Seduction First, Love Never

Chapter Four

*unedited*                              
                             
                              Toryn

  I was going about everything all wrong. I grinned. I couldn't help it though. Getting under her skin may not have been the best way towards my path to forgiveness but damn if that angry look of hers didn't have my stomach in all kinds of knots. I groaned and swiped a hand across my face. I had barely seen her after three years and here I was all hung up over her already. I wasn't trying to win her back, I didn't deserve that. I just wanted to get rid of that sinking feeling of guilt I felt every time I thought about high school. She was over it, I knew she would be. She always bounced back but I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried I could never get that look of betrayal out of my head. She was my first love and whether I liked it or not she was always going to be a huge part of my life. So when I thought of her I didn't want to feel regret, maybe nostalgia or wistfulness but never shame or regret.

"So what's up with you and Larry?" My best friend asked and raised a brow.

"Who the hell is Larry?" I didn't know someone named Larry. At least I didn't think I did.

"Valeria. VaLARRYa." He said it with an eye roll like I was an idiot.

  Carter was the embodiment of the stereotypical dumb quarterback from high school except he was academically brilliant. I owed him everything. He was the reason I was in Creston in the first place. Junior year he transferred to our school and if it wasn't for that I would probably still be living with my parents, no job, no goals, nothing. I partied in high school...a lot. He took one look at me, convinced me to try out for the football team, tutored me in all of my classes, and gave me an actual shot at life. I didn't make the football team and the main reason I made it into Creston is because my grandparents are filthy rich but nevertheless, he made me believe in myself. That might have been the cheesiest thing ever but it was true.

"Nothing's up with her." I lied. There was so much up with her I didn't know where to begin. "I knew her in high school that's it."

He frowned. "I never met her."

"She moved before you transferred."

  Guilt twisted in my stomach. When we were together she said her mom had a job offer in Paris. I thought she was going to move and be gone from my life forever until she told me about her Aunt that lived in our town. She offered to let Valeria stay with her until she finished high school and she was going to take her up on that offer. Until I did what I did. She moved away within the next two weeks. I asked around until I found out the street her Aunt lived on and knocked on every door in the area until I found her house. When I found out she wasn't living there I cried. Right in front of that poor lady. She felt so bad for me she made me come inside and have tea with her. I opened up to her then. There was something about that tea and her sweet motherly smile that made me spill my guts that day. I explained everything. How Val and I were together for almost a year, how I was lied to by my friends and how I treated her in the end. I begged her not to tell her niece and she had promised not to. As far as I know, she kept that promise. Then she basically tore me a new one but in the nicest way possible. I had never in my life had anyone call me an asshole politely.

"I don't think you like yourself very much and people can tell. There's a reason your friends kept pushing you. They knew you would believe them because you're an insecure boy. Instead of communicating with Valeria, you wanted to make her feel as embarrassed as you did at that moment. Then you figured out what really happened and came crying to me. Literally." She had said, all with an understanding smile on her face.

  She was right. I didn't like myself, at all and I within the next four months I only distanced myself from everything so I didn't have to think about that fact. Carter was my first true friend besides Valeria and through him, I realized I was only hurting myself.

"Well, she was giving you a hell of a death glare. I've only seen her use that glare of gross frat guys." He shuddered like thinking of it had given him a flashback.

I chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like her."

  At least it sounded like her when she was with me. A sense of pride welled up inside of me. She was always withdrawn and though I didn't know much about her home life I knew it was because of her dad. She was too scared to act like herself in public no matter how much I tried to encourage her. I saw her at that party and even then I was proud of her. She loved fashion, loved music, and had a hell of an attitude when she wanted to. Back then it was only in private but a lot had changed in the past three years. She wasn't afraid anymore and she had done it all no thanks to me.

"So," Carter leaned across the kitchen island. "What did you do to earn the glare?"

"You know how I was before you," I said regretfully. He winced loudly and I shot him a dirty look. "I know it was bad but keep it to yourself man."

He shrugged. "I mean you're past it now. Did you ever apologize?"

"Well...I was going to but then I just kind of got caught up in looking at her and then I remembered how hot she is when she's angry and I pushed a few buttons." I said innocently. Yeah, it sounded worse out loud.

Carter groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "That is not how you apologize."

"I'm not a fucking idiot I know that."

He gave me a doubtful look. "Caelan knows her schedule so I'll ask them for it and you can show up to her first class with some flowers and an apology."

"Valeria isn't a fan of flowers. She says it makes her sad when they die and they always die because she doesn't know how to take care of them." I shook my head, thinking about when I got her roses, and thought it would be funny because of her last name, Belrose.

"I don't know, she's not my girlfriend." He threw his hands up in defeat. "Just get her something you know she'll like."

"Okay let me think." I started running through everything I knew she liked. She liked clothes but I didn't know what to do with that.

Carter patted me on the back. "I'll leave you to it. I have a sculpture I need to finish."

"Mhm," I replied, barely listening. I smiled to myself. I knew the perfect thing.

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I think I'm going to make little banners for the top that let you guys know whose POV each chapter is in.