But he always seemed to forcefully shut down those feelings, face going blank, as if he didn’t think he was allowed to show emotion. Occasionally there were flashes of personality – annoyance, amusement, and a sharp wit. For the most part he was quiet and distant, seeming to keep a wall between himself and everyone else, even Boyd, and never talking about himself or his life. Just as interesting as his appearance was Neil’s behavior. And the scars on his face and hands did nothing to decrease his attractiveness – rather, they only made him more interesting. He was taller than Andrew, though not by much, and his frame was slim but muscled like a runner’s. The light also had the effect of highlighting the alluring angles of his face. His eyes were even more electric and arresting in the daytime, catching the light and burning like blue flame. His hair was a bright auburn that fell over his head and occasionally his eyes in messy curls. If he went for a longer drive than usual, if his thoughts were buzzing louder than before, it wasn’t anyone’s business but his own.Īfter having met the new housemate, who he soon learned was named Neil (not that he’d asked, he’d just heard Wilds say it one day), it was suddenly impossible to ignore him.įor one, the light of the television had, unfortunately for Andrew, severely underplayed Neil’s attractiveness. He didn’t look back as he opened the door and left. “I can turn it off if you want?”Īndrew just shrugged and moved to the door, grabbing his coat and car keys. His thoughts were cut off by the guy speaking again. He wasn’t taking up much room on the couch, though, so either he was a human pretzel or he was about Andrew’s height. The blanket and the hoodie he wore hid the rest of his body. Even in the low light of the TV, he could see the guy had unruly, reddish hair and scars on his face, all high cheekbones and sharp jaw.
They seemed to freeze for a moment, then said quietly, “Sorry, did I wake you?”Īndrew shook his head sharply and didn’t say anything, observing the stranger he now figured must be Boyd’s friend. Andrew would have kept walking – most people in the house had abnormal sleep schedules and several of them enjoyed various sportsballs – but then the person had looked up and astonishingly bright blue eyes caught Andrew’s. There’d been a figure curled up on the couch under a blanket with a mug, watching a muted sports game. He didn’t actually meet the guy until the second night after he’d moved in, when his insomnia drove him out of his room at 2 a.m. Boyd was overly energetic and friendly at his least annoying, and Andrew had no interest in the kind of person who wanted to befriend the human version of a Labrador. He was Boyd’s new friend from class, but other than that Andrew hadn’t known or cared to know any more information about him. It all started with the arrival of the new housemate.