(𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑)

I bite my lower lip in an attempt to silence myself. I had just rushed out of class due to the indomitable cramps caused by my period.

My hands grip onto the counter firmly as I try to regulate my breathing. I was always told to count because it helps distract you but when I'm on my period it's a whole different story.

I take in too much air which causes me to choke on my own breath, it's the feeling of a hard shell stuck in your throat that just completely stops you from breathing.

I hear a voice call my name but I keep my eyes closed, hoping the person's just out in the hall looking for me because I ran out of class.

I don't hear another word but soon I feel a warm hand under my chin causing me to look up at them.

"Take a deep breath," Tristan mutters and I try to but it's another failed attempt.

Before I can try to say anything, his lips meet mine and I completely stop breathing, I allow the air to pass through my nose slowly and release like normal.

I focus on his lips which helps me to forget about everything else. The feeling in my stomach is unexplainable but it feels as though my stomach flips, like how it feels to ride a rollercoaster when it takes a sudden dip. The pit of your belly somersaults but in a good way.

This kiss was different, it made me feel vulnerable as though it was black holes pulling me in until all gravity is lost under his touch.

Our lips parted slowly and for some reason, I feel as though something's missing. He rests his forehead on mine teasing my lips with his own as he pulls away completely leaving me speechless.

"Better?"

I nod in response completely incapable of making words into a sentence right now.

"I'm not one for changes," he mutters, his breath fanning against my lips.

"But God this is one thing I'm willing to change,"

"What's that?" I question as his hands hold my waist firmly.

"You're on my mind all the time, and I've been avoiding everything for so long because of Chase,"  he stops, allowing his eyes to meet mine.

"But I can't stop thinking about you," the words leave his mouth slowly and his eyes roam as if he's waiting for me to reply but I'm not sure how to.

"I've thought about you too," I whisper. A small smile pulls on his lips just before he pulls away completely.

"Mr Clarke will be on our ass if we don't get back so let's go," he says, I nod slightly confused by the fact that he seems like he's avoiding something.

── ·✩· ──

"And then what happened," Tabitha questions, as I look for a comfortable outfit from my walk-in closet.

"We just left," I state.

"That's when you guys came back to class?" She questions.

"Yep, do you think he felt weird when I told him I thought about him too," I pause slightly thinking about it.

"I mean I didn't expect his first reply to be Mr Clarke will be on our ass if we don't get back," I say pulling a pair of shorts out of the drawers before looking for a shirt.

"Oh so you like him, like him," she says.

"No, just one like," I retort, in which she laughs at my response.

"You definitely like him with two likes maybe three," she mutters and I shake my head before realizing she can't see me since I'm in the closet.

"Okay, three is a push," I say pulling the shirt over my head.

"So you admit to liking him with the two likes," she says causing me to playfully roll my eyes as I pull the shorts over my legs.

"This overthinking behaviour is because you like him with three likes," she retorts ad I walk out of the closet.

"I'm not gonna think about it too much then," I tell her but each letter that formed the words of that sentence was an utter and complete lie.

I lay my back against the bed before sighing.

"I mean Cole is always an option," she mutters causing my eyes to dart towards her.

"Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said that," she retorts.

"No, it's not that, where's the paper with the number?" I inquire.

"What. Are you going to call him?"

"Again no, but if it's at Tristan's and he finds it, I'm kinda scared of how he'll react,"

"You don't have it?" She exclaims.

"No, I didn't have on my clothes at the time, remember," I say.

"Don't ask me anything about that night, I only remember that I was drunk and they were four guys,"

"It was three," I tell her causing her to shrug.

"See I don't know,"

"Come on, we're going to Tristan's house," I tell her.

"Isn't he at the gym" she questions as we walk towards the door and I place my hand on the handle.

"Doesn't Kate live with him, he doesn't need to be home, it's probably better if he isn't?" I ask rhetorically before pulling the handle, allowing the door to open.

── ·✩· ──

"Tristan's not home," she says.

"Can't I come to visit my favourite bitch?" I ask rhetorically.

"I'll excuse that because you look like you're going through it," she says before gesturing to my outfit.

"Move," I say dragging along the 'mo' at the beginning.

She stands to the side of the door before giving Tabitha a quick kiss. "Aw, how cute, I'll go disappear now," I tell them before going up to Tristan's room.

I don't know why but I think it'd be in here somewhere. I didn't want to invade that much of his privacy but I still had to find the number before he did.

When I opened the door to his bedroom, all the boxes were gone and almost everything that he wanted was set up.

After approximately fifteen minutes I gave up, because not only was I tired but my cramps were killing me, I guess that pill didn't last that long.

I groan before running my fingers through my hair, I walk towards the door and place my hand on the handle before pulling it open.

"Normally guests wait until they're invited into a bedroom," 

I look up to see Tristan, his hair drenched with sweat that drops onto his forehead a little bit, his abs are on display and I'm not sure if they were more defined than usual or if my hormones were on edge per usual.

"I'm not a guest, am I?" I ask rhetorically, causing him to chuckle lightly.

"Well you can wait downstairs until I finish taking a shower," he says and I nod before passing him and walking downstairs to where Kate and Tabitha are.

"Did you find it?" Tabitha questions and I shrug.

"No, and why didn't I get a sign that a shirtless Tristan was on his way upstairs," I retort.

"What. Did you want me to do a bird signal?" She questions with a raised brow.

"Idk maybe," I tell her causing Kate to chuckle.

"What were you looking for either way?" She questions.

"The number the guy at the club gave me," I tell her.

She gives a puzzled look before digging into her pocket, she holds up a piece of paper between her index and middle finger.

"You don't mean this do you?" She questions. I let out a breath of relief before taking it from her fingers.

"Please don't tell me you plan on calling him," she states and I shake my head.

"I'd just rather not let Tristan find out about it," I tell her and she shrugs it off before nodding.

"I'm not an expert but hiding things is never a good way to start a relationship," Kate states.

"I'm not hiding anything, and we're not in a relationship," I mutter.

I walk over to the couch and take a seat next to her. "That's a lie," Tabitha says.

"No, that's the truth,"

"You guys have kissed more times than the earth has rotated," she retorts and I raise my brow.

"It's a metaphor jeez," she mutters and I chuckle lightly.

"Tristan's not as mysterious as you think he is, if you look closely he's an open book, once he lets you that close, I'm pretty sure you already know what he feels, everyone else certainly does," Kate contributes.

She wasn't wrong.

── ·✩· ──

𝗼𝗼. ⁞ 𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒!

Hey guys, that concludes chapter twenty-nine
I greatly do hope that you liked this chapter.  If you didn't, then I'm sorry and hopefully, chapter thirty will be better but anyways see you guys next update. Chapter thirty coming soon.

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