The One in the Middle

Chapter 9- I've Got to Get a Message To You

I head to the bathroom but soon realize that I don't have any fresh clothes to wear with me. I stopped there in the middle of the hallway and looked around, thinking of what I could do. 

"Hazel, if you want, um, you can borrow something from me... I don't know if it will fit you but I know we're around the same size-" Maurice keeps rambling and I know he's nervous because he has this particular look in his eyes. 

However, I smile and say, "That would be great, thank you." 

Mo flashes a shy smile at me and rushes into his room and quickly comes out with a shirt and a pair of pants. "Let me know how they fit..." 

And just like the sweatshirt Robin had given me last night, these clothes smelled like Maurice, just not in a weird way. I slip out of my clothes and get into these new ones and just putting them on made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. It's a familiar feeling that I'm not used to feeling with Mo. 

I admired the way the shirt was just a tiny bit big on me, and it made me feel a little special knowing that I got to wear his clothes. And, to my surprise, his pants fit me fairly well. 

"Are you decent?" he asks. 

I stifle a giggle. "I just finished getting dressed, I'll come out."

I come out of the bathroom and look him in the eyes which are gleaming brightly and with such excitement and happiness. Gosh, he looks so handsome... 

"They fit you well. I like it when you wear my clothes," he comments with a slight blush.

For a second, neither of us says anything and we continue to stand in the middle of the main room looking at each other. And, in the meantime, I kept inhaling the scent of the clothes that Mo gave me and he smiles at me brightly. 

One of his best features, no doubt, is his smile. It's so contagious... But then again, Robin's smile gives me this feeling in my stomach in a way that no one else does.  

"Ready to go, Hazel?" he asks softly, putting a hesitant hand on my shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

I can tell simply by his body language around me that I make him nervous and, truth be told, every feeling I feel with him is unconsciously being compared to the feelings Robin makes me feel, even without me knowing it. I know this to be a sign, but I haven't seemed to yet pick up on it because of the excitement of having two guys after you and being interested in both of them. But when you're in this situation, it's easy to look past the obvious solution. 

I shake away these thoughts, however, and smile and say, "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Where are you guys going?" I hear Robin say from the hallway in a sleepy voice. His hair was messy from just waking up, and I found it really adorable. 

I walk up to Robin and wrap him in a hug and whisper in his ear, "Mo is taking me to breakfast."

"Oh..." he mutters, and disappointment was riddled in his voice. "Are those his clothes?"

Was he jealous?? I think he is. It makes me feel a little special but also a little awkward to know that he's jealous of Mo taking me somewhere and me wearing his clothes. 

"Well, yeah... I don't have any fresh clothes... But I still have your sweatshirt. Keep it safe for me?" I ask him quietly. 

With a swift nod and a kiss on the cheek, he lets go and heads back to his room. 

And as I go back to Mo, I saw that he wasn't paying any attention to Robin and me, which made me feel relieved because it was already difficult to deal with jealous Robin. 

"I'm ready now," I tell him with a grin. 

"Oh good!" Mo puts a hand on my shoulder again and we head to his car. 

*** 

(At the restaurant) 

We both walk into the restaurant and I can feel that he's hesitant to hold my hand because of how his fingers ever-so-slightly brush up against mine. 

"Table for two please..." he says. He glances at me quickly

"Right this way." The man shows us to our table and seats us right away and as soon as we sit down, I flash Mo a bright smile. 

As usual, we don't know how to get the conversation started and awkwardly sit in silence. All that's happening is the occasional glance or a slight smile, and maybe I'll catch a blush creeping on Mo's cheeks. But no conversation. With Robin, things seem to come so naturally...

"Hey, uh, I heard your conversation with Robin earlier... I was just making it seem like I didn't hear." Our gazes lock immediately and I'll admit that this locked gaze intimidates me. If I look away nervously, then it's known that I'm nervous. 

"Oh?" I mutter, my hands shaking in my lap. 

Maurice nods, never leaving my gaze. "He really cares for you, huh?"

With a chuckle, I reply, "It's funny how you're talking about him when it's just us." 

He shrugs casually. "How can I ignore the way he looks at you like you're the only girl in the world? And how you look back at him with the very same look."

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks and I had never even realized how we look at each other, but it must be so apparent to everyone else. 

"I'm sorry, Mo... That must not have made you feel very great. After all, this is our time to be alone and all you can think about is the way I look at Robin." I can't bear to look away from his eyes because it would make me feel even more guilty, somehow. 

"Don't be, Hazel. I just need to know how you really feel about us both. I think you know who you really want to choose..."