Teasing Me as You're Loving Me

Chapter 23. Good things take time.

✎ᝰ. 𓍢ִ໋🀦 ✎ᝰ. 𓍢ִ໋🀦 ✎ᝰ. 𓍢ִ໋🀦

His mouth drops, open. "W-what?" he stammers. "How did you know?" he asks. I shake my head at him, letting out a harsh laugh.

"I was there." I start. "I was there when you stayed silent and let your friends talk whatever trash they wanted about me." I say, my voice raising dangerously. "You didn't even stop them. You just sat there." I scoff. "What a friend you are. And to think I kept having to convince them that maybe you had a bit of an attitude, that you were actually a great friend and would have our backs, but no!" I scream the last part.

Jayre looks at me, his face unreadable. "Layla... no, you don't understand, just let me explain."

"Then explain. Right here. Right now."

He runs a hand over his face. "I didn't believe anything they said. Alright? I began tuning them out because I know what they said about you were just not true. Because I know you Layla. More than you think I would know."

I blink up at him, trying to think of what I could say to that. But nothing. "What...?" that was the only thing that could come out of my mouth. And it felt pathetic.

"Gosh, do you really want me to say it?" he asks, his lips almost curling into a smile, but tug down when I stay silent, staring at him. "This is gonna be a really lame way to do it. And this is definitely not how I imagined it... but here we go." he sighs.

"I like you Layla!" he pauses for a moment. "I don't even think I can use the word 'like' at this point. I'm basically infatuated." he flashes me a smile, but I can tell he's nervous.

"But..." I take a deep breath. "What about the mystery girl?"

"For gods sake Layla, you're the mystery girl! It's you! It's always been you! Ever since I saw you in that damn crowded hallway, ever since you made a fool of me in class when you said the answer like it was the most obvious thing in the world, ever since you vowed that you would do whatever it took to beat me in every competition. It's been you, it is you."

Jayre likes me. Me? And not just that, but he liked me ever since the first encounter? Throughout all those years, those banters, competitions, medals lost and gained, scores compared and compared, he liked me. I meet his gaze, his eyes are softly staring back, his expression is genuine.

"Would it be anticlimactic to say I only started liking you when we became official friends?" I ask, a nervous smile on my face. The smile that takes over his face is blinding. He picks me up and twirls me around.

He's laughing, I'm laughing, twirling out on the beach, happy. He puts me down, looking at me with a huge grin that I'm probably mirroring on my own face. It feels like a daydream, us, standing face to face, on the shore, smiley faces, holding hands.

"What does this mean?" I couldn't help but ask.

"That we like each other. Obviously."

"No but—"

Jayre cuts me off. "We'll take it slow. I've waited all these years, I know I can wait a lot more for you."

"I'm sorry but... that sounds like something from a romance novel." I laugh.

"Good. I have a feeling we'd make a good one." he says before he grabs me by the hand and run to the shore, me following, bubbling with laughter.

We make it to the water, knee deep in. The wind picks up, sending my hair flying, but I don't care. I don't care about anything else right now, except for the boy who was once my enemy, now, a lot more.

There really is a thin line between love and hate.