Chapter 34: Stay?

Hey everyone, I know lately it has been every week uploads, I’m trying my best so don’t give up. Spring break is coming up and sadly I won’t be able to upload over that time because I’m going to New York with my choir and we’re singing in Carnegie Hall! I’m so excited but anyway here’s the new chapter.

I thought about my words carefully as Landon’s watchful eye stayed glued to mine. Sighing, I folded my hands over my lap and begun. “Even if this doesn’t matter, the night of the party I only kissed that guy on a dare. It meant nothing to me, not that it matters I just-“

“You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” Landon cut in glancing in the other direction. His jaw looked tight and his hands gipped the edge of the pool so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Biting my lip, I looked down at the blue water and caught a glimpse of my reflection before a ripple in the liquid washed it away. My hair was a mess and my eyes looked almost crazed. Was I crazy to think that Landon liked me?

Finally, unable to bear the humility, I pulled myself away from the water’s edge and stood up. “I should go, so sorry to bother you,” I said as I backed away towards the door we came through to get to the back yard.

Landon jumped from his spot at the side of the pool and sighed. “No, I didn’t mean it like that; I just have a lot to deal with right now. Look, why don’t you stay for dinner, it’s just me and my brother tonight.”

I blinked away a stray tear and did my best not to let all of them fall. I couldn’t let Landon see me cry over him. “Maybe I should just go-“

Landon cut me off again. “Come on you have to be hungry, anyway Margaret makes the best chicken casserole in the whole entire world.”

Sighing, I nodded my head but didn’t answer. Why did he even want me here, he already made it clear enough that he didn’t actually like me. Putting on a fake smile, I followed him into his gorgeous air conditioned house. The cool air on my skin made me feel a little better, but my stomach was still uneasy from the earlier embarrassment.

God how could I even think he would like me? It was obvious that the first weeks of camp he couldn’t even stand me. Was I really that delusional to think someone like Landon would actually fall for me? After all this time I just got my hopes up for nothing. Landon didn’t like me. He never did.

“You like video games?” Landon asked as he lead me towards the front staircase.

Nodding my head like a robot but not answering, I followed him up the grand stair case in silence. After passing about ten different doors, Landon led me into his room. The walls were black, but there was plenty of window light and lamps to make the place seem brighter. His queen bed sat facing a huge black screen TV that hung from the wall. Under the TV was a game counsel and stacks of different games and movies. Picking up a Ps3 controller, I followed Landon over to the bed.

Awkwardly, I stood next to him as he sprawled out over the black blankets. “Sit down or something, you don’t have to stand.”

Observing my options, I stubbornly took a seat on the floor that was followed by Landon’s laughter. “I meant like sit on the bed.”

I frowned. “I’m fine, the floor is more comfortable anyway.”

With a sigh, Landon stopped what he was doing and peered over the side of the bed. As usual, he looked gorgeous with those big green smoldering eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Biting my lip, I stood and sat on the very edge of the bed to keep my distance from him. “Nothing let’s just play.”

I thought that maybe Landon would ask again, but he simply un-paused the game and we sat in silence until teams were picked. Black Opps was like my favorite game ever, and I watched as my favorite map came up onto the screen.

Finally, I picked my custom and the game of capture the flag began. Of course after a couple of rounds we stayed victorious with me on the team, but Landon wasn’t too bad himself.

“Jesus woman how the hell do you play like that?” Landon finally asked as we surveyed our kills and deaths and what not. Of course I was better them him, I learned from the best. Cole and I had played at least once every day of summer. It was our game.

I shrugged my shoulders to answer his question. It turned out to be the wrong thing to do. Suddenly, I felt Landon’s hands on my sides, his fingers digging in and tickling me. Shrieking, I tried to pull away but he was two strong. Pulling me back onto his lap, he moved one hand to my thighs and tickled me even more. I wiggled like crazy under his hold but it was no use.

“Stop!” I gasped letting out a few crazed giggles.

Finally, he let go of me and I flopped back onto the bed next to him. As much as the tickling hurt, it felt nice to be on his lap. Why did he do that?

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked crossing my arms over my stomach.

We were both laying back against a pillow facing each other. About a half a foot separated our lips and I did my best not to reach in and kiss him like I had wanted to for the past couple days.

He snickered. “You were being no fun; I just wanted you to laugh.”

This only made me frown because it reminded me of why I wasn’t having any fun. There was a reason I wasn’t having any fun. How could Landon have not figured it out by now? I basically told him I liked him.

“Look Mia forget about everything for just one day, forget about camp and that we know each other. Just for one day, and then you can be sad or grumpy or whatever you want to be. I just want to have one good day, and if you’re in a good mood, then I am too.”

Landon was closer now, his face right up by mine and I could smell the mint gum he was chewing on. I thought back to Julie telling me how he had to leave for a family emergency. Here I was acting all mean when Landon could be going through something horrible. What if his father died or something? I was being selfish with my feelings.

Nodding my head, I managed to smile. “Nice to meet you, I’m Mia.”

Landon snickered and his head dipped down a bit further. We were close enough to kiss, and my eyes focused down on his lips. After a few seconds of being too close, Landon jumped up from the bed and onto the ground.

“I’m not used to having strangers in my bed young lady,” he said with a chuckle. “I mean you don’t even know my name.”

My stomach was still turning from our almost kiss as I sat up and followed him out of the room. “By the way, the name’s Landon.”

Rolling my eyes, we shuffled down the stairs and back into the kitchen. I could smell the sweet aroma of delicious chicken and my mouth practically started to water. A lady with crazy red hair that was pulled back into a messy bun stood over the oven pulling out what looked like chicken casserole. She wore a plane white dress and a pretty blue apron. Landon took a seat at the table and motioned for me to join him. Assuming that the woman was Margaret, I sat down across from him and waited for the food to be placed.

“Where’s your brother?” I asked forgetting about the whole act Landon and I had been putting on.

Before he could scold me or say something witty, Margaret came by with the food. “The little turd is across the street at Mickey’s house. They said they would feed him.”

Landon nodded his head and smiled as the food was placed onto his plate. After my food was placed, Margaret poured us two very tall glasses of milk and scurried out of the room.

“So Mia, I don’t really know much about you, would you tell me something?” Landon asked after taking a bite of his food.

Raising and eyebrow, I replied. “What would you like to know?”

Thinking about my question, Landon managed to shovel about four large bites into his mouth before finally answering. “What do you like to do with your free time?”

Even though we were supposed to be pretending not to know each other, I knew he already had the answer to his question. “Well I do love to cook,” I said before rolling my eyes.

Landon pretended to act surprised. “Oh how lovely, I do like a woman who can cook a good meal.”

Taking a sip of my milk to wash down the delicious casserole, I laughed. “Tell me something about yourself Landon.”

“I like to play soccer, I was captain back in high school,” he answered.

“You?”

“Volleyball, I was captain too.”

“Hobbies besides cooking?”

“Art, singing, running.”

“You? Besides soccer?”

“Wrestling, weightlifting, running.”

We both took a long sip of milk before gazing at each other across the table. Why did Landon have to do this to me? One second he was unbearable and the next all he wanted to do was get to know me.

“Any baggage?” he finally asked.

I stared down at my food as if unwilling to answer the question. I had lots of baggage, and it wasn’t really something I’d like to talk about.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said quietly once I didn’t answer.

Biting my lip I glared at him across the table. “What about you Landon? Do you feel like sharing the reason you decided to up and leave camp?”

I knew I shouldn’t have said it, but the words were going to come out eventually. He set his fork and knife onto his plate before leaning back in his chair. There was something in his eyes but I couldn’t quite tell what it was. Anger maybe, sadness…

“It’s my mom and dad, they’re getting a divorce.”

Biting my lip, I looked down at my food in shame. I shouldn’t have gone so far. “Look Landon you don’t have to tell m-“

“See the divorce isn’t the problem, it’s me and my brother. They’ve decided that each of them will get to take either me or my brother. The thing is they both want me, but only because I’ll be going off to college and they won’t have to deal with me again. They don’t want to deal with a little kid like Luke, neither of them want him, but he’s there son you know? If it were up to me I would take him with me when I leave this place, but that would mean asking them for money to support us and I just can’t do that. My parents are so messed up they don’t even want their six year old son. I know he’s going to end up with my mother because she’s around more to take care of him, but I know she’ll just hire some maid to watch after him twenty four seven. Just like they did to me.”

I watched as tears pooled up in Landon’s eyes. He blinked them back right away, but I could tell that this whole thing was really upsetting him. His own parents didn’t even want their children? That’s horrible; I could never imagine something like that.

“Landon I’m so so-“

“Don’t apologize for something that’s not your fault,” he interrupted as if he heard the words so many times before.

Standing up, I pushed my chair in. “I wasn’t going to apologize for that, I was going to apologize for asking about it. It’s none of my business.”

He nodded his head and got up from his place too. “Look I should get going, it’s getting late and I have to look for a place to stay overnight. Do you know any motels around here?” I asked staying away from the topic of his parents. I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it.

“Why don’t you just stay here, we have guest rooms you know,” he offered.

I shook my head. “Look I already imposed enough by just coming by, and I wasn't very polite I think I should just go.”

Landon didn’t answer and grabbed my arm. He pulled me up the stairs and showed me to what looked like a guest room next to his. The room was smaller than his, but bigger than anything I’ve ever slept in. he brought me a t-shirt to sleep and then headed off towards his room.

“Thank you,” I called over just as he slipped out of the room.

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Sorry for the mistakes too!