Child

Indigo eyes followed the black car as it traveled the night's wet streets. Light rain drops fell from the dark sky, clinging to the large window the blonde girl knelt before. Her painted nails tapped nervously against the window pane, anxiously awaiting the pounding knock on the door to break the silence.

A shiver of unwanted anticipation wracked her body. She mentally scolded herself.

You don't want to see him. You don't want to see him. She thought. He hurt you far too deeply to be forgiven so quickly

She knew he had been watching her home, just waiting for her parents to leave so that he could see her.

Zoe willed herself to separate from the window and crossed the neutral room to rest against the beige couch. She kept her head forward, staring at the family photo above the fireplace. Her knee began to bounce, yet another sign that she was anxious.

She sat on the couch for another two hours, simply studying the familiar room and listening to the rain. The rain began to pound against the suburban home's roof.

Becoming inpatient, she stood from the couch and left the room, heading towards her bedroom located upstairs. Just as she passed the foyer, a loud beating against the door could be heard.

She sighed in frustration. Her eyes looked down to her cell phone to see it read "10:05".

Opening the door she could see Matt standing on the doormat with a look of remorse across his features. His clothing was drenched, water was dripping from his face, and he was visibly shivering. Zoe became instantly concerned.

"Zo-"

"How long were you in the rain for?" She cut him off, still standing in the doorway.

He looked to his watch, "Two hours."

Her bright eyes went wide. "Two hours? Are you insane?" She reached out to him, grasped his elbow, and led him to her living room after shutting the front door. "Alright, now you sit here, and I'll be right back. Do not move!" She sat him down on the couch and spoke firmly before running to the nearest linen closet.

When she returned she was carrying a pile consisting of blankets, towels, and a pair of boxers.

"Boxers?" He questioned taking a plush towel and drying himself off. His teeth seemed to be chattering.

"Yes, boxers. You can't stay in those wet clothes. You'll probably get sick anyways, it doesn't need to be any worse." She told him. "Now, give me your clothes." She turned away from him, giving him privacy, and held her hand out, waiting for the clothing.

He chuckled at her. "It's not anything you haven't seen before." He spoke as he shed his clothing.

She blushed at his comment, quickly walking away with his clothes before he could see. She threw the soaked garments into her dryer, then walked to the kitchen, fixing him a bowl of warm soup.

"Here." She handed him the bowl where he lay on the couch with layers of blankets covering him.

"Thank you." He spoke, taking the bowl and began to sip it, rather than use the spoon. Zoe took a seat on the other end of the couch, leaving room between themselves. Silence filled the room.

Once he finished his meal, he placed the bowl on the coffee table and turned to her on the couch. She looked to him, noticing he's gained some color, and that his shivering has decreased.

"Zoe, about yesterday, I want to apologize for being a total asshole. I should never treat you that way. I just get angry and take it out on you, though I shouldn't, but I do. And I'm so sorry for that." He pulled her hands to his lap and stroked the skin there. She remained silent, refusing to reply. "Are we okay now?" Her eyebrows furrowed at this.

"No." She spoke simply.

"No?" He questioned, looking a bit hurt by her refusal.

"No." She confirmed.

"Why not?" He was honestly confused.

Instead of confronting him about his hurtful comment, she just shook her head and crossed her arms, looking away from him.

He though back to their confrontation yesterday. He tried to remember what he said that hurt her. Then, he remembered.

"Oh. Zoe, Babe, you're mad at me because I called you a child. Aren't you?" He cupped her chin and guided her to face him. She nodded, a look of innocence upon her features. "Baby, I'm sorry. I know that hurt you, and I didn't mean it. I say fucked up shit sometimes, you know?"

"I do. That's why you said it." He didn't respond for that much was true. He knew it would hurt her. That's why he said it. He just wanted to be left alone and she wouldn't leave him be, so he said it to make her leave. "Maybe we should just end whatever we have."

"What?" He had not expected her to say that.

"It's becoming to tiring, Matt. I can't pretend the way you treat me sometimes doesn't hurt me, because it does. I hate when you shut me out. You do it all the time. I could understand if you viewed me as just your student, but if that's the case, then let me know."

Matt's hands reached up and cradled her cheeks. His soft hazel eyes held honesty as he spoke to the young girl next to him. "Zoe, what we have goes far beyond the boundaries of students and teachers. I know, I hurt you sometimes. I'm doing my best to change that, but you've got to give me time to do that. I care about you, Zoe. I'm not ready to end this." He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to her plump lips.

She allowed herself to enjoy the sweet kiss. His lips felt so smooth and his lip ring provided an electrifying jolt of energy. She was nearly swept away completely before she realized what she was doing. She had made up her mind about them.

We're over. She mentally encouraged herself to speak those two words.

She pushed him away, trying to keep her eyes from his chest, then stood up and traveled across the room to the wash room. She quickly pulled his dry clothes out and folded them into a pile.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Zoe turned to Matt, clothing in arms, and thrusted the items to him.

"Get dressed and get out."