8. A lot more

Looking up, there was a bucket above my door and all my clothes were soaked. My shoes were in a puddle. I shivered from the cold, but inside of me was a blazing fire.

“One day,” I said in a mad, even voice, piercing with my red eyes my tormentors, “you are going to get what you deserve!”

They laughed even harder, leaning on the wall at the far end of the corridor, dressed in their pajamas.

“And how is that going to happen?” Lea asked, pressing her belly with her arms. “I can’t breathe. Ha-ha.”

“Yeah, she never does anything,” her brother stated, bending forward, laughing. “It makes it too easy for us.”

I growled at them, feeling I might explode. They were right. I was never doing anything because I wasn’t a horrible person like them. Squeezing my fists, I walked back inside my room and tried to slam the door behind me.

It didn’t work, as the bucket moved and was now between the door frame and the door. I let out a short yell and pushed the bucket so it would fall to the ground. I shot a killer stare and my relatives, who were now barely standing from laughing too hard.

I kicked the bucket towards them and this time, I slammed the door behind me.

“Fuck!” I yelled out of anger. “Why do they never change?! What kind of family are they?! Wha-a-ay?!”

Breathing heavily, I tried to remember what I was doing. “Matt!” I rushed to the window, leaving wet steps on the way, “Fuck!”

I cleaned the wetness off my face and took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled with closed eyes. There was nothing else for me to do than take my mobile and ask for more time to prepare.

“The twins…again. I need ten more…to dry my hair! Sorry.” I typed and hit send.

I watched as Matt checked his mobile and looked toward my window, making a sign with a thumb up. His eyes stayed on me after that, but suddenly I moved inside the room.

Was he able to see me wet and ridiculous?

I undressed and just then my mobile rang with a message from Matt. “Don’t change. I want you the way you are now.”

Barely managing not to drop my phone on the floor, I pressed my wet blouse to my torso and looked around me.

“There is no way for him to see me here!” I said to myself. “Then he…think I am just taking too much to prepare? No. I told him about the twins.”

He said “I want you,” I felt the butterflies in my stomach flutter their colorful wings. Suddenly, I wasn’t so mad and frustrated. Matt was indeed on a mission to make me feel happy.

I shook my head with my heated cheeks, but decided to wear my new purple lace bra and thong. Then, I put on black jeans and a plain green blouse. Prepared to finish my clothing with a worn white coat, I used in high school. Dried my hair and fixed the ruined mascara, cursing at my relatives.

A worrying thought flashed in my mind, “The photos Mom wanted…I never made any with Matt.” Good, she was too busy to remember, and I still had time to make some today. I sighed and carefully opened the door, happy to see the twins had cleaned up the mess their prank made in my parents' house.

In haste, I left the house before another mystery surprise could land on me. Almost running, I climbed to the passenger seat in the truck and relaxed, turning my eyes towards the driver.

“That bad again, huh?” he gave me a sorry look.

“They…made me all wet, and I was ready to go,” I stuttered, not wanting Matt to think how stupid I was to fall into this trap.

He moved to his place with a conflict on his face, as if he wondered if his true thoughts must be voiced. I sighed and regained some of my confidence.

“What?” I questioned, “You think I should have learned their tricks by now? Or I should’ve been more careful, knowing they are back?” He was silent, so I waved a finger to him and continued. “YOU were the person who considered the possibility of them being grown-ups and mature now and-”

Matt placed his pointer on my lips to stop me. He was watching me silently, and I could see his eyes inspecting my face. “I wasn’t judging you,” he whispered. “I was wondering if I should curse or just feel for you having to live through this childhood stupidity again.”

“Oh!” was all I could answer, while our proximity was taking my breath away.

“It is so hard for me not to kiss you right now,” he admitted, his finger playing with my chin while his sapphire eyes stared into my lips.

I bit my bottom lip, wetting in as a habit before a kiss, but I knew I shouldn’t do anything like that. My whole body was suddenly on fire and I had no idea what were we talking about a second ago. I was completely under Matt’s spell.

“You are not making it easier for me when you bite your lip like that,” he leaned and let his lips touch my cheek, close to my lips.

“I am not doing anything, M,” I whispered with my eyes closed.

I inhaled his scent and enjoyed his breathing on my skin. It was intoxicating, magical. Needed. Wrong.

“You are making mad of desire, and you are not even trying?” He said, our lips almost touching. “Feel your breathing, M. I know you want to be mine.”

Forcing my courage, I moved away from him before we kissed again. “I can’t kiss you,” I simply said, thinking about what would Adrian do if he saw us.

“You can, and you did,” Matt grinned at me, breaking the spell. “And you will!”

He started the truck and averted his gaze to the road, leaving me gaping at his boldness. I was so weak, so conflicted, and he was not making it easy for me. Decisions, decisions…I had to talk to Adrian and see where we stood, for I wasn’t a cheater. I had done enough, answering Matt’s kiss.

Was I still in love with Adrian?

I was in another man’s company almost all the time in the last two days, and I was going to his small, deserted house in a few hours. Alone. With Matt.

I sighed, tortured by my mixed feelings and messy thoughts, as my handsome neighbor drove away. Confident, cheerful, and charming.