Sure Be Cool If You Did (Shevine)

Chapter 7: Kissing You is One Thing, Loving You is Another

Adam's POV

I'm still shell-shocked when I get in my car with Blake in the passenger seat. She stole my dogs. Yeah. She did -- a few Mondays ago I dropped them off at my mom's house, so she could babysit them. What? She needs a few bucks. Anyway, Behati must have come over there the day we broke up and angrily stole them. She still has a house key, I remind myself. Even if I steal them back, I have to get the lock changed. Yes, change the lock, and then that ring of keys Blake said I left at the studios that he has won't be able to work either. So nobody can get in when I don't want them to.

I start the car and then back out of my parking space. "What kind of serious talk did you want to have?" asks Blake.

"I wasn't the one who wanted it," I counter, peering over at him.

He looks out the window, flattening his hair. "Sorry, then. I just... everyone is mad at me."

I sigh, knowing what I'll have to do. What else do I have to do to get him to love me? "Listen, Blake... I'm not mad. And Usher is like a dog, he'll forget by tomorrow with that kind of attention span. Shakira is really the only one with a reason, right? And that wasn't even your fault."

"Yeah, it was," Blake sighs. "I asked her a favour after I apparently 'hurt' her close friend."

"Okay, but my point is, I'm not mad," I say, and he finally turns to me. His blue eyes give that little pop that they did the first day we met, and my heart flutters before I go on. That's the look I was hoping to see. "I can't be. You saved me from that Jer dude beating me up... you saved me from Behati. And you saved me from being alone."

Blake smiles smally. "Thank you, Adam," he says, in a barely audible whisper. "I need a friend right now."

I nod, looking out to the road. "I know. Which is why, no more yelling, no more fighting, whatever it takes, I'll stand by you. Okay? I'll even go with you to court, if... if it comes to that with... her."

Blake slowly starts to nod. "Thanks."

"No issue, buddy."

Suddenly, Blake shoots me a look. I'm taken by surprise and the car swerves. He punches my shoulder and says, "Don't call me buddy."

I shrug. "Why not? You are --"

"Just... forget it," he grumbles. When I peer over at him slightly, I notice the blush on his cheeks. What's wrong with 'buddy'? "If you don't remember, you didn't like it when I called you that either."

Suddenly, I remember. The first Friday -- that stupid day the studios were having a party. Blake and I met outside and I told him to not call me bud. I remember. It made me feel worthless. Like he hadn't even considered me for... any feelings. How could I have possibly turned the tables so Blake was the one in that position now? Begging to be something more than 'buddy'? Well, that's not exactly what he's doing. But it sounds like it, the desperation and soreness in his voice. The hurt from all the horrible things that have happened in the past weeks. Me. Miranda. I don't know who's hurting him more.

Probably me. I just make things worse. But he's too protective, nice, charming, country, hurt, to say that to me right now. I needed to figure that out on my own. But the thing is, in order to get my precious dogs back, I'm about to get a whole lot worse for him. A whole lot nastier. Because, to get him to forgive me enough to help me, I need him to love me. I need to abuse that love, to get back what I love. It will take more than three little weeks to forgive me after what's about to take place.

"Sorry, I remember," I say lamely. "It sucked."

"Yeah, ya hypocrate," Blake says quickly.

I can't stand it, so I laugh. I laugh away the tension between us. After a few minutes of continuous chuckling, Blake joins in, and we laugh together for a long time. It feels good to laugh, although I feel insane because we have no clue why we're really laughing. I enjoy myself anyway. And I shouldn't be laughing. Behati...