Pretending (Westshore Series #1)

Chapter Twenty Three: I Just Want You

I woke up and checked my phone expecting to see my photos posted everywhere. But there was nothing, not a single threatening text or post. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

I missed the after-party last night for nothing. I couldn't let these bullies continue to control me. I got up and did my makeup as if nothing was wrong. Ignoring the anxiety washing over me I put on some light wash jeans with a cute Princess Polly top I had been meaning to wear. I even curled my hair. If I faked that everything was okay, maybe I would start to believe it was.

Classes dragged on all day, I kept checking my phone every five seconds in case I was tagged in something. But still, nothing happened, I was beginning to think that maybe I had made up seeing Sierra and Emily converse. I grabbed my bag and hightailed it out of the building as soon as my last class ended.

You know that feeling you get when you feel like everyone is watching you?

A sense of dread and stares burning into your back. The feeling that you're paranoid yet you're very sure that everyone is watching you, staring, talking about you. Well as soon as I exited my contract law class, I felt that feeling, it hit me like a harsh fountain of cold water.

I was so deep in thought walking back to the dorms that I didn't notice someone had fallen in step with me. I knew who it was before I looked.

"Earth to Jules" Warner waved his hand in front of my face.

"Sorry" I mumbled.

"What I wouldn't pay to know what goes on in that head of yours." He chuckles.

"Usually nightmares about how you pushed me from a tree like this when we were nine. I almost broke my arm and I had to miss my piano recital." I pointed at a nearby tree.

"It wasn't this tree." He says defensively, pointing to the whooping willow behind us. I shake my head and smile at the sudden embarrassment on his face. Is he feeling bad?

"I didn't think you would actually fall." He says softly

"It's okay it's been nine years, and I think I'm over it by now." I chuckle and he laughs with me. Much as I used to want to, I don't like making him feel guilty anymore. It's apparent that he feels bad for all the times he's bullied me in the past but ever since he saw me at University he's been different. I don't know why but most of the time I think it's because he feels sorry for me.

"Well, you disappeared last night after the game. Did something happen?" he put his finger under my chin and forced me to actually look at him. God, why did he know me so well?

When he looked at me it was like he was searching my brain for information. Like just from one look he knew exactly what was wrong and that scared me. It scared me how just having him next to me comforted me and made me less anxious.

"Are you okay?" he searched my eyes with worry written all over his face.

It's like when you keep telling yourself you are fine and then that one person asks you if you are okay and all the tears you have been trying to keep inside come bursting out. I was fine until he asked me if I was fine. I managed to compose myself and give him a nod, he didn't buy it but he didn't press me for information either.

Instead, we walked back to the dorm together and decided it was the perfect day for our floor to have a movie night of my favourite movie series. Which meant a Twilight marathon, growing up I had an obsession with Twilight, both the books and the movies. My room was filled with posters and I slept with a blanket that had Edward and Jacob on it. Even now that I was older I liked to rewatch the movies, they were my guilty pleasure. So the fact that Warner was willing to watch them with me just to cheer me up made me happier than he probably knew.