It Was Supposed to Blossom

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Disclaimer: I LOVE Arden Cho. She's a beautiful, extremely talented actress, and I am aware she is just a friend of Ryan's (as I believe it should be). This is a fan FICTION (meaning not real). Me using her technically as an antagonist does not mean I don't respect her. The way I portray her in this chapter is NOT how I know she behaves in real life. Enjoy this chapter...

Ryan POV

As soon as the door slammed, there was faint whispers and murmurs from the kitchen but I blotted it out. Now, I needed to focus on the matter at hand.

I whirled round to face Arden. "Arden," I said, trying to keep calm. "What was that all about?"

"What?" Arden asked. She pretended to examine her perfectly manicured right hand as she leaned the other one on my desk. Her voice heightened to an unnatural, too-high lilt.

Instantly, I'm reminded of what Lilly said in the closet. "What?" Lilly's voice, a false innocence, a cage of lies and denial that she had locked herself in, a haven of escape from her true feelings, resonated in my head.

I snapped to. No, this wasn't Lilly, the girl I'd crushed on for the longest time. This was Arden, a beautiful and charming (but unmatched Lilly's beauty) platonic friend that was clearly pretending we were otherwise.

"Why were you acting so flirtatious? Giving me double-meaning looks, bringing extravagant gifts, trying to bring too much physical contact." I gave her a look of accusation and crossed my arms. I figured the sooner I got to the point, the sooner this would blow over.

"Why are you so concerned?" Arden countered, something unplaceable creeping into her voice. "You're single,
I'm single, we have known each other for so long...why can't we take our relationship further, Ryan?" There was a teasing smile on her face as she edged closer, trailed a finger down my jaw.

"No!" I jerked away. "You can't! Lilly will-" I caught myself, but the damage had been done. Arden's brow darkened and it was her turn to fold her arms akimbo.

"I knew it." She said nastily, and a rush of pink flooded through my cheeks, almost as if she slapped me. "You like her, don't you." It was a statement, of accusation and anger, but I was smart enough to hear the underlying hurt in it.

"Y...yes." I stammered. Why should be so nervous, embarrassed? Arden couldn't possibly have any hold on me in any way if I only had platonic emotion towards her, but somehow she did.

"Why?" Arden pressed. "She eats like a slob, dresses up as a man for goodness sake, and wouldn't it do her some good to put effort into her appearance? And her dress size?"

The words absorbed into my skin, and suddenly something begins to simmer within me. "I love that she eats the way she does, crumbs on her mouth, falling to her lap. I love that she is just so unpologetically herself, and does not feel the need to change herself for other people. I love that she eats 24-packs of cinnamon twists even if she has to let out all her clothing, and I love her antics that comes with dressing as a man. And her body, love handles, curves and all, is perfect. I love it."

I love her.

I'm so focused on what I'm saying that I see Arden's face for the first time. Stricken. Completely stricken. Hurt and sadness and anger and disbelief that somehow melded into one expression.

For a second, I think I see messy smudges in her cat-eye eyeliner, tears balancing on her perfectly mascaraed lashes, the glimmer of tears, her hand shaking slightly on the desk. For a moment, I think I see the real Arden, the girl behind the camera-ready makeup and model-like gait and her fierce, charismatic eyes.

But she regains her cool. Her eyeliner flicks sharply in wings, her lashes remain thick and lush, and her scarlet lips curve into the teasing, flirtatious grin I've been seeing today.

"Maybe this will change your mind." A devilish smirk came to her face as she walked towards me. Before I could say anything, her lips landed on mine and pushed harder, deeper. She pulled my hands to her waist, ran one down my jaw, pressed the back of my neck, suctioning our bodies together tightly.

I tried to push her off of me, but she stuck to my body like glue. Once I got myself free, I jerked back. "What are you doing?" I almost shrieked at Arden.

I turned to leave when a gasp left my mouth. Her brows raised, eyes widened to saucers, mouth dropped into a perfect 'O', slack-jawed.

I was staring into the beautiful and shocked face of Lilly Singh.

Author's note: God. I really hate myself for putting that picture for this chapter.