"Yeah, okay," I responded as I gave him a final hug.
This wasn't how I intended this evening to go over, but for some odd reason, my chest felt like a weight had been lifted off of it. I wasn't as disappointed as I imagined. In fact, my brain was so concentrated on figuring out if Stuart liked me that I nearly forgot that Benjamin and I no longer had a thing together and that he was probably going to enter a serious relationship with someone that wasn't me. But I didn't even feel the tiniest piece of resentment.
"You okay?" Stuart asked as soon as I stepped foot into our house, jumping to his feet immediately which he always seems to do, as if he's thoroughly excited over my arrival. "Aren't you supposed to be going out to dinner?"
I shrugged. "I was supposed to be, yes," I confirmed. "However, Benjamin's ex-girlfriend is back in the picture so I'm like fully single again, which I'm surprisingly okay with."
"Sarah?" Stuart asked excitedly, and I nodded. "That's great! They were so cute together. Aw, I'm so happy for him!"
"Me too," I admitted, feeling my heart clench a little as the words flew off my tongue. I was envious that some girls were able to have long-term relationships, especially with boys as nice as Benjamin.
Stuart licked his lips. "Are you okay with it though? I'm sorry he broke things off with you, Ann. He's an idiot. I hope he didn't hurt you."
I shrugged nonchalantly. At first I was hurt, but now I had felt my anger disintegrating. "He was kind of a dick about it but I'm okay. It just wasn't going to work out. It happens. I'll get over it."
Stuart nodded in agreement as he subconsciously tucked a piece of my flowing hair behind my ear, tickling the surrounding skin. "So how has your birthday been?"
I laughed bitterly. "Honestly? It's been absolutely terrible. But that's alright. Birthdays really don't matter that much to me."
"Well maybe I can make it a little better," Stuart suggested, intertwining our fingers together and tugging me over to the kitchen where a cake that said "Happy Birthday Anna" was placed, along with a gift bag.
I brought my hands up to my lips to smother my squeals. "Oh my God! Thank you so much, Stuart," I cheered, pulling him in for a side hug. I didn't even care what was in the bag. Cake was the ultimate gift.
"Open it," Stuart insisted, sticking the present out. I snatched it from him and peeked inside, taking out a soft stuffed animal that resembled Adam from underneath the mounds of crinkly tissue paper. "I was going to get you an actual puppy, but I didn't want you to feel like I was trying to replace Adam. So I got you a Adam look-alike to cuddle when you miss him."
I smiled widely, suddenly having an urge to cry at how thoughtful he was. He had already gotten me plane tickets and I didn't want him to get me anything more, but honestly, this was the best present I've ever received. "Thank you," I whispered breathlessly.
My eyes finally glimpsed up from their fixated gaze on the stuffed animal to meet Stuart's brown irises. He was beaming at me and I'm sure my expression was identical to his. His eyes flickered to my lips, then back-up to keep eye contact, and I could slowly feel myself leaning in closer to him.
Maybe it was our intense stare on one another with no words escaping our mouths. Maybe it was the thrill of knowing someone so well that the simplest of gifts could make your entire day better. Maybe it was Benjamin's voice in the back of my brain telling me that Stuart had a crush on me. Whatever the reason was, something was telling me to kiss Stuart. And that's exactly what I did.
My free hand reached for the back of his neck, pulling his head down so our foreheads met. I crashed our lips together quickly, and Stuart instantly kissed me back. His lips moved against my own, making every spark in the universe set off in my entire body. The stuffed animal fell out of my other hand and I placed my hand on his waist, tugging our bodies closer so there was absolutely no gap between us.
His tongue slipped inside my mouth as if the taste of my lips weren't good enough. I constantly moved my hands through his thick hair and would run my palms over his strong biceps. His own hands had managed to travel from my back to my butt, which only made my arousal increase and my heart to beat faster.
We had been kissing for minutes now, both of our lips moving naturally against one another in the most fluid form possible. Kissing Stuart in such a passionate way was one of the most exhilarating experiences I have ever had. I don't know for sure if Stuart has a crush on me. But I could say now, with confidence, that I sure as hell had a crush on him.
Chapter 22
Stuart
This was actually happening. Annabel McKenzie was actually kissing me, voluntarily. The same Annabel McKenzie that despised me only a few weeks ago now had her lips pressed against mine, causing cheesy butterflies to flutter throughout my stomach.
Her lips were so perfectly soft that if I made a sweater out of her kisses I'm sure it would be the coziest article of clothing in the universe. I would probably wear that sweater every single day because I never wanted this feeling I got when we were making out to disappear.
But it did.
Annabel finally pulled away after minutes- that felt like hours- of kissing. I couldn't help but grin the biggest grin known to man when my eyes opened and spotted her beautiful face only inches away from my own.
"I guess you liked your present?" I teased, letting out a little laugh.
"Shut up," Annabel responded, giggling as her hand reached up to pull on the back of my neck so she could kiss me again.
This time it was just a small peck, and after our lips had connected she almost instantly retreated. Her eyes widened afterward and she quickly took a step back away from me. Her sudden change in mood was confusing, but I didn't want to press the subject. "Um, I think I'm going to go lay down."
My bubbly smile faltered. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen after we were making out for an eternity, but I sure did not picture her making excuses to get away from me. "Do you want to eat some cake first?" I tried, nudging my head towards the birthday cake I had ordered for her.
Ann shook her head, not making eye contact with me. "I'm not very hungry. I'm sorry."
She started to scurry off towards the bedroom, her cute little feet shuffling against the carpet, making disappointment creep into my veins. "Ann. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just really tired."
I could easily see through her lies, which aggravated me that she didn't think that I knew her well enough to know when she wasn't being truthful. "Ann, I know you're lying," I called out to her.
She sighed. "Stu, can you just leave me alone for a little bit?"
I didn't want to leave her alone. I wanted to spend time with her, and maybe kiss her again. Jesus, my crush on Annabel was getting out of hand.
"Can you please tell me what's going on first?" I asked in a lighter tone, approaching her as she stood in the doorway to our bedroom.
"I just need to think," She mumbled, slowly closing the door shut with a worried expression covering her face.
I stood outside of the room for a bit, rocking from my heels to my tippy-toes as I became antsy. I wanted to burst open the door and kiss her again and make that feeling of utter exhilaration reach every muscle of my body, but I knew she needed her space for whatever reason. I had to respect that, at least for a little while, even though it was killing me that she wasn't explaining what her sudden alteration was.
I settled in the sofa in the living room, turning the TV on and mindlessly flipping channels. My eyes started to droop as the boredom kicked in again. I thought about going over to see the guys, but I didn't want to leave Annabel in case she recovered from her mood in the near future. I also didn't want to see Benjamin, because I was mad that he had dumped her like it was nothing. However, I couldn't be happier that he did.
I wanted Annabel to be my girlfriend. And with Benjamin out of the picture this desire could finally become a reality. I've never even had an actual girlfriend before, but it only makes sense that she is mine. She's my best friend and I ha
ppen to have a giant crush on her, isn't that what relationships are all about? We'd be the perfect couple. I'm hoping that when she comes out of the room she'll have similar ideas as me.
A loud yawn escaped my mouth as I nestled my head against the throw pillow, fixating my gaze on the screen in front of me as I grasped a fleece blanket that covered my body like a thin layer of snow covering the ground. I needed to get my rest, but my mind was too cluttered with buzzing thoughts about this evening's events. I wanted to fall asleep, but man, what I really wanted was to fall in love.
The ugly analog clock that Lucy had purchased for us as "whimsy decoration" continued to tick continuously. It also ticked me off, because it only added to the stress I was feeling. I kept trying to think about what Annabel was thinking about, but even attempting to predict it was making me nauseous. Annabel was unpredictable in all aspects of her life, so my worrying was basically useless.
"Stuart?" A gentle voice spoke after several more minutes of sheer silence. My head darted up to view Annabel's beautiful face. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"No, you're fine. Come here," I insisted, wanting her to come closer to me and speak her mind.
Annabel wobbled over to the spot next to me on the couch, but I pulled her onto my lap instead. I kept my arms wrapped loosely around her body as she situated herself on my lap. "Are you alright?"
My palm that was touching her lower back began to rub small circles against her skin, as if this would help soothe her. Honestly though, it was just second nature for me. "I'm okay. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for kissing you. I don't know why I did it."
I let out a light chuckle. "You don't need to apologize, Ann."
She shook her head in protest. "Yes I do. We're best friends and we obviously don't have feelings for each other. I don't want to make this whole roommates thing weird for us. So I'm sorry."
"You're not making this weird," I assured her, my eyebrows knitting together with confusion. Was she too blind to see that I actually did have feelings for her?
"But this is weird. This isn't how best friends act. This isn't how we used to act. This is really scaring me, okay? I don't want anything to happen to us again," Annabel rambled, climbing off of my lap and standing on her feet, crossing her arms across her chest. Unfortunately, this motion only caused her boobs to squish together even more, and I had to peel my eyes away from her chest.
I cleared my throat. "Are you referring to the time we...you know?"
She nodded her head cautiously, shifting her gaze to the ground and studying her feet intently as she tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm just scared that it's going to happen again."
"Us having sex?" I clarified, now standing tall as well.
"No, I wouldn't mind that part," Annabel murmured, her cheeks immediately flushing a shade of pink as she registered what she had just admitted. I couldn't help but smirk. "I'm just scared for what will come after. I told you I have trouble with all of this, Stuart, and it's because of you. I'm sorry if you don't get it."
"It's okay," I promised her, lifting my finger to under her chin and tilting it upwards so she was forced to make eye contact with me. I shot her a gentle smile, urging her to continue. "Tell me all of your fears, baby."
Annabel stared at me for awhile. I could sense her contemplating how to form the words properly, but the truth is, even if Ann spoke gibberish to me I would still fall under her spell. I loved every adorable sound she makes.
She let out a deep exhale. "I don't want to hate you again. Please, don't make me hate you again."
"I'm not going to hurt you, Ann," I stated firmly. My palms found her waist, pulling her body closer to me so her warmth could radiate between the two of us. "I know I have a bad track record, but it's not going to happen this time. I don't want to be without my favorite girl ever again."
"Stuart," Annabel responded breathlessly, her eyes falling closed with a content grin as she limply leaned onto my body. "This is why you're my best friend."
I sucked in a deep breath, preparing to spill the beans. "But Ann, I don't want to be your best friend anymore."
Her vivid green irises peered up at me in shock, seeming to be filling up with tears at the mere mention. Annabel's perfectly waxed eyebrows furred together as an adorable puzzled expression overtook her features. Her mouth began to quiver. "Why not?"
I grinned in a devilish manner. "Because I want to do this," I declared, cupping my hands around her smooth cheeks and colliding our lips together to create the most passionate connection I have ever endured.
Chapter 23
Annabel
Stuart backed me up against the wall, his lips moving against mine in an effortless manner. I could feel my heart beating rapidly against his own since there was absolutely no space between us.
As much as I wanted to go further, my brain was telling me this was a bad idea. I liked Stuart a lot, but I was still terrified that he was going to use me again. I didn't want the rebirth of our relationship to crumble, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle another betrayal or heartbreak. I needed to trust my brain on this one, since a part of me was still slightly weary on trusting Stuart.
"I want to take this slow," I mumbled, combing my fingers through his hair as his hands held my waist firmly, rubbing circles against my hip with his thumb.
Stuart pressed his lips against mine again, initiating another chorus of fireworks to explode in my stomach. "And I want you to be my girlfriend."
I grinned widely. I knew Stuart had a crush on me too, but the fact that he was already so positive that he wanted to be serious with me was such a blissful feeling. Benjamin wasn't ever able to have this kind of commitment, and I'm so glad that Stuart adored me that much to be willing to call me his own.
"Shouldn't we at least go on a date first?" I asked, giggling softly so it wouldn't sound harsh.
"We live together! Everyday is a date!" Stuart exclaimed, laughing against my mouth as he kissed me again, reuniting the lovely connection of our soft lips.
"But like a real date," I protested, sliding my hands down his abs until they reached his waist, and I tugged him a bit closer to me. "I'm sorry for being annoying about this. I'm just scared, okay? So I want to be sure this is going to work out. I mean, it's not that I don't trust you, but I don't trust you."
Stuart nodded, a small smile curling from the end of his lips and making its way up to his brown irises that now were sparkling with flecks of joy. "I understand, baby. I don't blame you. I'm lucky you even forgave me."
My heart swooned at the use of this new term of endearment that he has been shelling out lately. It was so much cuter and more affectionate than simply babe. "Okay when you call me baby it makes it really hard for me to take things slow," I complained, lowering my hands even further, in a cheeky manner, until they finally reached his butt.
He laughed loudly when I squeezed it gently, admiring its toned quality. "Well unless you want something to get hard I suggest you remove your hands off of my bum."
I chuckled, wiggling out of his grip and causing him to roll his lips over into a pout. "Come on, Stuart. We're supposed to go to Australia tomorrow, so we probably should start packing."
"Fine," Stuart huffed, intertwining his fingers with mine as I yanked him towards our room to start filling up our suitcases.
I folded various clothes neatly, tucking them into my suitcase that was sprawled open on our bed. I was excited to go home and see my family. Although I knew this was going to be hard to go back to a home without my childhood dog or to visit the place where the root of my problem with Stuart began, being home was something I have learned to love and appreciate.
Stuart came up from behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling his head on my shoulder. "I'm sick of packing," Stuart whined, swaying the two of us back and forth.
"You've only been doing it for five minutes," I stated with amusement, leaning my back against his stomach.
"I like you, A
nn," Stuart blurted out, planting another kiss on my cheek. "I don't know how I transitioned from thinking of you as a sister to being attracted to you, but yeah. I like you."
"I like you too," I replied, trying to keep my heart from bursting open and melting into a puddle of nerves.
I placed the Adam-look-alike stuffed animal on the very top of my luggage, glimpsing over at Stuart with a smile on my face. He turned his head to kiss me yet another time, but we were interrupted by someone ringing our doorbell.
Stuart groaned, letting go of my body to go let in whoever is here. I followed closely behind him in curiosity, only to be surprised that Bradley was here, along with a very enthusiastic-looking Grace.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, sending them a friendly smile as I ushered them into our home.
"We're going on a date," Grace responded happily, lacing her fingers together with Bradley's and glimpsing up at him. He had an adorable grin plastered over his face, and I was glad the two of them were going to be able to be happy together.
Stuart scrunched his nose up in disgust. He always made it fairly obvious that he didn't like Grace, or made it obvious when he didn't like anyone, for that matter. "Well then get the hell out of my house?"
I elbowed him in the chest at his sassy remark although I secretly found his attitude amusing. Bradley just laughed, since he clearly knew about Stuart's personality just as much as I did.
"We're leaving soon we just wanted to say hi before you guys left for Australia tomorrow," Bradley explained. "Clay is driving you there tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah," Stuart confirmed. "Do you want me to stop by your mum's when we get there?"
"Why?"
"To make cookies together and then bang each other on your bed," Stuart answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes at his band mate. Bradley burst out laughing, smacking him in the arm. "No, to like tell her you said hi or bring her something from you I don't know."
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