_Chapter 16_
Ricky Martinez
I'm pretty sure it was too obvious. The way I said it, the way I worded it was too obvious. And by his sudden change of behavior I could tell he knew something. During the time we had dinner, he was quiet almost lost in thoughts and afterwards he didn't even look at me anymore.
Liana dragged him to go play with her anyway, so he didn't have to face me for the time being. Still, I was not sure whether it was a good decision that I said it or not. I didn't feel any regret yet. But if this continues on then I'm sure my opinion might change.
Especially because I didn't want him to resent me. I pretty much just hit on him. Only someone stupid wouldn't notice. And someone as sharp as Elliot should have already figured it out by now.
But the worst part was that I was unable to figure out what was going through his mind yet. What if he doesn't like it? He may be a little creeped out. Maybe I overstepped my boundaries. I mean, at least he hadn't been avoiding me so far.
A sudden pop up appeared on my phone when I saw Christo writing something in our group chat. 'Guys, my father just finished the pool and he's totally in the mood for some BBQ, wanna come over tomorrow?'
'Can Elliot tag along? He's crashing at my place now for the weekend' I wasn't sure whether he wanted to come but I just assumed he did. And if he didn't then I'm just going to force him. Means, he basically didn't have a choice.
'Yeah sure, what's he doing at your place tho? And what did he say to the drawing? Derek said he cried! Did he really?' Christo seemed to eager to write and sent the simple messages in four sets that I didn't even know what to answer first.
'His parents are out town' And then I considered telling the situation I got myself stuck in. 'And I just made him a sappy compliment and I think he took it quite personal and he's probably assuming something.'
'So you finally admitted you like him' Derek sent with a knowing emoji. And before I could reply anything to that Christo was quicker.
'When you say sappy compliment, how sappy do you mean?'
'Well sappy enough that he wouldn't look at me anymore. I think he knows. I'm pretty sure he does'
'Then might as well just confess. He won't hate you, I'm sure' That was stupid. When a simple compliment was enough to make him avoid my eyes then a confession would be the end. And confessing doesn't really seem to be my thing as we all know.
'That won't do' I put my phone aside when I heard the door opening. It was Elliot.
His eyes immediately averted as soon as ours met before he straightly headed for his bag as if he was in a rush. "I'm going to take a shower," he said.
"You'll be alright? Do you need help?" I worried but he didn't say anything and just left, closing the door behind his back. Damn, it's definitely not going well between us. I was trying my best to figure out how to loosen the atmosphere because at this point, he was already avoiding me and that was the exact opposite of what I wanted.
-
"Ricky!" Liana was calling me. I sighed, being way too lazy to get up from my bed after I already managed to make myself too comfortable.
"What?" She knocked my door open in a pout. "What do you want?"
"Elliot is blocking the bathroom!" She complained.
"Let him take his time, just go to the other bathroom if you have to pee!" I rolled my eyes at her but she didn't let me relax finally.
"But I don't have to pee, I just want to get the hairspray from there. And it's weird." Weird? I frowned and sat up, seeing as it grabbed my attention. "I had been knocking so many times but he didn't answer. Not a sound, not even of water."
Suspicion rose up in me, making me stand up instantly and rush to the bathroom. "Elliot?" I knocked against the door but as Liana already said there was no answer and no noise. That I confirmed after I pressed my ear against the door. "I'm coming in, okay?" I knocked again.
"Can I come in, too?" Liana pleaded but I just flicked her forehead. "Rude!" I made sure to only open the door the minute she decided to leave. I did it slowly to prevent from scaring him, but as soon as the door was open enough for me to see him huddled up on the floor leaning against the bathtub and hugging his legs, you could say I was a bit perplexed.
I couldn't even tell whether he noticed me. What I could see though was that he was shaking, really bad on top of that. I bit my lips in worry closed the door behind me and directly kneeled down to him. "Are you okay? What is it?"
He didn't answer me. His pale complexion, his rapid breathing and his trembling hands's were all signs that he was hyperventilating. Thus, I grabbed his hand and forced him to look at me since he seemed incapable of doing that himself. "Elliot, you have to calm down, please." I felt my heart beating in my chest in worry and fear. "Take deep breaths, slow and controlled."
He finally showed reaction by squeezing my hand and trying to catch his regular breathing rhythm again.
"Better now?" I brushed his hand with my thumb but he quickly let go as soon as he realized. "You really got me scared this time," I sighed in relief when I saw him rubbing his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he apologized which I never heard him do before. "I'm sorry. Here, it is- it's not like at home." He sounded desperate. "I couldn't do it." He couldn't do what? I didn't get it at first. "I couldn't do it after all. I-"
But then it suddenly clicked. "Why didn't you just tell me?" I sighed.
"I couldn't. I didn't want to," he looked away again.
"Are you serious?! What do you think you have me for?" Now even I was getting a little pissed. "If you can't do things by yourself, then say it! Asking for help doesn't make you weak, Elliot! When will that get into your head?"
He just pressed his lips to a line, not wanting to see my point. "This level of stubbornness will fucking kill you one day." What is the issue with him? I do somehow understand where he was coming from but at this point it was just ridiculous. "Now pull off your clothes, you'll take a bath now."
I made up my mind and went to prepare the bath first as I noticed that Elliot wasn't moving. "What's the matter now?"
"I-It's," he stuttered. "It's embarrassing."
"Just close the tap once the water is high enough." I grabbed the hairspray my sister asked for and left to give him some time to settle down.
However when I returned and saw him still haven't even moved an inch I got irritated. "Are you purposely trying to make me mad or what?" I narrowed my eyes at him and tossed the fresh towel I brought along aside. "I said you should take your shirt off!" I sighed and planned on doing it myself when he fended off my attempts.
"No, stop it!" He refused. "I told you it's embarrassing!" He flushed in a deep red when he wrapped his hand around my wrists very securely to keep them away.
"Want me to call my Mom or what?" I sighed, but he shook his head like it was even worse. "Hey, I'm a dude, too. It's nothing I haven't seen."
"That's not the issue," he sighed and then let go of my hands. I didn't know what to conclude from his words but by his actions, I just assumed that he'd stop resisting or didn't have a problem with me touching him anymore. Which is why I cautiously tried to lift his shirt off, watching every reaction of his.
Though, he solely remained silent, instead helped with pulling of his shirt and pants. As if he silently gave up. Still, I let him take off his boxers by himself, I clearly didn't want to make him more uncomfortable than I already did.
"Don't stare like that," he waved me off.
"Why is it so embarrassing for you, is it because you're not used to it or are you uncomfortable with your body, I don't get it?"
"What are you talking about? I couldn't care any less whether I'm too skinny, fat or look like a dying ghost," he rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. Besides, his words sounded like he experienced it before already. Someone calling him like that, I mean. "I feel awkward because it's you, damn airhead!" Because it's me? He didn't even let me understand before he tried to heave himself up.
"Be careful." I helped him out that he could easily lay in the tub when he relaxed almost instantly by the warm water. "If this happens again, I'll refuse to help out if you don't ask for it directly," I crossed my arms.
"I really don't like you," he huffed. "And Ricky?" he whispered but fidgeted with the foam instead of looking at me. "Thanks."
"Always," I just smirked, suppressing the urge of badly wanting to kiss him. "Besides there ain't anything to be ashamed of, your dick ain't even tiny, you damn liar, why'd you act all shy back then when Christo pestered you?"
He splashed me with water in annoyance to make me back off, leaving me in a fit of laughs. "Shut up, you damn perv! How would I know what's considered average for y'all?"
Anyway, we both finished up without any complications afterwards. Once I had returned to my room with wet hair dripping on my tank top and my shorts loose around my hips, Elliot was already in bed, reading a book.
Without bothering him, I picked up my phone checking for any new messages when I got one from Christo for cutting off on our chat earlier. 'And what about the drawing? You didn't tell yet, how did he react?'
I didn't care enough to reply immediately which is why I just shut him down, tossing my phone back where it was. "Right, I forgot to tell you. We're going to Christo's tomorrow. For some swimming and BBQ, hope you don't mind."
He didn't reply. Although, I was sure that he heard me. "Are you upset again?" I sighed in annoyance.
"I'm not!" He snapped. "You should better finish up the exercise sheets before you decide to go anywhere."
"What?! It's Saturday tomorrow how can you make me work again? A little rest would be fine." No mercy. That guy seriously knows no mercy. I doubt it's even in his vocabulary.
"You don't deserve rest until you improve a whole grade in math." I plugged the book from his hands, letting it fall beside him. "Great! I lost the page thanks to you!" He groaned and let himself fall on the bed. The white t-shirt he was wearing wasn't fitting him at all, I bet it was from his father. So, they were exposing his entire collar bone region which I found really attractive for some reason. "Stop, doing that!"
"Doing what?" I furrowed my brows when I saw his face picking up a soft red tint.
"You're staring at me like that again." Staring at him, like that? Like what? Moreover, he hadn't planned on letting me leave. I knew that by the time his hand gripped mine and forced me down on the bed in front of him. "Why do you always look at me that way? It makes people uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable? You don't like the way I look at you?" Was he even listening to himself? That barely made any sense.
"I mean, it's... misleading." He notably turned more quiet at the end.
"Misleading to what?" I narrowed my eyes at him, the same way I narrowed the distance between us, and persuaded him for the deeper details on prupose. Even though I had a solid hunch, a certain clue to where he was going, I wanted to hear it out of his mouth.
"U-Uhm," he slowly backed off and again looked everywhere but in my face when he tried finding the right words while I approached him second by second, closing the distance between us but yet again didn't since he leaned back everytime I did.
Gosh, I really wanted to taste these lips. At least once. "Ricky," he mouthed. I always thought it was cute how he said my name. There's no one who called me that way besides Liana. So, at first I really wanted to scold him for it. But it sounded too tempting out of his mouth to correct him. "I don't do jokes like that, Ricky," he gripped the rigid fabric of my top.
"Who said it was a joke?" I smirked and was, this time, really aiming for his lips. It was only at the very end when the grip he had on me suddenly loosened that I noticed what I was doing.
I stood up to back off instantly. "Oh my God, I'm sorry. I just lost my mind there for a second. I-I swear it's not what it looks like. It's just, maybe I'm-," I didn't finish my rambling when I saw his frown with an irritated expression. Oh please no. I should've expected him to be angry.
"You," he shifted back up and balled his hand in a fist. "You did it again." Oh no he'll get--
Wait a second... Again? I never did that before, just once at the... nurse station. "Wait, you saw?" Now I was the one to frown.
"Of course I saw, I was a little dizzy not blinded," he rolled his eyes. Then why didn't he say anything? He had the chance to question it but he never did. "Something's seriously not right with your head," he shook his head.
I was really trying to prepare myself for the utter worst. "You like me, don't you?" He didn't beat around the bush and that very sentence made my body functions stood still. "And don't dare lie to me!"
"I," I took a step back when he immediately reached out and grabbed me.
"How can you do that twice. Aiming to kiss me, making embarrassing compliments, treating me like that but you wouldn't bring it to a fucking end?" He tugged on the hem of my shirt. "That is misleading!"
Was he indirectly saying, he's fine with it? I heard it correctly, right? "You mean, I can?" I sat back down and looked him in the eyes, but he of course not in mine. "You're fine with it?" I doubted his words. I couldn't help but to. How is this real? "Then why were you so distancing?"
"Cause I don't know how to handle it." I was surprised that he let me approach him, firmly grabbing his waist, that he let me caress his cheeks that he didn't refuse me like I thought he would. "It's not like I ever did this before or like I ever felt that way."
"May I?" I obviously stared at his lips. My patience was draining by how much I wanted to kiss him in that moment that I already leaned in without waiting for a solid answer. Honestly, I didn't want to hear it anyway.
I just wanted to kiss him. So, when I finally did and once I felt his soft lips brushing on mine, I went on fully closing the gap and pulling him in a deep kiss.
It was a split second where insecurity caught me, made me self conscious where questions popped up like whether he really wanted it as soon as I realized that he wasn't moving.
Though, that instantly faded away once I felt him putting his arms around me like he was giving me free access. And that set my heartbeat off. It was raging like crazy when I slowly started to move my lips but with restrain. I hadn't felt him respond yet. Though, it didn't stop me, even made me press myself harder against him that there was no space left between us.
And thus, the very moment he returned the kiss, delicately moving his lips against mine, I fully pushed him down, taking advantage of him and made sure I wouldn't regret it, not coming out of myself for this.
"Can I touch?" I whispered and pulled away, not knowing where my boundaries were.
He just eyed me vigilantly. And I seriously took his silence as a No. That was until he himself let his hand drive under my shirt, pulled it off in one go as he bit his lips, spouting something like, "I always wanted to do this."
Goosebumps hold sway of my skin as he started tracing my abs with a touch so soft that it felt ticklish.
How can someone be this cute? I smirked, grabbed his hand from my torso and brought it to my mouth pressing a slight kiss on it. My hand meanwhile sheepishly moved to his shirt, wordlessly demanding for more after returning back to his lips until I cut off just to take off his shirt.
I was sure my eyes were probably glowing by now, my hands slightly trembling from being so nervous and my heart will soon enough jump out of my chest. "Hell, I think I'm losing my mind right now," I mumbled.
He then took my hand, laid it flat on his chest, letting me feel his heartbeat. It was not any different from mine. "You think I'm not?" Now that I think about it, it was his first kiss, wasn't it?
"I'm sure I totally lost it, I really fell for you," I squeezed him into a hug where I laid my head on his shoulder to feel close to him. He didn't say anything, though. And I didn't mind it. To be honest, I was more aware of the thought of totally wanting to ravish him.
Hence, I let my instincts guide me, letting my nose run down his neck till I continued spreading little kisses on the same area. He let out a deep breath when his hand tugged on my hair that didn't made me stop, instead wanted me to go even further.
And that's what I did when brushing his chest with my bottom lip before I unexpectedly sucked his nipple, making him gasp in an instant in which he friggin dared to kick me in the gut.
I backed off in reflex, followed by a painful groan. "You damn...," my words got stuck in my throat when I saw what expression he was making.
Holy---
I think I just got hard.
I slowly peeked down to my shorts, but ended up looking back up again.
Definitely hard.
"Why would you do that?" He still seemed really startled. I'm sure he wanted to sound mad but his appearance didn't let me buy it.
"Why? Was it good?" I grinned, reaching back to tease him. I ended up pulling him into another kiss again, slightly laughing at it. "I can do it again if you want," I muttered in the kiss. This time, I used my my fingers to tease his other nipple afterwards. And he tensed up right away.
I guess someone is prone to be sensitive. My hand wandered off to his hips, letting it rest there when he suddenly stopped to look down. "Is that your dick that's poking me?"
"Well..." I felt the heat shot in my face.
"Crazy," he mumbled in awe, went ahead and used his leg to brush it by raising it slightly.
I pressed my lips together, to suppress the moan and stopped him by pushing his legs apart. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
He chuckled, leaving a tiny smile behind. "That's just insane." Yeah, I certainly agreed with that. I still couldn't believe that he felt the same way. Or at least that's what I wanted to believe.
"You're cute, really," I poked his cheek.
"I won't take that as a compliment." He pursed his lips, looking even cuter. Thus, I leaned in again, nibbled on his lips slightly, planning on deepening the kiss by slipping my tongue in...
When all of the sudden a loud crash, followed by a gasp erupted from the side.
I jumped up in shock, turned my head, just to see my mother with widened eyes. The laundry basket on the floor, clothes that had been neatly folded were all scattered now and I didn't know what to do.
"I-I-I-," I stuttered and got up with a heavy blush on my face. Elliot just covered his face in huge embarrassment, too afraid to face the humiliation.
Mom's eyes kept switching from Elliot to me, back to Elliot again and finally stuck to me. Then her eyes wandered down my nude torso when they remained on one certain region. I looked down on me, noticing that I still had a boner when I covered it, trying to hide it quickly. But she still saw it anyway.
"Couldn't you knock?!" I sighed, knowing what trouble I had to face now.
"I did! I even called you THREE times," she raised her voice and crossed her arms. And I knew, I was a goner when she approached me and sharply pulled on my ear.
"Ow, ow, ow! Mom, please!" I whined. But she just pulled harder instead and forced me out of the room towards the kitchen.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?? You were told to keep an eye on my dear friend's son, not and I repeat NOT to make out with him half naked on your bed!" She shouted at me. "How did that even happen?! Oh my god, I can't believe it. And since when are you two going out?"
"We are not going out," I bit my lips and lowered my gaze. "In fact, it just happened."
She widened her eyes even more than she already did.
Hell, if looks could kill...
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Jesus, if this chapter ain't too long then I don't know what is
~J🥵