Rebecca's POV (1st person):
I walked through the front door of my house, my body heavy with exhaustion and my mind clouded with conflicting emotions. The evening had been a whirlwind, and I felt utterly drained. I heard my parents' voices raised in another argument in the kitchen, and the last thing I wanted was to get caught in the middle of their fight.
"Thanks, Liana," I muttered quickly, avoiding eye contact with my sister. "I just need to be alone for a bit."
Liana looked concerned but nodded, respecting my need for space. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
I gave a brief nod and rushed upstairs to my room. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. I kicked off my heels, relishing the relief from the discomfort they had caused all evening, and threw the bangle across the bed. It landed with a soft thud, a symbol of everything that had gone wrong.
Collapsing onto my bed, I stared up at the ceiling, my arms stretched out beside me. My mind was a chaotic mess of thoughts and emotions. I curled up into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest, seeking some semblance of comfort.
"Maybe I could grow to like Jack," I thought bitterly. The idea was almost laughable, but I considered it nonetheless. Jack was a controlling, manipulative jerk, and yet part of me wondered if there was a way to make peace with the situation. He was even more of a shitface than Mr. Montgomery, and that was really saying something.
A small smile tugged at my lips as I remembered Mr. Montgomery's smile. Despite his stern demeanor and sarcastic attitude, he had a certain charm that I couldn't deny. I felt a pang of embarrassment as I recalled bumping into him and the way he had smiled at me, his beautiful smile. It was so unlike the rigid teacher I knew from class.
But then I reminded myself why I disliked him in the first place—his sarcasm, his strictness, his constant annoyance. Yet, it was getting harder to hold on to that dislike. There was something about him that intrigued me, something that made me feel things I didn't want to acknowledge.
Feeling overwhelmed by my thoughts, I rolled over so my legs were dangling off the bed and reached for my laptop on the bedside table. I opened it up and started typing, searching for something, anything, to distract my mind.
"Coriolanus Snow," I typed into the search bar, hitting enter. Images of the character from "The Hunger Games" series filled my screen. "He is so hot!" I thought to myself, scrolling through the pictures. The distraction was temporary, but it was enough to keep me from spiralling further into my confusion.
As I continued to scroll, I found myself comparing the fictional character to the real men in my life—Jack with his aggressive charm, Mr. Montgomery with his complex persona. The lines between right and wrong, attraction and repulsion, seemed to blur more with each passing moment.
With a sigh, I closed my laptop and stared at the ceiling once more. I didn't have the answers, but I knew I couldn't keep avoiding my feelings forever. Somehow, I would have to confront them, figure out what I truly wanted, and find a way to navigate the complicated relationships that had become an inescapable part of my life.
For now, though, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep, hoping that tomorrow would bring some clarity.
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The morning sun filtered through my curtains, casting a warm glow across my room. I blinked awake, feeling the weight of yesterday still pressing down on me. My dreams had been a jumble of confusing images—Jack's smirk, Mr. Montgomery's piercing gaze, and a strange blend of anger and attraction that left me feeling unsettled.
YOU ARE READING
Between The Lines
RomanceI took my usual seat in the back corner, far away from the line of fire that always seemed to follow Mr. Montgomery's gaze. I tried to disappear into the safety of my textbook, but his piercing blue eyes seemed to find me anyway, as if daring me to...
