On Your Level ~mlm~

~ Chapter 17~

Raven

"The shelter is always closed on Saturday nights to prepare for the Sunday church service." Lee says and I don't know what I was expecting.

He doesn't turn to look at me and simply stands there facing his bedroom door.

"Right." Is all I can manage to say as my chest is pounding, I don't know why.

"Is that all?" He asks. 'Is that all'? Is it? I don't even know.

What did you expect him to worry about you? Care about why you are so stripped of options you had to take the couch in your rival's home? I berate myself stubbornly in a quiet mumble.

Why do I even care that he doesn't care?

"Yeah." I exhale, disappointed. Instead of deciphering why I'm feeling this way, I choose to head to the couch. I'm too emotionally drained to deal with anything right now, especially anything regarding Lee.

After getting comfortable under the thick duvet Lee had put out on the couch for me, I remember that I still needed to brush my teeth. For fuck's sake, just as I get settled. Huffing aggressively, I fling the blanket off and walk to the bathroom.

Upon entering I spot two toothbrushes in the cup, it takes me a minute to recall that Lee has an older brother. Right, the one who got him the captaincy - asshole. Once I finished angrily scrubbing my teeth at the memory of the core reason I began hating Lee in the first place.

Now I really didn't want to be here.

It has been exactly five hours since I began tossing and turning when I heard soft footfalls coming from down the hallway.

I sit up slowly as he turns the corner into the living room. Lee doesn't seem to notice me at first and I take the chance to study him. I slowly graze my eyes over his figure, the two soft - but suspiciously inviting - dimples in his back and the smooth arching of his spine. His back muscles flex as he reaches up to open a cupboard and I watch as he takes out two bowls then proceeds to take two spoons from a draw below. Wait- two?

"Would you like some ice cream with that eye candy you seem to be enjoying?" Lee's voice is coarse, it's rough but low and deep, soothing.

"Careful Lee your ego is talking," I tease back, not being able to think of anything very witty in my shock, still reeling over the fact that I had been caught doing what was essentially checking him out. But only because I was curious, definitely not because I thought he was hot. "But yes, I'll take the ice cream if you're offering."

As Lee opens the freezer a bright light illuminates his figure and my eyes focus in on something that was definitely not there before. Bruises, littered all up his back.

"Where did you get those?" My voice catches on something I can't decipher as I anticipate his answer.

"Where'd I get what? The ice cream? Woolies, obviously. Wait- are you a Coles shopper?" Lee asks in disgust and I can't tell if he's purposely playing dumb or if he genuinely hasn't seen the marks.

"No you dumbass, I'm not talking about the fucking ice cream. I'm talking about the bruises covering your back."

"My what?-" He says startled as he tries to twist around to look at his back.

I sigh, "Wait." I grab my phone from the coffee table and make my way over to the kitchen. "Stay still," I grab Lee's shoulder to prevent him from turning around. I aim the camera at his back and take a picture using flash.

I open the photo in my album and turn the phone around for him to look at.

"Oh holy fuck! Where did those come from?" Lee gasps.