chapter 6

                                    

                                          
The door clicks shut. A bit too loud.
                          
I squeeze my eyes shut, holding my breath. Any sound? Nothing stirs. Not even a sound of cricket reaches my ears  in reaction.
                          
So that means mom and Ethan aren't home yet?
                          
Releasing my breath I finally start walking towards the stairs. It's already been a long day and all I wanna do is jump in my bed and pass out.
                          
My stomach growls and I stop midstair. Holding the railing I eye the kitchen wall. 
                          
Should I first have something then go up in my room?
                          
I felt another wave roiling up in my stomach. Answer enough. Slipping the bag down on the stair, i make my way towards the kitchen. 
                          
Maybe i can find something in the fridge and grab it to the room as a makeshift dinner and call it a da-
                          
I inhale sharply.
                          
My feet stop right in the doorstep as I catch sight of arrow travelling from the base of the neck up to the ear and disappearing behind it on the sweet spot.
                          
He stands inside. Holding the fridge door open in one hand, he's bent over, peering down at the contents inside. Face hidden out of sight.
                          
A lime green t-shirt loosely covering his torso while the front laces down the neck of the shirt dangle undone, showing off his pale chest. Half the front stuck inside the stretchable dark bottoms that ended just below his knees. White straps on the side tracing down the length of his long legs.
                          
"Who knew," I jump at his voice which was followed by the grey of his eyes that slowly met mine," it takes five hours to finish 20 min walk home."
                          
He straightens up. Now glass of smoothie in his hand. The curles settle down on his forehead now, drawing a stark contrast to calculating grey clouds.
                          
I stay frozen in my spot. 
                          
Was he keeping tab on me? Why is he looking at me like he knows...
                          
"Where've you been?" He inquires, striking a fearful chord in my chest.
                          
"N-none of your business." I stammer.
                          
His eyebrow raises without breaking eye contact.
                          
I look away.
                          
Oh God. Oh God. Why did I just stammer!
                          
And why did I look away! Now he would know there's definitely something up.
                          
He turns around, walking over to the dining table and places the glass down on the table with a tiny clank.
                          
Scooting a chair back, he eases himself on it and pulls it forward. His elbows now resting on the table, his finger slowly traces the frost over the glass, clearing it away. Slowly.
                          
His eyes stay on the glass. But I can sense him aware of every inch of his surrounding. Alert.
                          
"Its rude to stare, you know."
                          
I blink.
                          
He is still not looking at me. Coming back to senses, I look away sharply. 
                          
The colour rises to my cheeks as I realize how long I've been standing there like a statue, just openly gawking at him.
                          
Better just eat something later when he's gone. 
                          
I turn around-
                          
"Feel free,"I stop in my tracks at the drag of his sentence," to come in."
                          
I look over to find his neck craned towards me with his lazy stare fixed on me.
                          
Before I could stop myself, my feet drag me inside. As if just by looking at me, he had them in his control.