Chapter thirty | The STD Checklist

Elias: 'Can I come over?

I want to ask you about something.'

My eyes scanned the message as a slow smile filled my face. My finger quickly moved across the screen, typing in a response.

Cynthia: 'Sure.'

As the two double ticks turned blue, I quickly maneuvered myself on the bed. I pulled my blinds aside, pushing the window open. Throwing his closed window a glance, I then moved my eyes towards the street.

I was barely able to catch the sight of Eli's tall form before he disappeared again.

The bell ran through the house, filling the empty walls with the rhythmic chime.

I jumped down two stairs at a time and pulled the door open. My smile was bright as my eyes met his icy blue ones.

"Hey!" I whispered in a daze.

Amusement danced in his eyes as he tilted his head to a side. "Hey."

"Come on in," I said bashfully, moving to a side.

As he brushed past me, I couldn't help but feel tingles dance across my skin. His natural scent filled my nose with a faint fragrance of cologne from this morning.

I resisted the urge to take a deep breath and buried my creepy action in my mind.

It was silent as we walked up the steps, our feet moving in synchronization.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, turning around to face him.

Eli's eyes, which were momentarily fixed on my turned off neon sign, snapped to mine.

He bit his lower lip out of shyness and a habit. Eli pushed the door close behind him and stood in the middle of the room.

"I wanted your help." His voice came out weak as he scratched the back of his head in awkwardness.

Walking closer to him, I raised a questioning brow.

"What do you need my help with?"

I was genuinely curious about his question as he collected his thoughts. His eyes met mine for a second and then wandered around my room.

"C-Can we keep the arrangement going?" He fidgeted on his spot as I froze for a moment.

"Why?" I took a step near him, resisting the urge to turn his face to meet mine.

A lazy smile pulled up his features as he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just..." He hesitated for a moment, almost killing me in anticipation. "I-I like being popular and the girl I like has a thing for popular guys."

"But Andrea-" He shook his head, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"The girl is not Andrea. She is someone else," he explained, his ears turning a warm shade of pink at the confession.

As his words settled in my mind like a dead weight, my heart skipped a beat. It wasn't out of the warm fluttery feeling that one felt, but due to gloom clogging my lungs.

"Who?" My voice was a meek whisper, making Eli's gaze move up from his shoes.

For a moment he stared deep into my eyes, searching for something. Panic rose inside of me as I shut my emotions for him. My face pulled up an impassive mask as I crossed my arms for a shield.

As a few moments of fruitless search, he shook his head.

"I can't tell you. Not yet, anyway."

Frustration bubbled through my skin, almost making me groan.

A small part of me wanted to take his collar in my hand and pester him for a name. But I held the thin string of my sanity together and resisted the urge.

Why did I even need the name? What was I going to do with it anyway? Bully the girl?

That would have been stooping to low, even for the queen bee persona.

"Oh," I answered in dejection, taking another step away from him.

I quickly gave him my back, looking out of my window.

"Never knew you were the player kind, Eli," I joked, feeling my heart clench. "Jumping from one girl to another already?"

My voice slightly quivered at the end as the intensity of my emotions became too much to handle.

"I can't be a player," His voice moved closer with every syllable as he took a step near me. "You actually need to have sex to be considered one. "

I whirled around to face him. "You are a virgin?" I screeched, shock filling every fiber of my body.

He awkwardly coughed at my statement and barely nodded to confirm my words.

"You are lying. You are wrong," I replied in hysteria.

He rolled his eyes and moved to take a seat on my bed. "I think I am sure if I am a virgin or not." His voice was snarky.

"Why didn't you ever tell me that before?" I asked, taking the spot next to him.

Eli shrugged his shoulders and met my eyes. "It never came up. Does it matter to you?"

His voice held insecurities as he wiped his hands on his jeans.

With a soft smile, I placed my hand on his. "Nothing is wrong with that. You should have sex when you are ready." I paused for emphasis, staring in his icy eyes.

"I am just surprised. You might be the only senior guy I have met who is a virgin. I thought you weren't because you had girlfriends. Very sexy girlfriends." I referred back to Ria, giving him a curious look.

Eli made a face, scrunching his nose up. "My first girlfriend was very jealous type. We broke off quickly. As for Ria, she moved away due to some family issues."

I waved my hand dismissively, giving him a teasing look. "I just assumed and that was wrong of me. No matter what, it is kinda better than a fuck boy."

Eli snorted in response, shaking his head in agreement. "Tell me about it."

"Feeling insecure, Eli?"

Eli rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around me. My breath hitched as his warmth wrapped around mine.

"Not at all. Just wondering what girls find hot and sexy about a guy who has more probability of having an STD or a baby." He scoffed at the end.

I shook as a chuckle wracked through my body. I gave a thoughtful hum, placing my hand on the dull thump of his heart. "Maybe because they have experience? Experience usually means good sex," I offered it as an answer.

"So, was it good?" he asked, making me feel confused.

I pulled back from his arms, meeting his questioning eyes. "What was good?"

Eli blushed, giving me a guilty look. "Uh-h, Jacob? You had sex with him, right? I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to," he adorably replied, making me awe on the inside.

"It's fine. To be honest, I was too drunk to recollect if he was a good lay or not. I don't remember much of it."

Eli gave a smug smile, tightening his arms around me. "Then, he must not have been good because he wasn't memorable." He nodded in agreement with his statement.

Chuckles slipped past our lips, making the atmosphere lighter. The thoughts of the unknown girl were long gone from my mind.

We lay together on my bed, sharing small tidbits and stories with each other. Laughing till our hearts came in sync.

I don't know when, but we gave in to the spell of sleep after the exhausting day. My eyes drifted closed in dreamless sleep once again, but this time in the warmth of his arms.

The feeling of warm breaths, fluttering against the sensitive skin of my neck, brought me out of my slumber. I almost jerked up when I remembered Eli's presence next to me.

A smile made its way on my lips as I snuggled more into his warm body.

He had this calming effect on my mind that all the thoughts except him left my body. I sighed in content as I basked in his warmth.

I waited for sleep to consume me again, but the task became impossible after I became alert to Eli's proximity.

So leaning back a little, I admired his sleeping face.

I wasn't trying to be stalkerish, but it was hard to look away. Eli's usually smiling face was devoid of any emotions. Relaxed, his eyes were closed as he exhaled slowly through his parted lips.

His lips were a dark shade of dusty pink, attracting my attention more than they should. Eli's hair was a tousled mess, flopping around in all the directions on my pillow.

But what fascinated me the most was his icy blue eyes that were currently hidden behind his closed lids. I couldn't help feel a bit disappointed about not being able to admire them.

His eyes started to flutter, telling me that he was going to wake up. With an indistinct noise at the back of his throat, he slowly opened his eyes.

As his unfocused gaze fell on me, he seemed a bit confused. Eli's dark brows arched and then scrunched together.

Reaching forward, I ran my hand over the frown, smoothing it down as realization dawned on him.

His one arm slipped away from me as he ran a hand through his messy hair, leaving me a bit empty.

His eyes went towards the window, trying to guess the time. By the lack of light in the room, I could say it was almost seven in the evening.

He sighed and turned his eyes towards me. Once again, his hand settled on my waist, making me smile internally. He gave me a lazy smile, and soon, I mirrored his actions.

Our legs were tangled as we lay on the bed, Gazing deep into each other's eyes. A happy smile adorning our faces, made the moment perfect.

His hand reached out and removed the stray hair falling on my face. Leaning forward, he placed a firm kiss on top of my head. I closed my eyes as the turmoil of emotions brewed inside of me.

My heart thrummed faster as my hands tightened on his clothes.

Our eyes met as electricity sizzled in the air.

As expected, I was drowning in his icy gaze, lost in the swirling emotions with the flecks of green.

I snapped out of my thoughts when our breaths fanned on each other's lips, with a few inches separating our face.

I wanted to close that distance and steal a kiss from his lips. Feeling his romantic touch against my skin was something I craved. But I didn't.

The thought of that unknown girl and Eli's feelings for her held me back. There was pain, but I was ready to endure it for him and his happiness.

I slightly leaned back, keeping my gaze steady. As a slow smile curved Eli's lips, and my world turned upside down.

That was the moment when I realized that I was in love with Elias Rodriguez.

I had fallen for him against my better judgment, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Now, all I could do was wish that maybe someday he felt the same about me.