He snorts a small laugh, his blue gaze meeting mine. “Trying to go to bed. Tripped, though. And fell.”
His hand flails about, and he hits it on the wall beside him.
A pout pushes his bottom lip out, and something curls inside of me. Fuck.Fuck fuck fuck.
I rub at my forehead, gathering my wits before squatting down next to him. He’s even closer now, and the bitter smell of beer is overpowered by the scent of him.
Caleb’s gaze roams over me, a dangerous lick to my skin.
“Mm. You’re so goth, emo boy,” he hums, eyeing my dark pajamas, and I roll my lips between my teeth. I know I wear black and gray a lot, but I like it. It matches my insides. Doesn’t make me emo, though. Just makes me honest.
“You’re so drunk,” I quip back.
“Hmph. Sherlock,” Caleb laughs and then reaches out to touch me, his hand grazing my cheek. That unknown thing curling inside of me unfurls, and I feel my entire body heat.
“So fucking smart,” he murmurs.
I blink at him, his finger continuing to graze my cheek. I should pull back. I need to pull back.
Pull the fuck back.
So I do, slowly, reaching to my side and tugging his pants from his ankle. They smell of smoke and liquor.I’ll need to wash them, I think as I fold them neatly. And while I do this, Caleb watches me, his eyes hooded.
The way he’s looking at me…
I push that thought aside and lean over, setting his pants on the end table near the hallway, where I can grab them later and throw them in the wash. As I move, I hear Caleb inhale deeply, and I wonder, for an insane moment, if he’s smelling me.
But that can’t be right.
“Alright, let’s get you to bed,” I say when I settle back, still on my haunches, not sure if I should touch him or not. If I do, I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what that will do to me.
I can’t have any of that. I really can’t.
“Nah, I can get up myself,” he slurs, and then I watch as his thighs bunch and flex as he uses the wall to push himself up. I can’t look away, my throat tightening. I never knew legs could be mapped with so many ridges.
I had no fucking idea.
What the hell have I been missing?
Caleb grunts and groans, and when he’s finally fully standing, he stares down at me. I can do nothing but let my gaze move up over his groin and chest, my heart thumping wildly.
“Why you always blushing around me?” he blurts, and I know that I’ve been caught.
My pink cheeks darken, and I scowl, pushing myself up and biting out, “I don’t blush.”
It’s a lie, and everyone knows it. The walls of this building have witnessed every time my skin has heated when he’s near. But it isn’t real, just confusion tangled with curiosity. Nothing more.
I stalk to the bedroom and hear Caleb lumbering behind me. Idon’t turn around and look because I refuse to let him see the effect he has on me.
He’s really not my type.
There should be no effect.
“You know, it wasn’t anything negative. You’re really pretty when you blush,” he adds, and I stumble at his words. He needs to stop talking. He needs to close his mouth and shut up.
I reach for his bed and pull the covers back, needing him to go to sleep. To wake up and not remember any of this.
“Get in,” I say, my voice snapping.
