Between the Lines | ✓

Cliche 24: Badboys Always Get Naked in Public

One mildly cold shower later, I found myself nestled between my sister and Elias on the outdoor seat beneath a patio heater. The mixture of warmth from the heater, the mounds of blankets over us and the shared body heat helped keep the chill at bay. Aubrey sat on Elias's other side, looking incredibly adorable bundled up in her blanket, the pom pom on her beanie jiggling as she happily sipped on her drink. The pizzas the girls had brought back were rapidly devoured, everyone famished after a day of skiing (and emotional turmoil, on my part at least). 

I blew on the rim of my mug of hot chocolate, the steam wafting into the air. The motion made the fluffy blanket around my shoulders slip slightly, and before I could pull it back up, Elias's arm snaked around my shoulders to readjust it for me. I froze as the weight of his arm settled at my back for a lingering moment, searing hot amidst the frosty outdoors. When his hand rubbed up and down my bicep once, then twice, I almost spilt my drink at the sensation. But as quickly as it came, the warmth soon ebbed away when Elias picked up his own mug, shooting me a small smile.

God, why do you have to be so nice, dude? If you treat your friends so well, I can only imagine how you'd treat Aubrey once you start dating. 

"Thanks, Elias," I murmured, the boy shaking his head with another small smile, taking a long sip of his drink. I definitely did not ogle at the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed, or the way his pink tongue poked out to swipe at the sweetness clinging to his soft lips. No, definitely not.

For a short while, the four of us talked about everyday things; Aubrey asked my sister about things like her school, about which course she wants to get into for university, about how long she has known me for, how long it's been since we dated, and about how amazing it is that we're still such good friends. It was kind of strange how the conversation eventually drifted to things related to our relationship, which was extremely awkward considering our souls were brother and sister and yet our bodies had previously done the sinful salsa on multiple occasions.

"So, do you guys... hang out often?" Aubrey asked, looking between Amber and I as we both swallowed our drinks with strained gulps.

"Um, well, we hadn't seen each other for quite a while until recently..." I said slowly, looking at Amber who met my gaze, lips curling up wistfully at the memory of how vast our separation really was. I heard Aubrey cough, the sound making me turn back to her with a worried look, wondering if the poor girl was choking on her hot chocolate, only to catch Elias already patting her on the back with a slight frown.

Lex, you idiot. Why is your heart aching like that? You have no right to be jealous right now, you're the one that caught feelings for someone who already likes someone else. There's no one else to blame except for you and your stupidity.

"But still, it's hard to meet up because of school and exams," Amber sighed, rolling her eyes a little. Unlike the other students, my sister and I had done the whole final exam rodeo before, and instead of nervous we were just tired of studying. Still, as conscientious students who wanted to pave a path to a bright and comfortable future, we had to slave away at the books once again. 

At the mention of exams, both Elias and Aubrey also slumped in their blankets, before the protagonist shook her head.

"No talk about school or exams allowed while we're here," Aubrey declared, raising her mug as we all laughed, leaning forwards to clink our mugs together. "The only school-related thing we should talk about is the upcoming formal!"

"Ugh," I sighed, Aubrey pointing a finger at me accusingly, pouting. 

"What do you mean 'ugh', Alex! It's the formal! It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing! It's going to be so much fun!"