MATEO || bxb

- 38 -

| Camden |

When Adrian got back, I was excited to go into town. It had been a while since I'd hung out with both Ade and Mateo. I felt a little bad because they hadn't been hanging out as much either and I knew that had to be mostly my fault. I kept taking up all of Mateo's time and I knew I was doing it and selfishly didn't care. I just always wanted to be around him but I had to hold back sometimes. He had other people in his life too that he needed and wanted to see.

The car ride was fun. Mateo was driving again like usual, and the two of them did nothing but bicker with Mateo constantly complaining about his hurt shoulder while Ade kept talking about his hurt eyes at what he saw on my neck. I think subconsciously I started trying to lift the neck of my shirt up to see if I could cover any of it, but looking in the rear view mirror from where I sat in the back seat, because Ade had called shotgun, I realised there was no way to hide the bruises, unless of course I used makeup but I didn't have any and didn't think I'd even know what to do with it. But regardless of the bickering, it was all said with an undertone of teasing and love. I guess the punch rule really did work.

"So where first?" Mateo asked us all.

"Can we go to Ikea? I wanna get some stuff for uni," I said. "Will you help me figure out what I need?" I asked my brother.

"Yeah sure," he said.

Mateo parked outside and then we went into the large warehouse style building. I loved Ikea. I mean who doesn't. I loved going to all the pre-made rooms and pretending like I was already the owner of my own house having decorated it all impeccably. But after mindlessly walking around staring and touching anything even remotely interesting, Mateo had to finally drag me to the homeware stuff so I could actually buy stuff that I needed.

"You're impossible," Mateo said when I stopped to look at something pretty again.

"He's like this every time we go anywhere," Adrian grumbled.

"I just like looking at everything!" I said still excited. I wasn't going to let those two losers bring me down.

"C'mon. You need a fucking frying pan not a two-litre sweet dispenser," Ade said still annoyed.

"I could need it one day," I replied.

"Then you can come back and get it when you actually need it," Mateo said coming up behind me imprisoning me between him and the trolly. I was forced to walk when Mateo did having nowhere else to go, Mateo's grip on the trolley too strong for me to break.

"Shit head," I said under my breath.

"I heard that," he said next to my ear.

"You were meant to."

"Careful. Or I might have to tell Adrian why you keep walking a little funny, even if that risks me getting a punch to the face."

I turned bright red, thinking of his damn fingers, and was pretty obedient for the rest of the Ikea trip, getting only what I needed and trying not to spend too long looking at distractions.

When we were done, we put everything into the car and this time I called shotgun and climbed in the passenger seat up front.

"Let's go to Suzie's. I want a smoothie," I suggested.

The boys agreed happily. It was a hot day, and the sun was blaring. Luckily, I'd put on SPF before we left and got Mateo to put some on as well, me having to put it on his back, not that I was that bothered about slathering it all over him if it meant being allowed to touch him. He didn't even need it on his back, it's not like her was going shirtless, but I convinced him he needed it. I think he realised I just wanted to touch him...