Painful Pleasures

Bowling

CHAPTER 10

"Do you mind getting drunk every night?" Trevor asks as he finishes his breakfast.

"Then you'll just make breakfast as a thank you for our help."

And April laughs, still looking down at her plate.

Somehow, she had managed to avoid my eyes the entire time we ate breakfast and I want to grab her and demand what the hell she's doing.

She had walked away with a blank stare after the kiss.

Then...she showers here, puts on my clothes and makes breakfast?

And now she won't look at me?

"Okay. I'm stuffed. Thanks April." Trevor says as he drops his plate in the sink and gives me a wink before he heads for his room.

Finally.

I owe him one.

Before I can speak, she looks up from where she is seated across me and beats me to it.

"Okay, you've been staring at me all morning and I know I've over stepped my boundaries here."

"April--"

"But I drunk dialled you last night and you still helped me and....I didn't just want to up and leave. Especially after kiss..."

She trails off and runs her hand through her hair.

"It just keeps looking like I want something from you and then I run and--"

I frown.

"So all this is just for a pity thank you?"

Her eyes go wide

"What? No. I'll just go." She says suddenly already standing up.

"Wait. You can't go." I say suddenly, surprising myself as I got up.

No way would I let her run now.

She stops and turns.

Think, Ethan think.

"We're going bowling today. Trevor and I and Bianca."

Really? Because you like it doesn't mean she would.

But suddenly her eyes light up in a childlike manner.

"Bowling? Really? I haven't done that in ages!" She says and I can't help but smile in the way her eyes dance at the thought.

"You wanna come?"

"Do I?!" She squeals and I'm almost sure she is one minute from jumping up and down with the way she is staring at me.

Its almost ironic that a minute ago she was ready to leave and now here she was bursting with excitement.

April and all her sides of emotions.

"Trevor won't mind?" She says.

"Trevor never minds."

She suddenly frowns.

"Who is Bianca?" She asks and I mentally slap myself in the head.

"It's Trevor's girlfriend."

And her frown transforms into a mixture of shock and confusion.

What did I miss now?

God its so hard to keep up with her

She suddenly gestures from herself to me,

"This isn't...we're not..."

"What? No. Its just bowling."

No. April. Its not a date.

She smiles and starts walking backwards,

"Well, I better start going."

"Now?"

"You want me to go bowling in your clothes?" She asks and gestures down at my black t-shirt and baggy grey shorts that she has on.

Yes, yes and yes.

When I don’t reply, she smiles and goes upstairs.

"Smooooooooth." Trevor says as he walks in.

"I need to put a leash on you." I tell him but he just nudges me in the shoulder and April comes back down still wearing my clothes with her blue dress and phone in hand.

"I don't want to change, but I'll bring your clothes back."

"No problem, I'll drop you."

"No!" She exclaims and I freeze at her sudden reply as she clears her throat and says more quietly,

"No. I'm fine." And she practically runs towards the door and then she's gone.

April's POV

"I'm not going." I say as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I had finally finished my project and Ethan had called to say he would be here in a few minutes.

"You're tripping." Gretchen says from the wardrobe as she raids it for my jeans.

"I cant. Not with all the drama from last night and this morning. How do we always end up seeing each other?"

"Because your avoiding drama." She says and tosses me the black pair of jeans.

"Seriously Gretchen. I can't even keep up with what's going on between us. We never seem to be in one stage. Its either we're yelling at each other or he's punching a guy for me or--"

"Or you're going bowling with him."

She says and tosses me a dark green blouse with elbow length sleeves. Sighing, I slip on the clothes and pack my hair in a ponytail.

"What? No way." Gretchen says and looses my hair then brushes it.

"You love bowling, you're going to have fun, don't over think things." She says and turns me back around to face her.

"But Trevor is going to be there with his girlfriend and it'll be like a double date--"

"Don't overthink!" She says and my phone buzzes.

"Oh God. Its him." I mutter as I look out the window and surely his car is there.

"Bye!" Gretchen says and practically pushes me out the door then tosses me my bag.

I take a deep breath and head for the stairs.

Just bowling.

Dont overthink.

Dont overthink.

Like when dad was around, remember? Fun. Fun bowling.

Ethan's POV

"Woo-hoo!" April cheers as she makes another perfect score then turns to me, smiling so brightly, I can't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

She had hit it off with Bianca when we got here and now she was showing her how to hold the ball.

"I've forgotten how fun this was." She says as she walks over and sits next to me and I'm sure this is one of her happiest faces.

"When was the last time you did this?"

"Like eight years ago with my dad. He used to show me tricks with beer bottles."

She says and grabs a new beer bottle and I watch as she opens it and covers the cap in her fist.

She looks up at me now, eyes sparkling.

"Ready?"

I can't stop smiling at her excitement and I shrug.

"Tada!" She opens her empty palm.

"Let me guess, you're going to pull it out from behind my ear?" I ask but she shakes her head.

"Nope." She says and looks down and adds in a shy mutter,

"I don't know where it is." She says and I laugh while she nudges my ahoulder.

"I thought you said he showed you the tricks." I say and she hits me again.

"Doesn't mean I learnt them. Like you could do better." She says, a challenging look I'm her eyes.

Holding her gaze, I grab the beer she opened and hand it to her.

"Drink." I say and she raises a brow at me but drinks it.

"Do you feel that spiky, bitter aftertaste?" I ask and she frowns.

"Yes, but how's that a trick?"

I lean over and whisper,

"It's not, but it's still better than yours."

Laughing, she hits me again and Trevor and Bianca walk over.

"I told Ethan to do a trick for me once. He spat in my drink and told me it was pixie dust in liquid form."

Trevor says and Bianca makes a face while April laughs and looks at me.

"That's just wrong." She says to me and I shrug.

"He won't let me be."

Bianca claps her hands and says,

"We just wanted to say we'll be leaving now. Actually it's my fault, I have a ton of stuff to do and he's coming with me." She says and then gestures to April.

"But it was so nice meeting you." And then they hug before Trevor says,

"Be good Ethan." And winks at me before they leave.

"I've never you seen smile like this."

I blurt out and want to slap myself when she looks at me.

Her face is blank and God, I would give anything to see emotions in those eyes.

What are you thinking?

"I rarely hear you laugh." She says.

"It's like a small joyful part of you." Her voice dips with every word and I can't tell if it's just my imagination.

April's POV

"It's like a small, joyful part of you."

And I'm not kidding.

Somehow in the midst of seeing his beautiful grey eyes and bowling with the beer, I can't help every emotion going on in my head.

God, did it get 100 degrees hotter when he whispered in my ear?

He moves closer now and tucks my hair behind my ear.

"You're a complicated girl, April." He says and I suddenly don't want to think.

Dont overthink.

That was the rule, but now I'm not thinking at all.

I went bowling.

I'm having fun.

And I can't stop thinking about the way he kissed me this morning.

"You can't handle complicated?" I murmur and lean in.

Yes.

No...

Dont overthink.

"When it comes to you, you don't want to know what I can handle." He says, leaning in.

"Try me."

"April..."

"It's just bowling right?"

"You're not vulnerable right now, are you?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm about to kiss you." He says and by now, his face is a hair width away from mine.

"Okay."

"Okay, you're vulnerable?"

"Shut up." I say and close the space.

It can't be possible.

It can't be possible to kiss someone more than once and get a higher sensation.

I hold his neck and pull him closer, needing more of the sensation. A moan escapes my lips and he deepens the kiss.

His hand goes down my back and holds my waist, pulling me closer.

"We're in public." I say against his lips.

"I know." He says, trailing kisses down my neck.

"We're kissing in public." I moan.

"I know."

Don't overthink

Don't overthink....

Oh God, we're kissing in public.

Oh no.

"Oh, God. We're kissing." I say and suddenly push him away avoiding the hurt and surprised look on his face.

"Let's go." I say and get up already heading for the door with my bag.

I half expect him to yell or force me to look at him or ask what's wrong.

But he just unlocks the car and once I get in, he speeds off.

The car ride is silent and I can't tell if I prefer his yelling or the silence. He practically screeches to a stop in front of my dorm.

Okay, I can't take this.

"Ethan."

"Please, just go."

"I want to explain--"

"You don't want to explain a thing. You're just saying that because you feel you have to!"

"That's not true!"

"Oh, cry me a f*****g river, April. You're a puzzle all on your own, I can't understand you!"

"Stop yelling!" I yell at him, feeling tears clog my throat.

"No! Tell me, April. Are you playing games with me? Is that what you do now? You need me when you're drunk and aching for help, then you're either running away or wearing my clothes!"

"It's not like that!"

"Really! Because we kissed and then you made breakfast, but you won't let me drive you. And now you deliberately kissed me ten f*****g minutes ago and pushing me away!"

My tears spill and I know deep down he's right. I don't even know what I'm doing.

Dammit what am I doing?

I knew this was a bad idea.

I can't decipher anything and I was dragging him into this.

I grab my bag and open the door as I head for my dorm but he is in front of me in as minute.

"Talk to me!" He demands but I just want to go.

He grasps my hands and turn me to look at him.

"You're confusing me dammit, I can never catch up with what's going on with you!"

"Then dont!" I yell and struggle against him.

"What are you running from April? Every f*****g time, you're running."

God, please I don't want to be here.

"Why?!" He demands.

"Because I don't trust myself!" I blurt out even though it was more than that.

"Is that it? Or you don't trust me?!" He yells, his eyes are piercing through to my thoughts, seeking answers.

I push him away, avoiding the truth as I run into my dorm.

"April!" He yells.

Ethan's POV

"April!" I yell but she is gone. Suppressing the urge to follow her, I get into my car and hit the steering wheel with both fists.

"f**k!"

As I turn on the engine and drive off, I know this is the last time I would speak to her again...

And it's probably for the best.