Mixed Emotions

Chapter 7: I can't.

Our faces were roughly one inch apart. I felt his breath on my face.

"You know, I'm not actually dating Brian," I confessed with a smile.

"I figured," he smiled back. He pushed his lips up against mine. He sat up straighter when I started to kiss him back.

I pulled back suddenly. "No. No, I can't. I'm sorry." I looked at the floor and then up at his hurt face. My heart shattered. I couldn't look at him. "It's just Olivia. I can't live with us not being friends. We can't do this."

"Yeah," he said, picking up my hand, "I get it. I should get home, I guess."

I walked him downstairs to the front door and broke the awkward silence. "See you at school." I shut the door behind him and locked it. I put my back up against it and slumped down until my head was buried in my hands.

I pulled my phone out and dialed Brian's number. There was a long period of buzzing before the typical "I'm not here" message indicating voicemail. I heard a beep and it was time for me to start cleaning this mess up.

"Hey Brian," I started confidently, "um..." I blanked. What was there to say? "So we don't have to pretend to be a couple anymore. I'm going to tell Olivia and Alexis the truth. And I guess I should come clean to you, too." I paused to inhale. "I...want to be talking to you when you learn the truth. You deserve to know what's happening. Call me back. Bye."

I sighed before talking to myself.

"One down, two to go."

-

I woke up to the sound of birds twittering outside my open window. I sat up and grabbed my phone to check the time.

I jumped at the knock on my door. Knock on my door? My mom never knocks. "Come in." I said lazily.

I watched my door swing open.

"Hey," Olivia said casually. She walked over to me and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Um...hey?" I half-questioned. "What's up?" I started to wake myself up.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to make sure everything was all good. You've been weird lately."

"Ya..." I trailed off and looked down at my fingers.

"Ya what? Ya you're all good or ya you've been acting weird."

I groaned. "I don't know. Both I guess." I wasn't lying. I didn't really know what was happening myself. "I'm sorry. I guess I just have to..." I stopped myself and sighed, chipping away at my nail polish.

"You have to what?" Olivia asked. "Explain stuff?"

I nodded without looking up.

"Ya, I think that's a good idea."

"I just..." Where the hell did I start? There was so much. Luckily my friends are pros at mind reading.

"I think you should start with Brian."

"Okay," I agreed. I told her about how I wasn't actually dating him and explained every awkward detail, leaving out any hints of me liking her brother.

"Cool. So now I know why you and Brian don't act like a couple." I smiled at my friend's words. "But that doesn't explain you're weird behavior."

There it is. I frowned and sighed. I couldn't cover up a lie with a lie.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said, peering at the disappointment covering her face.

"That's okay. Maybe you'll change your mind later." She smiled and stood up.

"Thanks, Liv."

-

Hey guys. I suggest you read this message.

So, ya... This book is done for. Sorry if you liked it. I'm not deleting it yet. I'm just going through a...personal...time right now. This story is painful for me to write because of my "life happenings" so I apologize for the inconvenience. I'm just in no mood for this. I might update one last time to give you all a quick explanation.