Chapter 16

“Why am I here?” she raises her eyebrows at me as I pull my keys out and unlock my house. I haven’t been here in a while and wasn’t planning on being here until I was sure I wanted to be alone with my thoughts and my old man was out of town.

I wasn’t alone now.

“You said you wanted to know what was up” I reply stepping aside for her to enter. She looks at me and reluctantly takes a step inside my house.

Wow, second time she’s been here, second time a girl has been at my house.

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with your house?” she frowns her nose scrunching in the cutest way.

“Sparks…” I close the door behind us and turn to look at her “Trust the process” I wink.

“The only reason I’m here is because I couldn’t resist getting on your bike” she mutters and I laugh.

“You’re actually awesome. Can’t believe you’re into bikes” I lead the way to the living room.

“Well, you better believe it” she speaks her tone unnaturally excited “Say, if I look deep into your eyes and ask nicely will you give it to me?” I turn and look at her a grin on my face.

“You don’t have to ask nicely for me to give it to you Sparks” I wink at her again and she flips me off.

“Come on” I chuckle “Make yourself at home” she looks around my messy living room then back at me.

I’d moved in a couple of months ago and was barely here so I didn’t even think of getting a couch or anything permanent. So, my living room consisted of a grey carpet Drew got me as a house warming gift and fluffy, colorful bean bags Austin brought over after thinking that my house was his house too.

“Fuck, this house looks like you…” Sparks sighs.

“What’s that supposed to men?”

“It just gives a you vibe” she explains waving her hands towards me.

“Is that a good thing?” I raise my eyebrows in question. I wasn’t sure those words coming from her meant anything positive.

“Not exactly” she purses her lips and I hold back a grin. Fuck.

“Hey, I love it” I defend “And you’re the only girl who’s ever been here, so you should be grateful” I point her.

“Grateful for what?” she looks amused by this.

“Shut the hell up and grab a bean bag” I warn her “I’ll grab us something to drink.” I head to the kitchen and open the refrigerator.

I can’t believe I actually got her to come here; I also can’t believe the excitement I’m feeling. What the fuck, Sparks?

**

I pass one of the cans of beer to her and she looks up at me and snatches it eyeing my knuckles.

“You’re so disgusting. Bleeding over everything, you have a first aid kit or something?” she asks and I smirk.

“You want to help me clean my wound, Sparks?”

“Cainine” she sips her beer from the can “Just get me a freaking rug if you can” she sighs and I laugh heading to the bathroom for my kit. Lucky for us, I get into a lot of fights and I’m always prepared.

“Here” I hand her the white metal box and she takes it and opens it studying its contents carefully as I pull a bean bag next to her and plop down.

“Hand” she demands stretching her open palm and I smile placing my hand in hers. Just as I remember the feeling… Soft, warm, welcoming “Don’t smile like that weirdo” she mumbles and I quickly snap out of it, wiping the smile off my face. I was smiling too much around this woman.

I wince as soon as I feel the cold cotton touching my open wound and she scoffs.

“Serves you right” Sparks says and I look down at her pouting and trying to get her to look up at me.

“Do you have something against me?”

“No. You broke a guy’s face” she looks back at me for a second, her eyes slightly softening, then looks back at my knuckles “What was that about anyway?”

“I just… Have issues” I mumble and she dabs on my wound with the cotton and looks at me a big question mark on her face.

That was the only right answer to her question because let’s be honest, this wasn’t about Justin being a clueless horny amateur, I blew up because of someone else-

“What issues?” she asks and I look at my fingers then back at her.

“Just issues” I shrug.

“I want to know those issues” she whispers “That’s why I’m here.”

I know her shrink brain is curious trying to figure out the violent school dyke whore, but she won’t. I don’t know what would make her think I’d easily tell her shit when I know she dislikes me.

Anyway, let’s focus on what matters here, Sparks finds me interesting.

“Is that right?” I smile studying her carefully realizing how cute and kind of chubby her cheeks are when she’s serious. So kissable.

“Yes Cainine, you told me you’d tell me.”

“I honestly just wanted to get you here… Alone” I confess leaning back and she sighs rolling her eyes.

“I know there’s something going on” she insists.

“Nothing’s going on” I wince, damn she’s rough.

“It’s not nice to waste a girl’s time you know?” I laugh at that.

“The issues I have can’t be fixed by talking Sparks, and you of all people can’t do shit about it.” I sigh and she looks up at me and studies me carefully before asking the dumbest question anyone has ever asked me…

“Who hurt you?”

I snort and burst into laughter. Who the fuck asks that? Why would you even ask that and expect an answer? What was I supposed to say? The world?

“No one hurt me” I chuckle “What makes you think that?”

“You look hurt” she nods “Sure, laugh about it but I saw hurt in your eyes.”

“Shut the fuck up” I laugh harder and she ignores my hysterics.

“You want it wrapped?” she points my hand and I sit back eyeing her.

“Do whatever you want” I’m surprised by how many meanings I have to that.

“Mm’k” Sparks mutters and proceeds wrapping my hand with a white bandage.

“So…” she speaks when she’s finally done. “What happened? And don’t ask with what, you know what I’m talking about” she raises her eyebrows.

Wow, alright shrink, Sparks. You know what, let’s test her.

“What would you do if something you’ve been running away from almost all your life caught up to you?… Again” she studies me carefully

“Well, I’d stop running” she says and I’m about to speak when she goes on “See maybe if it keeps on finding you, your fate is to face it” she says and I nod thinking about her words. “Maybe facing it will drive it away, make you stronger” she explains “You can’t run away from your fate Cain.”

Just when I thought she couldn’t be more different. Everyone in my life has taught me to run, hide, forget, fight when I shouldn’t, but she’s asking me to stay, face it.

“See, told you you couldn’t help” I scoff “Dumb advice.”

She nudges me with her elbow and laughs along chugging her drink. “Come one, you know I’m right” she says and deep down, I know she’s right but she hasn’t met him. She knows nothing.

“Anyway, about the thing I asked for the other day” I say trying to switch topic and her smile drops.

“What thing?” I can tell she knows what I’m talking about and is just trying to play dumb. She has no idea how much it took to ask for her phone number.

“You know what thing.”

“No, I don’t” she insists.

“Come on-“

“Don’t- don’t push it” she warns me raising a forefinger “I’m already at your place.”

Damn, well I guess I wasn’t getting her number anytime soon. I wasn’t going to push it, it was only a small part of the ‘get Sparks under me’ plan anyway.

“Yeah, you’re right…” I raise my hands in defense then sigh tilting my head to get a better view of her. “Anyway, want to make out?” I raise my eyebrows.

“Yeah right” we both break into laughter.

“What? It works with other girls” I shrug.

“That dumb High school line?” she giggles and I nod “Well it’s either they’re dumb, or I’m just alien.”

“Both” I mutter and feel the chest flutter when she smiles softly. “You’re really different, you know that Sparks?” I lean close to her by default.

She was different, she stood up to me and had a different view of things. Maybe it’s the fact that I hadn’t given other girls a time of day and listened to them or maybe it’s the fact that this girl was interesting enough to make me want to do that… And more.

“No, I’m average… You just haven’t met others like me yet.” she mutters quietly lightly tracing my knuckles.

I study the movement as her slender fingers slowly trace over the material covering my fingers and I smile. This is weirdly calming.

“I don’t think there’s anyone like you out there” I whisper. “I’ve never met a girl like you and I don’t want to. One of you is enough.”

She laughs “Is that a compliment? I don’t get it.”

“I guess it is” I study her pretty face. Her beautiful, calm eyes with those long lashes, her light but well-tanned skin that always looks edible, her perfect lips.

Damn, I really wanted to kiss her right now. It was weird. This felt like my life depended on it. Like it would be the right thing to do at this moment- Just kiss her nothing more.

A small strand of her dark hair falls and my hand is quick to raise and tuck it behind her ear. She reluctantly looks at me her face innocent yet knowing at the same time. How did she always manage to keep that facial expression?

“You’re the most beautiful girl I have ever seen” I whisper cupping her cheek, my eyes boring into hers. How does she manage to look like this, because I wasn’t just saying it, it was true, I meant it every time I said it to her.

I wasn’t just complimenting her to get with her, I meant it.

“I-” her voice cracks and she clears her throat then pushes my hand away. “Drive me home?” she asks and I smile and look away. Well fuck.

“Yeah of course.”

Fuck the chase.

**
Re-editing me here and I say, fuck the chase indeed Ali. Press the star-shaped thingy and leave a comment, you can’t.. CANNOT be invisible in day today life then be invisible in my book. NOPE. No sir.