Halfway In Love (#Wattys2016)

20 - boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend.

<Update : 02/09/16>

A/N : Hi everyone!! Glad to be back with another chapter! I hope you like it and if you do.....please vote for it and make my day :)

Happy Reading!! :D

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Chapter 20 - boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend.

The entire happiness I had been feeling since I left my house was brought down by these thoughts and I kicked a pebble pouting to myself. I felt bad, really bad for what happened yesterday. My head down, I bumped into someone.

Shit.

Someone really really really tall, so much so that it took me minutes before I met their eyes opening my mouth to apologize only to have it stuck like that.

"Hey Stephanie!"

"James!" I smiled broadly, recognizing that charming face. He too, smiled, his lips reaching ear to ear and I felt warm inside, surprised that he was happy to see me. A second later he confirmed it by pulling me into a bear hug.

"It is so great to run into you!" Stunned I stood there before reaching out to hug him back.

"Haha....nice to see you again James." I realized I kept smiling after we pulled apart. And he too. I also realized that the entire previous thoughts were now out of the window.

"So what brings you here?" He asked, holding me by the elbow and pulling me to the side, to avoid bumping into any more people bustling about.

"Took a day off of school to have some fun." I answered vaguely. "What about you?"

He flushed red, embarrassed and slightly hurt. Something I had missed earlier. Of course I had, I'm Stephanie Jones for God's sake. Also, he kept smiling at me, how was I supposed to?

"What is it?" I asked softly putting a hand over his arm in a friendly gesture. He looked at it and then at me.

"Well, I had a date today and planned to meet here-"

"This early in the morning?" I cut him off surprised.

"Yeah, she had this whole itinerary written down and..... uh well, she ditched me." He finished, scratching his head and the action reminded me of another boy, who kept doing that every time we talked.

"But forget about this stuff..." He started and I came back to the present. He eyes raked me up and down and once again and his eyes turned amused. "Your story looks much more interesting." He winked and I swear the teensy tiny girly bit in me, swooned a little, only a bit, but it did.

And this was totally weird.

Because stuff like that, don't happen to Stephanie Jones.

What had changed?

~~~~~

He bought me ice cream!

He bought me ice cream!

Didn't get it?

HE BOUGHT ME ICE CREAM!

Okay I sound a little too ecstatic for a tub of ice cream being an eighteen year old but I hadn't even said to him to or indicate in any manner that at that very moment all I needed was the sweet heavenly goodness.

"Come, I'll show you something." He had said and nothing more, guiding me down the block with his hand on the small of my back, his eyes twinkling down at me. You can imagine my giddiness on seeing what he had to show. 'Florence Ice cream parlor' glimmered in the sunlight, soft tinkling sound indicating our presence.

Since then I have been unable to contain my happiness, much like the tub was unable to contain the ice cream which I had licked away like my life depended on it.

We chatted away the entire time, talking all about our life since the day we met. I told him how being a senior was exhausting. He told me how being a freshman in college was much more exhausting.

"But you get to live alone (his parents were rich he mentioned) and do all you want and go whenever and wherever you wish to!" I sighed dreamily. My eyes glazing at the prospect.

"Yeah, right." He scoffed. "I do, but there's no time to do it." I waved away my hand at the mild inconvenience.

"Don't let the time master you. You master the time." I said in a deep superior voice and he rolled his eyes.

"But seriously, first of all you live so far away from home." I started counting the benefits on my fingers.

"Second of all I met you twice in two different towns, so don't pull that time bullshit." His eyes turned amused as I pointed an accusing finger at him.

"And third, you have no responsibilities, about the way you stay and study and go to parties and travel and -" he held my wrist suddenly pulling me towards him and effectively cutting me off.

"And now I understand why you're single." He chuckled, his breath fanning my face. Too close, wayyyyy too close.

"Stephanie?"

This was weird. It was simply very weird to be running into two familiar people on the same day in an unfamiliar town in the span of three hours.

"Dave!" I breathed out, a smile breaking out on my face. He too, smiled. But then it dropped just as his eyes did to the nearness of another face and the person whom it belonged to holding my wrist tight. But then it was back again and I'm sure I must have imagined that weird flash of something in his eyes.

I quickly backed away anyway, pulling my hand out of James' grasp and standing up to meet Dave.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"What -what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you of course." Okay, I definitely heard it wrong. My heart rate spiked and I had no clue why.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked confused and he chuckled the way he always did.

"I'm just messing with you. Actually I-" James cleared his throat at the very moment.

"Your throat hasn't been cured yet has it? You should've taken the cough drops when I offered." I smiled mischievously and he laughed out loud, his voice ringing all around. Still smiling he motioned to Dave with his eyes and I smacked my forehead.

"Oh right. I forgot to introduce you both." I pointed to Dave. "This is Dave, one of my best friends." I said to James, then turning to Dave I said, "This is James, my-"

"-boyfriend. "I'm her boyfriend" James cut me off, sliding a hand on my shoulder and pulling me close.

My mouth dropped open.

There was a moment of silence where Dave's eyes moved between James and me as if he was watching a tennis match.

Then he burst out laughing.

A second later I realized how well he now knew me. And two seconds later, all three of us were rolling on the floor laughing.

Not literally. Duh!

Suddenly a girl appeared on the outside of the parlor, looking at us through the glass, more like glaring at me and James' hand on my shoulder. I instantly knew who she was. Hitting James in the ribs, I nodded my head in her direction. Her face held anger, jealousy, hurt and betrayal as she looked at him. James lit up like a child on christmas before she whipped around and walked away. Confused he looked at us, then realization flooded his face and he ran.

"Sophieee! Wait! Listen to me! Sophieeeeee......" His shouts faded as he tried catching up to her and we stood looking after them before falling into another fit of laughter.