Chapter Thirty Eight

Chelsea's POV
It is official. I have turned into an extremely hormonal and horny teenager. Something, or rather someone, I swore never to be.
After Alaric left my bedroom, I have been tossing and turning on the bed for hours. I can not seem to fall asleep, no matter how hard I try. It just isn't happening.
Questions keep running through my mind all night. Would he have kissed me? Would I have kissed him back? How far would I let him go? What could he do to me?
The trail of questions keep running forever and all is does is make me more frustrated every second and make me hot everywhere.
I head to the kitchen to get a glass of milk to help me sleep better, and I am met with my mother, sitting by the kitchen island and reading, with her own glass of milk.
She looks up at me when I walk in, and smiles slightly.
"Can't sleep?" She asks, and I reply her with a nod.
She motions for me to go to the refrigerator and I get out a bottle of milk and pour myself some into a glass cup.
"Why are you up?" I ask, after downing half of my milk.
"The same reason you are up hun." She says. "Can not seem to fall asleep at all. And I have been trying really hard."
"Yeah, I get how that feels." I say, plopping down on the seat beside her on the kitchen island.
"How has school been?" She asks suddenly.
"What?" I ask, surprised. It is not that she has never asked about school or my life. It is just that she usually waits with open arms for us to come to her with information, she is never the one to start up the conversation.
"Uhmm, school is good. It is alright." I say.
"That's good. I was worried the move and bankruptcy was going to have a traumatic change on you all, but you all seem to be blending in just fine." She says with a small smile.
"The move was necessary mum. Sure, the circumstances could have been better, but I have come to learn that everything happens for a reason." I say, reassuring her. I stretch my hands and place them over hers. "We got to know people who actually and sincerely cared about us. People who were by our side not only because of our money. And after that horrible breakup of mine, if you we all had not moved, I personally would have." I say and we both laugh.
"I am most especially glad you moved on past that smoothly." She confides.
"Yeah. There are times I want to slash his tires and break her stupid nose, but I think about it and realise it is not worth it. It would be hella satisfying, but they do not deserve that amount of energy coming from me. Besides, I think I was definitely settling for less with him. I deserve better." I say with a nonchalant shrug.
"You definitely do my love." She says, squeezing my hand a little.
"Any special someone in your life yet?" She asks.
"What?" I say, my face already looking super guilty. Not that I have someone special exactly, I just know that there is someone I would not mind doing horrible things to me.
"Ouuu." She says eexcitedly. "Tell me all about him."
"There is no one exactly. He's no one." I say.
"Yeah right. Like I don't see the way you are always daydreaming, or how you unconvincingly went to bed today." She says with a wiggle of her brows.
"What? I do not know what you are talking about."
"Sure. Don't forget that I was once your age. And I may, or may not have also had boys sneak into my bedroom at odd hours of the night." She says, giving me a knowing smirk as she leaves the kitchen to her bedroom, leaving me looking as red as a ripe tomato.
I go back into my room after downing the rest of my milk. I still can't believe she knew Alaric was in my room last night. I always knew my mum was ccool, but I didn't realize she was this cool. Damn. Well, it helps that I have been responsible so far and I have not given her a single reason to ever doubt me. This is why if she asks, I will never tell her of the fact that I barely even know Alaric. She would freak the hell out. And most probably ground me till my wedding day.
I am still getting over what just happened in the kitchen when I get a text from an unknown number.
[You up?]
The message reads. I check the time and realize it is just 1 am. Who the hell decides to text someone and ask if they are up by 1 am?
[It is Torin by the way.]
Well, the mystery is solved.
[Who texts someone by 1 am with a 'you up?']
I text back.
[In fact, who texts by 1 am at all?]
I add.
[Uhmm. Me?]
This boy just keeps getting weirder and weirder by the day. Even though he made me want to punch him at times.
[How exactly did you get my number?]
I text back.
[And I swear if you say you have your ways, I will hurt you.]
I add.
[As much as I would love to see you try the hurt me, I do not have the strength or mental capacity to tease you tonight.]
[I got your number from the group chat.]
At least we are getting somewhere. He sounds like the Torin I am used to. The one I have learnt to navigate around and in a weird way, I feel more at ease around this version of him because I know what to expect.
[Why are you up?]
He double texts.
[Why are you up?]
I ask back.
[To find out if you are up...]
[Why?]
[Because....]
[Because what?!]
[Just because]
[I hate you Torin😡]
[Nicest thing you have said to me since the day we met.]
[At least I am one upping you😛]
[Sure Chels. What ever helps you sleep at night.]
[Nyen nyen nyen]
[Super mature of you.]
[I know right? I get better each day.]
[Sureeee....]
[Do not patronize me.]
[I would never dream of it. Good night Chels.]
[Night Torin😊]