How Can We

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Five

Wally hated seeing Artemis upset. She was avoiding him for a week, it wasn't hard to catch on. If she was trying to be subtle than she was failing miserably. Wally wanted to give her some time to process everything, he just didn't think it was that long. One or two days was explainable but a week was a rejection, his ultimate fear.

He had every intention of keeping his promise of fighting for her. She just made it more difficult for him by arriving to school late, taking alternative routes to class to avoid him in the hall and sitting away from him in class. It was hard from him to seek her out when she was actively avoiding him like the plague.

Wally remembered the drafts and starts of messages he attempted to send her. Beginnings of texts long forgotten and abandoned, because no text could ever compare to seeing her in person again.

He noticed the way it affected her too. While she chose to hide out in class, he managed to sneak in a few glances here and there. She looked exhausted and absolutely miserable, making him wonder why she put herself and him through this.

Confessing his feelings for her was like a weight lifted off of his chest, which left more space for heartache to sink its claws into. This was what he was dreading, putting his heart on his sleeve only for it to be stomped on. Knowing how she felt about him for sure was a nice thing to realize, he was unsure if it made everything worth it.

Still, his mind kept going back to the grimaces and frowns he saw on her constantly. If she wasn't happy, or at least acting normally, then there was hope.

Nothing prepared him for seeing Artemis standing by his locker looking nervous. It was definitely the highlight to yet another boring and meaningless school day.

"Can we talk?"

"So I guess you're done avoiding me." He said, trying to act casual and nonchalant, not wanting to let on how much she affected him.

"I'm sorry, I needed time."

"You had all the time in the world Artemis." He reminded her sharply. " You didn't need a week to figure out if you care about me too." His voice betrayed him.

"It's not like that, I care about you too. I'm just afraid, I've never been in a relationship before and this is all new to me. I just thought you would want to be with someone less damaged than me." She looked down at her feet, looking scared and vulnerable.

He wanted to tell her that there was no reason to be scared, that he shared her worries and doubts, but the words couldn't find their way. Instead he gripped her shoulders.

"Don't ever call yourself damaged Artemis!" She was worth a lot more than she gave herself credit for, and she was far from damaged. He pulled her in for a hug, sighing with content as she leaned into it. "Don't ever put yourself down. I will help you see each and every day how special you are until you see what I see in front of me."

"And what's that?" She asked breathlessly, looking into his eyes.

"The most amazing girl I've ever met." Amazing didn't even begin to describe her.

"You really know how to make a girl swoon." She smiled, boy did he love her smile.

"Only for you Artemis, only for you." He rested his chin on top of her head. "We can take this as slow as you want, because I'm not letting you go." He won't make the same mistake twice.

"I wouldn't want you to." Wally kissed the top of her head softly, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that she was his.

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