Chapter 4
I moved his phone away, my voice getting softer and softer.
"Of course, if you really hate me and don't want to see me... then forget it."
After I spoke, silence fell around us.
Tears started flowing uncontrollably.
One drop, two drops, three drops...
Jaxon didn't say anything more.
He just restarted the car.
The tires scraped against the ground as we drove towards the school.
Finally, we stopped at the bottom of Jaxon's dorm building.
I followed him into the dorm.
He turned and took out a clean hoodie from the closet, handing it to me.
"The bathroom's over there."
Jaxon was pretty tall, and when I put on his clothes, it felt like wearing an oversized dress.
My hair was dripping wet. After showering, I didn't change clothes but came out wearing the hoodie he gave me.
Jaxon glanced at me, then looked away.
I walked past Dashiell's bed and sat on Jaxon's bed.
My hair was still dripping, and soon, a patch of the bedsheet became damp.
I was surrounded by Jaxon's scent.
The shampoo, body wash, even the laundry detergent.
All the same brand.
In this enclosed space, the scent began to spread little by little.A subtle feeling was growing between us.
I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was a certain unexplainable intimacy brewing.
Jaxon fiddled with his cigarette pack and cleared his throat softly.
"I'm gonna step out for a smoke," he said.
He walked towards the balcony.
I curiously glanced at his bed.
Light gray sheets and comforter, neat and clean.
On his desk, the computer and books were arranged in an orderly fashion.
I was about to check if there were any interesting knick-knacks on his desk.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated.
Dashiell's name flashed across the screen.
I didn't answer.
He seemed urgent, calling twice without pause.
I simply put my phone on silent and tucked it into my bag.
"Jaxon," I called out towards the balcony.
Jaxon quickly turned his head, stubbing out his cigarette as he walked over.
"What's up?"
I sat on the bed, having to look up to see his face.
Jaxon looked at me for two seconds, then averted his gaze.
But I still caught a glimpse of his bright red earlobes.
"I've made your sheets damp. Where are you going to sleep tonight?"
Jaxon glanced at me, then stared at the wet spot on the bed for a moment.
His Adam's apple visibly bobbed.He turned and pulled out a towel from the cabinet for me.
"Go dry your hair. I'll change the sheets before going to bed."
With that, he walked to the closet to search for clean bedding.
I clutched the towel, my mind filled with the image of his reddened ears.
I couldn't help but smile.
By the time I came out with my hair dried, Jaxon had already changed to fresh sheets.
"You should get some sleep."
"What about you?"
He pulled out a chair, sitting down as he answered me.
"I'm going to play some games for a bit."
"Oh."
I sat down on his bed, feeling a bit dejected.
Jaxon picked up his headphones, about to put them on.
But his phone vibrated again.
He glanced at it, then looked back at me.
Before answering.
"Dashiell, what's up?"
My heart suddenly tightened, and I instinctively held my breath.
A voice came through from the other end.
"Yeah, I'm in my dorm room."