Love With No Filter - Book 1

8: NICK

Watching Inez rush around the apartment after sleeping through her alarm on the first day of work would be way funnier than any comedy show.

I, on the other hand, had woken up early enough that I've taken a shower, made homemade French toast, and watched the news. I don't even like watching the news but it gave me an excuse to sit back and watch Inez fuss over which shirt she should wear without her complaining that I'm "judging her".

"The taxi will be here in five." I call out. That was a lie, obviously. We didn't technically have to leave for another twenty minutes but as I watch Inez walk out the bathroom and look at me dumbfounded, her foundation not fully blended into her face, I can tell she didn't know that.

"What!" She yells. "But we don't have to leave until..." she looks at the clock above the kitchen door and realises that I'm joking. Her facial expressions morph from fear, to relief, to annoyance. I can't help but laugh as she storms towards me. She picks up a pillow from the couch and whacks it against the side of my head. "You", whack, "lying", whack, "ass-hole." Whack whack whack.

"Not my fault you slept through your alarm Sweetheart." Another whack to the head.

"I told you not to call me that." She snaps. With one final half-hearted hit to the head with the pillow, she rushes back to the bathroom. I watch her leave, her skirt clinging tight to the curves of her hips which swayed as she walked away from me.

Memories of how the slopes of her body felt against my fingers flood my brain. I hadn't told her that I'd been awake the day that she left my bed and didn't plan on mentioning it ever again.

It's bad that I didn't move away. And even worse that it felt so right when I knew it was so wrong. I had woken up around ten minutes before Inez had. It was a shock to see her body pressed against mine in the middle of the bed but it shocked me even more seeing my arm draped over her torso. It was like our bodies had been drawn to one another when we were both asleep and I can feel the universe laughing at me. It was some kind of joke.

I wanted to move but I didn't. I just let it happen, too confused to act. But when I felt her stir in her sleep and her breathing quicken, I froze and pretended to be asleep. But at least I know I wasn't the only one who appreciated the close body contact. Inez stayed in bed breathing heavily for what felt like hours. Her body had relaxed and she wasn't as tense as she was when she first awoke.

It was difficult not to laugh or call her out on how she liked my arm around her but if I mentioned it, I knew she would fire back by saying I enjoyed it too. I did, that was the problem. I shouldn't but I fucking did. However, I'd rather it go unspoken than dig deeper into why I felt strangely empty as she walked away from my bed.

"Alright I'm ready." She says fifteen minutes later as she walks out the bathroom, her face far more relaxed as she reapplied her red lipstick.

"You haven't eaten." I freeze. I'm not quite sure why I said that. I'm not sure why I cared enough to notice. I don't care. It was an observation.

"I'll eat later." She mumbles, putting the lipstick back into her purse.

"There's left over french toast on the side." I say, again, not sure as to why I'm bothered.

She snorts, "as if I would ever eat something that you cooked."

"I thought charity cases were meant to be more appreciative."

"I'm not charity."

"You act like it. When was the last time you had a home cooked meal. I mean for god sake Charleen I only ever see you eat pre-made box meals like do you need me to cook for you? What? Can you genuinely not cook or something?" Why am I still talking? I don't care.