DON'T CHOOSE ME (BOOK 1) - ON HOLD- REWRITTEN-

Not My Father.

Tessa

TW: Abuse.

Friends.

That's what I said.

I asked the boy I've been completely in love with since I was 8, to be friends.

And he agreed.

I mean what did I expect? For him to get mad at such a suggestion? To tell me that he's loved me since he was 9?

No, I didn't expect that.

But suggesting to be friends was the only way to stop the growing pit of rejection forming in my stomach.

"They aren't a good guy and they'll break your heart."

It was Owen's way of letting me down easy, making me believe that he was doing it for my own good and not his. But I saw through it. He didn't want me; he didn't like me and he didn't want me chasing.

"I don't think it strawberry, I know it."

He had such conviction when he said that. Like he actually believed he was a bad guy. Like he was convinced he wasn't capable of being able to love someone.

But he wasn't wrong about breaking my heart, because even crushing on Owen Clarke was breaking my heart.

But even though it hurt to hear his solid rejection, I wasn't going to give up. It was something about his eyes that convinced me he wasn't telling me the whole truth. And although he may be dead serious about believing he wasn't a good guy and that he'll break my heart. His eyes gleamed when I looked in them, hope rested in the back, begging for an escape.

So, I fell to the next best thing I knew.

Friendship.

It's all I could think of in the moment.

My body begging me to not let go of his hope, even if he had. My heart sprinting to catch him from the cliff he was jumping off.

But my head hated me the second the words came out my mouth. It saw the mischievous smirk growing on Owens face when I practically begged to be friends. And it was desperately trying to tell my heart to back the fuck up. But being the stubborn girl I am, I didn't back up. I jumped off the cliff with him, head first.

The rest of the night was a complete bust.

Who am I kidding, the whole night was a complete bust.

I spent most of my time pining after Joey's attention. Pining after a guy I didn't even really like. While he just walked me around the party like a freaking trophy.

He didn't even care that he flirted with other girls in front of me, or that he talked to his team mates half the time, and he definitely didn't care when I disappeared for an hour.

I needed a break. I didn't like being someone's trophy or pawn in some show off contest. And you can argue that that's not what he was doing, but you'd be dumb and blind to not see it.

So, when I saw Owen escape into the backyard, I quickly followed.

It wasn't like I was trying to corner him or that I thought following him outside alone would lead to anything.

But I needed to see him.

All night he had his blazing eyes on us, on me. He watched as I was blatantly ignored by Joey. He watched as I basically threw myself at the birthday boy.

I felt embarrassed, stupid. Because while I was busy trying to get Joey's attention, Owen had every girl's attention in the room without even having to lift a finger.