The Change

Chapter Five

"Hey." He said, his arm around the booth's edge, and a Marko's napkin on the table. Damn, he was hot.
I bit my lip, trying to stay angry at him.
"Ooh, a lip bite. Sexy. How 'bout sitting down? Next to me." He shot me a side smile.
Stay angry. I sat down next to him. "Do you flirt with all your girl friends?" I glared at him.
"Woah. What do you mean?"
"You asked Paige out. She told me."
His face got red. "Anastasia, that wasn't today. That was yesterday."
Yesterday?! "The day you kissed me?!?!" I was angry, trying to keep the tears from falling, and getting angrier from failing. "I can't believe I did this. I can't believe. . . ." I had let him in. I let him get close to me, and he had hurt me. They always hurt me! This was on me. I shouldn't of let him in, I shouldn't of let him break my walls. . . .
"Ana, come here." He pulled me to him.
He was so warm. He smelled so good. . . . No! I wouldn't let him in again! I pushed him away. "Get away from me!" I yelled at him, but not loud enough to draw the staff's attention. I stood up.
"Wait, let me explain!" He looped an arm around my waist. No, I'm not giving him another chance to hurt me. I struggled, trying to push his arm away, and he took his other arm and locked my arms in place.
"No! Get away! You're not going to hurt me!" I yelled, louder this time, still not drawing the staff's attention.
He put the arm that was looped around my waist over my arms as well, then he used his free arm to cover my mouth. He pulled me toward him. I struggled, trying to get free. When I realized it was useless, I stopped.
"Is everything okay here, guys?" The waiter asked, looking at us. He knew me, his name was Rick.
Corey nodded. "Just tickling her. She gets loud!"
Rick nodded, smiled, and walked away.
"Are you done yet?" He whispered.
I nodded.
He let go of my mouth and my arms, but kept his arm around my waist. I started to cry again. I couldn't help it, I had let him in and he tore me apart.
He nuzzled his head in my shoulder. "I'm sorry." He murmured.
I stopped crying after a little bit. I didn't know what to say. Corey never says sorry. Even when he pushed the teacher in the fountain last year. Or was this a new tactic to hurt me? "What?"
"I'm sorry."
Now, I wanted to tease him. "What?"
He looked at me, annoyance but honesty in his eyes. "I'm sorry. S-O-R-"
I put my finger on his lips. "I just wanna know one thing. . . ."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Are you playing me? Or is this real?"
He was silent for a minute.
"The truth. I need to know." I wanted him to say no, to know that this wasn't real. That he hadn't been playing me. But if I faced the facts, used my logic, I knew inside he would say yes.
"I was."
I couldn't look at him. It stung too much. A tear rolled down my cheek before I looked away. He put his fingers underneath my chin and turned my face to his.
"No, don't cry. Let me tell you. Let me explain, please." His eyes were pleading, so he must be telling the truth.
I closed my eyes, then nodded.
"Okay. I was playing you in the beginning. When I first saw you at the restaurant. I had wanted you to do my homework. Then, when I kissed you, I wasn't playing you anymore." He chuckled. "I don't know what you put on your lips, but I can't get enough of you." He moved closer, kissing my cheek.
"Then, why? Why did Paige tell me today?"
"I don't know, baby. But I can promise you I'll never hurt you again." He wiped the last tear from my eye. "Because let me tell ya, the worst thing on earth right now, is seeing you cry."