Chapter 14

"Aren't you bored already? It's been days." My mother snarred through the phone as I was roaming through the kitchen.

I held back a groan because I didn't want to give her a reason to hold the line anymore. It's been already forty-five minutes since she's called me and all she did was gabble about her boyfriend, her job, and me about being away.

She meant exactly that I wasn't there as a financial backup and she's got to choose carefully how or when to spend her money now.

I meant, that she's got to act like an adult now and she didn't like that.

"Truth be told, Mom..." I said as I closed the top drawer.

I had too much time on my hands, so I decided to get familiar with the kitchen a little bit. But since I didn't feel like using the oven, I decided to make almond butter no-bake cookies.

Seeley had told me anyway to be healthier, well, this little cookie was healthier than the type of sweets that I've been eating lately. You could not call that a no development.

"Yes?"

"With each day I become more and more interested and happier too." I nodded while swirling the pan, so the ingredients would be combined flawlessly.

"I find that very hard to believe," she said in a bored tone. "You were never an outgoing person anyway."

I didn't have the chance to go out. That was a major difference.

I wanted to let her know that it was her childish behavior that closed me into our house all the time.

"I've had too much work." I commented while pressing my face against my shoulder to keep my phone in its place.

"Maybe if you worked a little less and focused on your studies instead, you would have gotten into a university and now I wouldn't need to be worried about your whereabouts with those wastrels."

My grip tightened around the pan as I focused on the ingredients. I had to bite into my lip to stop myself from snapping at her. I could listen to her all day if I've lost my patience and cool right now.

"Don't call them that." I clenched my jaw.

"Why?" She asked. "You don't like that I know their kind?"

"I don't like you judging people who you don't know." I corrected and she cleared her throat.

"Watch your mouth, young lady," she warned me and I rolled my eyes. "You quite changed for the worse over the last few days."

"Is this why you called me?" I asked, getting tired of her behavior already.

She let out a dramatic sigh at the end of the line.

"No, I just wanted to tell you that I miss you." She chirped and I glared out the window. Only if I could believe those words coming from her.

She couldn't possibly miss me. She missed having control over someone daily and she didn't know how to cope with that need.

"Me, too." I tried to say it most believably.

"I'd be glad if you avoided that boy." She suddenly said and I froze in the middle of my movement. I stepped away from the cooker and leaned against the dining table for support.

Did she have microphones on me? How good her timing or inner voice could be if she confronted me about this only an hour later since I've been considering Seeley's offer.

She just knew when and how to hit the nail right on the head.

Or she might be physic which would mean that I've been doomed ever since I was born.

I tried to lay my fears away and took a deep breath.

"What boy?"

"Seeley, you know," she corrected herself impatiently. "I don't like him."

"You don't like anyone, Mom." I commented and she hissed.

"But I don't like him." She continued. "And the fact that he doesn't give a damn about his father who feeds him and gives a roof above his head is unbelievably disrespectful."

I didn't want to get into details about Seeley's private life with his father but my mother has always felt the need to dive into other people's privacy.

"His father is a... difficult person." I informed her.

"As he should be," answered my mother without hesitation. "But from what I'd seen he wasn't difficult enough."

"I'm pretty sure he was." I replied.

"Anyway, I just hope that you didn't have a problem with him during the ride." she said and I frowned.

"It was fine, stop overreacting things."

"I can't help it, Heddy." She defended herself while raising her voice. "I could tell from miles that he is trouble. If you don't want to get hurt, you stay away from him. He looks like the type of person to use other people as a doormat."

I almost scoffed at the irony she brought up.

Little did she know that he was the one who has been used as a doormat.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that" I said firmly.

"I know you are friends and you want to defend him but you can't be everyone's guardian angel, honey." she said in a soft tone. "Sometimes you have to learn to let people go."

I was thinking about her words for a while because in a way they were completely true. I couldn't be there for everyone all the time, it wouldn't paint me down as a great person either.

I didn't want to be known among my friends as someone who always jumps whenever something happens. But I couldn't help it.

Since my mother has rarely been there for me, my main goal was to be there for others.

"If you want to change that bad, then you can start with that one." She suggested and I dropped my gaze. "I don't know what made you into this helpful and overprotective person but you've got to draw the line in the sand."

"I was always like this." I murmured and when I heard footsteps approaching, I adjusted my phone. "I've got to go now. I'll call you later."

"I'll hold you to that," she warned and I rolled my eyes.

"Bye, Mom," I said and quickly took the pan off the cooker to add the next ingredients to it. I added vanilla and the ingredients to it.

"Bye, sweetie."

I threw my phone down and from the force, it slid to the end of the counter and fell down.

I flinched when I heard it hit the floor just when Seeley stepped walked into the kitchen.

He stared at my phone and looked up at me with invisible question marks around his head.

"I pissed you off that bad with my offer?" he asked innocently.

When I didn't answer, just finished the pan silently, he grunted as he leaned down to grab my phone.

"Can I make your bad day even worse than it is now?" He asked softly and I frowned.

"What?" I asked, turning back to him.

He flipped my phone and reached it toward me. When my eyes landed on the gadget, I saw that half of my screen has been cracked due to the intense falling coming from me throwing it down.

I felt like someone just kicked me into my stomach. As if I didn't have enough things going on already. I needed that too.

"Great." I let out a shaky exhale. "Just great."

He gave me a forced smile and put the phone next to my hand.

"Just don't hurt your hand," he said wiping the screen with his finger.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused and suspicious.

He looked at me with brief kindness in his eyes.

"Clean the splinters for you," he said.

I was on cloud nine with his tenderness and attention to me. The more I talked with him, the more comfortable I became in his presence.

I enjoyed that I didn't need to worry about anything anymore. And I was also delighted for my thoughts refused to storm my brain with useless scenarios.

It was ironic how he used to be the root of my nerves and now he is behind my peace.

I didn't know people could be this complicated.

"Don't blood the counter." I warned him playfully and he wiped his hand into his shorts.

"I won't." He smiled and leaned closer to see what is cooling next to me. "Looks good, what is that?"

"Almond butter no-bake cookies." I stepped aside to give him a chance to have a better look at my cookies.

"Sounds... good," he said and I laughed at his hesitation.

"And it will taste good, I promise," I said and sat on the counter. His eyes followed me then they dropped to my legs.

I was wearing a short loosened skirt because I wanted to let myself enjoy the summer's good breeze a little.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as his eyes noticed my dark grey shirt that left my left shoulder naked.

"I do not doubt that," he said with his eyes darkening.

Suddenly I was thirsty for air when he put his hand on my thigh and stepped closer to me. I got goosebumps under my skirt while his palm practically burned my skin.

Old memories flew through my mind as the distance became smaller and smaller with each second.

"What are you doing?" I whispered. My voice was different, more like hoarsed and I had no control over it.

He drew a circle on my thigh while he licked his lips.

I didn't trust myself when he was this close to me. The way his pupils dilated and his fingers on my thigh cleared my mind so fast that I didn't even know how to protest.

"Trying to help you to decide," he looked up to me. His eyes were full of lust as he was waiting for my answer.

"You're trying to seduce me to help me to decide," I corrected.

He hummed in agreement and traced his fingers over the top of my thigh.

"I thought I might help a little," he said and pressed his lips to my neck.

My eyes widened at the sudden contact and the small distance that we had between us. Seeley was everywhere. I could feel him on my skin, I could feel his scent in my nose, I could feel his heart beating against my chest.

His hands found my hips and pulled me closer to him as his tongue trailed down my neck. I didn't even dare breathe, I was so caught up in the moment.

The more kisses he left on my neck, the more fazed I became. I let out a shaky breath and my hand found its way up to his soft hair.

In the heat of the moment, all I could think about was me almost turning into liquid from his mouth. My eyes closed as his hand reached my head and tilted it to the side.

I closed my legs around his waist, even though my brain was screaming no to everything. As if I hadn't had control over my body anymore.

The moment Seeley invaded my personal space, I've been nothing but full of hard exhales and silent moans.

When he nuzzled his head deeper into my neck, sucking on the skin lightly, I felt goosebumps running all over my body. It's been a while since someone touched me like that, so the affect Seeley's touch has had on me was almost unbearably good.

He raised his head until his wet lips were inches away from my burning ear.

"Does this help you to decide?" he asked, his breath too hot for my already heated skin. For a second I felt like I might drown in it.

As I was gazing across his sight, I couldn't help but roam my hands on his muscular chest. He took a deep breath as my fingers grazed over his abdomen and then his stomach, stopping on the top of his pants.

"I don't truly know." I sighed and brushed the bottom of his stomach, under his shirt. His upper body tensed at the touch of my fingers and I couldn't help but hum in response.

I liked having this power over him.

I'd be lying if I said that having the upper hand in a heated moment like this wasn't appealing because it was.

He leaned back a little, but not so much so that I could stroke his skin, and he cupped my face. For a moment I had thought that he might kiss me to get me to agree on all of this.

But he stayed there, gazed into my eyes, his lips parted, his green eyes showing nothing but desire and lust.

"I've got a few ideas to change your mind in a minute," he grinned and pulled me closer to him.

I almost gasped and automatically grabbed his waist, my hands still under his shirt.

If I agreed right now, I just knew for a fact that we wouldn't stop. But it was too risky. Anyone could walk in on us and that was the last thing that either of us wanted.

"Keep them to yourself," I said and ran my hands up his sweaty back.

He lowered his eyebrows and looked down at me with intense eyes.

"I didn't know you were such a player, Heds," he teased and gripped my thigh.

I shrugged and leaned closer to him, my hand on his face while my face almost pressed against his.

"I might know a few things to please others," I said and licked the bottom of his ear.

I heard him groan from the back of his throat and his grip became tighter on my thigh and in my hair.

"That's not very nice to play with someone who offered his body to you," he said and dragged his nails gently across my neck.

"Where would be the fun if I'd just give in right away?" I asked. "I've got my ways and you either play along or go find someone else."

He licked his lips and the corner of his lips twitched slightly. I couldn't help but admire the beauty of his messy look. Especially in my arms.

I just had an indescribable feeling inside of me from being this close to him after being distant from each other for so long.

I didn't know fully what had caused the change of heart in him but I was delighted that it happened. Especially now.

He leaned down slowly and placed a small kiss on the corner of my lips. He let his lips enjoy the moment longer than needed before pulling away.

I could tell by the look on his face that he had already made his decision and enjoyed seeing me this flushed by his touch.

I felt dizzy as he stepped away and wiped his hair back.

With one last glance, he grabbed a cookie from the bowl and ate it right away. He winked at me and turned in the direction of his room.

My fingers were touching my dry lips as I watched him walk away.

"Thank you for making my day worse."