Maverick and I are almost done with the paint in Bo's room. It's been good to spend time with him. We're standing in the center of her room, courtesy of one of his old shirts my clothes have remained untouched from the light pink paint. We've got one more wall to go and it's looking good.
"Finally almost done." He says, layering some paint on the wall. "I want to start putting some furniture in here."
I smile at him and continue to paint also, focusing on the strokes of the brush. I know he's staring at me and it's making me feel weird. Maverick look away. He doesn't, and I sneak a peek at him. He's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed just kind of watching me.
The look he's giving me is one I've seen before, on Marshall. Only he doesn't know that he's doing it. I feel pressured with him looking at me like that. His eyes flicker all over my body and I get a weird shiver down my spine.
"Stop it." I say, raising a brow at him.
"Stop what?" He laughs once.
"Looking at me like that." I brush quicker, trying my hardest not to look at him.
"Like what?" He asks, and his tone suggests he knows exactly what I'm talking about.
"Like you've seen me without any clothes." I mumble, kind of regretting it but at the same time not really.
"Well it's hard to forget." He shrugs, smiling again.
Jesus that smile is dynamite. I turn away from him, painting a new part of the wall. I don't like when he says things like that. It's something Marshall would say and I hate finding similarities between them.
My thoughts go straight to Marshall, he's at the ring again. I know he is. I know because he refused to tell me where exactly he was going. Does anyone even know where this thing is? I think on it for a while and then feel hands on my hips. I turn around and there's Maverick, looking down at me with his big doe eyes. I step back but he presses his hand to the small of my back, easily redirecting me.
It's a dangerous game he's playing, I don't want this. Not with him, I want to stay friends. I want us to be able to hangout and be social without all this tension. He needs to understand that.
"Maverick don't do this." I say to him, trying to get out of his hold.
"I know I shouldn't but I just- I can't help it." He says quietly, his voice is pained. I know this is hard for him, but I belong with somebody else.
"I love Marshall." I tell him, lightly pushing his hand away from my waist. "That won't change."
"I know." He nods, his eyes radiate pain. I hate hurting him like that but what I say is true, I love Marshall. "I wish you didn't..."
"Hey." I touch his arm in the friendliest way that I can and he looks down at it. "You're still my best friend."
"Rachel." He pauses and takes in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I seriously thought that would be enough for me, but it isn't. I can't stop thinking about you."
I feel my heart start beating fiercely in my chest, it hurts. Why does he have to like me? Marshall's gonna be so pissed.
"I know you love him and it hurts and I don't know how to make it stop." He tells me, looking down at the floor. "I didn't want it to be like this, but I like you and I can't change that."
"Would you rather I didn't come by as often?" I ask him in a kind way, with no intention of offending or hurting him.
"No I love it when you're here." He corrects himself. "I'm sorry, this is my thing. I'll get over it."
