"Leighton, you look radiant." Axel praises, which I meet with a thankful grin.
"Hella' hot, big sis'."
My eyes widen at Jace's comment as we wait beside the auditorium with our tickets.
"Big... sis...?"
"Yeah." Jace shrugs, the nervousness on his face adamant. "Rolls of the tongue, ya' know?"
Nodding absentmindedly, I wave him a quick goodbye as he slouches off at the call of his teacher in waiting. I watch as he marks his name off the roll and disappears into the back stage, a bored look on his face all the way.
"It's true." Axel smiles, leaning one elbow on my shoulder. "He sees you more as a mother, but all due respect I think it's well before your time."
"That... That was a bit sudden." I murmur, still shocked. "I... Not even Ezekiel..."
Axel meets me with a shrug. I quickly dip away as some of Axel's friends draw closer, all of them here for the same reason—their smaller siblings are graduating from the middle school to senior school. Making my way to a quiet corner by the school's foyer, I take in the evening air, letting the sunset kiss my uncovered back.
Gazing down at myself, I rethink everyone's comments earlier. Out of all the colours in the spectrum, I do think white suits me the best. White isn't a colour, and like Axel says, I'm not like anyone else. The skirt comes down to my knees, a quaint lace trimming decorating the hem. The waist is cinched with an iridescent sequin bell, a gold buckle adorning the middle. The back plunge is rather dramatic, but the bust is conservative, riding up to my collarbones in a modest fashion.
Even with Axel's persistent hounding for me to wear a matching pair of creme heels, I successfully escaped with a pair of black ballet flats.
Pulling my phone out of my clutch, I check my messages to find one from Boomer.
"Gonna' be l8
Something came up!
B there ASAP"
Sighing, I tuck my phone into my bag, wary of how I'm now companionless. Leaning against the concrete, a shiver runs up my spine as the cool stone brushes against my skin. Revelling in the peacefulness of solitude, I don't notice the heavy footsteps drawing closer to me.
"Cold?"
My head snaps up, and I quickly find myself cornered by Colt. A wall on one side and an inescapable crowd on the other, I exhale reluctantly and brace myself for conversation.
"I'm fine." I respond harshly, casting my eyes to the floor.
That's not what you need to say! Your sinking back into your old habits again.
I bite my lip as Colt turns away, whispering a hasty goodbye as I make it obvious I don't want his presence near me. But the fact is, is that I do want him near me. And as much as I hate it, I don't think I'll ever have the courage to make the first move—not in a million years.
Stuck in a mindless stalemate, I clench my fists tighter as I struggle within myself.
"Stop closing yourself off from everyone. Stop pushing everyone away."
His words reverberate throughout my head as I watch him walk further from my reach. I'm not pushing people away, why did he say that? I didn't tell him to leave, he left voluntarily.
But have I...?
"Colt, wait." I call out. Sinking into the wall, I clasp my hands behind my back nervously. "I..."
Have I ever told someone I want them to stay?
"Do you want to wait with me? Before we go in, that is."
YOU ARE READING
Princes & I
Romance"The closest thing I've had to family is the postman, cause I sure saw a lot more of him than I did my own father." Torn out of a cold and broken home and thrown into a new family of five princes equipped with vastly different attitudes, Leighton C...
