SHE TWISTED THE handle and walked inside with Ryker right behind her. Laavanya pushed the keys back into her purse and hung it behind the door. Ryker walked ahead and his eyes travelled through her tiny apartment. Laavanya always adored her apartment. It wasn't huge–in fact, it was smaller than the living room of the house she grew up in but this was her apartment albeit rented. And it was the first place she didn't want to run away from.

But with Ryker willingly standing under the same roof as hers, the walls seemed to be closer than before.

His hands were buried deep into the pocket of his pants. His back was facing her so she couldn't tell if he was disappointed or not. Bringing him here was most likely a mistake because who would bring their boss home? But it didn't seem like Ryker was his boss here. He was a friend—which he clearly denied to before.

You can call it what you want.

What was it they had? It was a relationship she had with no other.

"I might have some loose t-shirts in my closet. You can take the bed," she said as she broke the silence between them and her trail of thoughts. He was standing near the knee length bookshelf that she used to divide the living room area to the bedroom section. Like she said, it was a tiny studio apartment.

"No, it's all right. I'll take the couch," he muttered. She picked up a scrunchie from the window pane and tied her hair in a loose bun.

"Ryker, please," She sighed as she walked past him to reach her closet. "Don't argue with me. Just take the damn bed." She opened the drawer and rummanged around her clothes to find Cameron's t-shirts. He usually kept a ready to go outfit rather than anything casual but she ended up finding an old oversized t-shirt she had brought from her first income. She heard him move. "Here yo—" She turned around and stopped when she saw Ryker lying on the bed—fast asleep. His back was lying on the mattress with his feet firmly on the ground. She dropped the t-shirt and bent down to take the shoes and sock from his legs. She shook him slightly and mumbled to sleep properly. He muttered something and snuggled into her bed.

She covered him with her duvet and went to the bathroom to change. She did her night routine and switched off of the lights to finally go to bed. The couch was small but the foetus position fit her whole. She shifted to the other side and just when her eyes were shutting, she heard him say,

"Laav, are you awake?"

"Mhmm?"

"Thank you," he whispered so softly she wasn't sure if she heard him. "Do you want to exchange places?"

"Go back to sleep," she ordered.But instead she heard faint footsteps. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to find Ryker hovering over her. He had taken his blazer off and the first two buttons of his shirt were done. There was barely any light inside the room but she could make out the silhouette of his figure. "If you're planning to murder me, boss, please do it when I am asleep."

He chuckled softly and she felt like she had found water in a desert. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already."

"Yeah, well, good luck trying to get away with it. Julie will raise Hell if she can't do justice to me."

"Alright, enough with that," he said. "Come sleep on the bed. Let me take the couch."

"I can barely fit in here, how will a giant like you will?"

"We'll see about that."

When she didn't answer his requests, she felt his arms slide underneath her body. Before she could squirm out, he had picked her up in his arms. "Oh, my God. Ryker!" She closed her eyes quickly and yelled at him. "Put me down!" He carried her towards the bed and dropped her from a height, but close enough to not let her get hurt. She glared at him and jabbed his arm. "I will make sure you don't get up tomorrow!"

"I'd like to see you try." He was about to walk away when she clutched his hand.

"We're adults, Ryker. We can share a bed."

He watched her for a minute. There was a change in the atmosphere, a sudden drop in the temperature but her entire body seemed to be on fire. He took his other hand and slowly untangled her fingers.

"I think it's best if I sleep there."

The fire extinguished.

***

The morning was bright. Her apartment smelled like fresh toasts and summer. The sun rays were filtering into her apartment. She had a full-length mirror right beside her bed but instead, she always sat near the window with a hand mirror in one hand as she did her makeup and a cup of tea on the pane—that was more for warmth than used as a beverage. She took a deep breath and steadied her hand as she pulled a wing above her eyelid. She measured both the lengths and huffed.

"Seven times," a voice reverberated in the room.

"What?" She looked over her shoulders.

Ryker sat up. "You've been redoing that eyeliner seven times. One eye." He brushed a hand through his dishevelled hair, a lazy smile on his face. He sat up from the tiny couch that he was almost falling off from. He rolled off his neck and groaned in pain. "Thank you for not killing me."

"Oh, I was tempted to. But I didn't want to hurt Julie." She faked a smile and looked back into the mirror, her hand was shaking as she tried to stretch a simple black line over her eyelid.

"Do you need help with that?"

She scoffed. "You can make a perfect wing?"

He stood up and started walking towards her. Pulling a chair in front of her, he took the eyeliner from between her fingers. "Close your eyes," he said. Laavanya paused for a moment before doing as he asked. Her heartbeat was slow until his breath fell on her lips. His hand slid around her neck as he slowly pulled her close to him. Her heart stopped and she held her breath. She quickly opened her eyes, shocked.

"Relax," he mumbled. Despite the irritation she felt around him half of the time, his soft voice calmed her nerves but it wasn't enough. She was aware of how close they were, His blue eyes were shining underneath the faint light of the sun rays passing between them. She licked her lips and watched him. She could lean a few centimetres in and everything could go wrong. "Laav," he whispered again. "Breathe. It's just an eyeliner." Her heartbeat was erratic and the blood was rushing to the neck where his hand still lingered. Yet she closed her eyes and felt the liquid brush against the edge of her eyelid.

It happened so quickly.

She opened her eyes again and he looked at her with a satisfied grin. "I think it looks perfect." His hand left her neck and he leaned past her to grab the mirror. He made it face her and she watched the best eyeliner wing in the reflection.

"Wow, where did you even learn this?"

"I am a skilled man." His grin twisted into a smug smile. "What's the time?"

She looked at her watch. "Um, eight. I—"

"Eight?" He repeated, his voice agitated.. "Fuck." He quickly stood up and began gathering his things up. "Look, Laav. Thanks for letting me sleep the night but I–" He fumbled as he rolled up the socks up his feet. "I have to go. I will see you at the office." Before she could say anything, he was at the door. He twisted it open and stopped at the doorstep.

"Who the hell are you?" Laavanya came forward to find Cameron standing at the threshold. His glare burned at Ryker before he looked past him to meet Laavanya's widened eyes. "Laavanya, who is this?"

"He is my boss. He–"

Cameron looked at her from up and down. "Hello, I am Cameron." He reluctantly took his hand out. "Her boyfriend. I am sure she must have mentioned me."

She had known Ryker for seven years and her boyfriend for two but not once had they crossed their paths. Ryker always came a week late for the summer at Bayford, if he did, and Cameron always left within two days. She never pictured them meeting but not once did she think it would be this way.

Ryker stiffened. "Yeah, yes." He shook his hand and took a step past him. "See you around."

Cameron walked inside when Ryker hurried out. He looked at her with anger and hurt spread all across his face. "What was he doing here? Is..." He couldn't say it. He opened his mouth and she knew what he suspected but he failed to say it.

"He needed a place to stay the night. He slept on the couch. You don't have to worry."

"That's all that happened, right?"

"Yes. Nothing more," she said. "Nothing ever will."

hehe how would you feel if your best friend's insanely attractive cousin does your eyeliner?

i would die right there.