AllFreeNovel
Share Us
25
BUG (TOLRUN)
Lily telling me she thought I was perfect just the way I was made my chest tighten with joy. I knew I wasn’t perfect. I wasn’t charming and confident like Jack, or lovable and enthusiastic like Chumley. Or calm, collected, and musically talented like Creeper.
But she didn’t care.
And it made me love her even more.
Love. I knew that was what I felt for her. I wanted to be around her as much as I could, just in her presence. But being close to her, having our skin touch, it made a fire ignite inside me that I wanted to explore.
But I was scared. Scared she would reject me if I tried to make my feelings known. Then again, nothing risked, nothing gained. A saying I’d read somewhere that made so much sense.
So I’d asked. Asked if she’d join me on a picnic in the gardens after classes tomorrow.
And when she’d said yes, all the tension in me had flooded out, and I couldn’t stop from smiling at her.
Hell, I was proud of myself. I had finally managed to do something I never thought I could. And it had gone well.
I dropped her off at her room, elated and wondering what I could do to celebrate this small victory.
Well, I needed to prepare my picnic. Get the things I’d need. What food would I take? Maybe Chumley could help me with that.
I clenched my jaw at that.
Would he be okay with this? I knew he liked her too. He’d been trying to build up something with her slowly, it was as clear as day.
Was I a bad person for wanting to try my luck with her?
No. I had to follow my heart. And I wanted to see if we could have something. If not, then Chumley could have her, or one of the others. They all wanted her.
I’d still care for her and look out for her. Sure, it’d hurt, but it wouldn’t change the fact that she was the reason I was even here at all. To protect her.
I made my way to the kitchen, resolving myself to take whatever thrashing Chumley was going to dish out. I couldn’t not tell him. He was my brother.
But even knowing he might be upset with me, I still couldn’t shed the joy and excitement I was feeling as I headed to the kitchen, an extra bit of spring in my step.
I found Chumley working on a gourmet breakfast dish involving eggs, haloumi, Turkish bread, and assorted other ingredients.
“How’s it going?” I asked as I watched him zip around the kitchen.
“Good, I think this will turn out great. I’ll make some tweaks and serve it up tomorrow morning along with some other meals which I’ll experiment with after,” he said as he rushed by me with some olive oil.
“Hey, I had a thought, but you’re more than welcome to say no,” I started, forcing the words out even though they felt like dirt on my tongue. I didn’t want to wreck his moment. Maybe I should’ve waited.
“What’s that?” Chumley came to a standstill before me. He had a saucepan in hand and an arched brow, which only accentuated the scar in it.
I was probably going to get beat to death with the saucepan. This was a terrible idea, but I’d already started. I had to see this through. I needed to prove to myself that I would do whatever it took to date Lily, even if it meant going against my brother.
Now that I thought of it like that, I inwardly grimaced. I wouldn’t hurt my brother.
I couldn’t.
“Nothing,” I sighed as I deflated.
Chumley cocked his head at me in confusion.
“It’s not nothing, you can tell me,” he urged me.
