Dressed in a plain T-shirt and sweatpants, he sat on the couch staring at her intensely while she wiped his brown hair with a towel. He never took his eyes off her, making Samantha feel uncomfortable. On top of all this, she was soaked; water kept running down her long hair and the girl was cold, although she tried not to show it from herself.
Alex took the towel from her hand and threw it deep into the room. He headed to the closet, where he selected a T-shirt and the smallest sweatpants for her, pulled down with an elastic waistband. He handed them to the girl, telling her to change. She did not protest. She simply used the bathroom, where she hung up her wet clothes.
When she returned to him, he forcibly seated her on the couch and grabbed a clean towel to wipe her hair.
- You don't have to do that, I can handle it," she declared; however, the boy held her in place, intent on taking care of her.
She bit her cheeks from the inside as she felt a pleasant warmth around her heart. His closeness somehow made her happy, and she couldn't explain when exactly it started.
- Will you tell me why you sounded so depressed on the phone? - She asked, lifting her face to look into his eyes. The boy did not answer for a long moment, simply wiping her wet hair in a towel. - You sounded like an entirely different person. At this point, you are also different from the Alex I managed to meet.
- I was simply reminded of something bad from my childhood," he explained, holding back the tears flowing into his eyes. He would rather not show weakness in front of her again.
- It sounded much more serious... I was petrified.
He did not answer. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of the clock's hands could be heard, mixed with raindrops tapping against the glass. They were both silent for a long moment.
- I just had a bad day and tried to unwind. It was nothing of the sort.
He would rather not tell her the truth. She had seen it. He choked it deep inside, but she wasn't going to be nosy. Not in this situation.
- It's okay, I understand. - He put down the towel and looked at her. - The most important thing is that you have already recovered.
- It's thanks to you," he declared hastily, embarrassing her. Similar words from Alex's mouth were still foreign to her. She couldn't believe that here - in front of her, he was finally himself.
She nervously played with her toes, as this was the first time she felt so awkward. Usually, she was bold and carefree, saying whatever came to her tongue. She felt comfortable in Alex's company, however, now it was different. He acted like an entirely different person, and this was troublesome for her. They didn't fool around like they always did. They were both serious.
- You've made it to the house, so I'll go home. If it's no problem, I'll give you back your clothes at the earliest opportunity," she said, rising from the couch. She slipped past him, heading for the next room, but before she left the living room, she felt his hands, with which he entwined her stomach. The girl's heart beat harder again when he put his chin on her shoulder.
- Don't go... I felt better, but if you leave, I don't know how long I will experience this peace. Stay with me this night, please....
*
In silence, she sat on the armchair, watching the boy, who had fallen asleep on the couch. Curled up in a ball, he had wrapped himself in the red blanket she had covered him with earlier. Although they talked for a long time, and Alex fought fatigue, it eventually wore him down.
Samantha drew her knees to her chest and laid her head on them, not taking her eyes off him. In his sleep, he looked so sweet and innocent that she couldn't look at him. She still couldn't believe that a strange coincidence had brought them together. She would never have guessed that she would be able to meet a boy of his stature. He was handsome, rich, and adored by women. At first glance, he looked and acted like a typical player, but tonight something changed. He showed her his true face, and she noticed that, like others, he was very sensitive. He needed a close person who could help him through a difficult time.
- Why do you put on a mask every day and deceive people? What happened to you that makes you want to be a different person so much? - she turned to him, but did not get an answer, as the boy was plunged into a deep sleep.
She shifted her gaze to the window and sighed heavily. She watched the raindrops falling, devising what she should tell her mother when she got home. Furthermore, she would be furious again that her daughter had secretly slipped out of her room. The previous night she had caused her mother trouble, and moreover, she had still escaped tonight.
There was a flash and a thunder somewhere in the distance. Samantha squirmed even more in her chair, noticing that Alex moved restlessly. Sweat appeared on his forehead, and tears flowed from under his closed eyelids. He was squirming on the couch, tossing about as if defending himself from something.
He was suffering...
She approached the boy and crouched in front of him, grasping his hand.
He calmed down.
It thundered again, this time more strongly, so the boy opened his eyes. He fixed a frightened gaze on the girl and squeezed her hand tighter.
- It's not always like this.
- Is it the weather that influences your nightmares? - She asked, guessing that it was related to the storm.
- Yes.
Alex rose to a sitting position and patted the seat next to him, letting the girl know that she should sit next to him. She obeyed him. She put her hand on the backrest of the couch and fixed her eyes on the boy's profile while he stared at the raindrops running down the window.
- Ten years ago, something nightmarish happened to my family. I was a child, and it all played out before my eyes. I miraculously avoided death," he announced quietly. Samantha went through chilling. - Every night, when it's rainy outside, this nightmare returns. I have been treated by a psychiatrist for many years, but even medication can no longer help me. This image from ten years ago refuses to disappear from my head...
The brunette was silent. She took his hand, guessing that the boy needed support. The mask he puts on every day is so he can pretend to be someone else. He tries to forget the painful past and play the unfeeling bastard that people love to see in the pictures and advertisements.
- Does a rainy night affect your nightmares because that day was just such weather? - She asked, looking at him carefully.
- Yes. On nights like these, I can't sleep peacefully. I suffer every time.
The teenager felt tears coming to her eyes. She felt sorry for him. She didn't know what had happened in the past, but something really terrible must have happened to him. Furthermore, she would like to help him forget this nightmare, but she did not know how she could do it.
- Is there anything I can do for you?
He fixed his sad eyes on her. A slight smile appeared on his face.
- You have done enough for me already. Thank you.
*
Mark panicked the first moment he stepped out of the house and spotted Naomi's car. The girl was leaning against the hood, waiting for him. The unexpected visit made him hiccup from nerves. He let go of the bowl of lactose-free milk he left for the stray cats in front of his house every day.
The model spotted him. She straightened up and sent him a charming smile, with which she led the teenager to feel a flowing sensation of warmth in his chest. His cheeks lit a vivid fire when he remembered how shamelessly she kissed him, yet he couldn't deny it because he liked it. She was pretty, brave and flew at him, even though he still didn't understand it.
- Sorry. I got carried away yesterday, but it's because I can't help myself in your company," she declared, walking closer to him. Mark again lurched. - How about I make up for it and take you out for a delicious Sunday breakfast. If you ate, that's fine. There may be something sweet.
Mark swallowed his saliva harder and hiccuped again.
- For hiccups, sugar is the best. What do you say to that?
- Be that as it may," he muttered, noticing the neighbors in the windows. There had been enough sensationalism in the neighborhood recently, so he wasn't going to discuss it with Naomi outside the house any longer.
He warned her that he needed to change and returned to her a while later, taking the passenger seat.
An angry mother came out of Samantha's house, cursing at her daughter.
- Damn that little shit!
Naomi laughed under her breath, out of the corner of her eye glancing at a curious Mark.
- I noticed that she was driving somewhere in the middle of the night....
- She went to Alex," she stated hastily, pleased that the two had gotten closer. - I talked to him, that's why I know she stayed with him for the night.
- What a shameless girl.... I feel sorry for her mother," he announced, looking down as the woman sat down in front of the house, burying her face in her hands.
- I see that she is slowly losing in your eyes.... - she said, dragging, leaving the street.
Mark scoffed.
- And was she ever anything more in my eyes? She's just a neighbor.
- That's why I didn't believe it when you lied to me about being together. You wanted to float me then, didn't you?
He didn't answer. He stared at the road in front of him, as if he was the driver.
- Where do you want to go so no one will recognize you? - He changed the subject.
- I have my place. I only appear in pictures and advertisements, I'm not an idol, so I can live quietly. Usually when I dress in ordinary clothes, my hair is uncombed, and I'm not wearing makeup, I don't draw attention to myself at all.
- Nevertheless, you are famous. People will recognize you," he muttered, pretending not to be in the mood.
Naomi stopped at a traffic light and stuck an amused look at him.
- Change that snotty expression on your face. More enthusiasm and joy in life, and you'll feel better. Should I make you feel better? - She asked in a cheerful voice, bringing her face closer to his. Mark moved far enough away that his head touched the glass.
- The light has changed! - He pointed to the traffic light with his finger.
The model laughed out loud, finding him extremely charming. She had never dealt with such a shy boy before, which made her like him even more. She couldn't believe that earlier the same eighteen-year-old had won straight to her face what he thought of her.
Furthermore, she had to admit that Mark had many faces.
She parked in front of a little-known café. They both got out of the car and went inside. Naomi greeted the girl who worked there and chose her favorite table by the window.
- I invited you, so tell me what you feel like.
The boy snorted indignantly.
- I can pay for myself. Don't worry, I get pocket money.
The blonde rolled her eyes because, after all, Mark had a tough character.
- So this time let me buy you a cake, since I invited you here, okay? - She leaned with her hands on the table-top, looking at him carefully.
He shrugged his shoulders and looked out the window. He let her do it, since she was so insistent. For the first and last time.
The twenty-year-old left the table to buy sweets for them. Meanwhile, the boy rested his head on his elbow, looking at the people passing by. Some couple was arguing intensely, while an elderly lady was carrying a small dog in her arms. Kindergarten-aged children were running down the street, and the babysitter was shouting after them, trying to stop them.
- It looked most appetizing, so I chose a piece for us each," she announced, placing the plate in front of the boy. She sat down across from him, smiling radiantly. - My work forces me to diet, however, currently I am being tempted to have a calorie bomb because in your company I could even afford a carton of chocolate.
He furrowed his eyebrows when he sensed that she was not taking her gaze off him. For a split second, he glanced at her and then the memory came back when she aggressively started kissing him. She dishonored his innocent, virgin lips.
Mark opened his eyes wider as she nibbled on the cookie, a small amount of it left on her upper lip. A million thoughts ran through his head, so he hastily turned his face toward the window. Unfortunately, this was a bad idea and the wrong moment because his classmates were walking past the café. They spotted Mark and were immediately interested in the girl who accompanied him. This was new to them.
- What are these sluts? - asked Naomi nervously, noticing that they were looking at Mark. - Those eyes are about to fly out of their orbits, that's how excited they are," she added with jealousy in her voice.
- Ignore those meddlesome babes," he muttered, realizing that a million new rumors would be created about him and the girl who accompanied him at school. - Don't let them recognize you.
Naomi angrily put down her fork and, unable to stand their pawing stares any longer, stuck out her middle finger. The teenager looked shocked by her behavior. What he feared most was that her classmates would recognize her.
Outraged, the girls went inside and approached the table where they were sitting. Mark cursed under his breath, hiding his face behind his hands.
- Do you have a problem? You are interrupting my conversation with my boyfriend," the model spoke up, looking at them from under her baseball cap.
- What are you thinking? Why did you show us the middle finger? - One of them immediately attacked her, crossing her arms on her chest.
- And don't you think that was nosy?
- We were simply interested in who our classmate was dating," the other girl declared, glancing at Mark out of the corner of her eye.
The 20-year-old rose from her chair and stood in front of them. She took off her baseball cap and, fixing her hair, smiled superiorly at them. They were both shocked when they realized they knew her from advertisements.
- Naomi Smith?
- Exactly, and Mark Anderson is my boyfriend.
The teenager opened his eyes wide and fixed them on the model, then glanced at his surprised classmates. He realized that he was in for an even tougher life at school, as these girls were the worst gossipers among his peers.
But wait a minute, since when was he her boyfriend?