Insecure

Where Have You Been?

Isabelle's POV

"Hey, hun. You have to order something if you want to stay here." A waitress says in a sweet southern accent while holding up a notepad. I start gathering my things when my father slides into the booth. " We'll have two hot fudge Sundays please." I roll my eyes and tap my nails on the desk. The waitress stares at us for a few seconds before clearing her throat and leaving.

"Why did you follow me?" I ask.
"Because I can't leave you on your own." He says, matter of factly. "Well then you'll be glad to hear that I'm not gonna be on my own." He shifts in his seat uncomfortably. "I'm not letting you go off with some boy."

I half laugh. "With what authority? You haven't been here. You can't tell me what to do."
The waitress interrupts our conversation by setting the sundae's down on the table. "Here you go, two hot fudge sundae's." I turn away from her and fold my arms over my chest while my dad thanks her. She walks away and we resume our dispute.

" Yes I can. I'm your father and I came back to be apart of your life and I'm not letting you run away." I hesitate to find the right words to deny what he said, but he's right I am running away. Oh well, I don't care. It's for a good cause. I look out the window and see Seth's car pulling up.

"I have to go." I scoot from my seat and grab my suitcase, but he grabs my hand first. "Think about what you're doing." Then he releases it. I quickly head out the door and run to seth's car.
He meets me outside and opens the back seat for me and puts my suitcase in it.

"Thanks." I say while getting into the car.

"No problem. Glad you're safe." He smiles warmly before getting back in the car. We drive silently for what seems like eternity before he stops by the railing on the side of the rode. I feel at ease cause I know that on the other side of the hill is a nice quiet place I can relax at.

We stumble through the woods and make it to the open meadow. The flowers are as beautiful as ever. They seem to be the only beautiful thing in my life right now. I sit down and wait for Seth to join me. "So where have you been?" He shrugs his shoulders. "My dad wanted me to go to a stupid accounting seminar." I can't help the laugh that comes out. " I'm sorry. Accounting?" He looks away and I know I've struck a cord. "Seth, come on I was joking." He faces back to me and sighs. " I know, it's just my dad is so controlling. All he cares about is me being the perfect son and following all his unreasonable wishes." He says exaggerating his hand movements.

"Parents? They're so exhausting." I say bluntly. "Don't you ever get sick of life?" I turn towards him.

"Yeah, sometimes. Usually when my dad's involved." He smiles my way. " but I can't let that control my life. If I'm always worried about what he thinks, I won't be happy." I laugh at that. He makes it sound so easy. "Yeah, if only everything that could go wrong, wasn't going wrong in my life." I twirl my finger around a flower and bite my lip.

"I guess you're right it is hard when it seems like everything is wrong, but you have to look at the positives." I stare at him with a raised eyebrow. "Positives?" It's his turn to raise his eyebrow. " What you think that every moment and every second of your day is terrible. I guess you don't like me as much as I like you." He says while picking at the flowers like a sad clown. I know he's only kidding, but I can't help but blush. "Well I-I do like you." I answer shyly.

"But not as much as me?" He says. I shrug my sholders. " Well, how much do you like me?"

"Obviously more than you do." He says, matter of factly. I nudge his shoulder playfully. "No you don't. " I reply quickly. " Oh really?" He moves closer to me, brushing his nose against mine. My whole body begins to heat up from the tips of my toes all the way to the top of my head. Our eyes are unblinking and our breath is shallow. "Prove it." He says, breathlessly. I gulp. This can't be happening. A million thoughts rush through my head.

I've never kissed him first?
What if it gets awkward?
What if my breath still smells like breakfast? Dang it I should have asked Gabby for a mint.

" I'm waiting." He closes his eyes with a smile on his lips. I'm tempted to fan myself from looking at his lips. It just got even hotter in here. I start inching my face closer until my lips meet his and then I pull away. " There I proved it." I state, triumphantly. I almost pat myself on the back when I'm pulled into another kiss. " I'm not convinced yet." He says against my lips. He entangled his hand in my hair and pulls me in to deepen the kiss. I find my self closing my eyes and wrapping my arms around his neck. We're locked together for what seems to be hours until we're both run out of air and break apart.

I'm panting while holding my face in between my hands while he just stares at me contently. " It's official you like me just as much." He runs his hands over his lips before shifting on the soft patch of earth. " I told you I do." He nods his head. " I believe you now. So I'm positive number one."

I laugh," don't flatter yourself." He is definitely one of the things going right in my life, but I can't let that go to his head. "For all you know Gabby could be number one." I fold my arms over my chest and nod my head.

"Oh really, but Gabby can't give you what I can give you." I raise and eyebrow. "Are you sure? She's rich." He frowns. " good point." I laugh while he pulls me closer until I'm sitting in between his legs as he wraps his hands around my waist. I lean my back against his chest and look up at the sky. I know I should probably feel awkward, but it feels like the most natural thing to do.

" I want to stay her forever." I say. He rest his chin on my head while thinking. I know I'm short, but does he have to rub it in?

" It's peaceful here, isn't it." I look up at him, waiting for an answer. " It is but you have to face the real world." I frown, removing myself from his arms.
"The real world? What's that supposed to mean?" He sighs, looking away from me. "Nothing."

"No tell me, I want to hear what you have to say." I stand up swiftly. He hesitates, before responding, "It means you have to face your problems ;not pack a suitcase and run away."

" I'm not running away!" I yell. " I'm just taking a break." I'm I'm so sick of hearing people tell me that I'm running away. Maybe, I don't want to confront my problems. Maybe, I'm too weak. I feel the tears swelling up in my eyes. " You don't understand how hard it is to stop running. How hard it is to keep fighting. Maybe I'm just tired. I don't want to deal with all these problems. I didn't ask for all this." His eyebrows knit together as he thinks of a way to comfort me, but it won't help.

"Nobody ask to have a terrible life. It's your choice if you want to keep living in it. You can change it. You just have to try." I shake my head repeatedly, backing away from him.

" I can't...I'm scared." I look down at my hands to find them shaking like leaves.

" Nobody said you have to face it alone. I'll be here for you. Don't forget you have people that care about you." He says calmly with a small smile playing on his lips. He walks closer to me and grabs my hands gently. I exhale and smile back. " you're right, Sorry for yelling. I'm just a little freaked out." He wraps his arms around me. " Yeah, I know." I scowl at him. He laughs and pulls me closer. " You're lucky you're my number one."

" I know." I open my mouth to say something, but am cut off by Seth's lips pressing against mine.

I could get used to that.