While Kendall sipped his hot chocolate, he eyed me suspiciously. I looked at him, and sighed. These past few days I had taken care of him, bought him new clothes and I had been patient with him. But now I had to know how this hot man had allowed himself to become how he was.
"How did you end up homeless?" I asked, trying really hard not to sound rude. But it obviously didn't come across that way because he didn't put his invisible barriers up like I expected him too. Instead, he actually let me inside his head.
"I used to have everything. Absolutely everything. I had a girl, I had a mum, I had a home, I had a car, and I had money. But that all went away when mum got cancer. Everything I knew turned around. I had to sell everything to get her medical treatment, but the cancer was incurable." His voice choked up and he had to pause for a few seconds so he wouldn't burst into tears. I stretched my arm out across the café table we were sitting as and stroked his arm. "Mum's hair fell out, she threw up every time you breathed in, and she fell deeper and deeper into sickness. It was dragged out for 3 agonizing months, until she inevitably slipped into the void of death.
"I was a wreck after she died. Katie moved into my house and stayed there for a few months, until my girlfriend, Brittany, who I was living with at the time, got mad at her because she always crawled into bed with me each night, trying to calm me down enough so I could sleep. Brittany threw her on the streets, and she has been living with her friend until she can afford to buy a place of her own. With Katie gone too, I couldn't sleep, eat or even move. In the end, Brittany said she had had enough of my shit and threw everything I owned, except for my money, out the door. She kicked me out of her house. Ever since then I had cut off every emotion I ever had for anything, and I taught myself not to feel. I stopped believing in everything. With nowhere to go, I headed to central park, and there I stayed until a few nights ago when you found me. That's why I was at the cemetery tonight. I had to visit my mum, and tell her to have a Merry Christmas." He lent in over the table, taking my out stretched hand in his. "When I'm around you, I feel like I can believe again. When I'm around you, I feel like I can learn to feel again" he lent his face closer in, close to mine, when the waitress informed us they were closing up for night. We wished her a Merry Christmas and we headed out into the cold. Was Kendall about to kiss me?
We arrived back at my apartment just as the power went out. I lit some candles to provide light but they didn't provide heat, and I was a little wet from the snow and freezing cold. Kendall was sitting on the couch so I changed into dry sweats, ugg boots, an old t-shirt and I sat down next to him, cuddling up to him. It was freezing in this apartment, but I felt warm and comfortable next to Kendall. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, on the couch, next to Kendall.
I woke up on Christmas morning in my bed, with something warm and comfortable wrapped around me. I opened my eyes to see not something, but someone staring at me. With a shock I realized it was Kendall. I jumped up out of the bed with a fright, trying to remember how I had wound up in his arms over night.
"What did you do that for? It's cold," he exclaimed. He was right; it was freezing cold in my apartment. Then I remembered that the power had gone out and I fell asleep on the couch, next to Kendall to keep me warm. I smiled and crawled back into bed, to hear the grunts of approval coming from Kendall.
"Merry Christmas," he whispered in my ear.
"Merry Christmas," I whispered back. I closed my eyes and relaxed in his arms.
"I need to ask you something," he began.
"Mmm?"
"Why were you so afraid of me leaving you last night?" My body stiffened and I became tense. I took a deep breath. Was I ready to lay all of my cards on the table? Yes, I decided. I was.
"After being with you, these past few days, I now can't bear to live another one without you," I said bluntly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he obviously didn't get the message. I looked up into his captivating green eyes.
"You don't know?" he shook his head. I was about to lean in and kiss him, when the phone rang. Apparently the power was back on. I got up to answer the phone, please to find it was Carlos.
"Hello?"
Hey lil' sis!
"Carlos! Merry Christmas!"
Merry Christmas to you too! Hey, we're having Christmas lunch at my place.
"Okay, but-"
Bring Kendall. Logan and Camille want to meet him and James has something to say to him.
"Okay. Can I bring Kendall's little sister too?"
Sure. Everyone is already here. We are just waiting on you, Kendall and his sister. See you soon!
"Bye Carlos!"
The line went dead.
I looked at the time and realized it was half past 11 already. I told Kendall the change of plans and he leaped into action, putting on a pair of skinny jeans and his beanie. He looked so hot. I put on a pair of normal jeans, a t-shirt and a coat, wearing an amazing pair of boots too. Katie arrived, dressed in simple black jeans with a red studded t-shirt. We drove to Carlos's (My car had decided to work now) and I was pulled once again into one of his legendary bear hugs. James and Logan hugged me too, then they went to greet Kendall, hopefully James was making amends. But when Katie walked into the picture, James pretty much ditched Kendall and went in pursuit of Katie.
