Work In Progress

Chapter Nine

"Tate, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not your girl?" I roll my eyes as he comes closer to Seth and I.

"Yeah, Tate, listen," Seth looks at him. "I think Bella is amazing, but there is no way in hell she would be with you."

Tate's hands shift into fists immediately after Seth's statement. I realize there is about to be a huge fight if I don't stop Tate.

"Tate, can we go talk privately?" I glare at Seth as I drag Tate into the bedroom Hannah and I were in earlier.

"What do you want," Tate sighs. "I just needed to beat the shit out of him real quick.

"You're not getting into a fight over me. It isn't worth it."

"It wasn't over you. It was because he tells me I'm not good enough to be with you."

"He didn't mean that," I place a hand on his broad shoulder.

"Why are you defending him? You don't even know him."

"I don't know you either," I scoff at him. "Just because we're from the same town doesn't mean I know you any more than I know Seth."

"Here's the thing," he stares at me. "I'm done with this thing between us. Do you want to be with me or not?"

"Tate!" I hear a woman shout from the kitchen.

"Oh great," he sighs.

"Who is that?" I question.

"A girl."

"What girl?"

"A girl I just had sex with."

"Tate, what the fuck? You asked me ten seconds ago if I wanted to be with you or not. Do you want to know what the sad thing is? I was about to say that we could try to date, but now you tell me you just had sex with a random girl."

"If it helps," he starts, "I know her."

"It doesn't," I start to walk out of the room, but as I twist the doorknob a hand jerks me back.

"You're not allowed to just leave like that!"

"Why not? This conversation is over, just like us."

"Bella," he touches a strand of my light brown hair. "Give me a chance. If you say you'll be with me, I'll try to be a better person."

"No, Tate. You have to prove to me that you can be a good person. I give you a week, and then we can re-evaluate."

"Okay, that's fine. I won't have sex with someone else this whole week."

"Wow, but that's not the only way you can be a good person."

"I know. Watch. You won't even recognize me by this time next week."

The next morning, I wake to hear Hannah fighting with someone in the kitchen.

"Yeah, but you can't be pissed at me over that!" I hear a man's voice shout. Oh, great, it must be Luke. I decide I better stay in bed for a little while longer.

"Fuck you, and fuck that!"

"Alli came on to me, Han, you have to know that. She was crying about Chris, and she needed male attention. I was the easy target."

"Okay, so say she needed a man. Tate is there. He's good looking. Why not go for him? Why go for MY boyfriend who is taken?"

"Is taken? Does that mean we're still together? Oh, thank god! I knew you were smart."

"Oh my God. Are you an idiot, Luke? There is no way in hell you think we're still together after that stunt."

"Han, please just give me another chance. I'll never do it again."

"Yeah, let me think about that. Hell to the no."

"Why? You forgave her, but you can't forgive me."

"I never forgave her. In fact, she is not allowed to speak to me, or I will punch her until she can't breathe."

"Wow, a little extreme. Baby, listen," I hear Luke let out a huge sigh. "I love you more than anything else in this world. I will do whatever it takes for you to let me be with you again. You are the only girl I want to be with. Han, please, marry me."

I hear Hannah let out a loud cackle, and I do the same. Why the hell would he think Hannah would accept a proposal right now? Is he losing his mind?

"Luke, are you actually serious?"

"Yes, I have the ring in my apartment. I bought it a week ago, and I really want you to marry me. I had this huge proposal planned out for today, but my plans were a little rearranged. We were going to go on a hike to your favorite waterfall, and I was going to do it there. I still want us to go to the waterfall, and we can get some engagement pictures done there."

"Hello, are you stupid? There is no us, and there are no engagement photos happening today with us."

"Han, I understand. I was being crazy by asking that today, but now you know it's on the table. Give me a few days to make it up to you. I will do anything you want, no matter what. Then, we can get engaged."

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything at all."

"Okay, hold on."

I hear footsteps near my bedroom, so I pretend to be asleep.

"Okay," I hear Hannah say. "I know you're fake sleeping, Bella."

"Stop, I totally did not hear your conversation," I laugh a little.

"I need your help. Luke wants a list of things he can do to make it up to me. However, he really won't ever make it up to me. I just want to mess with him."

"How about you make him streak across the entire campus today?"

"Yes, perfect. What else?"

"Make him get on the campus radio show, and he has to sing a song for you."

"Ooh, yes!" she shouts. "Then, I can make him adopt a little puppy named Sparkles."

"Yes, and you can tell him he has to switch football jerseys with one of the JV guys so the jersey doesn't fit."

We both laugh, and then she goes back to tell Luke all about our list of demands. He agrees with the list, and I can't wait to see how this all plays out.