Angels Do Exist (ON HOLD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK)

Chapter Eighteen

Layden

          Shit. What just happened? Well I know what just happened. I kissed Marian or whatever her name was because I knew Ariana was watching. I knew it would hurt her just like she fucking hurt me. What I didn't expect however, was the sudden blow I felt when I looked into her eyes as she just stood there. No words, no evil daggers or anything. Just fucking pain.

        I know what pain looks like. I used to see it in my own reflection back when I used to live under my parent's roof after the incident. 

        I though it'd make me happy to hurt her, but I couldn't have been more fucking wrong. My feet get heavier by the second with each step I take towards her. She's already making me nervous and I can't shake her.

       "Ariana, stop running from me," I say through gritted teeth. She doesn't look back or say anything, she just quickens her pace. I could easily catch up but I allow her to believe that she's getting away from me for the next couple of seconds. When I know she thinks she way ahead of me and slows down, I welcome the opportunity and take quick steps to her side. Before I can even touch her, her scent, something like a mix between vanilla and coconut hits me right in the face and I want nothing more than to hold her right now. This is fucking ridiculous.

        My fingers latch onto her super soft skin, and she fights to get loose, but she should know better than that. There is not one feeble bone in my body so again I allow her to fight and believe she's winning. Without being too aggressive, I attempt to turn her around by her elbows so that we're face to face. When I look down, her face is wet from the tears that are falling down her face at this very fucking moment. Great. And the asshole of the year award goes to Mr. Layden fucking Evans. 

       It's clear as fucking day that she's probably hurting just as bad as I am. But if she was, why would she want to stay away from me? I know the shit that went down with Brett was crazy, but... I just don't get it. I've been staring down at her for too long that she's beginning to suck me in.

       "Layden," her sweet voice whispers, and I completely lose it.

       I'm full on embracing Ariana in the parking lot and to my surprise, she melts right into my arms. God, this feels so good. I've missed her. I don't know how I could have told myself that there are girls just like her out there because truth is.. there isn't. Nobody could ever take her place or make me feel like she does. I cannot deny it any longer.

        Ariana is the first to pull away but before she gets away, I take her wrist into my hands so can't.

        "Layden please," her brown eyes, very hazel from the sunlight, pleads with mine.

        "Ariana, no. You need to understand that whatever you saw isn't what it looked like."

          "You sure? So your tongue down her throat wasn't really your tongue down her throat?" The daggers are back.

        "Baby, listen.. I," but before I can even continue, Ariana shakes her head.

          "Don't call me that, your tongue was just down her freaking throat Layden! Not to mention the way you were touching her.. like how you used to touch.. me."

          What? Not at all. I take my time with Ariana. I savor every single thing about her, the way her lips fit perfectly with mine, the softness of her skin under my touch, the way she tightens her grip on me when I trail my fingers across her skin. She's completely wrong. 

           "And not to mention those fucking marks on your neck from doing God knows what, with God knows who. They're still visible, you know."

           "You know what? You're absolutely right. But that was before I realized that I'm in love with you. Whether you realize it or not Ariana, I can't seem you leave you alone, no matter how much I fucking try."

          Before I realized the words that just escaped my mouth, Ariana's eyes dilate as if there are pigs flying in the air above us.

        "Bullshit," she challenges me.

        Bullshit? True, I'm known for bullshitting but I don't know what I can say to let her know how much she's infiltrated my mind and life. My fingers find my temples and I have to rub them to stop the headache forming in my brain right now. It's never been me to seriously fall for a girl, but I think I've past that point with Ariana. Whether she chooses to let me in or not, I have to try, it's either now or never.

            "Ariana, I know you know you feel something for me. If you didn't, we wouldn't be in this fucking situation that we are in right now. You wouldn't be standing here with me right now. Don't think about your dad or what happened with Brett or anything else going on. Just think about me, tell me how you really feel." Her eyes are locked with mine and my hands cup her face so she can't break eye contact or I'll lose her.

          "Layden, please.." she pleads with me.

         "No, please nothing. We can't ignore what's been happening since the first day we met. You know that. And I'd never thought I'd be standing here with you, begging or saying the things that I am, but hey first time for everything right," I smirk and she smiles at me, really genuinely smiles at me. She's so captivating that I couldn't look away even if I tried. 

          "I'm in love with you too," she whispers against my lips. We're so close right now that if I leaned over just a millimeter, our lips would meet.

           "There, was that so hard?" I ask and she tries to look away but I don't allow it.

          "Ariana, I'm tired of this back and forth crap. Just be my girlfriend already."

          The shock in Ariana's beautiful hazel eyes is evident and for a moment, I don't know what she's going to say and she doesn't give me any clue as to what she's feeling... until she removes my hands from her face and wraps her hands around my neck. She tippy toes as much as she can and leans in to kiss me. "Yes," she barely breathes into my mouth and I take the initiative to introduce our lips to each other's once more, but she stops me almost instantly. 

         "Uh uh, you're going to have to scrub your tongue before it can get anywhere near me, let's be clear. Then maybe we'll see." This girl never ceases to make me laugh. She's got the biggest smirk on her face and I'm pretty sure I'm the mirror image of her right now.

        "So um, can the title of boyfriend replace asshole now? I think I've earned it, right?" I let go of her and ask.

        She punches me in the shoulder and mutters a "We'll see how well behaved you are" as we walk to her car.

         As I trail behind her, I think about what's happened over the last couple of weeks and just a few minutes ago and it's unbelievable. This girl has just made me the happiest I've been since I moved out here and I don't think she even knows it.