CHAPTER 22: BOUNDARIES AND BEDLINES

Zeke couldn’t wrap his head around this... roommate of his. He was difficult to understand, and it infuriated him more than anything. And did he just say he had jerked off in his bed?!

Zeke stood there as she opened the door, and he had never seen a more obvious guilty look in someone’s eyes. Hellcat was avoiding his gaze, with his lips pursed, while trembling slightly on his feet.

"What the fuck did you do with my cover?" He growled.

She gripped the door handle, "Nothing. I was only kidding...,"

"Kidding?" His brow arched in question and even more fury, and he glanced at the blanket in her hand.

"If I actually...did that on your blanket, you would have sniffed it out by now, wouldn’t you?" She argued, finally looking in his eyes again.

His brows furrowed. Hellcat was right. He would have sniffed it out, yet all he could smell right now was that the wild jasmine scent, which had been strong before she stepped into the bathroom, had been overshadowed by his usual pine scent.

That was bizarre. Scent doesn’t just change or fluctuate.

He looked at her again, and his gaze dropped down to her lips that trembled almost unnoticeably. Was it just him, or do they seem...fuller? Yes, they were definitely fuller than the last time he saw them.

"Then why were you on my bed?!" He thundered again.

She sighed, "That’s because you were about to start... sleepwalking again last night and I touched you, and the pendant reacted again. This time apparently you didn’t break my wrist, instead, you pulled me to you and...," She swallowed, trying not to let the weird feeling in her belly make her face red, "You wouldn’t let go no matter how hard I tried,"

He pulled away after hearing that, and this time he was the one unwilling to look back at her.

It was the first time in a very, very long time he had slept for so long, so soundly. And the way he had woken up, with Hellcat in his embrace and the calmness that came with it...

Oh God, what the hell was wrong with him?

He glanced at her again. Why did it have to be this guy? He wasn’t gay, for crying out loud!

"So why were you hiding when you woke up?" He snapped again, clearing his voice.

She looked at him. Was he nervous now?

"Because it’s embarrassing and disgusting to sleep next to a guy, especially next to you,"

Disgusting? "Weren’t you the one saying the other day that you were drawn to me and not Eric?"

"Why would I be drawn to you? I’m not stupid. For fuck’s sake if I wanna hook up with someone, you would be the last person on earth that I would consider!"

He folded his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips again, "So you finally admit that you have a crush on Eric?"

"That’s not what I’m trying to say!" She snapped, then walked around him to her side of the room, "You know what? It’s my fault for trying to help you last night. Next time, I’ll just let you wallow in your misery!"

Zeke wasn’t shaken; instead, he followed her with his eyes. There was definitely something strange about his roommate, especially his scent. The scent of pine that followed him everywhere was bearable for Zeke, and he was able to ignore whatever effects it had on him, but wild jasmine? He wasn’t so sure.

And then, there were his fuller lips. Lips don’t just get swollen overnight, unless they kis...

"Did you kiss me?!" He thundered again, a bit flustered this time.

She looked at him like he was insane, "Did I get knocked down by a truck?" She retorted.

"Then what happened to your lips?"

Her hands flew to her lips, and she felt the fullness. Her eyes widened a bit, realising that Seraphina had fallen asleep before she could tweak her lips, too.

"None of your business!" Her voice cracked, giving her away even more.

She turned around and squeezed her eyes shut when he couldn’t see her. What was she supposed to do now? She wanted to leave the room before to get some air, but with her lips like this, she couldn’t afford to.

Zeke didn’t say anything after that, but she knew he was suspicious. He had woken up before her and had felt a change in her entire demeanour, even though he never saw her female form physically.

"You’re weird, Hellcat," He said.

"That’s the thanks I get for sacrificing my pride as a man and sleeping next to you?" She scoffed, shaking her head in dismay.

"The thanks you’re gonna get is me keeping your secret from Eric that you like him,"

Here we go again. She sat down and eyed him, "Are we really gonna do this again? Why are you so obsessed with trying to use me to get back at Eric? You clearly have your own... twisted problems,"

He chuckled softly, and that deep sonorous sound made her feel funny again, "Eric and I go back a long way, you see," He sat on his head, his arm muscles flexing as he leaned toward her, "I simply cannot ignore him,"

"Then ignore me!" She snapped.

"I can’t do that, either,"

"You’re insane,"

He smirked, "I’m insane and you’re weird,"

"If you keep trying to blackmail me about this, I’m gonna report you to the Commandant. I’m gonna tell him about your... nightly episodes and have them throw you out before you hurt anyone. My broken wrist is proof enough, and if they still doubt me, I could tell them to wait till you fall asleep and watch as you... sleepwalk,"

The confident expression on his face told her he didn’t buy any of it, "Do it, then. Report me,"

She glared at him, "I will!"

He threw his head back and laughed again, "You can’t,"

"I can!"

"Hellcat, you’re the kind I would describe as a good guy. You’re nothing like me, and you do not have the heart to tell on me like that. Unlike me, you can’t blackmail others. It’s wrong to you, isn’t it?"

She gripped the sheets. How was he able to see through her?

"I’m not gonna take off my pendant, and I’m not gonna help you get back at Eric,"

His next words had her halting, "That won’t be necessary anymore,"

"What?" She mumbled.

"You don’t have to take off the pendant since I’ll be needing it on you when we go to sleep, and you won’t have to do a thing when I start using you to get back at Eric,"

Huh?

"All you have to do, is to be present, like you always have. And trust me, it’s gonna be worthwhile when it begins,"

She didn’t really understand his words, but she knew it meant a lot. Whatever plan he had going on in that rugged head of his, she didn’t like it.

And what did he mean by ’I’ll be needing it on you when we go to sleep?’