I woke up the next morning--well--afternoon. I slept late up until 12 o'clock and he was on his laptop next to me, the sheets over his legs as he sat with his back against the headboard. I sat up, running my hands through my hair and sighing.
"Good afternoon." He said with a chuckle, not looking at me.
"Tá mé tuirseach agus ní féidir labhairt mar gheall ar mo anáil maidin!" I said sleepily, heading into the bathroom to brush my teeth. He was obviously confused, having no idea of what the hell I said.
"What? I said 'good afternoon', why do you sound upset?"
I held up my forefinger, telling him to wait a second. I was only wearing a sports bra and leggings. After a minute, I spit into the sink and wiped my mouth. "I basically said I was tired and I couldn't speak because I don't like talking when I wake up."
He caught on to what I really meant and he rolled his eyes. "You realize you don't ever have bad morning breath, right?"
"You don't either but I still get anxious about if I do." I got back into bed and he closed his laptop, putting it on the nightstand.
"Well, you don't. We leave at six for the gala then we're making a run for it at ten." He said, taking me by surprise and laying down on his back to rest his head on my lap. He closed his eyes in relaxation.
I chose to ignore how weird it was. "Do you not like any type of party? This isn't that bad and there's no loud music."
"Peyton, I hate all types of celebrations. I can't explain it enough as to why I do."
"You're antisocial."
"Exactly. I just don't like people."
"You like me." I grinned.
He opened his eyes and looked up sat me, his hazel grey eyes bright and his pupils dilated. "Of course I do. You're my best exception."
At that moment, my phone started to go off. Without thinking, I leaned forward and grabbed my phone from near my feet. That caused for my sports-bra-only boobs to be right in his face for a good five seconds, which left both of us a light shade of red. "Sorry."
"It's fine. They've been in my face before." He smirked.
I blushed again and went to see why my phone went off. "I'm close to calling you a pervert at this point."
"All I said was that your breasts have been in my face, that doesn't necessarily refer to sex."
"Okay first, it totally does. And second, 'breasts'?" I furrowed my eyebrows at the way he'd said it.
"What?" He shrugged.
I stared at him for a second before chuckling. "You're so...weird."
"Says you. How am I 'weird'?"
"You just are, I can't explain it but that's okay you're cute anyways." I moved my legs from under his head and he rested with his hands behind his head as I moved to straddle his waist on top of him. "Lucian..."
"Yes?" He closed his eyes in relaxation.
"You know I care about you..."
"Yes, I care about you too." He grabbed both my hands and held them. "Where's this going?"
"I just wanted to make sure you knew." I smiled, making him smile too. Then he frowned. "What?"
"Would you be upset if I went to work without you today?" He sat up with a yawn.
"Well first, it's Sunday, we don't work on Sundays. Second, it's technically our last day together for another three months and you want to spend it working away from me?" My hands rubbed over his chest then my arms went around his neck.
His lips spread into a smirk as he chuckled, flipping us over so he was over top of me. "I just need to finish up a few things. Give me three hours, more or less, and then I'm all yours." He lowered his head to kiss me, sealing the deal. My hand went to touch his cheek as I pulled away.
"Okay. Go ahead, workaholic." I teased, making him shake his head with a smile as he got off the bed to get dressed. "I'll just be here blasting Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and Twenty One Pilots."
"I'm going to guess you're going to play I'm The One first? You were blasting it in the car a few days ago." He said, buttoning his shirt and tucking it in.
"You know me very well. Are you going to wear a full suit? It's only three hours." I stood up, crossing my arms to hug my waist.
"No. Just this." Tightening his tie and buttoning his vest, he glanced at me. His shoes already on, he packed his briefcase and I opened the door.
"Bye." I said, leaning in the doorway and running my hands through my hair. He came to peck my lips and I kissed him longer but he pulled away.
"Oh no, no, no. Any more than a peck and I'll wind up never leaving."
"Maybe that's the idea." I bit my lip with innocence and he shook his head again.
"Goodbye, Peyton." He walked past me and I watched him with a giggle.
Lucian Montenegro
"Bye, Lucian, even though we'll end up calling each other in an hour." She was right about that. I left the apartment and soon enough I was at Monte L.
I walked through the door and as always, everyone smiled at me and I ignored them all. I had to, or I'd be stuck talking to someone and not getting any work done. I went up to my office and Lucas had a smug look.
"Peyton texted me a minute ago telling me to make sure Ms. Pieterse stays away from you and your office, or else, and I quote," he looked at his phone. "She'll never buy me a blueberry muffin ever again. She doesn't make very good threats."
I laughed a little. "She's not that threatening of a person. You can work at her desk for today, she doesn't have to know."
He followed me into my office and closed the door. "She's leaving tomorrow, right?" He asked as I sat at my desk.
"Tomorrow morning, yes." I opened my laptop and went straight to emails.
"So you're not getting any for the next three months?" He kept his smug look and I glanced at him with annoyance, though really I hadn't thought about that. "Luc, we're talking behind closed doors. And we're best friends, so really I have a right to ask about your personal life."
"I don't have best friends." I stated.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh right. Okay, close friends. But still."
"Lucas, I am not worried about my sex life with Peyton, my mind is more occupied on her not being around." At my words, he laughed.
"Aw, you're going to miss your bae." He teased, and I could already feel my ears turning red.
"Whatever Lucas." You're absolutely correct. I might as well stop working just to talk to him. I closed my laptop and looked at him. "She's my girlfriend, I'm allowed to miss her."
"Mhm. It's been two months, right?" I nodded and he continued. "Then you're in what, phase two?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I adjusted my watch out of habit.
"It means that your relationship is getting deeper. Which means that conversations about more than liking each other will happen--"
"You and her both know I don't believe in anything like that. Plus, she's never said anything like that..."
"Ah, you are trailing. What did she say?" He asked as if he knew he was right.
"Nothing, she just told me that she cared about me and she wanted to make sure I knew that."
"Ah! So the love conversation is coming up soon. You know I'm right, so be prepared."
After that conversation, I spent the entire three hours thinking about what he'd said. I really don't think that conversation will happen soon.
Peyton James
"I'LL STAY AWAKE! 'CAUSE THE DARK'S NOT TAKIN' PRISONERS TONIGHT!"
My phone started ringing, though I could barely hear it over the music. I put down my ice cream and turned down the music before answering the phone.
"Hey, hotness! I knew you'd call." I was jamming and eating ice cream, I honestly didn't care about the words coming out of my mouth.
"Seems like you're having a good time without me."
"Nope, totally devastated that you're not here. And don't be upset or anything but I sent your royal servants home, sire." I said in a posh tone.
He chuckled. "Why?"
"So I could dance in my underwear, duh."
He silent for a moment and I knew he was imagining it. "You want to FaceTime?"
I laughed. "Nah, I think I'll wait for you to get home. By then I'm pretty sure Despacito will be playing. Either that or Shape Of You."
"Don't be surprised if I come back early."
"I'll be waiting. And don't be upset that I had a bit to drink."
"How much is a bit?"
"Not a lot, just wine. Like, six glasses." I rubbed my thumb around the rim of the glass. "But, um, hurry up. I don't like being alone."
"And I don't like leaving you alone. I'll be there in a few, okay?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Okay. Bye, hotness." I grinned.
"Bye, beautiful."
*******
"Despacito, quiero respirar tu cuello despacito. Deja que diga cosas al oído. Para que te acuerdes si no estás, conmigo--"
"Peyton!" Hearing him shout my name, I jumped, turning down the music. I didn't hear him come in. I turned around and he was standing behind me. Which made me jump again.
"Hello again, hotness." I smiled in an attempt to flatter my way out of trouble. He didn't smile. "Okay, before you fuss about how loud the music was, let me just say that I got no noise complaints. So it wasn't loud. Or maybe everyone in the building just likes Despacito."
He looked to the ceiling as if he could see the music, but I knew he was focusing on the words. He made a weirded out face. "Not familiar with this."
"Isn't Puerto Rican Spanish different from Spain Spanish? Daddy Yankee is Puerto Rican." I said, realizing I had more knowledge about my own language categories than his.
"Despacito sounds strange. I say despacio. But anyways..." His eyes trailed down my body and that's when I noticed something.
"You look out of order. Are you sick?" I said, quirkily smiling at his halfway buttoned down shirt that showed a deal of his chest, and also at his unbuttoned vest. His tie was untied.
"Nope, just a bit warmer than usual in my office." He shrugged, combing his fingers through his hair. "Lucas told me about your text." He mentioned, walking past me to go upstairs.
"Is that why you're mad at me?" I followed him up into the bedroom.
He glanced at me with a confused look, taking off his tie and vest. "What? No, I was annoyed by the loud music. I couldn't care less about your weird jealousy."
I scoffed. "I'm not--" he looked at me with a smug yet obvious face. "Whatever." I pouted.
He laughed. "No one bothered me except for Lucas, don't worry."
"Okay, that's good..." I said, closing the door silently. I walked slowly toward him and started unbuttoning his shirt. "You know I won't see you for the next three months after today. I mean, of course you're taking me to the airport tomorrow but today is our last full day."
"Yes, and I'm going to miss you. A lot. And then when you get back, you tell me whether or not you want to live together." He reminded and I paused, my eyes finding his.
"Right. That." I finished unbuttoning his shirt and he slid it off, revealing his tank top.
"I don't think you do. And I'm fine with that. We have keys to each other's place and we sleep over all the time. The only difference between that and living together is that if we live together, I'll have someone special to come home to everyday." We still had our deal, I'd work in his study while he worked at Monte L every other day.
I smiled at what he'd said. "It's not that it's too soon, it's just that I don't want to leave the place that's been my home since I was sixteen. When I come back, can I have at least two months to continue living at New City?" I asked, putting on a t-shirt.
He held my hand and kissed it. "Yes, Peyton. Of course you can. I won't rush you." He sat at the bottom edge of the bed and looked up at me with his normal serious sexy face. "Anything else?"
I straddled his lap and hugged my arms around his neck. "No, I'm just happy you're home." I was fine the first hour, but after that the emptiness of his pent started getting to me. I hate not being around other people.
"Then that's a yes, my place is your home too." He said as he hugged my waist.
"Well of course it is. First, I have a key and second, I love being here just as much as I love being in my own apartment. It's just a matter as which place holds more memories. And for the record if I'd met you when I was sixteen then the whole Dean crap wouldn't have happened and I probably wouldn't have slept with Josh."
"You slept with Josh?"
"That's not the point here, Lucian. You're missing the point." I said, to keep myself out of trouble.
"No, you brought it up. When did you sleep with Josh?" I guess I could understand why he cares. He and Josh were good friends and he should've known earlier. I sat up and sighed.
"Like maybe a month or two before I met you. We were drunk, so the only thing I remember was the sex itself. That's what he was referring to when he made that joke to you at Bottles Up. And when we left I got so mad at him. I really did not want you to hear that." I shook my head.
He laughed. "Oh, I remember that. What made it funnier is that I found it to be true." A smirk played at his lips and though I should be used to his comments, he still managed to make me blush. "Why do you think that, what you said earlier?"
"Well I knew that there was a 18% chance of possibly running into you--yes, I calculated this when I was sixteen--and I knew about you even before Bachelors' Magazine because I'd been studying your father for future motivation and..." I slowed, because I didn't want to tell him the next part.
"And...?" He nodded slowly, urging me to go on.
"I can't say it." My cheeks grew redder and he furrowed his eyebrows, choosing this moment to not read me.
"Why not? Just say it, whatever it is."
"You don't get it, I can't say it! It's mortifying. You're a genius, figure it out, Mr. Montenegro." I buried my face in his chest with embarrassment.
He thought for literally five seconds, then he laughed. "Well, it involves me and you're embarrassed by it. And you're blushing..." He pushed me to sit up and cupped my face in his hands. "You had a crush on me?"
I went back to avoid his face with mine buried in his chest again. I groaned, humiliated, to answer his question which made him laugh. "Well, Peyton, at least you grew out of it."
I groaned again, which told him something else I didn't want to say. I turned and rested my head on his shoulder. "Not until I was 19 and then I thought I let it go for the rest of my life," I managed to say. "Then I met you, and I gained it back, but I ignored it because of the fight we had. Then you kissed me back at your parents' house and I emotionally exploded."
"Emotionally exploded?"
"Yes, I exploded--but only emotionally. But the first time I thought about having another crush on you, it was actually when you said that you weren't going to leave me because I lied to you. And it was what you specifically said that made me feel like that."
"Anything for you." He'd already figured it out and I sat up again.
I smiled. "Yeah. But I thought it was just the heat of the moment because I was so glad you'd forgiven me. But I was absolutely sure when we went back to my place and we talked about me going without disguise and you said we could do whatever I wanted, as long as I wasn't in danger. That's why I kissed you right before you said that I was beautiful, which didn't help my crushing."
"Therefore...."
"Therefore, what I'm basically saying, if I had met you when I was sixteen, I think you would've saved my life from going six feet under. But I met you at 23 and instead, you're keeping me alive. So thank you."
"My pleasure." He leaned forward to kiss me and I tangled my fingers in his hair as I kissed him too.
_____________________________________________
Bye, loves!
- Kenleigh