Status: Completed - ten chapters, six stars.
Safe in My Arms
What I Really Want Is To Hear Her Sing
Adelle walked into her dorm room with John following behind. He shut the door once he was in and placed the teddy bear he’d won for her earlier on the chair. Adelle flicked on the light and sat on the bed, staring at the wall across her.
“Get some sleep,” John said. She nodded and kicked off her shoes before lying on her back. She pulled the covers until it reaches her shoulder, and then she rolled on her side, watching John watching her.
“Stay until I fall asleep? Please?” she asked.
John nodded and walked over the bed to sit on the edge of it. Adelle held out her hand and he only stared at it.
“Hold it.”
And he did. He kept holding her hand and watching her falling asleep. After half an hour watching her sleeping, he slipped his hand from Adelle’s and ran his fingers through her hair. He leaned in and hovered his lips above hers and when they were only a few inches apart, he hesitated and kissed her cheek instead.
He got up and left her room, not forgetting to lock it from the outside. He squatted in front of the door with the key in his hand, and then pushed it into the room through the space between the door and the floor.
He got up and walked home.
- - -
The next morning, Stephen parked his car on the driveway and walked into the house. Their parents were at work by now. He headed upstairs and walked pass John’s room when he heard him calling him.
“Why weren’t you home?” John asked as he got up from his bed to approach his brother. “What were you doing last night? And be honest.”
“Whoa, why are you suddenly protective—“
“Adelle fucking cried!” John shouted.
Stephen stopped talking, stunned.
“She cried, okay?! What were you thinking, spending the whole day AND night with your ex-girlfriend, when you are taken!”
“What—“
“AND YOU DON’T KISS OTHER PEOPLE IN THE FUCKING MOUTH WHEN YOU’RE FUCKING TAKEN!!”
“Wait – you followed me?” Stephen asked in disbelief. Of all people, he wouldn’t guess his own brother would follow him.
“Adelle too.”
Stephen said nothing.
“You’re never satisfied, do you?” John said bitterly.
Stephen looked at him, confused.
“You always want what I want, and you’re the one that always gets them. When I don’t want them anymore, you just throw it away.”
“I never knew you’d want—“
“It’s because you never bother to look around! You never bother to see my face when you get what we want!”
“John, I’m sorry—“
“Fuck that! Just make your decision, okay? It’s either Adelle or Victoria. You can’t have both of them!”
“Why are you making such a big fuss for this?!”
“Because I care about Adelle! Fuck it – I love her, okay?!”
Stephen nearly choked on his own spit. “W – what?”
“I love her,” John repeated, calmer than before. “Ever since I saw her reading in the corner of that coffee shop, four years ago.”
Four years? Stephen thought, I just know her three years ago. He spent a year watching her and doing nothing?
“I can take care of her better than you do. At least, I won’t be confused between two girls.”
Stephen bit his lower lip, his eyes gazing down.
“Make up your mind, will you?” John said before walking into his room and slammed the door close.
“Get some sleep,” John said. She nodded and kicked off her shoes before lying on her back. She pulled the covers until it reaches her shoulder, and then she rolled on her side, watching John watching her.
“Stay until I fall asleep? Please?” she asked.
John nodded and walked over the bed to sit on the edge of it. Adelle held out her hand and he only stared at it.
“Hold it.”
And he did. He kept holding her hand and watching her falling asleep. After half an hour watching her sleeping, he slipped his hand from Adelle’s and ran his fingers through her hair. He leaned in and hovered his lips above hers and when they were only a few inches apart, he hesitated and kissed her cheek instead.
He got up and left her room, not forgetting to lock it from the outside. He squatted in front of the door with the key in his hand, and then pushed it into the room through the space between the door and the floor.
He got up and walked home.
- - -
The next morning, Stephen parked his car on the driveway and walked into the house. Their parents were at work by now. He headed upstairs and walked pass John’s room when he heard him calling him.
“Why weren’t you home?” John asked as he got up from his bed to approach his brother. “What were you doing last night? And be honest.”
“Whoa, why are you suddenly protective—“
“Adelle fucking cried!” John shouted.
Stephen stopped talking, stunned.
“She cried, okay?! What were you thinking, spending the whole day AND night with your ex-girlfriend, when you are taken!”
“What—“
“AND YOU DON’T KISS OTHER PEOPLE IN THE FUCKING MOUTH WHEN YOU’RE FUCKING TAKEN!!”
“Wait – you followed me?” Stephen asked in disbelief. Of all people, he wouldn’t guess his own brother would follow him.
“Adelle too.”
Stephen said nothing.
“You’re never satisfied, do you?” John said bitterly.
Stephen looked at him, confused.
“You always want what I want, and you’re the one that always gets them. When I don’t want them anymore, you just throw it away.”
“I never knew you’d want—“
“It’s because you never bother to look around! You never bother to see my face when you get what we want!”
“John, I’m sorry—“
“Fuck that! Just make your decision, okay? It’s either Adelle or Victoria. You can’t have both of them!”
“Why are you making such a big fuss for this?!”
“Because I care about Adelle! Fuck it – I love her, okay?!”
Stephen nearly choked on his own spit. “W – what?”
“I love her,” John repeated, calmer than before. “Ever since I saw her reading in the corner of that coffee shop, four years ago.”
Four years? Stephen thought, I just know her three years ago. He spent a year watching her and doing nothing?
“I can take care of her better than you do. At least, I won’t be confused between two girls.”
Stephen bit his lower lip, his eyes gazing down.
“Make up your mind, will you?” John said before walking into his room and slammed the door close.
♠ ♠ ♠
this is short, but expect another update todayyy. I don't usually do more than one update in a day...