Dear Diary, I Think I'm In Love

Getting Warmer Now

Much to my surprise, mom just sighs as she puts the bag with groceries on the kitchen island. “Never mind, I don’t even want to know. Just clean this up, will you honey?” she tells me as she realizes that her tone made me lose the gift of speech. Hunter seems amused and frustrated at the same time.

I do everything in my power to tear my gaze away from him and try not to think about what he just said to me. “Yes, mom, on it,” I assure her, already turning to the sink to grab the towels. Again. I hope no one interrupts me this time.

“Hunter, would you be a sweetheart and take whatever clothes you boys have lying around in the room to the bathroom?” my mom then asks in a completely innocent tone, which leaves me alerted. She’s up to something, I’m sure of it.

I don’t dare to turn my head over my shoulder. I let go of the towels instead and pretend that I’m washing my hands. Very thoroughly. “Yes, of course. It’s not a problem,” Hunter responds. I only relax once I hear his footsteps get further away.

In that moment, I tense up, because my mother begins talking. “So …” she drags the word, but she doesn’t get to finish whatever she meant to say, because the door rings. “Perrie, would you …?” she asks me, but I look over my shoulder, shaking my head.

“But my hands are dirty,” I remind her, making her sigh. She puts down the cheese and disappears through the doorframe. I breathe out in relief. Then, I find myself freezing in shock. Could she … Could have she heard what Hunter said to me? I can feel the blood disappearing from my face.

Soon enough, I find myself surprised again, as my mom greets whoever’s at the door. “Oh, hey, it’s you!” she practically sings at the person. I frown. There aren’t many people in this world that my mom would greet so happily. As I hear the other person’s voice, my heart practically shoots through the ceiling.

“Hi, Mrs. H … Is there any way I could stay with you during the Fall Break?” I hear my best friend’s voice travel towards my ears. I dry my hands immediately, then basically fly towards the front door.

“Of course, Leslie, come in. There’s no way we would ever turn you away, you know that,” my mom keeps blabbing, while all I want to see is if my best friend is in that state that I’m imagining her in. Once I lay my eyes on her, I realize she’s not. She’s even worse.

“Hey, Les, I’m so glad you came,” I greet her, making her lift her gaze just as she’s lowering her bag onto the floor. She forces a smile on her face, but I can tell how difficult it all is for her.

She shrugs in response. “Couldn’t bear to see my dad packing,” she then admits, her voice breaking mid-sentence. I freeze, not knowing what to say to that. But luckily, my mom does. She puts her hand on my best friend’s shoulder, making Leslie look at her.

“That is completely understandable, sweetheart. You sound like you could use some fun. We’re all going to the Fall Festival today, why don’t you join us, huh?” she suggests in a really motherly tone, making something inside me light up as I notice how Leslie cheers up at the offered distraction.

She glances at me and I nod encouragingly. Then, she looks back at my mom, and gives her a funny reaction. Something between a shrug and a nod. “Alright then. I don’t really want to be alone right now anyway,” she responds. My mom smiles.

“It’s settled then,” she decides, then sends me a meaningful look before heading back into the kitchen. As she’s out of sight, I crush my best friend into a bear hug, knowing that she’s in desperate need of it.

I’m just about to tell her that it will all be okay, when suddenly a terrible noise travels to my ears. Like a hoard of a hundred elephants is rushing towards us. Well, in reality, it’s just my brother, coming down the stairs.

I twirl around to look at him as I hear him mention my name. My best friend inhales sharply at sight of him. “Hey, Pez, I got most of the cereal out. I left the shirt in the sink,” he informs me, and I nod in response.

“That’s okay, I’ll deal with it now. I have to clean the towels too, so no biggie,” I let him know, trying to keep things civilized. But also, I can barely contain myself from chuckling, because my best friend is visibly flustered by my brother’s physique. I think it’s now time to mention, that he’s walking around shirtless.

He nods, then smiles at Leslie. “Oh, hey there. Are you coming to the festival with us, too?” he greets her warmly, but she can barely stutter a hello. I decide to save her from the embarrassment and just talk for her.

“Yes, Les is coming with us,” I reply to his question, then quickly change the subject to spare her with the awkwardness. “Also, could you be so nice to help carry her bags up to my room?” My brother looks at me, already meaning to say something. I can see it in those slightly narrowed eyes.

However, when he looks back at my best friend, he seems to soften. He nods, forgetting the fact that I just ordered him around and comes towards us. “Sure, it’s no problem,” he responds, then heads straight towards my best friend. She’s still holding one bag in her hand, while the other is resting on the floor.

Aiden picks that one up, then takes the second one from her hand. She’s basically drooling. Oh my God. She totally likes him! He smirks ever so slightly, clearly satisfied with the fact that he made Leslie Black shut up. Well, there aren’t many people in this world, who can brag about that.

“You coming?” he asks her quietly, almost suggestively. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s flirting with her. But no. Aiden is dating Cassie, so there’s no way he has just tried to flirt with my best friend. Right?

In that moment, it seems like she finally wakes up from the trance. “Oh, no. No, it’s … I’m … I’ll help Perrie in the kitchen. Or your mom,” she quickly makes up an excuse, sending me a pleading gaze that says save me from your horndog brother, please!

I almost laugh out loud as my imagination translates her gaze in its own ludicrous way. “Yeah, she’s helping me clean up, then we’re helping mom with groceries,” I inform my brother, before leading my best friend out of his way. She only relaxes once we’re safely in my mom’s presence.

Judging by the look on her face, I’m sure she’s heard everything that went down back there. She seems incredibly amused and her good mood is practically undestroyable. She jokes with us while I wash milk and cereal from the towels that Hunter and I used to mop the floor with.

Hunter. Crap. Mom told him to bring laundry to the bathroom. I’m headed to the bathroom. If I go there now, there’s a chance I might run into him. I really don’t want to be alone in the same room with Hunter. Not after he has just openly admitted that he liked me.

“Mom, we’re going upstairs now. Or do you need our help with something?” I speak up, hoping that she won’t make a fuss about it. Or try to keep Leslie downstairs or something like that. She pins her gaze on me for a moment, then shrugs.

“I mean, if you’re up for it, you can come keep me company after you finish the laundry. Unless you have schoolwork,” she responds. I share a brief glance with my best friend, who is too busy dealing with her own emotions to notice my own.

“We do have some things, but we’re not in a hurry. We can come help you,” I offer, making her smile. With that, I know that the debate is finished. I motion with my head towards the stairs, making Leslie blink like she just woke up from a trance.

She joins me as I take the damp towels, after squeezing as much water as I could from them. We walk upstairs in silence and she already means to go into my room, when she realizes I’m headed for the bathroom.

I start loading the towels into the washing machine and grab Aiden’s shirt while I’m at it. It’s a blue jersey, with the number ten printed on it. There shouldn’t be a problem, putting it together with the towels, right? I mean, it’s not like I’ll wash it on high temperature or something.

Okay, you can never be too careful. I throw a color catcher sheet in there, then close the door of the machine just as someone walks into the bathroom. My best friend speaks up a second later.

“Oh, hey Hunter,” she says, making me freeze and turn around like I’m in slow-motion. I gulp nervously, hoping that I was the only person who heard that.

“Hey, Leslie. ‘Sup?” he greets her back. He’s standing in the doorframe, holding a bunch of clothes that he must have picked up in Aiden’s room, just like my mom told him to do.

“Not much, you?” she replies, and I listen to the exchange in silence, as I turn back around and start setting the program. Too hot, too hot, too cold, too damn long …

“Plenty. Same old, you know,” Hunter then answers my best friend’s question in a meaningful tone, making me freeze again. Okay, Perrie. Time to act normal. Like, right now, maybe?! Without the exclamation. I’m not panicking. Not even closely. Of course, I’m not. Don’t be ridiculous. This is Hunter. Why would Hunter make me panic?

I force my head to sort itself out as I say: “Do you have any more jerseys there? Since I’m already washing them.” I turn my head over my shoulder, meeting his hardened gaze, which makes me feel like the worst person in the world.

“A few,” he responds, before walking towards me. I quickly open the machine again as I realize he’s lowering himself to the ground. I spot one of the shirts and reach out to grab it. However, he’s already pushing it into the washing machine, and I end up brushing my hand against his. Whoa!

It feels like being electroshocked. His touch. I stare at him, terrified by what just went through my head, while he scatters the clothes on the ground like nothing’s bothering him. I grit my teeth and force myself to get it together.

I look down, spotting another jersey, but we reach for it at the same moment again. And this time, I draw in a sharp breath, making his gaze jump towards mine. He locks it with me in such a way, that I’m not sure if I just breathed in, or out. I can’t move. I can’t do anything.

“Aren’t you going to put that in?” he wonders, still hypnotizing me with his gorgeous eyes. Okay, Perrie, that’s enough! You’re trying to make up with your boyfriend, you don’t need any complications to go with that!

“Yeah, of course I’m going to,” I mumble, then quickly push it next to the other jerseys and towels. Finally, I turn the machine on, then start picking up the rest of the clothes that Hunter brought. He’s still crouching next to me, and I can feel his gaze pinned on my face.

I decide to ignore it, then pick everything up as quickly as I can. Once I get up and start putting them in the laundry hamper, a few pieces fall down. He picks them up and puts them in before I’m able to grab any. In the process, he brushes his hand against mine. Again.

My fingers tremble at the touch and I try to pretend like nothing happened. But he noticed. I know he did. I can see it by the look in his eyes, and the tiny smirk he’s trying to prevent from appearing on his face. “Thanks. You’re the best,” he murmurs, then winks at me before disappearing from the bathroom as quickly as he appeared.

I lean my hands on the washing machine, which is now in full work-mode, while I’m barely able to function. In the next second, my best friend startles me when she lets out a contemplating ‘huh’. I freaking forgot she’s even here!

I turn towards her, completely mortified by everything that she just witnessed. She’s being dramatic, waving her hand up and down in front of her face, like she needs to cool herself down. I frown. “Shut up,” I mumble.

“Didn’t say anything,” she remarks, making me glare at her. Of course not, but I can tell she’s about to. I don’t say that out loud, though. I really don’t want to risk Hunter still being close enough to hear this exchange.

“Great. Let’s go downstairs,” I remark with a blank expression on my face, making her gasp in surprise. Oh, I knew she’d do this.

“Come on, without the deets?” she pouts, while I shake my head in disbelief. She’s really something, this one. No wonder my brother likes to tease her.

“Yep. Unless you want to discuss your deets, too,” I remark. She sends me a confused look as I wiggle my eyebrows in a suggestive way. “You know, about your own personal brand of eye candy,” I continue implying, finally hitting a nerve.

She’s mortified as I move past her, but she still manages to punch my shoulder playfully. Soon enough, she’s the one mumbling: “Shut up.”