Love Your Neighbour

Chapter 23

So so sorry, it has been sooo long since I last updated, and thank you for waiting to read this chapter if you have bothered to wait! I will try to update sooner as it is the summer holidays in two days!!

Listen to this song with this chapter: High Hopes.

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"Yes." Mike said, confirming the fact that he did in fact like me.
"You're leaving tomorrow, and you didn't think you would tell me about this little... thing..."
"I thought you wouldn't like me. I thought you just didn't like me anymore! You seemed to hate me... And I was only trying to keep up my reputation a few years ago. I swear I was never with Christina!" He started to shout and I shushed him. We were currently in Costa and I didn't want everyone to hear what he was saying.

"Are you blind? Of course I liked you! I was practically in love..." I stopped there.
"Oh, the L word." He smirked. I gave him a look pointedly.

"Because you're leaving for good tomorrow, I'm gonna sum everything up right now: I like you, but I pretended to hate you for a while, but then you kissed me on my birthday, and I really liked you, but I didn't want to like you, because of what you did to me when we were younger. But now I still really like you, and I've just found out you liked me for, like, six years..." I sighed.
"Shh." It was his turn to shush me.
"What?" I looked at him like he was crazy, or maybe it was just my usual face...
"We have to make the most of today. I really don't want you to go."
"My mum hasn't sold the house. We're going to go back and visit from time to time. It's not as if I won't see you at all." He took my hands, which were clenched. I was really nervous around him still and panicking, because I didn't know what I could do to make him stay.

His phone rang, and he pulled his hands away to answer it.
"Hello? Christina." He said, glancing at me.
"Aha. Aha." He said, glancing several times at me.
"See you then." He hung up.
"What was that about?" I asked him.
"Christina says my mum wants me to go home as she needs to tell me something."
"Why is Christina calling you?"
"Because she was at my house last night, and, er, slept over. She has been for a few nights." He looked away quickly.
I gasped.
"Excuse me, what did you just..."
"It's not what you're thinking. She just wanted to..."
"I don't want to hear you explain. I want you to just go, and get away from me, thankfully you're leaving tomorrow..." I crossed my arms and pointed at the door, as I stood up, and I started to walk out of the cafe, not caring about who was paying for the fruit coolers we had just drank.

I heard Mike shuffle after me, and looked back to see him put some money on the table and rush after me. I paused at the door, and turned around as he reached me.

"I want you to know, Lauren, that I'm not giving up on us."
"Yes you are. We should both just let go... There isn't any point. You're going to leave, and we shouldn't bother anymore. I don't want to have a long term relationship with you."
"Lauren..."
"I don't want to have a relationship with you!"
"Please, Lauren, stop being so irrational..."
"We are over." I whispered, looking to the right to see that a little girl was right beside us and had heard our entire conversation.
I breathed out slowly, before pulling him away from her with me, and letting the girl go into Costa.

"I..." I was cut off by his lips.
I wanted to say that I loved the kiss, and it was pure bliss, and everything I had craved for, but it wasn't like that.
I didn't like it, it was harsh, forceful, desperate, like we both knew there was so little time left. I kissed him back for a minute or two but then leaned back from the passionate embrace, breathing heavily.
"Stop, please. We're both not in our right minds. I don't want you to leave like this."
"Well how do you suggest we leave it?" He said, staring at me intently. I looked at him, sighing softly.
"I hope you find someone."
"I don't want someone, I want you."
"Cheesy..." I grinned.
"Trust you to ruin the moment. I meant it. I don't want to ever be with anyone else." He gave me a look that would have made me melt if I hadn't heard it so much in so many movies.
"Cheese on toast." I rolled my eyes. He grinned.
"Lauren." He smirked, putting his arms around me. I could still see the emotion he put into just saying my name, and that was enough for me.

"So I suggest we leave it..." I paused, thinking, then I kissed him on the cheek, lingering to savour the closeness and to gaze into his eyes one last time. Then I pulled away.
"Like this." And I walked away.
I didn't realise I was crossing the road until I heard Mike's voice.
"Lauren!" It was the sound of panic, not emotion. I turned around to see where he was, but instead saw a car hurtling towards me, and I was frozen in fear, in the middle of the road, unable to do anything.