Darkling

30| Hope

Chapter 30: Hope (Callum's POV)

We were now walking out of the library and she's still looking at me weirdly. She's analyzing me, I can tell. 

I don't know what's wrong with me today. Am I flirting with her? Yes. Do I like her? Also yes. But I'm doing it almost involuntarily. I know that I like her and I know that I want to do something about it. Whatever I have to deal with after that, I will. 

"Clara, do you like anybody?" I asked bluntly. 

"What do you mean?" she asked, walking with me. 

"I mean, do you like someone? Have a crush on someone?" 

"I've barely been here a week," she laughed. "I don't have a crush. The only guys I know are you, Wyatt, Atticus, and his friends, so..." she trailed off, shooting me a pointed look. 

"So?" I shrugged. "What happened to Scott from English?" I smirked. 

"Scott from English is... too nice. And too shy," she sighed. "Wyatt and Daisy make a good pair so he's out of question, Atticus is... hmm," she shrugged. "And I haven't had a civil conversation with any of his friends." 

"Atticus is?" I questioned. 

"He's okay. But I get the impression that you two don't exactly like each other," she joked. 

"I wonder why you think that," I scoffed. 

"But I get it," she nodded. "I trust you so I trust your opinion. And according to you, he's bad news and I should stay away from him. So it can't be him either. I don't know anyone else." 

"You know me." 

She glanced at me. "I do know you. But we're friends, aren't we?" 

"So? Friends can't like each other?" 

"Why? Do you like me?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and folding her arms across her chest. 

I stopped in front of her, turning to face her. "Maybe I do," I said, my eyes locked in place with hers.

 "And what would happen if you did? What would you do?" She stepped forward boldly, almost daring me to do something. To confess or to... touch her. 

Does she want me to touch her? 

"Is there anything you would want me to do?" I lifted a brow at her, also taking a step forward. 

"Hmm," she nodded. "But it wouldn't be fun if I just told you what that was, now would it?" she grinned cheekily. 

"What would you say if I told you that I liked you, Clara?" 

She sighed, thinking about it. "I would tell you how I feel." 

"And how's that?" 

"Why? Are you saying you like me?" 

"Maybe," I replied. 

"Then I would say I like you too." I stared at her. "Maybe," she smirked, walking past me, her arm brushing against mine. 

I reached behind me, finding her hand, and pulled her back to the same spot. "Maybe?" I asked, pulling her closer. 

"Well, I don't know. If you like me, then maybe." 

"This is just hypothetical. What would you say?" 

"What would you ask?" she smiled. 

"Do you like me?" 

"Since this is hypothetical, yeah. Or no. It's a maybe," she chuckled, enjoying this way too much. 

"And how can I change that maybe into a yes?" I lifted a brow at her.