Hopelessly Falling [book 2]

Chapter Thirty-Five

"You know you're talking to your girlfriend, right," I reminded him then continued, "the only way anybody will come out of this happy is if you two both get your heads out of your asses and talk like actual human beings. I swear, sometimes I simply cannot understand the male species," I said and Ali nodded in agreement across the room.

I had caught her up on everything Kevin hadn't finished filling her in on, so she knew the context- besides everything Ashton had told me privately, obviously.

"You sound like Kevin now. I mean, what- am I supposed to find Eli and say that I'm sorry he has parents to kick him out of the house?" He sat down on his couch and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"What was that thing you told me a while ago- don't compare our family trauma Crystal it won't help anything," I rehashed, using his own words against him while also pulling off a flawless impression of his voice. "You know what... I'm gonna threaten you," I threatened. He raised his eyebrows at both my outstanding impression of him and the threat of a threat.

"Oh?"

I muted my microphone and looked over at Ali. "What should I threaten him with?" I asked quickly, and she thought.

"He's a guy, they're pretty simple creatures," she responded casually, and I immediately caught her drift.

"True, this is very true," I grinned slightly and unmuted my mic. "I won't sleep with you again until you at least try to make up with Eli."

"Yeah, right," he laughed to himself, and I rose an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I waited for his answer and Ali whistled under her breath, sensing my rising desire to put him in his place- as I did so often.

"You're the easiest person to fluster," he spoke confidently, and I held back my laugh at the irony.

"I'd say you take the cake for that one buddy," I narrowed my eyes at him. Okay, it's confirmed- I'm going to torture him with this now. "I'm not going to so much as give you a peck on the cheek until you talk to Eli." I put on a stubborn face, and he grunted.

"You're being serious, aren't you."

"As a heart attack," I replied, "and in your words... I'm not one to mess with," I couldn't help but crack up at the memory of him thinking he was being big and intimidating that first day we met.

"I guess I have no choice, then," he joked, clearly still not believing me that I could 'resist' him. I'd show him, though.

He didn't realize how much I had saved to memory about everything that turned him the most on. I felt a slightly evil grin spread on my glossed lips as I thought about how wrong I was going to prove him.

Back to the matter at hand, though- tomorrow Eli would go back to his school, but then break was coming up in a few weeks. Kevin couldn't house him for all of break, even though he no doubt wanted to and would definitely try to.

Eli knew this, though, and he wouldn't let it happen. Kevin's step-mom worked all the time and he spent as much time as he could looking after his dad, who had been recovering from a really bad stroke for a few years now. From what Kevin accidentally let on to, the bills and expenses were getting pretty tough to keep up with.

"How's Layla doing?" I asked, changing the subject.

"She just got back from school, she's in her room listening to music if you wanted to—"

"What is she listening to?"

"Um, I don't know, it sounds like Adele or something. Why?"

"Yeahhh she's not doing so well then," I told him, and he looked confused for a moment about how I got to that conclusion. "You should try to cheer her up."