STOP THINKING ABOUT KISSING HIM, AALIYAH WATERS

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Are you jealous, Castles? Because it sure sounds like that to me. Are you mad I might end up with her and you’ll never even get the opportunity although you grew up with her? Must really suck, right? How long have you been pining for her? ” Andrew squared up to him.

“Looks like the ball I hit you in the head with has made you delusional.” Kieran laughed and shook his head in amusement.

“So you now admit that you hit me intentionally during today’s practice.” Andrew punches Kieran but he grabs his fist and hit him in the stomach. It happened so quickly that my scream seemed delayed.

He falls onto his knees and spits blood out and I rush to help him.

I grab his face in my hand, but before I get up he’s already up and laughing and I’m just left on my knees in between two of them, looking up at them.

“Stay away from Aaliyah. Stop with your fucking games already. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stomach it much longer.” Andrew sneered at Kieran.

“That’s enough.” I got up and glared at both of them.

“I’m not some damsel in distress that needs saving.” I said to Andrew, and turned to Kieran.

“And if I need saving, it wouldn’t be from this pussy little bitch who can’t face me directly but uses disgusting methods to get back at me.”

He looked like I just bitch slapped him for a quick second before his jaw clenched.

“What did you just say to me?” He thrust his hands forward, aiming for my throat, but Andrew intercepted him and his hands slammed into his chest instead, pushing both of us back.

I huff and try not to stomp my foot in anger.

“You know what, if you two like fighting so much, then I’ll leave you to it.” I turned and flipped my hair before walking out on both of them.

I go outside and sit beside the pool. Those who were swimming had already left as the weather was now cold and the water, chilly.

I open my phone and all the evidence I’d collected was deleted. Even from my iCloud. I huff. I go to my social media and delete the scandalous post.

There were missed calls from mom and dad asking to talk about how to handle the issue and publicity.

I groaned. This is probably going to be another case of dad telling mom ‘I told you so’ and social media popularity was not good for me and the family. He was trying to make me give up but I didn’t want to.

It was one of the things that made me happy. Aside the fact that another main reason is the money I earn to cater for my expensive taste.

“Oh there you are..”

I turn to look at Andrew approaching in just his jeans and bare-chested.

“Isn’t it chilly?” He asks as he flops down beside me.

“Are you asking me to give you back your shirt? ” I teased.

“It looks better on you, Aaliyah.” He’s eyes gave me a once over and my heart beat faster at the look in his eyes.

“Erh… Thanks.” I said and cleared my throat.

He smiles at me and tucks my hair behind my ear and put them behind my shoulders.

His fingers graze my cheeks lightly and I visibly shiver.

“Wow it’s really freezing up here.” I say, quickly trying to cover it.

He doesn’t call me out, just smiles and takes my hand in his warm ones.

“Let’s go somewhere warm then.”

“Okay.” I said as he got up and led me back into the house, but we didn’t go towards the party, we went towards the quieter side.

He takes me into a room which I guess is his bedroom.

The walls are white with pictures of basketball players on the wall. His numerous trophies line one side of the wall in a display cabinet, a basketball basket hangs off the wall, his sheets are brown and white and there are pictures of him and loved ones on one side of the wall in frames. There was also a coffee machine in there. No need to go all the way to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. It was a pretty cool room in all.

He wraps a blanket around me and hands me a cup of hot chocolate and I take a sip, warmth enveloping me.

“You look like shit.” I say to him as I plopped down on the bed. The skin around his eyes was blue and black and he had a busted lip and dried blood on his hair.

“Fuck, I know. ” He laughs.

“You didn’t have to step in…. But thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I would do anything to protect you.”

Yes, my heart is already thundering. My crush was saying this to me whilst I sat on his bed drinking the hot chocolate he had made me.

“You do know this is our first time actually hanging out, right?”

“Yeah. Doesn’t mean I don’t know what I want.” He shrugged and refused to explain further.

Was I overthinking or did Andrew Marin just say he wanted me? I’m not going to ask him and make a fool out of myself if I was wrong or something.

“Why didn’t you ever approach me before though? I’m a bit curious.”

“Well, there are harsh rumors of you rejecting guys so it kind of scared me for a bit. But then I’ve actually tried but you never took the hint.” He chuckled.

“Whenever I asked if we could hang out, you assumed I was talking about our respective teams and you’d get so excited about it that I just decided to let it be. I started inviting the whole team everywhere in hopes of getting you alone, but you’re never alone or you’d already leave early. It was really frustrating.” He chuckled.

Why was I so stupid and blind? Ugh

“Oh” I breathed.

And he laughs but then starts to cough blood and head to his washroom.

“Andrew.” I followed him as he rinsed his mouth and wiped the water with the back of his hand.

“Sit down. Let me help you dress them.” I say and he nods, sitting down onto the toilet.

I took out alcohol pads and began wiping away the dried blood from his face, apologizing anytime he hissed in pain. This was because of me.

“You’re quite bossy, you know.” He smiled at me.

“Keep quiet.” I huffed in reply before washing the blood in his hair into a bowl and pouring it in the drain. I wrap his head in a bandage, standing in between his wide-spread legs as he leaned back and iced his bruised eye. I apply medicine on the cut on his lips, my hands are shaky and my breath uneven.

Stop thinking about kissing him Aaliyah Waters!

Have some dignity, for Christ’s sake. Be professional.