I blinked rapidly, before I turned my attention to my roommate who was looking at me with furrowed eyebrows. I suddenly tensed. Riley never really intimidated me, but with what was happening right now, and the fact that she was Nathan's sister…I suddenly felt scared of her. Not in an I-don't-want-you-to-be-my-friend-anymore way of course…it was more of like I didn't want to disappoint her.
"Yeah…? Sorry. Spaced out." I answered, sounding very unsure with my words.
I didn't know what was happening with me, really. I may have sounded really cool and calm on the outside, but my internal self…? The total opposite. Every part of me was dead tired, and with Riley trying to 'hook' me up with Nathan, the more I was becoming stressed out
"I can see that."
"I think we should stop, babe." Anthony said to his girlfriend, as he took Riley's hand and enveloped it with his.
"Huh? What? But I really want Nathan to spend the night with Alex!" She cried out loud, which caught me off guard.
What she said definitely woke me up, and now…I couldn't hide the fact that I was blushing like crazy. Sleeping with Nathan…how do you think can I possibly control myself with those words? Riley who saw my tinted cheeks immediately opened her mouth, and let her jaw drop down until it reached the floor, before she patted her boy on the shoulder. She told Anthony to look at my reaction, and I felt even more embarrassed. I felt like an organism being studied under a microscope.
"Guys…stop it…" I said, sounding like a wounded puppy.
Unfortunately, they didn't listen to my plea.
"Aww…look Hun…if only Nathan wasn't drunk…"
I swear if Anthony weren't here, I would've hit Riley already. She was annoying, but not in a way that pissed me off or made me angry, and as much as I wanted her to stop, I couldn't. She was talking about Nathan. But of course, I wasn't going to show her that.
"What will make you guys shut up?" I asked, as I looked at the totally clueless Nathan who was lying down peacefully on the sofa.
Riley and Anthony simply ignored me, and started whispering to each other. They definitely didn't take into consideration that I was just standing in front them, as they continued smiling and pointing at me. After a few seconds, they finally pulled their ears away from each other, and put their attention back to moi.
"Let Nathan sleep in your room, and we won't bother you anymore."
Did I have to think before I answered…? No.
* * *
I didn't know what time it was…I just knew I was already awake, and I didn't like it that I was. I wanted to sleep forever since the sheets felt warmer than usual, and I felt protected under the cotton fabric, but when I opened my eyes, I realized that it wasn't the sheets that made me want to stay in bed longer. It was Nathan.
Lying down on the bed beside me with one of his arms around my waist, Nathan continued with his slumber, and taking advantage of our close proximity to each other, I took my time to stare at him. Call me weird or freaky…I don't care. I couldn't pass up this opportunity. He looked so serene, so relaxed…like he usually was, and the more my feelings for him became deeper.
After a few minutes of taking in the features I was so used to seeing, I blacked out, and only when I heard a scream coming from myself did I realize I was on the floor, frightened, and unsure of what had happened.
Getting panicky, I let out a squeal, and asked Nathan what was going on. He shrugged his shoulders lazily, and rubbed his eyes to wake his sleepy self up, before he got out of bed, and stretched his arms out to help me up. I diligently obliged his invitation and took hold of both his hands, as I tried to stand up, but eventually I failed. I was awake, but my mind wasn't functioning yet, so instead of Nathan helping me stand up, I made him fall, and he landed on top of me.
My mind, stupid and crazy as usual, liked the idea of how close we were to each other. With his head an inch away from mine, and strands of his hair touching my forehead, it looked like we were going to kiss any second now. Maybe it was a dream…maybe it wasn't, but I felt the gap close between us. But before I could separate fact from fiction, the door swung open and in came Riley and Anthony, looking surprised…and flushed.
"What happened? I swear I heard someone shout!" Riley said, as she hugged Anthony for warmth and protection.
After that, she reddened…and looked at me…very, very mischievously. I returned her glare with a clueless look, and when the awareness of Nathan being on top of me finally hit me, I let out a small, fake cough.
"Oh, shit. Sorry," Nathan said in a hurry, as he quickly stood up, and soon after, helped me, and this time, I didn't make him fall.
"Did we break up…whatever you guys were doing…?" Anthony asked, one-half of him looked serious, while the other looked like he was going to laugh any moment now.
Before I could answer, Nathan spoke up.
"No…! I was helping her up, but I slipped and…yeah…fell." He said, scratching the back of his head, as he turned to me with a helpless look.
"I bet you 'slipped' on purpose," his sister said, adding an evil grin.
Before I was even allowed to say something, Riley started going at it again, but the difference now was that, they were leaving…of their own free will, and I didn't need to persuade them, or plead to them. Yay!
"We'll go now," Anthony said, turning with his back now facing us.
"Yeah…I don't know if we came in between…whatever…but you guys bothered us…we were in the middle…"
"Ri!" Anthony immediately cut, as he smacked his girlfriend's arm teasingly. "They didn't even ask us what we were doing! They don't need to know!"
As if Nathan and I weren't in the room, the two continued arguing like a real married couple, and only when Nathan and I pushed them out did they leave. The room became silent, and I had no other choice but to look at Nate, and ask him, "What now?"
"I don't know," he said taking small steps as he came near me.
With that action of his, my heart finally tensed, and I felt that he was going to do something…kiss me. I maintained a steady gaze on him, as he moved in closer, slowly closing the space that acted as a barricade between us. Towering over me, he bent down…and then I felt his lips over mine. Nathan Adams was kissing me.
I wanted to do a lot of things, and make the most out of this situation. I thought of encircling his neck with my arms, as one hand of mine would run through his hair.
But what I wanted most of all was to kiss him back.
Before I could even return his kiss, he pulled away, and said, "Maybe Riley was right…I purposely slipped…I wanted to do that, but they came…"
And then he left.
* * *
I spent the early half of my afternoon the same way I usually did ever since I realized I liked Nathan. I killed time by thinking about him, and I wanted to hate myself for it. I was never like this…I never cared about a guy in a romantic sort of way…but now…a guy was clouding my brain. This was so un-Alex like.
Shopping, surprisingly or not, was one of the very few things that made me stop daydreaming about Nate, so I did just that. I went to the mall, and bought a few things which consisted of a few shirts, pants, bags, and jewelry. After that, I grabbed a bite to eat, before I went to the park which was just outside the mall. There, I saw a horde of photographers, chasing someone. I wanted to know who the famous person was, but I decided not to come any closer for the sake of my life.
I turned my heels, and started walking away from the crowd, but it was too late. They had found me, and now the paparazzi were cut into two groups. One part of it was keen on following me, while the other half was eager to go after…by the shouts of the people, 'Dylan Cyrus'…the hottest new teen sensation and…my ex-boyfriend. Yes, you heard right.
We dated a year ago. That was when my career as a model had skyrocketed, and I found pictures of myself in newspaper headlines and magazines. I became more than a fashion icon at the age of sixteen. I became as I quote magazine writers an 'idol to the youth.' D
ating him gave me mixed emotions. He made me happy in all sorts of ways. I became more famous…more followed…more envied…but he also made my life…complicated…
Before I could even escape the mob, a hand grabbed my own, and pulled me to a black stretched limo. I got into said car and before I closed the door and the automobile started moving…so did my brain. I wasn't thinking of anything specific, but I just felt tired…
"It's nice to see you again, Lexy." My kidnapper said.
I didn't need to look at the person to figure out who he was. That was the voice I was used to hearing a year ago…Dylan's. I turned my head, and found myself looking into those familiar grey eyes, and soft blonde hair. He hadn’t changed drastically. He was just a few inches taller, a teeny-weeny bit tanner, and he had that movie-star look. In short, he was more handsome now.
"Same here, Dylan."
I saw his lips curve up into a small smile, before he took me in with a warm embrace. I hugged back, taking his actions in a friendly sort of way, before we quickly caught up for lost time. I was actually happy with the way we were treating each other. It was as if we had never dated and broken up, and there were no hard feelings. We chatted like best friends, and immediately, I made the decision that I wanted to hang out with him again…as a friend of course.
"Life's been boring without you…I'm sure you know that already." He said with a small playful wink.
I slapped his shoulder in a teasing sort of way, like before I went with him, and agreed to what he had said.
"Duh…I know that already." I said, doing a small hand gesture, before I laughed lightheartedly.
"So…what's happening now?" He asked. "Anything exciting?"
"With that…you mean…?"
"Any boyfriends…?" He cleared up, getting straight to the point.
I quickly shook my head, as I gave him a 'no.' He nodded, believing me, before he asked if I liked someone, and I wasn't going to lie. I said 'yes,' and he didn't seem surprised at all with the so unlike-me answer, and so he started asking who it was.
"Who's the lucky guy?"
"His name is Nathan Adams…he's really nice," was the simple answer I gave.
He just nodded, and only when a few seconds had passed did he start to speak again. He told me he wanted to meet Nath, and me being me, I said, "Why not?"
He told the driver to drop us off at Ridgeway, and on the way there, he started the brotherly-like interview. I must admit he wasn't reacting the way ex-boyfriends usually do. Instead of him acting all jealous and being a pain in the ass, he was even…happy. And that made me grow fond of him. He wasn't acting like an MTV Awards winner. He was just like a normal person.
The moment we stepped out of the car, the pictures continued, and I was forced to run back to my dorm room in heels. And trust me…it wasn't like a walk in the park. Thankfully, the paparazzi stopped the moment we entered the building, and Dylan and I walked to my room in peace, as we took our time.
I unlocked the door with my card key, and Dylan being the gentleman that he was, held open the door for me. We stepped in, and were immediately greeted by nosy pairs of eyes. A weird, awkward-like laugh escaped from my lips, but Dylan being so used to meeting new people every day, immediately greeted my friends with a wave of his hand. Everyone returned his 'hello,' and thus the conversation started.
"I can't believe a movie star is in my room! This is so great!" Riley squealed, acting like a totally immature kid.
Dylan simply smiled at her, before he returned Riley's compliment with one of his own.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said in a deep voice that was so naturally him.
Cindy, Kendra, and Riley were literally praising the superstar that was my ex, and the guys, making me laugh like crazy in the inside, felt threatened with the newcomer's handsomeness and self-confidence that was…just him. All the girls' boyfriends acted really friendly towards Dylan, but I could see the way he intimidated them. He didn't need to act cool to look suave, and that was what made Scott, Anthony, and Jackson feel threatened (Blake was somewhere out with Natalie). Nathan who didn't feel intimidated (at all) with Dylan's presence greeted the guy, before he settled his self back onto the sofa.
I was expecting Nathan to tense up, but he didn't. And I got even more confused. He said he liked me, and he kissed me a while ago to prove it, but why didn't he give out the jealous aura that I was expecting? My inner self created a tidal wave, and smacked me hard inside. Nathan's not the type…you know how mysterious people are…
"So why are you here?" Kendra asked, sounding like an interviewer.
"I'm filming a movie here, actually," he started. "I just arrived this morning."
Kendra smiled brightly, before she nodded to acknowledge his answer. After that, the girls seemed to have been entranced in some kind of spell since the questions continued with a few little compliments here and there. I tried to get Dylan's attention, and when I did, I mouthed out a, "Sorry." He smiled, telling me he understood what came out of my lips, before he waved my worry off, as he continued talking to the rest of the group.
A while after, the guys, Nathan excluded, decided to join in the conversation, as they joked around and made fun of each other. By the wide smile and the light shining in his eyes, I could tell that Dylan was glad to have met my friends, and I too was. I turned around, hoping to come face-to-face with a Nathan who was about to stand up to join the rest, but instead, I was greeted by a miserable looking hottie…and only I could tell that he didn't seem to be enjoying what was happening. It was just a feeling, but it was a strong one. And my expectations were suddenly reached. Nath looked jealous.
I took the empty space on the couch beside him, before I started to speak. I asked him if he was okay, and as an answer, he just nodded at me. I told him to turn his frown upside-down, but instead, it grew deeper. I didn't like seeing him this way. A sad Nathan was just as worse as an angry one. He looked helpless.
"Aren't you enjoying this?" I asked, and in response he shrugged his shoulders.
Why did I have to ask?
"Come on…join the group," I persuaded, taking hold of his hands, but he didn't budge.
I heard him let out a grunt, and I took it as my cue to stop since sooner or later he'd probably get annoyed. I didn't want to take the risk, since I wouldn't be able to stand it if he shouted at me. I knew Nathan wasn't that kind of person, but still…I'm not taking chances.
"Okay." He softly said, standing up, as he headed over to where the rest of the people were.
He took a seat at the farthest part of the circle, and though he was already part of the conversation, he still looked unhappy. I didn't know what else I could do, so I just decided to let it go since it seemed like he wasn't even making an effort to be part of this, as if he was just forced by me to join the group.
"So…how'd you meet Alex?" Anthony asked with nonchalance.
"You guys dated each other right?" Cindy asked, and immediately, Dylan took a quick glance at me.
I caught it, and then smiled weakly, before I gave him a nod. He brightened up, and seeming to have received my confirmation to continue, and he nodded. And when the 'why,' 'how,' and 'when' started pouring out, he was glad to tell everyone, with no bitterness at all in the tone of voice he used.
"Yup…it happened last year. We were both models for Guess, so during pictorials we ended up getting closer," he said, the small grin still remaining on his olive-tanned skin. "I asked her out…she said yes…and thus…the 'us' was born."
Everyone laughed, and surprisingly I heard one coming from Nathan. Spell bounded by his sweet tone, I turned to look at him, but when I caught his eyes, I saw what he was trying to do. He was just trying to fit in since he didn't want anyone pestering him. He was just trying to get along with everyone in this situation that he ended up looking lost, and I felt it as my duty to 'save' him from the awkwardness he was feeling.
"Nate," I said, calling his attention, which ended up with everyone looking at me. "I l
eft my car at the mall…"
He must've have thought I was stupid since he cocked his eyebrow up at me.
"I got here because of Dylan…the mob was crazy, so he pulled me into his car. I totally forgot about mine. Do you want to come and get it with me?"
"Why not ask the others?" he questioned, and I felt myself getting slightly tired with the game he was playing.
I know he's hurting, sick, and jealous, but couldn't he at least just 'say' yes, instead of trying to play hard-to-get. I'm making an effort, and leaving my friends, just so that he wouldn't feel so depressed, but he was acting so, so emo. And tell me…when did the leader of the jocks ever become emo? Never…until now.
"I think you should go with her…" Dylan said out loud to Nathan, and I instantly felt my cheeks burning. "We're in the middle of this totally awesome game. Wouldn't want to bother us…would you?"
The Heaven I Found In Hell Page 18
