To my utter discomfort, I found myself in Colton's arms, and like every sloppy chick flick film, Lisa had to open the door in that exact moment.

"I didn't even ring the doorbell yet!" I yelled frustratedly.

Colton just chuckled and let me go so I could stand firmly on my own feet again. I brushed off invisible dust from my clothes, just because I felt extremely uncomfortable, and cleared my throat, making the situation even more awkward than it already was.

"Yeah so, I'm gonna' go inside. Bye Cole," I said and stepped up onto the porch, concentrated to make it all the way up this time.

"Well, I kinda' live here. I was on my way home, so, not goodbye just yet," Cole said and I wished I could've dropped dead on the spot.

Trying to ignore the very inconvenient blush that heated up my cheeks, I also tried ignoring Cole's smirk once he noticed. Lisa of course was completely oblivious and just pulled me into her house, which I let happen if it would get me as far away from Cole as possible. 

Something about him just seemed different––different in a way that made my skin crawl and my insides heat up at the same time. 

I tried shaking it off, like a dog would flees, but it lingered longer than I hoped it would.

Lisa and I both enjoyed a black and white, romantic comedy film that played on her screen in the living-room for one and a half hours. 

I wouldn't have expected people of Poruth to have film-players, since they weren't keen on technical advances. How could one be fine with films but not with cars?

"I'll go get some blankets and pillows," Lisa informed me and moved off of the couch, heading towards the stairs which were out in the hallway. 

The living-room, just like in my place, was separated from the hall by a doorless archway, so I could see her jog up the stairs.

I wasn't entirely certain why Lisa felt it was necessary to get blankets and pillows, especially since I hadn't planned on staying the night, living next door and all. The film we'd watched was finished as well.

At least twenty minutes passed as I contemplated going up to the second story, which was actually one of the biggest differences of our homes––mine was a one-story house, and I'd thought this one was too, since they were nearly identical from the outside. Apparently, they weren't, however. 

When my stomach growled, angry that I had barely eaten anything all day, I went into the kitchen to find something small to munch on. It was a habit that I seemed not to have let go of, despite the many years that had passed since I'd last seen Lisa and her family. 

When I was younger, Nolan, Lisa's father, had always insisted I feel at home and help myself to anything I wanted just like his own children.

"Please may there be something small but delicious in this very big fridge," I murmured to myself. 

As I opened the fridge and was about to see what was in it, I was so startled hearing Cole's voice that I shut it closed again, so hard, that its contents fell over. 

"Nice pj's you got there," he said and I turned around with my arms folded and an eyebrow raised.

"Better than yours," I retorted and tried very hard not to look at his boxers, since those were the only piece of clothing he was wearing. 

At least I was wearing pants, short ones, but still. And my tank-top with lots of hearts on it was also better than being half-naked. When my stare wandered to his shoulders and down his torso to his abs, I wished I hadn't laid eyes on him at all. 

I hoped to the ancients he hadn't noticed my embarrassing gawking. But of course he did, and of course he had to say something about it, too.

"You sure? I think you're into mine. That look just said it all, princess."

I took a deep breath and grabbed a yoghurt. After I opened a drawer and took out a spoon, I popped it in my mouth and shot Cole a glare. 

"You wish," I muttered with the spoon in my mouth, and exited the kitchen. I didn't know why, but his presence alone just gave me these strange, foreign and tingling feelings.

I couldn't even describe it, I just felt so abnormally heightened whenever I was in his presence.

Back on the couch, I ate the yoghurt that tasted like it was a million years old and decided after the third spoon that if I'd continue eating this gone bad piece of garbage, I'd die of food poisoning. Lisa still hadn't returned and slowly but surely I started growing wary.

What was it she was doing up there?

In all that time she took for simply getting blankets and pillows, I would've carried down five beds.

Instead of waiting another hour until she'd finally show a sign of life, I slowly walked up the stairs to see if there was anything I might be able to help her with. Unfortunately, when I peeked across the corridor, still on the last steps, I saw her muttering to Cole in hushed voices.

They didn't look like they wanted to be listened to. They stopped mid-sentence, having heard me come up. 

"Sorry if I was interrupting something, I just found it a little odd that Lisa here is taking 24 hours to find pillows and blankets. May I inform you that you are standing in front of your bed, which is full of pillows and blankets?" I pointed out and stood there with my arms on my hips, waiting for her response. 

The door to what looked like her room in the background was open, revealing a large bed covered in dark green sheets and a ton of pillows.

The way she furrowed her brows and by the serious look on Cole's face, they really had been in the middle of something. 

"Umm, sorry, I'll just go back downstairs then," I muttered, embarrassed because of my poor manners and disappeared before anyone could say anything else. 

I slowly walked back down the stairs and half way down, I heard their voices, continuing to mutter to each other.

"Not safe for..." I picked up. "....can protect..." Despite being aware that I was listening in on a private conversation not meant for me to bear witness to, somehow, my feet just wouldn't budge. 

It was as though my curiosity rendered me incapable of moving. 

My attention was entirely focused on making out what was being said, because a small gut feeling made me wonder if it was me they were talking about.

"She's not one of us, she doesn't belong––"

It was frustrating that I heard only a few words and broken sentences, but couldn't make any sense of it. It made the eavesdropping pointless. When another few moments went by in which I couldn't put any of their mumblings into a logical connection, I decided not to further indulge in invading their privacy and thought I was already at the last step.

Unfortunately, my foot met air instead and gravity pulled me towards the ground, which was several steps down.

Excruciating pain erupted in my spine upon impact and the struggle to breathe burned my lungs.

My vision shattered and everything started to spin out of focus.

When eavesdropping ends badly... 

What do you think Cole and Lisa were talking about? 

Sorry for the cliffhanger, haha! Stay tuned to find out what happens to Yara, post falling down the stairs... Action and answers are waiting in the next chapter!