Collateral Damage

chapter 18

Last night Alexis told me that Chloe and he weren't exclusive and had been dating for a few weeks before he met me. And tonight, he was going to end it with her. Said he should've done it long ago.

He came out of his room, looking gorgeous as always.

I sat on the couch with a book in my hands and wearing my reading glasses. He stopped in front of me.

'I'm going to... you know,' he said awkwardly.

'Yeah, okay,' I tried to act indifferent but it was hard to not feel bothered by it. What if he met her and realized she was perfect for him? What if yesterday was just us being on a sugar high? What if it was just a dream? I wouldn't put it past my brain to conjure up something like that.

'How can you look ten times hotter with glasses on?' he said, awe written on his face.

It would be like me to not be able to come up with a witty comeback and start blushing furiously.

'I don't wanna go,' he sighed. 'Can't I just text her or something?'

I kept the book beside me and made room for him to sit. He sat down beside me. 'I know she's super annoying but even she doesn't deserve a lousy breakup,' I said.

'She wouldn't even care,' he argued.

'Trust me, she does care,' I said.

He narrowed his eyes on me. 'Whose side are you on?'

'I just don't want her to feel like I stole something that's hers or something like that...' I trailed, my voice turning into a murmur.

'I was never hers. I don't belong to anyone,' he said, a tightness to his muscles.

I looked at him through my lashes. 'Not even me?' I asked, my voice low.

He didn't say anything for a while and I started to fear he would laugh at me.

I opened my mouth to dissuade what I just said, but he held my hand in his and I clamped my mouth shut.

'The only person I want to belong to wouldn't have me, so I guess, I'm on my own,' he had a little smirk on his lips.

'That person is waiting for you to be only hers,' I said.

'Then she doesn't have to wait anymore,' he said and pulled me to him. He kissed me on the side of my head and stood up. 'I'll be back soon,' he said.

I was sure I was frowning because he added, 'Or I could stay here and we could find something to do that's much more fun than breaking up.'

I let out a chuckle. 'Go,' I said and gave him a little push.

****

I closed the book and went to Alexis's study to get another one. He had a big bookshelf there and it had a fair number of novels in it. Mostly thrillers, but a couple of high fantasy too. I trailed my fingers through the hardbound spines until a title caught my eye. I took it out and read the synopsis. It sounded intriguing enough. I sat on his desk chair to read a couple of pages to make sure it held my attention and I didn't have to come in here again to get another book.

I flipped through the first chapter in no time and decided it would do.

I started towards the door when a door at the corner of the room caught my eyes. I didn't know there was another room here. I kept the book on the table and padded over to it. It was ajar and I opened it more. I felt like I shouldn't go around snooping. What if I found something that I didn't want to know?

I ignored that feeling and pushed open the door completely. It was dark in there, the only light coming from the lamp on the study table from the other room. I slapped on the wall to find a switch and after a few tries I found it and light flooded the room. It was some kind of storage room. And it wasn't used or cleaned much because every surface was covered with dust.