He Looked Back

by Hollandaise, Melissa

  “Katherine, I swear to—” He stops when he sees his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

  I double over in laughter.

  “Winnie the Pooh? Are you fucking serious?”

  I continue to laugh as he returns to the living room, the band aid on his face dotted with little yellow bears.

  “Winnie the Pooh is cute,” I say.

  Dylan sighs and sits beside me again, rolling his eyes playfully. “You’re annoying.”“Not as annoying as you.” I nudge his leg with mine, and he smiles.

  I can tell it hurts his lip to grin, but he does anyway.

  “Dylan, go to bed. You need sleep.”

  “No, I need you.”

  The words seem to slip out of him, and he looks away right after he says them, his cheeks turning pink.

  I blush too, a smile making its way across my face.

  I lean over and kiss his cheek, knowing it would only hurt him to kiss his lips.

  We stare at each other for a few moments after that, Dylan’s eyes slowly regaining their gorgeous emerald color.

  “I made mac and cheese,” I finally say and Dylan turns around to look at the kitchen, laughing loudly.

  “Mac and cheese, eh?” He stands and walks over, looking into the pot of pasta.

  “I make fan-fucking-tastic mac and cheese, so you’d better shut up and eat it before you judge me.” I cross my arms over my chest playfully.

  Dylan smirks. “I wasn’t judging.”

  “Yeah, right. I see that look. You think because you’re British and attractive and a great cook that you’re better than everyone else.”“Attractive, hmm?” He smirks wide as ever.

  I blush furiously. “I—I...”

  Dylan laughs and pours a plate of pasta for each of us. I’m still flushed pink as I sit with him at the table.

  We eat in relative silence for a few minutes until Dylan speaks up.

  “I’m glad you didn’t come with me.”

  “Why?”

  “They were expecting you to. If you had, they would have...” He trails off, looking out the window.

  I swallow. “Well, I didn’t.”

  He nods, looking down at his plate.

  “Are you in pain?” I ask him.

  “No,” he lies.

  I roll my eyes. “Cut the crap. Are you in pain?”

  He shifts in his seat. “Minor pain.”

  I sigh. “This is all my fault,” I mutter. “If I hadn’t given him a key in the first place—”“Stop, Katie. It’s not your fault James is a bitch ass douche face, alright?” I detect humor in his eyes and fight a smile.

  Dylan smiles wider at my smile. “You like it when I make fun of him, don’t you?”I don’t answer.

  “Alright, well let me tell you that he’s a little slut that eats dick burritos—”“Dylan!” I laugh. “That’s enough!”

  Dylan’s laughing too, his eyes finally regaining their vividness.

  “I should go,” I say, gathering the empty plates of mac and cheese from the table. “Thanks for letting me stay here, Dylan. That was really nice of you.”He shrugs. “Are you sure you don’t want to...stay another night?” He looks up at me sheepishly.

  I smirk. “I have my key.”

  “But...what if my band aid comes off in the night...”

  “You’re a big boy, Dylan. I think you can handle it.” This is too much fun.

  “But what if I can’t handle it?”

  “Dylan, are you asking me to stay another night?”

  “I don’t know, am I?”

  “Alright, I think I’ll just go home, then. I’ve missed my own bed, anyway—”“Well, I could stay over there, if you miss your bed...”

  I’m laughing now, at his childish tone.

  I sigh. “Alright, Dylan. You can stay over, but only because your band aid might come off in the night.”His eyes light up and he stands abruptly, a childish smile on his face.

  I gather my things from his room, making sure to get my key, too, and Dylan follows me like an excited puppy over to my place.

  “It’s fucking freezing in here,” is the first thing that comes out of my mouth as I race to the thermostat.

  When I enter my bedroom to begin unpacking things, I find Dylan studying the pictures on my dresser.

  “It that you? With Courtney?” He asks me, pointing to the picture of my sister and me in Central Park.

  “Yeah,” I say.

  “How old were you?”

  “Well, I was seventeen, so that means Courtney was...thirteen.”

  Dylan nods, still studying the photo. “You don’t look any different.”I shrug and hang up my clothes.

  When I’m finally done unpacking, I turn on the TV in my room while Dylan changes into his pajamas back at his place.

  So much has changed between us in so little time. I feel so strongly for this boy that I previously hated to death—I can only wonder what he feels for me.

  I’m half asleep by the time Dylan reenters my bedroom.

  “Here’s your spare key,” he says, putting it down on my dresser.

  “Keep it,” I say groggily. “I trust you.”

  He smiles slightly and nods. I feel the bed dip down next to me as he slides in next to me, his scent engulfing me.

  “What are we watching?” He asks me.

  “Nothing, I’m exhausted.” I switch off the TV and rub my eyes.

  “Party pooper.”

  “Excuse me,” I retort, flipping my pillow over to the cool side. “I’ve had to put up with you this whole week, I have the right to be exhausted.”Dylan laughs and scoots closer to me, his face nuzzling into the crook of my neck.

  “You smell like vanilla,” he says onto my skin.

  “Yeah, that’s kind of what lotion does.” I giggle and he laughs along, his chuckles vibrating against my neck.

  “Good night, Katie.”

  “Night, Dylan.”

  Chapter Fifty Four

  I wake up in the middle of the night, confused at the absence of Dylan’s arms around me.

  I sit up abruptly, my eyes adjusting to the dark. “Dylan?” I call softly.

  “Hmm.”

  I follow his voice to the window, where he leans, staring out. Even in the dark room, I see his vibrant green eyes, and the purple ring surrounding one of them. I cock my head at him.

  “What are you doing up?” I check the clock next to my bed. “It’s one thirty am.”“Couldn’t sleep.”

  I furrow my brow. “Why not?”

  He looks down. “I, uh...I’m in a bit of pain.”

  I get out of bed, walking into the bathroom and sifting through my bottles of medicines. “Shit, Dylan, why didn’t you wake me?”“I didn’t want to disturb you. You looked so peaceful.”I return with ibuprofen and a new band aid, sitting beside Dylan on the bed.

  His lip has scabbed over a bit and so has his cut when I remove the band aid. His black eye, however, doesn’t look any better.

  “I hate seeing you so hurt,” I murmur as I replace the old Winnie the Pooh band aid with a new one.

  Something changes in his eyes as I move my hands from his face.

  He wraps his arms around me in a tight embrace, his head resting on my shoulder.

  I respond quickly, unsure of why he’s hugging me so out of the blue, but I don’t protest.

  “Thank you,” he breathes in my ear, his rough voice sounding like a melody to my ears.

  He pulls away without a word and takes the pill I hand him, swallowing it with some water.

  “It should kick in soon,” I tell him as he sets the water bottle on my night stand.

  “What’s on the new band aid?”

  I squint at it in the dark. “Oh, my God.” I put a hand over my mouth, stifling laughs.

  “What?”

  “It’s, uh...Dora the Explorer.”

  “God damn it, Katie!”

  We both laugh at my juvenile band aid selection before laying back in bed.

  “I don’t want to go to s
leep yet,” Dylan admits as we lay on our backs, staring at the ceiling.

  “I guess I can stay awake until your medication kicks in,” I sigh.

  I hear Dylan sigh.

  “You know, James may be a little twat, but he can definitely hit hard.”I smile wanly. “I know.”

  It’s silent for a few moments.

  “Hey, want to play a game?”

  “When have I ever wanted to play one of your games?”“Come on. It’s fun.”

  I roll my eyes. “Fine. What game?”

  “Would you rather.”

  “Not this bullshit, please,” I groan.

  “Okay, so would you rather...” He furrows his brow in thought. “Be hunted by a trained assassin, or rot in jail?”“Rot in jail,” I answer.

  “Why the hell would you want that?”

  “Because if you were hunted by a trained assassin, you’d be living in suspense your whole life, waiting for the trained assassin to strike.”“Interesting answer, Katherine.”

  “What about you, then?”

  “I think it would be exhilarating to be hunted,” Dylan says. “You know, living on the edge.”“There are plenty of other ways you could live on the edge.”“Oh, like how? Buying regular Coke instead of Diet?”“Shut up,” I snap. “You know I’d never buy regular Coke.”Dylan laughs. “Sorry, I should have known that was too extreme an example.”I giggle.

  “Your turn,” Dylan says.

  “Alright, would you rather...eat gum off the ground, or use a toilet brush to brush your teeth?”“Shit, Katie, you can’t just ask something like that.”I smile. “You have to answer.”

  Dylan stares at the ceiling for a good five minutes before finally answering. “Eat gum off the ground.” He makes a disgusted face and I laugh.

  “And why?”

  “Because I could eat gum off a very sterile floor, like at my place.”“It would have to be gum off the street.”

  “You didn’t say that!” He smirks at the loophole he found.

  I roll my eyes. “Cheater.”

  “Katherine, you can’t cheat at would you rather. It’s inhumanly possible.”“Well, you just did, so that means you must not be human.”“You caught me. I am actually a god.”

  I laugh, turning on my side to face him.

  “What’s your answer, then?” He asks me. “Gum off the ground or toilet brush?”I sigh. “Well, I’d have to agree with you on this one,” I say. “Who knows what kind of shit toilet brushes clean.”“All kinds of shit. That’s what toilet brushes are for, Katherine.”I laugh again, Dylan cracking up too. Dylan’s sense of humor never fails to entertain me.

  “My turn,” Dylan says gleefully. “Would you rather be married to someone you hate, or never be with someone you love?”His question shocks me a bit. He’s told me he doesn’t believe in love.

  “Never be with someone I love,” I answer.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because it would be worth it, if I’m in love with the person.”“You really believe that?”

  I nod.

  “What about you?” I ask.

  “Neither.”

  “Come on, you can’t do that.”

  “I’m a god, remember?”

  “What if you fall in love, Dylan? Will you still not believe in it?” I ask.

  “I’m incapable,” he answers simply.

  “You’re incapable of loving someone.”

  “Well, no. I’m capable of loving someone, but I’m incapable of ever wanting it.”I feel sad for him, at that moment. I know this is all undoubtedly because of Abigail, and it angers me a bit.

  “Can we go to sleep now?” I ask.

  “C’mon, it’s Friday. What could you possibly have planned tomorrow?”“Well, I was going to Google how to eliminate gods that cheat at would you rather.”“Easy. You kiss them.” He grins childishly and I laugh again.

  “It’s almost two,” I say. “I really am tired.”“I really am tired,” Dylan mocks, his voice a few octaves higher than usual.

  I smack him on the arm, laughing at how ridiculous he sounds. “I don’t sound like that!”“I don’t sound like that!” He continues his mockery and I give up, rolling my eyes.

  “I’m going to sleep.”

  “But the medication hasn’t kicked in yet.”

  “You’re a little shit.”

  He grins and I sigh.

  “I don’t want to play anymore would you rather,” I say.

  “We could play twenty—”

  “No.”

  “How about the guessing—”

  “No.”

  “Fine, what about—”

  “Nope.”

  “How about I just talk, and you listen?” He asks.

  I look over at him. “Talk about what?”

  “I don’t know. Anything that comes to mind.”

  I sigh. “Alright.”

  So he begins talking, his deep, raspy voice sliding over each syllable like butter. He talks about things I’ve never even thought about, and things I’ve never even heard of. But he’s content with just talking, and I’m content with just listening. I fall asleep to the sound of his voice, and the vision of his jade eyes.

  In the morning, I wake up with Dylan draped over me.

  His head is resting on my stomach, his arms wrapped tightly around me. His curls fall onto his forehead. My hands have taken comfort in his hair, the little curls wrapping around my fingers.

  He’s out like a light.

  I try to sit up, but he groans and pushes me back down.

  Even in his sleep, he does everything to spite me.

  “Dylan,” I say. “Get off.”

  His eyes blink open. “Katie, why the fuck are you up at the ass crack of dawn?”I roll my eyes. “It’s ten thirty.”

  “Exactly.” He shuts his eyes again.

  “I have to pee.”

  “Hold it in.”