Dangerously Close (Aris x Reader)

40) Someone Better

Mary told me I was getting better already. She said I was doing a much better job at being gentle with what I’d be doing. She also said I seem to be healing up fine even with the setback.

These are all things that are supposed to matter. Being good to others, caring about them, caring about myself, are all supposed to be important in my day to day life. I’m trying to make them important. To prove that I actually am different now. Even if there's this secret fear that I'm the same person I’ve always been. That change just isn't possible for someone like me.

With my lunch in hand, I looked for some sort of familiar face in the overwhelmingly large crowd of people. Sonya, Harriet, Brenda, Aris, someone.

As said someone stood up, I found him. Aris. Aris and a girl I hadn't met before beside him.

Her long blonde hair was tucked behind her ears and out of her tanned, freckled face. She wore this warm smile that seemed to hold a certain gentleness. Her dark green eyes practically shone with life and happiness.

Out of absolutely nowhere, I seemed to have been punched in the stomach. I felt practically sick at just the sight. Actually sick as my mouth filled with a taste as sour as my mind, my eyes narrowing against my will as my lips twitched into a scowl.

She placed her hand on his knee, still smiling up at him as she did. He seemed to tense up at the contact, his face turning a deep red. Taking her hand, he moved it back to her, saying something to her as he did. She got this, “oh” look on her face as she nodded.

I don't like it. I don’t quite know what this feeling is, but it made me lose my appetite completely.

Turning around, I stormed back to the clinic, my ponytail swishing behind me. Opening the canopy, I tossed my plate into the grocery bag being used as a trash bin before sitting on the bed furthest from it. Besides Thomas who I had bandaged up earlier after he skinned his elbow, I was completely alone, practically mellowing in this emotion.

“What's got you all huffy?”He asked simply, taking a bite of his apple as he looked at me. He always seemed to have a damn apple for some reason.

“I’m not huffy,”I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest as I glared at nothing across from me. Actions that I was aware contradicted my words.

“What's got you all mad?”He tried to correct.

“I’m not mad.”

“Well, what's got you in this sour mood?”

“It doesn't even matter,”I promised.

“Sure it does. Just tell me,”He pushed.

“It's ridiculous. I don't even know what it is.”

“All the more reason to tell me. I’m sure I could figure it out,”He shrugged.

Crossing my legs, I kept my glare as every part of me seemed repulsed. My heart felt heavy in my chest as my stomach twisted in knots.

“Come on. I won't tell anyone,”He pushed.

“If I tell you, you have to mean that. You can't tell a soul,”I promised.

“I won't. Just tell me.”

“I saw Aris with another girl,”I rushed out.

“And?”

“She was pretty. Just normal pretty. Nothing about her looked messed up. She looked so . . . normal,”I trailed off.

“So you're jealous?”

“No. I just don't like it.”

“Why not?”

“She put her hand on his knee,”I defended.