Through my Window by ARIANA Godoy ,Chapter 6,The Advice

“He can’t die!” I scream at the TV screen. “This is what I hate about The Walking Dead! That fear that one of my favorite characters could die at any moment.” Yoshi eats Doritos next to me. “The episode is about to end, and we won’t know who dies.” I snatch the bag of Doritos out of his hands. “Shut up. If that happens, I swear I’ll never watch this show again.” Yoshi rolls his eyes and adjusts his glasses. “You’ve been saying that since the first season.” “I’m weak, okay?” We’re both sitting on the floor, our backs against the bed behind us. It’s warm, so I’m wearing shorts and a white tank top without a bra. I’m comfortable around Yoshi and I know he’s comfortable around me too. Rocky is sleeping peacefully by the window. My room is a decent size, with a queen-size bed and posters of my favorite inspirational quotes all over the purple walls. I have a few small Christmas lights attached to the top of the walls that look beautiful at night. In front of the bed is the TV, on one side of it is the window, and the door to my bathroom is on the other side. We are completely focused on the TV when the episode ends and the credits roll.
“I hate you, producers and screenwriters of The Walking Dead! I hate you!” “I told you,” Yoshi taunts like a smart-ass. I smack the back of his head. “Ow! Don’t take it out on me.” “How can they do this to us? How can it end like this? Who’s going to die?” Yoshi rubs my back soothingly. “It’s okay, it’s over.” He hands me a glass of cold Pepsi. “Here, drink.” “I’m going to die.” “Relax, it’s just a TV series.” Totally depressed, I turn off the TV and sit down in front of Yoshi. He looks restless, and I know it’s not because of the series. His little honey eyes have a spark in them that I haven’t seen before. He gives me a nervous smile. “Is something wrong?” I ask. “Yes.” The atmosphere feels heavy for some strange reason. I don’t know what he has to tell me, but it makes me uneasy to see him hesitate so much. What’s wrong? Yoshi licks his lower lip before speaking. He removes his hat, freeing his messy hair. “I need your advice on something.” “I’m listening.” “What would you do if you liked one of your friends?” “You make it sound like I have so many friends.” I smile, but Yoshi doesn’t. His expression becomes even more strained. “I’m serious, Raquel.” “Okay, okay, excuse me, Mr. Seriousness.” I hold my chin as if in deep thought. “I would tell them.” “Wouldn’t you be afraid of losing the friendship?”
And then my little brain clicks, and I realize what Yoshi is telling me. Is that . . . that friend he likes—me? Yoshi doesn’t really have any other female friends, just me and a few acquaintances. My heart rises in my throat as my sweet, lifelong best friend watches me intently, waiting for my advice. “Are you sure about what you feel?” I ask, playing with my fingers. “Yes, I’m very sure, I like her a lot.” My throat gets dry. “When did you realize you liked her?” “I think I’ve always known it. I’ve been a coward, but I can’t hide it anymore,” he says. He looks down and sighs, and when he looks at me again, his eyes have a glint in them, so full of emotions. “I’m dying to kiss her.” “Oh yeah?” Yoshi moves a little closer. “Yes, her lips are pure temptation; it’s driving me crazy.” “She must have very nice lips then.” “The most beautiful I’ve ever seen in my life, they have me spellbound.” Spellbound . . . Spell . . . Witch . . . Ares . . . No! No! Don’t think about Ares! Not now! Inevitably, those sea-blue eyes come to my mind, that cocky smile, those soft lips suckling my neck. Oh no! I hate you, brain! My best friend since childhood is about to confess his love to me, and I’m thinking about my arrogant, Greek godlike idiot neighbor. “Raquel?” Yoshi’s voice brings me back to reality. He looks disconcerted, and it’s no surprise. I chose the worst moment to disconnect mentally. But it also
helped to clear my mind a bit. Seeing Yoshi so vulnerable in front of me made me realize that I can’t handle a confession. Not now. “I need to use the bathroom.” I rush out of the room before he can say anything. I walk into the bathroom and lean against the door. I shake my hair out in frustration. I’m a fucking coward and stupid too. I didn’t even bring my phone into the bathroom to ask Dani for support. Who goes into the bathroom without their phone these days? No one, just me. I grunt and massage my face, thinking. “Raquel?” I hear Yoshi’s call on the other side of the door. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.” “No!” I open the door as fast as I can, but I only catch a glimpse of his back disappearing out the door of my room. Throwing myself on my bed, I let myself be consumed by laziness. I don’t want to think anymore; I just want to rest my mind. I close my eyes and quickly fall into dreamland. Rocky’s barking wakes me up abruptly. The barks are continuous and loud—what I call his “serious barks”—and he only gets this worked up when there is someone he doesn’t know in the house. I get out of bed so fast that I get dizzy and crash against the side of the wall. “Ow!” Rocky is barking in the direction of the window, as if sensing something out there. It’s already dark outside, and the night breeze moves my curtains gently. There’s nothing at the window, so I calm down. “Rocky, there’s nothing there.” But he just keeps barking. Maybe there’s a cat outside, and his dog senses are tingling? Rocky doesn’t stop, so I walk to the window to soothe him. When I peek out, I yell so loudly that Rocky jumps up beside me. Ares. On a ladder. Climbing up to my window.
“What the hell are you doing?” Is the only thing that comes out of my lips as I see him standing there in the middle of a wooden ladder. He looks as cute as ever in his jeans and purple T-shirt, but the craziness of this situation keeps me from drooling. “It’s called climbing, you should try it.” “I’m not in the mood for your sarcasm,” I say. “I need to reboot your router. The signal is down, and it’s the only way to recover it.” “And you decided to sneak into my room without permission, climbing into my window like that? Do you know what people who do that are called? Burglars.” “I tried to reach you, but you didn’t answer the phone.” “That doesn’t give you the right to come into my room like this.” “Can you cut the drama? I just need to come in for a second.” “Drama? Drama? I’ll teach you drama.” I grab both ends of the ladder stuck to my window and shake them as hard as I can. Ares holds onto the rungs tightly and gives me a death stare. “Do that again, Raquel, and you’ll see what happens.” “I’m not afraid of you.” “Then do it.” “Don’t challenge me,” I warn. “Really? Are you going to drop me?” “It’s not worth it.” I watch as Ares finishes climbing, and he’s level with me, his face inches away from mine. Rocky goes crazy, barking as soon as he sees the intruder, but I’m too busy gawking to call him off. “Could you control that fleabag?” “Rocky hasn’t had fleas this month, show more respect.” “I don’t have all night.”
I sigh in frustration. “Rocky, sit down.” My dog obeys me. “Quiet.” I step back to let Ares into my room. Once inside, his height makes my room feel small. His eyes look me up and down from head to toe, lingering on my breasts, and that’s when I remember I don’t have a bra on. “I need to go to the bathroom,” I say quickly. For the second time tonight, I try to use the bathroom as an escape strategy, but I forget one small detail. Ares is not Yoshi. Ares won’t let me flee so easily. His hand grabs my arm, preventing me from moving. “There’s no way you’re leaving me alone with that dog.” “Rocky won’t do anything to you.” “I’m not taking any chances.” He holds me by my shoulders, forcing me to walk to my computer. He pushes me until I sit in the chair and then kneels down to restart my router. “Why do you feel like the owner of my internet connection?” I ask, but he just shrugs. “I could report you for entering my house like this, you know that, don’t you?” “I know. But I also know you won’t do it.” “How can you be so sure?” “Stalkers do not usually report those they stalk. It’s usually the other way around.” “This.” I point to the window, and then to him. “Would also be considered stalking.” “It’s not the same thing.” “Why not?” “Because you like me.” He pauses. “But I don’t like you.” Ouch! Right in my heart! I want to argue with him, but his words are like alcohol in a fresh wound. He keeps working on the router, and I stay quiet. Because you like me, but I don’t like you.
He said it so casually, so honestly. If he doesn’t feel anything, then why did he kiss my neck that day in the cemetery? Ignore his words, Raquel, don’t let him get to you. Ares looks up at me. “What? Did I hurt your feelings?” “Please! Of course not,” I lie. “Just hurry up with that so I can get back to sleep.” He doesn’t say anything, and I watch him work. Having him this close still feels so unreal. I can see every detail of his face. His smooth skin is without even a trace of acne. Life is so unfair sometimes. Ares has it all: health, money, skills, intelligence, and beauty. “Done.” He shakes the dust off his hands with a disgusted look on his face. “You should clean your room once in a while.” I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, excuse me, Your Royal Highness, for forcing you to step into my unworthy room.” “Cleanliness has nothing to do with money, lazy.” “Don’t play that card! I don’t have time to clean. Between my summer job, sleeping, eating, stalking you—” I cover my mouth as the words slip out. Why did I say that? Ares smiles from ear to ear, a sharp glint of derision in his eyes. “Stalking me is time-consuming, huh?” “Nope, no, that’s not what I meant.” Still on his knees, Ares crawls toward me, and I shudder in my chair. He stares at me and he gets so close that I have to spread my legs to let him pass. His face is only inches from mine. “What are you doing?” He doesn’t answer, he just puts his hands on the arms of the chair, on either side of my waist. I can feel the heat radiating from his defined body. We are too close. The intensity he emanates doesn’t allow me to breathe
properly. My eyes fall to his full lips, and that piercing I can see so well now. His gaze moves down from my face to my breasts and my exposed legs, and then back up to my face, a mischievous smile crossing those luscious lips. The air becomes heavy and hot around us. Ares takes my hands in his and places them on top of the arms of the chair, moving them out of his way. His eyes never leave mine as he lowers his head until it’s between my knees. “Ares, what are you . . . ?” His lips touch my knee with a simple kiss, leaving me breathless. “Do you want me to stop?” His eyes search mine, and I shake my head. “No.” The way the muscles in his arms and shoulders contract as he leaves wet kisses on the tops of my thighs is so fucking sexy. His tattoo just adds fire to this volcano he’s awakening inside me. His soft lips kiss, lick, and suck at the sensitive skin of my inner thighs. My body trembles, and little shivers of pleasure run through me, setting my senses on fire and clouding my mind. His black hair tickles as it brushes against my exposed skin. Ares looks up as he bites into my skin, causing a small moan to escape my lips. My breathing is erratic, and my poor heart is beating like crazy. He continues his onslaught, moving up and down my thighs, his lips attacking, devouring. My hips move on their own, begging for more, wanting his lips in a place a little higher. My eyes close by themselves. “Ares,” I moan his name, and I can feel his lips stretch into a smile against my skin, but I don’t care. “Do you want me?” His lips brush against the spot between my legs, right over the fabric of my shorts and I feel like I’m going to die of a heart attack. I can only nod. “I want you to say it,” he demands.
“I want you.” He stops, and I open my eyes to find his face so close to my own that I can feel his heavy breath on my lips. His eyes are locked on mine. “You’re going to be mine, Raquel.” And then, just as suddenly as he came into my room, he leaves.