18. Snooping

Snooping

GAbrIELLA

It takes me two seconds to realise my mistake. The entire room smells just like Parker’s beach and coconut scent. If I hadn’t been so close to him not ten minutes ago, I wouldn’t have realised this is his room. My eyes go wide as I take in everything within the room at once. The walls are covered with printed pictures of the three guys. Most of them are happy moments but one or two here and there are of sad moments as well. One in particular catches my eye and I find myself gravitating towards it.

The picture is fascinating, not only are the guys somewhere in their early teens, but standing in front of them is a girl who looks a little like me. Same dark hair, same prominent cheekbones, but her eyes appear to be a vibrant green whereas mine are more of a dull blue. The similarities end there though, she’s much chubbier than I am, and by the look of things, she was about the same height as the guys. My curiosity wins out and I start searching the other photos for a clue as to who she is.

It’s not until I’ve passed the dresser, the open bathroom door and then the bed that I realise there’s a picture tucked in behind the last picture on the wall. In it the guys are standing in front of a grave, looking to be about the age they are now. The headstone reads: Messina Oak. Beloved friend.

I squint my eyes trying to read the date behind the twins’ legs. but the only numbers I can make out are the last two digits of the years. She would have been my age now if she hadn’t died three years ago. No other pictures show her face and none go back further than the day she died except the one with her in it. I’m curious enough to start poking around in his drawers to figure out who she was but the door opens before I get the chance.

“What are you doing?” Parker snaps as I slowly remove my hand from the handle of the bedside table.

“Looking for a tissue.” I keep my gaze on the drawers, to avoid his.

“Other side of the bed. Top drawer.”

His lack of shouting makes me move more than his words. I crawl across the bed on my stomach and reach out for the drawer, my hand closes around the cold metal.

“Wait. Let me. I….”

My eyes fly to his face and I quickly pull my hand away from the drawer. I’ve never seen him blush but I want to see it again. It makes him look almost human. “What’s in the drawer that’s got you all embarrassed?” I tease.

“Nothing.” He’s far too quick with his response so I get to my knees and reach for the drawer again. He’s too quick. I don’t even have time to blink before he’s flipping me over and pinning me to the bed. I smile but the second our eyes catch, my smile melts away.

I can feel every inch of him as he presses into me. My entire body feels like it’s tingling in a pleasant way. Far too pleasant when I’m supposed to be still angry with him. Not that my temper has ever lasted longer than a few moments.

Aunt April used to say that my mood swings gave her whiplash. One second I’d be pissed enough to have metaphorical smoke coming out of my ears, the next I was calm and collected. I’m not sure why I’m like that, I just know it’s always been the same, even when I was a kid living on the streets.

Sometimes it even amazes me how quickly I can calm down, there’s something seriously wrong with me.

“You going to tell me what is in that drawer?” I ask, simply to distract myself from the feel of his hard body against mine.

“You going to tell me what the secret is that the twins know about you?”

“What secret?”

“Ah see I knew something was going on when I walked in and they both looked like they’d gained the upper hand. You, beautiful, just confirmed it.” His face is only an inch away from mine and I can’t help glancing from his lips to his eyes and back again. I want to know what it would feel like. I want to kiss him. My face feels like a furnace as I realise where my errant thoughts have taken me.

I blink and when I open my eyes, I’m back between the twins on the couch.

“He piss you off again?” Drew asks as he moves his arm to the back of the couch.

“Something like that.” I mumble trying to get comfortable without touching either of them. I’m not uncomfortable because I don’t want to touch them, it’s because I do. What I’m longing to do is more than touching but my head is all messed up because it’s not just them, its Parker as well. The three of them drive me insane, heat my blood and make me want things I swore to stay away from.

I’m not sure how long I stay sitting stiffly between the twins watching whatever movie is on the screen but after a while my body begins to relax.