𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐄

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎

carmen

I woke up to the October chills this morning freezing since my brother refuses to turn the heating on, because he prefers the cold. I was dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants and even then, I was still shivering. My mood was now dampened and I haven't even been awake for two hours.

Stomping out of my room, I stormed into the lounge to find my brother working out, sweating and huffing. "Maikel." I cleared my throat.

Kai ignored me, carrying on lifting weights and listening to his music. He was shirtless in this weather?!

"Hello?!" I raised my voice a little louder.

Still no response.

I rolled my eyes and walked over until I was next to him, taking one earbud out of his ears. "Maikel!" I shouted.

Kai dropped a dumbell to his feet, and lifted his hand to his ear, wincing from the painful eardrum I probably just popped. "Ow! What the fuck, Cammy? I could have dropped the dumbbell on my feet."

"You're kidding me right? I was basically shouting your name and you weren't answering me."

"I was working out. You could have tapped me or something, not fucking pop my eardrum." Kai grumbled, placing his dumbbells back onto the rack.

"Whatever. I came to tell you to put the freaking heating on! I'm going to die from hypothermia." I whined.

"It's not even that fucking cold, I'm not wearing a shirt right now and I'm still boiling." He argued back.

The nerve this man had.

"You're working out being all gross and sweaty." My face cringed at the sight.

"I'm doing something called physical exercise. You should try it one day." His response left me speechless. How dare he comment on my lack of physicality?

"That," I paused for dramatic effect and held up my hand to his face, "was rude."

"Shut up. The heating comes on when I want it to come on."

"I'll move out to the dorms." I said, hoping he would get scared at the possible thought of me leaving and give in to me.

"Be my guest. One less person to cook for." Kai chuckles, grabbing his water bottle and moving into the kitchen.

I stood there, trying to come up with another threat. I could say I would move out into one of his friends' apartments, that might scare him a little.

Which friend could I say?

I ruled out Damian almost immediately since he was Maikel's best friend and also rude and annoying. The only other friend of Kai's I had met was Josh. I wouldn't exactly say Josh and Kai were best buddies, but they seemed to tolerate each other.

I followed him into the kitchen. "I'll move in with Josh, he seems lovely."

All of Maikel's movements stopped, and he stopped looking for food in the fridge. His body tensed and after a moment he released a heavy sigh, turning to me. "The heating will be on for tomorrow."

I grinned at him. "Yay, thanks! Love you." I walked over and ruffled his hair, ignoring his defeated demeanor.

Kai hummed in response and began cooking an omelet for us.

I sat and watched him closely, hoping to learn how to cook an omelet without feeling sick after. My phone buzzed and when I checked the message, my brows furrowed.

Unknown number: Carmen.

I panicked, thinking I was being stalked, because who in their right mind messages someone with just their name?

Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm.

My fingers tapped the screen rapidly.

Me: who is this? do i know you? i'll call the cops.

That should scare them off.

Unknown number: The cops can't do shit.

Crap, my intimidation method didn't work. I could mention the FBI maybe?

Me: you'd be surprised what they can do. i'll even bring in the FBI.

Unknown number: Try it.

How are they not scared of the freaking FBI? I was dealing with a real criminal here and needed to think logically for my next step.

Me: i will do it, so i suggest you tell me your real identity.

My phone showed me the person had read it, and the three little dots appeared to show they were typing, but disappeared after a while.

Unknown number: It's Damian, Carmen.

My eyes widened at his name, how did he get my number? Oh right, I gave it to him. My cheeks tinged a slight pink from embarrassment when I remember all the stuff about calling the cops I said to him but I convince myself that my reaction of a random person messaging me is completely normal.

Me: oh.
Me: what do you want?

My knees bounced up and down in anticipation wondering what he was going to say next, and in the meantime I changed his contact name.

Devil's spawn: Come over in half an hour.

What the heck? Why is Damian Galanis asking me to come over?

Me: why?

Devil's spawn: Because I'm kidnapping you.

My phone dropped from my hand and onto the island counter as my throat let out a quiet screech. Kai turned around with worry on his face and I covered my expression up with a coughing fit. "My t-throat's dry." I held a hand to my chest and carried on coughing.

"Oh, I thought something actually happened to you." Maikel rolled his eyes and went back to cooking the omelet.

I quickly grabbed my phone and tried coming up with a response. How is someone supposed to reply to a message like that?

As if Damian could read my thoughts, he messaged again.

Devil's spawn: I was joking, Carmen.

My eyes scanned the message and I let out a huge breath of relief.

Me: you're not funny.

Devil's spawn: I'm hilarious.
Devil's spawn: We need to do the assignment so that's why I was asking you to come round.

Me: why can't you just come here?

Truthfully, I didn't want to go round to Damian's apartment. One of the reasons being I can't be bothered leaving my house, and secondly if it was just me and him, who knows what he would do? I wouldn't have Kai with me and Damian could say or do anything to me.

Devil's spawn: Because I can't be fucking bothered.

Me: well, same.

Devil's spawn: I don't care. You're coming to mine in half an hour, end of.

Was he always this stubborn?

Me: I don't know your address.

Devil's spawn: Maikel will drop you. Don't be fucking late.

I groaned and dropped my phone down, running a hand through my bed hair. The last thing I want to be doing right now is going to Damian's apartment and having to deal with him for a couple of hours. But the assignment needed to be done, and I wasn't about to risk thirty percent of my grade just because of an imbecile.

"Hey, Kai? Could you please drop me to Damian's house in about half an hour? He just messaged me and it's for our assignment?" I asked.

Please say no, please say no, please say no.

"Yeah, sure. Why can't he just come here though?" The universe really wasn't on my side today.

"He said he can't be bothered." I sighed, knowing I'm going to end up going to Damian's house.

Maikel snorted. "Sounds like D. Get ready, I'll drop you."

————

Half an hour later, I was showered and wearing my outfit for the day. It was simple, black leggings and a sweatshirt with a baby pink tank top underneath. This would hopefully keep me warm.

I tied my hair into a ponytail and walked out of my room, making sure to grab my textbooks. "Kai, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm at the front door!" His faint voice came from toward the front of the apartment.

Making my way to the front door, I decided to send a message to Damian, letting him know I was on my way.

Me: i'm leaving the house now.

I switched my phone off and began putting on my sneakers. I walked to his car in silence as Maikel was tapping away on his phone. It was beginning to get annoying since he was typing so loud.

"Maikel, stop typing so loud, it's annoying." I complained, getting into the passenger side of the car after he unlocked it.

"Sorry, but Cammy you don't understand. I'm talking to this new girl and she might be the one." Kai got in and began buckling his seatbelt.

I rolled my eyes at my brother's words. Kai has been going on for years now about 'finding the one' since he is a firm believer in love, according to him. I also used to tell Kai that sleeping around with random girls when you don't even know their name is not the way to 'find the one'.

"Pfft, yeah right. You say that about everyone. I'm starting to think you and Nila are a perfect match at this point." My brother and NIla were similar in more ways than one. For example, Nila loves love but hates commitment. How that makes sense, I don't know. She will flirt with any guy and get over them in five seconds.

Maikel turned to glare at me as he pulled out of the building's parking lot. "Never say that again. Me and Nila are far from perfect matches and will never do anything together."

"I don't get why you hate her so much? Everyone loves Nila."

"She's an annoying pain in my ass and I can't stand being around her." He explained calmly.

I decided to press him further for answers. One day I was going to get to the root of this problem. "Okay but why? You've never given a genuine reason, and you can't call her ugly like you always do. We both know that isn't true."

Maikel hums in acknowledgment and runs a hand across his jaw. Even he agrees Nila's pretty, because she is. Her golden skin, long black hair and model-like features, Nila has pulled any man she has ever wanted and more.

"She's just irritating. Being around her pisses me off and I don't even know why, frankly." He says and I glance over at him, narrowing my eyes. There was another reason, I know it. My brother was good at lying but for some reason, I could always tell when he wasn't saying the truth. There was a look in his eyes that told me he was bluffing.

I was going to find out.

But today wasn't the day. I had much bigger plans to worry about. Like how on earth I'm going to be able to survive the whole day with just Damian without him making me want to rip the hairs off my head.

I checked my phone again to see if he had responded, but my heart dropped a little when I found he had left me on read. I don't know why I felt a little upset when I saw he hadn't replied, I shouldn't even care. But I did, and I don't like it.

"Hey, Cammy?" Maikel asks.

"Yeah?"

"Try not to let Damian being a dickhead get to you. He's always been like that and I don't see him changing anytime soon. Just ignore him." Kai rubs his hand on my knee and smiles.

I don't want him to be mean to me, I want him to treat me nicely. That's the only reason why I made him agree to not swear at me.

"Yeah, I know." I nod my head. Hopefully, he's in a somewhat nice mood today and won't be a complete grump to me. Maybe in another universe.

Kai's Mercedes comes to a halt and I furrow my brows. We're already here?

"Here we are, now get out. I've got shit to do." Kai said.

I reach over to his side and stare out of the window. This apartment complex looked..luxurious in all ways. The building was tall, sleek and modern with tinted black windows from top to bottom. The top of the building seemed to be never ending and reached into the clouds, which made my stomach feel twisted all of a sudden.

I sat back in my seat and gawked at Maikel. "This is- he doesn't," I regained my composure. "Surely, you got the address wrong. He can't possibly live here?"

Kai only stares at me like I'm a mad woman. "Are you fucking high? Of course he lives here. Now you need to leave asap. I've got a hot date."

He ushered me out of the car and onto the sidewalk. Before he left, he rolled the window down. "Listen, his apartment's number 175 on floor 47. Go to the bellboy inside and ask him for the elevator. Got it?"

I shook my head furiously, overwhelmed with all of the instructions he had just given me.

"Love you." And with that, Maikel drove off, leaving me here all helpless on the sidewalk.

My shoulders slumped and I turned to face the gigantic building in front of me. I climbed the dark marble stairs leading up to the huge front doors and looked up. The sleek modern sign read 'Luxe Apartments'.

I walked to the revolving doors and entered the apartment lobby. Everything looked beautiful. WIth dark, elegant furnishing and marble finishing to complete the look. I feel extremely out of place here with my pastel purple sweatshirt and my white scrunchie in my hair.

People looked at me like I was dirt. The place was crawling with businessmen and women. My papa would thrive in a place like this.

I take in a breath and try to find the bellboy that Maikel was on about. The only person that comes remotely close to the description that Kai gave me was an older looking man, wearing a uniform and a bright smile. I figured that was him.

Padding my way over, I reached him and smiled. "Hi, Sir! It's nice to meet you."

I read his nametag. Henry. Henry seemed weary of me at first but once he realized my smile was genuine, he returned the same energy. "Good afternoon, Madam! How can I be of assistance?" His strong British accent came in and he had a slight stammer when he spoke, but his smile was still strong.

"I'm looking for the elevators."

"Are you sure you're in the right place? You don't seem like the type of person who belongs in a place like this." Henry asked out of confusion.

"I'm not. I'm seeing someone but it's my first time here. I already feel really out of place, though." I frowned slightly.

"Oh don't worry! All the people here are just rich saddos that stick to themselves. It's actually quite refreshing to see someone so...vibrant here for once." Henry reassured me.

"Thanks! That means a lot. Could you please show me to the elevators?" I asked.

"Of course! Follow me." Henry began walking at an impossibly rapid pace, and my long legs struggled keeping up with him.

"May I ask what floor you need to go to?" Henry turned back, slowing his pace when he saw me panting.

I fell into step with him, and regained myself, taking out my asthma pump. "Floor 47. Number 175, I'm pretty sure."

Henry's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. "The Galanis floor? What's a girl like you doing with Mr. Galanis, eh?" They had a whole freaking floor to themselves?

"I'm doing an assignment with Damian. Damian Galanis?" Maybe he knew more about him.

"Yes, I've heard of him. But I'm more curious as to why he's doing an assignment with the exact opposite of him." He was right, in some sort. Damian was grumpy, I was always smiling. Damian never spoke, I could speak for hours at a time. Damian was rude, I was always polite.

We reached the elevator and he pressed the 'open' button for me. I stepped inside and took in my surroundings. Henry reached his hand inside, and pressed a sleek black button on the opposite of all the other floor buttons. He smiled up at me and just as the door closed, he said his last words. "It was nice meeting you, miss. I have a feeling I'll be seeing you a lot more."

I opened my mouth to speak, and asked him what he meant, but the door shut and the elevator began moving. Everything was silent, no crappy elevator music, dimly lit space and it was very spacious. It could fit about 20 people in here.

The ride was quiet, and the fact that I was going all the way up to floor 47 was more annoying.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened. I took a step out and looked around, noticing that there was only one door on the whole of this floor. I stepped closer and read the numbers '175- the Galanis Apartment'.

This was his apartment all right.

My grip on my textbooks tightened as I lifted my shaky hand and knocked a couple times, waiting. A few seconds passed before the door opened and a similar face appeared right in front of me.

Here goes nothing.

a/n:

hey guys!
i just wanted to say thank you so much for 10k reads already im genuinely so happy <333
lmk your thoughts on this chapter!

ALSO I SWEAR IM LIKE SHADOWBANNED ON TIKTOK NONE OF MY VIDEOS ARE DOING WELL THEYRE ALL FLOPPING IDK WHAT TO DO HELP

like i think i might stop posting on tiktok for a while because ALL of my videos keep getting community guidelines violations when they shouldnt be and my views are going really bad. HELP ME

tt concinnityy_

love you all 💕