Chapter 7
A few years later...
I had moved out at last, free from my annoying brother (who had just turned 18) who had an annoying girlfriend who was pregnant with an annoying baby. It was sad to leave mom and dad but living with Kyle and Eva was fun. The last semester of college was just around the corner.
First moving in with a hyperactive, over-dramatic redhead with commitment issues, and an awkward, artistic guitarist was interesting to say the least.
One particularly warm night, Kyle had started to play his acoustic guitar, a birthday present from me the previous year, and I held the microphone on the stand.
I began to sing, "He woke up from dreaming and put on his shoes, started makin' his way past two in the morning, he hasn't been sober for days..."
The insistent creaking of bed springs interrupted us.
Kyle sighed and put his guitar in its case. I turned off the microphone.
We went and sat on the couch. The creaking went on and we heard groans and grunting coming from Eva's room.
"Jeez..." I muttered.
Kyle looked uncomfortable then his blue eyes lit up the way they did when he had an idea.
"What is it?"
Kyle walked over to the kitchen and reappeared a minute later with a bottle of tequila and some shot glasses.
I laughed, "That is an amazing idea."
We went to Kyle's room as it was furthest away from the moaning. I shut the door carefully so as not to rip the TARDIS poster he had up. His whole room was covered in posters of different things; comic book heroes and villains, action movies, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Elementary, and many more.
We took shots and listened to 90's punk.
"Oh my god, I'm so warm!" I groaned.
I reached down and pulled off my Black Sabbath t-shirt. I flopped down on the bed.
Kyle was staring at me, looking embarrassed and shocked. I still had my underwear on, calm down!
"What's the matter, Kylie? You never seen a half-naked woman in real life before?" I giggled, tipsy.
He shook his head quickly and lay down beside me.
"You nervous about going back to college?" He asked.
"Yeah. It's scary. The last semester."
I noticed he was holding my hand and playing with my hair while I lay on my back. I didn't protest. I didn't hate it.
In fact, it felt good, his warm hand interlocked with mine and his slim fingers running gently through my hair, so close to me I could feel his breath gently brush my cheek.
"Hey Kyle. You're awesome, y'know that?" I mumbled.
"I think you're gorgeous, Maddy." He said softly.
"No way..." I giggled, turning over to face him.
"I do. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. I've always thought so." He whispered.
"M'kay..."
Kyle leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to mine.
I smiled sleepily and closed my eyes.
We must have fallen asleep because when we next woke, sunlight was pouring in through the thin curtains and we heard Eva walking around. I had very little recollection of the previous night.
"Guys?" She called but we didn't move.
Kyle groaned sleepily and moved a little.
"Kyle?" Eva said, flinging the door open. She looked and gasped loudly. "Oh my god!"
She turned and fled.
I pulled on one of Kyle's Batman shirts and wandered over to her, running a hand through my dark hair. "What?" I asked, grabbing a cup of coffee.
"You guys had sex!" Eva hissed.
"No, we didn't."
"You didn't?"
"No."
"But you're half-naked!" She exclaimed.
"I was too warm."
"Yeah right, he was practically spooning you!"
"Well, we didn't have sex."
"Are you sure?" Eva demanded. "Because if you two are screwing that would be really awkward for me."
"Oh really? Well, I wasn't the one hooking up with some random guy I met at Kinko's for like three hours!" I raised my voice a little.
"Well, at least I can actually hold down a man!"
There was silence.
"Wow." I sighed, looking down.
My last relationship had ended quite recently and the wounds still hadn't healed properly.
"I'm sorry. That was not cool." Eva said quietly.
"It's okay." I replied eventually, "Nothing's going on between Kyle and me so, don't worry."
"Oh, thank god."
I walked back into Kyle's room to see if he was awake yet. He was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands.
"You okay?" I asked, leaning my hand against the door frame.
He looked quickly up at me. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just... tired."
"And hung over." I grinned, picking up the empty bottle of tequila from the floor.
He chuckled slightly, "Yeah."
On the first, last day of college, I walked into my first lecture with Kyle. We were both doing music but this was just a general studies type thing. Pretty dull, if I'm honest.
Kyle had been a little off since that night with the tequila and I couldn't figure out why. We hadn't had sex, I would've remembered that, definitely, so what was it?
The class breezed by and after another few hours it was time for lunch.
We headed down to the nearest sandwich shop and sat on the stone benches nearby.
I wore short shorts and a New York shirt because it was so hot. Kyle wore a Deadpool t-shirt and dark jeans. He flicked his hair out of his eyes, looking up as a group of guys came walking our way.
One of them with blonde spiky hair was at the head of the group.
He spoke to me first. "So the rumours are true. Madison Stark really is at this school. May I just say that you are even more lovely in person. The name's Logan. Logan Alexander."
I quirked an eyebrow. "Take a hike, short ass."
He wasn't, in fact, short, but tall and attractive with a killer smile. I tried to keep it cool.
His friends chorused, "Ohh ho! She got you, dude."
He continued as if he hadn't heard, "There's a big party at the beach tonight, you're invited. You can bring your little toy boy and everything."
Kyle tensed beside me.
"Fine." I said shortly, throwing my sandwich wrapper in the trash can five meters away.
That night I followed the sound of loud music and cheering to find the beach party.
There was quite a lot of people, with music and a bonfire.
Eva went straight for the booze and some guys, Kyle sat down awkwardly by the fire and I walked around in my fire decorated bikini with a red skirt wrapped around my waist.
Logan found me pretty quickly, without his friends this time.
After two drinks he persuaded me to dance with him.
A slower song came on and he put his hands straight on my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"I knew you'd drop the act sooner or later, Maddy." He said quietly, moving his fingers around.
"Oh, shut up." I muttered, trying not to smile and failing.
"Make me." He crooned, looking me straight in the eyes.
I looked back and then he kissed me, pulling me hard against him.
We barely broke apart the whole night, apart from to drink.
He picked me up and carried me to his car with a bottle of champagne.
I couldn't stop laughing and kissing him.
He shut the door behind us and kissed me, pressing me down onto the backseat.
I lay down and slowly melted into bliss.
Three days later, I woke up, my head pounding and my stomach churning.
I staggered out of the white and gold bedroom, pushing a hand through my hair.
"Logan?" I yelled.
"Coming, baby!" He called.
"Again?" I muttered, then chuckled at my own dirty joke.
He walked over to me, drinking a cup of coffee.
"Can I have a shower?" I asked.
He pointed to the bathroom.
"Thanks."
I turned on the water and stepped into the shower, letting the warmth run all over me. I washed my hair and body and was just rinsing the conditioner out of my hair when I heard a noise behind me.
I turned and Logan was standing there.
He kissed me roughly, pressing me against the cold tiles. I tipped my head back as he kissed my neck, forgetting all about my hangover, forgetting Logan's reputation, forgetting everything apart from him and me and the water.
I made my way back to the apartment after a few hours, a little unsteady on my feet as I pulled out my key.
Logan's driver honked from outside and I ran to the window and waved.
Once he'd gone, I unlocked the door, giggling to myself and walked inside.
Kyle was sitting, tuning his guitar, and Eva was watching How I Met Your Mother, which we were all obsessed with, even Kyle.
I threw my key down with my bag, causing them both to look up.
They both looked astonished at the sight of me.
Eva screamed and ran to me, hugging me tight.
"Woah, what's all this for?" I asked, chuckling.
"You've been gone for, like, a week!" She exclaimed.
"It hasn't been a week. Only a few days." I insisted.
"Well, last I heard you were having some sort of crazy semi-illegal drunk sexy thing with Logan and you got arrested!"
"I didn't get arrested... I think."
"Logan put up a picture of you guys on Instagram, it was so kinky!" She squealed.
I grabbed my phone and searched. "Oh my god, what am I wearing?! Is that a whip?"
Some time later when Eva had finally calmed down, she went off to her room to call her Kinko's lover to come over that night.
Kyle had put his guitar down and was sitting silently, staring into space.
"How's it goin'?" I asked, grinning a little.
He looked over at me and his expression shocked me. He looked sad, disappointed and angry.
"How's it goin'?" He repeated, his tone tense. "You disappear for three days and that's all I get?"
"I was busy-"
"Oh, yeah I know. Busy screwing some pretentious rich guy while the rest of us are left here thinking you could be dead!" He said angrily.
"Woah! Look, I'm sorry I didn't call, okay? I only sobered up this morning."
"Forget about it." He sighed, flicking his hair and walking to his room.
"Kyle, wait!" I hurried after him and he turned around to face me quickly.
It was unexpected and we were very close, almost nose to nose. He hesitated, looking at me awkwardly, I was still quite scantily clad.
"Sorry, I-"
"Don't apologise." He said quietly, and he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my hair.
I noticed his fingers shook as they moved back. Then he turned and disappeared into his room. I heard music blasting and turned to Kyle's guitar.
I picked it up and started to listen to my favourite song and try and figure out the chords.
A couple of hours later, after Eva's guy had arrived, Kyle came out of his room to listen to me.
"I can't see through the stars in my eyes. And I don't recall breathing steady, ever since you've been in my life. So, let me catch my breath, before you steal it once again. I should be dead by now. I swear it, on my heart you know I wear it on my sleeve, for everyone to see that I am yours and you belong to me. And nothing in this world could ever make me this happy..." I trailed off as I saw him sitting there.
We heard excited noises coming from Eva's room and Kyle got up. He stopped in the doorway of his room and turned.
"C'mon." He said.
I smiled and put his guitar down and followed him into his room. We talked and laughed and watched old movies until I fell asleep, unknowingly in Kyle's arms.
