Trying to live

Chapter 32 (Edited)

Was it trespassing if I went inside? A violation of his privacy?

Was it stalking?

I grimaced. No, I was just looking for my tutor, and I wouldn't do anything inappropriate.

Of course, my initial plan—when Henry decided to tutor me in front of Principal Richardson—was to irk him by being in his room. But after what happened in Royals, I really didn't want to see him at all.

I had to, but if I had a choice, I would avoid him as much as possible.

Henry Avilla was playing with my mind and heart.

I stepped into his room and surveyed it.

Henry was the cleanest guy I knew. His room reflected that. Nothing was out of place. The bed in the middle was neatly made, and I put my books on it. The nightstands on either side held only a lamp and two framed photos. His textbooks were neatly stacked on his desk.

Even though Henry had a spacious room, he kept it as simple as possible. There was nothing special, nothing personalized except the two pictures in the frames. It looked like a plain guest room.

I walked to his bathroom and listened for any noise. When I was sure Henry wasn't inside, I opened it out of curiosity. It looked like any bathroom, like mine in the mansion, but I wanted to know if anything had changed since our time together.

After closing the door, I slapped a hand on my forehead because that was the dumbest thing I could ever do.

Who checks the bathroom while being in their ex's room?

Obviously, someone stupid like me.

In that time, I could have snooped around his things.

I wrenched my fingers together and realized that if I didn't do something sensible, I'd go crazy and really snoop around like a crazy ex-girlfriend.

I walked slowly to his bed and sat at the edge. I drew one of my psychology books towards me and opened the first page. I tried to concentrate as I read the table of contents and noted the page numbers for each chapter, but I was sitting so uncomfortably.

So, I crawled towards the middle and sat down. I put Henry's pillow against my back so my spine would be comfortable and draped his blanket over my legs and up to my waist too.

I leaned back and started to aimlessly browse through my textbook.

I had so many memories in this room.

From seeing it for the first time, joking about how clean it was, to late-night movie sessions, late-night talks, late-night kisses, and exploring each other's bodies, to never sleeping together but cuddling and feeling safe, sleeping next to each other.

I leaned further down and took the pillow with me. My cheek rested on it. For one moment, I closed my eyes, but exactly at that moment, the door opened.

"Yeah, I'll get it quickly from my desk...what the hell?" I heard Henry before I squinted my eyes open. "I'll call you back in a few. What are you doing in my room, Emerson?"

I might have tried to act like I was just an illusion, not really here, but my breathing might have given me away. Or maybe it was because I snorted. He really called me by my full name. And everyone knows most of the people who called me by my full name were either aggravated by me or disliked me.

It must be both for him.

"Can you answer?" he said impatiently, walking up to his desk.

I made a face, which he fortunately couldn't see, and sat up. "You didn't say where I should go once I was here."