Just Friends

Chapter 34

Maria was in her room putting her stuff away when there was a knock on her door. 

"Yeah?"

The door opened and it took a moment or two for Colm to peek his head around. 

"Hey brat" 

She laughed at the old nickname even though she was angry at him. She hadn't realised how angry she was until she saw him. Her emotions crashed over her and she sat down. He was beside her in an instant. 

"Hey..are you ok?" 

"Why are you here Colm? I don't hear from you for months and now you're just standing in my room like nothing happened" 

She hadn't been expecting to see him so soon after getting home. She should have known he would be here at some point though, it was like he didn't have his own home to go to. 

His voice was barely a whisper "I'm so sorry...I thought....well I mean your dad asked me to come say hi" 

She blinked the tears away and looked up into his face, his beautiful blue eyes were full of concern. He had a light tan from the few nice days they had in May and his hair had lightened slightly from the sun. 

"Why did you stop texting?"

He looked down guiltily, "I don't know...I just thought you didn't want.." 

"No Colm, don't you dare try to blame this on me. The only time you spoke to me was when I texted you first. I just got fed up of initiating everything...I realised if you didn't want me in your life then I'd accept that, I deserve better than that so I stopped contacting you" 

She could see the hurt in his eyes but she was hurting too. She had missed him so much and now here he was expecting her to just act normal....she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Maria, I'm not trying to blame you...I just thought...well I knew you were busy with college and I didn't want to annoy you, I suppose the longer I left it the harder it got to start up a conversation again. I'm so sorry." 

She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist she squeezed him tightly. 

"I missed you" 

He put his arms around her and hugged her close "I missed you too...brat" 

She laughed and looked up at him. 

"My parents are going to think there's something going on if we don't go down there soon."

A look passed between them. Maria knew that look, it was the same look they had given each other just before their first kiss. She moved back. It couldn't happen again..definitely not with her parents downstairs. 

Colm smiled at her, "We can't have that...can we?" 

She could see the sadness in his eyes as he said it. She wanted to go to him, to hug him, to have his arms wrapped around her and his lips on hers but she couldn't. 

"Friends again?" 

She laughed at him "Yeah...friends"

He pulled her into a hug, the smell of his aftershave brought back Christmas memories. It was the aftershave she bought for him. 

"Come on, lets get downstairs"

As she followed him down the stairs her dad came out from the kitchen. 

"Oh Ellen, it's fine cancel the search party. I've found them..." 

"Ha ha ha Da, you're hilarious. Have you ever thought about becoming a comedian?" 

He rolled his eyes at Colm

"She has her mothers sense of humour" 

Colm laughed as a tea towel hit James in the head. Ellen stood at the kitchen door smiling. 

Colm's POV

It took him a minute or two to get up the courage to knock at the door. He could hear her moving around in the room. Would she slap him? Would she even react to him? He took a deep breath and knocked at the door. 

"Yeah?"

He pushed the door open and peeked around it.

"Hey brat"

She laughed but he could see that she was angry. Suddenly her face paled and she sat down on the bed. He rushed to her side.

"Hey..are you ok?"

"Why are you here Colm? I don't hear from you for months and now you're just standing in my room like nothing happened"

He knew this was a mistake..he should have told her dad that he couldn't make it but stupidly he thought he would be able to handle it.

 "I'm so sorry...I thought....well I mean your dad asked me to come say hi" His voice was low, he wasn't sure if she had even heard him. 

She turned her face to him and he could see the tears in her eyes. She blinked them away quickly.

"Why did you stop texting?"

He looked down because he didn't know what to say "I don't know...I just thought you didn't want.."

Her voice was angry again. 

"No Colm, don't you dare try to blame this on me. The only time you spoke to me was when I texted you first. I just got fed up of initiating everything...I realised if you didn't want me in your life then I'd accept that, I deserve better than that so I stopped contacting you"

His heart was breaking seeing her so upset, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. She had a light golden tan, her long blonde hair was hanging around her face, it looked like gold strands running through it. He was attracted to her more than ever but he had to stop. He messed up and she would never be his. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Maria, I'm not trying to blame you...I just thought...well I knew you were busy with college and I didn't want to annoy you, I suppose the longer I left it the harder it got to start up a conversation again. I'm so sorry."

She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist she squeezed him tightly.

"I missed you" 

He could hear the emotion in her voice. A little hug wouldn't hurt, he pulled her into him.

"I missed you too...brat"

She laughed and looked up at him. Her eyes were shiny from the unshed tears, her nose was red and her lips were the most kissable lips he had ever seen. 

"My parents are going to think there's something going on if we don't go down there soon."

A look passed between them. It was the same look they had given each other just before their first kiss. Maria looked terrified, she quickly moved back. He knew she didn't want anything other than friendship so he didn't push it. 

"We can't have that...can we?" he smiled at her even though the ache in his heart made him want to cry, he wanted to beg her for forgiveness and kiss her until they were both out of breath. He knew he couldn't though, she was looking at him with pity. 

"Friends again?"

She laughed "Yeah...friends"

He pulled her into a hug, he felt her relax after a moment and she hugged him back. 

"Come on, lets get downstairs"