Who do you love?

Please?

. T a t i .

I'm sitting in my car outside of Gabe's house, trying to figure out what to do.

Like, fuck.

I marched out of Bailey's house on a bluff. How am I going to ask Gabe out? This could ruin everything. Years of friendship, just down the drain. Next to Bailey, my relationship with Gabe is one of the single most important things in my life. Its almost 8pm, which means his family is probably home too. They're probably all sitting together, doing things that families do at 8pm, and here I come-bulldozing into their home-to harass their son.

My phone interrupts my freak out, buzzing in my pocket.

"Hello?"

"Are you going to come inside or are you just going to sit outside my house in your car."

I look towards Gabe's house and he's leaning against the front entrance doorframe of his house. His features are blurred by distance, but j can't just hear his dumb smirk through the phone. Without even gracing with an answer, I hang up, and make my way too his house.

The moment I get close enough, he wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads me to his bedroom. Right before we enter the hallway, I catch a glimpse of his family sitting in the couch watching a movie, barely paying attention to us. He's already talking about his day, which I already know all about, but I let him talk anyway. There's something about his voice that's comforting and right now? I need all the comfort I can get.

We end up in his room, his bed making a soft creaming sound when he sits on it . And just make it obvious I'm nervous about something, I start pacing back and forth the middle of his room. My hands tucked behind me because they're shaking.

"Uh Tati?" He says, unsure.

"Yeah," I reply trying to play it cool, but my voice is shaking and I can't stop pacing the floor.

"What's wrong?" He asks and I stammer out a shakey reply. Something along the lines of "Nothing. What's wrong with you?" Which would totally be fine if I was trying to sound nervous and paranoid and wasn't trying to ask him to be my boyfriend.

"Nothing," he says smugly, "I'm fine. I have a beautiful girl in my bedroom. Why would I be anything else but fine?"

I stop pacing and roll my eyes. A blush spreading on my cheeks despite myself.

"Stop playing Gabe," I sigh and he shrugs.

"It wasn't a joke, but okay"

I move to stand in front of him and he looks up at me curiously. I'm wasting time. I just need to say it. Worst case scenario? He hates me and we never talk again.

It'll be fine.

"I need you to date me," I state plainly, cringing on the inside because, Really Tati? Of all the way you could have said it, you had to ORDER him to date you.

"Okay" he says smiling.

"Please," I beg, my mouth not waiting for my brain, "I just need you to date me. We can just pretend, but I made a bet with Bailey and she said she'd only carry out her part of it If I asked you out and I just need her to be happy. So please."

He looks even more confused at my explanation and thinking back on it. It sucked. I also made it seem like I'm only dating him because of the bet, which not the case either.

Then, my brain finally gets the message.

"Wait," I start, "you said okay?"

"Yeah"

"Oh"

He slides his hand along my waist and pulls me forward. A smug smile still painted on his lips.

"But we don't need to pretend," he says," or anything like that."

And I blush even more, my face growing impossibly hot. He pulls me the rest of they way onto his lap and places a slow, lingering kiss on my lips, hands sneaking the rest of the way around my hips.

"Because I can't think of anything better than being your boyfriend."

. A u t h o r s. N o t e .

This chapter is kind of short, so maybe I'll post another later ✌️✌