Resisting the Player -- [Completed - Unedited]

Chapter 22: Staying Out Late

"So you have no idea what they're going to tell you?"

I shake my head at Autumn's question. "Nope."

She makes a sympathetic sound. "That's tough."

"Tell me about it."

"What if," she says. "It's not something bad, and they just wanna tell you they, I don't know, bought you a car or something?"

I think that over before I shake my head again. "I doubt it. They seemed too...worried for it to be something like that."

My phone vibrates against the floor, and I pick it up to see yet another text message from my mom.

Mom: If you don't come back to this house within the next half hour, you can say goodbye to those dogs. All of them.

My eyes widen. She wouldn't do that. Would she?

"What's the matter?"

I sigh. "I got to go."

I send Mom a text saying I'm on my way––threatening me with my dogs, though harsh, was effective––and stand up from where I was sitting on Autumn's floor and looking to where she lays on her bed.

"Bye." I acknowledge her words with a nod, but I stop at her next ones. "It's not gonna be that bad, Cass. Okay? Don't do anything stupid."

That's really bad advice, considering I'm the dumbest person I know, but, you know, I'm not exactly sure if that's what Autumn wants to hear right now. "I'll try."

She nods, laying back down under her covers to go to sleep. It's not even that late; a quick glance at my phone tells me it's only eleven o'clock.

I head out of her room, closing the door softly behind me, and run into Aaron, whose brows are furrowed. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah. My mom kind of threatened me."

His eyebrows raise at that. "How'd she do that?"

I shrug. "Doesn't matter. I'll see you tomorrow, if I'm still alive." Mom is going to kill me for not coming home the first time she told me to.

He laughs, his eyes crinkling at the sides, a twinkle in both of his eyes.

And then he abruptly pulls me into a hug.

His arms wrap around me, his face burying into my neck. I feel him pull air into his lungs through his nose, and the action tickles my neck.

Why is this dude always smelling me?

Still, I put my arms on his shoulders and tangle my hands in his hair, my head resting on his shoulder.

This feels...intimate. And weird, considering we're just friends and the mere thought of his face causes me to roll my eyes in annoyance.

His face is cute though.

Obviously, I am at war with myself over how I feel about his face.

My phone beeps again, and I take a step back from Aaron, who seems to understand what that means and lets me go.

He gives me one last smile and a softly murmured goodnight before he turns away and goes through his bedroom door, shooting me one last look before he closes it.

The urge to sigh contentedly is overpowering, but I refrain from doing so once I realize that I'll be sounding like a wistful school girl in love with the mysterious bad boy.

Another beeps snaps me out of my thoughts and I move quietly down the stairs. "Damn, hold up, I'm coming," I mutter, annoyed with how much Mom wants me to come home.