Before You Leave

20. Baby

Everyone knew about us. Everyone. News spread fast here.

Samuel wasn't speaking to me. Not that I cared, but it was fun to see his nose wrapped in a white cloth.

The next day, Gideon and I were on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a movie I've seen a dozen times.

"We can go out?"

I looked over to him, smirking as I leaned into him, remembering I was allowed to now.

"What?" He asked, smiling down at me as he threw his arm over my shoulders.

"Are you asking me out, Gideon Andrews?"

He kissed the top of my nose, and I scrunched it up, smacking him away. He laughed softly. I swear he was blushing. "I've don't it once, haven't I?" The arm that was thrown over my shoulder was caressing my shoulder. "You know, I think it's your turn to ask me out for once."

I snorted, twisting in his arm to rest my knees on the couch and face Gideon, putting one of my hands in his black hair. "Will thee, Gideon Andrews, please go out with the marvelous and beautiful JJ Ashton?"

"I'll think about it."

I hit him lightly in the chest, laughing as I scowled down at him. "Idiot. Let's go." I stood up, trailing my hands down his shoulders and all the way to his hands to pull him up from the couch.

"I never said yes," he says, making no effort to get up as he laughed at my attempt to make him. I pulled, but only a little bit of his back would give. I let go of his arms and groaned.

"Let's go, kiss ass, or I'll with someone who will."

He stopped smiling as he finally stood from the couch.

"What?" I asked, narrowing my eyebrows.

"I don't like it when you joke like that."

"Like what?" I ask.

"How many guys have you been with?" He asks me quietly.

I sighed, looking up at him as I continued to hold onto his hands. "Gideon, let's not talk about this."

"Just tell me," he says. "I need to know."

"No you don't," I groan. "It doesn't matter anyway because I have never felt this way about anyone except for you, kiss ass."

He frowned. "It's a big number isn't it."

I huffed. "Fine! The number is four. Four and only four."

His face cleared a bit. "That's not as bad as I thought."

I elbowed him. "I'm not a whore," I remind him. "Numbers don't matter, Gideon. What matters is now and how I feel about you."

"And how do you feel about me?" He whispers.

"I have very, very fuzzy feelings," I murmur as I kiss his lips softly once, having to get all the way up on my tippy-toes. I looked up at him, resting a hand on his cheek as I let my feet back down. "Can we go see that move now?"

"Depends on how you feel about scary movies," he says, smiling a bit.

I faked a smile. "Love 'em. Let's go."

I hated scary movies, by the way.

————————

I bought the popcorn, and Gideon bought the tickets. We were going to watch a movie called Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

He found us our seats, and I saw practically clinging to his hand, my nails digging into his knuckles. But he said nothing because that was Gideon.

We sat in the back, and I anxiously ate the popcorn.

"What's wrong?" He sighed, glancing at our hands and how I was munching away nervously.

I shook my head.

"Hey," he said softly. I looked at the commercials on screen. "Hey, look at me." I didn't.

"Baby—" I know he did not just call me baby. It kinda made me melt though. "What's wrong?"

I blushed, looking over to him. "I'm scared of horror movies."

His face was blank for a minute, and then he laughed softly. "You? You're scared of horror movies?"

"Shut up," I mumble. "And you like them? Weirdo. Shouldn't our positions be reversed?"

"We can do something else," he suggests.

I shake my head. "If you like them, I can bare with you."

I would jump literally every ten minutes. Gideon would laugh softly and squeeze my hand.

"That was the most disgusting movie I have ever seen!" I practically yelled as we exited the theater, our hands swinging in between us.

"It wasn't that bad."

"He wore people's faces, Gideon," I say, clearly exasperated.

He winced. "So it was a little bad if you don't like horror movies."

I groaned. "I'm going to have nightmares for weeks."

He grasps both of my shoulders and kisses my lips once, just very softly. "I'll be there when you wake up, baby. I'm gonna make sure you're okay every night."

I smiled, putting my arms loosely around his neck, letting my elbows rest on his pecs. "Since when did you get so romantic, kiss ass?"

"I guess it just comes naturally when I'm with you." His blue eyes were on my lips.

I snorted. "You're so cheesy."

"I'm honest," he contradicts, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"And full of shit," I joke, rolling my eyes.

He sighed. "Come on. We gotta sneak back into the dorm."

I gasped. "Gideon Andrews... are you trying to sneak out and in of school grounds? Isn't there... like a law against that?" I sputter in fake awe.

His cheeks tinge pink. "I really don't want to get caught."

"And we won't. Come on."