Chapter 12

Arriving at four in the morning wasn’t exactly ideal, but at least the airport was relatively deserted. I stepped out of LAX into the pickup area, where I spotted Wes leaning against his truck, engrossed in his phone.

As I approached, he looked up and opened his arms wide, inviting me into a hug. I happily obliged, stepping into his embrace.

He smelled amazing—like minty shower gel. I took a deep breath, trying to imprint his scent into my memory, in the least creepy way possible, of course.

“Hey Alex, how was the flight?” he asked.

I leaned back to look up at him, but didn’t step out of his arms. “It was really good actually! Knox bumped me up to first class, which was cool.”

I felt Wes tense up, then relax a little. He flashed me a smile, his teeth perfectly white against his tan skin. Damn this boy!

“I see he’s trying to buy your affection,” he chuckled, shaking his head. His sandy blonde hair fell across his forehead, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I pulled away to load my bags into the trunk, but Wes beat me to it. “Here, let me get those! You must be tired?” I nodded, grateful for his help. I was exhausted.

I never sleep on planes. I don’t know how people do it. It’s too noisy.

We both climbed into the truck and Wes started the engine, pulling away from the airport into the quiet darkness. The streets were peaceful, with only a few cars in sight.

“Hey, so your brother told me to remind you to call him when you land!” Wes said. I nodded and asked if I could use his Bluetooth speaker in the car to make the call.

After connecting me, I dialed Kyle’s number and waited. On the third ring, he picked up, groaning and cursing about the early hour.

“Ugh! I regret telling you to call me now! I need my beauty sleep!” he mumbled.

“Well, thanks, bro! It’s nice to hear from you too, glad to know you were so worried about me. And yes we all know you need your beauty sleep because you look awful when you don’t get enough of those z’s.”

Suddenly, another groan echoed through the phone. Wes and I exchanged wide-eyed glances, realizing there was someone else in Kyle’s bed. Jesus, Kyle, keep it in your pants for one night!

“Kyle! Fuck that’s so gross! Can’t you keep it in your pants for one night? Jesus! Why would you answer my call with a girl right next to you? Now I have images in my head!” I exclaimed, waving my arms around in exasperation.

“Relax sis, it’s Knox, we fell asleep watching 21 Jump Street,” he groaned.

“Oh, well I don’t know if I should be relieved or worried that you two are in the same bed together? Is there something you’re not telling me, Kyle?” I teased.

Wes burst into laughter. “I always wondered the same thing!” he said, joining in on the teasing.

“Shut the fuck up Wes!” Knox roared through the phone, causing me to laugh even harder. Clearly not a morning person!

“Chill man! Take a fucking joke!”

Suddenly, the mood shifted. “Don’t tell me what to do!” Knox snapped.

Kyle intervened, “Woah, what is with you two! You’ve been fighting so much lately?”

They both grumbled out a “Nothing.”

I sat there, shocked at their behavior. They were best friends, but they were acting like two teenage girls fighting over a boy.

“Look, I only called to tell you both I’ve landed, I didn’t want Knox and Wes to throw the kitchen sink at each other and you to lose your much-needed beauty sleep. So will you please kiss and make up with each other?”

I batted my eyelashes at Wes, who let out a small chuckle and huffed out “Fine, sorry!” I beamed at him as I waited for Knox to respond.

Still waiting. I was getting annoyed now, “Knox!” I screamed into the phone.

“Fine! Sorry, but I only did that for you baby doll!”

“Of course you did. Prick,” Wes mumbled under his breath. I hit him in the arm and glared at him.

“What did you call me asshole?”

“Ugh just stop! You two need to get your shit together! I don’t know what your problem is with each other but frankly, I don’t give a flying fuck! But if this is over a girl or something, I swear to god! Sort it out now!”

I stared out the window of the car, the speed we were driving at made it hard to see what was on the other side of the glass.

“Well on that note, I’m going back to sleep. I’ll talk to you at a reasonable hour sis! Be good! And Wes take good care of her!” Kyle said, ignoring the bickering boys.

“Yeah Saint Wes,” Knox mumbled. I turned to see Wes gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles were white.

“You motherf-”

“Stop! Will the both of you cut it out!” I screamed at them. “Fucking hell! Bye, I’ll talk to you later!”

I ended the call and disconnected the Bluetooth, crossing my arms over my chest in a huff. Wes let out a long breath, trying to calm himself down. Seriously, what the hell was with these two?

The silence between Wes and me stretched on for a few minutes before he finally broke it. His voice echoed in the stillness that surrounded us, a stark contrast to the rhythmic thumping of the car wheels against the metal bridge we were crossing. I found the predictability of the sound soothing, the anticipation of the next thump giving me a sense of control.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he sighed, reaching over to lightly squeeze my hand. We were stopped at a set of traffic lights, and I turned to face him.

“Why are you guys fighting? You never fight,” I asked, my curiosity piqued. I had a feeling he wouldn’t tell me, though.

“It’s... he’s... look, I don’t want you to worry about it. It’s between me and him. Alright?” His words were hesitant, and I could tell by the way he was looking at me that he knew his evasion wasn’t sitting well with me.

He sighed again, letting his head fall back against the headrest and releasing a long, heavy breath. “Can we just forget about the phone call?”

Truth be told, all I wanted was to crawl into bed and fall asleep. So, I nodded. We continued our drive in silence, not out of awkwardness, but because I was simply too tired to talk.

When we pulled up to my apartment, Wes got out of the car and walked around to my side, opening the door to help me down. I gave him a tired smile and moved to help with my bags, but he gently pulled me into his chest.

“You head upstairs to bed. I’ll bring these up,” he whispered into my hair. I looked up at him, catching the small smile playing on his lips. Before I could say anything, he kissed me softly on the cheek. I nodded and headed up to my apartment, eager to climb into bed.

I fumbled for my keys as I approached my door, swinging it open and heading straight for my room. I dropped my bag and keys on my study desk and flopped face-first onto my sheets, spreading my arms wide to feel the coolness of the fabric against my hands. I loved this feeling.

A soft laugh from behind me signaled Wes’s arrival. I patted the bed beside me, inviting him to sit. As he settled down next to me, his hand began to stroke my back in a soothing motion. I turned my head to look at him, struggling to keep my eyes open. I was so comfortable.

He smiled down at me, then lay back, placing his hands behind his head. “I’m going to change, do you mind?” I asked. He shook his head, and I took that as a no. I stripped off my leggings but kept my jumper on, then crawled back onto the bed.

As I fluffed my pillows, I heard him clear his throat. I turned to see him staring at my legs and butt... again. I giggled, and he met my eyes.

“You going to stay here?” I asked, breaking the silence. His eyes held a silent debate, and I couldn’t help but grin. I let my hair down, letting it fall past my shoulders.

He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. “You like doing this to me, don’t you?”

I gave him a confused look and tilted my head, asking him to explain.

“This,” he said, pointing to the noticeable bulge in his pants.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I quickly turned my gaze back to my pillows.

“Oh come on, surely you know by now you have this effect on me!”

I didn’t look at him, even when he grabbed my arm to stop me from fluffing the pillows. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “You don’t know, do you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t get that type of... reaction from guys. It’s usually Andy who does.” I pulled down the sheets and settled into a comfortable position.

He laughed and shook his head, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. I just stared at him, appreciating his ruggedly handsome face.

“The night of that party, every guy had a hard-on for you, Alex. When you walked in wearing that dress, all eyes were on you. You had this confidence that no other girl in that house could match. And if someone didn’t think of you like that, they’re probably gay. I knew I had to do something that night. So I kissed you. And I’m so glad I did.”

I rolled my eyes and pulled the covers up to my chin, ready for sleep.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

I shook my head. I didn’t believe him, not one bit. I was never the girl that guys wanted. I wasn’t invisible—I was a Thompson, after all, and everyone knew my family. But I was the nice, quiet, smart one that guys talked to every once in a while. I wasn’t throwing myself a pity party; I was just stating a fact.

“You should sleep because clearly, you’re delusional right now,” he laughed. I playfully swatted at his shoulder, but he caught my hand and pinned it to the bed. He kissed my forehead and started to get up.

“Wait, you’re not staying?” I asked. He shook his head no.

“I need to fuel up before training in an hour. But I’ll swing by later when you’re up, might need help with an assignment,” he said, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

I rolled over to my side, waving him off. “Bye, Wes!” I called out, laughter bubbling up as I closed my door.

“Try not to dream about me, sweetheart.”

“I’ll try,” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

~Click.~