A Guy Like Her

Once A Week, Do Something You've Never Done Before

Chapter Fourteen
-Once A Week, Do Something You've Never Done Before-

Juuuuuust peachy.
Wonderful.
Great.
Amazing.
Awesome.
Fan-flipping-tastic.

Sitting around the table at breakfast with my ex-boyfriend-that-wanted-more-again, potential-could-be-hopefully-maybe-boyfriend, insane-boy-mentor, his random friend and my infuriating roommate had me wanting to hurl as Taylor openly gave Trent the stink eye. Trent was sizing up Jake a little more subtly and Kathy was seemingly enjoying all the awkward static that was flying around us.

"So Trent," Kathy began slowly. "How long are you staying with us?" she asked him and I narrowed my eyes at her. She was up to something.
"I will leave this afternoon, I suppose?" Trent shrugged and looked at me for confirmation. I nodded and shrugged back at him.
"So I won't find you and Lucy spooning in bed tomorrow morning like I did this morning?" she asked innocently and Jake choked on his orange juice as Taylor's friend 'Robbo' spat egg across the table in shock. Taylor was hiding his smirk behind his hand and I was staring at my psychotic roommate trying to judge how long it would take the four men currently sitting with us to pull me off her if I were to jump and lunge at her over the table. Pretty sure I have enough time to do some damage to that pretty little smile of hers.
"No, you won't," Trent replied seemingly unfazed.
"Oh, good." Kathy smiled to herself happily and took a bite of her raisin toast, sitting back in her chair. Seemingly done inflicting damage to the non-existent relationship I had with Jake. I could feel Jakes eyes on me and glanced up through my lashes to look at him. He looked from me to Trent and back to me, questions in his lovely green eyes and I bit my lip nervously. I mouthed the word 'later' to him and he sighed softly, looking to Taylor on his right who was currently hounding Trent with questions.

Breakfast dragged after that. I was trying to figure out how to explain to Jake that while yes, Trent did sleep in my bed last night and he was also my ex-boyfriend and best friend through out high school, it was also well and truly over and I wasn't trying to lead him on or play him. I was also aware I didn't really need to explain myself whatsoever, we weren't together or exclusive or whatever and if it was a crappy date last night, I probably wouldn't even bother, but Jake was great and I really enjoyed last night. I had enough secrets hidden away from Jake. I didn't need Kathy starting more drama before the first lot was over.

As we wrapped up breakfast, Jake excused himself to grab a drink before he left and I followed him into the cafe, leaving Trent with an apologetic frown. He shrugged silently with grudging acceptance back at me.
"Jake," I caught up to him as he pulled out a bottle of blue powerade out of the drinks fridge.
"You don't need to explain anything, Lucy." he shook his head, turning to face me.
"I know," I told him, "But I want too. Trent is a long story and there's history between us but it all ended before I came to live here. Kathy made it sound so much worse than it actually is." Jake studied me for a moment, cocking his head to the side slightly.
"So, he didn't sleep in your bed with you last night?" he asked, his eyebrows dropping closer to his gorgeous green eyes.
"Well, yeah he did, But it was only to stop him from sleeping in his car. I hadn't expected him to come visit me. He showed up unannounced after you left and I didn't know what else to do with him. Nothing happened though." I chewed my lip, nervously.
"...but he is your ex?" Jake asked slowly and I nodded.
"And the best friend that lives on a cherry farm. We grew up together and got together in high school but I'm beginning to think it was just best friends who made out, than an actual serious budding relationship. I wouldn't have started anything with you if I was still hung up on Trent." I chewed my lip again after I finished watching his reaction carefully.
"Does he know that?" Jake asked, his eyes regarding me seriously. His delicious mouth set into a grim hard line.
"We touched on it briefly before breakfast; I'm assuming it'll be brought back up before he leaves. He saw you drop me off at my door last night," I told him, endeavouring to be as truthful as possible with the situations I could be brutally honest with.
"Fair enough, let me know how it goes, I guess..." he trailed off. "You didn't have to explain anything, Lucy," he cracked a small smile that lifted my spirits, "But I'm glad you did. I'll message you tonight?" he asked and I nodded, chewing my lip to keep some semblance of a poker face and not smile like a clown.
"I'll talk to you later," I murmured and he grinned his good bye to me.

I felt better as I walked back out to where Trent sat on the small brick wall in front of the cafe.
"All done?" he asked, looking up from where he was playing with his hands, a serious frown on his face. I nodded giving him a smile.
"Campus tour?" I asked and he shrugged, with half a smirk.
"Why not..." he sighed, standing up and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. We headed down the path and I started pointing out the few building I actually knew. "Is it everything you expected?" Trent asked as we moved along.
"Yeah, I guess," I laughed. "It's not as American as I thought it would be.'Greek' really set me up for disappointment." Trent peered down at me with a look on his face telling me he thought I was an idiot.
"So, you haven't found your own 'Zeta Beta Zeta' to call home yet?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"I haven't found a 'Cappie' to call my own yet, either," I sighed, fully aware that Trent was teasing me.
"Maybe your 'Cappie' isn't here. Maybe you already found your 'Cappie'." I stopped and looked at him, letting the words sink in around me. His cool, sky blue eyes were full of hurt, but a glimmer of hope was in there too. "I love you, Luce," he murmured, pulling me closer to him. His arms held me to his warm, soft body and his blue eyes bore into mine, asking me to look back at him with the same yearning. Guilt came up from my toes and covered every inch of my body. I just couldn't make myself tingle like I used to when he looked at me and I felt like the biggest traitor as his eyes dropped to my lips and he started moving towards me slowly. I knew what I was about to do and I didn't like it one bit. His eyes closed as he got within centimetres of sealing his sentiments with a passionate kiss, but I couldn't force myself to close my eyes in response and just before his lips brushed mine, my head turned and my eyes finally dropped close. His soft lips hit my cheek and I felt the reaction ripple through him, the disappointment that caused him to slump against me. We stood there wrapped up in our heart breaking moment.
"I'm sorry," I whispered as loudly as I could make myself. It still came out as a breathe and he shook his head that was now resting against my temple with a heavy sigh. This was worse than the break up, the break up was amicable. This was me rejecting him and it twisted my heart like a sponge being wrung out. I had never rejected him, ever. The first time he kissed me while I was helping him try to make his mothers infamous cherry pie for a school family heritage project and every kiss after that, I'd never denied him. Even things like sleepovers. I had choosen his boys sleepover over Amy Waynson's girls night that everyone spoke of weeks before and after in year eight. I don't think I had ever really said 'No' to anything Trent asked of me and now everything was shattering because I was saying 'No' to him for the first time and it was 'No' to a future together.
"I shouldn't have done it," he replied after a moment, in an almost groaned whisper, against my cheek. A second later, he seemed to compose himself and bring his strong, long body back to its confident stance. "I just thought it might- I don't know..." he trailed off, lamely. He ran his hands through his light hair after he let me go and took a step back. I stared down at my feet, my arms crossed in front of me, protecting myself from the hurt that was going to explode once we weren't in the vicinity of each other. I peaked up at him through my lashes and I knew his confidant stance was his version of crossing my arms. It was all pretence to get us through to him leaving.
"Do you want to..." I trailed off, gesturing to the path that led to the science buildings.
"I should probably go," he replied quickly. I noticed his left hand, his index finger scratching at his thumb nail, a nervous tell he had. We were both incredibly uncomfortable now.
"I'll walk you to your car then," I murmured and he nodded.
"Thanks, I have no idea where we are at the moment." He offered me a smile that didn't reach his eyes and we set off walking in silence.

At his car, we shared a brief, barely friendly hug and pulled apart again. His eyes full of sadness looked me over once more before we shared our faint 'see yah's and he got into his car. Once I watched his car leave the parking lot, I slumped down onto the bench nearby. The pain I was feeling wasn't for our romantic relationship, it was for our friendship. I couldn't ask him to remain my best friend, or even friend in general after rejecting him like this. It wasn't fair to him.
Had I known his intention, I might have been able to do something to ease it but as it stood, it went as bad as possible.

'What else would his intention have been?' a quiet voice in my head asked me. 'You should have seen this coming as soon as he was on your doorstep, but you were blinded by Jake.'

I stared down at my feet as my hands pulled and twisted at themselves sub-consciously. The voice in my head was right; selfishly I was worrying about Jake when I should have been watching Trent. I hadn't told him anything about Jake or the possibility of starting to date other people, in the fear of hurting what we had and I had obliterated it instead when I basically ignored him when he was standing right in front of me, to run after Jake. I was getting what I deserved and what I deserved was to lose my best friend that I took for granted.

"Earth to Walters," Taylor waved his hand in front of my face and I looked up at him with a start, my bubble of self contemplation bursting.
"Oh, hey Taylor," I murmured, wondering how long he had been sitting next to me.
"You okay? You're being a major space cadet." I shook my head, looking back down at my feet.
"Trent just left, is all. The visit didn't end as well as it started," I told him vaguely.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked and I shook my head.
"Don't want to burden you with my girl drama," I told him with a faint smirk.
"Your loss, I'm an awesome listener." he shrugged, easily. "You look like you need a breather from being Lucy. Robbos car is broken and he asked me to give him a hand, let's go get 'Lockie' on and you can come with me." I looked up at him apprehensively.
"Taylor, I know even less than nothing about cars, let alone fixing them," I told him.
"Neither do I," he laughed, "But Robbo does. Rule thirty one," he cocked his head to side looking at me like he was Jesus, patiently preaching to me. "Once a week you have to try something you have never done before, otherwise what's the point of living? I figure knowing the difference between a wrench and a hammer will be enough." I looked at him for a long moment and sighed to myself. Blindly working my way through helping Robbo fix his car would be better than going back to my room and unfocusedly surfing Facebook for the rest of the day in bed. I would probably only end up on Trent's page, upsetting myself more, anyway.
"Fine," I sighed again, standing up.
"That's my dude-chick," he exclaimed with an encouraging smile, gesturing his arms to let me walk ahead of him towards my accommodation block.

Who would have thought Taylor could be like this. He was acting like a big brother instead of the douche bag I originally thought he was. There was certainly more than one side to Taylor Cadley and I was beginning to like what I saw. Maybe someone like Jake being friends with someone like Taylor wasn't as farfetched as I first thought.