a little collection

15

inspired by two stories: anything can happen (actual book) and breaking the bad boy by @kaddydee

*i wanted to have actual names in this story instead of pronouns so here it is*

i chase after connor, his retreating back stiff with anger.

"connor, wait! con-" my sentence is cut short as he stops abruptly, and i slam into his back. he whips around, his dark hair sticking up in random places.

"what do you want, hayley? can't you see i need to go somewhere?" he snaps, his face contorted in annoyance and anger.

"i can see that, and i know where you're going. and i want you to stop. why the hell are you buying cigarettes, after your grandmother, who meant so much to you, died from cancer? and what about your sister, huh? she died from cancer, too. guess what? they never smoked, connor! and you're going to buy cigarettes, one of the leading causes of cancer! do you want to end up like them?" i yell. that gets him even angrier, and he steps closer to me, our chests practically touching.

"maybe i do! i might as well, seeing as there's no hope for me! no one will miss me, you hear me? no one!" he barks, his frown turning into a sneer. the anger i felt melts away, and i'm left with confusion.

"that's.....that's not true." i whisper, stepping back.

"is that right? now, tell me, hayley, who will miss me? my mother is a drunk, she barely remembers her own name. my father is in an asylum, driven to insanity over all of this madness. i don't have a family, i don't have any friends, and the one person who used to care about me despises me! i'll ask again," he closes the distance between us again, "who will miss me?"

i look into the brown eyes, laced with amber, and whisper, "i'll miss you, connor, i will." i see his features soften, and the boy i used to know shines through, and i think i see a small smile pierce through his permanent frown.

the moment disappears, however, and his eyes darken again. he steps away from me, growling, "that's not enough. you're you. you have your life ahead of you, but you're hooked on me, trying to make me become the boy i used to be. but i'm not. you'll never see him again." he turns around, and he begins to walk again.

i rush over to him, and i grab his arm, whipping him around.

"like hell, i'll let you walk away. i don't care if i'll never see the boy i used to know again. i hate seeing you as this heartless, no-good person who doesn't care about anyone. i want to be there. i want to be there for you, to help you through all this hell you've been put through. it's not fair to you or your family. connor, i care about you. and i don't want you to slip away into a bunch of cigarettes." i growl.

a look of surprise fills his eyes, and his mouth opens and closes, trying to find something to say.

"i'm a dangerous game, hayley, and i don't want you to get hurt." he whispers, releasing his arm from my grip.

"if you're a dangerous game, connor, then i'm willing to play." i respond, and he softens, wrapping me up in his arms.

i shut my eyes tight, taking in his scent of skittles and axe body spray. his shoulders shake, and i sit him down, as he cries into my shirt, not caring who sees.

"i'm so sorry, hayley." he whispers, his sons becoming simple sniffles.

"for what?" i ask, lacing my fingers through his hair.

"for not seeing who really cares about me. hayley, the fact that you've stayed, even when i was a complete douche to you, shows how much you care. and i shouldn't have pushed you away."

i bury my face into his hair, and i whisper, "i never would've given up on you, connor, i know who you are."

he looks up at me, and it sends a turn through my chest. seeing him so vulnerable, so open and raw, it makes me want to kiss him. i feel the sudden urge to do it.

but he does it first.