If Only You Can Stay (BL/BXB)

XVIII

“Am I late?” He asked after rolling down the windows. His grin was wide and his face lit up like how the morning sun welcomed itself to the day. I jogged my way towards him as he got his way out of his car. He jogged faster to the other side to open the door for me.

“Thank you.”

“Keep him safe, Little Gentleman.” Aunt shouted from the door. Her head popped out from it like some cute mushroom.

“He wasn’t little.” I shouted at her.

“I am?” He asked as he looked at his pecs and started flexing.

“It wasn't a compliment.”

“Well, since it's coming from you. I'll take it as one.” He started flexing his arms now and I just rolled my eyes. I saw my bracelet still around his wrist. It was stretched around 

I would still get you. I told the bracelet in the back of my head as if it was some baby I just lost my custody through theft. My sister would be pissed if she found out that I lost the bracelet to some stranger I bumped into.

“Staring through it won't make it wrapped around your own wrist.” Jace remarked. His smug look saying that I could've agreed to what he was trying to do and it would end it all.

“Fine.” My tone reeked of defeat.

“Are you for real?” He pulled over. He looked at me in such delight like he was some seven year old boy who had promised to go to a carnival or his favorite restaurant. He was so giddy about it all of the sudden that the abrupt rush of excitement flowed through his veins that he couldn't contain it.

“I should prepare.”

“Prepare for what? We can just go after class.” I suggested.

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. It's just a pizza place. Like we both agreed.” I told him pertaining to the original plan and that I did want this to end. 

“We can go see the sunset first before heading to the pizza place. Or, can we change the pizza place to the famous restaurant near your Aunts place? What do you think?” He uttered the words in such haste as if I wouldn’t be able to pick up what he was trying to say if he stopped for a second.

“Calm down and drive. We're going to be late.” I told him and motioned for him to take the mimicked wheel.

He was continuously stretching and tapping on it as we took the route to the campus. I found myself uneasy at his current disposition. What was he thinking? Maybe being bitten by a rabid dog would be a far better option than taking this ride to the campus.

“We're here.” He announced.

“Thank you.” I quickly unbuckled the seatbelt and hopped out of his pickup. I waited in front of his car as he stepped out on his side with ease. He's in a hurry.

“Okay. At what time will your class end?” He asked. He marched to my side and I turned to the direction where I was 

“Wait a minute.” I told him. I quickly took out a plastic transparent envelope inside my bag and peeked at my schedule.

“I would be ending my class by 2 pm.” I told him but then when I looked up at him he was on the other side where I hid the letters printed on paper from him and was sneaking a look at it.

“Okay, Van. Got it.” I darted him a look and quickly put the papers away.

“How did you—? Fuck.” I realized that I took out my registration papers and be just took a good quick glance at it to know my full government name even if they prints were small.

“So, where's  your first class?” He asked trying to divert my attention from him getting my name.

“I'll figure that out.” I told him my very confident tone as if I could really do it without anyone’s help but would probably be looking for other foreign exchange students that would be willing to be with me for the rest of the day.

“I can take you there.”

“Just point at the place—the building I needed to go to and I would just head there so that I wouldn’t bother you.” I told him.

“You’re not bothering me. I am to you.”

“Thank God, you knew that.” I joked. He gave me a shocked face in response.

“Okay. Pull out your phone.”

“Why is that?” I asked suspiciously. He had done numerous unbelievable things that included stealing my bracelet. How on earth I would believe that he wouldn't do stupid thing.

“Let's exchange contacts.”

“How about a no?”

“I won't take no as an answer.”

“Just point it out and I would be good to go. Then, I’ll see you later.”

“Pull out the damn phone.” He told me and I was talking aback by his sudden raised tone. I pulled out my phone and opened it.

“What do you want from it?”

“I'll send you the location of the building then you can follow it.”

“Okay.”

“Any messaging apps?”

“I do. But I guess not the ones y’all using here.”

“Okay. Give me your number. Call me when you're lost.”

“Okay. I can just ask anyone.”

“I hope you trust me more than any bustard lurking around.”

“What the hell? I don’t know what you're talking about.”

“I don't know either. I just couldn't fathom how it would be easier for you to give some stranger your whereabouts but not with me.”

“It's not like that.”

“Are you really disgusted with me that even your name I couldn’t get? You even tried to push me away that you would rather walk than get into my car.” I could feel how irritated he was.

“I—It's not what you think.” I told him. I have already told him that I am what I didn't want others to think of him. I didn't want him to experience what I had and it was painful enough to have all of this and let others suffer the same fate. What's worse is that it all could happen because of me.

“Well, that was what you were trying to say. Fine. Just meet me later and we're done.”

***
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