Muted

Chapter 6

My brain felt like blood was rushing through it at high speeds. I just kept replaying over and over what had happened.

"You're a brat," he finally said. He was so close that I could feel the vibration in his voice between us and his breath tickling my face. And his voice felt low. "I like it."

I like it... what the actual hell was that about.

I was so flustered about the whole incident that I couldn't bring myself to focus on anything Em was saying.

Em waved her hand in my face and I looked over at her, "Earth to Riley. Hello."

I just stared at her and looked forward again. She side stepped in front of me.

"What happened? You were just raining with so much confidence and now you look like you're constipated," Em signed.

I looked back at her before signing, "I don't think I want to talk about this one. I'm embarrassed."

Sam laughed at my response before talking slowly enough for me to read her lips, "He got so close I thought he was gonna kiss you."

Upon her words, I awkwardly shrunk into myself and my face got even more warm. My reaction wiped the smiles off of their faces.

"Hold on... he didn't kiss you right," Em questioned. I shook my head.

"Then you have to tell us," Sam practically begged.

I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at my feet like they were the most interesting thing ever, feeling even more flustered now.

I took in a deep breath before allowing myself to sign very shaky, "He called me a brat."

They just stared at me confused. I was not so confident about telling the second part.

"Okay. If I was in his position I'd probably think that too. I mean, you took his phone from him and basically threatened to drop it off a bridge if he didn't apologize," Em signed to me, summing up the events. "There's no way that's what's got you flustered."

I took in a breath of air and shakily signed once more, "He said he liked it."

Upon my statement, both girls eyes widened in disbelief. Emily's face got just as red as mine and Sam let her jaw hang.

Sam giggled a bit before saying very seriously, "Girls usually flirt with him, not the other way around. He must have a dom kink if that's how he saw you in the moment."

After Sam spoke, I slapped my hand to my forehead. I've had plenty of moments that have made me embarrassed, but nothing like this. I was flustered beyond the point of returning. I was pretty sure I never wanted to encounter him again to save myself some embarrassment. But something in the back of my head told me "that's not happening."

They both laughed at my reaction and I stormed past them completely forgetting what we were supposed to be doing today. I just wanted to go home and hide in my room.

They didn't follow me, most likely realizing I was too embarrassed to be in the real world, but that was perfectly okay with me.

I walked all the way to my house with those words keeping me on edge. And once I walked through the doors, I was greeted by my mother's beautiful face, along with my Aunt Lu.

I stopped in the doorway and signed, "What's Aunt Lu doing here?"

"We're going to the diner down the street with the family, you need to go change," my mom signed back. So much for hiding in my room.