Don't You Forget About Me

Chapter 16~ Riff Off

Chapter 16~ Riff Off

*Jesse's P.O.V.*

Beca has been avoiding me since this morning. Luckily, I had been able to run into her at lunch but unluckily, her food got all over my favorite shirt as she literally ran into me. We hadn't been paying attention to what we were doing and we collided causing her tacos to smear into my shirt and her soda to soak my entire chest.

"God!" I partially yelled as I quickly pulled the shirt away from my chest.

"I'm so sorry." she grabbed some napkins and began cleaning the mess.

"Nice to know you still care." I said with a little smirk.

"I do have a heart, Jesse." she said keeping her eyes on what she's doing. I grabbed some napkins and started helping her.

"This isn't gonna come out." she said when we noticed wiping it was just smearing the grease even more. She took the napkins from my hand and threw them away. "Come on." she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the restaurant.

"Take it off." she said when we were standing in the parking lot.

"What?"

"Your shirt, take it off."

"Why?"

"So I can get it washed." I was going to ask her another question but she quickly cut me off. "No more questions, just do it."

I looked at her for a moment longer studying her expression. I realized she was being dead serious so I shrugged and lifted my shirt over my head, being careful not to get the food on my face. When it was completely off I saw Beca look at my naked chest then quickly look away, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Here." I handed her my shirt.

"I'll get this returned to you as soon as possible." she grabbed the shirt and looked everywhere but at me.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not."

"Then why won't you look at me?" she slowly slid her eyes up to meet mine.

"Happy?" she asked sarcastically.

"I will be when you tell me why you're avoiding me."

"I told you, I'm not avoiding you." I just gave her a look as if to say 'we both that's not true'. "Because you....well we....I mean I...."  she sarcastically laughed at herself for stammering over the words.

"Ok, no candy coating it. I'm just going to give it to you straight." I nod. "I can't be around you. I don't want to be around you." those words coming from anyone else wouldn't bother me but coming from her, it feels like a sword through my heart.

"I-I don't understand." I stuttered as I tried to withdrawal the hurt from showing in my voice.

"I do like you, Jess. It's just the way you look at me that I don't like."

"How-" that's all I could get out but she knew what I was saying.

"You look at me with those brown eyes that are just filled with hope and determination. It's through your eyes that I can see how you truly feel. You're scared that maybe you can't help me. You say you're not giving up and that you know I can beat this but your eyes, they tell me a completely different story. Every time I look at you I feel as if, somehow, I'm letting you  down and I can't stand that feeling. I don't want to hurt you Jesse and if I continue being around you and continue playing this game of hope I feel like all I'm doing is hurting you."