CHAPTER 14

"How the hell did she find me Josh?! I thought I told you to distract her!" Wes was on the phone. He didn't sound happy at all. We were in the car. I looked out the window. It was getting dark. I looked at my watch. Almost 7 pm. After the late lunch, Alana had insisted on staying with us. She's been following us, even talked Wes into driving her to the beach. Thalisa had been less annoying since she's been quiet and was texting all day. I stole a look at Wes. He looked distraught. We were actually waiting for Alana at the beach parking lot. She had gone to a nearby rest room. Wes wanted to ditch her, but I talked him out of it since word could get back to his father and there would be hell to pay.

"Urgh, yeah. I know. I'm sorry I lost my temper. Look, thanks a lot man. Addy?..She's here. Yeah...see ya later." Wes said and then hung up. He sighed and lay his head against the head rest of the car seat. Even distraught, he still looked so gorgeous. I'm so stupid. I went and fell for him. I knew I'll pay for it later. This will surely bite me in the ass. Especially since I've never liked a guy before. Except Josh. But Josh was just a summer crush. We only see each other in the summer and the feels would all come to surface. But once summer is over, I would go back home and there would be no ache of missing him. And I know I'll outgrow him soon enough. But Wes, he's my every day. After summer, we'll go back home and pick up where we left off. Me lurking at the fringe of the social circle while he rules them all. I have no idea if we would still be friends like this after summer is over and we go back to our lives. If only summer would last forever. We have only a month left before summer is over. I just want to have him all to myself for one month. Just one month before I go back to my dreary life of having an absent father, a money-grabbing stepmother and a stepsister that I suspect is actually the devil. I have a feeling that Wes will not be the same once we go back to school. We'll revert back to our roles and it would seem like summer never happened. I felt a sudden ache when I thought about that. I sighed and looked out the window.

"Urgh, the rest room was disgusting! How can they make people use such hazardous place to do their business?!" Alana spoke as she went into the car. She sat behind Wes. She wanted to ride shotgun before but Wes vehemently insisted that his 'girlfriend' aka me, should be beside him when he drives. I just followed what he said. What choice do I have?

When he stopped the car in front of Josh's house, he made Alana and Thalisa go out of the car. Alana was hesitant. But she relented when he promised he would go to Josh's immediately after sending me home.

He finally stopped in front of my house. I was about to open the door when he grabbed my arm. I turned to him, waiting for him to speak.

"Urm, thanks for keeping me company today. And for letting me stay over at your house. I really appreciate it." Wes said as he looked at me, his face unreadable in the semi-darkness.

"Oh, I had fun. We should really do this again!" In my nervous state, I overstepped my boundaries and assumed he wanted to spend time with me some more.

"That we should. Um, goodnight Addy. I'll see you later." Wes said as he smiled and let my arm go. I smiled back at him and got out of the car.

"Goodnight." I said and was about walk up the driveway. when Wes suddenly called my name. I looked at him quizzically.

"Err, Addy. Keep your window open ok." Wes said and smiled mysteriously. I frowned and wondered what he meant as he drove away. Then I just shrugged and walked into the house.

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Oooff!

What the hell was that?! I sat up in my bed and looked around in the darkness, clutching the duvet to my chest tightly. Fear rose up inside me, making me tremble. Oh God, is there an intruder?! Just then there was another bump and a hiss. I whimpered as I stayed glued on the bed, unable to move. Suddenly right at the foot of my bed, I saw a hunched figure. I stared in horror and was about to scream when I heard someone say my name.

"Addy! It's me!" The very familiar voice said. I squinted in the darkness to see who it was. I reached my night table and turned on the lamp. Light illuminated my tiny room and there he was. Wes was hunched over, rubbing his thigh. His face was scrunched up in pain. Wait, what's he doing here?! In my room, no less!

"Hi!" Wes said as he stood up straight gingerly with a sheepish smile on his lips. I let out a laugh.

"What are doing here? How did you get up here? Did you climb up to my window?!" I asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. And thanks for keeping the window open. I did tell you that I'd see you later. And this is later." Wes said sheepishly.

"Oh my God! You could've hurt yourself. Are you trying to kill yourself?!" I was pretty angry. I was so worried he might break his neck or fall to his deaths that I couldn't help but scold him. Wes looked a little alarmed at my outburst. He stood uncertainly and ran a hand through his hair.

"Um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'll go. Sorry for waking you. Gnight." Wes said, clearly uncomfortable as he moved to the window. I quickly jumped out of my bed and stopped him.

"Wait! Don't go! I'm sorry. I wasn't angry. I was just worried. You could've died you know." I said as I stood before him, my hand on his arm. He looked at me. His brown eyes looked weird.

"So, you don't want me to die?" Wes asked. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Of course not! Why would I want that?!" I said as I walked us to the sofa bed near my bed. He sat on the sofa bed and I sat across him on my bed.

"You're sweet. ..So if I die, would you care?" Wes asked me, his voice still held the mirth it had before.

"Of course I care. Why wouldn't I?" I asked, a little weirded-out at his strange questions.

"But why would you? We weren't friends in school. We move in different circles. You once bathed me in Coke and I did threaten to kill you." Wes said and I was dumbfounded he remembered.

"I don't know. Isn't it human nature to care about another person's safety?" I asked. Wes chuckled. I looked at him. He was acting strange. But after a few days of uncharacteristic behavior, I kinda got used to it. Wes is one strange guy.

"Yeah, I guess so. So, your concern for me is that of a person towards another human being, is that it?" Wes asked, going all weird still. I was baffled. What the hell is up with him?

"Um, sure. Of course. Why? Shouldn't I care about you at all? I mean, we know each other. We're..uh..acquaintances.. Look Wes, where are you going with this? Is there something going on? You're acting weird." I could stand all the cryptic messages flying everywhere.

Wes looked at me and took a deep breath. I looked at him, expecting him to say something profound.

"I'm hungry. Can we raid your grandma's fridge?" Wes said out of the blue. I let out a laugh and we both got up and went to the kitchen.

I the kitchen, I put a plate of leftover meatloaf, mash and a glass of juice. Wes wolfed down the lot, like he was starving.

"So, why are you here? Is it Alana? She's at it again?" I asked as I took a bite of the apple in my hand.

"Nah, I just want to see you." I thought Wes said that while his mouth was full. I looked at him for confirmation.

"What?! Quit talking with your mouth full. I can't understand a word." I said as I chuckled. Wes looked at me and gulped his mouthful of meatloaf.

"Um, I mean, yeah, she was all sprawled on my bed. It was scary. So I bolted and came here." Wes said as he cut the meatloaf and then put the chunk of meat into his mouth.

We talked for a bit as I waited for Wes to finish his meal. Then, we went to the living room and watched Friends reruns. It was nice and cosy to be huddled under the blanket watching an old sitcom with Wes. He was shaping up to be a nice company. I felt that I could almost say that we're friends.

After about an hour, my eyes felt heavy. I was sitting on the sofa with Wes beside me. I wanted to sleep so badly but I didn't want to interrupt Wes who was clearly laughing quietly at Chandler's jokes. Maybe I could close my eyes just for a minute. Somehow I must've dozed off. But suddenly I was jolted awake. I blinked my eyes. I was leaning on something warm and nice. I looked up and was almost nose to nose with Wes. He looked at me in amusement. Crap! Did I lie on him? Wes suddenly touched my cheek. I blinked sleepily. I couldn't utter a word.

"You wanna go up to bed?" Wes asked softly, his face only an inch from mine. If I moved, our lips would touch. Most definitely. I was too dumbstruck to speak , so I nodded my head and Wes helped me to my feet and switched off the tv. He put his arm around my shoulder as I lay my head on his chest, too sleepy to care. We climbed the stairs slowly.

I lay on my bed as soon as we reached my room. I lay on my side as Wes wrapped the duvet around me. In my sleepy haze, I felt the bed dip on the other side. I felt the heat of another human body beside me and it was not unpleasant at all. I've never slept with anyone in one bed. Ever. Only my grandma when I was young. I was alone, most of the time. So, to feel another human body beside me was a glorious feeling. So glorious it was that I inched closer until my arm touched Wes' side. Snuggling into my pillow, I let myself fall asleep into the deepest slumber that I have ever had.