Chapter 28: Keep it interesting

Chapter twenty-eight: Keep it interesting (Zach's POV)

I opened the door and stuck my head, looking up and down the hallway before we slipped out. I went downstairs and she continued her route to the bathroom. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer where Brett, Nathan, and Spencer grabbed me and took me outside. "What's up?" I asked in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"What's up? Really?"

"What just happened in there?"

"One at a time would be nice," I replied.

"You and Ellie just kissed. Twice!" Spencer exclaimed.

Well, more than twice.

"It was the game," I shrugged.

"Well, we were playing too, we didn't kiss anybody like that." Nathan gave me a pointed look.

"That was your choice," I shrugged.

"Don't act smug," Spencer said.

"You like her, don't you?" Brett asked.

"No, I don't," I lied.

"Then why did you kiss her like that? Twice!" Spencer shrieked.

"Someone had to entertain the crowd," I shrugged.

"Yeah right," Nathan scoffed.

"Zach, just admit it. You like her. It's not like she doesn't like you," Brett shrugged.

"I just don't get how you fell first even though you made the bet," Nathan snickered.

I rolled my eyes at him, "I haven't fallen for her, you guys act like I'm in love, I'm not. I just like her," I shrugged.

"Clearly. So now that you both like each other, is the bet done?" Spencer asked.

"Nope," I replied. They all looked at me, confusion written across their faces. "First of all, we made the bet about making her fall in love, not just liking me. Second of all, if I call it off then she's gone from the apartment. I need her to stay, so I can keep it interesting. Get it?"

Brett didn't react but the other two nodded. Nathan and Spencer went inside but Brett stayed outside with me while I pulled out a cigarette. "Everything doesn't always have to be interesting, Zach. Sometimes it's nice to find something good and keep it before you lose it. She really likes you, just don't do something stupid." He gave me a small shrug before going back inside.

I stayed out till I didn't want to smoke anymore before going back inside. She was sitting on the armrest of the couch with Ashley on her right while she spoke to Ethan and Isaac who were sitting on the couch in front of her.

She was nodding her head with a grin etched onto her face before she laughed when Isaac said something. I know she was supposed to go on a date with him, but from what I heard in the locker room, she canceled it. Nathan called Ashley to the kitchen to hang out with her which left the seat beside her empty.

Should I?

Too late.

"Hey," I nodded at the two while sitting down.

"Hey," they replied.

"What are you doing here?" she turned to me while Ethan and Isaac had a conversation of their own.

"I can't sit here?" I asked while tracing her waistband.

She rolled her eyes at me before looking around the place. "Go sit with the guys." She pointed at Brett and Spencer who were near the stairs.

"They were with me outside, we just talked," I replied, looking up at her.

"And what we're doing here isn't talking?" she asked, amusement seeping through her voice.

"I'm talking to you. There's a difference," I nodded.

"Interesting," she nodded.

"You always say that, I don't get it. Everything I say becomes interesting to you," I sighed while putting the empty beer bottle on the table in front of me.

"Well, yeah," she sighed, watching as Ethan and Isaac left after someone called them over. "Everything you say becomes interesting because I'm interested in you," she smirked.

"Oh, is that so? I see," I nodded.

She laughed and shook her head before standing up. I grabbed her hand and pulled her back down, sitting beside me this time. "What?" she asked.

"Where are you going?" I asked, leaning my head back on the couch.

"To get some water," she replied with a sigh, leaning her head back on my arm that rested on the top of the couch, behind her.

We both sat up straight when Brett came over to us. "I'm heading out, anyone coming with?" he asked.

"You are?" she asked.

"It's two in the morning, yeah, I'm heading out, they're starting to clean up the backyard, the party's almost over," he explained. So basically, if we stay then we'll become part of the cleanup crew.

"Let's just go then." I pushed myself off the couch, pulling out my keys and holding my hand out for Ellie to pull herself up. She did and then we followed Brett out, him going in his car, Ellie and me going in mine.

Brett doesn't like driving with people, especially with me because I never let him drive, I always end up making him drive someplace else and he ends up getting late for wherever he was originally planning to go.

"Do you wanna take a detour?" I asked, already taking the wrong turn that took us to the closest ice cream parlor.

"Where are we headed?" she asked.

"Ice cream," I grinned.

"Shhh!" she whispered as we tiptoed into the apartment. We stayed out the whole night, driving around and coming in late, we probably should be quieter because Brett is probably asleep by now. We went into the room and she softly closed the door with a faint thud.

I lay down while she grabbed her clothes and went to change. Once she came out, I went and brushed my teeth and threw on sweatpants before going back out. She was scrolling through her phone while I lay down beside her, staring. Shamelessly.

She put her phone down after a while and turned to me. "You really like to stare, don't you?" she asked. I shrugged before getting on my side of the bed. We turned our lamps off and sighed. "Night," she mumbled, lying on her stomach and dozing off.

Now, what happens?

I reckon when we wake up, we'll both be off, and awkward, and distant, and idiots. Because that's just who we are. Idiots.

I woke up the next morning when I heard shower water running. I pulled the pillow over my head and tried going back to sleep but I just couldn't. I managed to wake myself up before sitting up against the headboard and scrolling through my phone when the bathroom door opened and Ellie walked out with a towel around her.

She stopped when she saw me and tightened her grip around her towel. "I thought you would be asleep," she cleared her throat, quickly grabbing her clothes.

"I was, I just woke up," I replied with a smirk while checking her out.

"Great," she said before running into the bathroom and locking the door behind her, stepping out after she changed. I chuckled while she grabbed her hairbrush and then went back into the bathroom.

I climbed off the bed and walked over there, standing at the door watching her as she brushed her hair. "Ellie," I mumbled.

"Hmm?" she hummed in response.

"Ellie," I repeated.

"Yes?"

"Ellie,"

"Zach," she said mockingly, turning to me.

"Nothing," I shrugged. She rolled her eyes with a small smile playing on her lips before she went back to brushing her hair. "Can I ask you something?" I asked. She nodded and so I proceeded. "Do you like me?" I questioned.

She hadn't said it yet, neither had I. She said she's interested in me, not that she liked me. "No, I don't," she said bluntly before getting back to her hair.

"What?" I pushed myself off the wall and stood up straight.

"Zach," she huffed, now facing me, "If I didn't like you, then would I have let you kiss me?" She raised her eyebrows at me. I looked at her, my lips slightly pursed. "I do like you. Happy to hear it?" she smirked.

"Very," I grinned.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"You are putting the dice on the number you want and saying you rolled it, do that again!" Ellie huffed. The three of us were playing Monopoly while waiting for our food to be delivered.

"I am rolling the dice, you just don't like losing," I laughed while rolling again, getting the same number. The five that made me win.

"You're cheating! You can't get the number you need every single time that's not possible," she scoffed as the doorbell rang. Brett stood up and got the pizza.

I stared at her and stole a kiss on her cheek before getting up to get the pizza. I caught her blushing as she stood up and walked over to us.

We all ate while talking until halfway through her phone dinged. She looked down at it, her smile falling, and long gone from her face.

"Who is it?" Brett asked.

"It's Ashley," she cleared her throat while seeming confused.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"She said that uh- James... James is moving back into town."

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Chapter twenty-eight

Q: What's ya'lls favorite food? Or like a snack?

A: My favorite food is probably sushi tbh

Next Chapter: For good?