Hopelessly Devoted ~ Garroth x F!Reader

Ch 81: Awkward Avoidance Viking

Ahhhh! —that was an excited scream, I promise— another! Thanks, fanficgurl2017 !
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Chapter Eighty-One: Awkward Avoidance Viking
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*unedited*

Second Person:

        ***

          "So let me get this straight. You think that Garroth and I . . .?" You closed your mouth, unable to bring yourself to spit out the inaccurate title.

          "It's hard to imagine a time when you two weren't," she stated so naturally that you couldn't wrap your head around how she wasn't the least bit upset.

    For the next few minutes, you tried insisting a thousand times that nothing was going on with you and Garroth, that he was still on the table for her, but she didn't show any interest in that.

            Zoey ignored the fact that you were seemingly trying to spare her feelings and interlaced her fingers together. "____, how long ago was your birthday?"

            Like she didn't remember. "I don't know, I haven't celebrated it in forever. Why?"

           Her face resembled the Scottish guy whose whole life had been torn apart over the weight of steel and feathers.

           For the rest of this unexpected —and frankly, confusing— visit, you had tried to work out the facts with her, but the more and more you discussed, the foggier her thoughts got.

         By the end of the conversation, you had both come to the conclusion that she had had a very vivid dream.

        Still, it irked you.

        Eventually, Zoey had to leave to watch the boys.

         ***

         It was exactly twenty-four hours later that you got over yourself enough to make a public appearance. You thought that you were hungry, but when you walked into the dining hall for brunch, your brain had somehow convinced your stomach that no food would ever taste up to par.

         Still, you pressed forward.

       You caught a glimpse of a broad-shouldered figure eating with a group of guards. There was no way you could contain the sheer weightlessness you felt even just passing by him. You stopped in your tracks, remembering what Zoey had said. You and him? A couple? Your face burned with heat.

           You might've considered talking to Garroth if you hadn't been avoiding him for the past week. It was your doing, yet you couldn't find a solid reason as to why. Ever since coaching Travis, you slipped into a cycle of rarely stepping outside, mainly to steer clear of a certain personage--and no, that being wasn't Travis.

          Garroth shifted in his place, leaning over a book while those around him mingled, his swoopy bangs hanging over his forehead.

          You tried to fight it, but couldn't hold back the smile as you passed by. Then you mentally scolded yourself for it. No matter Zoey's protests, a crush doesn't magically disappear like she claims hers did. A crush is similar to a piece of gum on the bottom of your shoe: you can't see it, but you feel its indent--and, when you you've completely forgotten about it, it sticks to the pavement and trips you.