Let me love you

Chapter 14

The walk is so relaxing with the dim light and soft wind tickling our skin. Chloe's hand leaves a trail of warmth behind as she moves her fingers down from my wrist to my pinky finger, holding on to it for a few seconds before letting go. It's quiet outside here, apart from Chloe's heels hitting the sidewalk.

Her plan b apparently was to just slowly walk back home. 

"Ian, I have a few questions for you, " Chloe's soft voice fills my ears.

I turn to glance at her seeing her looking forward into the horizon.

"I have a few answers, " I tell her.

"I want you to be as honest as you can with me."

"I always am with you, " I say quickly. 

"How do you have money?"

I was expecting this question to come a lot sooner than it did.

"My aunt from my mother's side used to give me money every time she came by. I saved them all in case of an emergency, " I hear her humming at my answer.

"How come you never sneak out before? You never thought of going out and exploring the world on your own?"

Yet another question I was expecting to come, at some point.

"When I was younger, I was just too afraid to do so and even if I wanted to I couldn't. My parents always lock the door when they left, and I never had a spare key. They used to drive me to school and have a caretaker pick me up afterwards and stay with me until they came back. We live on the 5th floor so as you could see yourself is way too high for me to get down from there, " I let out a sigh.

Thoughts of the past aren't pleasant.

"You have a spare key now, " she says making me scoff.

"Yeah, they gave it to me 3 days before uni started so I could go and come on my own but still, I felt like I didn't have a purpose to go out but now with you, I feel like I do. You gave me the strength to start getting my life in my control."

As I was getting older, I started to slowly lose hope of discovering the outside world, that's why I depicted my dreams in paintings.

"My parents, of course, asked me for my programme at uni so they know exactly when I have lectures. I couldn't lie to them about them cause they know they only last three hours. My father has work from 7 am to 3 pm and my mother from 9 am to 6 pm. All my lectures are from 1 until 4 except one on Thursday which is from 12 until 3 so as you can see my father would be already back when my lectures are done. I can't be too late."

"Any more questions?" I ask.

"One more. You said you were a closed-off person, but you open up fairly easily to me, why? What is it about me that made you feel ready?"

Oh boy. How do I answer something when I'm not sure of the answer either?

"I...don't know. You made me feel comfortable and you seemed trustworthy enough to keep my secrets safe, " I gave half of the truth.

"I have some questions for you too, " I say, shifting the attention to her now.

"I have a few answers as well, " she says smiling.

"Is there something going on with you and your friend Jacob?"

She freezes on the spot as she hears my question. I was debating between asking her that or not, but it was a thought that started to bother me a little for reasons I don't know.

She chuckles and picks up her pace again.

"No, nothing is going on between us. We're just good friends. My friends think he likes me though but I'm not sure, " she says, walking a few feet in front of me.