Chapter 17: Mission impossible (Claire's POV)

Oh my god. 

Oh my god. 

Oh my god, you just walked in on him naked. 

He wasn't naked, he was shirtless. 

Half naked. 

I've seen him like that before though. 

Not when you walk into his room unannounced. 

I leaned against the wall, facepalming. I went, finished my ice cream, brushed my teeth, changed into pajamas, how was he not changed yet? 

I cleared my throat before knocking. The door swung open and I gasped. "Maybe knock next time," he smirked. 

"Maybe," I mumbled. He stepped aside and let me in while I scolded myself. 

Dumbass. 

I sat down on the left side of the bed while he tossed his clothes in the hamper in his bathroom before coming back out. I doubt we're falling asleep any time soon. We should find something to do. 

"Do you have Uno cards?" I asked. 

He looked at me weirdly before answering, "No?" 

I clicked my tongue while thinking of something else. I need to find something to keep me busy. He got in bed beside me and plugged his phone on charge. I was sitting there thinking when he tossed my phone into my lap. I looked up at him, confused. 

"It's your phone. Just don't answer for anyone except Aesha or your dad, okay?" he sighed, looking at me. 

I smiled and took it, placing it on the nightstand beside me. "Okay," I nodded. I've been here for almost three weeks. One more week and it'll be a month. Oh, my gosh, I've been here for almost a month? Whoa. 

I eyed him while he stared off into space. "You talked to my dad about something else, didn't you?" I narrowed my eyes at him. He shook his head. "You're lying," I huffed. 

"Mm-mm," he shook his head, still not looking at me. I poked his side and his head snapped to mine. He didn't even flinch. 

"How the hell are you not ticklish?" I mumbled. 

"Everybody isn't ticklish," he shrugged. 

"How though? I have a seizure every time someone touches me," I said. I poked him a few more times and he didn't even move. It was like he didn't even feel my hand. 

"Now you're just stabbing me," he said without looking at me, texting someone on his phone. 

"I don't get it! Tickling you is like- it's like mission impossible. How do you do it?" I'm awfully fascinated by not getting tickled. 

"Like this," he said before poking me. I jumped and grabbed his hand, pushing it away immediately. 

"Don't even try that again," I warned. 

He chuckled before poking me a few more times. "Stop it!" I shrieked, inching closer to the edge of the bed, him moving closer to me. I would have fallen off if he hadn't pulled me closer when he poked me once again. He shook his head while chuckling before sitting back in his spot. He had to be ticklish somewhere. I'll find the spot, don't you worry. "I was gonna fall, you idiot!" I smacked his arm. 

"I wouldn't have let you fall," he rolled his eyes. 

"You-" 

"I wouldn't have let you fall. I'm here to keep you safe, remember?" he smirked. 

"I was gonna fall," I repeated. 

"No, you weren't," he shook his head. 

"Yes, I was." 

"No." 

"Yes." 

"No." 

"Yes." 

"No." 

"No." 

"Yes," he said. 

"Ah-ha," I smirked. He tickled me again and this time I did fall. I landed with a thud, wincing. "Ow," I chuckled and opened my eyes and saw that I landed on top of him. How does that happen? 

He must have flipped us over. "Ow," he huffed. 

"Are you okay?" I laughed while scanning his face for genuine pain. 

"Yes," he sighed, his hands on my waist. When I was made aware of that, I froze. I stared at him, feeling somewhat shocked. 

We were really close. 

What about it? 

One move and you could ki- 

"Sorry," I said before climbing off. He sat up and rested his elbows on his knees while I held my hand out for him to grab and pull himself. 

"I didn't mind," he teased. 

So he's teasing you now? 

Can't say I hate it. 

He grabbed my hand and pulled himself up, not tugging on my hand but once he stood up, he tugged and pulled me closer. I clicked my tongue while taking a step back but he only pulled me back and put an arm around my waist to lock me in. "What?" I looked up at him. 

He leaned down beside my ear and whispered, "I do have a weak spot, find it if you can," his lips brushed against my ear. I almost shivered. His voice went lower and huskier than normal. That was very distracting. 

"The mission isn't that crucial," I mumbled while pulling away and taking a step back. I liked him, a lot. But that doesn't mean I entertain his flirting and flirt back. Because he doesn't like me. He's just messing with me. I'm kind of glad he is though, not because I like it but because he's having fun as he should. 

He laughed before sitting down on the edge of the bed on my side, looking up at me. "Why do you do that?" 

"What?" I asked in confusion. 

"Get so flustered at close proximity?" 

I scoffed, "I don't do that." 

"Sure you do," he nodded while running his hand through his hair, "Or is it just with me?" he smirked. 

What has gotten into him? 

Whatever it is, it's better than what we were working with earlier. 

"You're intimidating," I shrugged. 

"Are you intimidated?" he asked. 

"No," I mumbled. 

"Then?" 

"I don't know, close proximity makes me nervous," I said. 

"In general?" he arched an eyebrow at me, "Or with me?" 

I hesitated to answer. "With you," I cleared my throat. 

He stood up and took a step closer and another one but I didn't move back. "You don't even flinch," he mumbled under his breath. I don't think I was supposed to hear that. So, I acted like I didn't. 

Why would I flinch? 

God knows what he's thinking. He can't step any closer. Well, that's what I thought. But then he did. And if I didn't take a step back, we were going to bump into each other. I took one back but there was barely any room between me and the desk behind me, so really, I had nowhere to go. 

He was staring at me but he was thinking. God knows about what, seriously he thinks about anything at any time. It's impossible to guess. He started staring at the ground, falling deeper into his thoughts when his hair fell over his eyes and he was too engrossed in his head to notice. 

I slowly lifted my hand that was itching to push his hair back and brushed it back so it wasn't in his eyes. He snapped out of his thoughts when I did that and looked up at me then at my hand. "Sorry," I pulled it back down. 

He tucked my hair behind my ear and then smiled, "Sorry." 

I chuckled before pushing back and rolling my eyes. "You're so annoying," I mumbled while sitting on the bed. 

"Yeah, yeah," he scoffed while getting on his side. "Claire, what's your favorite color?" 

"Red. Yours?" 

"Blue," he replied.

I stayed silent. 

Why did he ask you that? 

"Wanna make violet?" he smirked. 

"Oh my god," I snorted, "You did not just crack that joke. Jesus freaking Christ," I laughed into the pillow that I was holding in my lap. 

"I'm serious," he laughed. I still can't get over his laugh. It lit up the whole room. 

I leaned my head against the headboard while laughing before turning to him. "That was not funny," I said. 

"The grin on your face says otherwise," he arched an eyebrow at me. 

I shook my head before we fell into comfortable silence until I broke it moments later. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded. "Why don't you let people in? Look at how much you laugh when you're having fun, how much you smile." 

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, "No one has ever put in as much effort as you have to make me smile and laugh. That's why it's different with you. I can. With other people? I prefer brooding in my misery." 

I looked at him while he stared at the wall in front of him before turning to me. "Well," I sighed, "Hopefully you never brood in misery again." 

"Why's that?" he chuckled. 

"I'm here now. I kind of liked your brooding in misery demeanor though, it was a whole different version of you." 

I wasn't kidding. I loved the way he was now, smiling more, laughing more, not taking everything too seriously, but even then, I still liked the way he was. Barking orders, sending me nothing but glares, being dominating. It's a different side of him. And I love both. 

"You know, normally people prefer one side of a person." He gave me a pointed look as if he thought I was lying and liked him better now. 

"Not me. I like you both ways."

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter seventeen

In the last chapter, I accidentally titled chapter 17 and had a panic attack cause I thought I just didn't publish the 16th chapter when in reality just the title on here was wrong.

I'm so dumb.

next chapter: Double date