12

My phone starts ringing, bringing us both out of our thoughts. I sigh as I answer it without looking at who's speaking.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kyle. How is it going?" I recognise Vero's voice. It's been forever since I've seen her and she still remembers to call me once in a while.

"It's all good. How are you?" I strain my voice to sound excited. I would have been had she not interrupted the moment I was having with Tess.

"It's fine. Just a little bit of work here and a little work there but nothing to worry about." She has always been the talker in our family.

"And how's dad?"

"Your father is," she draws out, trying to find her words, "getting better, I guess," she says, chuckling at the end.

"I'm glad to hear that. You mind if I visited soon?"

"You know, I was actually hoping you'd say just that. I'll prepare your favourite meal, okay?" I'm sure she's smiling brightly. She has always been fond of me because she couldn't get her own kids.

She always made sure to save some time for my father and I in her busy schedule, unlike my own mother who wouldn't even come visit me in ICU if she had business lunch with one of her colleagues. Maybe that's one of the reasons why my dad left her for Veronica.

"I can't wait to taste your food," I tease her. She gets so worked up whenever someone says that to her. She says it puts her under pressure.

"Goodnight, young man," she says cheerfully as she ends the call. I look at the time and it reads twenty-one to twelve. I stifle a yawn and turn to Tess, seeing that she's already changed in her pyjamas.

"Here," she says, handing me a pile of clothes. "Don't ask whose they were. Go change."

I chuckle as I just take the clothes from her and stand up, going to her bathroom to change. I trust her and they smell clean, so I have no problem wearing them. I come out with my clothes folded and put them in her closet at the empty spot.

"We aren't sharing a blanket?" I ask, having a feeling of déjà vu. She turns her back to me and pretends to be asleep.

"You afraid I'll bite?" I smirk when I get in bed. She turns to me with a frown.

"The couch is pretty comfortable if you ask me," she says before turning her back around and giving me her back.

"Alright lady," I lean in closer to her. "Good night." I place a kiss on her temple and she smiles.

"Good night Kyle." I love it when she says my name.

Tess' POV

I woke up at seven and took a shower. When I came out, Kyle was still snoring peacefully. I got an extra toothbrush that was still unopened and a facecloth for him. I left them on the bedside table and closed the door behind me.

I prepared muesli with ice cream and sat in front of the television, catching the morning telenovelas. After a good ten minutes, I heard the hairdryer and smiled because that meant Kyle was awake. Probably drying his hair, I thought to myself.

"Morning," he came from behind me and gave me a hug. His wet hair touched my face and I gave him a glare as he went to the kitchen. Wait, why is his hair still wet if he used the dryer?

"Want some muesli?" I asked him when I walked into the kitchen and placed my bowl in the sink. He turned from the microwave with a sly smile but quickly covered it.

"I only eat it with specific dairy products," he said, folding his arms and making his biceps and triceps bulge out. He looked quite good in my dad's clothes.

"Ice cream?"

"Is it lactose-free?"

"Not that I know of," I said. The microwave beeped and he turned to it, making the sound stop immediately by opening and closing it again.

"The guy at reception was looking for you," he said casually. I furrowed my eyebrows because I didn't recall him coming here this morning but decided to go call him just in case I did miss him. He probably wanted to give me today's mail.

After talking on the phone with George, I went looking for Kyle. Why would he lie and say George was looking for me if he wasn't?

"Swine, George wasn't looking for me," I said, falling down on the couch beside him and took the remote to change from the sports news he was watching.

"I know he wasn't," he said as he took a bite from the banana. It was his second because there was a peel on the newspaper on the table.

"Then why'd-"

"Because I wanted you out of the kitchen," he said in a 'duh' tone.

"Why?" My curiosity was getting the better of me.

"So I could properly dry my underwear," he shot me a wink.

"TMI," I told him as I got up to heat my coffee.

Just as I opened the microwave, I heard him yell, "Don't use the microwave."

"Why?" I asked uncertainly.

"Because I used it to dry my underwear," he chuckled.

I cringed when I looked at my poor microwave and thought of what it might have gone through.

"I'll get you back for that," I mutter to myself as I take a plastic cover and cover my cup with it before putting it in the microwave.

He came into the kitchen and disposed banana peels, turning to me. "Vero just called, said she needs me to pick up some parcels for her."

"Well, send had my regards, yeah?" I tried not to sound disappointed that he's leaving so soon.

"Miss me," he said as he gave me a hug before walking out. I waited for the door to click, indicating that it's closed before letting my arms drop to my side.

'How can I not?' I asked myself.

He called later that evening and told me how noisy his stepmother's house was. We went from talking his visit, to favourite television shows and past relationships.

"How many exes do you have though?" He asked again, making me facepalm.

"Five," I said after thinking about the question thoroughly. "How about you?"

"Just three," he said but sounded unsure.

"Name them."

"There's Jálene, Beatriz and Leigh-Ann. But I don't consider Leigh an ex though."

"Why wouldn't you?" Are they still seeing each other after they've broken up? Is that why he doesn't consider her an ex?

"It's complicated. Do you really want to listen to me talking about another girl when I want to talk about you?"

"Hum- okay, what would you like to talk about?"

"That depends on what you want to know."

"I want to know more about Leigh though," I state.

"I seriously can't believe the girl I'm crushing on wants to know about my ex," he says.

I night have forgotten how to breathe properly. "What?"

"You can be so oblivious sometimes," he says and adds a loud sigh. I can imagine him rolling his eyes.

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Very."

"Well, you still like me," I decided to play the risky card.

"Do you like me?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" He's a nice guy, after all. What could possibly make him unlikeable?

"That was a trick question. I know you do."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because it's like," he drifted off, seeming to look for the right words.

"Like?"

"Like."

"Like like," I repeated in a whisper as I understood what he meant to say.

A comfortable silence fell upon us and I concentrated on my breathing. I felt as though he was right here because I could hear him breathing on the phone.

"I feel like you're here with me," he said softly.

"That's what I was just thinking," I smiled.

"Do you want to be?"