The Game

Chapter 13

I was sitting on the wood thing near the lake, staring at the horizon. Crown The Empire was playing in my earphones and my mind was completely peaceful. Music could keep me away from thinking. It kept me away from the world, and from reality. I had been here for at least an hour and I was about to leave when someone sat next to me. I hadn't moved yet. I checked who it was in corner of my eye and looked at my feet, motionless above the water. It was Vic, and he was sitting here, staring at me without saying a word. I tried hard not to blush but I guess I failed which made him smile. He closed the gap between us as I stopped the music. I didn't look at him and we stayed there a few minutes.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Hey..."

"Hi." I answered shily.

"I don't know why I knew you would be sitting here. I guess I was right." He smiled.

"Uh huh..."

"What's wrong ? What's going on ? Why are you avoiding me ? I can't stop telling myself that maybe I did something wrong. Just tell me ! I need to know." He confessed.

"You didn't do anything. That's the point, everything you ever did was always perfect." I finally looked at him in the eyes. God knows how I had missed these eyes.

"I am so confused."

"So am I."

"Why are you running away from me ?" He asked. But I didn't respond. I stayed quiet, trying to find the perfect answer that would express my feelings. He sighed and continued, his eyes looking right in front of him. " How weird is it to think I used not to know of your existence ? I somehow lived my life without even knowing you were a person. Once we met though, God I haven't been able to get you out of my head since. It's hard to imagine I used to be able to live my life without you consuming my head with thoughts."

I gave him a surprised look. Did he like me back ?

"Talk to me !" He said. "Please ! I need answers ! I need...How do you feel ? Are you afraid ? I don't know ! I'm just trying to understand so just fucking open your mouth cause this is all being really painful for me !" He looked annoyed and I let it out.

"My life is a mess, all my feelings are overrated. I lost myself in the events of the past few years and I've been constantly trying to find myself back since then but it's so hard, and...with you it's like everything feels right. I feel safe and no matter what happens I know I'll be okay because you're here. I don't think it still matches with the 'best friend' I used to see you like. Some people call this 'love' and if that's what it really is, then yes I'm afraid. Because life clearly showed me that I was gonna loose every single person I love and if there is someone I don't wanna loose right now Vic, it's definitely you."

He was apparently not waiting for this judging by the way he was looking at me right now.

"Yeah...Tony told me about your sister and your dad and...I'm really sorry." He spoke.

"It has nothing to do with the current topic so just drop it okay ? I don't wanna talk about this."

"Fine...You know, you left me without saying a thing, you disappeared the other morning and it hurt me because I thought you hated me for some reason and-"

"I don't hate you. I just hate the way I feel about you. I hate loving you so badly."

"But why ?"

"Because 'us' won't work. It can't work." I explained. "In a few weeks, we will graduate and then we will all leave to college after the vacation. I'm moving to Seattle and there is no way we can see each other again. Do you really think it's worth it for only two months ? Being in a relationship knowing that the countdown started ? I just...ugh"