Loving Me Back

Chapter 16- He Sucks

I hadn't spoken to Andrew in two days...

"Ellaaaa." Aaron says as he pokes me with his carrot.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"What's up you were totally zoned out?" Leo states.

"Tired I guess."

"Get more sleep." Aaron commands.

"I know I really need to."

"What's up with your figure skating situation now? I mean your leg is almost fully healed?" Aaron asks.

"Speaking of which... I was actually going to ask you guys if you want to skate around on the ice with me for a bit after school. The doctor said I can start doing little practice things, just not too much."

"Sure. We have practice today but I'm sure we can before that." Leo responds.

"Okay sounds good. I'll meet you guys after school."

"Are you sure you should be doing that though. I mean you just got your cast off a day or two ago?" Aaron asks.

"I am fine, relax." I reassure.

When I get into my math class, I sit in the back next to some random guy, to make sure Andrew doesn't try to sit next to me.

Andrew walks in and scans the room, looking for me. He sees me and sits down next to some girl.

After school:

I start walking to Aaron's locker, thankful school is almost over. I just want to start practicing again.

"Hey." I say as I tap his shoulder.

"You ready?" He asks as he turns to face me.

"Yeah let's go."

"Leo said he'll meet us there." Aaron informs me.

"What made you so sure you're ready to start practicing again anyways?" Aaron asks, eyes focused on the road.

"I just miss it. It was like a routine for me and now I feel so unproductive not doing anything after school."

"I get that. I couldn't imagine life without hockey occupying my every second."

"Hockey really is your life." I say.

"I wish it wasn't."

I quickly change into a pair of leggings and a long sleeve. As I exit the bathroom, Aaron and Leo are outside already changed.

"Finally." Aaron sighs.

"Oh shut up, I took like two minutes."

"Girls take so long changing." Leo states.

"I'll race you out to the ice." I state as I begin running to the ice. It doesn't take long before Aaron and Leo are right behind me. I go down the stairs to get onto the ice but I stop dead in my tracks at the site in front of me. It takes me a second to fully locate what I'm looking at but right there in front of me, I see Andrew making out with some girl out on the ice. I couldn't quite see who the girl was but I knew for certain it was Andrew. I feel frozen.

Andrew looks up, shocked to see me there.

"Ella- let me explain." He begins. Tears form in my eyes as I turn to run the opposite direction. I need to get out of here. Leo is looking at me with sympathetic eyes and Aaron just looks angry.

"What the hell." Is all I hear from Aaron before I run out. I can hear footsteps behind me as I realize Aaron is following me.

"Ella stop." He says. It doesn't take me long before I get out of breath. God I am out of shape. Aaron doesn't even look like he was just sprinting.

I begin breaking down on the bench outside the bathroom. A mixture of tears from my last date with Andrew and just now keep falling down. Aaron sits down next to me.

"I'm sorry." Is all he says. I look up at him and I see he has a sympathetic look on his face. This is the softest I have ever seen him. I bury my head into his chest as I keep crying.

"He's a huge dick. It was nothing you did."

"I just feel so stupid. So many people told me to stay away from him and I couldn't bother to listen."

"You're not stupid. You didn't even know the guy. You wanted to form your opinion of him once you got to know him. It isn't your fault." Aaron reassures me.

"There you are." Aaron says to Leo who sits down next to me.

"I just had to talk to him." Leo says.

"God all I want to do is just punch the guy in the face." Aaron says.

"That's not gonna solve anything. It's not gonna stop him from being a man whore." I say.

"Yeah but it would feel good."

"Did something happen before to make him do this?" Leo asks suddenly. "Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

"Kind of.." I reply. I don't want to say anything about the whole car situation because I don't need a fist fight between anyone.

"What was it about?" Aaron asks.

"He just wasn't listening when I said no. That's all." I try to be as vague as possible.

"About.."

"Well we were in his car and he well started to kiss me. And it was kind of getting a lot too quickly so I told him that I wasn't ready to do anything yet and he kept kissing me even when I told him to stop until he eventually stopped."

"What the actual fuck." Leo says. Aaron's jaw is clenched and I can tell he's angry. He looks as though he's in deep thought.

"I swear to God. That's it." Aaron says as he gets up. I put my arm out to stop him from getting up.

"Aaron, please don't do anything. I just want to forget about him."

"He can't fucking get away with that." Aaron says.

"I know but please just don't do anything."

"He's just an asshole who was using you for sex." Aaron says.

"I know I know." I reply.

"I should've warned you."

"You did Aaron. It was my fault."

"I know but I should have stopped this. I knew what a dick Andrew was and I just let you go out with him."

"It's not anyone's fault. No one knew he was gonna practically assault Ella." Leo states. I am a bit taken back at his statement. I never considered what Andrew did to be any form of assault. I just didn't want to think about it at all to be honest.

Once I got home I just slept. I didn't want to think about Andrew anymore. I don't want him to affect me as much as he does. I am so done with him.