The Hopeless Romantic ✔️

Chapter eleven.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't like what I saw. It was one of those days. My face was breaking out more than usual and my stupid foundation was running out. I felt like I should put more of an effort for my dad since I was seeing him for the weekend.

I really didn't want to go. Why? Because my mom's place was better and I had my cat. Oh, and Jace lived across the street from me.

I placed on the last few drops of my foundation and headed outside to the car where I waited for mom to drop me off. As I was leaning against mom's car, I saw Jace open his front door. From the corner of my eye, I saw that he wore a plain white shirt and a normal pair of jeans.

I pretended I wasn't looking. Oh, that's a nice tree! A very nice tree.

He was checking the mail and he looked my way. Shivers ran up my spine and my face reddened and my smile widened. He got the mail and strolled back inside his house. Mom came out with her car keys dangling a second later and unlocked the car.

The car ride was short and I was hoping it would take a lifetime to get there. I was dreading this. The car parked outside my dad's home and nothing had changed. The garden looked dead and the house sounded quiet. "Have a nice weekend!" My mother beamed as she leaned in for a hug.

I hugged her back. "Right, pick me up Sunday at the earliest?" She nodded as I got out the door with my belongings and slammed the car door shut. I strolled up the front porch and slowly opened the front door where it revealed my dad watching sport. "Hi." I said shyly.

"Hi," my dad smiled, "how are you?"

"Good," I said quietly, "you?"

He nodded. "Good thanks. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

This couldn't be good. Probably another girlfriend, probably another person I was going to love at first but then dislike later. It was the cycle.

My dad ran down the hall into his bedroom. I sighed and dropped my bags, wanting to go home already. After what felt like a lifetime of waiting, my dad appeared with a woman following behind him. "This is my girlfriend, Julia."

I studied her. She had soft brunette hair, a nice figure and a killer smile with white shiny teeth. I smiled faintly back and noticed that she looked like she could be a nice person; maybe this one wouldn't be so bad. "Hi, I'm Avery." I extended my hand politely and we both shook hands.

"It's lovely to meet you, Avery!" She beamed as we let go and she hugged into my dad like they were soul mates. I continued to smile awkwardly, wishing one day I would get to have someone look at me the way Julia looked at my dad. I could see it instantly. That spark, that look of lust. My smile turned into a genuine one as I picked up my bags and took them to my bedroom.

"She's lovely, Steve!" Julia said to my father as I was unpacking my things from my bag. I didn't exactly have a real conversation with her but she seemed nice enough.

*

I could feel his presence behind me. I knew he was there, I knew he was watching. It was after school and Gwen was babysitting her younger siblings again. The bus slowly roared to life as I leaned on the window, sighing at how life could get so complicated sometimes. Leaving the school grounds, I felt a shiver run up my spine as Jace sat directly behind me.

I pictured him in my mind from when he stepped onto the bus. His dark messy hair, that piercing he had above his eye, that killer smile that sent every girl falling. Not me, no. Sure, I felt a tingle but I wouldn't fall over and faint over him. It was Jace O'Connors! I mean, it would be nice if he was somehow my boyfriend in the real world but for now, it was all in my head.