Citrus [completed]

Chapter 35

I knew something was off. I should have sat down and talked to Vanessa the night she had tried to turn away from me. It was something little to cause concern but Vanessa's actions over the last few days proved me right. The next morning, she had woken up and immediately headed back to her apartment. I didn't think about it much about it because she left most of her things in my palace. Throughout the day I had texted Vanessa about what her plans were for tonight.

The first day, she texted me she was swamped with homework and wouldn't spend the night at my place. When I had received the text, I had just stared at it for a few seconds. The words looked foreign to me. I couldn't comprehend their meaning. We hadn't gone weeks without sleeping in the same bed. Whether it was at my place or hers. I beat back the feeling of dread and sighed. If she wanted to take the time to spend on her academics, who was I to stop her.

The next day, I asked if she wanted to meet up for lunch and she told me classes would have her running late. I told her I would go for dinner and Vanessa said that she was still caught up in homework. That went out the second night without sleeping together and for the first time in a while, I hadn't seen her.

Slowly, over the next three days, her text messages stopped coming to me slowly. Vanessa was the type of person to text back fast. If I texted her, her reply would come within five minutes. Now, she would respond to me within hours. Her replies only contain simple words instead of long sentences. It was a lot to read into, but I was tired of waiting for her to text me back. I tried again, one more time.

Jamie: Hey! I haven't seen you in a while. I have a hallmark movie and dinner with your name on it.

All she had sent back was a simple,

Nessa: I can't tonight. I'm sorry.

I stare at the text message for three seconds before I decide to stop giving her space. Vanessa had been acting weirdly since the day of the dinner and she wasn't talking to me about it. I had offered myself up for her to come to me about anything and she had yet to. Now I was going over to get answers.

I also wanted my own girlfriend to stop avoiding me. With a huff, I push up off my couch and stalk out the door. It takes me less than a minute to stop outside of Vanessa's door and I bang on it.

I can't help the slightly bitter laugh that comes out of my mouth at the thought that while Vanessa had a key to my place, it was not the same the other way around. I wait outside for a few seconds and I hold myself from banging on the door again. The door pulls open slowly as Vanessa peaks out.

"Jamie...What are you doing here?" She asks. She looks at me with a straight face.

I can't help but stare at her face incredulously at her curious tone. As if she wasn't aware that we went from spending every minute together to her avoiding me.

With an amused breath, I push past Vanessa into her house. I'll be damned if she tries to have this conversation in the hallway. Vanessa lets me in, her eyes following me as she slowly closes the door. "We spend forever in the same bed and suddenly now we don't?" I ask her outright. I would be lying if I said I was completely composed but I was concerned by the sudden switch in Vanessa's personalities.

"I just need space?"

I feel my head slightly shake and I try to process her words, "Space?" I question her.

I try to rack my mind for any reason that she could possibly want space from me so suddenly,"What's wrong?" I asked her. I can't think of anything but who knows. Judging from the way Vanessa's face is pinched it has to be something.

I take a step towards her, reaching towards her, and Vanessa's eyes zoom to my hands and she goes still. I come to a stop at her reaction, horrified that I have caused it.