Falling For You

Chapter 14: The Guilt

After Mateo dropped me off at home, a wave of guilt hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t shake the worry about what might happen when he got back to his house. Would his father scold him? Would he be punished? It was all my fault, and for the first time, I questioned my own motives—was pretending Mateo as my boyfriend just to get back at Aaron and Roxanne a huge mistake?

The thought of Mateo and Aaron fighting because of me made me determined to keep my distance. Mateo didn’t deserve this. He was a great guy, and I hated that I was dragging him into my mess. But, the thought of cutting him off completely made my heart ache.

When I walked into the house, I greeted my family briefly, hoping they wouldn’t notice the turmoil I was feeling. My dad was home earlier than usual and was in the kitchen, helping my mom with dinner, while Aiden was glued to the TV, watching cartoons. I forced a quick smile as I passed by them and headed straight to my room.

Once inside, I threw my bag onto my bed, grabbed my towel, and headed to the bathroom. After a long, hot shower, I felt a little better. I changed into my comfy pajamas and went downstairs to let my parents know I wasn’t hungry, using the excuse that I’d eaten earlier. The truth was, I didn’t have any appetite after what happened today.

Returning to my room, I noticed my bag lying where I’d tossed it on the bed earlier. I pushed it down to the floor and collapsed onto the bed. My mind was spinning with thoughts, and I couldn’t help but think about how today’s events had spiraled out of control. After a moment, I reached for my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found Jenna’s name. I pressed the call button, and after a few rings, she picked up.

“Hey! What happened today?” Jenna asked, skipping any formalities. I could tell she’d already heard the gossip about the fight between Mateo and Aaron.

I took a deep breath and launched into the story. “So, Mateo was at the cafeteria, working on his research for our science project, when Aaron decided to show up and start running his mouth about me. He called me a… well, a slut, just because Mateo ignored him.”

“Seriously? That jerk,” Jenna muttered angrily on the other end. “What did Mateo do?”

“Mateo wasn’t having it,” I replied, feeling a mix of pride and guilt. “He shot back, calling Aaron an attention-seeker. That’s when Aaron lost it and threw the first punch.”

“Wow, Aaron really needs to check himself,” Jenna replied, half-amused, half-annoyed. "But honestly, props to Mateo for not just letting Aaron trash-talk you.”

“Yeah, but that’s what’s making me feel guilty, Jenna. If it weren’t for me, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s like I dragged Mateo into this mess just because I wanted to get back at Aaron and Roxanne. Now I’m thinking I should keep my distance from him. He doesn’t deserve all this drama.”

Jenna didn’t agree. “Bianca, keeping your distance is only going to make things worse. It’ll look like you played with his feelings and bailed. That’s just going to add fuel to the gossip fire at school.”

I sighed, realizing she had a point. The last thing I wanted was for people to start rumors that I’d used Mateo. “Yeah… you’re right,” I admitted, the weight on my chest lifting slightly.

“Exactly,” Jenna said, sounding relieved that I was reconsidering. “Besides, people at school will move on to the next juicy story soon enough.”

I let out a half-hearted laugh. “I hope so.”

“Anyway,” Jenna continued, “we should go ice-skating this weekend. A change of scenery might help you relax and get your mind off things.”

“That actually sounds perfect,” I said, smiling. The idea of spending time with Jenna and clearing my head was just what I needed.

Before we ended the call, Jenna gave me one last piece of advice. “Just follow your heart, B. Do what feels right for you, not what you think other people expect. You deserve to be happy too, remember that.”

“Thanks, Jenna. You always know what to say,” I said, genuinely grateful.

After we said our goodbyes, I tossed my phone onto the bed, her words lingering in my mind. Jenna was right—I couldn’t just ignore my feelings or let guilt dictate my decisions. But still, I felt this ache inside, as if my heart was torn in two directions.

Then, almost instinctively, I picked up my phone again and typed out a message to Mateo. Hey, you don’t need to pick me up tomorrow. Jenna’s going to swing by and get me. I hit send, hoping it would give both of us a little breathing room.

After sending the text, I turned off my phone screen and set it down, deciding that I needed to clear my head further. I headed downstairs to grab a drink from the fridge.

As I walked into the kitchen, I heard my mom talking to my dad while washing the dishes. “So, how was work today?” she asked him, her tone casual but genuinely interested.

My dad, who worked in the ER and rarely had early nights, answered, “Busy as usual. I saw a bit of everything today.”

I quietly opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, then walked over to my mom, hoping to help with the dishes. “Do you need a hand, Mom?” I asked, feeling a sudden urge to do something useful.

She looked over at me, her face softening. “No, honey, you look tired. Go get some rest.”

Hearing our conversation, my dad glanced over. “Is everything okay, Bianca? Something happen at school?”

I quickly shook my head with a smile, not wanting to worry him. “No, just schoolwork. I’m a little worn out.”

Aiden, overhearing us from the living room, walked over and tugged at my hand. “Come on, B, you should rest. Sit with me and watch TV!”

I couldn’t help but smile at his innocent concern. “Alright, alright,” I said, letting him lead me over to the couch.

My mom called from the kitchen, “I’ll make some popcorn for you two!”

My dad added with a grin, “Maybe we should have a movie night!”

A warmth settled over me as I sat down next to Aiden on the couch, a sense of calm replacing the tension I’d been carrying all day. Moments later, Mom brought over a bowl of freshly popped popcorn, and Dad picked a family movie to watch together. It felt good to just relax with them, to be surrounded by their laughter and love.

As we watched the movie, my phone buzzed in my pajama pocket. I pulled it out and saw a notification from Mateo’s reply: Okay, goodnight. I read it from the lock screen, not opening the message, and turned off my phone again, deciding to leave it for now. Being with my family made the weight on my shoulders feel lighter, and I wanted to savor this moment.

Settling back into the couch, I felt Aiden snuggle up beside me, his small hand reaching for more popcorn. I smiled softly, thankful for this little slice of peace after the chaos of the day. My mom was laughing at the movie, and my dad’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he shared the experience with us. The guilt and worry that had been clouding my mind felt a little more distant now, and I hoped that everything would eventually be okay.

As the credits rolled, I stifled a yawn, feeling the day’s events finally catch up to me. My family began tidying up, and I thanked my mom and dad before heading back upstairs. I crawled into bed, wrapping myself in my blankets, grateful for the calm ending to such a whirlwind of a day.