A Richer Shade of Gold
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kendall woke up to an empty bed. Wesley's side of the bed had been left messy, with covers roughly strewn over. He probably woke up the earliest he could to escape being in the same bed as her. It was such a weird thing to think about. Kendall and Wesley, in the same bed. It didn't seem right to Kendall. No, it seemed unnatural.
What would Olivia think when she walked out of Wesley's bedroom? Oh god, what the hell was she supposed to do? Even if she said nothing happened between the two, which nothing really did happen, who the hell would believe her anyways? Kendall's mind was already running wild and it was probably only around nine in the morning which was still early considering she and Wesley didn't get to sleep until around the early morning. Kendall also couldn't get Wesley's words out of her head from last night. 'So that's what it's like.' What did that mean? That she was just some object? And how could she allow someone like Wesley to be involved in a situation like that?
Again, her impulsive nature had kicked in and screwed things up. She wasn't even sure if Wesley had accepted her pathetic apology last night. Well, if anything, he wouldn't be getting another one.
Kendall threw the blanket off her body and swung herself up. Might as well dive head-first into the problem strongly and confidently. Her plan was slightly affected when she felt a sharp pain in her head. Kendall winced and stumbled a few steps, her hand placed on her head as she squeezed her eyes shut. She sighed heavily and opened Wesley's bedroom door and walked down the hall and into the main living space.
"Morning." Wesley said from the table, a cup of what was most likely tea in his hands.
Kendall mumbled back a disgruntled morning and made her way straight for the door.
"I wouldn't recommend that." Wesley warned as Kendall reached for the door handle. Kendall ignored Wesley and followed her own judgement and was immediately faced with a wall of hard, icy snow.
"Are you kidding me?!" Kendall exclaimed, "What in the greatest depths of hell?!"
Wesley stiffled laughter as he watched Kendall's stressed demeanour take over her usual collected one. An amused grin stretched across his lips as he silently observed how she slowly began to crumble in front of him. Call him sadistic, but he found it amusing and quite interesting. Was it simply the fact that Kendall was snowed in with him for God knows how long or because of something more? Something that happened between the two? Perhaps something last night maybe? Wesley marvelled at the strong possibility that Kendall Emeretta was at her breaking point, and all because of him. His grin morphed into a smirk as she continued to curse and wonder aloud what she had done to deserve such a thing.
"Where is Olivia?" Kendall asked angrily, "And don't tell me she went out for a run this morning."
"She's asleep." Wesley sighed annoyedly. "Trust me, I don't want to spend another minute with you. I feel like I've been seeing you more than I need to lately."
"The feeling is very mutual, Archer." Kendall replied, "If I had a shovel, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you."
"Yes, because I would have woken up at sunrise just to shovel a grand exit for you."
Kendall's eyes narrowed at Wesley who gave her an agitated look in return. At least it was settled that the two didn't want to associate with each other more than needed.
"Just..." Kendall sighed, turning for Olivia's room, "keep the conversation between us minimal."
Kendall had already started to walk a few steps when she received no reply from Wesley. Kendall spun around to see Wesley watching her, his mug close to his lips. "Hello? Do you understand?"
Wesley just nodded and Kendall caught on. She scoffed and raced off to Olivia's room.
"You did say minimal!" Wesley called after her.
When Kendall entered Olivia's room, Kendall discovered her best friend lying on her back on her phone. Upon the opening of her door, Olivia moved her phone out of her line of sight to see who had just entered her room.
"Oh hey, K! What're you doing here?" Olivia sat up a little, putting her phone down.
"Save me, Liv." Kendall groaned before sliding into Olivia's bed. Unlike Wesley's, Kendall felt comfortable in Olivia's bed.
"What?" She chuckled questioningly.
"We're snowed in."
Olivia shrugged her shoulders, "There's snacks in the kitchen, the Internet is stable and you have me. I think you'll be fine."
"I think you may be right." Kendall grinned.
"Wait, so how'd you get here then?"
"Oh," Kendall said, "I, uh...uhmm..."
Kendall was lost for words. Should she tell Olivia? Or perhaps give her a fob story on how she came over early in the morning? Even so, coming over early wouldn't make sense just as coming over last night and sleeping on the couch wouldn't so Kendall went with what she thought was the most fitting.
"I came to see you last night but you were asleep and so..." Kendall trailed off. Okay, so Kendall lied a little but exactly how was she supposed to tell her best friend that she had slept with her own supposed enemy without actually sleeping with him?
"And so?"
Damn, she was being persistent.
Kendall sighed, "I hung out with Wesley I guess."
"Hung out how?" Olivia raised her brows suspiciously.
"We talked and then we slept."
"Together?" Olivia's eyes widened, "God, he must have been boring because I did not hear a single groan or so much as a mo—"
"Jesus, Liv! Shut up!" Kendall scolded, "And we didn't do anything! We fell asleep."
"Hm." Olivia drawled skeptically, "Right..."
Kendall let out a tired sigh, "I need to get my mind off it."
"Sure, but before that, I have something of yours."
Kendall raised her brows, "What?"
"After my run the other day, I went to see you but you weren't there and when I went into your room, I saw something in between your pillows." Olivia explained, "It was sort've lodged between them but it was hidden in the pillowcase of one as well."
Could it be?
Olivia turned to her bedside table and pulled something out from the top drawer. Something of the utmost sentimental value.
"Here."
Kendall's ring.
"Liv." Kendall exhaled, taking the gold band and slipping it back on her finger, "Thank you so much."
Kendall pulled her best friend into a hug, lost for what to say. The temporary loss of her ring had terrified her so much to the point where she had gone slightly psychotic. For example, she found herself forcefully ripping necklaces of of necks.
The pair pulled back and Kendall let out a breath of relief. "You have no idea how stressed I've been looking for this."
The return of her ring led Kendall to really question whether or not she imagined Wesley's ring. She had never seen him wear it before and hadn't seen it since she ripped it off his neck so perhaps it was in her head. As much as Kendall hoped she wasn't delusional, she also wished that she was wrong and Wesley's ring wasn't real because that would open the door to another endless pit of unanswered questions. And that was the last thing Kendall needed.
/
Another short chapter but it needed to end because I felt like it wasn't going anywhere and I know that when I read I'd rather a chapter cut short than for it to mindlessly drone on for another twenty pages.