Then and now

Chapter 12: Ashers POV

She's smiling. Smiling. I came over to her house to say thank you for the baking yesterday, expecting her to tell me to go away.

Instead, Amira welcomed me in with a small smile on her face and asked if I wanted to join her to watch a movie.

She was very shy when asking, making sure to add that I didn't have too if I didn't want to.

It was cute actually, how embarrassed and nervous she was asking me to simply hang out.

Her face went all red and she couldn't look me in the eye.

Of course I fucking said yes as soon as I heard it.

So now we are trying to pick a movie to watch, and we keep arguing back and forth on what movie to watch.

We aren't actually arguing of course, more like banter.

"No, horrors are way better!" She says, a pout on her face.

"Oh shush, they have no plot." The real reason I don't want to watch a horror movie, is the simple fact that I don't want to scream like a little girl in front of her.

When it comes to anything scary in real life, I'm the guy to ask. I hardly ever get scared or worried. I can handle myself in most situations.

But anything supernatural in movies scares the shit out of me.

Eventually I give in and we watch a horror. It's not that bad to be honest.

I'm aware of how close we are, but of course I don't mind.

We are sitting on her huge couch in her living room and she is a couple inches away from me, her head resting on the couch and her feet outstretched.

I can hear her breathing, feel her eyes on the movie.

She looks so beautiful doing something so simple. She looks enthralled by the movie and that's all that matters to me.

About half an hour through, I look at her and notice she's fallen asleep. It brings a smile to my face, as I know how she has had trouble sleeping in the past.

Amira looks so peaceful in her sleep, unlike her usual alert vibe she has to her. She can never seem to relax.

Her phone dings from her lap and I grab it so that it doesn't wake her.

I don't mean to look.

It just catches my eye, the random number.

So, I decide to read the text she received.

I know it's wrong. But it can't be that important, if it's coming from an unknown number.

My eyes widen and my curiosity and confusion only deepens when I read the text.

"Jackson told me about your night with him. Flirting with my friends now, are you? He said you're looking as sexy as ever. Maybe I should come and pay you a visit?"

I read it over and over, trying to make sense of it.

The only explanation is that Jackson is the blonde, buzz cut dickhead that I saw her with the other night.

So, who could possibly be his friend? And what does he want with Amira?

Common sense says that he already knew her, whoever this unknown number is.

I put her phone down, deciding to ask her about it later. This guy sounds dangerous and I'm going to find him.

I drape a blanket gently over her before going to the kitchen.