It keeps repeating in my head. Just say I love you and shut up. I always knew that my know-it-all remarks would be the death of me. See here, I haven't said those words yet. He has. That was an unfortunate afternoon. That day when he said it, it was raining, and we met at a coffee shop to read books and write stories. Yes, that day was the day. I remember how his words paralyzed me. And I remember feeling so terrible. I remember running away to Max's house so that I could calm down with him and Garrett. And I remember that he was okay with it. I wasn't ready. I'm still not ready to say them. So to hear him say the words so nonchalantly only pressures me more. Why can't I just say them? I can do it in my head. I always do it in my head.
I
Love
You.
Now that wasn't hard at all, was it? It's worse that he's so nice about it. He understands that I'm not ready. God, and I think Max is nice. Max is nice, to everyone but me. The best person is truly the one sitting beside me. Driving to meet up with my friends because he thought that I shouldn't take my bike. He's a godsend.
I'm sure that if you ask Jake he'd just say that we met through tutoring. That cheeky liar. There were love notes thrown across the classroom and the teacher seemed to be his wingman. It was quite the meet-cute.
"Cassia, we're here." He says, swiftly pulling into the parking lot of the local mall.
"Thank you for driving me." I blush for no reason, God, the things this boy does.
He laughs at the pink tint, grabbing my hand and pulling me to sit just as I started getting out. "You make it sound like I'm not coming with you."
"You make it sound like you don't want to." The words are out before I thought them over but just in time to regret them.
His smile pains a little. "I wanna be wherever you are, Cassia. You know that, right?"
My God, this boy and his sweet sentiments. I nod at his sudden change in tone. It is vindictive, almost scary. His words are dark red, like blood.
He tucks a stray hair behind my ear. "Don't ever doubt that." He smirks. "Okay, let's go. If we are still going."
I open the door and toss a grin over my shoulder. "Of course we're still going."
He's always quick to meet me on my side of the car. By the time I collect my bag and belongings, he is only footsteps away. "Hi." I smile.
"Hi." He grins, eyes drifting from my eyes to my lips. "We have a little bit of time, don't we?"
"Maybe." He pins me against the car door, kissing me lightly. "Tease." I whisper, it's all I can manage to get out. That was enough incentive for him to push his lips against mine aggressively. I don't understand why I can't say I love him. But at that moment, nothing matters more than his lips on mine. Maybe I do.
