Here We Go Again ✓

CHAPTER FORTY - You did WHAT?!

Alex POV

“You did WHAT?!” Tyson bellowed at me once I told him about my deal with Stefan.

“Calm down!”

“How am I to calm down?” He started pacing around the room like a wild animal in a cage. “You told me Stefan was the one who told you how to fight, right?” I nodded, watching with uneasiness how his fists clenched and unclenched. “And that he’s better than you?”

“Well, he was before but you taught me some new stuff…”

“Not nearly enough, Alex!” The boy protested, raising his voice. He took a deep breath and let it out with a loud whoosh.

“Than we’ll just have to work hard,” I stated, attempting to calm him down. “The fight is on Saturday so there’s plenty of time.”

“It’s Monday, Alex; there isn’t “plenty of time”.”

I let out and exasperated sigh and rubbed my temples. I was nervous already; I didn’t need him to freak out about it as well!

“Calm down, lower your voice and stop going in circles, Tyson; you are making me dizzy.”

“And you are driving me crazy!”

I couldn’t help but smirk at him as I queried:

“In a good or bad way?”

“You know what I mean!” He responded with a wave of his hand. I giggled, seeing how flustered he was at my question. I moved towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist and looking straight into his eyes.

“Is this driving you crazy?” I asked and tried to kiss him.

“Not now, Alex! There are more important things to do.”

He pushed my hands away and took a step back from me.

“Do you even like me?” I shouted angry at how things were turning out.

He’d said he wanted me, that he was scared to commit but he was willing to give us a try yet here he was keeping his distance from me.

“What?” He uttered dumbly as if he had not understood my inquiry.

“This is the second time you push me away tonight,” I commented although I thought the answer was obvious.

“I just think that we should concentrate on one problem at a time.”

“Oh, so now us liking each other is a problem?” I crossed my hands over my chest and glared at him. I always hated dramas like this and did my best to avoid them and now I was starting a scene myself.

Tyson groaned and rubbed his temples the same way I’d done.

“It’s not that it’s a problem; it’s just…” He sighed, attempting to find the right words. I waited for him to do so, hoping my patience would be rewarded. “It’s not us that is the problem; it’s me.”

“Seriously?” I gave him a blank stare. “You are going with the “it wasn’t you, it was me excuse”?”

“No, Alex…” He untangled my hands and held them in his own. “I really mean that. I have problems, okay? Other than the ones you know about.” I opened my mouth but Tyson cut me off before I could speak. “It’s what people would call commitment issues. It’s what Angel calls me being scared to be happy because if I’m happy, I could get hurt. And if I like somebody…”

He made a pause and I finished his sentence for him:

“No one can hurt you like the people you lo… like.” I uttered, hoping the boy hadn’t noticed my blush as I almost said “love”.