Back To You;

CHAPTER 7

The weeks that followed Richard's passing were... weird, to say the least.

Lauren and I were still distant, and while I kept trying to bridge the gap, he remained, well, Lauren. Oblivious, dense, and frustratingly nonchalant. Meanwhile, Dave Domingo had slid into my life like he'd always been there.

Dave was a senior, tall with a lean but muscular build, and surprisingly approachable for a guy who was both a basketball player and a gym rat. He didn't have Lauren's curls, but his neat, slightly wavy hair and sharp features gave him a certain charm. He was also, as I learned quickly, one of Lauren's friends. Go figure.

"Did you know Dave and Lauren are friends?" I asked John one afternoon as we worked on some layouts for the school paper.

John looked up from his laptop, adjusting his glasses. "Everyone in the gym crowd knows each other. Small world, huh? Why, is Dave your new gym buddy now?"

"No!" I snapped, though my cheeks betrayed me by flushing pink. "He's just... been hanging out with me a lot lately. He's nice."

John smirked knowingly. "Nice, huh? Better watch out. 'Nice' guys have a way of sneaking up on you."

I ignored him and went back to my work, though his words stayed with me.

Dave and I really had been spending a lot of time together. He'd sit with me during lunch, walk me to class, and even help out with First Aid events despite being a new member. He was... attentive, in a way that was both comforting and confusing.

Lauren, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to all of this. He'd pass by during lunch or in the hallways, throw me a casual "Hey," and then disappear-usually with Belle in tow. It was maddening.

One Thursday, after Dave and I had finished helping clean up after an event, he walked me to the cafeteria. We were laughing about something silly-probably John's latest rant about cafeteria food-when he suddenly stopped.

"Marie," he said, his voice more serious than I'd ever heard it.

I turned to him, confused. "What's up?"

He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "I've been meaning to tell you something."

"Okay..." I prompted, my stomach twisting slightly.

"I like you," he said, his words clear and direct. "A lot. And I don't just mean as a friend."

I froze. What?

For weeks, I'd been so caught up in my feelings for Lauren and my jealousy over Belle that I hadn't even considered the possibility of someone else liking me. And now here was Dave, standing in front of me, confessing like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I-"

Before I could even process a response, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Instinctively, I pulled it out.

It was a text from Lauren.

Hey, you okay? Haven't heard from you in a bit. Want to grab a bite later? :)

I stared at the screen, my heart pounding for an entirely different reason now.

"Marie?" Dave's voice broke through my thoughts.

I looked up at him, his expression both hopeful and nervous. And for the first time in weeks, I felt completely overwhelmed.

Here was Dave-kind, thoughtful, and honest-pouring his heart out to me. And then there was Lauren, finally reaching out after weeks of being distant.

What was I supposed to do?

"Dave, I-" My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. "I need... I need some time to think about this."

He nodded, though I could see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "I understand. Take all the time you need."

As he walked away, I stood there, my phone still clutched in my hand.

Lauren's text stared back at me, like it was mocking me with its timing.

"Want to grab a bite later?:)"

I didn't know what to feel-about Dave, about Lauren, about anything. All I knew was that things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

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