Chapter 668-My Bolder Mate
Helanie:
We arrived home, and while Emmet went to the room, I spent some time with Vani. We ate pizza, and I asked her about school. She was a good student, always working hard. She told me a boy in her class had a crush on her. Since she was fifteen, I decided to tell her a little bit about boys.
I even reminded her of my own story of how I became desperate when Altan started paying attention to me as more than just a friend.
She promised she would wait until her eighteenth birthday, and even then, she would never settle for less or put anyone’s desires above her own safety and comfort. I liked that about her. Still, it saddened me that she now slept on a mattress in her parents’ room, afraid of being snatched away.
When I returned to the room, I found Emmet resting. I took the shower first and let him go after.
"Thank you for coming here with me," I said when he stepped out of the bathroom, his long hair damp and open, scattered across his shoulders.
He wore only black shorts, and I had never seen him like that before. Being alone in a closed room, watching him come out of the shower, it was all new to me.
"Of course. Did you think I’d let anyone else steal the chance to spend time with you?" he said casually. As expected of him, his voice was calm, but that’s exactly what gave me goosebumps.
"Do you think it’s weird if I say that—" I stopped mid-sentence, feeling a little awkward.
But he was all ears, waiting. I looked around, stalling. Why was it so hard to confess it?
He came over and sat beside me on the same single bed, his eyes already smiling.