8(Ada)

I couldn't sleep. I'd collapsed into bed three hours ago, my body exhausted but my mind racing. I'd tried counting Birds, fantasizing about my book boyfriends, and listening to my alarm clock's built-in white noise feature, but none of it worked.

For no reason suddenly I think of the party night. 

The graze of his fingers along my spine.

The low rumble of his voice in my ear.

Babydoll. 

Tingles erupted over every inch of my body. I shift again hoping the memory would eventually fade of his ghost eyes and touch from my skin. 

It doesn't. 

Honestly, We hadn't 

exchanged more than a dozen words ever since our first meeting in the school north wing, but actively ignoring him was more draining than I'd expected. His presence is too loud to not notice. 

The penthouse was big, it has only been one day since I moved here and I only crossed path with him twice. One when we just arrived and the second when he was going out. 

He's not back yet since. 

I groaned, shifting on my back, The numbers on my clock flipped from 01:02 a.m. to 01:10 a.m. My stomach emitted an angry growl at the same time.

It was technically too late to eat, but… 

I got up anyway, it's not like I'll be able to sleep without anything in my tummy. I tiptoed out of 

my room and down the hall. 

I flipped on the kitchen lights, opened the fridge, and scanned the contents until I located a Bowl of chocolate syrup. 

I set my bounty on the kitchen island before I hunted for another ingredient.

Potato chips…I opened and closed 

the endless row of cabinets, searching for a distinctive round box. 

The cabinets were so high I had to stand on tiptoes to see into the back, pressing my hand on the counter to reach higher, and my arms and thighs were starting to ache. Why did Brandon have so much storage space? 

I should've searched for stool— 

"What are you doing?" 

I flinched and stifled a scream at the unexpected voice. A spark of jolting pain raised through my knee when it banged into the lower cabinet matching the suddenly frantic beats of my heart.

Brandon stood in the doorway, his gaze bemused as it traveled between me 

and the open cabinet.

A black sweetpant hang low on his waist, exposing his muscles and bronze skin. "You scared me." My voice came out a bit breathier as I retrieve my gaze away from his exposed torso. 

His eyes held mine for a brief moment before they flicked over me. 

"What are you up to?" He drawled eyeing the chocolate bowl before his lazy gaze travelled down my neck. 

I don't usually eat midnight snacks so there were rare opportunities of me getting out of my room after ten, My toe curled when I noticed his gaze fixed on my silk top a bit longer and it took everything in me to not cross my hand over my chest. 

"Couldn't sleep," I said immediately turning away from him to continue my business. 

I held still, when I felt his presence behind me. His hand reached out over mine, it was barely a touch but the electric spark might as well as blow my heart with it's intense heat. 

What's wrong with me today? 

Afraid to breathe as he moved, I shifted to avoid any accidental touch, "What are you searching for?"

Deep. Calm. Total opposite to what's happening inside of me. 

"P—potato chips." 

I discreetly tugged my hand down while Brandon reached into the cabinet above my head. The tiny breeze from his movement brushed my skin. The heat of his skin raises the temperature of my body a few degrees higher. 

Goosebumps pebbled, and something hot coiled in my stomach.

Am I going crazy? 

He retrieved an unopened pack of chips and handed it to me without a word.

"Thank you." I clutched the packet, wishing he'd move back so I could take a breath. 

His body moved and my hand immediately clasped on the covers of the countertop to keep myself steady.

Part of me wanted to escape to the safety of my room. The other part wanted to stay and see how long I could Walk on thin ice without falling through.

This all mess started ever since that party I've attended. 

I turned towards the small two person table chair, I froze for a brief second when I noticed him already seated there, scrolling his phone. 

"Are you hungry?" I asked taking my seat on the other side. 

"No." 

I nod, dipping two chips into the chocolate before eating it. I sighed as the saltiness and sweetness mixed together completely satisfying my tastebuds. 

Silence filled the room, interrupted only by the crunch of my food. 

I look up from the food, Forget the way his muscles flexed with each light movement or the way his habitually pokes his tongue on the inside of his cheek, I traveled lower, I'm surprised he's well maintained. Abs and muscles. When I returned to his face he was already staring at me, I found myself swallowing deeply.

"Is it you or all women have this weird taste." He asked out of nowhere, surprising me. 

I clutch the bowl closer to my chest, "what do you mean weird? And who said only women like to eat this?" 

"Yeah?" Brandon said. He eyed me and then my snack with a hint of intrigue. "Then name one person with this unique food liking who isn't a woman." 

It was introduced by Elie to me, but honestly it tasted a lot better than anything I've had before that. 

Men like these kind of food too... Only just I cannot come up with any name right now. 

His mouth curled into a knowing smirk, "Can't remember?" 

"Don't act so smug. It's a popular food," I lied. 

I don't actually know anything about this beside it's smoothing taste. "You wanna try?" 

"Never." 

I slid my chair closer to his.

"Let's see who's wrong and who's right." I said dipping a few chips into the chocolate. "Whether or not this suits your taste."

I pushed the bowl toward him ignoring the grimace look on his face. 

"I doubt it." He gritted. 

My lip rolled between my teeth to surpass the laugh bubbling inside my stomach. It's so silly, there might be something wrong with my head because for the first time in the past weeks I found him not so annoying. Just slightly but I do. 

"Don't criticize unless you've tried it okay." 

I watch him, the humming of fridge was louder in this silence, he waited for whole twenty seconds and then his phone chemed at the same time he bit into my chip. 

One. 

Two. 

Three. 

I stared at him wide eyed as he swallowed the food deliberately. "What do you think?" I asked. 

He looked from the door to the bowl before meeting my eyes, "too sweet," He dipped another chip inthe chocolate but not all the way. "But this isn't as terrible as I thought." 

"I knew it!" 

I don't know what's happening inside this kitchen right now but I don't hate it. It's better than having him glaring at me, ready to snap my neck the next moment he gets. Actually anything is better then that. 

He's acting weird as well, I don't complain when he scop another chips. Or when his fingers accidentally brushed mine in the process.

He was silent for a long moment before he said, "By the way, starting tomorrow, you'll be accompanying me to school."

"Why?" I almost snapped, but then I cleared my throat and replied in a composed tone, "We're not officially engaged yet. What if rumors start circulating at school?"

He rose from his seat, leaned over, and placed his hands on the island and the back of my chair. "Remember not long ago when you surrendered your whole night into laps of a guy you barely knew? And now, you've even shared a house with the same guy. So, I don't see why you should have a problem in sharing a ride, right?"

I couldn't utter out a word even if I tried to, his hand touched my face. Leading down until air was completely knocked out of my lungs and something rushed to my lower abdomen. Hot. 

His thumb pressure on one corner of lip and dragged to the other. "What you doing?" I whisperd in between. 

His head Deepened, my heart beat slowed my head subconsciously tiling to his touch just when I thought something would happen, he straightened. 

A smirk lingered on his face as he walked towards the door, "sweet dreams babydoll,"

That again! 

It took me a whole minute to realise that he was teasing me. Playing with me. 

Today was a strange day, Strange night. 

And I just know this strangest thing bubbling

inside me is going to kill my all the upcoming nights. 

_________ 

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