Alex snuggled under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate. She held it with two hands, resting the base on top of bent knees tucked near her chest. She leaned on the headboard. She already changed into a pair of comfortable fleece pajamas. The cloth wrapped around her skin like another layer of quilt.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. She had been in a daze since the game ended that she hardly remembered what happened next. She knew they went into the ice cream parlor to redeem the prize. The staff had been kind enough to let it be split into four small containers. Each of them were able to pick out a flavor.
Taking a deep breath, she sipped her drink. The thickness of it almost tasted like melted ice cream. It covered her palette in rich chocolate and flowed down to her stomach, warming it.
Could the weekend get any more awkward?
“Before you ask,” Emily said, emerging from the bathroom with a towel in her hair, “I admit it’s nice of Jae to let us use the spa tickets but that doesn’t make him more right about the dress displaying too much skin. Was the guy born in the wrong era?”
Despite the room having separate bed chambers, she insisted on only using one. She sat on the vanity mirror and applied her skin care products, “Anyway, I’ll let it slide for now as long as he doesn’t say anything about it again.”
She saw Alex nod meekly through the reflection of the mirror.
Emily spun on the chair. Could her cousin even hear her? She marched towards the bed and sat beside Alex, “Earth to my dear cousin? Are you there?”
Alex shook her head and cleared off the daze in her eyes, “Oh, sorry, Em. Were you saying something?”
“Yes, I asked if you’d give me your share of the ice cream and you agreed.”
She rolled her eyes, “That didn’t happen.”
Emily chuckled, “What’s bothering you?”
On reflex, Alex bit her bottom lip and looked down. She debated whether to talk about it or not. If she did, she’d need to acknowledge what happened. If she didn’t, she could let time pass and just let it shrink until it faded from her memories.
“Is this about when you guys fell and almost kissed?” Emily continued to say. She might have waited a century before she could get a straight answer.
Alex gulped, “Maybe.”
Then, she sipped some more hot chocolate.
Her cousin grinned mischievously and nudged her shoulders, “Come on, tell me.”
“I’m having second thoughts. You have a biased opinion.”
“What ‘biased opinions’?” Emily scoffed, “You mean how I support the two of you if you ever decide to be a couple?”
She received a pointed look to which Emily raised her hands in surrender, “Alright, alright. I’ll get it out of my head and listen objectively. What about it that bothers you? The humiliation? The fact it happened in front of an audience? How close your faces were? How you didn’t even kiss? What is it?”
Like Alex predicted, she recalled what happened. She wasn’t so sure about it herself. It was like she knew the answer but couldn’t put her finger on it. She had flipped, rotated and twisted the situation in her head. She couldn’t find what else bothered her other than public humiliation.
“Ugh, don’t tell me you still don’t know that you have feelings for the guy” Emily groaned, shielding her eyes. She probably shouldn’t have said that.
“Feelings? For Logan Parker? Are you insane?” Her lovely cousin retorted.
“You know I wouldn’t be shipping the two of you so bluntly if I don’t really think that way.”
“But Logan’s an idiot.”
“You’re the one who likes him,” Emily shrugged.
Alex sipped her hot chocolate, staring off into space. Her face still had that impassive look. She only moved to keep drinking the hot chocolate.
Emily didn’t know she waited for an answer until Alex didn’t say anything. Her eyes lit up when she realized it. She covered her mouth with a hand.
Containing her excitement, she gasped, “Oh my gods.”
Alex glanced at her, “What?”
A wide smile slowly crept up on her cousin’s lips. She hid it behind her fingers but there was no mistaking the grin.
“You didn’t deny it,” Emily squealed. Then, pressed the hand on her lips to muffle it. Her skin brimmed with a surge of energy.
Alex fell into a slump. She froze. Did her cousin mean what Alex thinks she means? Then, she shook her head, “That doesn’t mean I agree either.”
“So you did want to kiss him!” Emily giggled. Oh, what joy! Alex was heading in the right direction. She couldn’t believe her cousin finally admitted something about how she felt—well, indirectly.
“We are not having this conversation. I’m going to sleep” Alex quickly dismissed her enthusiasm. She placed the cup on the nightstand and tied her fake hair into a bun. She slid further under the covers, wiggling until she closed her eyes and attempted to sleep.
Emily shook her cousin awake, “Alex, come on.”
When she didn’t stir, Emily huffed and slanked randomly on the blanket. She had no doubts that her cousin had a lot to think about. It wouldn’t be that simple for her to commit to how she felt.
Part of the reason may be that she probably had a traumatizing experience with a crush when she was younger. Those kinds of things really stuck.
Emily frowned. That would be trouble.
Her body still bursted with adrenaline. It may take some time but Alex was taking baby steps. At least, that was something.
She dashed off the bed chambers and closed the door gently. Then, she went to the sitting room. She tucked her legs under her and leaned on the arm rest, reaching for the phone.
“Hello. Front desk? Yes, I was wondering if I could get the number for…”
===
Jae Parker came out of the shower fully dressed. He rubbed his damp hair with a towel in his hand. Normally, he’d come out with another towel wrapped around his waist but he didn’t think his brother would appreciate that.
Sometimes he wondered if Logan was actually a girl.
The phone next to the bed rang. The room had one situated in each bed chamber and in the sitting area. They all rang whenever they got a call. They’d all also stop once one of them had been picked up.
He sat on the bed and placed the towel over his shoulder. He picked up the phone in one hand and held his knee with the other, “Hello?”
“When is your brother gonna make a move?”
It didn’t take long for Jae to figure out it was Emily. The girl had a knack for making her voice be remembered.
“Logan? What do you—oh, that. Well… when is your cousin gonna let him make a move?” He replied.
“Excuse me?” he could almost see the raised eyebrow when she said that, “Alex isn’t even doing anything.”
“Exactly the point. A guy needs some hints. They also have to be straight and simple to understand.”
“Gee, I wouldn’t have thought of that from the many times you flirted.”
“That’s because I’m selfish.”
Jae grinned. He could also almost imagine her rolling her eyes. Then, he cleared his throat, “Anyway, if you ask him, he’d say Alex is his best friend. He has something on the line. Logan isn’t the type to risk that without any assurance that he wouldn’t lose what he currently has.”
===
Logan sneezed. He stood out of the hotel room balcony, gazing at the quiet town. He couldn’t see any stars and only a few buildings and houses had lights on. The darkness of the night stretched on for miles like the void in his head.
He sighed and cupped the side of his face with an elbow on the railing.
It still tingled despite how many hours had passed since the game.
It already missed her.
He didn’t know how long he could keep it up. As much as he tried to deny his feelings, something in his actions kept slipping out. It could be taking her skateboard or placing a hand on her back or standing close to her… his desire always found a way to override his self-control.
His other hand clenched into a fist. Would he be ready to take a leap of faith? Why couldn’t standing by her side be enough? Could he trust in his feelings despite the looming possibility of things not ending well?
Logan knew not all relationships ended badly but no one could really tell if it would or if it wouldn’t. Right now, she was in his life. The next day she might be gone and he could be the reason.
The thought weighed heavily in his heart. That was the last thing he wanted.
===
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