{Chapter 11}
"Aww."
I coo when I walk in and see the boys knocked out on the pull out couch.
"Yeah. They are so sweet they'll make your teeth rot."
Ruby grumbles, slipping off her shoes.
"Goodnight, Ruby."
I whisper, watching as she snuggles up next to Brandon.
"Goodnight, T."
I roll over on my side to check the time and almost jump out of my skin when I feel breathing on my neck.
"What the hell?"
I demand, turning on my side.
Quincy is quietly snoring, his head falling on my chest.
I try not to blush.
"Quin? Quincy!"
"Must you be so loud?"
He says immediately.
I jump.
What the hell is wrong with him?
"Get the fuck out of here!"
I whisper shout.
He yawns, slowly wrapping his arms around me.
"You said we could cuddle, remember? Now go to sleep, it's late."
He mutters.
It's 5 in the morning.
When did he get in here, I could have sworn that I just fell asleep a few minutes ago.
My heavy eyes remind me of that.
"Why are you awake?"
I mutter, sighing contently as he slowly runs his fingers through my hair.
"Relax, love. I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me. Why don't you get some sleep?"
He rasps.
"No, I want to look at you."
I slur, throwing my leg over his stomach.
He sighs, pulling me even closer.
"You have no idea how much I want to look at you too."
He whispers.
I freeze.
"Go to sleep, princess. I'm just up thinking, that's all."
He soothes.
Me, I'm too busy trying to figure out what to say.
"Well I can't sleep now."
I mutter, trying not to tense up too much when he rests his rough hand on my thigh.
If I knew that he'd come in here, I would have kept my damn pants on.
"I'm sorry, I should've kept that to myself."
He sighs.
Silence.
"I was thinking...that maybe tomorrow we could go get something to eat. I would like for you to take me to your favorite restaurant."
He clears his throat.
Like a date?
My heart leaps.
"Of course, honey. I'll see what I can do."
I whisper, tingling all over as he starts rubbing my thigh.
I bite my lip as he buries his face in my neck, letting out a long sigh.
"I just wish that we could hang out every day, you know?"
What the hell is going on?
.
.
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{Quîncy}
Ever sînce yesterday when Brandon was tellîng me about how happy he îs beîng wîth Ruby, Î couldn't sleep a wînk.
He told me that she dîdn't really lîke tîtles and stuff and at first they were just sleepîng around.
Now he loves her.
Î made the mîstake of askîng what beîng în love feels lîke.
"Ît's dîfferent for everyone. For me, my heart îs too bîg anyway so ît's the lîttle thîngs that helps remînd me. Lîke how happy Î get when Î see her after not seeîng her for a whîle. Or how proud Î get when Î see her shoot down other guys then look at me and blush...oh my God, she's just the best. So damn stubborn but so hîlarîous and kînd. Î love her because although she never saîd she'd settle down wîth me, she has. În a way, she îs stîll sîngle but there's no poînt în all of that. Everyone knows she's mîne and Î'm hers....."
There was so much emotîon în hîs voîce.
He sounded so calm and satîsfîed.
Î couldn't sleep after hearîng that so Î got up and felt my way along the wall în the dark untîl Î found Tîara's room.
Î thînk holdîng her îs my favorîte thîng to do now.
She's so soft and good smellîng.
And she never seems to want to let go.
Î know that she lîkes me.
At least a lîttle bît.
Î mean, she has put up wîth me for almost 3 months now.
Î dîdn't notîce thîs untîl Î met Ruby and Brandon but she talks to me dîfferently too.
She's...soft to me.
Î mean, she's a great person. She's very kînd and hard workîng.
Her voîce îs gentler when she speaks to me.
Always makes me feel lîke the most împortant person în the whole world when she talks to me.
"Would you lîke to învîte Jenny?"
She îs sayîng now.
We are at Chînese Express.
Her favorîte restaurant.
Î'm too busy thînkîng to answer rîght away.
What Î had în mînd was a date.
Î wanted to spend some alone tîme wîth her but ît turns out that Ollîe's parents needed another day alone.
Î totally get ît, though Î have no child, Î understand that sometîmes they can be a handful.
Then Î ended up askîng Brandon îf he wanted to go too.
He's so cool.
Î've never had many male frîends. Other guys are too awkward to me.
They never know what to say except that they are sorry.
And everyone knows that that's the worst thîng you can say to a person who îs dîfferent not by choîce.
Ruby's very nîce too, she's very sassy though.
Just lîke Tîara.
"She's out of town agaîn."
Î mutter.
"Oh, Î hope her mom îs okay. Î'm startîng to get a lîttle worrîed."
She sîghs.
My fîngers îtch to feel her fluffy haîr once more.
Î yearn to rub her soft thîghs agaîn.
They were so smooth and învîtîng.
Î sîgh, puttîng my head on the table.
"What's wrong wîth the model?"
Î hear only a second later.
Ruby lîkes to call me a model.
Very flatterîng.
"He's fîne. Probably just regrettîng stayîng up so late."
Tîara says.
Î fînd myself relaxîng greatly when she starts rubbîng my back.
"You okay, bîg guy?"
She leans în and whîspers.
Î try not to smîle lîke an îdîot.
She cares about me.
"Î am fîne. Î want some orange chîcken."
Î sîgh.
"Orange chîcken îs my favorîte."
She tells me.
Î sît up slowly.
Î've never been here, ît smells absolutely heavenly.
"Oh yeah, the orange chîcken here îs the best. Î'm gettîng dumplîngs though."
Brandon says.
He lîkes to eat apparently.
Î'm not too comfortable wîth tryîng new thîngs but he told me that he does almost every day.
"You're mîssîng out."
He told me.
Î open my mouth to say somethîng but then close ît when Î feel somethîng soft close în around my hand.
A certaîn hand.
Î hold my breath as she slowly întertwînes our fîngers, coverîng our connected hands wîth her other.
The electrîc bolts that shoot through my veîns scare me a lîttle.
Jesus Chrîst, such a sîmple gesture has complîcated my mînd.
My face feels hot.
Î feel hot all over.
Î învoluntarîly grîp her hand, my mînd racîng.
Lord knows that Î'll be thînkîng about thîs all day.
"So. Dîd you talk to hîm about the beach house?"
Ruby îs sayîng.
"Oh, not yet. Î guess ît slîpped my mînd yesterday."
"Oh don't worry about ît. Î told hîm we were plannîng on goîng. You ready to pîck a day or no?"
Brandon teases Ruby.
Î frown.
He talks all softly to her too.
Îs ît just me?
Maybe Î'm just overthînkîng.
He dîd tell me that he really wanted me to come wîth them to the beach.
He thînks Î'm cool.
Puck too.
Îf ît means actîng lîke Tîara îs my gîrl then Î'll do anythîng.
Because Î want her to be.
Î want ît a lot.
Maybe Î can fînally express my feelîngs on the trîp.
Îf she wants to go wîth me anyway.
Brandon told me that ît's a very romantîc suîte.
Î can't waît.
"Î would love to go îf you would."
Î mutter under my breath.
"Of course, sweetîe. Î love the beach."
She breathes.
Î let out a breath Î dîdn't even know Î was holdîng.
Thank you Jesus.
Sayîng bye îs actually the hardest part.
"Î'll see you later, okay?"
She says softly as Î wrap my arms around her.
"Î'll mîss you more than anythîng, lovîe."
Î mutter as she melts înto my arms.
"Oh my God, you guys are so cute."
Ruby gushes.
Î sîgh when she awkwardly pulls away.
Î stuff my hands în my pockets and take a step back reluctantly.
"Shut up."
She grumbles.
Î bîte my lîp, rubbîng my neck.
She's goîng to be on my mînd all day.
.
.
.
"Hey."
Î sîgh, starîng up at the ceîlîng.
"Hey, how's mom?"
Î ask absentmîndedly.
She takes a whîle to answer.
"She's fîne. What's up?"
Î bîte my lîp.
"What do you mean? Can't Î just call and check up on my annoyîng frîend?"
Î complaîn
"You never call me."
She remînds me.
"Î can't get her out of my head, tell me what to do."
Î groan reluctantly.
She fînds that absolutely hîlarîous.
Î roll my eyes, tossîng my phone asîde as she laughs.
Puck curls up on my stomach wîth a înconvenîenced sîgh.
"You're such a bîtch, Quîn."
Î scowl.
"Shut the hell up!"
"Why don't you call her? Or maybe-"
"Î just saw her thîs mornîng, Î don't want to appear weak."
"You are weak."
She coughs.
Î sîgh loudly.
"Can you tell me what to do or not?"
Î growl.
"Sure, buddy. Why don't you fînd somethîng around the house to do? Or go for a walk. Or go to the gym."
She suggests.
Î frown. Why have Î not thought about any of that stuff?
"Okay."
Î mutter.
She clears her throat.
"Î knew you had a thîng for Tîara. Dîdn't thînk ît was thîs bad though."
She snîckers.
"What the hell are you talkîng about?"
Î demand, my cheeks feelîng all hot agaîn.
"Nothîng. You just seem a lîttle.....lovestruck."
Sîlence.
Î don't say anythîng.
Love?
Could Î be lovestruck?
Î've never been în love before.
"Î'm not în love wîth her!"
Î snap.
"Uh huh. Sure you're not."
She doesn't sound very convînced.
"We've only known each other for a lîttle whîle, besîdes she doesn't lîke me."
Î shake my head.
"Quîncy, dude? Î love you lîke a brother but sometîmes you're just plaîn stupîd. You know that gîrl lîkes you."
Se scolds.
Î don't say anythîng.
"Besîdes, you don't see the way she looks at you."
She says hesîtantly.
She always hesîtates when ît comes to my loss of sîght.
Î hate ît.
"Can you....Can you tell me?"
Î whîsper.
Î want to know.
"She looks at you lîke you're the best thîng în the world. Lîke you're the only thîng în the world."
Damnît.