Chapter 5

After carefully laying Amita down in the backseat, making sure not to wake her, Charlie opened the door, ran around side of the car and the climbed into the front with Don

"Why didn't you just climb over the seat?" Don asked looking at his brother like he had gone insane

"I would have woken her up"

And opening a closing a door wouldn't haven woken her up…he makes no sense sometimes "Is she ok?" Don asked turning to look back Amita, whose tears were still fresh on her cheeks

"She's just REALLY afraid of thunder" Charlie whispered looking back at her. She looked so peaceful sleeping. Damn university rules

"Oh. Are we taking her home?" Don asked casually. It was one thing to say 'you're safe' it's a completely different story to say 'Nothing's going to happen to you. I won't let it'

"Should we? I don't know" Charlie said looking back at his brother

"It's getting darker and I think home is closer then her apartment" Don answered starting the car

"Okay. To my house" Charlie answered turning the radio on, turning it up loud enough to block the thunder but not to wake up Amita…or so he thought.

After about fifteen minutes, the car hit a huge pothole and the car shook. Charlie looked back to make sure that Amita was still asleep (even though the radio had woken her up long before). When he was satisfied he turned back to see his brother smiling at him.

"What?" Charlie questioned

"Nothing" Don responded his smile getting wider

"What?" Charlie said sounding like he was seven again. Amita had to stifle a laugh. You're sleeping remember? She told herself

"Just you and Amita" Don answered concentrating on the road but still looking just as smug

"What about me and Amita?" Charlie asked still sounding like a child

"You two have obviously bonded" Don answered

"Well we have been working together for awhile now..." Charlie answered trailing off. Amita felt her heart sink. She had hoped that him holding her while they would have had effected his feelings…at least a little

"Oh cut it out. I know you like her. You told me you liked her. You don't have to pretend" Don responded glancing into the rearview mirror checking to see if he had accidentally woken her up. Did she just smile? She just smiled! Should I warn Charlie…nah

"Don, we've been over this. IF she liked me back, we wouldn't be able to do anything until she wasn't my student anymore"

"But if she wasn't your student?" Don questioned

"Then I would have asked her out a long time ago" Charlie said in a tone that implied Don should have known all this by now. Don looked in the rearview mirror and saw how pink that Amita's cheeks were. He was about to look away when he saw her open an eye and mouth 'ask about the library'

"So are you going to tell me what happened in the library between you two or do I have to drag it out of you?"

"What makes you think that anything happened?" Charlie's asked, his voice a few notes higher then before

"When you got in the car, you said and I quote 'Shh…Amita, its ok. We're in the car now. Nothing's going to happen to you. I won't let it'. Then you wrapped your arms around her and she buried herself in them. Something happened. Those actions weren't merely a friend comforting another"

"Well they started out me trying to calm her down but Don, I just couldn't help it. She was so scared, when she climbed into my lap-"

"She climbed into your lap!"

"Well she was scared so I told her to sit down, when we did I guess she needed to be comforted so she climbed into my lap. She cried herself to sleep and we sat there for about an hour before my butt fell asleep. I realized it was late so I called home. She had woken up when I got my phone out, so hearing the thunder she got scared. I knew that we were going to be there for a while so, I laid down and she stretched out on top of me and we fell asleep. Then dad called and said you were going to be at the campus in a few minutes. I panicked and woke up Amita, she asked if I was on the phone dad heard her and here we are now"

"Wow, buddy, just wow"

"What?"

"You seriously don't realize that she likes you back. Do you think she would have gotten in your lap or slept on top of you if she didn't like you more then a friend?"

"Well I thought so but we haven't gotten a chance to talk about it"

"Well talk when we get home"

"Okay" Charlie agrees and looks back at Amita's 'sleeping' form and he smiles