What I Love About You | boyxboy

Chapter 26

He didn't answer me. Instead he had his head down, hands in his lap, and ignored me. I slide off the couch to get closer to him. "Taylor?"

"I... well..." he looked away from me as I crawled along the carpet to sit beside him. "Sen, don't."

"All of them... well, most of them, were when I was smoking pot behind the gym." He still wouldn't look at me. "Thought you said you deleted it. And I thought there was only one."

He pushed me away, but I fought back, wrapping my arms around him so he couldn't escape. "Knock it off."

"Tell me."

"Because... because..." He couldn't find the right words to say. "I really did delete the one where you could see the pot."

"Why were you taking a photoshoot?" I didn't even mention that the pictures of me spanned even further back than just the gym incident. There was a collection of them during my school performance where I played covers of Led Zeppelin songs on acoustic. Even a few of us in class. Every single one of those I was unaware of the picture.

He struggled to get away from me. "I'll delete them if it makes you uncomfortable."

"It doesn't."

"Then... why is it a problem?"

"Oh, it isn't." I pulled him tightly against me. "You've had a little crush on me for a while, haven't you?" He didn't answer me. "So that's why you were behind the gym. Skipping class to take pictures of me?"

He groaned. "You make me sound like a lovesick teenager."

"Aren't you?"

He thought on it, sighing. "...maybe?"

"How long has the crush lasted?" Again he wouldn't answer so I put my hand under his shirt, getting him to flinch. "Well?"

He pushed my hand. "J-just a little while ago." He was slipping out of my arms, falling to my lap. "S-since freshman year..." His head rested in my lap as he looked up at me.

I smiled. "That's almost four years."

"I just... thought you were so cool... and your music was nice to listen to."

"Yeah?"

He made a face up at me. "When did you start liking me?"

I shrugged. I really hadn't thought about when specifically. It was more or less gradual as I learned more about him. Though, I probably fell for him completely when he understood me when no one else would. "For a while now."

"Not an answer..."

"It wasn't when the blackmailing first started." I explained. "It was about when I stopped hitting you."

He turned over in my lap. "You're such a softy."

"Why would I hurt someone I like?" He wouldn't talk to me anymore. My hand reached up and my fingers gently ran through his hair, stroking his head. "You've changed quite a bit... you're not as violent." He laughed a bit. "I like it better when your being adorable and not so self destructive."

Glancing down, I saw his wrists. The sleeve had pulled back just slightly while he laid on me. They were covered in scars from cuts and burns, but otherwise looked as though he hadn't harmed himself in days. I was so relieved.

"Sen."

"Hm?"

"I've never... had a boyfriend that actually liked me."

"Me either." I admitted. "Well, in my case it would he girlfriend. They all ran for the hills when they learned I had nothing to offer."

"I don't mean it like that." He got up. "I mean... no one has ever said they love me."