Chapter 4

Late it's late and I'm tired. I'm trying to do the right thing. I don't want to leave Alex alone in a huge house at night with strangers. Not when she has openly admitted to me that she felt uneasy and wanted me close. I just didn't want to crash in her bed. Unlike me, she'd had the opportunity to change into her pajamas, which consisted of purple way too short fuzzy shorts, and a white tank top. Her room was dark and the bed was comfortable, but for some reason laying here with her did the exact opposite of making me sleepy.

"Jose'?" she whispered answering the question that was in my head. She still hadn't gone to sleep. She lay with her back to me. "I can't sleep." She shifted and turned to in my direction. Her hazel green eyes studied my face. She rubbed her eye and the cradled her head to her pillow.

"Apparently, what's wrong?" She shrugged and smiled a little. She knew what was bothering her she just didn't want to talk about it. I sighed and rubbed her shoulder lazily. I really wished she would go to sleep so I could change. Maybe if I were in some sweats this would be a problem.

"I know what's wrong. You were being all lazy earlier sleeping when you should have been socializing!" I picked at her and she chuckled but I don't know if she really thought it was funny. Her eyes had sadness to them. She scooted closer to me and the action seemed taboo to me. It made realized how this would probably look to the unknowing eye. I scooted away from her and slowly retracted my hand.

"Josie, I'm not like these people. I feel weird here." She confessed. So that's what's bothering her. She felt out of place. I was glad it wasn't about her parents right now. I would have felt compelled to console her and embrace her even when I know I shouldn't. Even now, I still felt that urge, with such big innocent eyes staring into mine it was kind of hard not to feel that way.

"I felt the same at first, but the Greys are good down to Earth people who happen to have money," I said and she scoffed. She sat up for a moment and gave me her you've got to be kidding face.

"Please! This house, this isn't a house this is a hotel… five stars hands down!" She giggled and I couldn't but smile at her. God, her face was beautiful. It was like the heavens studied a portrait and modeled after her in its fashion. The only problem was I've never seen something painted quite so beautiful. I wondered if she'd ever considered modeling. She most definitely had the face for it. Her stature would be her only downfall. She was a short little thing and she was quite curvy, she was shaped like a vase or an hourglass.

"I want to take your picture," I blurted out, she raised her eyebrows in response. I'd wanted to photograph her since the moment I saw her get off the plane. It's the uniqueness of her eye color I want a close up and but in my gallery.

"Right now?" she asked as she began to bite her fingernails. I remember when she used to do that when she was little her hand was always wet, either from candy or her own spit. It made her hand very unappealing to hold.

"You still do that, huh?" She frowned as if confused. "Bite your damned fingernails!" I grabbed her hand and looked at her nubby fingernails, so much for complete perfection. I looked at her perturbed face. She still came closer than any other female I knew. I looked at her fingernails they could easily be fixed. She wiggled her fingers and then tried to remove her hand from my grasps.

"Stop! Jose' give me my hand back!" I shook head and continued to examine every fingernail closely she did it to every single finger. "I only do it when I'm nervous, worried, or sad. I've had a lot of all of those emotions lately." Her eyes began to sadden. I squeezed her fingers a little to bring her attention back to me. Those beautiful eyes started to swell with tears. I prayed that she didn't shed a tear. I had to divert her attention from her loss. I wanted her to know that I felt she was family. I felt like she belonged here with me … and my dad.

"I know you're sad, but I'm still not giving your fingers back," I smiled and teased her playfully. "You have to cheer up so I can take my shot!" I said as released her hand and pulled myself off the bed.

"You have a camera in here?" She questioned only rising to her elbows. "That's very dutiful of you?" She said sarcastically.

"I have my cell phone camera that's good enough for now." I clapped and then rubbed my hands together, "you are going to be my victim because I'm going to shoot you in the dark, with messy hair and all." I grabbed her arm and pulled her across and eventually off the bed. She groaned out a whine.

"Stop being a baby!" I said as I lead her to the window seat. I opened the blinds so the moonlight would shine through. She sat down and looked out the window. The illumination caused stripes to go across her face. I fussed with her hair, with all of her curls I would have expected it to be tangled, but I could run my fingers through it. Her hair was soft and now that I was this close to her I could take in she smelled flowery, like a rose. Just like an angel should smell and feel.

"Jose'?" I looked in her eyes once more and she was looking up at me. Her voice had lowered a couple of octaves and noticed a change in the sparkle of her eyes. There was a hint of something, something familiar something that I may want her to feel, but I shouldn't.

"Hmmm?" I was still stroking her hair. "Your hair is so soft." I was fueling the look she was giving me and I'm sure my eyes were sending a message of their own. A message of want, a message that was wrong, in this dark room. An energy was circling the room and I was dying to touch her face.

"Did you still want to take me, I mean, take my picture?" She was leaning into my touch. She was so alluring and I knew she wanted me. All I had to do was … what was I doing? Why couldn't Ally have come back the chubby little baby sister like girl I knew from the past. Why did she have to make me feel this way?

"Uh yeah, I want… your picture. Look back out the window again." She did as I asked and I took a couple pictures. "Now, look at me." Her look was seductive not intentionally but the desire in her eyes practically took my breath away. Then there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. There was also a hint of eager electricity in them.

"Do you want me to smile?" She arched her eye brow and I took another picture. Playful and seductive another priceless shot.

"No, just do what you feel any face you make is bound to be beautiful." She smirked at me and I took another picture.

"You think I'm beautiful?" She smiled but hid it behind her fingers that had now found their place back in her mouth.

"Don't bite your fingernails!" She stuck her tongue out at me and I laughed at least she took her fingers in her mouth. I stuck my tongue out back at her in response. This was a really mature conversation we were having. I shook my head and chuckled to myself. I felt like I had traveled back to high school. Maybe it was because I was sitting here practically flirting with a high school girl?

"What I'm not beautiful when I do that?" She snickered. "You're funny Josie!" I took another picture this girl looked fabulous in every shot.

"I'm glad I make you laugh." I decided to put my phone away and sober the mood a little. She probably wanted to get back in the bed anyway.

"Yeah, and you have taken pretty good care of me today. Thank you Jose' for not thinking I'm basket case," she said and then let out a yawn.

"I don't think that you're a basket case because you're not a basket case. Now snuggle up with your blankie chica, time for the baby to go beddy bye," I said in my baby voice. She shuffled off the window seat and shoved me as she crawled back into the bed. I headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" She was sitting up in the bed staring at me quizzically.

"I thought you were ready for bed?" I questioned her with my hand on my hips.

"Yeah, but you aren't supposed to leave me until I fall asleep. You promised." She pouted playfully as she fought the smirk on her lips. I crawled back on the bed.

"And I'm not a baby by the way. In about half a year I'll be a legal adult!" She said with pride.

"About half a year?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

"In eight months." She mumbled. Eight months! I thought she was a couple months from eighteen.

"What's wrong?" I must've been frowning and not realized.

"Nothing, I'm just tired." I lay down and she followed suit.

"Me too …," she took my hand in both of hers. "Don't leave me before I fall asleep … you promised." She said as she started to drift to sleep.

"I'm not leaving Allycat," I whispered and she frowned.

"Don't call me that!" She grumbled into her pillow and I chuckled. "You know I hate that!"

"I know, I know," I chuckled. "Night Beautiful." She didn't say anything in response she kept her eyes closed yet smiled peacefully. I pulled my phone out one more time and snapped another shot. I looked my phone and then the real life woman, I mean girl, beside me. I was in trouble. Big trouble.