Heartthrob ✓

twenty eight

T W E N T Y - E I G H T

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO.

All of my friends were busy wondering who he was and why my face went completely white the moment I saw him, and it wasn't a question I properly knew how to answer.

Kane Marchant was sitting at the bar, nursing a drink and shooting me a smirk. He was wearing a white shirt and slacks like always, but his shirtsleeves were rolled up. I shot him a smile back although I was concerned. I should've expected to run into him again, but this somehow had hit me heavily; just the sight of him giving me whiplash from looking back into the past we had.

Maybe it was because it felt almost cyclical, like history was doomed to repeat itself with certain people.

I stood up abruptly, shocking everyone around me and even causing a few strangers' heads to swivel towards me in confusion. "I have to step out," I said with an apologetic wave as I scrambled out of the booth. "I need a breath of fresh air."

"Are you alright," Dana asked, snaking her fingers around my wrist to hold me still.

I wasn't alright to be completely honest. I could feel myself suffocating a bit, my temple flaring with pain as I tried to choke down my memories of my time with Kane Marchant.

But could I say that, even to my friends who were concerned about me? Could I say that to just about anyone, even out loud to myself. As much as I wanted to, I just knew I couldn't. I looked Dana in the eye and then Elijah and Eric before nodding and quickly heading towards the door.

Outside, the streets were fairly empty, or at least not as lively as usual. These were prime working and schooling hours, I was pretty much alone outside, save for a few people walking together in small groups and not paying me any mind. I used the isolation to let out a breath and try to make the most out of my scrambled up thoughts.

Kane and I had a bit of a history if you could say that. What was it that Ashton told me that one night weeks ago when he offered me a ride home from Baldwin Industries? I've seen trouble beyond your wildest fantasies. In all fairness, he had no idea what exactly mine were.

I fished my phone from out of my pocket and scrolled through my contact list to find the number I was looking for and called it. The spring winds were whipping in from off of the coast, so I wrapped my arms more tightly around myself as I held the phone up against my ear. After ringing a few times, it was finally picked up, the person on the other end of the line saying my name.

"Hey," I said. "Can you come pick me up?"

-

ASHTON TOOK ONE GOOD LOOK AT ME AND DECIDED THAT I NEEDED A DAY OFF.

In fact, the moment he pulled up with Wallace, I could see his eyebrows crease with concern as he looked me over in the passenger seat. If the situation weren't so pressing, I would've swooned, but seeing Kane made something unravel within me and I wasn't to psyched to witness the end result.

"Thank you," I said in response to his proposal. "Is there anything you had in mind for this day off?"

Ashton raised a suggestive eyebrow, making me reach up towards the front seat and pinch his shoulder sharply.

"Ouch," he said, flinching his body away from my hand. "I was just kidding."

I chuckled with relief. As good as it was, the last thing I needed was to sleep with Ashton again. Because that's not what you did when you care for someone - skip all of the good parts. No, if I were going to take thus seriously, then I would have to take it slowly.