Capture the Moment (Moments #1)

24. Cleo

twenty-four

Cleo

“They’re so cute…”

“This is actually fucking gross.”

“Rise n’ shine, Lovebirds!” Someone shouts, my heart races and almost instantly, I’m jumping out of the bed. Or so, I think I am? But instead of making it out of the bed, I’m tugged back into the wall.

“Five more minutes, Mom…” a masculine voice mutters from behind me, I go rigid.

Blake?

1 “?Levántate estúpido!” a sharp voice breaks through his monster hold as Blake jolts awake, his eyes unfocused and bedhead shift from me in his arms to the three crazy women peering over us.

My core tightens at the lazy lopsided grin he slides my way. It’s like we’re in our own world, staring at one another until a cough breaks through our small universe.

“ Ew … It’s you.” He sneers, obviously talking to Denver before laying back down, tugging me into him.

We both freeze at the action, seemingly noticing how easy it felt between us as well as his lack of clothing at the same time.

“Umm Blake…”

“Yeah…” he mutters, letting me go.

That wasn’ t what I wanted but I guess it was what I needed.

Distance .

We need distance.

Georgia must've seen the thought making its way into my brain because she turns on her heels and proceeds to usher Sienna and Denver out of my room.

I turn back to Blake, his face is hidden in his palms, but I can make out the faint redness coloring his cheeks.

“Am I going to see you later?” he asks, his voice muffled by his hands.

“Yeah… We can meet at the concession stand and then go into the fair together if you want.” I shrug as if the thought of meeting a boy at a festival doesn’t have the weird moths in my stomach awakening.

The last time I’d went to a festival of any kind with a guy, it ended with him having a bloody nose at the hands of Jace Heart. The guy was a dick, and Jace, my sweetest most caring friend, handed him his ass. Respectfully. Sorry, Connor.

But that was high school.

Since then, I haven’t been to any festival of any magnitude as a date—

But this isn’t a date or anything.

Simply me going to the Fall Fest with my friend (who I may or may not be crushing on) to do our end of term project together. Nothing big.

I watch in silent admiration at the way Blake puts his clothes on; he'd found one of Jace’s hoodies in my closet and frowned at it. It’s then that I notice that he’s doing the exact same thing that I’d done when I first entered his room, two months ago.

He’s looking over my desk, softly smiling at pictures I have laid out and brushing his fingers over my donut shaped plushy.

“So, you like these little stuffed things a lot?” he asks, holding up Pickles, my stuffed Yorkie from Ryan. Ryan got it for me after we’d brought home a small Yorkie from the side of the road. We were nine and that was also the year that both of us learned that pickles taste so much better with Old Bay seasoning, so we decided to name her after it—the pickles, I mean. Not Old Bay. That would be such an odd name for a dog.

The sentiment has me smiling and without speaking, I nod at Blake.

He chews on his bottom lip as if he’s deep in thought before those bright eyes of his perk up. “If I win one of these tonight, you have to make a deal with me.”

I tilt my head at him, prompting him to continue.

“There’s no fun in telling you about it right now, Princess. Just give me a yes or no.” He shrugs, indifferently, but I can see the hint of excitement hidden behind the light flecks of his gray irises, so without thinking, I agree.

If Blake Wilder wins me a plushy tonight, I will make a deal with the Wild Card himself.

1. Levántate estúpido- Get up, Stupid! (Spanish)