hi guys, heres your update. :)
Maya, Asa, and I sit at the table on Friday night devouring two boxes of pizza. "This week sucked," Maya complains.
"Every week sucks," Asa corrects her as he basically drops half a slice into his mouth.
"True," I mumble back. I glance at my phone and roll my eyes before locking it again.
"What is it?" Maya inquires when she notices my look of annoyance.
"Kelsi texted me if I was down to go out tonight," I reply as I think about my old group of friends, if you'd even call them that.. "It's been over a month since I even texted them back; you'd think they'd catch on by now."
"Just ignore them," Maya replies.
"Block their numbers," Asa adds and I glance at him with slightly raised brows. He shrugs and takes a large bite of the crust. "I love blocking people."
"I don't doubt that," I mumble in response.
"Have you ever gone to a party with them and actually had fun?" she wonders as she eyes me curiously.
"Not really, no..." I answer in deep thought. Other than the time I met her, of course, but I don't think that counts.
"You deserve to have a good time and not be a babysitter," she concludes with a small pout.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be opposed to that..." I trail in thought. I liked parties in high school. Obviously college parties are very, very different. In high school, parties were much smaller. Plus, we were lucky if someone managed to convince their older siblings to buy a couple packs of beer. Not to mention, I pretty much knew everyone that I partied with unless I went to a neighboring high school's party, which were the really fun ones because my brothers wouldn't hear about anything that happened.
"We should go out," she suggests.
"Tonight?" I ask.
"Yeah," she answers with a careless shrug.
"Yes, go! Go out," Asa insists urgently. "And then stay at what's-her-face's dorm."
I narrow my eyes at him when I realize that I am 'what's-her-face' in the scenario. Before I can make an offhand comment, Maya turns to face me. "I'm down to go out. Zack can drive! He's alcohol intolerant so he literally can't drink even if he wanted to," she suggests with a growing smile on her face..
I stare at her and shrug. "Okay," I agree with a small grin. "That sounds good to me."
"So I get the apartment to myself tonight?" Asa asks hopefully.
"Slow your roll there, Asa," Maya calms as she turns to face him. "What are you so excited to do anyway?"
"Watch movies in my underwear on the couch," he answers as he grabs another slice of pizza.
"You do that every night," she replies.
"Now I can do it without someone staring at me." He turns his attention to me. My face begins to heat up as I slowly chew my food and struggle to think of a comeback. Maya lets out a loud howl of laughter as she looks between the two of us.
I gape at him and he just leans forward threateningly. I'm too shocked to move my lips to dispute his claims but Maya's having a grand ole time laughing at my expense. I finally manage to swallow the mouthful of food. "I don't stare at you!" I remark like an idiot. Everyone in the room knows it's not true.
"Sure, Ivana," he responds with a short scoff.
"That's not my name."
"Ivone?" he says with a slightly tilted head.
"No."
"Ivory?" he proposes dubiously.
"No," I snap. "Ivy."
"No...that doesn't sound right..." he trails as he purses his lips. Maya's giggles fill the room and I just glare at him. He simply stares back as if challenging me to do something. I roll my eyes and look away first, knowing good and well that if he were to challenge me at anything that I'd lose. "I think I'm going to call you Poison."
"Please don't," I grunt, cringing at the childhood nickname.
"My mind is already made up," he retorts as he gets up.
"Woah, woah, woah, where are you going? You have to do dishes," Maya quickly stops laughing.
"You guys aren't even done eating," he retorts before heading in the direction of the living room.
I glare at Maya, who pretends she doesn't feel it. "So I just texted Zack to see if he knows about any parties..." she attempts to change the subject.
"Why didn't you defend me?" I hiss and she grins in response.
"You're the one that wants to get to know him! That's him," she replies in a whisper as she points over her shoulder to the living room.
"I never said I wanted to get to know him," I correct her in a hushed tone.
Footsteps grow louder as Maya's phone lights up. "He texted back!" she announces.
"First time I've ever heard you say that about a guy," Asa mumbles as he peers into the fridge. He grabs a bottle of water before returning to the living room.
"Okay, so..." she starts, leading into party details. Soon enough, we're getting ready for tonight in her room.
"I'm going to get so many numbers tonight," Maya says as she rummages through her closet. She looks at me and back to one of the many dresses hanging up.
"I'm probably going to just hang out..." I trail awkwardly.
"No boys tonight?" she asks suggestively.
"I don't think so," I answer, which earns an understanding nod from her.
"How's this?" she asks as she pulls out a tight, black dress. I stare at it for a few seconds. "It's long on me but I figure it'll look good on you."
I look down at my chest and then at Maya's. There's clearly a difference. "I don't think I'll fit in that," I tell her as I motion to my upper half. She analyzes me for a second before reaching into a bag at the bottom of her closet. "What's that?"
"Clothes that girls have left in my old dorms and here over the last few years," she answers casually. I stare at the large quantity of items with a startled look on my face. "Don't worry, I washed them."
She tosses me a folded white shirt and I unravel it. "Where's the rest?" I ask her as I nervously assess it. I'm not opposed to showing skin but I'm lucky if I don't get a public indecency ticket for this.
"Try it on," she insists as she turns back to her closet in search of an outfit to wear. I pull off my shirt and slip on the white garment.
"Uh..." I trail as I look at myself in her mirror. The shirt comes a little higher than my belly button, which is a bit more revealing than I'm used to. It also has a drop lower than most of my own clothes, exposing a lot more cleavage than I typically do. If I raise my hands, it's over.
"You look good," she insists and I try to tug my ripped jeans up higher to cover more skin. "Not in a weird way, but I didn't realize your boobs were so big."
"Thanks," I mumble as I continue to assess myself. I don't bother complaining anymore, knowing it's either this or a dress that will ride up on me every few steps I take. I walk over to her dresser, which is decorated with a multitude of girly lotions and perfumes. I apply lotion to the parts of my skin that are exposed and spritz myself with the matching spray. I fix my hair in the mirror as she tugs on a dress behind me.
"How do I look?" she asks and I turn to face her. I narrow my eyes at her completely clothed body.
"Not like a slut," I complain with a disappointed sigh. I thought she'd at least dress promiscuously with me. "I wish I could say the same for myself."
"Trust me, when you get there, you're going to feel confident enough to attend church in that outfit," she insists as she fixes her hair in the mirror. While I wait for her to finish getting ready, I replay the dinner's events in my mind.
"Do I really stare at Asa that much?" I blurt. The thought has been plaguing my mind since he mentioned it.
"Not more than the average person," she replies. "He just teases. I think he's warming up to you."
"Yeah, me too," I agree and she quirks a brow. I brief her on the events of last weekend when we drove back together after the movie.
"Sounds like he was flirting with you," she replies suggestively and I snort at the idea.
"I don't think that's the case," I trail slowly. Asa does not seem like he even knows what flirting is. He has two settings: asshole and even bigger asshole.
"Were you flirting with him?" she presses and, with pursed lips, I let out an awkward laugh.
"I mean, I'm a flirt in natural conversation," I attempt to lie.
"He'd have called you out if you were flirting and he wasn't into it," she replies. "He's rude like that."
Just as I'm about to reply, her phone lights up and it's Zack texting that he's outside. We both get up and she leads the way to the living room, where Asa is still on the couch. This time, however, he has his textbooks spread out on the table. I hesitate and trail behind her slowly, not wanting to be seen in such a scanty outfit.
"We're leaving," Maya tells him as we stand at the end of the couch.
"Have fun," he mumbles as he gazes at the equations written across the page. He adjusts his glasses on his nose.
"I don't know what time we'll be back but I'll try to text you when we're on the way," she warns. "You know, so you can put on pants."
"Who are you going with again?" he asks in a slightly distracted tone.
"Zack," she answers.
"And where is the party?" he questions. She relays the address to him and he nods. "Okay, have fun."
"How do we look?" she inquires and he doesn't break his gaze from his textbook.
"Great," he assures her..
"You didn't even look!" she complains and he groans noisily as he tears his gaze from the numbers. His eyes skim over her outfit before falling on mine and his eyebrows rise slightly. He uncomfortably turns his attention back to his homework. "So?"
"Good, fine, whatever. Go," he grumbles and Maya cackles loudly as she leads the way out of the apartment. She grins at me in a satisfied manner and I struggle to see what she's so happy about.
"What?" I ask as we wait for the elevator.
"He's so awkward," she replies simply. She sings to herself as we make our way downstairs and outside, where Zack's car is idling.
"Maya, Ivy," he greets us with a large grin. Though it's been roughly a week, I've forgotten how attractive he is.
We head in the direction of the party and the two of them talk among themselves. They try to include me but I don't have much to contribute to the discussion. Once we arrive, Zack finds a parking spot down the street and we walk the rest of the way. Maya holds a hand out as she gets an incoming call. "Shit, it's my job," she swears before answering. She walks off to the side and Zack offers me a curious glance. I smile encouragingly, which prompts him to open his lips to speak.
"You know, I can't help but wonder how you and Maya met. She doesn't have many female friends..." he trails as he gazes at our mutual friend, who rolls her eyes as she talks quietly.
"A party, actually," I inform him with a nod. "And you?"
"We're both political science majors. We've had most of our classes together for the last couple of years," he reveals.
We continue to make small talk until Maya returns with a sigh. "I have to work a shift at Food Mart tomorrow at noon," she complains.
"Look, we'll get back by one, you can be in bed by two, awake by 10, and ready for a day of work by 11," Zack calms her while waving his hands.
"Yeah, I guess," she mumbles as she twists at her nose piercing. "It just puts a damper on things.
"Having fun and then making money- an ideal weekend," Zack continues to console. "Plus, tonight's going to be good. Sarah's sorority's here. You know what that means..."
Maya grins with a slow nod. "Pretty, gay girls," she clarifies and I chuckle quietly at her obvious excitement. "While I'm busy pursuing someone tonight, can you make sure my friend here has a good time?" She taps my shoulder and I repress the urge to nudge her side. She tries to play matchmaker with me and all of her friends, apparently.
"Of course. That's what I'm here for," he assures her with a small smirk. We enter the house and stay together for all of fifteen minutes before Maya heads confidently in the direction of a small group of girls. I look at Zack, who also joins in on watching our short friend attempt to spit game.
He turns his attention back to me and his gaze falls to my full cup of punch, which Maya concocted for me. I smelled it after she made it and almost blacked out solely from the scent emanating off of it. I took two sips and determined that this drink is a little too strong for me. "Do you drink?" he questions.
"I'm not opposed to it..." I swirl the cup around, "but I don't want to embarrass myself tonight."
"I'll cut you off if you get anywhere close to embarrassing," he assures me. "Deal?"
I confirm the deal with a curt nod. "Deal," I agree.
We continue to make small talk and I eventually ditch the punch halfway through and opt for a bottle of alcoholic lemonade. I was already feeling the punch by my second bottle. "Were you and Maya ever a thing?" he blurts after a few seconds of us just staring at each other.
I smirk at him as I take a sip of my drink. "Is this your way of asking if I'm into Maya?" I inquire boldly and he gets a laugh out of this.
"I guess so," he answers with a matching grin.
"No I am not," I confess with a shake of my head. "We're just friends."
"Did she ever try to come onto you?" he continues to wonder with a grin.
I laugh and slowly nod. "Yeah, at the party where we met, she asked if I was gay right off the bat. I said no and she said I seemed cool so we became friends. Now here we are."
"She has good taste," he comments as he offers me a fleeting glance.
I smirk before taking a quick sip of my drink. "Is that a compliment, Zack?" I flirt and he glances at me with a small smile.
"If it is?" he responds flirtatiously.
"I'd say that Maya hangs out with attractive people," I reply, which makes him chuckle.
"Is that a compliment, Ivy?" he asks.
"If it is?" I reply before sipping my drink.
"I'd suggest we hang out in a non-party setting," he answers in a tone telling me that it's obviously the next step. "Like a date."
"A date?" I ask with raised brows. "I thought college boys don't do that."
"I'm different," he assures me, which gets a boisterous laugh from me.
"Every guy that has ever said that to me turned out to be the biggest waste of my time," I inform him. "So I'd proceed with caution."
"Scratch that," he says with a slightly sheepish expression. "I'm old school."
"So what? We're going to sit on the porch and eat popsicles and then peck kiss before you go off to work at the mill?" I ask with a growing grin.
"If by mill you mean law firm, sure," he replies with a smug grin.
"You want to be a lawyer?" I ask with a tilted head.
"That's my goal..." he trails hopefully. "What about you? What are you going into debt to be?"
"A high school history teacher," I confess, which gets a squinted gaze from him. "I know, I know- high school every day for the rest of my life, not the greatest pay, teenagers."
"If that's what you love..." he concludes casually. He assesses me for a second. "I can see it, though- you know, you as a teacher. Ms. Flores."
"Thanks," I smile. "I can definitely see you as a lawyer."
"Really?" he continues. We go back and forth, flirting more and more with every drink I have.
"Guys, can we go?" Maya asks about an hour later. She holds the hand of a petite girl, who hides shyly behind her.
"Yeah, sure," I reply. Zack leads the way to his car, where I ride shotgun. We drive back to the apartment in silence and once we arrive, Maya and her fling for the night jump out of the car.
"Thanks," I tell Zack as I unbuckle my seatbelt.
"Are you good to walk upstairs by yourself?" he wonders as he peers up at the apartment building.
"Yes," I reply. "I'm not that drunk."
"It took you four attempts to get your seatbelt on," he reminds me with a small laugh.
"I'm fine," I assure him as I go to get out of the car. I stop myself as I feel a wave of confidence overcome me. "Before I go, I have a quick question."
"Yes?" he says with a grin.
"What happens when you drink?" I wonder.
"My face itches. My stomach hurts. I have a hard time breathing," he lists and the more he says, the larger the frown on my face gets.
"So, hypothetically speaking, if someone who had drank kissed you, would that stuff happen?" I question boldly, which causes a smirk to grow on his lips.
"I don't think so. However...I wouldn't kiss someone who was drunk," he responds with a teasing glance. "I'd feel like I was taking advantage of them."
"Understandable," I reply with a nod.
"But I would be so kind as to give my number to them to use at their own discretion," he grins. "For example, I'll give you my number to show you how it'd go." With an amused smile, I hand him my phone and he creates a contact for himself.
"A respectful interaction," I comment as I lock my phone. "Perhaps I'll text you."
"We can schedule that date," he informs me, as if giving me more of a reason to message him.
"Okay," I nod with a small smile on my face.
"Are you sure you're fine getting up there?" he asks once again.
"It's an elevator ride up and a walk down a hall," I simplify. "I'll be fine."
"Will you text me when you get inside to let me know you're safe?" he replies, which earns a nod from me.
"Sure thing," I say as I grab the door handle. "I'll see you around, Zack."
"See you, Ivy," he says. I do my best to not wobble as I walk up the steps to the double doors. I wave, enter the building, and approach the elevator. Just as I go to press the button, the door to the stairwell opens a few feet away and a fully clothed Asa emerges.
"Hello," I greet him when his eyes land on me. He slowly approaches me and I quirk a brow. I wonder what he's doing running around at this hour. "Did you come downstairs just to go back up them? Is your life that boring that running up and down the stairs is what you do for fun?"
He gives me a flat look as he shoves his hands in his sweatpants pockets. "Actually I was coming to make sure you weren't passed out on the front steps," he responds sassily as his eyes drop to the floor. I look past his slight attitude and feel surprised at his words. "Maya got in five minutes ago. I thought you were with her but it turned out to be some blonde chick."
"Yeah..." I trail and he risks a glance at me. He immediately looks away and I purse my lips. I nervously wipe my face, wondering if I got lipgloss on my cheek or something.
"What's taking this damn elevator so long?" He looks up at the numbers before glancing at the button. "You didn't even press it."
I extend my hand and it takes a couple attempts but I manage to hit the button. "There we go," I mutter before returning to my position propped against the wall.
He looks deep into my eyes and sighs. "Are you drunk?" he asks. Though, by his reaction, I can tell he knows the answer.
"A little bit," I admit and he sighs noisily.
"I swear if you puke anywhere in my apartment, I'm calling an ambulance and having you taken in for alcohol poisoning," he threatens.
"I'm not going to puke," I assure him as the elevator doors open. I walk in first and he hesitates a bit before following and standing on the opposite side. His fingers wrap tightly around the bar behind him and he watches as the doors close.
"Did you already puke? Am I going to walk outside tomorrow morning and step in a puddle of vomit?" he accuses skeptically.
"I was with Zack," I inform him.
"Gross," he replies with a wrinkled nose.
"We didn't do anything," I retort dismissively before letting a small smile poke at the corners of my lips. Asa watches me with a bored look on his face. "But he is kind of cute, right?" He shrugs shortly.
"Sure, if you're into guys," he responds dryly.
"He's very polite," I comment as Asa only stares at me with that same careless look on his face.
"I don't recall asking but that's cool," he replies as he stares at the elevator numbers.
"He wants to take me on a date," I continue to explain.
"Sounds like a catch," Asa comments in an uninterested voice.
"Get you a Zack," I tell him as he practically leaps from the elevator.
"I don't want me a Zack," he mocks me as I trail behind him.
"I'm surprised you got on the elevator," I blurt as I all but step on the back of his shoes. He doesn't even bother replying and just keeps on in the direction of the apartment. As we inch closer, I feel my stomach grumble. "Asa?"
"What?" He doesn't even glance back at me.
"Can you make me a grilled cheese?" I request.
"I didn't realize I was your personal chef," he remarks.
"I'll make it then. I hope you like fires," I retort and he glances at me before quickly turning away. "Geez, am I that gross that you can't even look at me?"
"I'm just used to seeing you with, you know, clothes on," he blurts as his hand motions to my outfit.
"What do you mean? I'm wearing clothes," I grunt as I look down at myself.
"A shirt that actually covers you," he clarifies and I suddenly catch on.
"Is it distracting?" I question with a smirk as he opens the door to the apartment.
He groans noisily. "Do you want a grilled cheese or not?"
"Yes," I tell him.
"Then put on a shirt," he sighs as he turns on the lights.
"I can't exactly get mine from Maya's room," I remind him as we pass by her door, which is shut and locked.
"Go sit in the kitchen. Don't set anything on fire," he warns. I heed his advice and sit at the table, waiting for him to return. Soon enough, he appears with a t-shirt, which he throws at me. It lands on my face and I pull it on, noting that it smells like him.
"Better?" I ask.
"Less gross," he corrects, which is a large step up from the original gross.
"Thanks," I reply before joining him near the stove. I pull myself onto the counter as he gets out the ingredients.
"You're really going to sit and watch?" he asks.
"To ensure you don't poison me," I answer.
"I wouldn't dream of it," he responds before chuckling quietly. "I could never poison Poison."
"That made me puke a little," I respond before acknowledging his shirtlessness. "Oh, how the tables have turned."
"What?" he asks when he glances at me.
"Now you're showing too much skin," I say.
"I forgot how pervish you are," he mumbles.
"Hey, you're the one that made me put on a different shirt," I snap. He rolls his eyes as he crafts my sandwich. My gaze travels from his face to his muscular arm and then to the intricate linings of his tattoo. "Can I touch it?"
"Touch what?" he replies with slightly wide eyes.
"Your tattoo," I clarify as I admire the black ink within his deep tan skin.
"Which one?" he replies.
"That one on your arm," I answer as I nod at his shoulder. He doesn't see my action and keeps his gaze locked on the task of cooking for me.
"Which one?" he repeats.
"Can I see all of them?" I inquire and he lifts his arm to reveal a quote on his inner bicep, which I've never noticed. He moves too fast for me to read it. He then shifts his arm and reveals another tattoo on his forearm; I've seen this one before. I've never bothered to make out what it is; my gaze is always locked on the one on his shoulder.
"I'm guessing you meant this one, though," he replies as he vaguely motions to the shoulder one. He flips my grilled cheese in the pan.
"Yes," I reply. "So can I touch it?"
"Nope," he responds.
"Why not?" I ask.
"Because I don't know what sick kick you're going to get out of it," he explains, which gets a narrowed gaze from me.
"I just want to touch it," I respond.
"Nope," he repeats as he flips the sandwich once more. He turns off the stove and puts it on a plate before handing it to me. He turns to leave and I frown.
"You're going to leave me to eat alone?" I ask and he turns around and stares at me. Heaving a sigh, he leans up against the counter and watches me as I take a bite. "Do you have chocolate milk?" I ask through a mouthful of hot food.
"No," he answers and I glare at him.
"Why not?" I pester as I continue to chew.
"Because we're not 11," he answers with crossed arms.
"I drink it and I'm not 11," I retort with a roll of my eyes.
"You're literally sitting on the counter eating a grilled cheese and swinging your legs around like a kid," he scoffs as a hand extends to motion to each of my pointed out flaws. "You're not 11?"
"'You're literally sitting-,'" I begin to mock and he tilts his head.
"And you're not 11?" he repeats once more.
"Shut up Asa," I bite as I continue to eat my grilled cheese. "Mm, mm, mm, so good."
"Glad you like it," he says dryly and it seems as though he isn't too glad that I like it.
"What's the secret ingredient? Poison?" I wonder and he lets out a breathy laugh. "You're capable of laughing? I wasn't aware."
"I laugh a lot. You're just not funny," he acknowledges.
"You should make a grilled cheese restaurant and call this one Poison for Poison," I respond as I swing around the food. He represses a smile as he watches me and it makes me smile a bit.
"For some reason, I feel like that wouldn't sell," he replies as he watches my sandwich practically fly through the air. I
"I'd buy it. Except not really because you'd give them to me for free," I respond as I bring it back to my mouth like an airplane.
"Would I?" he asks with raised brows. I quickly bob my head up and down.
"Duh, it's named after me," I say as I stare at the little sandwich.
"So?" he retorts.
"Plus, I named it," I remind him.
"So?" he repeats himself with a head tilt.
"So I'll steal them and put you out of business," I bite back before wiggling around on the counter. "Do you have pants I can wear?"
"Do you want my shoes too? Socks?" he grunts quietly.
"Don't forgot underwear," I comment with a grin and he just glares at me.
"I can find something," he remarks in short. "Just eat your grilled cheese."
"Munch, munch, munch," I mumble after I swallow a large portion of it. I dance on the counter and eat the late night meal. He shakes his head at me but I pay him no mind. With a delighted grunt, I take the last bite, pat my stomach, and nod. "Delicioso."
I throw away the paper plate and wash my hands, listening to his footsteps trail away to his room. He returns a few moments later with a pair of shorts. "They'll probably be too big on you," he mumbles as he extends them for me to take.
"Thanks, chico," I say as I swing the basketball shorts around. I attempt to flick him with them but I miss and he only rolls his eyes. I change in the bathroom and come out with the uncomfortable white shirt and jeans in a pile. I return to the living room to find him sitting on the recliner and I decide to grab his attention. "Look! I'm you."
"It's a little weird," he mutters as he assesses my outfit.
"Except you don't wear shirts," I note before being hit with another realization. "And you're mean."
"Spot on," he replies as he continues to stare at me. I twirl around in his clothes, which are notably too big. After only a few seconds of spinning, I get dizzy and stumble to the ground, which gets an entertained scoff from him. I gaze up at him from my place on the floor and he stares back from the recliner.
"How old are you?" I ask and he doesn't seem too alarmed by the question.
"20," he responds as he gazes back down at me. This is probably the longest we've held eye contact.
"So does that make you a junior?" I assume as I thrum my fingers against the floor.
"Yes."
"Interesting...interesting..." I trail as I think of more questions to ask him. "And it's already been established that you're a Finance major?"
"Yes," he answers before raising a brow. "Why so many questions?"
"I've tried to ask Maya but she refuses to answer them," I explain as I slowly crawl to the couch. "She says that I should just ask you. But I can't just ask you because you're kind of mean."
"You guys talk about me?" he picks up on.
"Sometimes," I reply with a shrug. "It's usually me telling her that you're mean and her telling me that's just how you are."
"She's not wrong," he responds and I watch him for a few seconds.
"I sometimes wonder how you're friends with such nice people," I comment bluntly and he looks at me in disbelief.
"Like who? Maya?" he asks with a scoff.
"And Zack," I add in, which gets an eye roll from him.
"I'm not friends with him," he clarifies. "We're acquainted."
"Because that's so much different," I ramble quietly. "You two are like polar opposites."
"So am I invited?" he asks.
"Huh?" I respond in slight confusion.
"To the wedding," he answers with a smirk and I give him a laugh.
"Actually, Zack reminds me of my ex," I inform him as I cross my legs.
"You have one of those?" he asks in slight surprise.
"Surprisingly, I do. His name was Drew. We dated for two years," I respond, which gets a small gape in response.
"When'd you guys break up?" he wonders.
"This past summer," I answer as I stare at the ceiling.
"Why?" he continues to press, clearly not knowing boundaries. I don't mind much, though.
"I don't know," I answer with a small sigh. "I mean, I know but...it was nothing major. We didn't treat each other like shit. Neither of us cheated, at least not that I know of. We didn't disagree on anything major. We kind of just...didn't last. It hurt but not that much. It was never a magical relationship to begin with, really; we kind of just fell into it."
"How does one fall into a relationship?" he questions with his brows tugged together.
"Well, my town was small, for one, so everyone kind of knew everyone. I knew Drew because we went to school together since pre-school. I always thought he was cute. Then, the summer going into my senior year, I managed to get a job at the local museum. He worked there, too. We'd eat lunch together everyday and talk about history. Things felt like they had to happen with Drew, like fate was bringing us together to show us that we had to be together," I explain like an idiot.
"Was it a good relationship, at least?" he wonders. "You know, aside from the nerdiness?"
"It was a boring one. There were no sparks, really. You know how couples typically have that honeymoon phase where they can't keep their hands off of each other?" I ask and Asa nods. "Well, we never had one of those. We weren't an intimate or affectionate couple at all. In fact, people just thought we were friends a lot of the time until they saw us holding hands."
"And you were with him for two years?" Asa presses with slightly wide eyes.
"Yeah," I reply with a long sigh. "It was a stagnant relationship. We never talked about our future. Whenever my friends would jokingly ask when we'd get married, I would sit and wonder if I could even see myself marrying this boy. The simple fact that I was thinking about that should've told me straight away that it wasn't going to work out."
"Why'd you stay with him if you were so bored?" he questions.
"Because it just seemed right. We were both interested in history. My brothers liked him. I knew him for what seemed like forever. We worked at the same place. It just seemed like it was our destiny so I didn't question it. I kind of just assumed that he was going to be the love of my life and that it just wasn't going to be a very entertaining one. Now that I think about it, it was a relationship out of convenience," I reply with a shrug. "Our personalities didn't work well together. He had no sense of humor. He was serious almost all of the time. He was too nice; people walked all over him. Whenever we got into a disagreement, he always apologized and it'd make me feel bad. He would never try to prove his point. He didn't have a backbone."
"What was good about this boy?" he scoffs as he crosses his arms.
"Don't get me wrong. I loved him, just in a different way. He was always there for me. Whenever things got bad at home, he'd come to my rescue. He was sweet; he took things like Valentine's Day and my birthday very seriously. He was vocal about how much he loved me and how important I was to him," I list. "I think the bad just overpowered the good."
"And how does he remind you of Zack?" he wonders as he tilts his head a bit.
"He's a nice guy. I kind of feel like he would be the same way in an argument; he'd let me win to save the relationship, when in reality, it'd only make things worse," I explain vaguely. "It's hard to explain."
"He reminds you of your ex so you go after him?" he wonders and my eyes immediately widen.
"Woah, woah, woah, slow your role there, buddy. I'm not going after anyone," I inform him before falling into a brief silence. "You know...I just realized that I overshared."
"Eh," he shrugs as he stares at me. His legs are stretched over the side of the recliner and his eyes are locked on me, making me feel a little insecure.
"Tell me a story about one of your exes to make me feel better," I insist. He stares at me as if contemplating whether or not he can trust me. I sit cross legged on the couch with his clothes draped over my body. When I see his hesitation, I tilt my head. "Come on, I just poured out my heart to you about my ex."
"My last and only relationship ended because I was too mean," he responds after a few seconds.
"Too mean?" I respond in surprise.
"Yes," he answers as if just as surprised as I am. "I wasn't good at expressing my feelings so she was convinced I didn't really like her. She claimed I didn't compliment her enough or do cute things to surprise her like bring her flowers or plan spontaneous dates."
"Did you like her?" I ask him and he gives me a flat look.
"Obviously," he retorts. "I wouldn't have dealt with her for 8 months if I didn't. I'm not a relationship out of convenience kind of guy, you know?"
"Hey!" I bite back with a pointed finger. The corners of his lips turn upwards a bit, which clues me in that he's joking. "When was this?"
"Freshman year," he answers before falling into a more in depth story after I stare expectantly. "We met at orientation and hit it off. She liked how I didn't really talk much. We texted and hung out when we got to school and then we started dating. It happened kind of fast but I really liked her. I was new to the dating scene so I didn't know I had to constantly tell her I like her and that I thought she was beautiful. Even now, I assumed those things go without saying."
"I mean, it's nice to hear every once in a while," I mutter. "Do you still see her around?"
"God no," he exhales with a quick shake of his head. "She transferred after freshman year, thankfully. I was finally able to make friends. I was too worried about saving my relationship with her to bother talking to anyone other than her and Maya."
"You still don't talk to people," I laugh at him and he rolls his eyes.
"I have a good amount of friends," he denies my statement with a shrug.
"Are we friends?" I blurt without thinking. "I can't tell if you like me or hate me."
"Do you want to be friends?" he questions and I give a slow shrug.
"Yeah," I answer with a nod.
"Then yeah, I guess we're friends," he replies, which surprises me a bit. For some reason, I expect him to immediately reject me and tell me to leave his house for proposing such a thing.
I grin widely at him. "So does that mean we're going to hang out?" I ask jokingly.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself." He has the same faint trace of a smile on his lips. "Besides, you practically live here. There's no reason to hang out if I see you every day."
"So if I stop coming around, will you hang out with me?" I tease with a wide grin. He stares at me with squinted eyes, as if struggling to tell if I'm flirting or just being an asshole.
"No," he decides and my mouth drops a bit.
"Why not?" I wonder and he shrugs in response. A smirk slowly forms on my lips as I stare at him. "Come on, Asa, you have to vocalize your feelings. You're being a little mean."
"Speaking of being mean, do you remember when I told you that I minded you a lot less when you didn't talk?" he mentions as he narrows his eyes at me.
"Yes," I say with a sharp nod.
"Still holds true to this day," he comments pointedly and I quickly catch on.
"Is that your way of kindly telling me to shut up?" I ask with a raised brow.
"Yes," he replies.
"Point taken," I nod as I slither further down the couch and into a lying position. I don't even need a pillow or blanket to fall asleep. It takes barely two minutes before I'm out.
+++
I wake up suffocated by the scent of Asa. I furrow my eyebrows and look around for him. I don't see him but I do find myself covered by an unfamiliar gray blanket. I sniff it and immediately recognize the scent. I also acknowledge the fact that my clothing, rather his clothing, smells of him, too. I take another whiff and shrug. He smells pretty good.
"Wow you're finally up," his voice sounds and I look over to see him exiting the kitchen with a bottle of water. Did he see me smelling his comforter?
"Don't you have a job to go to?" I grumble as I sit up.
"I don't work on the weekends," he responds. "It's noon. Get up, bum."
"I'm obviously awake," I tell him as I stretch my arms into the air.
"I'm going to the gym," he says and I take note of the bag at his side. "There's some food in the microwave. You know how to let yourself in so I'm sure you know how to let yourself out."
"You're just going to leave me here alone?" I ask as I look around the apartment.
"You know, after last night, I'm starting to think you have a problem with being alone or something," he mumbles and I shrug weakly.
"No..." I trail. "It's just weird. You've known me for a little over a month and you're leaving me alone in your apartment."
"You can't take anything of value from me. I lost it all long ago," he sighs dramatically.
"Well then..." I reply with a quirked brow.
"I'll see you sometime this week most likely," he comments as he walks towards the front door. I stare in slight confusion. For such a mean person, he's very trusting. I make my way to the kitchen and help myself to the extra breakfast in the microwave. I should probably buy some groceries for them seeing as I eat so much of their food. I make a note to head to the store and pick up some stuff.
I gather my belongings and prepare to leave. I stare at the shirt Maya let me borrow and leave it on her bed. I'll return Asa's shirt at some point or another. I leave his shorts on his blanket, which I did my best to fold. I leave the apartment with his shirt hanging off my shoulders and a small sense of satisfaction in my chest.