Afraid To Love Again

Chapter 23 - Can I call you mine?

~ Kendricks POV ~

"Flowers?", I ask again

He stops to think and shook his head seconds later, "She doesn't look like a flowers girl", Max disapproves of that again.

"Dinner?"

"You already did that", he threw the m&m in his mouth while he laid on my bedroom couch with his feet up on the table near it.

"Then what?", I finally gave up.

"Ring"

"Woah, woah. A ring?"

"Not an engagement ring. Like a promise ring", he simplifies it in a way

"Isn't it too early for a promise ring?"

"Tell me when you think of anything better", he begins to spill all the candy in his mouth.

"You only come over for my food", I start to complain because I'm here in distress and he's enjoying my snacks, "I hope your teeth rot"

I skipped school today for the first time in a while. And not to hang out with Max or go to one of Kyle's parties. Dude dropped out of school and makes money somehow from all the parties and inviting babes over. I mean, since he turned eighteen, he demanded freedom and here he is now. I could never consider that. Not on my mother's watch.

"Fine. Catch you later then. Come on, I can't leave you in here with my snack drawers", I wait for him by the door.

I drove Max over to his place first as it was already past noon and I needed to get a move on. I drove off and went to the big mall I always go to and once ran into Erica and Amelia here.
It had some nice stuff the last time I checked the jewelry store.
I step into the jewelry store and went straight to the section with the rings and all. I looked around and scratched my head realizing I had no fucking idea what I was doing. The lady there closed her books when she noticed me struggle.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"A small ring for a present. The thing is I'm not sure of what she finds pretty for a ring"

"Who are you buying for? I can suggest something"

"My girlfriend", was the easiest thing I could say, "She's with her own style and preferences of things and she doesn't like things that stand out though from what I've seen"

"Interesting"

"Shit. I don't know her ring size either", I sigh starting to think this could be a fail.

"You can always call her over"

"She could be at school right now. And it was meant to be a surprise", I debate on whether to think of something else or just call her. "Actually. I'll call her over. Just a moment", I excuse myself as I searched for her contact in my phone.

It rang and she picked up not long after.
"Why didn't you come to school today?", I heard her voice say first in an interrogative way.

I had my reasons for not showing up. "It's my mom's birthday today. I want to choose something but I need a girl's eye because I'm not good at this type of thing", I lied. "Do you have time to come over and help me?", I finally asked for her.

"I was walking home right now", she told me notifying me she got out of school. I was starting to think she couldn't make it and I couldn't force her to, "Okay. Where are you?"

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I waited for Erica at the entrance of the jewelry store, so she could spot me. I sent her my location and she informed me she'd be here in twenty minutes. She showed up at expected time and my heart started souring. I don't think she ever noticed how she makes me nervous when I'm around her, let alone confess my feelings to her. I'm pretty good at hiding that. She's not and I find it cute. She spotted me after looking around and I waved her over. Her outfit today was cool on her and a little less tomboy. She had black baggy jeans and an oversized black sweater vest over a white button down shirt which had a button on the collar undone. It was cute and her hair wasn't in the usual messy bun.