know that she likes to be kissed.

"Baylor, I don't have on a -"

"It's okay." I pecked her temple.

"But my scar."

"What about it?" I asked, confused because I saw nothing wrong with it.

"It's ugly."

"No it's not," I argued.

"And my waist is big." She began pointing out her insecurities.

"No it isn't," I argued once again.

"How is it not big if I have marks there?" she asked.

"Who cares about little marks and a scar? You're beautiful," I admitted.

She turned around in my arms and snaked her arms around my neck. She played with the hair at the nape of my neck and she kissed my lips.

"I love you," she spoke against my skin over my chest. She left a kiss there as well.

"I love you, Rose."

"One day, when you're finally well, I want you to do something for me." I ran my fingers against the scar that she saw as a flaw.

"I'd do anything for you."

She took a breath. "I want you to make love to me," she spoke shakily.

"You do?"

She nodded her head, confirming her request.

"One day I will." I kissed the crown of her head and she stepped onto my feet to reach me.

"Who would've known that I'd fall in love with my best friend's little sister."